Happy New Year! Several spots just opened right before the end of 2022. Check these out:

Asian food hall

STIX ASIA (2250 Kalakaua Ave.) — in the former Waikiki Yokocho spot — soft opened right before Christmas in the lower level of Waikiki Shopping Plaza. The venue will be home to 17 eateries and businesses featuring Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese cuisine. It’s currently open daily from 5 to 10 p.m.

A handful of businesses — Nana Musubi, Honolulu Noodle & Co., Nabe Aina, Shingen, Café Nala and Shanghai Bar — are currently open. Those coming soon include Gashoken, Udon Yama, Ramen Akatsuki and Nana’s Green Tea.

Visit stixasia.com.

Banchan bliss

Formerly known as Keeaumoku Produce, Banchan House (745 Keeaumoku St.) opened in early December. You can find a wide variety of Korean side dishes, along with meats like bulgogi, barbecue chicken, kalbi and spicy pork.

Popular choices include seaweed ($7), shredded daikon ($4), meat jun ($13) and kimchi ($9). Kimchi here exists in various forms (cucumber, daikon, etc.).

The grocery store is currently open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.

Call 808-955-9788.

Honolulu’s hot, new izakaya

Waikiki-based Agaru (355 Royal Hawaiian Ave. Ste. 201) opened in December and it’s one of my new favorite restaurants. The $65 izakaya menu comprises dishes like potato salad with fudgy yolk,

Ora king salmon with Maui onions and smoked shoyu, crispy chicken karaage and kakuni with kabocha and black garlic tare. Be sure to check out the a la carte sushi menu — which includes shareable items like six-piece nigiri ($50) and California hand roll ($22) — along with signature dishes like ahi toast on milk bread ($10), crispy-skin salmon belly with shiso chimichurri ($20) and foie gras chawanmushi ($16). Save room for dessert — the shio koji sundae ($12) with fior di latte, kinako peanuts, puffed wild rice and caramel is to die for.

Follow the biz on Instagram (@agaru_hnl).