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

This community center offers different events. I've been here a couple times for a different dog…read moreevents. This particular event was for suicide prevention. They had Entertainment, dog centered vendors And food. We did a dog walk and Support. And then we were entertained by dancers from a local high school. And got to shop.

I've lived in Pearl City almost my whole life so far, and not until I moved a little closer to the…read morecommunity center did I realize how many community events are held here! Since moving closer, we've attended many awesome community events here at the Momilani Community Center. They're usually always free to attend, usually have tons of great food booths, music, and activities! Our most recent outing was to the Pearl City Halloween Bash held at the center! It was tons of fun, lots of games, prizes, music and so much more. I especially enjoyed the Halloween event because it provided a safe and fun environment for the children, including my 2 and 4 year Olds. They had a blast!! And that's what matters most. We've also attended many private parties here. It's such a great location with lots of street parking, and lots of spa e for so many things. Leahi Swim School is also lo aged here.

Been coming here for several decades now since I was a small kid with my grandparents. The purpose…read morebehind Helemano Plantation is to provide training for the developmentally disabled. [FOOD] While certain foods may look salty it definitely is not, like the sweet sour spareribs which we found to be nice and soft with just the right amount of flavor. The food is made in small batches so things are usually nice and fresh. FAVORITES include the: STEAMED BUNS (in the brown basket) & MUSHU VEGETABLES, SPRING ROLLS. TIP: Again the food is made in small batches so if something runs out just ask if they are bringing out more. [SERVICE] Still great friendly service with no complaints here. [PARKING] Huge parking lot so we have never had a problem finding a spot. [HANDICAP] There are several handicap parking stalls available.

We have gotten our Christmas tree from here for years but did not this year (rushed and on vacation…read morepart of the month). I was so disappointed. Never again!! See you all November 2025!!

PRE-COVID 19 Stay At Home Orders:…read more We were watching the local news when I heard about the Free Open House Event for the Ho'okupu Center which occurred on March 14, 2020. Our curiosity was piqued because we wondered about the Center's stated mission as a learning center for under-resourced youth education and training in the green jobs sector and its architectural re-invention or transformation from a dilapidated net drying shed that was left by O'ahu's commercial ahi fishermen. The Ho'okupu Center is located in the Kewalo Basin Harbor Park next to the Harbor Master's facility, there is a free parking lot for park-goers and several parking stalls fronting the center. We were skeptical about going there as this area of this park was commonly known for illegal drug dealing activities, homeless, and delinquency. However, we were pleasantly surprised and impressed with the transformation of this facility and area. The center is managed by Hawai'i's leading environmental educational non-profit organization called "Kupu". Kupu has been using this facility with its Hawai'i Youth Conservation Corps Community Program. Walking into the facility, we noticed its new commercial kitchen, laboratories, classrooms, and meeting spaces that will be used to support Kupu's community and culinary programs for youth and young adults. The center also provides for new spaces where the community can meet for exhibitions, meetings, educational and volunteer events to engage in sustainability, conservation, Hawaiian culture, and service. The facility is now a model of sustainability as it features photovoltaic energy panels to provide net-zero usage. In addition to facility sustainability, Kupu's community program participants will steward the shoreline and park surrounding it. Major sponsors of the new center include: * State of Hawaii * The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. * ALTRES * Ward Village Foundation * Kamehameha Schools * G70 * McInerny Foundation * MacNaughton Foundation * Atherton Family Foundation We were glad that we had the opportunity to check this place out during its Open House and with the hope, we'll be able to attend another function here to support Kupu's Programs. Oh, if I'm not mistaken, it's culinary program is led by Chef Mark "Gooch" Noguchi, Pili Group who can work with to cater your function.

Amazing service. The perfect location, in town but it seemed so away from the chaos of town. The…read moreviews are priceless, we could not have asked for a better location. Planning a party can be so chaotic, Helene and the team helped us with great recommendations, made accommodations for deliveries and so much more. I wish more businesses had the Aloha that this team brings to Hookupu!

Wow, 80 years, Watanabe floral is celebrating 80- Congrats on this huge milestone! They have an…read more80th celebration tomorrow, 7/18, with street eats food truck, Eden In Love Watanabe Floral collab, Olive Branch Hawaii Pop-Up, In store flower bar, 1 dozen medium roses for $9.99 & 5 for $10. anthurim sale. Watanabe Floral is Hawaii's largest full service floral shop since 1946, and my favorite shop. I try to visit here at least once a week to pick up roses/florals for my 2 vases, this help me think of a special person in my life who Loves floral. This place is such a happy vibe place/feeling, once you enter you will know what I mean. I just love the decor, so colorful, cheerful, so happy! I remember the very first time when I brought my mom here, I could see her happy face, I had to snap a photo of her at front of store. My recent visit I picked 10 colorful roses for my vase and also had to pick up a Birthday gift. Loved looking at all the orchids, picking one was hard. Watanabe has everything here, not only floral needs, you can just do your one stop gift shopping her. Like a local Hallmark with all the trinkets, gifts, snacks, jewelry, some very unique items that I never seen before. I came across the handmade crochet items and couldn't pass up on the bird and flower key chain, had to get them. They have very great vendors they purchase from, that's a great for supporting local! All in all, I just love shopping here! Don't forget - Mon-Sat. 9-4 & closed on Sundays! May your life be as beautiful as the flowers you give, spread happiness and joy with flowers!!

I've ordered from this company multiple times because I live off-island and rely on them to deliver…read moreflowers to my mom for special occasions and holidays. Up until now, they've always done a great job, but this recent experience for Mother's Day was extremely disappointing. First, the delivery driver brought the wrong bouquet. I paid $209.41 (including delivery), but my mom received a bouquet that was clearly not what I ordered later confirmed to be a lower priced arrangement. I had to call customer service, who then contacted the driver immediately. While I appreciate that they responded quickly, it still took about 47 minutes for the driver to return, take back the incorrect bouquet, and retrieve the correct one from the truck. When the correct arrangement finally arrived, the presentation was still off. The vase was too short for the flowers, making the bouquet look unbalanced and like it was falling out. For over $200, I expected much better attention to detail and quality. On top of that, the company advertised "free delivery," but that only applied to very limited areas on the island. I still had to pay a delivery fee despite the initial mistake being entirely on their end, which felt misleading. Overall, this was a frustrating and disappointing experience, especially for a special occasion like Mother's Day. I've had good experiences before, but this one really missed the mark.

Came across this stand alone kiosk at Pearlridge Center Uptown. It's near the food court, Starbucks…read moreand Jamba Juice on the main level. What caught my eye were the photos on wood blocks. Cool idea! You can send them photos from your phone. If you have an iPhone, all you need to do is airdrop it to them. It took a short time for them to download and mount it on a block. There are different sizes and shapes with prices ranging from $29 for a small to $199 for the largest size. There was a special going -buy two and get one free! We chose a small rectangle and the finished product turned out very nice! The edges are pine and the sides are sanded to a smooth finish. What we may though do is stain the wood part as I think it would be prettier. The person helping us was super helpful and friendly too. We definitely are coming back to do more photos as gifts.

Amazing blocks I've received that my wife loved. The only thing is that shipping takes a long time…read more I qualified for free shipping and ordered on Dec 13th and it came on Dec 29th. I rather just you have the prices go up more to receive it faster. But yeah.. the blocks are awesome!!

I hunted the island since Dec. looking for a dresser. I had something in mind and after searching…read moreevery furniture store outlet in the vicinity of Honolulu and on line I pretty much gave up. The inventory was either too expensive or too large for the space. Thank goodness I came across an ad for a dresser listed on FB Market. It was exactly the style and color I wanted, and I saved so much money! It was one third the price, and looked just identical to the dresser I saw in one of the local furniture stores. I wanted to send a big mahalo to Grace the store owner, and the two employees Allene and Kilana for keeping it safe so it was there for me when I got to the store today. It was a perfect transaction and it was a perfect dresser.

Why didn't I ever finish this review? I guess moving, upcoming trips, birthdays, and holidays get…read morein the way but it's been 6 months and we are still doing fabulous with my go to girl, Lana. We text as a way of communicating our needs which is so helpful especially with a child that keeps me busy. We rented the furniture for our whole apartment, buying a little bit at a time and replacing the furniture we rented. She would get her people out to us fast and they did all the work of setting it up or taking it down. It was a swift and fast move from the UK and Lana has made it so convenient to slide from Europe to Hawaii. Thank you Colortyme and Lana.

Workers better fix their attitude, they kick you out earlier than your actual depart time. Also,…read morethey act different compared to family parties compared to banquets for school. At every party I went to for families, they ALWAYS take your trash. But, when it's a school, they act totally different. Such as not even grabbing your trash. You guys better fix that shitty attitude with students, trust me. Irritating asf.

Tis the season for graduation parties......falalalala...lalalala…read more..... I attended yet another graduation party this past weekend at this venue. The Hawaii Okinawan Center is located in Waipio Gentry and is easily found by either traveling on Kam Highway or the H-2 Freeway. However, I would probably recommend a route via Kam Hwy for convenience reasons. The party I attended was in the Legacy II ballroom, of which the entrance faces the parking lot. I later discovered that the Legacy Ballroom is actually 1 huge ballroom, and it was divided into 2 separate areas on this evening as another party was taking place in the other half. Incidentally, the side where the other party was taking place was larger and had a stage as well. Although the portion of the ballroom where our party was held was much smaller, I liked the high ceilings so there was the illusion that the room was slightly big and grand. I believe there were about 18 tables (seating for 10) set up for the party, but since this section was smaller, there wasn't much room to have more tables set up if the need arose. Food and drinks were provided by A Catering Experience, which (from what I was told later that evening) is the catering division if Zippy's. The food served to guests at the party included Chinese chicken salad, assorted fruits, rice, noodles, fried chicken, roast pork, mahimahi, and adobo (which most of us thought it was sweet and sour pork). Besides water, fruit punch (very watery!), coffee, and tea was also provided. Lastly, the banquet staff was very gracious, polite, and kind. I was very impressed with the attentiveness of the staff that night, and their quality service contributed to a wonderful evening spent with friends and family. PARKING: FREE parking available in the HI Okinawa Center lot. First come first serve. Bottom Line: Clean venue. FREE and ample parking.