Posts Tagged ‘Waikiki’

It’s that time of year again. The time where the “Losties” as they’ve come to be known, begin interjection their theories of the hit abc TV show lost into everyday conversations. The watercoolers, lunch, dinner, in the line-up at straight-outs.

If you weren’t one of those that made it down to Waikiki to watch the season premier of Lost with thousands of others, you’ll be watching tonight for sure. Speaking of watching Waikiki, NPR this morning had interviews of people that literally made the trip from around the world to be the first of their town to see the Lost season premier, pretty amazing.

Tonight, at 7:00 pm HST you can catch a lost recap which will take you through all of the seasons up to this point. Tell you about the love square that Kate, Sawyer, Jack, and Juliet form. Tell you about Hurley and Jacob, and all the other crazy twists that last season threw at us.

Then, at 8:00 pm, be ready for the final season of lost to begin.

Throw Da Shaka Concert was a huge success in 2009 as it took the Waikiki Shell (directions below) by storm. Well, it’s back for more and this year looks to be as good as last year. On January 23rd, Lost Cost Sound brings you Throw Da Shaka 2010.

In this years lineup, Siaosi, Fiji, Ten Feet, Rebel Soujahz, Mana’o Co., Kiwini, Laga, and from New Zealand, 3 Houses Down. That’s not it, there will be even more local artists joining in on the festivities as is usually the case for a Waikiki Shell event. If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Tickets are $15, $25, and $40 and can be purchased in advance from TicketMaster. Parking, as you know if you’ve been there, will fill up fast so try and find street parking if you can or get there early.  The concert will be from 5:30 until the music stops (usually around 10 P.M.)

Step into the year 2010 through the Looking Glass as Fusion Waikiki celebrates the occasion with a Wonderland theme.  A timely theme in many ways with the highly anticipated Tim Burton version of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with Johnny Depp due to be released in March 2010, the recent showing of Alice’ on the ScyFy Network, the sheer madness of 2009, the magical wonder of living in Hawai’i.

Fusion Waikiki upstairs at 2260 Kuhio Avenue will spark the revelry Thursday December 31 2009 New Years’ Eve with 2 Floors & 2 DJs with dancing all through the night into the wee hours of morning, experience the thrill of the most beautiful ‘Showgirls on the Island’ in a special New Years’ Eve revue.  At Midnight there will be a massive balloon drop with the chance to snag cash & prizes including a ‘Nintendo Wii.’  (Apparently there is no truth to the rumor they will give away Michelle Wii, sorry ladies).

Tickets for this event are a mere $10 if paid in advance, or $15 at the door, the doors will open at 8PM, and yes you must be over the age of 21 and in the mood for fun, and in support of the Wonderland Theme, and what the Heck this being New Years’ Eve, Crazy Colorful Costuming is more than welcome, Psychedelic or clothing inspired by the upcoming Burton/Depp film would be a wow.  For more info scope out  http://fusionwaikiki.com/ or call 808-924-2422 or   PLEASE CALL Pat Miller at 808.224.2701 or email fusion808@live.com .

PS  You might just find a Tarot Card reader attending the event; take a peek into 2010 for a suggested donation of $10 or $20.

Get down and party like it is 1977 with Disco Icons ‘The Village People’ New Year’s Eve December 31 2009 at The Sheraton Hawai’i Ballroom.  This high octane act is guaranteed to get the crowd on their feet dancing as well as shouting out the letters to their most famous song; “Y—M—C—A, It’s Fun To Stay At The Y—M—C—A.”

It all began when Native American Felipe Rose was spotted dancing in his Indian Costume in a crowd in New York’s Greenwich Village.  Producer/Composer Jacques Morali and partner Henri Belolo were inspired to put together a group based upon Village icons, building the group around the vocal talents & showmanship of Victor Willis, the original Cop and Naval Officer.  Willis brought his friend Alex Briley in to play the character of a GI, auditions were held, recruiting original member David Hodo, the Construction Worker.  Along the way original Leatherman/Biker Glenn Hughes was replaced by Eric Anzalone in 1995, while Cowboy Jeff Olsen  joined in 1980.  Ray Simpson has been the lead singer AKA Cop for so long that only diehard fans recall the early days of Victor Willis.

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE snagged stardom during the crazy hazy Disco Days/Daze of the late 1970s into the early 1980s with deceptively simple infectiously danceable tunes: Macho Man, Key West, Go West, Y.M.C.A., In The Navy, Manhattan Woman, Can’t Stop The Music.  Though they have never repeated the heady success of their earliest days their legions of fans do not care, what they want are those original hits and The Village People continue to deliver with a high octane show that is a visual delight.

The Village People bring in New Year 2010 at the World famous Sheraton-Waikiki.  Doors open at 9PM, there will be music from the 70s and 80s, and then The Village People explode onto the stage at 11PM.  Scope out http://www.newyearseveinwaikiki.com/ for further info about the many options for combining dinner with one heck of a show, there are two packages offered: “Platinum Package: Five-course dinner at Twist at Hanohano Two seating s: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Platinum seating for the show, Two drink tickets during the show, Party hats & favors$295 per adult; $235 per child 16 & under.” As well as a Gold Package offering a “Premium Seafood Spectacular at Kai Market,” Seating begins at 5:30, every half hour to 7PM.  Gold Seating for the Show, two drink tickets during the show, party hats & favors, all for $255 per adult, or $195 per child under age sixteen.

Concert-Only Ticket Pricing (includes tax and gratuity)   [ Reservations ]

All seating includes party favors; Platinum tickets: $150 Seating in the first six rows. Gold tickets: $125, Seating in rows 6-12. Silver tickets: $90 Seating in rows 12 and beyond. Standing room only: $75.  Further info via phone 1-808-921-4600 between 9AM and 5PM.

Self parking is available for $8.00 0r go with Valet Service for $13.00  The Sheraton-Waikiki is an easy bus ride away, as well as a comfortable walk from anywhere in urban Honolulu.  The Village People are a terrific way to welcome 2010.

If you’re wondering why you can’t go east of Waikiki on H1 very fast, or at all, you’re not alone.  Early morning traffic jams are frustrating quite a few drivers as thousands of runners weave their way through Waikiki, Diamond Head, and out to Hawaii Kai.

And already, before eastbound lane closures reopen, we have you results for the 2009 Honolulu Marathon.  Those leaders are fast finishing in just over 2 hours.  See below for a full list of marathon results, but most notable is the mens repeat winner of Patrick Ivuti from Kenya.  Following him to round out the top 5 were 4 more Kenyan runners.

The first USA male finisher coming in 6th with a time of 2:25:41 was Honolulu local Brandon Laan competing in the 25 – 29 year old division.  Congrats Brandon!  Top female finisher was Svetlana Zakharov of Russia followed by a slew of Japanese woman and finally an American, Amy Wilson, in 10th place.

Mens Results

Womens Results

Check this site for more information.

Azure Restaurant, located in the Royal Hawaiian is their newest fine dining restaurant, which specializes in island seafood.  A little over a year ago the iconic Royal Hawaii received a $85 million renovation and redesign.  Part of this project included the creation of Azure.

Jon Matsubara is Azure’s head chef and behind a menu where fish and the freshest fruits de mer are featured.  Local fish like ahi, opah, onaga, uku, or moi are selected each morning at daybreak from the Hawaii fish auction.  Food here is a mixture of French and Hawaiian regional cuisines prepared with fresh and local ingredients.

I had the oppurtunity to dine at Azure recently with some friends.  The renovation and redesign of this space into Azure was breathtaking.  The decor was modern European with an island feel.  The restaurant was sophisticated with a hint of relaxation found in their comfy stylish pillows accompanying each seat.  The outdoor area beachfront was the place of envy where customers can rent private canopies and enjoy their food and cocktails in a more relaxed setting while still among style and luxury.

For our meal we ordered several appetizers such as the  Baby Back Ribs with a Kona coffee bbq sauce ($18),  the Grilled Coriander Prawns ($19), and the Azure Sashimi with Hawaiian yellowtail ahi ($21).  Accompanying the starters we ordered salads one in particular was the Hirabara Farms’ Baby Romaine Caesar Salad ($14), which was served with a heirloom tomato that was the size of a softball.  For my entree I ordered the Kona Shellfish Bowl with lobster, prawns, clams, scallops, abalone mushrooms, and konyaku noodles in a kaffir lime and chile broth ($47).  For dessert I ordered the Warm Cookie Pie a trio of warm cookies with Hawaiian chocolate ice cream ($9).  Our table also ordered a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay.

Kona Shellfish Bowl

Based on the food alone I was disappointed with the meal.  I was disappointed not because the food was bad but because the food was not exceptional.  Being the Royal Hawaiian and paying these high prices, I was expected to be “wow-ed” and was “okayed” by the food itself.  The starters were all tasty, but nothing left me wanting more.  The Azure Sashimi was so small that I only got about half a bite.  My Kona Shelfish Bowl was filled with a large portion of well cooked seafood, but it lacked taste and flavor.  The best part about this dish was the toasted bread spear that accompanied the plate.  My dessert was also in the same good not great ballpark.  I felt the service at Azure helped redeem the restaurant’s mediocre food.  Our servers were polite and professional and aimed to please our party.

I would return to Azure for the atmosphere and to enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine at the bar, or even to lounge in the canopy area beachside.  For a celebratory dinner with excellent food I would rather go to Mariposa at Ala Moana, Hoku’s at The Kahala Hotel and Resort, or Orchids in The Halekulani Hotel.

Azure is open daily from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm and the dress code is smart casual.  The address of the Royal Hawaiian is 2259 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu, HI  96815.  For more information or reservations please call (808) 923-7311.  To see photos and view the restaurant’s menu visit: http://www.royal-hawaiian.com/resort_dining_azure.

Monday, November 16, 2009 Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk opened its doors to guests.  Trump Waikiki is the first new Waikiki luxury property to open in 20 years.

Trump Waikiki is 38 stories high with 462 fully furnished units in the building.  The ultra luxury hotel features a library, wine cellar and a spa, along with 24-hour room, valet and concierge services.   Rates per night start at $255 for a studio up to $8,000 for the penthouse suite.

Three years ago, all units were sold presale in just 8 hours totaling $700 million in sales.  This was a world record for dollar and unit volume sold on a single day in a residential development.

This Waikiki hotel is the fourth property in the Trump International Hotel collection among Soho, New York and Las Vegas.  More than 100 people have been hired to staff this hotel and at full capacity staffing could reach up to 200.  For more information visit: www.trumpwaikikihotel.com.

Great weather, a young population, vacationers, and a lot of enthusiasm make Halloween in Honolulu and Waikiki a great spectacle to behold. So what are you going for Halloween this year, its only two days away! And, it falls on a Saturday, so you now have 2 weekend days to dress up, and have fun.

We’ve been posting as much as we can about the fun activities that we think you may be interested in attending, block parties, after parties, costume contests, and more. When know there’s others, but below is our list of things you must drop by to see.

First up, is the 80s Fright Night at Pipeline Cafe with special guest Tiffany. That’s right, the 80s pop legend will be there in full force to keep the evening rocking into Halloween morning.

For Halloween Day, just prepare yourself. All of the south shore will be one large block party and we have your route. Start downtown in Chinatown for the Honolulu Hallowbaloo Music Arts Festival. 7 Blocks of Nuuanu will be closed down and the costumes will be out in full affect. Will music stages, drinks, and food everywhere. After you’re done here you can head to any bar downtown as they will all have after parties once the block party shuts down at 10pm. Or….

You can head into Waikiki where the fun will be littering the streets. The stretches of Kuhio and Kalakaua will be covered with people in the Halloween best. And we don’t think you’ll want to miss it. People are usually everywhere late into the night and the costume parties will abound at bars around Waikiki. Or, for a little alternative fun, you can head to Black and Bling Halloween at Fushions.

Stay safe, and have fun out there!

One of the liveliest clubs in Waikiki is Fusion-Waikiki (2260 Kuhio Avenue – 2^nd Floor), keeping with their tradition of truly awesome alternative entertainment they are hosting ‘Black and Bling Halloween” on Saturday October 31 2009, 8PM.

A Gothic Gala  hosted by Cocoa Chandelier with the ‘Gender Bender Lip Gloss Revue’ and ‘The Paper Doll Revue,’ Fusion-Waikiki promises ‘Boo-Tilicious Moonlight Mayhem’ and offers Hawai’i’s only ‘Anything Goes’ Costume Contest with cash and other fantastic prizes.  There will be drink specials all night long.  Scope out Doug the Balloon Guy’s “two story Haunted Sculpture” and simply be prepared to be amazed by the loud & proud crowd inside Fusion-Waikiki.

There is an extremely modest $10 General Admission and pre-sale tickets are highly encouraged!  For tickets go to Fushion or CALL Pat Miller at 808.224.2701 or email fusion808@live.com .

Thrilling fun & excitement is not limited to Halloween 2009.  Fusion-Waikiki hosts a special ‘Tiffany After Party’ on Friday October 30 2009 for the Fright Night at Pipeline featuring Tiffany show.

Fusion-Waikiki pumps up the volume seven nights a week, Sunday thru Thursday 10PM to 4 AM, Fridays & Saturdays 8PM to 4AM, offering two venues and three bars.  Strictly for the 21 and older crowd, Fusion is a Waikiki treasure, one of Waikiki’s best clubs, well worth checking out anytime of the year, your best bet for a memorable Black & Bling Halloween.