Mara Bloom Run Down Their Top 10 Restaurants in Honolulu, Hawaii

Emerging as a dominant and frenetic force within the post-hardcore scene is Mara Bloom. The Honolulu, Hawaii band has only been around for a few years, but they have made fast progress, emerging with an arsenal of fast-paced and dominant riffs and breakdowns. The quintet released their debut full-length They Who Invite last month, a dramatic and alluring connection of nine new tracks. It’s a more elaborate, progressive extension of what they introduced on their debut EP Hallucinations, which dropped in 2021.

What distinguishes Mara Bloom from conventional post-hardcore bands is their knack for storytelling. They Who Invite is inspired by a particularly tragic tale from Shinto mythology out of Japan. That storytelling style of songwriting weaves its way right through the record, accentuated by the unique structures of the songs and progressive metal riffs. For a young group of men, they really demonstrate a mature grasp of sophisticated songwriting. Along with the typical elements of post-hardcore songwriting, the band even derives inspiration from Japanese city pop, a type of J-pop that was popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

A large part of the culture of Mara Bloom’s native city of Honolulu is the restaurant scene. The band joins us today for a Top 10 list of Honolulu restaurants, according to them.

“Hawaii has a very diverse food culture, and you’re going to see lots of variety here. These are restaurants we eat on a constant basis; they’re just that outstanding.”

1. Menya le Nood – www.menyalenood.com

“Menya le Nood is the best ramen place on the island. They’re one of the only places that serves Tsukemen, too, which is ramen, but the broth and noodles are separated. It’s delicious, and if you ever come to Oahu, this is a must-have.”

2. Bozu www.bozu-japanese-restaurant.business.site

“Bozu is a high-end Japanese restaurant on Kapiolani Blvd in Honolulu, and they are outstanding.”

3. Tori-ton http://www.toritonhawaii.com

“Tori-ton is another great Japanese restaurant here on-island. They have the best Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) here. If you’re tired of just Ramen and sushi, this place has some really good stuff. Just come early because the wait is super long.”

4. Fujiyama Texas http://www.fujiyamatexas-hi.com

“Fujiyama Texas is an Izakaya (Japanese style pub) that has amazing beer on tap and Yakitori (fried chicken/fried whatever on skewers). If we’re looking to get drunk and have some good food, this is THE spot. Fun fact, our album was conceptualized at this restaurant.”

5. Sushi Bay http://sushibaykapolei.com

“Sushi Bay is cheap, filling, fresh sushi. It’s located on the West Side of the island, away from the tourists, but the wait times can still be extremely long. It’s definitely worth it, though. The sushi is some of the best you’ll ever have.”

6. Sweet E’s http://sweetescafe.com

“Sweet E’s is a breakfast/brunch place that makes the best benedict. The servers are also all swole dudes, so it’s an interesting experience.”

Mara Bloom ‘They Who Invite’ album artwork

7. Sikdorak http://honolulukoreanbbq.com

“Sikdorak is a Yakiniku (at the table/cook-it-yourself BBQ place), all-you-can-eat restaurant that serves the best Korean BBQ. It’s about 25 dollars for as much meat as you can eat, and it’s open until 2 am. This is the go-to spot for drunk, post-show nights.”

8. Nice Day http://www.nicedaychinese.com

“Nice Day is a Chinese restaurant, but we mostly go in the morning for their dim sum (look it up if you don’t know what that is, you’re missing out). They bring a cart, and you order the dishes fresh from the steamer, so everything is super fresh and god damn delicious.”

9. Naru http://www.naru-honolulu.com

“Naru is another izakaya that we get extremely drunk at and have a good time. Their drinks are amazing, too. They’re an Okinawan style izakaya, so they have foods you normally wouldn’t find anywhere else, and it’s soooo good.”

10. 7/11 https://7elevenhawaii.com

“Yes, 7/11 in Hawaii is one of the best places in the world. It’s similar to Japan, where they have bentos, ramen, musubis, sushi, literally anything. Everything you’d ever want for super low prices. This is our go-to place before events, practice, or if we’re just hungry and broke.”