Local favourite Peggy Hopper and her gallery of the same name, showcasing signature works of Polynesian woman in bright colours, are a force behind the Chinatown art movement.
A pair of stylish twentysomethings cross Bethel Street en route to an evening of juried art, goat cheese wontons and Corpse Reviver cocktails. It's a far cry from the days when drunken sailors roamed these same streets, but this is the new Chinatown, bursting through its reputation as a seedy, dangerous corner of Honolulu. The area has what you might call a colourful history: opium dens, brothels, homelessness, decrepit buildings, boarded-up businesses - the whole gamut of urban decay.
Now, thanks to a few trailblazers and fortune tellers, this formerly forlorn piece of Honolulu is the place to be for local scenesters and a few early-adopting tourists.
The roughly eight square blocks surrounding North Hotel Street are characterized by two-storey buildings. A civic bylaw doesn't allow for higher structures and that makes the neighbourhood feel open and airy compared with the glassy high-rises that dominate the rest of Honolulu's skyline. While the area still has its share of shabby retail shops and people down on their luck, it's also now sprouting local boutiques, trendy eateries, dive piano bars reclaimed by the hipster set, and art galleries worth leaving the beach for.
INDIGO A GO-GO
Indigo, 1121 Nuuanu Ave.; 808-521-2900; www.indigo-hawaii.com
Executive chef Glenn Chu is credited by some for jump-starting the modern Chinatown revival by opening his Asian, French and Mediterranean fusion restaurant in 1994. The massive space is like a tropical version of Les Deux Magots in Paris, with vast rooms to sip martinis ($4 happy hours) and dance after a dinner of Hanoi shrimp and peppercorn crusted ahi.
PARADISE THEATRE
Hawaii Theatre, 1130 Bethel St.; 808-528-0506; www.hawaiitheatre.com
When it opened in 1922, the "Pride of the Pacific" Hawaii Theatre really lived up to its name, but by the mid-eighties, it was on the verge of demolition. Today, after a $32-million renovation, the theatre, dripping in opulence - golden archways frame intricate, hand-painted scenes of ancient Greece - is once again drawing in crowds. Programming includes multicultural acts, many of which are performed in Hawaiian and other languages.
ARTS ALIGN
Pegge Hopper, 1164 Nuuanu Ave.; 808-524-1160; www.peggehopper.com.
The neighbourhood boasts no fewer than 12 art galleries; a result, perhaps, of its proximity to both the Hawaii State Art Museum and the Contemporary Museum. The galleries were the driving force behind First Friday - a neighbourhood block party on the first Friday of every month - which was designed to bring business to the galleries, but is now a full on party in its own right. It has become so successful, that gallery owners are banding together again to come up with Plan B, which will probably be a daytime event.
Beloved local artist and Chinatown activist Pegge Hopper opened her eponymous gallery in 1983. On ground level, the wide, bright space hosts featured local artists. Upstairs, you'll find Hopper's signature portraits of island women on large canvases. Next door, Chinatown Boardroom sells custom culture and surf art in a range of price points. 1160 Nuuanu Ave.; (808) 585-7200; www.chinatownboardroom.com
BEYOND BOARD SHORTS
Roberta Oaks, 19 North Pauahi St.; 808-428-1214; www.robertaoaks.com
Fighting Eel, 1133 Bethel St.; 808-524-1472; www.fightingeel.com
These wild, fun little dresses in flashy fabrics sell for about $150. "This is the cutting-edge area of the Islands and the fashion reflects that," designer Roberta Oaks says. "Hawaii is so casual and beachy. Chinatown is more urban, edgy, and people put a little more effort into what they wear." The well-known clothing line Fighting Eel just opened its flagship retail store in September, selling locally designed jersey dresses, tunics and tops - a favourite of young celebrities. Its brother store, Teetee Bar, is next door and specializes in snappy printed T-shirts.
MARKETING MAJOR
Get up at the crack of dawn for a personal walking tour through Chinatown's markets and side streets. Arguably the two best are Maunakea (1120 Maunakea St.; 808-524-3409) and Oahu (145 North King St.; 808-841-6924) where residents gather to play mah-jongg in the courtyard and shop for daily supplies. It's all there: exotic herbs and tropical fruits, pig's heads, chicken feet, live eel, bull frogs and fish, roasted pork and kimchee.
GOING NATIVE
Cindy's Lei Shoppe, 1034 Maunakea St.; 808-536-6538; www.cindysleishoppe.com
Buy a round of fresh scented flowers at Cindy's Lei Shoppe, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2011. This family-run business weaves fragrant blooms such as tuberose, pikake, ginger and plumeria and the shop's orchid designs are stunning.
FEEDING FRENZY
Char Hung Sut Manapua, 64 North Pauahi St. 808-538-3335
Garden of Fortune, 102 North Hotel St.; 808-550-8868
Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery, 1027 Maunakea St.; 808-531-6688
Char Hung Sut Manapua is a popular takeout joint where you can buy dim sum for a dollar and watch them being prepared in the open kitchen. Try the ma tai su, a steamed dumpling with little bits of pork and mushrooms inside. Smoothie shops abound, but Garden of Fortune is full of character and the shopkeepers are super-friendly. You're in Hawaii, so have the avocado smoothie ($3.50), a creamy, delicious protein boost. At Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery, the most popular treat is the jingdui bun made of deep-fried mochi (rice) inside a bun. The sesame peanut candy is tasty too.
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
Tea at 1024, 1024 Nuuanu Ave.; 808-521-9596; www.TeaAt1024.net
The ultrafeminine Tea at 1024 covers the bases: frills, cushions and all kinds of pink. This charming, cozy little spot is ideal for a restful lunch and afternoon tea, Hawaiian-style. Choose your favourite cup and saucer from the selection of delicate English china, feast on sandwiches and salads. Choose from signature pastries such as the chocolate haupia (coconut), and homemade scones with clotted cream and jam. Heavy on the cream. For a table in the prime window display area, make a reservation.
BAR FLYING
ThirtynineHotel, 39 North Hotel St.; 808-599-2552; www.thirtyninehotel.com
Smith's Union Bar, 19 North Hotel St.; 808-538-9145
Dive piano bars and crumbling spaces turned trendy clubs dominate Hotel Street and almost all have something special. Fashionistas prefer ThirtynineHotel, the club/arts/event centre with a killer evening soundtrack - mixed Sonic Youth, Neneh Cherry - minimalist design, big white couches for lounging and a concrete slab framed deck in the back. Just down the street is Smith's Union Bar, opened in 1935 during the area's red-light years. A long and narrow space with a bar down one side, tables down the other and lots of tiki in between. Hawaiian shirts appear to be the dress code. A chilled atmosphere, great place to drink a local Longboard ale, and sway to Whitney Houston hits with karaoke diehards.
Where to stay
Kahala Hotel and Resort
5000 Kahala Ave.; (800) 367-2525; www.kahalaresort.com
The most private beach resort in Honolulu, the Kahala Hotel and Resort, 10 minutes from Waikiki, is a joy to come home to after a busy day in Chinatown. While all Oahu's beaches are public, the hotel's property is surrounded by a lush golf course on one side and a jetty on the other, providing a natural buffer that feels like a private paradise island complete with white sand beaches, palm trees and coconut cocktails. The outlying reef ensures calm waters where toddlers can wade safely and you can practise your front crawl without waves breaking your stride. Rooms are spacious and lavishly decorated: light gold and sandy tones, overstuffed chairs, poster beds with soft throws and pillows. They also feature gorgeous views of the mountains or beach. Rooms from $425.
Park Shore Waikiki
2586 Kalakaua Ave.; (800) 367-2377; www.parkshorewaikiki.com
Right on the Waikiki strip and across the beach with unobstructed views of Diamond Head. Rooms are basic, clean and comfortable, and while most are due for a renovation, that is easy to overlook given the location and price. Rooms with private lanais from $129.
Jillian DickensSpecial to The Globe and Mail