September 2023: Our Top 3 Most Popular Posts About the Local Food Scene
A reshuffled lineup of roast duck specialists, and another Jamaican food post goes viral.
No. 3: Reader Poll: Who Makes the Best Roast Duck on O‘ahu?
Photo: Mari Taketa
Published Sept. 27, 2023
Coming three days after the closure of Nam Fong, a fixture on Maunakea Street for 35 years, maybe it’s not so surprising that a reader poll clocks in at third place. What is surprising is that the results of the poll turned up two giants on the post-Nam Fong roast duck scene—and how close the rest of the voting was. Readers’ third pick got 5.8% of the total vote, while Nos. 4 and 5 were separated by just 0.1%. Stay tuned for You Voted: Here’s Your Top 5 Roast Duck on O‘ahu, coming this week.
No. 2: Farewell to Nam Fong 南方燒臘 After 35 Years in Chinatown
Photo: Andrea Lee
Published Sept. 19, 2023
As digital editor of honolulumagazine.com, the daily website of Frolic’s sister publication, Andrea Lee’s plate is full. That flew out the window when she found out Nam Fong was closing. The roast meat shop opened before Andrea was born, and like many locals, she grew up tagging along when her family stopped in for roast pork, roast duck and spare ribs. The shock of losing a part of her lifelong landscape sent Andrea hurrying over on a Sunday. For the first time, she met owner Kim Chiu Tsun—“he was always working in the back,” she says—and, with her Hong Kong-born dad interpreting, was able to hear his story. We’re glad he got to tell it. Andrea’s tribute to a Chinatown icon is not only the first telling we found of Tsun’s story, it’s also a personal and collective mahalo from all of us who will miss Nam Fong.
No. 1: Finally, Amazing Jerk Chicken and Oxtail at Downtown’s New Irie Jerk
Photo: Gregg Hoshida
Published Sept. 6, 2023
We followed Irie Jerk’s journey for a while—from Dukes Lane to Kewalo Basin to ‘Ohana Hale Waikīkī to Schofield Barracks—waiting for a more permanent roost. Jamaican food is scarce on this island, so we’re always on the lookout, and as Gregg Hoshida’s viral post about Jr’s Jamaican Jerk showed, so are many of you.
Irie Jerk owner Kadeen Goldcamp’s Instagram post detailing the care and work she puts into her food—she rehydrates dried beans overnight for the rice and peas, removes excess fat from chicken, and cooks from scratch—piqued our interest. So when she opened Irie Jerk’s first brick and mortar on Bishop Street, in the building that houses the offices of Frolic and HONOLULU Magazine, Gregg was there. To no one’s surprise, his post not only tops September’s page views, it ranks third overall for the year. And several of us have since affirmed his opinion that the oxtail stew and jerk chicken are outstanding.
For the record, the next three most popular posts covered Minasa’s Filipino mashups in Waipahu, a classic about a hidden yakitori gem and Beer Lab’s new beer garden on Beretania Street.
