Celebrated my brother-in-law’s birthday with family at the Sunrise Restaurant at 525 Kapahulu Avenue (phone 808-737-4118), close to Waikiki. The restaurant, which specializes in Okinawan dishes, is actually on Herbert Street. Some of the dishes in the photo: soki (sparerib) soup, yakisoba, pork tofu, Dynamite appetizer (seafood), sushi combo. We also had deep fried squid, pigs feet soup, soba, and goya champuru.

Our waiter spontaneously picked up a sanshin and sang some popular Okinawan songs, including “Asadoya Yunta” and The Boom’s hit song “Shima Uta.” We learned that he once played with a rock band in Tokyo. He ended the celebration with a kachashi number that had everyone dancing in their seats.