An unspoken hotspot for Honolulu residents now has a name. Midtown Ala Moana has long been considered a haven for foodies looking for the freshest, hard-to-find sushi or a welcoming brunch spot. Fashionistas descend to the neighborhood in droves, exploring the island’s newest boutiques and first-to-the-islands brands. Here you can start the day lying on sandy shores at Ala Moana Beach Park and end it with a night on the town singing karaoke or swaying to the sound of visiting bands.
Welcome to Midtown Ala Moana. View Neighborhood Map
You no longer have to swim out to Waipahu to catch Tanioka’s iconic poke! Thanks to a pop-up shop at Ala Moana Center, through the end of December customers can create their own poke bowl or mixed plate lunch by choosing from 11 items, including their well-known poke, fried chicken and garlic chicken. Located on Level 2 in the Ewa Wing between Jamba Juice and Zara, Tanioka’s also offers made-to-order items exclusive to this location that includes grilled steak, marinated pesto pork, Hawaiian barbecue pork belly and boneless kalbi. After you grab your favorites from Tanioka’s, head across the street to Magic Island for a fin-tastic beach day.
Photo Credit: Frolic Hawaii
Is your pup in need of some TLC? Drop them off at Johnny’s House Dog Salon, located on Kaheka Street, for a paws-itively relaxing spa day. The Japanese-style dog salon offers everything from nail trimming, ear cleaning, pads and feet trimming to haircuts and styling. At the end of their service, pups are festively dressed up for a themed photo shoot. Dogs below 40 pounds can also socialize and play with other fur-iends at their doggie daycare.
Photo Credit: Johnny’s House Dog Salon
Since 1989, Rainbow Photo Lab has been an important part of the community for all things photography. Tucked inside Samsung Plaza off of Keeaumoku Street, the locally owned business can help you tackle any film-related issue in a snap(shot), including taking passport photos, creating holiday cards, editing video slideshows for graduations or weddings as well as restoring old photographs. In a rush? Rainbow Photo Lab is the only place on the island that provides one-day, on-location film processing. Talk about finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
Photo Credit: Rainbow Photo Lab
Treat your taste buds to the hottest, and we mean hottest, Chinese restaurant. But Chengdu Taste isn’t just any old Chinese restaurant. Its specialty is fiery Sichuan dishes full of flavors that numb your mouth and leave you wanting more. There’s something for everyone here whether you like fish, pork or chicken, and yes, there’s even something for those of you who don’t like spicy foods. Authentic Sichuan cuisine is hard to find outside of China but luckily for us there’s some right in the heart of Midtown.
Photo credit: Chengdu Taste
Tucked away just off of bustling Piikoi Street, Bernini Honolulu is a contemporary Italian restaurant worthy of your next night out. Chef Kengo Matsumoto, who hails from Tokyo but was trained in Northern Italy, uses seasonal locally sourced ingredients to inform his dishes. Be sure to try the popular, savory Norcia Roman-style pizza, topped with mozzarella, Italian sausage, mushrooms, walnuts and truffles. And save room for dessert. Their tiramisu espuma with Hawaiian cacao nib are little bites of heaven.
Photo Credit: Randy S. posted to Yelp
Picture this: decadent ube soft-serve topped with a perfectly toasted marshmallow, all swirled into a crunchy charcoal cone. Pretty thrilling, right? That’s the mission of Honolulu’s newest ice cream parlor, Thrills Soft Serve. You’re going to want to Instagram your visit to the Piikoi Street confectionery. Each flavor comes out in dazzling, vibrant hues (think turquoise for birthday cake and bubblegum pink for Fruity Pebbles) and the interior of the shop features several backdrops worthy of the ‘gram. Be sure to order your sweet treat in their activated charcoal cone, which costs $6. The intense-looking cone offers a fresher, more subtle taste compared to vanilla—perfectly balancing out the sweet ice cream flavors.
Photo Credit: @thrillshnl
A number of Midtown Ala Moana’s most beloved restaurants are participating in this year’s highly anticipated Restaurant Week Hawaii which runs from November 15-24, 2019! Foodies can enjoy special menus and limited-time offers at everything from fine dining to fast-food restaurants including YogurStory, Kickin Kaju and Menya Le Nood. Discover your new favorite eatery or enjoy one of your favorite dishes at one of your longtime favorite spots, all to help support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head.
Photo Credit: Menya Le Nood
World-renowned music artist Diplo returns to the DJ booth at The Republik this Thanksgiving weekend for 102.7 Da Bomb’s Birthday Celebration. Grammy-award winner, Diplo is an electronic music force to be reckoned with and has worked with top artists including Beyonce, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. Don’t miss a beat and dance the night away at this note-worthy celebration!
Photo Credit: StubHub
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Lace up your skates and glide onto the indoor ice-skating rink at the Hawaii Convention Center available November 29 through December 25 for their Winter Wishes — A Holiday Festival event. Enjoy a family-friendly month brimming with holiday treats, activities, ice-skating, shopping, live entertainment and more! Create magical memories in this winter wonderland and don’t forget to snap a photo with Santa!
Photo Credit: Hawaii Convention Center
It’s one of the most magical times of the year in Midtown Ala Moana. The holiday season means twinkle lights glittering on every block and the sound of Christmas music drifting through the air. Whether you’re lacing up your skates for a quick twirl around the skating rink at Hawaii Convention Center or ending the year with a bang with one of the island’s largest fireworks displays… you can enjoy all that is merry and bright right here in Midtown. Here are a few of our favorite Midtown holiday activities.
It’s one of the most magical times of the year in Midtown Ala Moana. The holiday season means twinkle lights glittering on every block and the sound of Christmas music drifting through the air. Whether you’re lacing up your skates for a quick twirl around the skating rink at Hawaii Convention Center or ending the year with a bang with one of the island’s largest fireworks displays… you can enjoy all that is merry and bright right here in Midtown. Here are a few of our favorite Midtown holiday activities.
There’s a reason they’re called man’s best friend. Your pet is like a family member, and you know they deserve some pawsome pampering. And Midtown Ala Moana is just the spot to find everything you need to make sure your furry friend is doggone happy.
One of Honolulu’s most popular beaches, Ala Moana Beach Park, is making waves and receiving some TLC. This fall the main road, Ala Moana Park Drive, will be repaved. The $1 million project covers not only repaving but also the installation of new speed bumps and some tree-trimming. The Ala Moana Beach Park improvements also includes the bustling park McCoy Pavilion, which will receive a new air conditioning system plus new showers have been installed and concession stands recently renovated. Read the full announcement at Hawaii News Now.
Photo Credit: Hawaii News Now
I scream, you scream, we all scream for National Ice Cream Cone Day! There’s no waffling about it, on September 22 you’ll find us at any one (or all!) of our favorite Midtown Ala Moana spots, cooling off with an ice-cold treat.
If you need an excuse to chill out, check out some of our favorite ice cream shops in the Midtown neighborhood.
Let’s face it—all work and no play isn’t the ideal way to survive your 9-to-5. Here are a few of our favorite spots in Midtown Ala Moana to help you celebrate the end of the work day, the right way.