WHAT TO DO
Your Ticket to the
Real ParadiseTO
HONOLULU ACCORDING
HUNGRY EAR RECORDS
Favorite neighborhood:
Kaimuki is a great up-and-coming
neighborhood. It’s just five minutes from
Waikiki but it still retains a lot of its
“neighborhood” quality. It’s a definitely OldMeets-New kind of place, where there will
be a new restaurant by a chef/entrepreneur
next to a shoe repair shop that’s been there
for 50 years. There are a couple of wellOwners Dennie Chong and Ward Yamashita/
Hungry Ear Records
stocked liquor stores in the area and a lot of
nice small places to get coffee.
Coffe e:
The Aloha State is breathtaking and romantic, each night preceded by a
The Curb in Kaimuki
Hawaiian sunset.
But paradise isn’t just for honeymooners, Hawaiian shirt-clad balding men
First record ever bought:
Undiscovered gem:
with cash to burn, and tourists. There’s a cool local scene with plenty of hidden
The first record I ever bought was a
Kaiona Beach Park AKA the Waimanalo
gems you won’t find in any guide book.
7” single of “Take a Letter Maria” by
fish pond, which is located adjacent to the
R.B. Greaves from Woolworth’s in the
Magnum PI house. Very calm at low tide and
(2615 South King Street, Suite A-100, Honolulu), Ward Yamashita. While you
Kahala Mall Shopping Center in 1969.
the water is super clean.
can get your fill of island reggae on every corner, the Honolulu shop — which
(I still have it, too!)
Who better to break it down for us than co-owner of Hungry Ear Records
relocated in August after 35 years in Kailua and is Hawaii’s oldest record store
Favorite landmark:
— is the place to go (Eddie Vedder has popped in) for the largest collection
Favorite record find of all time:
of new vinyl in the state. We spied recent releases like Tom Petty’s Hypnotic
One day about 10 years ago, I bought
Eye and Jenny Lewis’ The Voyager on the shelves. The used vinyl selection is
the second Velvet Underground
Dive bar:
carefully curated, hand cleaned whenever necessary and put in plastic sleeves
album and the first 13th Floor
9th Avenue Rock House: nightly regular
to protect against dust and shelf wear. Yamashita says, “between our three full-
Elevators album for 99 cents each
customers, neighborhood feel, and heavy
time employees we have over 70 years of experience in the music industry, so
from a Goodwill store which is now
metal karaoke!
we pretty much know what we’re doing. And, we can usually name that tune in
long gone.
three notes!”
Yamashita gave us an unbeatable itinerary: a lazy drive up to North Shore,
Diamond Head, of course!
Late night haunts:
The perfect Honolulu day:
Most people go to Side Street Inn in
100 Proof Hawaiian Moonshine, a dive bar for heavy metal karaoke, and so
Take a lazy drive the long way up
Kakaako between 6 and 9 pm for family-
much more. Mahalo, Ward.
the Windward Side of the island to
style, local cuisine dinner and forget that it’s
the North Shore, stopping at fruit
just a great hang for afterwards, too.
stands along the side of the road for
some refreshing chilled coconut and
Live music venue:
mango. Park at Turtle Bay Resort,
The Republik near Ala Moana Shopping
and take a scenic walk out to Kahuku
Center.
Point and back. Get back in the car
and drive to a Kahuku Shrimp Truck/
Local street food:
Shack to order the garlic shrimp
Elena’s Filipino Food lunchwagon! They have
plate. Cruise up to Sunset Beach and
the best pork adobo and a killer fried rice
jump in the calm water there. Drive
omelette. They have trucks at Campbell
into Haleiwa town and look around
Industrial Park, Mapunapuna/Airport, and
at some of the cool shops. Then
Waipio, all on the Leeward side of the island.
finish off your North Shore visit by
Hotel:
having a nice cocktail at Surfer, The
The Halekulani is still the go-to for old time
Bar OR getting a shave ice. If the line
Waikiki service and atmosphere. It’s pretty
at Matsumoto’s is too long (and it
pricey (advertised rates start around $500/
always is) then find the Aloha General
night) so there’s definitely a reason why it’s
Store in Haleiwa.
always booked up well in advance.
Happy hour:
Clothing and shoe boutique:
53 by the Sea. Locals don’t really
Volcom.
know about it because they mostly
cater to Japanese tourists who are
Local spirits:
only there to get married, but they
100 Proof Hawaiian Moonshine, which is
have a great liquor selection and you
produced by Island Distillers. Very smooth.
feel like you’re having drinks at Tony
62 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Montana’s house in Scarface.
Photography: Shaun Regan
either driving back to Turtle Bay and