Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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Whatβs New on Oahu and Maui πΊ
Published 4 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
ππ Aloha from Maui,
I finally made it to Maui after being stranded in Portland for two days by the Alaska Airlines IT Outage last month. I'll be working on a post about what I learned and what you can do if it happens to you. (Besides taking a train instead if, ha!)
In related news, Travel + Leisure reports on the withdrawal of compensation requirements for flight delays in the US. I'm so jealous of the requirements in the EU where passengers actually do get reimbursed! I'm still waiting for a response and any compensation for the delay with Alaska. β For the past few weeks, I've caught up with food, family and friends on both Oahu and Maui. I also have been checking out what's new for visitors, including staying in a capsule hotel in Waikiki (not for the claustrophobic, but the location is amazing!) and riding the new segment of Skyline light rail that connects to Honolulu Aiport.
I've been enjoying visiting old favorites like The Pig & The Lady's new Kaimuki location and getting my favorite ginger pork plate lunch from Pioneer Saloon, but also trying new-to-me spots like Fete and Giovedi in Chinatown, in order to bring you updates to my Honolulu Restaurant list!
Stay tuned, lots more to come! Including Thanksgiving in Istanbul... (I'll explain next week! π)
π What's usually on your table during the holidays? Is there a special dish or meal that means a lot to your family, your hometown, or in your culture?
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I love learning about these things and I do read and respond to all replies, so hit reply and tell me!
New on Shoyu Sugar π
The Holo card works for both bus & rail in Honolulu, including transfers between them
As soon as I landed in Oahu of course I had to try out the newly open segment of Skyline! Find out my thoughts the experience at the airport station and riding rail both during the day and evening. β
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Destination Inspiration β
National Geographic has released their annual list of Best Places in the World to travel in 2026. Have you started planning your travels for next year yet? Will you be scaling back vs 2025?
After a few months break, our Savor the Journey Facebook Group is back! π₯³ Get a daily dose of travel and food stories and engage with like-minded travelers, whether you're an armchair traveler dreaming about your next trip or if you are actively planning one. Feel free to ask in the group for foodie recommendations for your upcoming travels!
When you travel, what kind of spot are you happiest to discover?
Every purchase at Olukai (or following them on social media) enters you to win a family trip to the Four Seasons Resort at Ko Olina on Oahu, plus footwear for up to 8 people! Enter by 11/24. Details here.
Win an 8-day river cruise from Universal Studios to celebrate the Downtown Abbey Grand Finale. Enter by 12/3. Details here.
HGTV is offering a chance to win $5000 cash in their $5k for Holiday giveaway. You can enter once per day until 1/7. Details here.
The Meal-a-Day Method shows you how to use one meal a day as your language practice anchor, with a short video and printable guides you can use on your next trip. Just $5 for newsletter readers.
Thereβs something about ink, paper, and faraway postmarks that feels like analog magic, don't you think? If youβd like a handwritten postcard from Hawaii, just reply with your mailing address and Iβll add you to my list. β¨π
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π Hi, I'm Malia Yoshioka!
I'm a freelance food and travel writer and guidebook author from Hawaii, slowly eating my way around the world and sharing the flavors with you in these weekly updates and on ShoyuSugar.comβ
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Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
π Aloha friends, Whew, I made my deadline! Now Iβm taking a little time to visit friends and family and make my way to as many local spots as possible before itβs time to go back to the rails. Two "firsts" that have been on my Maui list for a while: First Friday in Wailuku and something people might be surprised to hearβ¦ my first time trying the "World Famous Pancakes" at Tasty Crust! Tasty Crust is the kind of local diner where generations have gathered. My dad told us about going there...
π Aloha friends, If you joined me through the 2026 DIY Trip Summit, another warm welcome. I hope your trip planning is going well! After nearly three months in Japan, Iβve swapped plum blossoms and takoyaki for trade winds and poke back home in Hawaii. Iβll have my head down this week, putting the final touches on a guidebook update. Itβs not glamorous work, lots of fact checking phone calls, photos and on-the-ground research, but I'm grateful to be able to show visitors some of my hometown...
πΈ Greetings from Osaka, The first blossoms are beginning to open against blue skies, such a contrast to the snow from only a week ago. This month Iβve been taking a food writing course, and there's one idea I keep returning to when the rest of the world feels too heavy to be writing about something like food or travel. Writing about food is rarely just about the food. It opens into culture, history, language, identity, power. It is a way to stay curious and connected. During Mahina Κ»Εlelo...
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