Best of Honolulu 2014: Services
Best Knife Sharpening
- Robyn Mackenzie
Chris Greywolf, aka Wolf, would rather be making armor and swords or leading the Khanate of the Golden Horde. But even the founder of a Mongolian living-history group has to pay the bills. Hence, Cutting Edge Sharpening. Greywolf sharpens blades for many of the meat markets and restaurants around town, including Whole Foods, Sansei Waikīkī and 3660 On The Rise….
Best Gourmet Chefs for Hire
For the ultimate dinner party, Philippe and Pierre Padovani will take over your kitchen and prepare the sort of multicourse French meal they once served at Padovani’s Grill. Although the brothers Padovani have closed their restaurant to devote themselves to making gourmet chocolate (guess what’s for dessert?), they have not lost their flair for filling dinner with French hospitality and…
Best Jewelry Appraisal
Having a regular gemologist appraise your jewelry is kind of like having a geologist appraise iron ore from Mars—they both know the rock, but not necessarily the setting. When having jewelry appraised, it’s best to put a certified jewelry appraiser on the job. Karl Nakamura of Iridium Jewelry is a certified senior member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers,…
Best Jewelry Repair
- Baitong333
Any bargain-rate jeweler can repair inexpensive jewelry. But when the good stuff needs fixing, consider the guy many of Honolulu’s leading jewelry stores go to when they can’t tackle repairs in-house. Eric Gold of Nova Gold Jewels is a jeweler’s jeweler. He’s got some of the most state-of the-art tools on the island (a nifty laser welder, for instance), and…
Best New Life for Old Patio Furniture
- Hemera Technologies
Nothing says faded glory quite like the broken straps on a fine set of outdoor furniture. Mekala Powdercoat & Patio Manufacturing, which has been building and restoring patio furniture for hotels and condominiums for three decades, makes weather-beaten loungers, tables and chairs look new again. After sandblasting the frames, Mekala bakes them in a powdercoating oven, where baby-powder-fine pigment is…
Best Auto Glass Tinting
- Alex Varlakov
We know our limits when it comes to DIYing, and car window tinting is way over the line. We’ve seen too many botched, bubble-filled tint jobs on the streets of Honolulu to go there. But of all the professional window tinters on the island, who’s the best? We asked car care expert George Nitta, host of the Hawaiian Automotive 101…
Best Independent Apple Repair
- gangliu10
As a certified “iTech” for iCracked, the worldwide network of independent Apple repair technicians, Tim Chun of iTech Hawaii has been trained to repair Apple iOS devices. In other words, when you nearly destroy your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, he’s the guy who can fix it—and for less than the Apple Store will charge if your device is out…
Best Open-Air Photo Booth Rental
When it comes to weddings, parties or any event with a lot of people, photo booths are the new trend. When you rent one from Studio X, even the most basic package comes with wacky props, an attendant and unlimited, customizable prints, plus a disc of all the photos. Since it’s open-air, you can cram more than a dozen people…
Best Foot Massage
Lots of spas do foot massage. Oasis Spa specializes in it. All of its therapists are trained in Taiwanese foot reflexology, a sort of tough love for the feet. The system recognizes 32 pressure points in each foot, each corresponding to a different part of the body. Get the full hour ($65), and all 64 points get vigorously worked on,…
Best Way to Spoil Your Dog
- Comstock
Your dog is a raw-foodie at heart, so why not give the little carnivore what his or her heart desires? Raw Dog Hawaii has full meal plans that include beef, organic chicken, fish, a few veggies and lots of bones. All of it is fresh-frozen and, of course, mouthwateringly raw. The ingredient list reads like Alan Wong’s menu: “local grass-fed…
Best Place to Get a Pet
All the pets at the Hawaiian Humane Society have had a bad break in life, otherwise they wouldn’t be there. That doesn’t make them bad pets. With about 100 animals ready for adoption at any given time, the Humane Society lays claim to the widest selection of pets on the island. It should be the first stop on any quest…
More like this...
Best Knife Sharpening
- Robyn Mackenzie
Chris Greywolf, aka Wolf, would rather be making armor and swords or leading the Khanate of the Golden Horde. But even the founder of a Mongolian living-history group has to pay the bills. Hence, Cutting Edge Sharpening. Greywolf sharpens blades for many of the meat markets and restaurants around town, including Whole Foods, Sansei Waikīkī and 3660 On The Rise….
Best Gourmet Chefs for Hire
For the ultimate dinner party, Philippe and Pierre Padovani will take over your kitchen and prepare the sort of multicourse French meal they once served at Padovani’s Grill. Although the brothers Padovani have closed their restaurant to devote themselves to making gourmet chocolate (guess what’s for dessert?), they have not lost their flair for filling dinner with French hospitality and…
Best Jewelry Appraisal
Having a regular gemologist appraise your jewelry is kind of like having a geologist appraise iron ore from Mars—they both know the rock, but not necessarily the setting. When having jewelry appraised, it’s best to put a certified jewelry appraiser on the job. Karl Nakamura of Iridium Jewelry is a certified senior member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers,…
Best Jewelry Repair
- Baitong333
Any bargain-rate jeweler can repair inexpensive jewelry. But when the good stuff needs fixing, consider the guy many of Honolulu’s leading jewelry stores go to when they can’t tackle repairs in-house. Eric Gold of Nova Gold Jewels is a jeweler’s jeweler. He’s got some of the most state-of the-art tools on the island (a nifty laser welder, for instance), and…
Best New Life for Old Patio Furniture
- Hemera Technologies
Nothing says faded glory quite like the broken straps on a fine set of outdoor furniture. Mekala Powdercoat & Patio Manufacturing, which has been building and restoring patio furniture for hotels and condominiums for three decades, makes weather-beaten loungers, tables and chairs look new again. After sandblasting the frames, Mekala bakes them in a powdercoating oven, where baby-powder-fine pigment is…
Best Auto Glass Tinting
- Alex Varlakov
We know our limits when it comes to DIYing, and car window tinting is way over the line. We’ve seen too many botched, bubble-filled tint jobs on the streets of Honolulu to go there. But of all the professional window tinters on the island, who’s the best? We asked car care expert George Nitta, host of the Hawaiian Automotive 101…
Best Independent Apple Repair
- gangliu10
As a certified “iTech” for iCracked, the worldwide network of independent Apple repair technicians, Tim Chun of iTech Hawaii has been trained to repair Apple iOS devices. In other words, when you nearly destroy your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, he’s the guy who can fix it—and for less than the Apple Store will charge if your device is out…
Best Open-Air Photo Booth Rental
When it comes to weddings, parties or any event with a lot of people, photo booths are the new trend. When you rent one from Studio X, even the most basic package comes with wacky props, an attendant and unlimited, customizable prints, plus a disc of all the photos. Since it’s open-air, you can cram more than a dozen people…
Best Foot Massage
Lots of spas do foot massage. Oasis Spa specializes in it. All of its therapists are trained in Taiwanese foot reflexology, a sort of tough love for the feet. The system recognizes 32 pressure points in each foot, each corresponding to a different part of the body. Get the full hour ($65), and all 64 points get vigorously worked on,…
Best Way to Spoil Your Dog
- Comstock
Your dog is a raw-foodie at heart, so why not give the little carnivore what his or her heart desires? Raw Dog Hawaii has full meal plans that include beef, organic chicken, fish, a few veggies and lots of bones. All of it is fresh-frozen and, of course, mouthwateringly raw. The ingredient list reads like Alan Wong’s menu: “local grass-fed…
Best Place to Get a Pet
All the pets at the Hawaiian Humane Society have had a bad break in life, otherwise they wouldn’t be there. That doesn’t make them bad pets. With about 100 animals ready for adoption at any given time, the Humane Society lays claim to the widest selection of pets on the island. It should be the first stop on any quest…
