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

While some may say all that glitters isn’t gold, a visit to Salon Glitter will have you singing a different tune. Located on Keeaumoku Street, this intimate nail salon has been transforming nails into stunning works of art since 2009. These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill manicures either. Using gel polish straight from Japan, manicures and pedicures at Salon Glitter last longer and won’t cause damage to the nail bed. With hand-painted snowflakes and mermaids and everything in-between, the nail technicians at Salon Glitter can make any nail design dream a Pinterest-worthy reality.

Photo Credit: Salon Glitter

This Midtown Ala Moana company is one to watch! Honolulu Time Company understands that fine watches and jewelry are much more than casual accessories. They pay attention to the minute details by integrating the technical and aesthetics of form and function. Originally from Vietnam, owners Linh and Eveyln started the business in 1978, hoping to bring the tradition of artisanal watchmaking to Hawaii. If you are looking for the perfect accessory, pay them a visit and explore their extensive collection of vintage and contemporary fine watches and jewelry.

Photo credit: Honolulu Time Company

Say “aloha” to Midtown Ala Moana’s newest dessert spot: Aloha Confectionery! Treat yourself to one of their many decadent baked or frozen treats. Our favorite is the milk tea soft serve, which pairs perfectly with sweet Hawaiian honey and crunchy housemade rice oats.  Each confection is incredibly Instagrammable, so make sure to snap a pic before savoring every last bite!

Photo Credit: Aloha Confectionery

Steep into Hawaii’s favorite tea shop at Steepologie Teas located at Ala Moana Center. Living up to their name, Steepologie Teas offers over 300 flavors of tea so whether you’re in need of a quick midday burst of energy or deciding what gift to get for a loved one, you’re sure to find everyone’s perfect cup of tea here! And if you’ve ever wondered what Hawaii would taste like in a drink, sample their Hawaiian Lei Tea, an herbal blend that fuses the tropical flavors of the islands into a drink that absolutely de-lei-cious!

Photo Credit: Yelp Hawaii