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, housing restaurants such as the Gonbei yakitori restaurant (whose owners later opened KuruKuru Sushi), which was replaced by Mr. Original Ojisan (now Mr. Ojisan Neo Bar & Sushi in McCully), then Threadfin. Elsewhere, breakfast spot Sweet E’s replaced an Indian restaurant in Kilohana’s larger dining space before moving around the corner to Kapahulu. Other shops such as Garakuta-Do and then T. Fujii sold Japanese antiques, the latter until April; and pet supply store Calvin & Susie debuted here before moving to Kailua and Kaimukī.
The future of Kilohana Square is a sign of our tastes and times. It was purchased by The Lock Up Self Storage, which has been buying properties in the urban city of Honolulu. Until now, its only location was across from the McCully Mall on Kapi’olani Boulevard. Reports say the new storage facility will go up at the Kilohana Square site in two years.
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Threadfin Bistro
Jason Kiyota’s Southeast Asian and French restaurant is moving into the former Morio’s Sushi Bistro location in Makiki. The space, in the Eleven50 building next to Japanese restaurant Akira, seats about 25, just under half the capacity of Threadfin in Kilohana Square. It was only last year that Kiyota, whose three-course set menus had a regular following, expanded into an adjacent space to accommodate more diners and a la carte dishes.
Short rib at Threadfin. Photo: Courtesy of Threadfin Bistro
“As they say, just learn and move on and do even better,” he says. His next space is “a little small, but I think it will be a nice place. I’m going to change the concept to a more classic concept, like a French bistro. Just pâtés, terrines, boeuf bourguignon, more classic stuff. I like to eat like that sometimes.”
Photo: Courtesy of Threadfin Bistro
Morio’s didn’t have a liquor license, so Kiyota applies for one. He’ll keep the sushi counter, he says, and turn it into a bar with wines and some cocktails. Favorites from their old menu, such as abalone escargot with cognac butter, crab curry fried noodles, lobster in brown butter miso and foie gras terrines, will make a return.
“I’ll still do Southeast Asian things at our special dinners, or a Thai-themed wine pairing, I’ll bring back my old dishes or South American-influenced dishes,” he says.
Jason Kiyota. Photo: Courtesy of Threadfin Bistro
All of this will be available à la carte, so you can order a dish or two with a glass of wine. Right now, Kiyota and his crew are busy cleaning equipment, furniture and fixtures; hopes to open the new location at the end of summer. He is recognized as one of the best chefs in Hawai’i, so the new Threadfin Bistro should be a hopeful one.
Slice by HB Baking
Knowing that this cake and dessert shop had been looking for a new location before the Kilohana remodel, we had been checking out their Instagram for weeks. Even so, the post that went up on Wednesday took us by surprise. “Aloha ‘Oe,” he began.
Heather Lukela in her old Chinatown space. Photo: Thomas Obungen
“We’ve decided not to aggressively pursue our next space. We’ve had to move this business once before and don’t want to rush this process. I want to take it easy until the right place comes along. Instead of forcing something that doesn’t feel right,” baker and owner Heather Lukela wrote. “And the truth is, we could both use a break. We’ve been pushing hard the last 5 years.”
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Slice opened in Chinatown Cultural Plaza in 2021 and then moved downtown. Lukela’s desserts were elevated classics that made the cozy shop a destination not only for slices of her ice cream cakes, but also for strawberry shortcakes, ice cream sandwiches and Mother’s Day-themed cupcakes.
“Many thanks to our guests who showed concern and expressed good wishes,” he wrote. “I’m so excited you cared. Even though it’s been hard to lose my store, you all keep me going.
Photo: Thomas Obungen
“I hope to do it without being tied to my shop schedule. Whatever’s next is next.”
Lukela’s post said she is traveling and visiting family and will be taking orders for whole cakes and custom cakes when she returns in July. Slice by HB Baking is another unique treasure in Honolulu. Follow her Instagram for updates.
Mari Taketa is editor of Frolic Hawai’i and dining editor of HONOLULU Magazine.
