JETAA Hawaii members and friends celebrated the New Year at the trendy new Ka Restaurant & Lounge located in Ward Center on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Guests enjoyed the delicious array of pupus including ahi poke, fried noodles, karaage chicken, mochi cordon bleu skewers, and of course the yummy matcha cream puffs!  Guests also enjoyed 20% off drinks throughout the evening!

It was nice to see the recent JET returnees, new JETAA Hawaii members and members who haven’t been out in a while. Everyone had a great time making new friends and catching up with old ones.

During the informal program, lucky guests won a variety of door prizes including hagoita from Fukuoka, Japan, movie guest passes, Japan-America Society of Hawaii logo cooler bag & hat, 2010 JET Program calendars, and finally, the grand prize of a $25 Ka Restaurant & Lounge gift card. Following the door prizes, JETAA Hawaii President Kelsey Soma wished for a successful and happy 2010 as guests enjoyed a complimentary kanpai featuring the deliciously smooth sake Hakkaisan.

After the Shinnenkai, Ka Restaurant & Lounge owner Yoshi, waved the cover charge and invited our party to stay for the club portion of the evening.

JETAA Hawaii would like to thank all the JETAA Hawaii members and friends who came out and helped make this year’s Shinnenkai a success! A special thank you to Yoshi and the rest of the Ka Restaurant & Lounge staff for preparing the delicious food and drinks, and for taking care of our group.