Spooky Ghost Bar pops up for Halloween at Ala Moana

For many people, Halloween is their favorite time of year. It's a season to revel in the spooky, scary, creepy stuff of the most popular horror movies, so why not create a bar that celebrates that fascination with the macabre?

There's probably no better team than Noa Laporga and Angelina Khan — who bring us the Haunted Plantation  every Halloween — with longtime restaurateurs Riki Kobayashi and Masaki Sasada to pop up this month at Ala Moana Center with a Ghost Bar. You'll find them in the Ewa Wing facing the parking lot between Jamba Juice and Zara from now through October 31. 

I wandered in yesterday, their first day in business, and since I'm squeamish about spooky places, I was glad I did so in broad daylight. "It really looks a lot better at night," Khan kept telling me, meaning it looks a lot scarier. On one side, you'll find a wall with a giant, open-mouthed clown face reminiscent of "It," and on the other side, a wall filled with dolls and doll parts from all those nightmares you've had. The tables are splattered with fake blood (or is it?) and feature cute, glow-in-the-dark skeletons. 

The Ghost Bar offers a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to suit every taste, and a basic assortment of snacks. With that kind of ambience, you almost feel like tasty drinks are the least of your worries, but aside from the beer and wine, they do have handcrafted cocktails. 

My favorite was the Killer Clown, with horchata rum cream liqueur, coconut rum, milk, whipped cream and ube powder. Tastes like a spiked dessert!

The Witches' Brew is comprised of sour apple schnapps, tequila, lemon-lime soda, and lemon juice. It's more on the tart side for those who like that flavor profile, and very light!

The Skeleton is a very whisky-forward cocktail with ginger ale, honey syrup and lemon juice. It's actually pretty refreshing, and a different way to enjoy whisky.

The Ghost Bar is open from 2 p.m. to midnight daily through October 31. Costumes are allowed; masks need to be removable for ID check.

Ghost Bar pop up at Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Ewa Wing
808-372-9618