Hustle and Flow

Does a night out in Honolulu bring to mind a sunset cocktail with hula and slack key guitar followed by grilled fish and wine in an oceanfront setting?

I live in Waikiki and happily that is often how my evenings go, but more and more these days I venture out, grabbing an Uber to one of Honolulu’s diverse neighborhoods for theater or an art event followed by dinner at a locally owned cafe with a passionate chef with emphasis being placed on food quality over quantity.

Downtown Culture

For theater lovers I always suggest Kuma Kahua Theater. This theater company, occupying a historic structure in downtown Honolulu, is dedicated to plays about Hawai‘i and its people by local playwrights. There are also plays for Hawai‘i’s people such as a recent adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in Hawaiian Pidgin. Now that was brilliant.

A night at the theater could begin with a cocktail at Bar Leather Apron near the theater in downtown Honolulu. The bar’s setting feels more Tokyo than Honolulu: a small, intimate, gorgeous bar on the mezzanine level of a financial tower with only six seats (you Tokyophiles know what I’m talking about), spectacular bartenders, and a great collection of whiskey, especially.

Waikiki Revival

If you are in Waikiki and would rather just walk than take an Uber, great chefs from Osaka and Tokyo are opening their first American establishments for us to enjoy. Keiji Nakazawa, arguably one of Japan’s leading Sushi Chefs, has opened an outpost of his Ginza Sushi bar, Sushi Sho, here at the Ritz Carlton in Waikiki. With only 10 seats at the bar and two seating per evening, this is another hard reservation to obtain. His focus is of course on fresh and he likes to feature fish from the local waters in addition to fish flown in from Japan. The omakase or chef’s choice dinner features 31 perfect bites.

If your mood is more New American Cuisine then head to Mahina & Sun’s at the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, just down from the Ritz, where local boy and tastemaker Ed Kenney’s fourth restaurant offers “elevated home cooking with a Hawaiian sense of place” and utilizes local and organic ingredients.

It has a modern, whimsical interior that opens onto the hotel’s courtyard, dominated by a pool tiled with the words “Wish You Were Here” at the bottom, expertly crafted cocktails, and some of simply the best food offered in the islands makes for a dining destination. It certainly did for the Obamas when they recently visited. The hotel and restaurant feature the work of local designers and artists. There is even a boutique, Olive & Oliver, with its hip take on island fashions for men, women and the home.

Heart of Honolulu

Chinatown hosts its First Fridays, held the first Friday of the month, and from 5 to 9 p.m., where you can walk from gallery to gallery, and from bar to restaurant, imbibing with all senses. Be sure to try one of the fabulous concoctions at Livestock Tavern—you might never have a better cocktail than their own Red Ryder: St George Spirits Terroir Gin, Juniper & Cedar Infused Campari and Carpano Antica Vermouth.

Another favorite is Senia in Chinatown. One partner chef is Anthony Rush from London, and the other is Chris Kajioka, who is born and raised here in Hawai‘i. They worked together in Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York before deciding to come to Honolulu. Getting a reservation is next to impossible, so I’d say so far they are meeting that goal.

Additionally, if you are in town for the last Friday of the month from January through October be sure to check out the Honolulu Museum of Art’s well-attended and much-anticipated themed event, Art after Dark, from 6 to 9 p.m. As great as the food is at this event, somehow I am still hungry, so it’s not unusual to grab an Uber again and head off for a bowl of ramen. Like most big cities, Honolulu is having a love affair with ramen, but unlike the others, Honolulu’s love affair began over a century ago. There is ramen everywhere here and many of the noodles you have been eating in San Francisco and New York City originate in our local ramen factory Sun Ramen. A favorite near the museum (and walkable from it) is Golden Pork Tonkotsu Ramen Bar. They use thin noodles and offer three styles: Golden Pork Classic, Spicy Miso Dragon, and my favorite, Black Garlic Original. It is a small, cozy place with great style and service.

Ward Wonders

To check out some art by day, head over to Honolulu’s newest neighborhood and the burgeoning art and dining scene at Ward Village. Check out the new buildings rising, each by a noted international architect. Pow Wow Hawaii, a collective of Honolulu Street artists has come together to create amazing murals on older buildings and new construction throughout the Village. Surf meets urban, all with a mix of remarkable architecture, local boutiques and cafes.

Great options for lunch or dinner such as a famed Hawai‘i Island chef Richard Merriman’s first O‘ahu restaurant at the base of the new Anaha Tower has opened. Another local gem on the restaurant scene, The Pig and The Lady, located in Chinatown, has opened up a Ward Village bistro Piggy Smalls, and it is amazing. Grandma’s Vietnamese flavors mixed with urban cool, and the space features my favorite mural, hands-down, in the Ward Village area.

If you are able to attend this exciting event, you will want to dine at the crown jewel of the Kakaako dining scene, Nobu. Chef Nobu has moved his eponymous restaurant from its Waikiki location (and added a teppanyaki room, one of only six in all of the Nobu establishments worldwide) to take the top honor spot in the new Ward Village, at the base of Waiea. This is a world-class restaurateur in our midst, and we look forward to many happy hours spent dining here.