Hawaiian Clothes

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business — ADVERTISEMENT — Sunday, October 17, 2004 DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Yoshi Takahashi amuses his friends Kimi Toi and Michi Ogino with a wetsuit that's a little too small at the Xcel store in the Ward Village Shops. Hey! Big spenders New research shows just where tourists drop their money during stays in Hawaii By Allison Schaefers aschaefers@starbulletin.com ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRYANT FUKUTOMI / BFUKUTOMI@STARBULLETIN.COM China / South Korea travelers » More than 50 percent of these Asian visitors are first-timers and about a quarter of them come as part of a package tour. » Most come to visit friends or family (more than 28 percent), on business, or as part of a stopover, as stringent Visa requirements and a lack of flights has made Hawaii a difficult vacation destination. » In terms of activities, they are statistically similar to Americans, but plan to spend more money. » Most plan to attend a luau and 30 percent intend to play golf, the most of any other group surveyed. United States travelers » American travelers plan to stay longer and spend the least amount of money on retail and souvenirs. » They are most likely to engage in sports like running, scuba or going to the gym, but have the smallest percentage of people who planned to swim or sunbathe. » Americans are more likely to attend a luau, go to a Hawaiian history or cultural event and buy Hawaiian clothing and souvenirs than Japan or other Asian travelers. » They enjoy shopping at convenience stores, malls or hotel stores. They are also the most likely to go to a museum or art gallery or eat in high-end restaurants. Japan travelers » More than 60 percent of Japan travelers come to Hawaii as part of a package group. » These visitors plan to stay the least amount of time and spend the most money. » They are most likely to come to Hawaii to celebrate a wedding or honeymoon than any other group. » They are most interested in going to the beach and shopping while in Hawaii, but few plan to do any activities or eat in high-end restaurants. » They enjoy shopping across the board from outlet and discount stores to designer boutiques. While tourists from Japan and the mainland still pump plenty of money into Hawaii's retail stores, a more global mix of visitors is at the heart of Hawaii's improved tourism outlook, and their preferences are worlds apart. A new cross-cultural study from the University of Hawaii is available to help retailers take stock of what tourists buy, so local stores can match merchandise with spending habits. University of Hawaii marketing professor Mark Rosenbaum and travel industry management professor Dan Spears randomly surveyed more than 1,000 Waikiki tourists to determine cultural differences regarding their reasons for coming to Hawaii, their desire to shop and what purchases they planned to make during their stay. "Not all tourists are alike," Rosenbaum said. "Your target market should greatly impact how you merchandise and what products you stock." Hawaii's retail history gives businesses strong reasons to diversify their customer base, said retail analyst Stephany Sofos. "In the 1980s, the Japanese people came fast and furious and those who didn't cater to them were left out. Now it's changing, and as visitor groups change, retailers are having to figure out what their market is from one day to the next," Sofos said. The University of Hawaii study can help tourist-dependent businesses identify how to best keep their customers happy and how to increase spending from other visitor groups, Spears said. Their research showed that Japanese tourists plan to spend $1,400 on gifts and souvenirs during their stay in Hawaii, which is substantially more than all other visitor groups. According to the study, Chinese and Koreans spend about $750 on retail items and Americans spend around $600. They also found differences when it came to purchasing local foods, clothing and engaging in outdoor activities as well as differences in why these tourists groups were coming to Hawaii. For example, Americans and Japanese came to Hawaii primarily to vacation, while the Chinese and South Korean visitors were in Hawaii primarily to visit family members. Chinese visitors can only travel for leisure to a few designations, which does not include Hawaii. "Most Japanese will spend their vacation shopping at both high-end and discount retailers," Rosenbaum said, adding that data also confirmed the love-affair Japanese have with designer items. Nearly 60 percent of the Japanese visitors surveyed planned to visit Hawaii's designer boutiques; in contrast, only 35 percent of Americans planned to do so. However, the number of Japan travelers who plan to purchase products made in Hawaii, such as coffee, food and clothing, is lower than other groups. "The Japanese are the answer to our luxury business - not our economy," Rosenbaum said, adding that purchases of locally made products create more jobs and ultimately bring more benefit to the state. Visitors, who spend about $3 billion annually on retail goods in Hawaii, make up about 15 percent of the state's $19 billion retail market, said Carol Pregill, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii. The islands drew 6.4 million visitors last year, about two-thirds of them from the mainland. "Shopping is the third largest expenditure, next to food and lodging, for visitors," Pregill said, adding that about 20 percent of visitor expenditures can be attributed to shopping. "That's huge when you consider that shopping is a discretionary expense," Pregill said, and is an important part of a visitor's experience. But to make Hawaii shopping attractive to visitors it has to be distinctive, said Frank Haas, marketing director for the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "You can shop in Hong Kong and Las Vegas; what we need to know is what's distinctive about shopping in Hawaii," Haas said. As Oahu's visitor market stays strong, many retailers are going to take advantage of more visitor-based opportunities, said Jeffrey Hall, senior director of research at CB Richard Ellis. "There's huge amount of interest in redoing resort retail, especially in Waikiki," Hall said. According to market reports, Waikiki has a high number of retail vacancies, but in three to four years the sector will be more bullish as Waikiki renovation projects come to fruition, Hall forecasts. "The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center is rapidly changing. The Beach Walk and the International Market Place projects are just getting under way," Hall said. "Expect that in a few years Waikiki will be an entirely different place." Any shift in visitor demographics changes the way businesses advertise their products. "It's important to know who is coming and what you need for inventory," Pregill said. "Inventory is a huge expense and no one wants to be stuck with goods that no one want to buy." That's where the Rosenbaum and Spears study comes in, said Anne Murata, marketing director of the Festival Cos., which manages the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Murata said she purchased the study because it's the first retail survey in Hawaii that breaks data into small categories such as visitors' reasons for traveling to Hawaii, ability to spend and where they spend their money. Retailers are especially interested on the data about Chinese and South Korean visitors, she said. While Chinese and Korean visitors have more in common with Americans in terms of overall spending, their spending habits are very similar to the Japanese visitor market when it was new, Murata said. In the 1990s, when the Japanese tourism boom to Hawaii was growing, the state's largest industry went to great lengths to cater to their needs. Japanese signs ruled Waikiki marketing; but then the bubble burst and retailers had to regroup to stay in business. "We've been trained to think only in terms of U.S. westbound and Japan travelers," she said. "But our retail market is becoming increasingly global and we're starting to see more travelers from China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. East." Japanese visitor arrivals to Hawaii, which peaked at 2.2 million in 1997, fell to 1.3 million last year in response to a weakened Japanese economy and geopolitical troubles. Retailers say the market has rebounded, but it's time for those eyeing Hawaii's improved market to use the isles' changing tourist patterns to help determine what's in store. Although the China travel market to Hawaii is small, representing less than 1 percent of Hawaii's total visitors in 2002, state officials have identified it as a market with enormous potential. New research shows that Chinese tourists are now the biggest spenders in the Asia-Pacific region by average credit card transaction size, according to a study released by Visa. The report, published last week in the Financial Times, said Chinese cardholders on average spent $253 per transaction while traveling. The World Tourism Organization has also estimated that China will produce 100 million outbound tourists by 2020 and members of Hawaii's public and private sector want their share. "Just like we geared retail to the Japan market in its heyday, someday I expect we'll see retail signs in Chinese and Korean, too," Murata said. According to the Rosenbaum and Spears survey, the Chinese, enjoy participating in new activities, but look for familiarity in restaurants - characteristics similar to Japanese visitors before Hawaii became a common destination, "They only want to eat in Chinese restaurants," Rosenbaum said. But, more important for retailers is that the Chinese also appear to have a taste for luxury goods. "The Chinese, like the Japanese, also want to purchase luxury goods as gifts to take home," Spears said. While retailers need accurate data to capture their audience, there is one sure plan that works across cultures, Murata said. "One thing you can always sell them is the aloha spirit - that's an approach that works with visitors from China to Lithuania," Murata said. BACK TO TOP | The Hawaii experience A new University of Hawaii study of tourist spending habits raised some interesting questions. For instance, do Japan travelers, who planned to spend $1,400 on gifts and souvenirs during their stay in Hawaii, really contribute the most money to Hawaii's economy? While Americans, who planned to spend about $600 on retail, and Chinese/ Koreans, who planned to spend about $750, lagged behind in overall spending, the data showed that these groups spent significantly more on made-in-Hawaii products. The percentage of visitors planning to buy each product: Items USA / Canada Japan China / South Korea Hawaiian coffee 53.1 38.4 70.8 Macadamia nuts 66.8 52.2 75.5 Pineapples 37.4 7.3 30.2 Hawaiian candies 35.7 12.3 35.8 Hawaiian clothing 47.3 21.7 43.4 Hawaiian souvenirs 60.9 41.1 58.5 Source: University of Hawaii marketing professor Mark Rosenbaum and travel industry management professor Dan Spears Where it all goes Percentage of visitors doing the following activities: Activities U.S. Japan China/Korea Honeymoon/wedding 6.8 18.2 4.7 Visit family/friends 13.4 3.8 28.3 Part of Packaged tour 15.8 61.3 25.5 Buying designer clothes 29.2 34.9 37.7 Golf 16.0 5.6 30.2 Tour bus 30.9 25.2 37.7 Beach 77.4 78.3 84.0 Fine dining 58.2 8.5 49.1 Culture/History 64.2 27.3 43.4 Luau 59.7 16.1 62.3 Designer boutiques 35.1 59.2 41.5 Mall 65.4 74.5 75.5 Characteristics of visitors' stays: Visit U.S. Japan China/Korea Planned Expenditures $644 $1,416 $745 Length of Stay in Hawaii 12 days 7 days 11 days Source: University of Hawaii marketing professor Mark Rosenbaum and travel industry management professor Dan Spears — ADVERTISEMENTS — — ADVERTISEMENTS — | | | PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION E-mail to Business Editor BACK TO TOP Text Site Directory: [News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Do It Electric!] [Classified Ads] [Search] [Subscribe] [Info] [Letter to Editor] [Feedback] © 2004 Honolulu Star-Bulletin -- http://starbulletin.com -Advertisement-

Hawaii Wedding Requirements Check

Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa | Hawaii Wedding Requirements | Stargroups Meetings and Functions Technology Weddings Wedding Locations Wedding Packages Ala Carte Wedding Options Romance/Honeymoon Room Package Hawaii Wedding Requirements Check in Check out Room(s) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Adult(s) 1 2 3 4 Hawaii Wedding Requirements LEGAL REQUIREMENTS: STATE OF HAWAII 1. Both Male and Female must be 18 years of age and single. 2. Valid Photo Identification is required for both bride and groom. (Driver's License is adequate identification or Passport for non-US citizens). Must obtain a marriage license from the State of Hawaii.  There are several Marriage License Agents on the Big Island whom can issue your license.  Please note that most of them are not open on weekends or state and local holidays.   We will be happy to make your appointment for you. Office of the Governor, Kailua-Kona Branch Located 10 minutes South of Kona Airport PH#: (808) 327-4953 Monday through Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm Kona Village Resort   10 minutes North of Kona Airport PH#: (808) 325-5555 To obtain your license application, please call the Hawaii County Department of Health at (808) 974-6008 and request a “Marriage License Packet”. Or, you may log on to: http://www.hawaii.gov/doh/records/vr_marri.html for license application and information. Some Important Notes • Both parties need to be present when applying for the license. • For those who are re-marrying, there are no legal documents required, however some Agents request divorce documentation be available at the time of licensing.  You will be asked the exact date of the divorce decree and the state/county it was issued from. • Cost of the license is $60.00 (subject to change) and must be paid in cash. • The marriage license is issued at the time of application.  The license must be utilized within thirty (30) days of the date of issue. • Name of the officiant will be required at time of licensing.The license must be signed by a state licensed Officiate at the time of the wedding  ceremony.  You must bring the license to the ceremony. Select a Property ------------------------------ Starwood Worldwide Starwood Preferred Guest ------------------------------ Starwood Hawaii ------------------------------ Sheraton Hawaii ------------------------------ Sheratons in Waikiki Sheraton Waikiki Sheraton Moana Surfrider Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Sheraton Kauai Resort Sheraton Maui Resort The Royal Hawaiian Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa ------------------------------ The Luxury Collection Hawaii ------------------------------ Princeville Resort ------------------------------ The W Hotel Honolulu ------------------------------ The Westin Maui Resort & Spa The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

Hawaiian Music Online Travel

Where to Buy Hawaiian Music Online  You are here: About > Travel > Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors > Shopping and Gifts > Buy Hawaiian Music Online Travel Go Hawaii Essentials Which Hawaiian Island Suits You Best? Clickable Map of the Hawaiian Islands Beach Guide Hawaii Pictures Clickable Map of Maui, Hawaii Topics A Hawaii Vacation Planner Big Island of Hawaii Kauai Maui / Molokai / Lanai Oahu / Honolulu / Waikiki South Pacific Culture, History & Language Hawaii Lodging Hula Luau Maps and Weather Pearl Harbor Photos, Video & Cams Recipes Shopping and Gifts Buyer's Guide Tastes of Paradise from Hilo Hattie HilHilo Hattie Dresses and Sarongs Multi-Day Guided Tours Top Hawaii Guidebooks Top Maui / Molokai / Lanai Guidebooks Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors > Shopping and Gifts > Buy Hawaiian Music Online Where to Buy Hawaiian Music Online A guide to the best places on the Net to buy albums (CDs and cassettes) of Hawaiian music. Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Hawaiian Music Island If you would like to purchase Hawaiian music, be sure to visit Auntie Maria at the Hawaiian Music Island. This is the best source for Hawaiian CDs and cassettes on the Internet. Top Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoole Albums A true superstar of Hawaiian music, Israel IZ Kamakawiwo`ole (1959-1997), lived a life devoted to family, friends and a love for the people and culture of Hawaii. Four years after his death, his albums continue to be top-sellers. His songs continue to be used in radio and TV ads as well as on major motion picture soundtracks. Cord International/Hana Ola Records Bringing "lost" classic Hawaiian recordings back to the islands, and back to the people around the world, who treasure them. Since 1974 they have brought the sounds of vintage, traditional, hapa-haole & contemporary Hawaiian music to people everywhere. Top Keali`i Reichel Albums Since appearing on the scene in 1994 with his debut album, Kawaipunahele, Keali'i Reichel has quickly become of the most popular Hawaiian musicians of all time, entertaining fans throughout Hawaii and the South Pacific, the U.S. mainland and Japan. He has three times been named Hawaiian Entertainer of the Year at the annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. Hawaiian Music Catalog From Island Gifts Direct on Molokai, another source for purchasing Hawaiian CDs and cassettes. Top Robi Kahakalau Albums Daughter of jazz bassist, Pops Kahakalau (a.k.a Bob Carter) and granddaughter of Hawaiian musician Tutu Kahakalau, Robi Kahakalau was born and raised in northern Germany and moved to Hawaii at the age of 17. Tropical Disk From Kihei, Maui another source for Hawaiian music CDs and cassettes.   Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Tips to Losing Weight Guide to Distance Learning How to Travel for Less PHOTOS: Italy PHOTOS: Hybrid Cars What's Hot Top Picks in Hawaiian Coffee Kamehameha the Great Kalua Pig Waikiki Beach, Oahu - Life's a Beach in Hawaii - Hawaii Beac... Best Beaches 1999 Headlines Plumeria Photos from Hawaii Plumeria is the most common flower that you'll find in... You Won't See This Sign at Home! This certainly isn't a sign that you've ever seen near... Atlantis Submarine Tour Maui Since I had just experienced the Atlantis Submarine Tour on... Maui Swap Meet Photos Held every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to noon is the...

Hawaiian Food Hawaiian food

'Ono Kine Grindz: Helena's Hawaiian Food -- 'Ono Kine Grindz 'Onolicous eats from Hawai'i & around the world! January 2006 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 E-mail Me Please feel free to e-mail me with your comments or with your suggestions on how I can improve this site. E-mail to: onokinegrindz (at) yahoo (dot) com Coming Up This is never ending list of restaurants that I want to visit or revisit. If you would like to recommend some of your favorite restaurants, please send me an e-mail at: onokinegrindz (at) yahoo (dot) com Shanghai Bistro Momomo C & C Pasta Co OnJin's Café Young's Fish Market Shokudo Tudo De Bom Alan Wong's Pineapple Room Mediterraneo Café Sistina Indigo Eurasian Cuisine Gyu-Kaku Recent Posts ? Downtown Planet - January 23, 2006 The Daily Grindz Fook Lam Seafood Restaurant Virtual Vacation Contest Random Photo #24 Hale Vietnam Restaurant The Daily Grindz Greek Marina Downtown Planet - January 16, 2006 Recent Comments Clinton on ? Rachel on ? Rachel on Fook Lam Seafood Restaurant Chandler on ? santos. on ? real azuki on ? Reid on CoCo Ichibanya Curry House Reid on Anna Miller's 24-Hour Restaurant Reid on Maebo's One-Ton Chips Reid on Nico's at Pier 38 Resources Hawaii's Best Restaurants 2005 Honolulu Advertiser Hawaii's Best Restaurants 2004 Honolulu Advertiser Restaurants Honolulu Weekly Eat + Drink: The Food Issue Honolulu Weekly 'Onolicious Archives By Category American Announcements Appetizers Austrian Bakery Bento Beverages Bistro Blogging by Mail Breakfast Burgers Burmese Cambodian Cantonese Chinese Coffeeshop Confections Cookies Desserts Dim Sum Diner Downtown Planet Egyptian Entrées EoMEoTE Events-Festivals Filipino Fusion Greek Hakka Hawaiian Home Baking Home Cooking Is My Blog Burning? In The News Indian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Laotian Lebanese Local Lu'au Lunch Wagons Malaysian Manapua Mediterranean Mexican Mini Review Miscellany Northern Chinese Nyonya-Peranakan Okazuya Okinawan Pacific Rim Pasta Pizza Plate Lunch Ramen Restaurant Reviews Saimin Salads Sandwiches Seafood Side Dishes Singaporean Snacks Soups Steakhouse Sugar High Fridays Sushi Swedish Taiwanese Thai Vietnamese Yakiniku By Location Aiea-Pearl City Aina Haina-Hawaii Kai Airport-Nimitz Ala Moana-Kaka'ako Alewa Heights-Kalihi Captain Cook, Hawaii Chinatown-Downtown Honolulu Kahala-Kaimuki Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Kapahulu Kealakekua, Hawaii Las Vegas, Nevada Liliha Makiki Manoa-University Mapunapuna-Salt Lake McCully-Moili'ili Mililani Mountain View, California Na'alehu, Hawaii Nuuanu San Francisco, California Seattle, Washington Singapore Waikiki Waipahu Waikele By Month April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 Blogs I Read Accidental Hedonist Seattle, Washington, USA A La Cuisine! Toronto, Ontario, Canada AlohaMa's Kitchen Kona, Hawaii, USA AromaCookery Singapore Asian Vegan Portland, Oregon, USA Babe in the City - KL Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia bakingsheet Los Angeles, California, USA Big Island Grinds Hilo, Hawaii, USA Cheat Eat Singapore chez pim San Francisco, California, USA Cook sister! London, UK culiblog The Netherlands da*xiang Seattle, Washington, USA delicious:days Munich, Germany dessert first Manila, Philippines the delicious life Los Angeles, California, USA The Domestic Goddess Toronto, Ontario, Canada Eat OC ! Orange Country, California, USA eat stuff Sydney, NSW, Australia Extramsg.com Portland, Oregon, USA Fat Man Seoul Seoul, South Korea **Last post 04/16/2005** ARCHIVES ONLY FatMan, you will be missed! The Food Palate Sydney, NSW, Australia The Food Section New York, New York, USA free range gourmet Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Gastronomie San Francisco, California, USA Grab Your Fork Sydney, NSW, Australia A Hamburger Today Brooklyn, New York, USA I ? Bacon Seattle, Washington, USA Il Forno Germany The Impetuous Epicure Brooklyn, New York, USA In Our Kitchen Durham, North Carolina, USA i was just really very hungry. Switzerland KAUKAU TIME! Honolulu, Hawaii, USA KUIDAORE Singapore Kuishinbo~Meow~ Kyoto, Japan Makan Kings Kuala Lumpua, Malaysia ma'ona Honolulu, Hawaii, USA masak-masak Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Min's food journal Singapore mmm-yoso!!! San Diego, California, USA Monster Munching Irvine, California, USA Movable Feast Paris, France :: mum-mum :: eat-eat :: Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia my little kitchen Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA NattoKun : I noodlepie Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Nordljus Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, UK Obachan's Kitchen & Balcony Garden Kochi, Japan One Hot Stove New York, New York, USA On My Plate Daly City, California, USA Oslo foodie Oslo, Norway Oswego Tea Paris, France A Passion For Food: It Just Keeps on Coming! Claremont, California, USA Pinkcocoa Tabetai Sydney, NSW, Australia Pinoy Cook Phillippines Rate A Restaurant California tsogb Tamuning, Guam, USA Seattle Bon Vivant Seattle, Washington, USA seven spoons Ontario, Canada she bakes and she cooks Singapore she who eats Japan Simply Recipes Food and Cooking Blog Carmichael, California, USA Slice Brooklyn, New York, USA spiceblog Perth, Western Australia The Traveler's Lunchbox Edinburgh, Scotland, UK u m a m i Singapore Who Wants Seconds? UK Wrapped in Dough New York, New York, USA Other Links 49Media - Food and Drink Channel AlohaWorld Ohana Lanai - Powered by Aloha Chowhound.com: For Those Who Live To Eat! eGullet - Hawaii Forum Epicurious.com: the World's Greatest Recipe Collection Food Porn Watch Hawaii Diner HawaiiThreads.com - Kaukau Korner Leite's Culinaria: Food Writing, Recipe Collections, and Cooking Resources Metroblogging Hawaii « Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp | Main | Golden Coin Bakeshop and Restaurant » June 01, 2004 Helena's Hawaiian Food Hawaiian food is pretty simple and straight forward. No fancy ingredients, and no special spices. When I think of Hawaiian food, I think of only 2 places...today, I made a trip to the one that stands out in my mind the most, Helena's Hawaiian Food. Why do I remember this place? Well, it was actually the first place that I had ever eaten Hawaiian food at about 27 or so years ago, and although the shop has moved once since the first time I was here, the food is still the same. Helen Chock, owner of Helena's, has been in business for almost 60 years and is the owner/chef of first Hawaii restaurant to be honored with the James Beard Foundation's Regional Classics Restaurant Award in 2000. Mrs. Chock, who's in her late 80s, still works at the restaurant daily...how's that for dedication? Today, the restaurant is quiet. There are a few groups of people eating here at 1:30 pm and a few tourists have just happened to walk in, mentioning that they had read about the place in the Zagat Survey. After I'm seated, the waitress comes over to take my order with a smile and a glass of ice cold water in hand (thank you)! Gosh...it's hot outside today! Since I'm eating alone, I can't order too much (otherwise I won't eat it all), so instead of ordering something on the pre-set menu, I order dishes ala carte. First, I start with a bowl of poi (small bowl, US$1.75). Poi is a staple of the Native Hawaiian diet, much like rice is a staple in most Asian diets. Poi is made by first steaming, baking or boiling the taro corm/tuber and then pounding with water to produce poi. There is a distinct taste that's very hard to describe, but other than that, there is very little flavor to this at all. Second on my list to order is the luau squid (US$2.75). I know what you're thinking...what is that? Well, squid luau , is squid that has been cooked with luau (taro) leaves and coconut milk. That said, this is one of the best that I've ever tasted. Smooth and creamy, with not too much coconut milk, but just enough to enhance the flavor of the luau leaves. There were generous portions of melt-in-your-mouth squid to be found in this dish as well! The last dish that I had is probably one that this place is most famous for, the pipikaula-style short ribs (small order, US$3.50). Pipikaula is similar to beef jerky. Traditionally, it's prepared by first rubbing strips of beef with coarse salt and hanging to dry until the outside is dry and the inside is still juicy (normally about 2 days). Helena's makes the pipikaula-style short ribs in a similar fashion, hanging the pieces of short ribs over the stove in the kitchen to dry. My guess is that right before serving, the short ribs are quickly pan fried to give it a bit of "crunch". The outside was crispy, the inside moist and tender, and the meat had just the right amount of fat to make this a winner! As far as flavor, this had just the right hint of salt, not too much and not too little! Ahhhh....... The meal is rounded out by a small serving of raw Maui onions, red alae salt (the red color comes from clay) and haupia (which is a coconut flavored dessert, similar in texture to a really firm pudding). All in all, this was a simple, yet satisfying meal. As I left the restaurant, I wondered why I don't come here more often. Since I couldn't answer that, I guess that means that I will be here more often to enjoy more of this fantastic food! Helena's Hawaiian Food 1240 North School Street Telephone: 808.845.8044 June 01, 2004 in Alewa Heights-Kalihi , Hawaiian , Restaurant Reviews | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/793568 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Helena's Hawaiian Food : Comments wow, how fascinating! I've always wondered what "local" hawaiian food was like. thanks for the post : ) Posted by: Renee | June 08, 2004 at 08:14 AM Renee, Thanks. I'll be posting more soon! It's pretty much the kind of food you'd get if you went to a luau only I think home cooked, or the food from certain restaurants, is much better. I'll be posting more in a couple of weeks if not sooner! Posted by: Reid | June 09, 2004 at 12:04 AM hi Reid wow. Hawaii has really interesting-looking food. Is the taro that you mentioned in poi the same with the "taro" in japanese? hehe. The squid luau did send off negative message on first sight. It looks to me like a mixture of green curry and pureed spinach :p were you put off by the sight the first time you tried it? Posted by: pinkcocoa | October 06, 2004 at 10:01 PM Hi PinkCocoa, I'm really not sure if it's the same taro that Japanese people use. I'll have to check up on that. The squid luau is actually something like frozen spinach (but more like collard greens) that have been cooked for a long time. It also has coconut milk in it. Actually, upon first sight, it looks kind of disgusting and a lot like baby food! Posted by: Reid | October 07, 2004 at 06:55 PM Very interesting .... looks can be deceiving. I'm sure the poi and squid luau taste better than they look. Hawaiians are famous for their BBQs too, no? And taro = yam, yes? Posted by: FatMan Seoul | October 07, 2004 at 07:14 PM Hi FatMan, Well, poi is actually quite bland and tasteless, sort of like how rice is. The flavor is so subtle that you hardly notice it. Many Hawaiians that I know like to eat it when it gets sour, usually two or more days old. Some even like to eat it when mold starts to grow on top like scum (usually after about 4 or 5 days). The squid luau is actually really good. It's squid and luau leaves (which is the leaf from a taro plant) which are cooked in coconut milk until tender. Plain cooked luau leaves taste a bit like spinach. I don't believe that taro is the same thing as a yam. It is a tuber related to the Japanese araimo (dasheen), or bun long (Chinese taro). As far as barbecues go, I don't think that Hawaiians are that well known for it. If you're talking about traditional Hawaiian cooking most of it was done in an imu (an earthen pit filled with hot lava rocks/coals). Posted by: Reid | October 07, 2004 at 11:08 PM okie. i gotta try this squid luau if ever i go to Hawaii. ;-) but i am not so sure about eating mouldy poi. i never know we can eat mouldy food and not feel sick. have you tried the mouldy version? sour version reminds me of yogurt. Hawaiian food looks really interesting. i wonder if there's any hawaiian restaurants in sydney. i agree with fatman: looks can be deceiving. smells can be deceiving too. think durian and smelly tofu. it's yummmm to those who know how to enjoy them. ;-) Posted by: pinkcocoa | October 07, 2004 at 11:33 PM Ya ya ... imu BBQ. Watched it on Discovery Travel Channel. pinkcocoa, yeah .... durian and petai (smelly beans) in South East Asia, smelly tofu in HK, nato in Japan, mouldy cheese in Europe, all exquisite to some but nasty to others. :) Posted by: FatMan Seoul | October 08, 2004 at 07:02 AM Hi pinkcocoa, No, I can't bring myself to eat poi that's more than a day old. By then, it's already become just a tad bit sour. Look certainly are deceiving when it comes to food! Hey FatMan, I agree with what you said about natto and the like. There are just some things that take getting used to. Never had fresh durian, but I'm looking forward to it. Posted by: Reid | October 08, 2004 at 07:09 PM was in hawaii last week and planning to eat at sugoi but was closed so we ended up at young's fish market for lunch. have not seen a writeup on the place. very ono Posted by: twobacas | February 12, 2005 at 06:48 PM Hi twobacas, Thanks for stopping by my blog. I haven't had a chance to do a write up on Young's Fishmarket yet, but I will do so sometime this week. I'm having it for lunch on Monday (I think). Posted by: Reid | February 27, 2005 at 06:44 AM Post a comment If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In You are currently signed in as (nobody) . Sign Out Name: Email Address: URL: Remember personal info? Comments: Search My Site Search the Web Advertisements Help my site by clicking on some of these links. 'Ono Kine Grindz is part of the Foodblog Ad Network . To advertise on this site or across a network of food related weblogs, click here . CrispAds Blog Ads Equipment Panasonic DMC-FZ5K Panasonic DMC-FZ30 Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-H1 Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-T1 Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-U40 Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-V1 et cetera This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License . All content on this website (including text, photographs and all other original works) is licensed under a Creative Commons License and may not be reproduced without expressed written consent. Subscribe to this blog's feed Add me to your TypePad People list Powered by TypePad Member since 04/2004

Hawaii Resort

Hawaii resorts hotels condos lodging. One Bed Hawaii resort accommodations in aresort hotel condominium. Our One Bedroom One Bath Hawaiian Resort Condos offer Quality Accommodations. We Have A Premium Oceanview Kona Resort Condominium Available For Your HawaiiVacation. You Can Enjoy Affordable Quality Accommodations at our Hawaiian Resort. The perfect economical Kona resort, thiscondominium has all the comforts and conveniences of your home. Swimming, diving,snorkeling and golf are just a few minutes away. Play tennis, visit the volcano, orexplore the unique Big Island of Hawaii. Our MountainSide resort condo has a private entrance and a lanai--great for enjoying the oceanviews, sunsets, and fragrant plumerias in the gardens below. This Oceanview unit is just 100from the water across the beach road. We are just 1.5 miles south of the main town ofKailua on the Kona Coast. For more detailed information about our area please see our LOCATION MAP page. Our Kona resort condominium was recentlyrefurbished and redecorated with your comfort in mind. You will find a well-equipped full kitchenwith a microwave, full size range, icemaker refrigerator and coffee grinder, plus more.Our Kona resort condo is comfortably furnished in light tropicalcolors. For your comfort our Kona resort has an air conditioningunit and has a ceiling fan. Sleeping accommodations include a queen size bedin the bedroom and a queen-size sofa-sleeper in the living room with all linens provided.A double bath area separates tub and shower from the vanity/dressing area. We have a colorTV with extended cable and a VCR--so you can see and enjoy your vacation videosimmediately!! Other amenities include; an iron and board, plus a privatephone line and answering machine. Our Affiliation with AVIS CAR RENTAL allows us to offer our guests car rentals at very competitive rates beginning at $22 perday. Our current rate for our MountainSide one bedroom starts at $109.50for GardenView, and our OceanView starts at $122.50. Occupancy in this condo is limited to4 persons. To check availability, please see our AVAILABLE DATESPAGE which has our openings for the next 3 months. To reserve specific dates pleasecall 800-479-2173. There is a one time $55 housekeeping feefor this condo and 11.42% Hawaii tax. Please see our RESERVATIONPOLICIES page for specific details. For those of you who would prefer a larger unit on theoceanfront, please see our ONE BEDROOM TWO BATH OCEANFRONT CONDO. Questions? Call Dan or Jeannie NOW at800-479-2173 (between 9 AM & 8 PM West Coast Time Please), or CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL US. We hope to have you as our guests. Mahalo Nui Loa. BACK || HOME || NEXT STUDIO SUITE || 1 BED 2BATH OCEANFRONT || 2 BED 2 BATH OCEANFRONT RENTAL CARS || INTERNETSPECIALS || HOME || ACTIVITIES || RENTAL POLICIES || LOCATION MAP || AVAILABILITY DAN & JEANNIE CALNAN, aloha@konacondos.com ALWAYS SUNNY KONA CONDOS, WWW.KonaCondos.Com 4887 NW BRYCE COURT, SILVERDALE, WA. 98383 FAX 360-613-2858 PHONE U.S.A. 1-360-698-7007 PLEASE "BOOKMARK" THIS PAGE FOR YOUR FUTURE CONVENIENCE. "Always stay with a member of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau Your assurance of a Quality Vacation!"