The Golden Rule
Hospitality has a lot to do with culture. I’m talking about your home culture and the culture of your community. Read more
Latest Stories by Alicia Yamachika
Vote on the rock
One of the challenges of a career in hospitality is that you don’t get holidays off. Holidays are some of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, where it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation. Read more
The perfection paradox
I’ve often talked about wabi-sabi, the Japanese concept of embracing earthly impermanence and finding pleasure in imperfection. Read more
Miracle on North King Street
The Olympics have always been a miracle for me. Athletes from every country and territory coming together to compete in the name of peace and goodwill, showcasing both the potential of the human body and mind, to triumph over tragedy. Read more
A Midsummer Night’s Gleam
In an extended showing of Diamond Head Theatre’s Tootsie, I had the recent pleasure and privilege of watching a former colleague blossom before my eyes. Read more
Three Drinks Long and a Mile High
I recently returned from my first United States Bartender’s Guild National Conference in Denver, Colorado, where a dear friend and I had the privilege of learning from the most dedicated and inspired minds in the bar world today Read more
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Japanese by Design – The Mini Bar
I recently returned from vacation in Japan, where I had the distinct privilege of touring the beautiful Suntory Hakushu Distillery, located in the mountainous Yamanishi Prefecture. Read more
Restaurant real estate
I read that in 2023, the National Association of REALTORS was one of the largest lobbying spenders in the United States, second only to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Read more
Enlightened hospitality
While a few friends and I were discussing our favorite places to eat, we stumbled upon an interesting similarity. Read more
Crafting your inner boss
As a board member of the United States Bartenders’ Guild Hawaii Chapter, I recently joined forces with two amazing USBG women to lead a seminar on “Crafting Your Inner Boss” as part of USBG Ed Week 2023 Read more
Lingua franca
I love language. It’s the reason I decided to be an English major, why I studied Japanese and French, and am proud to say I’ve been a conversational speaker of Pidgin almost since I could walk. Read more
Raising the bar: my unsung hero
The best thing anyone ever said to me was spoken by a young woman I was training as a server and bartender. Read more
Stopping by bars on a balmy evening
When I was a child, I loved to read and draw. From building blocks to science projects, I loved anything that involved my imagination, and my mother and teachers started calling me “creative.” Read more
The restaurant of mistaken orders
One of my first restaurant jobs was in the café of a nightclub, where I cut my teeth holding down the day shift, during which I could sometimes count on one hand the number of customers who would walk in. Read more
Kahu for maui
A deep feeling of dread spread down the back of my neck, like an icy hand, as I opened up the midnight text from my friend and United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Hawaii Chapter president. Read more
Tropical depression
My sister was helping me carry the groceries upstairs to my apartment last weekend, and gasped as she walked through the door, “It’s clean!” Read more
Ice, ice, baby
Cool. Confident. Calm. I spent this past Fourth of July weekend, blissfully, at a wellness lodge, meditating on these three words, learning to keep gratitude and warmth in my heart, and ice water in my veins. Read more
Into the ether
Walking with my sister around Diamond Head one day, reminiscing about our childhood, we became deeply engrossed in a conversation about all the things they don’t teach you in high school. Read more
Live to eat
I recently watched a fictitious movie about a young cook in Southeast Asia, toiling away at her family’s open-air noodle shop Read more
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
Over black coffee, baked eggs and strawberry crêpes at my favorite brunch spot one Sunday Read more
The world through beer-goggle glasses
College was an interesting time for me, during which I experimented with many controversial things, including my tolerance level. Read more
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