Photo: Thomas Obungen   Hunger hits me like a blow to the gut as my plane taxis to a gate at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Too late for lunch, too early for dinner—my stomach doesn’t care. I swoop up my friend Mahina Chong, and we head out to the edge of Mililani for smash burgers we’ve both been craving. Thankful for light holiday traffic, we make it there in 30 minutes.   On this Good Friday, the white Meat and Buns step van parks in the lot across from the Freedom gasoline station on Kamehameha Highway. You can’t miss the blue and red flags advertising wagyu bu ..read more

  Ariannas Beef With Guasacaca. Photo: Gregg Hoshida   Oftentimes, finding a particular food truck I want to try is like chasing a rainbow. I see it and know generally where it stops, but when I get there, it’s gone until who knows when. Such was the case with Arianna’s Arepas. Open since last summer, I spotted it but didn’t have a chance to try it. Since then, there have been several missed opportunities, until recently. With a new, semi-permanent location at Pearlridge, in the old Sears parking lot, I finally reached the end of the rainbow and hit a pot of Venezuelan gold.   ..read more

    Where the Heart Is Maui Fresh Streatery  |  Fujiya Hawai‘i  |  Little Vessels  |  Central O‘ahu Event Center   In the world of food and restaurants, the most resonant stories go beyond what’s on the table. Here’s Part 1 of the four-part package “Where the Heart Is” in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of HONOLULU Magazine.     Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino   Mālama Kekahi I Kekahi   In normal times, Maui Fresh Streatery slings up feel-good food: spicy ‘ahi poke bombs, pork tenderloin hoagies, pastele stew, squid lū‘au. Normal ..read more

  Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako   Honolulu Night Market returns with its second and final event of the year, just in time for fall festivities and holiday shopping. While the market used to take place every month pre-pandemic, these events are now scheduled for twice a year, once during the summer and fall. Meaning this is your last chance for 2023 to check out this popular block party! Swing by Our Kaka‘ako from 5 to 10 p.m. to try good food, shop local boutiques and vendors for that perfect Christmas gift and watch live entertainment and a fashion show.   Click to the inf ..read more

  Photo: Thomas Obungen   There are few people I can call on a Friday with news about kebab smash burgers whose response I know will be, “Where and when?” Frolic Hawai‘i contributor Gregg Hoshida is on that list. Thankfully he answered my call as I drove around Kaka‘ako searching for the intersection of Waimanu and Queen streets. It’s behind South Shore Market, in case you’re racking your brain.   Photo: Thomas Obungen   That’s where we found Kababa Mama, a new food trailer that just hit the streets a few days ago. A friend posted about its pita smash burgers on her In ..read more

  Photo: Gregg Hoshida   Just about two years ago, Smashed Hawai‘i opened up in the former ‘Ohana Hale Marketplace and developed a loyal following during its short tenure on Ward Avenue. Since then, fans waited for the announcement that finally came via an Instagram post on June 26: Smashed is back with its over-the-top smash burgers and fries. Now on Sheridan Street, Smashed Hawai‘i is easy to spot with its retro pink trailer sitting in a lot behind McDonald’s and HMSA. I head there with my hungry teenage son and an empty stomach.   Photo: Gregg Hoshida   To my deligh ..read more

  The island’s biggest collection of ‘onolicious poke in one place at one time is back! Frolic’s sixth annual Poke Fest presented by Fresh Island Fish is happening on Saturday, May 20 from 4 to 8 p.m.   Think all kinds of poke, desserts and cool drinks. Fun activities plus live entertainment featuring Grammy-nominated producer and singer-songwriter Kimie Miner. Plus, the first 500 people through the gates receive a free cooler bag courtesy of Foodland Hawai‘i. All will take over the massive parking lot at Ka Makana Ali‘i between California Pizza Kitchen and ’Ōlino Theatres.   ..read more

  Roll With It is a Frolic series about food trucks we’ve seen out and about. We’re tracking them down and trying dishes to bring you the 4-1-1.   Photo: Thomas Obungen   After driving by the Rico Rico Chicken trailer dozens of times on King Street, we decide that we need to stop by. I like chicken, first, and the location cannot be any more convenient for me and other UH students, since it’s just a few blocks from the Mānoa campus.   The Menu Photo: Maddy Chow   At a glance: Rico Rico Chicken parks at South King and Coolidge streets across from Longs Drugs. It ha ..read more

  Roll With It is a Frolic series about food trucks we’ve seen out and about. We’re tracking them down and trying dishes to bring you the 4-1-1.   Tat-tat-tat-tat-shhhhk, tat-tat-tat-tat-shhhhk. The familiar sound of a butcher’s knife chopping and swiping ingredients across a cutting board draws me in. Here on Waipahu Depot Street across from Waipahu Festival Marketplace, a line of locals waits in front of a small lunch trailer with mouthwatering photos and signs that say “sisig.” Instantly I know what I’m eating for lunch.   The Menu Photo: Gregg Hoshida   At a glance ..read more

Food has been calling us to the neighbor islands lately, and often. So after eating our way across Maui a few weeks ago, we hopped back in search of still more new spots, lingering curiosities and neighborhood favorites. In 36 hours on the Valley Isle, these five eateries emerged as our Part 2 favorites. A special shoutout goes to our stretchy pants—island-hopping for grinds is a lifestyle.   SEE ALSO: Foodie Field Trip: Everything We Ate in One Day on Maui, Part 1   Photo: Maria Burke Marlow We skip breakfast and head Upcountry for a carb-fest at this aesthetic wood-fired pizza c ..read more