After reading John N.'s review of this place earlier this month and because I do most of my produce…read moreshopping in Chinatown I just had to check this place out. As the stereotypical Chinese I want things fresh and cheap. Yikes, not sure if that was phrased properly........ Okay, let's start again. When shopping there are 2 factors for me: freshness and economical. And now that we are more conscientious of our health organic is the way to go. So when you factor those 3 together, B I Farm is the place to shop. Located in the far back stall of Maunakea Marketplace (as you enter from the doors that are facing North Hotel Street) B I Farms have their harvest on tables nicely displayed with handwritten prices. In the handful of times I've shopped here the produce are fresh and alive - - when you pick up a bunch of veggies they are not wilted and dried out. They mostly carry vegetables but do carry some fruits (bananas and papayas) depending on availability. As mentioned in John N.'s review, you need to come here early because they get "raided" by the regulars who shop here. Unfortunately, I usually don't make it to Chinatown until after 9am so I pretty much select from their "leftovers". So for you shoppers who are looking for fresh and cheap......I mean, if you're looking for freshness, economical and organic - - then this is the place for you. NOTES: 1) Typical Chinatown parking. You need to either find meter parking or at the municipal lots. With the police substation nearby, I don't recommend you to park on the streets because there are MANY loading zones and you'll get ticketed if you park in these areas. 2) CASH only. 3) They are open daily but keep in mind that Maunakea Marketplace is closed on some MAJOR holidays and when this happens, the gates are closed so vendors and stalls are also closed.

Best place in Chinatown to get vegetables, often at only $1.00 a bunch! Owner is Vietnamese lady…read morewho owns her farm on North Shore, fresh, fresh, freshhhhhh vegetables all the time and herbs, also only a dollar, always fresh never wilted like other stands. MUST GO THER EARLY IN THE MORNING OR THE PLACE WILL BE EMPTY! Her produce is that good! I've spent time comparing to other vendors and nothing can compare!!! WARNING: closed on Tuesdays! B. I. Farms is on Hotel street, right past the bus stop. Try them out! You won't regret buying your vegetables for $1.00 from there. I love making stir fry with all the produce I get there!

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

The shop is very clean & neatly display. The service is great & friendly. They have organic…read moreproduce sold here fresh from their farm.

I have no idea why I rated this show a three-star many years ago, anything-orchid-show deserves a…read morefour-star or more!! I can't even imagine the work that goes into making something like this a reality - all the flower gathering, the moss-gathering, the cleaning, shuffling, hustling, lifting, bending, pushing, pulling and making those succulents behave. I got to talk to Cal Kumano today, who gave me some great tips about how to feed orchids. He told me to feed them every other week with a weak solution of fertilizer. I said, wow, how come so much? And he said, "Humans gotta eat, they do too". Wow. Mind Blown. That makes sense! All these years I've been starving my orchids. I am a BAD ORCHID MOMMY!! This is a small show, so don't expect crazy-lots of orchids but there is enough to make you scratch your chin and contemplate buying something, and there's a good variety of all kinds of other plants and garage-saley-things. Parking stalls are limited in amount, but you can park on the street and walk with your stash. I saw one older woman carrying an orchid back to her car that was as nearly as tall as she was. Too cute.

I am a huge fan of orchids and most recently went to an orchid show last December at Castle High…read moreSchool. Gorgeous and amazing flowers!! The best I've ever seen. My one beef is that I can't get these people to respond to me. Simple question...Will you have an orchid show this November...and I have never received a reply from them. I sent another email stating the same question, and months later, no reply. Not in my spam box either. I love Hawaii to death, folks, but this is ATYPICAL of customer service back home, unfortunately. Super frustrating.

I really can't say enough good things about Mona and her team. My wife and I had our wedding the…read moreweekend of a Tropical Storm and Mona and team were able to pivot and pull off the event of our dreams with only 24 hour notice from our venue that we would be moving indoors. Mahalo to Mona, Aileen and the rest of the Neu Events crew.

Mona, Aileen and the rest of the NEU team exceeded our expectations. I was a very type A bride but…read moreMona's attention to detail, organization and helpful suggestions showed me how a real pro does it. The biggest issue on our wedding day was some passing rain around the time of the ceremony, but Mona came up with some scheduling pivots on site that helped us find a good solution and everything went off PERFECTLY. Wedding planning is not for the faint of heart but anyone can do it with Mona's help. Full service planning with her team was the way to go! If only I needed her services again, id hired her all over again in a heartbeat!

Wonderful, locally owned & operated business that offers an amazing variety of items with some…read moreunbelievably great deals on one-of-a-kind treasures. This auction house carries EVERYTHING, from local Hawaii estates (usually 2 to 4 estates per auction) to art from local collectors & museums. WARNING: THESE AUCTIONS ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. Where else can you find a handwritten letter from King Kamehameha V to John Dominis, original paintings & prints by Jean Charlot, Madge Tennant, antique & contemporary furniture, an 18" Hawaiian koa outrigger canoe, a vintage 1960's Easy Bake Oven in the original box & a set of carpentry tools; all under one roof? They sell housewares from fine china by Lenox & handblown crystal stemware, antique tea cup collections, plus everyday use stoneware & glassware sets. I bought an entire rosewood living room suit - Ming-era style, carved with Chinese prosperity symbols, consisting of a 3 seat couch & two chairs (with custom-fitted cushions), 2 footstools, a large coffee table & 7' long credenza, all carved rosewood with custom cut glass tops on the coffee table & credenza; all in excellent, like-new condition for ONLY SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($600) - that's 1/10th the original cost. The matching solid rosewood dining table with 10 chairs sold to someone else for $600. They sell estate jewelry, everything from vintage affordable costume pieces to high-end quality gems & fine jewelry designs, to antiques watches & wall clocks. It's a family run business with a small full-time staff & a large group of family & friends who volunteer to help out during auctions. Wendy McClain, the owner, conducts the auctions herself & is tireless. There are no upset prices, but some people think that means they can offer $20 for something worth $20,000. Be warned - Wendy does not suffer fools lightly. People who repeatedly shout out ridiculously low offers find themselves invited up on stage to find out just how "easy" it is by auctioning one or two items themselves. I discovered McClain's a couple of years ago & now I attend almost every auction (they hold one about every month), partly to keep an eye out for undervalued treasures, partly to socialize with other regulars, who include local celebrities. I've also used their services to trade up - selling some of my older furniture & art when I've seen something that better suits me become available. There is a showing every Friday before the Saturday auction from noon to 6 pm, and fro 8 to 10 am on Saturday, with the auction starting at or shortly after 10 am. The auctions are attended by dealers & private collectors buying for themselves in addition to some very nice, genuinely helpful people, so take any advice or information you get with a grain of salt & take notes to do your own research at home the night before the auction, or bring your smartphone or tablet/iPad & look up comps on site. The staff & volunteers are helpful & friendly, but none of them claim to be experts, so be prepared to do your own research. McClain's used to be located in Gentry Center, but about a year ago they moved to 780 S. Beretania Street, directly across from HPD headquarters. There is no on-site parking, but there are metered stalls along Beretania & the side streets, and the metered stalls in the municipal lots (ewa makai corner of S Beretania & Alapai) are free on Saturdays. It's a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

I bid two auction lots Sunday afternoon and scheduled pickup for Tuesday after 1 PM. The figurine…read morewas flawless; only Lot #538 Chinese birdcage had severe undisclosed damage. The online listing contained zero photos or notes of the cage's split, partially missing front door. I trusted the auction's professional listing service, which comes with a mandatory 15% buyer's premium meant to cover full pre-sale condition disclosures. I would never have bid if the major breakage had been shared upfront. Upon pickup, I was shocked to find the cage door broken clean in half. Staff confirmed internal archive photos proved the damage existed long before the auction went live. I stayed calm and polite the entire time, no loud outbursts or scene-making. I respect the owners as acquaintances and understand all businesses face hardships, so I approached the issue reasonably without overreacting. I simply asked why the critical damage was hidden and requested to reject the defective cage--this broken piece holds no value to me, and the omission was entirely their error. Owner Wendy confronted me angrily and rudely. She claimed she did not take listing photos and insisted her staff described the item fully to their knowledge, then blamed me entirely for failing to inspect in person pre-bidding. To make matters worse, she dismissively said the split door was not severe damage and I could simply glue it myself. I was stunned by this careless, unprofessional remark from a business owner. It is baffling why they intentionally concealed obvious structural damage just to sell a faulty cage for a $75 bid plus the 15% premium. This whole situation is ridiculous; it feels they actively misled a long-term loyal customer of 15-20 years who trusted their business, and I ended up falling victim to this lack of transparency. They shift all accountability for their incomplete listings onto buyers while acting entirely blameless and painting me as the problematic party. Their defensive, hostile attitude makes their operation appear unethical and unfair to consumers. Despite collecting a steep buyer's fee, they refuse to take responsibility for their failure to disclose major pre-existing defects and offered zero resolution or remedy. I formally dispute the 15% premium charged for Lot #538 and contest the misrepresented damaged item sale. I question two core standards: 1. Does the mandatory 15% buyer's premium oblige the auction to fully disclose all known major structural damage to listed goods? ​ 2. Is the auction permitted to hide prominent pre-existing flaws to complete sales, passing all risk to buyers with no recourse? Pre-auction in-person viewing is optional, yet no visual or written clues of the broken door appeared online. It is disappointing this local Hawaiian business disregards honest customer practices and exploits trusting long-time patrons. I share this review to warn other collectors and online bidders of their lack of transparency and confrontational customer service.

My volunteering experience at the River of Life was truly remarkable. Registering for volunteering…read morewas very quick and easy. We went to the River of Life for a group project, I am in 7th grade and came with my dad not knowing what would happen. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and appreciated. The kitchen had a cozy and inviting atmosphere, and the staff was knowledgeable and were the sweetest people you've ever met. They are so close to God and make sure that everyone who eats their food has a great time. Seeing my group members so engaged and having a great time was fantastic. After two hours of volunteering, we were finally able to taste the food we helped prepare. It was so good and I highly recommend volunteering at this center and can't wait to return!

A generous, selfless, non profit organisation; always looking for ways to serve the community;…read moreespecially the many homeless in the island. Your generous giving of donations in any amount; even if it means giving up a lunch once a week to support those in need is greatly appreciated and goes a long way. It's a truism, what goes out comes back around. The way things are right now; whose to say, you and I might need their generous service one day?