Are you, like me, confused and alarmed at the mispronunciation by media folks of common Japanese names or words?
I speak of a trio of often mispronounced names/words: Tokyo, Honda and panko.
Tokyo is a two-syllable word/name. It’s pronounced Toh-kyo, not To-ki-yo (adding a third syllable) as even the best of TV anchors and radio announcers here and abroad tend to do. If Kyoto can be said as a two-syllable word, why can’t Tokyo enjoy that privilege, too?
Then there’s the surname and automobile brand Honda. The proper pronunciation is Hohn-da, not Honn-da or Han-da. In the mispronouncers’ world, it would be spelled either as Hunda or Handa; I have friends named Honda who may or may not drive a Honda but know how to say it.
Further, celebrity chefs and foodies galore continue to perpetuate the mispronunciation of panko, the favored bread crumbs or flakes for tempura and tonkatsu. It’s pahn-ko, not pan (rhyming like can) ko.
Try Google-ing these words, if you don’t believe me.
Anthony Ruivivar, the Hawaii-born actor, is part of the “Turner & Hooch” reboot today (July 21) on Disney+.
Ruivivar, the son of the late Society of Seven founder Tony Ruivivar and Karen Ruivivar, doesn’t have the lead – he portrays a secondary character, U.S. Chief Marshal James Mendez – but he took liberties in an Instagram post of the Disney PR poster, in which he replaced the image of series lead Josh Peck (taking on the part of Scott Turner Jr., portraying the son of original actor Tom Hanks) and photoshopped his own image, with “Chief Mendez” scribbled. It’s a joke, of course, and Ruivivar is smiling behind the pooch, Hooch, which, of course, also has billing in the title.
It’s the kind of stuff that makes Instagram insane, sometimes.
The show was Hanks’ introduction to the world, in a sitcom that put him on the radar. This one is a sequel to the original, with Peck as Turner Jr., in a cop-buddy format except the dog is the partner in crime-solving.
The cast includes Lyndsy Fonseca as Laura Turner, Scott’s sister; Carra Patterson as Jessie Baxter, Venessa Lengies as Eric Mourniere, and Brandon Jay McClaren as Xavier Wilson. Jeremy Maguire is Matthew Garland, a dog-loving nephew of Turner.
Anthony Ruivivar’s image is on this Instagram poster for Disney’s “Turner and Hooch.”
As Chief Marshal, Ruivivar oversees Turner Jr. but is not particularly friendly with the canine, known its messy drooling.
The series filmed six episodes in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the pandemic last year, and was booked to premiere in a Friday slot. But Disney’s “Loki” premieres have been highly successful on Wednesdays, that screenings were launched today (July 21) and continue through Aug. 25. …
Gogh for it!
Due to public response, “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” has been extended through Sept. 26 at the Hawaii Convention Center.
The walk-through exhibit, featuring a myriad of Van Gogh art, has been an eye-thrilling, moving attraction where viewers become part of a constantly changing art experience.
It took several weeks, and a concerted effort to score a table, to sample the menu and ambiance at Chef Chai Chaowasari’s newest Waikliki eatery, KALO Hawaiian Food.
KALO Hawaiian Food entry door is located on the Kuhio Avenue side of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel.
In the heart of Waikiki, on the ground floor of the Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach, it’s located at a busy intersection at Royal Hawaiian and Kuhio Avenues.
The restaurant has a casual vibe and projects similarities with Chai’s Bistro, the signature eatery on Kapiolani Boulevard, across nearby Blaisdell Center.
Hawaiian sampler: front, kalua pig; chicken long rice, pipikaula; rear, lomi salmon, poi, ahi poke and a bowl of rice.
There’s indoor and outdoor dining space. The menu is extensive but confusing, because our waiter said the best way to order is to select your entrée first (lau lau is the centerpiece of of the fare), then do the add-ons.
Since KALO is the Hawaiian word for taro, the staple starch in Hawaiian culture, and the focus of the restaurant, one might be somewhat puzzled that there are a couple of non-Hawaiian signature dishes – primarily the excellent steamed sea bass, from the Bistro’s menu, along with island style BBQ chicken, lobster curry and oxtail soup.
And it becomes understandable why.
Lau lau: flavorful with pork, cuddled by taro leaves.
While a Hawaiian menu might seem like a surefire hit in visitor central, there were perhaps three tables of visitors who might have wanted to sample a Hawaiian menu who perused the choices…then decided to leave. Confused by choices? Prices? Not adventurous to try Hawaiian food?
Understandably, luau kau kau should entice more visitors but the hesitancy seems odd. A primer might be handy; this is not the kau kau served at luau shows here because no matter what, poi should be a gotta-try but winds up not particularly likeable (though small) element of the visitor dining experience here. The fish and the BBQ chicken might be the go-to items, since these are stand-along entrees that do not need starters.
Uncertainty is a possible villain here, since the menu seems still a work in progress.
What’s good: the lau lau entrée (moist and chockful of pork flavor) and the haupia dessert (a sweet climax).
But you get neither in a $45 sampler that includes small portions of kalua pig (too dry), lomi salmon (too much lomi, not enough salmon), ahi poke (familiar flavors and a satisfactory portion for newbies), chicken long rice (pleasant taste, but the rice noodles are almost as large as udon, not the usual thin variety), pipikaula (looks better than it tastes, sinewy and tough to chew), poi (very tiny portion) and rice (too flaky, like Chinese restaurant fare, when it should be the customary rice you get two scoops of at nearly every other joint).
I adore and applaud Chai’s endeavors of the past, from his original Thai menu up to his Bistro selections, but KALO shouts for his immediate and inevitable adjustments.
It seems sensible to bump the marginal kalua pig and even the rice, and substitute with a very mini lau lau like the one Willows used to serve in its buffet; large enough to enjoy the flavors and texture of taro leaf cuddling pork. That would add value to the $45 pricetag.
The sampler is enough to share with a partner; I ordered the lau lau while my wife opted for the succulent steamed bass. The sampler provided her “sides.” (Two other couples in our party did the same thing, selecting the mixed mini-plates). Because haupia is something most folks seldom make at home, I ordered a larger portion, enough to share; the dessert was sweet and moist, with the precise creamy texture.
And who doesn’t like pipikaula? A better grade of meat would ramp up its appeal and be a worthy sider/starter at $22.
What’s worrisome: if locals don’t give a stamp of approval of the fare here, they won’t make a trek to Waikiki to give it a try; visitors are already in Waikiki, and by ramping up flavors or elevating some of the fare, they’ll help spread the word that KALO is the real deal.
The interior dining space is airy and modern with views of both avenues and visitors wandering; there is splendid old-fashioned Hawaiian music, which transforms you to another era in a simpler Hawaii, if you close your eyes. The walls have images of island folks and places.
The $52 steak and lobster curry choices on a Hawaiian menu seem out of place but serve as life savers in case of an emergency; surely Chai knows his way around his exotic flavors and plating, and these options appear to cater to those who dodge the traditional Hawaiian dishes. Chai also sneaks in his delectable flan and familiar heart-shaped chocolate/gelato truffle desserts, for brownie points. But the question is: why visit a Hawaiian food restaurant if you order alternatives
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KALO HAWAIIAN FOOD
Hours:4:30 to 10 p.m. daily
Location: 400 Royal Hawaiian Avenue,
at Kuhio Avenue, on the ground floor of the Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach
Valet parking: $6 with validation, access via Royal Hawaiian Avenue
CBS has readjusted the premiere of “NCSI: Hawai‘i,” which now appears to be at 9 p.m. Sept. 20, following the launch at 8 p.m. of the 19th season of its hallmark “NCIS” original starring Mark Harmon.
The Hawai‘I debut of the third spin-off of the NCIS brand, following the mothership show which has been the network’s top-rated procedural for every year of its existence, appears to give the newbie a nudge in viewership and ratings. Anytime a top-tier show provides a lead-in to introduce a new member of the family, is not only smart marketing but brilliant plan to help the novice find its footing.
After all, the Pearl Harbor based series has broken a rule from past ventures. Vanessa Lachey, portraying Jane Tennant, is the series’ first woman to rule in the NCIS nest. She is also a person of color – Lachey is part Filipino – to gain inner circle diversity bragging rights.
Enver Gjokaj
The series has been quietly filming episodes for the launch, with the Hawai‘i show being the first to surface without the traditional pilot. This one is sailing right into the seas of residency, in a market far away from earlier shows based on the Mainland.
Though it’s been quiet on the filming front, CBS continues to name actors in recurring roles, including the latest, Enver Leif Gjokaj, playing a Navy Capt. Joe Milius, in the NCIS hierarchy. Gjokaj has appeared in Marvel’s “Agents of SHIELD” and ABC’s “The Rookies.”
Alex Tarrant
His arrival, according to Variety, follows an explosive aircraft crash which he is summon to investigate. He thinks it’s no accident, Tennant believes otherwise, in the first measure of friction in paradise.
Alex Tarrant, a co-star named to play NCIS agent and local resident Kai, also is new to the cast. He looks very much like a local, but in actuality, he is a New Zealand actor-cinematographer, who has been filming “The Lord of the Rings.”
It’s curious to note that the ranks of secondary roles/actors continue to mount, with Mainland or foreign talent tapped for these characters, rather than someone who actually is a Hawaii actor and resides here.
‘Wonder’ returns this fall
“The Wonder Years” is returning to ABC, with a new wrinkle. And it’s been 30 years that the original graced those black-and-white TV screens
The reboot will feature a black cast, now set in Montgomery, Alabama, going back to the formative days with the nostalgia focusing on 12-year-old Dean, played by Elisah “EJ” Williams , with Don Cheadle providing narratives when required.
The revival is produced by “Empire” creator Lee Daniels, and one of the producers is Fred Savage, all grown up, the original Kevin Arnold, in the popular series that ran for six seasons. So he brings perspective to the new “Wonder” plate. …
Singular sensation
Diamond Head Theatre’s “A Chorus Line,” which premieres this Friday (July 16), has added a week of shows, through Aug. 8. If you want to secure seats, most of the run is sold out; at last check, best dates for ticket-buying is Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 7 at 3 p.m. Isolated single seats might also be available on other dates.
Greg Zane
Greg Zane, who is directing and choreographing, is fine-tuning the Michael Bennett musical, an homage to those chorus liners aching to land a role in a Broadway show. It’s noted for its strategic dancing, that soul-stirring “One (Singular Sensation)” finale, a mylar-reflecting “The Music and the Mirror” dance solo by Cassie, a lead role portrayed by Kira Stone, and an emotional and explosive monologue by the Paul San Marco character, played by Dwayne Sakaguchi.
Advisory: this is a no-intermission show, so plan accordingly. …
So what if we all get engaged in formulating punny stuff, utilizing familiar titles, complete with a one-sentence explanation? It requires you to use your imagination – select a notable title, followed by a brief description. See examples below – did some quickie thinking and came up with these creations. The punnier, the better. You can do it, too, so give it a try …
The Impossible Drain – A plumber is enchanted with a windmill, so has a rough time unplugging stuffed drains,
Clothes Encounters of the Wurst Kind – A fashionista, obsessed with sausages and wurst, finds it impossible to design dresses with hot dogs and wieners.
Hairy Plotter – a young magician gets infected with hairiness and thus is challenged to plot a career.
Gayder Ade – Gays discover a drink that protects their secret; useful if you’re still in the closet.
Burglar King – A monarch keeps asking, where’s the beef, when he knows he burgled the meat in the fridge.
Fellow, Dali! – An artist who paints the town, after meeting a matchmaker, leading up to his opening of the Harmonic Gardens restaurant gallery.–
Fibber on the Hoof – A teller of fibs, who always escapes on foot.
Soaklahoma –Farmers from Oklahoma face a deluge caused by a tornado.
Scamalot– The nation is plagued by iPhone scam calls. A lot.
The Ring and Eye – A monarch in Thailand has visions of a prancing and dancing with a British nanny, et cetera et cetera et cetera.
