BIG ISLAND: "Monstera" Restaurant Added to The Shops at Mauna Lani

Slated to open in late January of this year, the hip, casual 'Izakaya-style' eatery, "Monstera", will feature Japanese pub food, sushi and sake. The offering from owners Norio Yamamoto and Wes Monty will boast a menu built upon fresh local ingredients and will blend traditional Japanse cuisine with Hawaiian hospitality. Yamamoto is a successful sushi chef with more than two decades of experience with discriminating employers such as Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental and The Fairmont Orchid.

"Monstera" is the second new eatery scheduled to open in January, along with "Juice 101", a casual food, juice and smoothie bar. These additions follow the opening of "The Great 4-D Movie Ride," Hawaii's first and only 4-D theater, which began operation in late November.