As part of getting ready for our trip, we have been able to contact some businesses in Oahu. Top of Waikiki‘s Marketing Director Erica Orejel answered some of our questions about the area and Top of Waikiki’s approach to creativity and its involvement in the community.

1. What’s the one thing people shouldn’t miss on Oahu and why? The best part about Oahu is definitely the food. As Hawaii is home to many different people with ethnic origins from around the world, our local food has grown to reflect all those cultures and flavors in creative ways.

2. What does your business bring to the Oahu community? Top of Waikiki has brought excellent Hawaii Regional Steak & Seafood to our community for over 50 years. Our iconic exterior can be seen for miles, especially after the sun sets. Whether you celebrated your birthday or anniversary with us, or enjoyed a romantic date night out, Top of Waikiki holds amazingly sentimental memories for our community.

3. How does your business foster creativity? Well, we’re round and we rotate – that’s pretty outside the box (literally and metaphorically). However, our culinary team, led by Executive Chef Lance Kosaka, is all about creativity. They love taking staple dishes within Hawaii Regional Cuisine, as well as local favorites, and putting their own creative twist onto the dish. You can really see (and taste!) the loving creativity they put into each menu item.

4. What makes your business different from others on the island? Well…we’re round and we rotate☺but I won’t talk in circles 😉 We’re different in other ways besides that. First, our culinary team really puts an emphasis on our partnerships with local farms and vendors. We try to use fresh, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible – the freshness those ingredients add to our dishes is clear. Also, we greatly care about quality, even when the guest may not notice the difference. For example, our scallops are not plumped with water. While guests may not necessarily notice this detail, we want our guests to enjoy high quality ingredients while dining with us.

5. What is the best thing about Hawaii? The aloha spirit is the best thing about Hawaii!

Open since 1965, Top of Waikiki is “Hawaii’s only revolving restaurant.” This year they had a drive for school supplies in August. In the past, the restaurant has participated in fundraisers for the MDA and Veggie U as part of the Localicious Hawaii campaign.