Flores de Mayo Filipino Fiesta…read more.. A celebration of culture is held at the Filipino Community Center a place that I've never been and happy to have a chance to see the festivities and events that embrace the Filipino culture that with scheduled conflict I almost can never make it though this year as I did have the time off took full advantage of the situation and what a fun filled day it was. In the lot and down the street is filled with food trucks and various vendors offering all types of foods from halo halo to a full plate lunch has my taste buds going into overdrive and didn't know where to begin. I did ended up starting with items from the Filipino Street Food tent as the event was just getting started so much so that some of the items weren't ready yet so it was the Hot Dog and Longanisa as I dove into my yummy meaty choices was hearty bite of deliciousness I moved out to the street and got the Halo Halo from the Halo Halo Place and got their "The Halo Halo" as it was voted the best Halo Halo topped with a scoop of ube ice cream is a light and refreshing treat and see why it's the favorite. To then Corn Onoz Hawaii with their Cheeto Z as it's coated with the vibrant and full of kick Flamin Hot Cheetos with Mahalo as their finishing sauce on top was too cute and creative :) along with entertainment it was indeed a festive event that I'm so glad to have experienced. Thank you!

Five stars. Had a…read moreChristmas party here in the main hall. The parking lot was spacious and free parking. The interior courtyard area was nice and clean. The main hall was very nice and huge! The overall facility was superb. The food was catered out, I believe, so it'll be separate from this review. It was excellent anyway though. Service and ambiance was epic too!

Over 35 years…read more That's the amount of time it took for me to come to Hawaii Okinawa Center (HOC). Opened in June 1990, HOC was built in recognition of the Okinawan immigrants to Hawaii. Born and raised in Hawaii, there is a strong Okinawan community celebrating many events. Although some may think of the distance to this venue, it's a little over 25 mins from town. I recently came to HOC to celebrate a relative's wedding. I was quite impressed with this venue as it's quite spacious with multiple entrances. Although 35 years have passed the interior was simple but bright for this joyous occasion. Food, drinks and entertainment were all arranged by the families so you get to select the theme and create the atmosphere you wish. It was a casual wedding reception that was able to facilitate about 400 people. It was a Hawaiian themed menu where the buffet line was controlled by the steward who escorted attendees by tables. Venue was large enough to have multiple stations providing food, dessert, drinks and entertainment. I initially was planning to partake in the photo booth but the lines were too long so I ended up passing. So why not 5-stars? The venue could have been updated more for a more modern vibe. Also, the parking lot cannot accommodate large scale events so regardless we arrived before the event, many of us had to seek street parking and then walk over. Overall, I found HOC a fairly decent venue for a get together. I wouldn't hesitate to RSVP to another event at this spot. The drive over from town is tolerable and once again, a great facility to bring people together for an occasion.

Hawaii Okinawa Center located on Ka Uka Blvd. Centrally situated in the Waipio area. Great place…read morefor hosting celebrations and or events. We usually go there for the awesome Craft Fairs, but this time was for a wedding reception. Food was catered through A Catered Experience a subsidiary of Zippy's. Wonderful food expertly prepared and delicious. Beautiful landscaping, perfect for the wedding. Facilities very clean and well maintained. Lots of parking in 2 private parking lots

I was driving home from work, and after stopping for gas at Costco, I decided to go down…read moreDillingham to see what I could pick up for dinner. When I pulled into Popeye's parking lot, I came across all the white tents and music. when I rolled down my window, and asked what was going on , the young filipino guy said " Taste of Kalihi!" So I decided to stop to see if there was anything that suited my taste buds. They had a live band and the Filipino Association going on. Some booths that had giveaways, Koi Food truck had a huge line, some Candied apple booth, G catering who had fresh fish plates, and the filipino booth was almost out of their pansit and eggplant dishes. A far cry from Eat the street. One booth was selling Mandoos and SMALL Lumpia rolls for $1 each. A little over priced for me. Overall, I either got their too late, and food was slim pickens, or I just got there, and food was really slim pickens. Music was nice, but I ended up walking to Popeyes Chicken for diinner...

First of all, this event is not meant to be like an Eat the Street kine event so don't be coming to…read morethis event with that type of mentality. This event is held annually every year at the Dillingham Shopping Plaza, specifically on Colburn St. the road in between where you have Popeye's Chicken and Foodland/PriceBusters/Saver/etc. on the other side right across. This is always like a mini version of the Filipino Fiesta because it is organized by the Filipino Chamber of Commerce. Even though the event is called "A Taste of Kalihi," the entertainment, organization, vibe, and atmosphere of the event is predominantly, Filipino. Why you ask? Just look at the demographics, can you tell me what is the largest ethnic group in Kalihi? What about the state of Hawaii? Nonetheless, the event is overall diversed with a whole day's worth of programming though local entertainment, food booths, community booths, and local business booths. When you come here, parking may be an issue because the event shares it with your regular customers that come in and out just to go to the other stores in the area. They also have stuff for da keiki with bounce houses, games, etc. The event goes from dusk till dawn so everyone can join in on the fun.

Last year, this obon was my favorite. Good food, good dancing, good friends. This year we got there…read moreearly with a bunch of friends. Set up our chairs and waited for the obon to start. After being told that we were ok where we were, by the emcee, we were told by a heavy-set woman that we might have to move because they weren't sure where the taiko performance was going to be, "but we're not sure so just sit there and relax". I said no, we'd move now, before the place filled up and we didn't have space to sit together. The lady said over there in from the the benches is fine. So we move where she told us to go. Maybe 15 minutes later a man comes by and angrily tells my son you cannot sit here!!! My son says oh this lady told us to move here. So the man gruffly walks over to the lady to tell her that we cannot sit there. My son follows to hear if we have to move, and that woman flat out denies that she told us we could move there! So RUDE and unorganized!!!!!! We had to move again. And it put a slight damper on the night! Next year we'll choose a different obon to go to besides this one! Three stars are for the food and good company.

Sure glad Fun Factory is still fun for Bud. It one of our go to places when I have grandma duties…read more A few years ago $20 worth would last for an hour but now $60 was not enough. A whole new generation of little ones, even just learning to walk was present today. Also some pre-teen agers too.

Fun Factory located in the Mililani Town Center . They expanded I remember when they were located…read morenear the theater side . Now they're in a bigger space at the corner of the building . They have a nice area outside for birthday parties and inside lots of games . Support local

4-stars because I feel festive at the moment. Also because it's a very short walk for us to the…read moreparade & to the after-parade events at the Kapolei Hale. But to be honest, the parade itself is pretty corny. Trucks with strings of lights thrown on them, etc. some decked out floats would be cool! Heck, lots of parade participants just cruise their company vehicle down Kap Pkway... what is this, a holiday or advertisement parade? Lastly, after experiencing the after-parade events here for a 3rd year, it amazes me the organizers haven't drawn up a new plan to handle the massive crowd. It is craaaazy packed at the Hale area afterward....nuff said.

This is our second year coming to this parade. They decorate all kinds of vehicles with lights and…read morepass out candy to the kids. Expert tips... Come early (like 4:30-5) to get a good seat otherwise you'll be walking a while to find a place to camp out. Bring your chair and maybe some dinner to munch on while you are waiting for the parade to start. Make sure to bring something your kids can carry all their candy in! Have fun!

May 6, 2023 6-9 pm, last night…read more For the price of entry $175 per ticket, you support Leeward Culinary Arts program. I noticed that if you enjoy imbibing--from what I observed there were four stations that provided alcoholic beverages--1. a wine station, 2. a whiskey/Scotch, vodka station (here you could get a Moscow mule in a brass cup to keep), 3. a gin station and 4. a beer station. And for non-alcohol preferences there was a soda/water station and a coffee (canned) station. Make sure you have a designated driver, or uber to the Gala--because if you like to drink--you will be tempted to try various samples, of different labels. Follow the signage--that indicated that guests park at Gate 3. Check in at the upstairs area--and then stand in second line to get wrist bands and a program, tray with a wine glass--keepsake. At 6 regular guests may go downstairs to the grassy courtyard. And let the eating and drinking begin!! There were generous small plates provided by the various chefs/restaurants. My favorite dishes were -Basalts, Chef Malani Iokepa's Lebanese Spiced Braised Lamb -Feast, Chef Jon Matsubara's Salt Beef Sumida Watercress Consomme -Roy's Ko Olina, Roy Yamaguchi & Darryl Shinogi's Seared Bristol Bay Scallops, -Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, Adrian Solorzano's Truffled Crab Arancini -Mariposa, Lance Kosaka's Lemon Pepper Grilled Kauai Shrimp and Sweet Corn, Bacon, Dashi Butter Sauce (loved the corn/bacon/butter) -The Pearl, Chris Garnier's, Hawaiian Kanpachi Crudo -The Pig and the Lady Andrew Le, Kristene Moon Vietnamese Shave Ice with Pandasan syrup and fruit on the bottom (like Halo Halo) There was a large canopy table for the purchasers of tables. For our tickets we got the standing tables. There were reserved low tables for guests that needed that arrangement. My friend and I joined a couple at a stand up table, with a mother couple joining later. We all took turns saving the table while we brought back food for each other. Great people and fun times. We heard that the event used to be held upstairs indoors. But the other guests said they liked the courtyard, open air setting much better--the strung lights, cool light wind and out door atmosphere made for a lovely venue. At the end of the evening, my friend and I discussed it and we would definitely return. More pics to post soon

I haven't been to a Fun Factory in a while. I was surprised to see one had opened up in this…read moreshopping complex when we went to Cherry on Top. My hubby and I used to go while we were dating. We loved playing the games. I asked if he still had his game card and he said no, that it was over 15 years ago, lol. I really like the layout of this one. It's big, clean and spacious. It's not ask cramped as the other locations and the games seem newer. I was also eyeing the prizes. It was Hello Kitty galore. There was this pink old school Cadillac game that you could sit in. The car was so nice. They have a section for parties and celebrations that you book in advance. It's nice to know that they're still having their honor roll program. They give you free game tokens for getting good grades.

Staff is very rude. I asked a young employee a simply question, and was told "I don't know" and…read morewalked away. Even wanted to trade an item that was shelf to display in that same machine. Nope, couldn't rotate or trade it. Even over heard a parent ask I assume a manager, since he was an older employee if there was a bathroom for his kid. The employee rudely told him there's no bathrooms and walked away. Didn't even suggest where the possible closes bathroom is. Horrible customer service at this location.