Kai Coffee Hawaii recently completed a renovation of its Waikiki Shopping Plaza kiosk (2250 Kalakaua Ave.). In addition to the premium cherry-to-cup coffee the company is known for, guests will also find a crepes and gelato bar. Crepes come in sweet and savory options, such as ham and cheese, strawberries, and bananas with Nutella. The gelato is from Il Gelato and features nine flavors, including dark chocolate, ube cookies and cream, and more.
“Our previous kiosk offered our signature beverages and bites at a convenience, but our renovated location will hopefully give people a reason to relax as they savor our artisanal coffees and expanded menu,” states Kai Coffee Hawaii founder and CEO Sam Suiter.
For more information, visit kaicoffeehawaii.com.
Hot pot biz’s sister shop serves cool desserts
There’s a new dessert shop open on Oahu’s West side. Aunty’s Hau Hale (91-5431 Kapolei Pkwy.) is a sister company to Aunty’s Hot Pot.
Aunty’s Hot Pot is known for its delicious and sizzling soups, but the shave ice served to guests after meals are also popular. So popular, in fact, that the biz decided to have a snow ice machine shipped from Taiwan so that it could dedicate a whole new business to it.
Customers will find snow ice and shave ice ($8) in flavors such as green tea, ube, passion fruit and strawberries, and toppings ($2) such as popping boba, mango mochi and azuki. Also on the menu are refreshing drinks in flavors like wintermelon ($7) and Thai tea ($7) and; smoothies in flavors like taro ($9.99) and mango ($8.99).
For more info, follow the biz on Instagram (@auntyshauhale).
Don Don Donki open in Kapolei
Kapolei is now home to Don Quijote’s first Don Don Donki store (500 Kamakilo Blvd.).
Like a traditional Don Quijote, this location features daily essentials and groceries with an emphasis on products from Japan. But unlike a traditional Don Quijote, Don Don Donki is home to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant and a 350-seat indoor-outdoor dining area where folks can enjoy okazuya dishes, poke bowls and other popular street food items. Consider it a grocery store/food hall hybrid.
Don Don Donki will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and employs workers from the recently closed Don Quijote in Waipahu.
For more information, visit donquijotehawaii.com.
Let the good times roll
From now through March 4, Dixie Grill BBQ & Crab Shack (99-016 Kamehameha Hwy.) is serving its limited-time Mardi Gras menu. Start with a cup of seafood gumbo ($11) served with saltine crackers, or its shrimp hushpuppies ($12) with housemade remoulade.
Entrees include jambalaya ($23) with chicken, andouille sausages and shrimp mixed with rice in a cream piquant sauce; and red beans and rice ($23) with a hearty serving of kidney beans on top of rice and served with or without andouille sausages. Desserts include pecan pie ($9), peach cobbler ($9) and beignets ($9).
As for drink specials, Dixie Grill delivers with its Hurricane ($11) made with passionfruit, lime, orange juice and rum; and its King Cake Coquito ($11) with vanilla, coconut milk, coconut cream, cinnamon and bourbon.
Dixie Grill has been celebrating Mardi Gras with a special menu since 1997.
For more information, visit dixiegrill.com or call 808-485-2722.
A cultural culinary journey in six courses
Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows (2780 Kekaa Drive) is hosting an international pop-up dinner series with television personality and Cooking Hawaiian Style host Lanai Tabura. It takes place 6-9 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 1.
The six-course journey, described as a culinary moolelo that explores the rich, multicultural influences that have shaped Hawaii’s cuisine, will feature high-quality takes on familiar local grinds. The meal starts with pohole salad (opae, scallops, watermelon radish and sea asparagus mignonette), which is followed by chicken long rice (chicken long rice, consommé, fried ginger and crispy chicken skin), misoyaki butterfish with white miso foam, kimchi sundubu jjigae, pork guisantes (braised pork belly, pimento and wasabi peas) and lilikoi semifreddo.
Tickets are $240 (non-alcoholic drink included with meal) and $300 (wine pairings included with the meal).
For more information, visit royallahainaresort.com/experiences.
Three days of fresh fish from Japan
Seafood lovers won’t want to miss the three-day Toyosu Fish Fair at Misuwa Marketplace in the International Market Place (2330 Kalakaua Ave.). It takes place 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 21-23. There will be tuna-cutting demonstrations at noon on Feb. 22 and 23.
Attendees will be able to purchase three kinds of assorted sashimi ($19.99), five kinds of assorted sashimi ($29.99), a nine-piece Ichiba Sushi Set ($19.99) and a 10-piece Honmaguro (blue-fin tuna) Sushi Set ($29.99).
This event is a deal for those who appreciate high-quality seafood at a reasonable price. All of the fish featured will be flown in directly from Toyosu, Japan.
For more information, call 808-489-9020.
