(This story is the second in a series that HONOLULU Magazine is publishing about the impactful work of Hawaii contractors and how they are building for a better Hawai’i. The series is a partnership with the Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP).) MIchael Young always knew he wanted to go into the construction industry. After studying engineering at MIT and Stanford University, he joined Albert C. Kobayashi Inc., one of Hawaii’s largest locally owned general contractors, as a project engineer, then rose to pre-construction manager, project executive and vice president. He was appointed president in 2020 after his father, Russell, retired from…
Author: kissnearme
Photo: Courtesy of Mō’ili’ili Summer Fest TThe 13th annual Mō’ili’ili Summer Fest returns home to its old location at the Waiānuenue ma Kapa’akea parking lot (the old Varsity Building parking lot) and Coyne Street on July 4 from 5 to 10 p.m. To kick off the celebration, there will be an Andagi Night on Friday, July 3, from 4 to 8 p.m., with exclusive food vendors, festivals and dishes for sale. beloved Okinawan fried treats. Coinciding with the 4th of July long weekend, this year’s party is expected to draw thousands of attendees with its exciting lineup of food and…
TThe granola had me at Café Mocha. Tatsuyoshi Omura, creator of ReBran, talks about the granola he’s been cooking in a Makiki commercial kitchen since last year. Cocoa Banana Bread, Hawaiian Coffee, Island Honey and Sea Salt – All flavors are made with leftover bran from locally milled rice. Café Mocha is Omura’s favorite, so I make a mental note before asking the obvious: why rice bran granola? “I was thinking of starting a musubi business, so I visited the Kubota [Rice Industry Hawai‘i] facility in Kalihi and we saw the huge rice milling process. I was very impressed,” says…
Photo: Gregg Hoshida Aanthropologically speaking, my food awakenings have always been milestones by which I measure my life. It’s the summer of 1975, and I’m with my mother visiting her friend in McCully. Out comes a large porcelain plate with a pyramid of vienna sausages in shoyu sugar that glisten in the afternoon light. For a 6-year-old armed with a chopstick, it’s the height of culinary elegance. Spring 1986: I’m in Japan for the first time, in Yamagata prefecture with my high school band. The bowl of hot, perfectly cooked rice that appears in front of me forever raises the…
Bwhere dances are a treasure of Hawaiian summers. It’s not just about dancing to live drums and folk music under warm night skies, but also, if we’re being honest, the food. The irony is that as popular as good dancing has become, many of the islands take place in Buddhist temples that are struggling to stay open. Those that have closed on O’ahu include Kahuku Hongwanji in 2013 and, late last year, Wai’anae Hongwanji. Membership is dwindling, especially in rural temples, and those who remain to host good dances and prepare and sell our favorite dishes are often well into…
Photo: Thomas Obungen TKilohana Square’s fine dining days are over: Ahead of the site’s pending redevelopment, Threadfin Bistro and Slice by HB Baking closed in recent days. Threadfin moves; Slice will be taking a break and moving on to catering and pop-ups for now. Below are more details on each. As for Kilohana Square itself, it sees better and busier days. Built in 1971, it had tree roots tearing through its parking lot and a narrow, slide-like exit that made the tight turn onto busy Kapahulu Avenue a challenge. But the two buildings in the small mall were doing well,…
Mad Pie, Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery, Onda Pasta, Purvé Donut Stop – these are some of the local businesses offering discount mystery food boxes on Save a Bite, a new local app that launched on June 4. It’s basically a win-win: Save Big: Small boxes are $6.99 and contain $21 worth of food, medium boxes are $9.99 for $30, large boxes are $12.99 for $45. Support a local business The business reduces waste and makes money Save a Bite donates a portion of its profits to local non-profit organizations “Our mission is to keep good food on the table, help…
We recently visited Ireland and only had one day to explore Dublin. So we wanted to make the most of our time in the city. To make sure we saw as much as possible, we did a lot of research and planned a walking tour that everyone in our group would enjoy. This was no small challenge considering we ranged in age from 11 to 74 and also had a dog by our side! However, we managed to find the perfect balance of sights, history, green spaces, and places to stop for food and refreshments along the way. Everyone had…
Last updated on June 12, 2026 This past Easter holiday, or ‘Semana Santa’ in Spain, we decided to stay close to home and plan a road trip from Barcelona. My mother was visiting from Boston, so we wanted to show her the beauty of the Costa Brava as well. We had heard a lot of good things about Girona, which is about 1.5 hours drive from Barcelona, so we decided to use it as a base. The great thing is that there are many beautiful places within driving distance of Girona. I would definitely recommend it as a home base…
Your guide to which city, county and state services will be available or suspended in observance of Kamehameha Day on Thursday, June 11, 2026. King Kamehameha Day is Thursday, June 11 this year. SEE ALSO: Your Guide to the Perfect Honolulu Weekend: June 11-17, 2026 SERVICES AVAILABLE There will be emergency ambulance service, fire brigade, first aid, medical examiner and police. TheBus will operate during public holidays. visit thebus.org for routes and other information. Skyline will operate during normal hours, from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Visit honolulu.gov/skyline for rider information. parks, botanical gardens, municipal golf courses and the Honolulu…