Kalihi family caterer. Real Hawaiʻi plate-lunch food, scaled for events of 80 to 400.
Kapena Kitchen is a Kalihi family operation that's been catering Hawaiʻi events out of a kitchen on School Street since 2011. We started with my grandma's plate lunch recipes and it turned into a real catering company by the time my brother and I got involved.
What we do: real Hawaiʻi plate-lunch, scaled. Kālua pig, laulau, mac salad, lomi salmon, haupia. Buffet-style or plated. We can do a Kalihi-corner wedding for 80 or a downtown corporate retreat for 400, and you'll get the same food at both.
We don't do mainland barbecue, we don't do gluten-free fusion menus, we don't do whatever the latest food magazine is doing. We do Hawaiʻi food, well, at scale. We are picky about who we book — we only do one event per day.
Marisa A. · Kalihi
We catered our daughter's grad party with Kapena Kitchen — 180 guests. Nothing ran out. The lomi was on point, the kālua tasted like an actual imu. Easy to work with throughout. Will use again for our son's grad.
Naval reception coordinator · Pearl Harbor
Full lūʻau catering for 250 at a Pearl Harbor naval reception. Kapena Kitchen handled it like a normal day. Consistent, real food, no theatrics. One small note: dessert variety could've been broader. The haupia and bread pudding were great but a third option would've been nice.
These are starting packages. Most vendors will customize for your date, headcount, and the kind of party you're throwing — ask.
Full event
Buffet for up to 50 guests. Full menu (kālua, laulau, mac salad, lomi, haupia), staff to set up + replenish.
Full event
Buffet or plated for up to 150 guests. Full menu, dessert table, staff for service + cleanup. Most-booked.
Full event
Up to 400 guests, full menu, dessert and beverage stations, full service crew.
Booked dates are pulled from the vendor's own calendar. If your date is open, you can request a quote — they'll confirm in their reply. Most events lock in 2–6 months ahead in Hawaiʻi; for May–August dates, sooner is safer.
Performances rooted in lineage. Kahiko and ʻauana under the direction of Kumu Hula Lehua Kalama-Iaea.
Restored 1930s plantation hall on the windward side. Six acres, room for 200, sliding-door views of the Koʻolau.
Third-generation North Shore shave ice. Real fruit syrups, fresh from the family stand, brought to your party.