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.

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.

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!

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.

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 ! :)

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.

We visited the Kakaako farmers market often. Most of the time I order food from this place. For…read morebreakfast, you cannot beat a nice yummy hot omelette, $15 is a reasonable cost for a breakfast. There are tables at the markets so that we can sit down and enjoy the food. Give a try, support local

Kailua Farmers Market Bacon cheese mushroom and garlic…read moreomelette Excellent taste and value breakfast , simply stated

First off, I love this store!…read more Living on the mainland, there are so many crafting supplies that are unique to Hawaiʻi, and every time I walk into Ben Franklin Crafts, I find myself wandering the aisles thinking, "Ooh... I don't have this back home" and in goes the item in my cart. What brought me in today tho, was to support one of the local small businesses that rents a "locker" inside the store. I absolutely love this concept. Ben Franklin has created a space where local makers can showcase and sell their work, giving shoppers the chance to support dozens of independent businesses all under one roof. Honestly, if money were no object, I'd probably leave with something from every locker. The variety is incredible, and it's fun seeing all the creativity from local artisans. Whether you're a serious crafter, looking for a unique gift, or just enjoy browsing, this place is sooo dangerous... in the best way possible. It's basically a crafter's candy store, and I look forward to getting lost here every time.

After seeing BFCrafts Instagram posts and Lei-go leis made from colorful flower beads, I wanted to…read moretry out this new item. I headed down to this BFCraft store and found the beads! A wide selection of colors, however, a few of the popular colors and flowers were out of stock. The beads are light weight, flexible, and the stems may be easily cut shorter. I was happily surprised that it did not feel rough or abrasive against material or the human skin. Great for simple DIY craft projects. My first project was to create a forever lei bag charm. The flower beads are reasonably priced and affordable for crafting projects. Service was okay lol. The cashier could have shown a little more interest. No smile or thank you for coming today. Maybe it was an off day for her. Other employees were nice and helpful in finding the beads. Overall a 4.5 star experience. Rounded up to 5 stars.