Sunset on the Beach

Sunset on the Beach was in the past one of the more popular and successful activities in Waikiki. Taking place on Queen's Beach just before and after sunset, it would typically include a variety of food vendors, entertainment by a series of local performers, and a movie shown on a giant screen supported by a very good sound system.

Sunset on the Beach started around 2001 and in its heyday had an event just about every weekend. It was sponsored by the City and County of Honolulu, and it didn't take long for Sunset to become the target of budget cuts. These were held off for a while, though the events started to decrease in frequency; then Tesoro picked up sponsorship and all was relatively well for a little while.

When the recession came, though, Sunset receded along with it, and today we mostly see just the empty screen in the photo above. There are a few events, but not many.  Back in the fall, there was the premiere of the new Hawaii Five-O which drew between 3,000 and 5,000 spectators (estimates vary) but was by any measure a success and a fine event, courtesy of CBS and additional sponsorship.

On Friday evening (January 28, 2011), Sunset on the Beach returned for the first time since the fall, as part of the weekend's Pro Bowl festivities (a Waikiki block party on Saturday evening was too late to cover for this week's press time). A football-related movie, Blind Side, was shown, and there were the usual food vendors (though they subjectively seemed to be fewer in number than usual) and stage entertainment. We only took photographs during the daylight portion of the event, but as you can see the crowds were building nicely in anticipation of another excellent event.

Sunset on the Beach is a great idea and an even greater draw. Tourists, after paying Waikiki's high prices for nearly everything, have been amazed that such a great evening is offered for free (we know; we've talked to some of them). Kama`aina come from all around, and there's little that tourists like better than spending time with the locals.

Now, we can't quantify just how much tourism money a Sunset evening brings in, nor have we found any studies that can tell us. But it seems rather intuitive that the events are a genuine plus, and it seems a shame that they are down in number to just a handful per year (we don't even see any more on the schedule right now).

Bean counters are paid to count beans and focus on a quantifiable bottom line, and it's no secret that Honolulu has serious budget issues. But we've just got to believe that making Waikiki tourists happy is really important, and that has to be worthy of investment. Taking a short-sighted view won't get us out of long-term trouble. We think Sunset on the Beach should return on a regular and frequent basis, and we're confident that the returns will justify the costs.

A Vast Emptiness

You'll find vacant retail space in just about any market; of course, some places are much worse than others.  There was a time (back around 1990, according to our research) that vacant retail space in Waikiki was more precious than diamonds.  Today, it's hardly the same; though things are coming back, the 2008 recession took its toll here as it did elsewhere.

But our purpose in today's column isn't really to provide a numerical analysis of available square feet and trends. Instead, we want to do a little show and tell and talk about what we see as the impact of vacant buildings and storefronts. Frankly, we don't see anything like a "glut" of shuttered shops, and that's a good thing; but some of what we see, equally frankly, is unattractive and potentially harmful to the tourism upon which we depend. And that's not a good thing.

Perhaps one of the worst examples is the site on Kuhio that once was home to a Jack In The Box fast food restaurant.

For a while, this was merely an empty storefront. That's bad enough; but now, boarded up with plywood, it's taken on the look of a post-riot inner city. If you're a tourist, what are you supposed to think?

Or how about this massive vacancy--- just about all of King Kalakaua Plaza, where Banana Republic and others used to be.

Although a seasonal Toys R Us Express store was here for a few weeks, otherwise the whole complex seems to have gone under. Again, how is a visitor going to react? Will they conclude that they've stumbled into some sort of abandoned downtown area instead of the tropical paradise on which they thought they were spending their hard-earned money?

At least this site, the former movie theaters on Seaside, is at long (very long) last being made into a new Ross store.

It's not much to look at right now, and it doesn't help today's tourist to know that the store will open sometime later this year, but it's a welcome step in the right direction.

But one of our "favorites" at least in terms of being an example is on Kalakaua at the very `Ewa end of Waikiki.

The "new" Prince Kuhio Pharmacy has been "coming soon" for something like a year or more, with little obvious progress, although on our last visit we saw a few workmen on the site.

There are many attractive and well-kept retail locations in Waikiki. Proximity to boarded-up or seemingly abandoned or perpetually under-construction properties has to be harmful at some level, and clearly such a situtation is unfair to the large majority of vendors and owners who do keep up appearances.

But our point is simply this: eyesores and obvious evidence of lack of prosperity are not what we're selling to tourists, who want that special Hawaiian experience and are paying well to get it. If we want them to come back, and to tell their friends and neighbors about their great experience in Waikiki, we have to do better.  We urge our civic and business leaders to pay close attention to the image being portrayed.

In Search of Seafood: The Cheesecake Factory

Visitors come to Waikiki with the expectation of sun, surf, sand--- and seafood. It's a given in their minds that an island in the middle of the Pacific will have fresh and delicious seafood in plentiful, if not economical, abundance.  And there's a lot of logic to back up these expections.  After all, early Hawaiians depended a great deal on the sea for a critical component of their food supply.

But in our modern era nothing is simple and things are not always what they seem.  Despite a plethora of restaurants in Waikiki that style themselves as "seafood" establishments, finding an outstanding seafood meal at a reasonable price is anything but a sure thing.  Certainly, you can go to a restaurant and order seafood. But will it meet those high expectations that being in Waikiki generate? Will it be--- objectively, rather than subjectively--- better than what you might have gotten back home in Dallas or Minneapolis or Atlanta?

That's the question we propose to investigate over the coming months. It's a question that evolved out of our own ongoing quest for outstanding seafood, and the surprising  difficulties we encountered.

But this week we want to cut to the chase and present a positive result, an option that few visitors will associate with outstanding seafood: The Cheesecake Factory, on the makai side of Kalakaua, on the Diamond Head side of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

Cheesecake Factory, you ask? Aren't these in most major markets on the mainland? Isn't this a chain restaurant?

The answer is "yes" to all of the above, but those answers don't begin to tell the story.

The Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki opened something like six years ago, and quickly grew into what the restaurant staff inform us is the busiest Cheesecake Factory in the world. Indeed, if you don't go at an off-hour, you could be faced with a long wait for a table, as long as several hours on a busy evening.  Our last visit was at 1:30 PM on a Wednesday afternoon, and even then there was a wait of about twenty minutes.

The menu is extensive, something over 20 pages long, and filled with the usual sort of thing found at Cheesecake Factory locations everywhere.  But there is a fish page in the menu, and your server will be happy to tell you about daily specials, consisting of fresh, locally-caught fish, prepared in a variety of manners.

Mahi-mahi seems to be always featured, and you can likewise order the ubiquitous macadamia-crusted version of this and other fish.  There are additional choices, too; on our most recent visit, we tried mahi-mahi prepared Mediterranean style, with tomatoes, capers, and artichokes, in an olive-oil laden sauce, all served over a bed of mashed potatoes for $24.95. It was absolutely delicious, worth every cent, and the serving portion was nearly large enough for two.

We've had similar experiences on other visits. The fresh fish preparations were invariably, predictably wonderful.

Instead of our usual wasabe crusted ahi tuna, made with a crackly exterior which contrasts nicely with the ahi's solid but smooth texture, we decided this time to try the Firecracker Salmon Rolls for $10.95. These consisted of salmon wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep-fried, with a loop of green onion tied around them--- we imagine that's the fuse of the firecracker---  served over a bed of shredded red cabbage with a mild red chili sauce.  Er ... next time we'll go back to the ahi. The idea is clever but the combination of flavors is not; the red cabbage wasn't that good and really clashed with the both fried egg roll wrappers and the salmon.

Of course, how can you not have cheesecake for dessert? We didn't see our favorite, passionfruit cheesecake, on the menu, and we were told that it isn't offered any longer.  A pity; it was not only good, but it added more local flavor, something we deem a plus in restaurants that need to attract tourists.  So we settled for one of the chocolate varieties instead.

Service was attentive and friendly, as it always is. When the new restaurant was launched, Cheesecake Factory brought in an experienced startup crew from the mainland. Of course, they've done a lot of local hiring, and some of the startup crew stayed on and became Hawaiian residents. But the point is, they did things right, from the very first day, and that continues on, virtually guaranteeing a great dining experience (once you've gotten a table, at least).

We're very pleased to recommend Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki to both visitors and kama`aina; we're especially pleased to recommend it as a place to get excellent, fresh seafood at a price that is probably just two-thirds or less of what you'd pay at one of the "fine dining" establishments elsewhere in the neighborhood. No, Cheesecake Factory isn't "economy" dining; not much in Waikiki really is. But it won't break the bank and most importantly, it provides great value. Do try it, if you haven't already, and let us know what you think.

Aloha Nights Block Party

It was actually an Aloha Night, in the singular, but nonetheless it was an event that stood out among the many street parties that take place at times throughout the year in Waikiki.  This is true even though in terms of mere size, it was a smaller event than most.  But quality is surely a vital measure, and this one had quality written all over it.

The block party took place on Monday night, January 3, 2011, a week night rather than a weekend night for reasons we don't quite fathom.  Events involving street closings can be pretty disruptive and traffic in Waikiki, perhaps even more than elsewhere on the island, backs up rather quickly.  The venue was Kalakaua Avenue in front of DFS Galleria, so fortunately only a block or so of Kalakaua needed to be closed, rather than long stretches as for events such as the enormous Ho`olaulea that takes place in September.

The event was, in fact, sponsored by DFS Galleria Waikiki.  While we've had some issues with this organization in the past, that's a story for another column; at this moment, we'd like to give them full credit and kudos for sponsoring the block party, and for doing such a good job with it.

So, what made us think it was so special?  Street parties in Waikiki tend to follow a formula: there are zillions of vendors in tents, mostly selling food at prices that aren't exactly low, the rest with some sort of equally costly trinkets and tourist souvenirs; and there are various stages upon which local performers provide entertainment, generally ranging in quality from "good enough" on up.

At the DFS party, the number of vendors was relatively small; after all, you can only fit so many into a single block of Kalakaua Avenue.  But these weren't just any vendors: they were the likes of Alan Wong, Roy's, and Wolfgang's Steakhouse.  No, the prices weren't low, but their offerings provided top notch cuisine and great value for the money. This approach has a lot going for it.

The entertainment followed the same model; there were just a few performers on a single stage (again, there was the space limitation), but they were definitely Hawaii's A-listers.   DFS brought in Jake Shimabukuro, Keola Beamer, and Raiatea Helm.  (Separately, Japanese TV personality "IKKA" was present as well, and we gather she is herself quite a big name.)

As our photo(*) above shows, attendance was in the thousands.  We're not so good at making crowd estimates, but the venue was packed with happy and appreciative tourists and kama`aina alike.

DFS Galleria Waikiki styles itself as a high-end shopping experience at high-end prices.  We can attest that when it comes to throwing this party, they went first-class all the way, and it didn't cost a cent to enjoy the entertainment and the atmosphere.  More is not always better; DFS's focused effort definitely has set a new standard.

(*) We of course kept to our practice of anonymous attendance; but this meant that unfortunately we couldn't obtain the best vantage points for photography.

The Waikiki Wanderer Welcomes You

Waikiki--- it's the storied one-time playground of royalty and the wealthy, and the iconic tourist destination in Hawai`i.  Millions pass through here each year, coming from every part of the globe. Twenty thousand or so call it home. And, while we've seen books and articles--- not to mention endless tour guides--- there aren't very many people writing about Waikiki on any sort of regular basis.

But we're here to do just that.  Starting today, and every Sunday to come, we'll be publishing something about Waikiki.  It might be a restaurant review, or highlights of a special event; it might be social or political commentary; and even historical articles and works of fiction are not out of our purview.  While we do plan on regular monthly features, we'll be anxious to get your input on what you like or don't like, and we'll attempt to deliver timely, useful, and entertaining content.

One thing we are is independent. No one pays us to review their business (so don't ask). At least for the moment, we won't accept advertising. We say what we think and we're not going to compromise our ability to do so.

We are also anonymous. While we're sure it's possible to track us down if you try hard enough, in the public view we're "the Wanderer" and that's really all that we need to be.

The idea for this blog is not new, but we've taken our time in bringing it forward. We made public expression (and hence, copyright) of our title, "The Waikiki Wanderer" some years back, in anticipation of this day.  Now, we have launched our little ship, and we invite you to ride along with us.

Waikiki has its landmarks and symbols that are known to just about everyone; but there are also dark corners and back alleys that are known to only a few. This week, we'll leave you with a teaser: can you identify the rather unique but equally obscure Waikiki location shown below?