west is best they say... and nothing could be more true when it comes to sunny skies, an abundance of blue ocean and the best poke on Kauai. In my humble opinion, the poke at Ishihara Market in Waimea is seriously craveworthy. Whenever I am in town I have to stop by. It's texture is firm yet soft, flesh of the fish is always fresh, perfectly colored and impeccably seasoned. I love the Shoyu Poke, nice and simple, but sometimes I add in a few other flavors here are there to add to the texture and diversity. Headed to Polihale? Kokee or just taking a drive. Be sure to stop by Ishihara for some poke and other refreshments.
​ 9894 Kahakai Road, Waimea, Kauai.

I can't deny my love for sweets! When the Poi Mochi Donut at Liliha Bakery hit the shelves everyone went wild. I am a believer too. It's unlike any other donut out there. Often people will say it's the best donut they've ever tasted. The mix of mochi adds a soft chewy texture, yet the dough is light and has a delightful glaze. 

Launched back in the fall of 2016, these little gems have been a popular treat for kids, corporate meetings and pot luck. At around $2 per donut you'll want to savor the flavor, look for the poi purple on the inside and enjoy every morsel. 

Liliha Bakery is located at:
515 N. Kuakini Street
580 N. Nimitz Hwy
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Sampling some of the new menu items at Budnamujip Hawaii! 

I am happy to announce that I have begun a foodie focused new web series --- Ono Eats w/ Olena.
Join me on my culinary adventures as I showcase the best, most delicious and some of my favorite places to eat ono (delicious) food. The videos will be short, fun and showcase the cuisine with small bites of my feedback, critique and impressions. 

In this short video I visited Budnamujip Hawaii for the first time. They recently launched some new menu items and I got to sample the Marinated Pork Rib and Kim Chee Chigae. The pork was sensational, the flavors were perfection and the sides of cabbage, iceberg lettuce salad and kale salad were delightful. I truly enjoyed the soy, sesame dipping sauce, but honestly the meat didn't even need it. Tender, delicately marinated and seasoned it was a delicious bite. The kim chee chigae was also spot on, bursting with flavor, spicy and full of kim chee, pork belly and tofu. 

Budnamujip is open everyday from 11am-10pm, the same menu is served but lunch prices are a bit cheaper. They are located at 871 Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu. 
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I took the name I was using (and had officially registered last year) for my hiking club and made it my new expanded business. When I initially began working on my own I was specializing only in social media, writing, events and emceeing. But the work began to grow and more needed to be done for clients and my clientele wanted more. As with most former newscasters and journalists the natural progression is to get into PR, I wasn't interested at first but then I found myself doing PR for some of my clients for free. Hosting media tastings, writing news releases, inviting media to special events and ultimately getting the word out to the public about anything new. 

Then I decided to do a sort of rebrand, to grow and evolve my business. Instead of limiting myself I wanted to grow it. Since then, I have expanded my business from the original focus to a more broad and creative approach. I officially launched in January and have been rolling out the details slowly and not so much on social media, but still slowly incorporating these tasks into my job description. I am proud to say that I have successfully launched what has become a Boutique Full-Service Marketing, Communications and PR agency. I have also assembled a team of highly capable, positive and experienced people to assist (not everyone is listed on the website yet) with PR, social media, marketing and creative. 

My new business' name is Lilikoi Ladies LLC and we offer:
Social Media Management
Social Media Strategy
New Media Ad Development & Execution
Content Curation
​Content Marketing
Business Consulting
Branding/Rebranding
Imaging
Public Relations
Message Development
Media Relations
Media Training
Media Consulting
Digital Marketing
Freelance Writing
Photography/Video Production/Editing
Website Development and Web Management
Influencer Marketing
Mainstream Marketing
Emcee/Voice Over/Mistress of Ceremony services
Event Coordination
Event Execution
Event Digital Coverage/Posting/Photography
Motivational Speaking

Essentially these were things I/We were doing already, but now I have officially executed and launched all of them. I am proud to say I am the Founder and CEO of a new thriving business in Hawaii helping other small businesses, organizations and non-profits. 

Here's a look at our website www.lilikoiladies.com

It was fascinating to hear his insightful stories, moments of pride and tales of how La Tour came to be and the inspiring message of what it mean to chase your dreams. 
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The facility was originally the old Weyerhaeuser warehouse along Nimitz Highway and had been remodeled and renovated to make way for the new bakehouse and other retail shops, restaurants and store fronts. The expansion into this 80,000 square-foot location meant more room to create artisan baked goods, organic breads, fresh croissants, cookies and other goodies. Since it's inception, La Tour Cafe has become synonymous with macarons. And it's interesting to note, they make 6,000-8,000 macaron shells everyday and sandwich them by hand. With 5 La Tour Cafes on Oahu, and about a dozen Ba-Le's remaining, business continues to boom. Lam's son says they also have plans to expand to the mainland as their speciality furikake honey puffs and other treats have become popular they need to work on supply and demand. 

​It was a treat to meet with the team, tour the facility and also enjoy lunch in the cafe afterward. La Tour is a great spot for delicious, healthy and generous meals at affordable prices. When in the area stop by for some macarons, artisan breads or the delightfully delicious palmier cookies.