2023. The 20th anniversary…read more 576 sakes to taste across just 150 minutes. 3.8 sakes per minute. Buckle up! Tips: 1. Bring your own sake cup unless you want to drink from a specimen cup. 2. Immediately go to the tables in the very center of the ballroom. The section of the silver, gold and best of show winners. You have the best chance to taste the sake at the closest to "chilled" as possible. 3. Expand your tasting to the rows of tables furthest to the back of the ballroom labeled "Daiginjo". Read the tags and focus on the jumai daiginjo designation. 4. Take, carry and consume as many bottles of water as you need from the many tables throughout the room. 5. Go with a partner whose taste you know. Taste through one another so you can pass sakes that you won't like. 6. Taste quickly, record notes on your phone and take pics of the cards for bottles you like and GTFO as fast as possible. The longer you stay, the more obnoxious drunks you need to contend with. For sake lovers, a fun night but not without flaws. As always, the sake is served at room temp. Aromas are altered and the sake taste very off balance and alcoholic. You need to imagine what the flavors would be like if it were chilled properly. The food is awful. It adds to the fun. From ahi tartare so covered in low quality tobiko you're picking it out of your teeth, to a beef tataki and undressed greens, a braised shortrib in gougere "bun" that clashed so horribly in flavor, even a soba that tasted like cardboard. One bite and in the trash. Why any restaurant would "showcase" such bad food hilarious. Honestly, just give everyone boxes of Pocky sticks to use between sips of sake and it would be better. Is it worth the $120? YES! A self guided tasting and a night full of fun being as critical as you can be. Win.

One of our favorite annual highlights is attending the joy of sake event Held at the convention…read morecenter. Unfortunately due to the pandemic it was pushed off which gave the organizers a little bit of a break. They came into this event with one of the best Held/ organized on record. The selection of sake is over the top. What sent this event forward is the quality and variety of foods available. Our favorites were between Chef Chai, Doraku, and BLT. To be fair all the food was exceptional and brilliant in both quality, taste and presentation. Looking forward to next year's event

This luau is by far the best in performance and location!…read moreIt's a little far but it's worth it ! The food can be better but they still brand new and I'm sure they'll work on that. The team all work hard to put it all together for our best entertainment! I could tell that they all come together with many duties to get the show very successful!

I would have given 5 stars but, the food quality should be raised to the level of the show quality…read more Additionally the line that we waited in should be covered in consideration to your customers. It rained as we were being ushered in, people behind us were drenched. Shelter from inclement weather would be a generous incentive to keep us content. The customer service was excellent The show was top notch A few tweaks and this luau will become a top tier luau. They are well on the way to being the most entertaining show.

Hawaii Tesol is a wonderful nonprofit made by in-service teachers who truly believe in helping…read moremainly new student teachers learn how to be better English as a Second Language teacher. It really is all about the events that TESOL presents- mainly the teaching ESL conference held in the spring. I was lucky enough to be able to present at the spring conferences a few times- all the participants are eager to learn and eager to share. Many practical lessons and a bunch of real research one could use in their college studies. The fall get to know you events are the most fun and most laid back- there is food and more food and then a chance to talk and meet some of the different organizers- many are Professors at UHM or BYUH or HPU and some are admin for private ESL schools here in Oahu. Anyway it is a wonderful way to get to know more ESL teachers and get more resources. There really are great folks that are so interested in good teaching- some know other languages and some that are only English speaking- it takes all kinds of teachers and it really improves (especially teachers that have never really taught before) abilities to teach English better. Why do I like it? I am not so much as learning more about ESL but being able to talk and share about my own ESL teaching experiences and reflection- being a part of a learning community is really important too. If you are a student- wanting to teach English, ESL or another language but are in school here in HI - I would highly recommend looking into joining the group events. Past events 14 Feb 2014 Hawaii TESOL Spring Conference 2014 13 Nov 2013 Fall Professional Development Workshop: Online Education 04 Oct 2013 Call for Participation to Hawaii TESOL Conference 2014 30 Sep 2013 Fall Activity Exchange/ Round Table Discussion 15 May 2013 Spring Language Experience 02 Mar 2013 State Conference Follow up Workshop 16 Feb 2013 Hawaii TESOL Spring Conference 2013 08 Nov 2012 Call for Participation to Hawaii TESOL Conference 2013 07 Nov 2012 Fall PDW--The Problem of Orkish: Exploring Second Language Acquisition in Virtual Environments 24 Sep 2012 Fall Activity Exchange/Round Table Discussion What is Hawai'i TESOL? Hawai'i TESOL is committed to building a community of professionals teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) in the State of Hawai'i. Hawai'i TESOL works to promote the highest standards in employment and instruction, improve professional support and interaction, and increase public and government recognition of the ESL field. Hawai'i TESOL provides ESL professionals in Hawai'i with opportunities for networking and professional development. We welcome all who share our goals to join with us in our efforts. Hawai'i TESOL welcomes all interested individuals to active membership and seeks the involvement of all its members. Hawai'i TESOL offers four major activities a year.

This was honestly the best Luau experience I have had! To start, the food was amazing. It was…read morebuffet style and was so tasty. The desserts were also very delicious! We also appreciated the kids meal box that came with food that kids love and desserts with moana on it. There was also welcome dranks and an open bar, thank youuuuu! Before the Luau started, they had different stations with educational activities. They had lei making, poi making, temporary tattoos, and ukulele lessons. All were super enjoyable for both kids and adults! The luau was so educational and personable. They shared history, customs, and heritage stories. I really enjoyed all of the education that went into it. I would rate this experience a 100/10. Food was great, service was great, activities were great, and the luau itself was great. Mickey and Minnie also joined the dancing portion of the luau which was so fun for the kiddos. Everything was so great and also magical outside.

What an absolutely breathtaking experience. From start to finish, I was beyond blown away…read more I was staying at Aulani to celebrate my 40th birthday. The luau is offered a few times a week and was luckily being offered on my actual birthday so of course we booked it for that day. Tickets go on sale about 5 months in advance of the dinner date, which may seem daunting to a casual planner but makes perfect sense to an avid Disney-er. Seating for the luau is available in standard seating and premium seating. We picked premium. It came at a higher price tag and, in my opinion, was not necessary. Standard seating was 199 a person and premium seating was 229 a person. All luau guests are treated to activities like lei making, (temporary) tattoos and ukulele lessons before heading over to enjoy the buffet and open bar dinner before the show. Premium diners got the luxury of an extra half hour to peruse the activities. Premium diners also got seating closer to the main stage. (After the show was over, I sat in standard seating to see the difference and it wasn't all that much). Premium diners also got a free digital download of the picture taken with the luau performers. For a larger party, it may have been less expensive to simply pay for the digital download. One big concern I had about the luau was that it would be overly Disney-fied. I love me some Mickey Mouse and Aulani as a resort has several Disney touches, but I wanted my luau experience to be as authentic as possible. My concerns were quickly quelled. Mickey and Minnie were present for about 15 minutes of the 2-hour show. The rest of the luau had beautiful vocals, graceful dancing, and fearless firebreathers. It is my absolute hope to get back to Aulani as quickly as humanly possible, but I think I would skip the luau. At 229 (or even 199) a person, there are much better ways to spend my Disney dollars. That being said, if Aulani is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you, you should do it.

I attended the 71st annual Ho'olaule'a in Waikīkī on Sat, 9/20. They block off most of Kalākaua…read moreavenue for vendors, stages for music and for food. We ate at Dick's Lechon. I had Dick's before at another festival, and really enjoyed the food. The stand was hard to miss bc of the smoke wafting and a choke (long) line. Luckily, the line moved quickly. Despite a quick shower, there was plenty of music. One of the groups was family members of Moani in IMP. They are a reggae group, and had the crowd moving to the reggae vibes. I saw a lot of vendors doing biz, so hats off to the crowd for supporting local businesses. I'll have to remember the timing of this festival, so I can enjoy it again.

A first for us as we used to only come for the parade and sit across the Moana. Hubs was very…read moreexcited so he spent about half an hour browsing what was happening on Kalakaua while I got banded and waited at the one day only Beer Garden sponsored by the Aloha Festival. Parking was convenient at the International Market Place. We came for the 6 pm special . We got a few freebies laid on the tabletops and spent $20 on two virgin drinks to get an item hubs wanted badly. Hubs returned all happy saying he bought an Aloha Festival tshirt. He excitedly shared there were craft booths. Concerned about an upcoming trip I told him I'll pass cuz I have Covid phobia, haven't caught Covid yet and maybe next year I'll brave that celebratory crowd. Instead of enjoying the merriment or getting dinner at one of several restaurants upstairs we inserted out stickered parking ticket and left Waikiki. Choice A: Side Street Inn but I pulled a fast one and drove towards King Street, University Avenue area and found an awesome place for dinner.

100th Review... YAY!…read more My husband and I attended the Natsu Matsuri & Bon Dance on the last Friday of this summers events. Neither of us had seen Bon Dance or drummers before, so this was a special treat! We bought our scrips and tried some food before the show. Although the food was delicious, I did find the scrips to be a tad over priced. This is definitely an event worth checking out for everyone; people that are very familiar with Japanese culture and those that know nothing about it. This is also a great activity for children. If you are living or visiting Hawaii during the summer months, GO to this event!

This was my first time attending this type of event and boy was it an experience. I'm not really a…read morebeer drinker myself so I was kind of wary going here, but my friends already bought us the tickets to why not. I saw a lot of people wearing pretzel lei's, and I thought those could be purchased inside but apparently you could make your own and bring it! Keeping that in mind for next time we go. I have to say I enjoyed myself too much. They were giving away free shirts for a dance contest and I won by dropping into splits. LOL. Safe to say I drank the $35 worth of beer, or more. Downside, got home and took a nap and woke up with a hangover, all on the same day. Yay daydrinking!

It's a really great festival. It's worth the $35 I paid. So many beers to choose from and ample…read moretime for try them. For beer drinkers, this is the best place to try out the many varieties. I encourage everyone to string up a pretzel lei and tie on some packages of beer nuts which is allowed to wear but you can't being in food bcuz they do have food vendors. NO soft pretzels sold which I was really craving but happy to accept an extra pretzel lei from a friend. You need the pretzels!

If you love Mangoes, this event is for you! I attended the evening event titled Mangolicious Sunset…read moreReception which featured 10 chefs & 3 mixologists. All of the dishes were very tasty but my favorite was the mango fried chicken from chef Leanne Wong. For me, it had the perfect balance of texture (crispy fried chicken vs. mango bits) and flavor (savory & sweet). My bf voted for the pipikaula from chef Jason Schoonover of 12th Ave. Grill. He said that the mango chili pepper water won him over. We tried all of the mango cocktails & my favorite was the sassy lassi (Kula Dark Rum, mango puree, honey, coconut water, lime, spices) from mixologist Jesse Suderman. My bf's favorite was the mango-cillin (whiskey, scotch, mango purée, lemon juice, ginger syrup) from mixologist Micah Suderman. There were silent auction items for bid where proceeds benefitted the KCC culinary program. Free parking with validation at Princess Kaiulani hotel across the street.

Eh? You like mango? Go buy den! Buwahahahaha! Nah, I just kidding…read more....... Well, I really do like mango.........and yes, I bought mango today! Well sorta........more like bought food that incorporated mango in the various dishes. This wonderful fruit (mango) was utilized in desserts, drinks, & of course the main entree! Various well know island chef demonstrated their culinary skills on using the mango to make their wonderful dishes! A few of the well known celebrity chefs that were here today were - 1. Lee Anne Wong - Koko Head Cafe 2. Ronnie Nasuti - Tiki's Bar & Grill 3. Carolyn Portuondo - Royal Hawaiian Hotel 4. Michelle Karr-Ueoka - MW Restaurant 5. Hiroyuki Mimura - Taormina 6. Ed Kenney/Maggie King - Town 7. Andy Reagan - Morimoto Waikiki 8. Mark Noguchi - Pili Group/Mission House If I'm correct, this was the 8th annual mango festival at the Moana Hotel in Waikiki. I read my Yelp buddy - Lyla D's review last year, as she went here back in 2015, and when I saw this event again........I knew it was my time to check this festival out! The event was held at the beautiful Moana Surfrider Hotel, and as you go there you will see three large banners featuring this Mango Festival Event. At the event, they had vendors who sold various types of mangoes at the Mango Farmer's Market, as well as other vendors who sold items related to this event. At the event, there was also a silent auction where you can bid for various items, like dining at a fine dining restaurant, or a hotel stay at a luxury hotel, and also bidding on some expensive booze. I believe the Mango Festival event is free to look at, but if you wanna sample da grindz...........you gotta pay by buying some food tickets. There were two ways that you can buy the food tickets............you can buy your food tickets at the door for $6.00 smackaz a piece, or you can be akamai (smart) like me, where I purchased the tickets on-line (go to - HonoluluBoxOffice.com to buy the tickets)..........If you buy on-line, you get 10 tickets for $48.00 smackaz (which comes out to $4.80 per ticket), but you gotta buy 10 tickets in increment. All proceeds will benefit the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College, so it's for a good cause. Parking - Free Parking if you park at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel. All you have to do is take your parking ticket with you, and as you get to the Mango Festival event, just get a validation at the registration table when you pick up your food tickets. The event ran from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday July 15, 2016, and I must say.............. it was the perfect day to have this event, as we were blessed with wonderful weather today! Nothing like a beautiful day in Hawaii nei............and to top it off, you get to pig out on mango!!!! Oink, oink, oink!!! Lol!