As much as I like to eat, learning the techniques, tips and tricks of a real chef is a priceless…read moregift. Dear friends of mine planned a day for us with Lisa, who made everything look effortless! From the incredible setting in Lisa's spacious kitchen to the actual sit down meal served with a stunning view of Diamond Head, ocean and sky --- it was flawless! Our custom plant-based menu began with making dessert. Why you ask? A chef knows you start with the item that takes the longest to make. Everyone got to help make the strawberry peach fruit crisp, from slicing the fruit to making the crumble topping. The forbidden black rice with herbs, cashews and coconut was next, followed by green beans with a toasted sesame "dressing" and the ubiquitous miso soup with wakame, shimeji mushrooms and silken tofu. Meanwhile, Lisa also whipped up pan fried tofu with a scallion chili ponzu. Deeelicious!! Lisa patiently and eloquently explained the ingredients and where she sourced them. We tasted an amazing sesame seed found only in Kyoto and a flavorful soy sauce with a round mouthful that made all others pale in comparison. Needless to say we were awestruck and enlightened. Every bite was savored and every flavor stamped in memory! I'll not soon forget this amazing experience with a trained nutritionist who turned cooking into a culinary adventure! Even the pictures may not tell the whole story as all the ingredients held their own and shined in a way that turned the ordinary into extraordinary. Thank you to Lisa and my dear friends Tracy, Cheri, Laura, Susan and Velvet for the Best. Birthday. Surprise. Ever! Highly recommend!

We had the best time with Wellness Hawaii! We booked this as part of a Christmas gift for our kids,…read more17 & 14. Lisa was accommodating with a family member's allergies and helped us pick the perfect menu for my picky eaters. The kids had the best time making gyoza! They even were surprised at how much they liked the dessert (made with tofu)! We learned so much and plan to make the dishes at home. I cannot recommend this experience enough! If you are visiting Oahu - this is one of the best experiences you can book. If you live here, the view alone is worth it! I will definitely be back with some friends to celebrate their retirements.

My husband surprised me with a cooking class with Linda and it was one of the best experiences thus…read morefar! The class is at Linda's house and it is BEAUTIFUL. Upon walking in, we were greeted by her pig and her little fur babies which we LOVED!! Her house is beautiful and so welcoming- you feel like home when you're there and when she's talking to us and teaching us, it feels like you and your friends are chatting and catching up. She has this personality that draws you in and has so many stories about her adventures! Our class consisted of 5 people including my husband and I, so fairly small and we made 3 different types of poke, deluxe spam musubi, coconut shrimp and coconut butter mochi. All of them are drool worthy and what I think was amazing is that she shares little tips and tricks about what she puts in her food to make it even better! Honestly, the ahi poke that we made was the best I've ever had and it cuts and melts in your mouth like butter!!! Along with all of Linda's wisdom about cooking, she also teaches you about local Hawaiian culture, words and history about how each food became what it is today. All in all, we are going to come back to take another class! We loved the atmosphere, the delicious food, and the rich history that makes Hawaii Hawaii. If anyone is local or visiting the island and cooking classes interest you and it aligns with your schedule, take her class! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!

The class is informative and Linda is such a cool and genuine person you will wish she adopts you…read more Had a blast learning new cooking techniques and history of the dishes. Also many little dogs and a lovely sassy pig. We felt so welcomed in her home and would highly recommend these classes are a fun time for any food lover.

My husband and I attended the Sooper Secret Izakaya dinner at Hana Kitchens. This was our first…read moretime attending the dinner and going to Hana Kitchens. We learned from Chef Ricky that Hana Kitchens is a commercial kitchen that is used for different classes and dinners. The Hana Kitchens website lists out their events and they get booked up very quickly. Sooper Secret Izakaya was a culinary experience I cannot stop thinking about, writing this review several days later and I already want to go to another dinner cooked by Chef Ricky. His attention to detail and the thought he gives in what he's pairing on his plate made each and every single dish so amazing. His personal experiences on island and around the area of Chinatown to procure his ingredients really shone through each dish. The staff that assisted Chef Ricky also deserve their kudos for their attentive service throughout the entire meal. I cannot stop recommending to friends that they should also experience Chef Ricky's food as soon as possible. Thank you Chef Ricky for all the passion in your food and a great evening.

A lot was learned from the Falafel class taught by Chef Askar who is from Egypt. His passion to…read moreteach and share his culture made the class informative. Besides receiving the recipe, you will learn the techniques on how to make falafels and hummus, why not to use the canned chickpeas, and explanations about the spices. The finale was being served the complete meal, with the fafale made in class, hummus, baba ganoush, green salad, slices of flat bread, dessert, and a glass of wine. Much enjoyed.

Unbelievable magic and even more sendsational food-- absolutely the very best dining that I have…read moreever experience. Thank you for a time of my life. Ethan is a chef that is the very best but he also adds super personality that other lack. I highly recommend you call him Mahalo gary

Amazing service & food from Chef Ethan! A four-course meal that left us all wanting more! Be sure…read moreto hire Chef Ethan for your next special lunch or dinner to ensure a truly spectacular experience. A magic show with dessert - what more can you ask for. We look forward to our next trip out to Oahu from the mainland to experience a different menu from Chef Ethan.

I have been craving Indonesian food and it's really hard to find since it's not a common cuisine…read moreoutside Netherlands or Southeast Asia. So I was so happy to find this. This is a catering/at home business that I found through Facebook. I sent the owner a message asking what dishes on her weekly menu were vegetarian and she responded within minutes with pictures and explanations. I was so excited by it I ordered all the options. Pickup: I arranged a pickup time and met her outside within minutes of messaging. Food: everything was delicious! My favorite were the appetizers, the veggie fritters and fried tempeh. The tempeh stir fry was legit and very spicy but I knew what I was getting into and thoroughly enjoyed it. Wishing this business and the sweet owner nothing but the best!

***FYI: If you want to see more updated weekly Indonesian food items, please go to her Facebook…read more'Hawaii Bali Food Indonesia' *** As promised from my 2023 review, I finally tried out her cooking class! Invited 3 of my friends and my boyfriend to try out Loliana's private Indonesian cooking class with me. Here's how the process goes. A day before the cooking class she will send you directions of where to park at her apartment and then she will meet you on the visitor floor. Once you enter in the apartment, there will be a table of all the ingredients of all the foods you will be cooking today. We then took a picture in front of the table of ingredients with our cooking certificates (best to take the picture now so you won't look tired haha). We put on our aprons and washed our hands to get ready to watch Loliana do some cooking demonstrations. Here's the food we chose for the lesson: Team Veggies: *Balinese spring rolls *Gado gado salad rolls *Vegetarian Nasi goreng *Cauliflower chicken wings with buffalo sauce Team Chicken: *Balinese chicken spring rolls *Chicken Nasi goreng *Chicken satay My biggest recommendation is to start the cooking lesson early morning like 7am or 8am because you'll be cooking for 4-5 hours. Some of the sauces to add in the meats are tedious to prepare so Loliana premade it in advance to help cut down the hours but she will show what ingredients was needed to make it. It was a really fun hands on cooking experience! The dish that I enjoyed making the most was the Chicken satay! I would most recommend trying out this cooking experience!

Went to a party catered by them and service was quick and fun. The food was tasty and looked…read moregorgeous. It was more of a charcuterie style where you pick at things so a little more serving utensils might have been nice. Other than that though, it was a beautiful spread and really added some class to our evening.

Purchased Focaccia bread at the farmers market from Swigs and Grinds. It was marvelous! I just…read morereturned from Italy and it is every bit as good as the Focaccia bread in Genoa! Amazing baker and delightful purchase.

Don't know why my husband and I have been on a major Mexican food kick lately. Each week we have…read morebeen exploring different local eateries and sampling their take on Mexican cuisine. This week brought us to Freshoverflesh. Having settled on being full on flexitarian, I don't mind the use of meat substitutes such as soy or tempeh as in the case of today's giant order of tacos. Both the "chicken" tempeh and soy "steak" tacos were yummy and flavorful. They had a nice kick to them, but not overwhelmingly spicy. Since we brought the tacos home, my hubby added a little sour cream on his tacos, and I squeezed on lots of fresh lime to add even more freshness. I especially liked their tortillas. Would love to try out more of their menu options in the future.

Freshoverflesh will pleasantly surprised vEgans and non-vegans alike. With fried "chicken" wings…read moreand hamburgers, these fast food favorites are perfect for game day, whether that's the Super Bowl or the upcoming season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Banana flower is a massive opportunity found for the vegan meat trend. A blind taste test might even fool non-vegans into mistaking it for the real deal. The buffalo sauce and ranch dressing will satisfy your cravings without leaving you with the heavy feeling. Keep an eye out for an appearance at the Sunday vegan night market off Maunakea. You may even luck out and find desserts and fresh juices as a perfect complement.

Discovered them in 2020 or 2021…read more Good food at reasonable prices from a great non-profit organization. Meals are yummy & help train people for a new start & future employment. Look for their bakery pop ups! IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQq3bG3MYXw/

Baker's Heart is a subsidiary of Touch A Heart Catering which is a non-profit organization. I love…read moreto support local and especially it's for a good cause. You can order the Baker's Heart cookies and desserts through the Touch A Heart website and can even order their Kapuna & Family Meal Program. Their weekly three meals pack for $25.50-$30.00 provides you meals especially during this COVID19 Pandemic. Every week there's new menu and it can be picked up on Wednesday between 11am -1pm at Kalihi Union Church. Sometimes they offer the meals and bake goods on a Saturday too. I've ordered once for my parents and I but a lot of my church friends who are Kapunas, have been buying every week and been enjoying the separately packed meals and one large salad for three meals. For the present time the pick up is at Kalihi Union Church on N King St near King/Umi Street since they use the Church's commercial kitchen. You can pay by Pay pal on line or by cash at the time of pick up. Pick up location is at the Kalihi Union Church Gym area in the back. No need to get off your car. Enter from the entrance near the First Hawaiian bank side and drive all the way in the back and as you turn right along the building is where the pick up spot. You can exit by the other entrance/exit by the traffic light near Jack in the box. You can read more about the organization through their article featured on Hawaii Business. Baker's Heart which I mainly doing the review for is only $5 for the cookie pack or 2-pack scones, loaf or individual dessert! The cookies especially is unique and not sold in stores so it makes people happy to receive them as gifts. I haven't tried them all but Baker's Heart have many variety of cookies made of quinoa and flax seeds and they even have a pack of individual desserts such as brownies, lemon bars, scones, Okinawan sweet potato, haupia, tiramisu and more. They make perfect gifts, omiyage, favors, office gifts and for events. It's only $5! Right now the hotels are closed and they are usually do business with them! You won't be disappointed with their bake goods! You will feel great supporting them knowing you are helping a good cause. Their mission is "to transform the lives of those who is facing barriers to employment by providing vocational training in a healing and nurturing environment creating pathways to job placements. " Proceeds will help expand their culinary training & apprenticeship program. I just love the espresso with white chocolate chips. The cookies are uniform in size and is pretty crispy since they are on the thinner side but the quinoa and flax seeds makes it so different and crunchy. The cranberry one is good and one with the ulu flour is great since it's gluten free. The peanut butter one was okay in my opinion. Scones was good and comes in a pair in a nice container. One day I need to try the individual desserts like tiramisu and brownies! Cookies make great gifts because of the shelf life. Cookies taste yummy cold when I keep them in the refrigerator :) They are still working out the catering side Touch A Heart but wanted to share mainly on the Baker's Heart side. See their website Or can email with questions to info@touchahearthawaii.org. Thanks for reading my review ! :)

Fortuna is an amazing, reliable, and talented personal chef whose passion and intuition can be…read moretasted in every dish she prepares. She listens carefully to our dietary restrictions and delivers not only healthy, but also delicious meals that we look forward to eating every time. Fortuna's service allows for variety in our diet as well as more quality time with our family. She inspires through her cooking and has made a large impact on our lives. If you are looking for a chef for your family, party, or event, you need to call Fortuna!

Fortuna's food is the bomb.com! If you're looking for a personal chef to help you save time, save…read moremoney, eat healthier, and reach your nutrition goals, Aloha Kitchen Goddess is for you! Fortuna is so much more than a personal chef, she is a nutrition coach and an intuitive healer that can help you and your family enjoy more REAL FOOD that brings heals your body and less processed crap that drains your energy and wallet. She can do all the work for you or she can teach you how to cook for yourself and teach you the skills to make empowering food choices on your own. Her specialty is taking your favorite comfort foods and turning them into healthy, nutrient-packed dishes that heal your body but taste divine, indulgent, and practically naughty! This is one of the best investments I have ever made. Fortuna's food is always made with love and care. She simply loves what she does. Her services save me time, her food gives me energy and just brings me SO MUCH JOY. Sign up for her newsletter, follow her on FB and Instagram, and give her a try. You'll see why I am such a huge fan! :-)

Took my mom on this tour so she can experience Hawaii in a whole new way. The food was delicious…read moreand the portions were so generous! TJ took us to all the well-known (to the locals) hidden gems- we tried a variety of fruits, poke, duck, Filipino foods, Vietnamese food and local Manapua. Amazing, my mom had a blast.

Toms of amazing food options. Was very accommodating for vegetarians and pescatarians.read more