Welcome to everyone who has come by for Hurricane Flossie info. Pull up a chair and join us for a virtual meal (bad cliche). Nadine Kam of the Star-Bulletin gives three stars to The Aji House at Xlyoh, an nouveau Asian joint tucked inside a nightclub. This is becoming a mini-trend, what with the upscale menu at Pearl, another local nightclub and the respectable sushi menu at Osake (which closed after a tragic fatal shooting).

Satura Cakes, a high-end chain of Japanese bakeries, opened this past week in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki. This is the latest upscale Japan-based chain to invade the islands, and its mostly for the best -- they make nice pastries in that strange, hybrid Japanofrench style. Maui Time Weekly came out with its annual "Best of" issue the last week of July and the local choices for dining and drinking are illuminating. Some are a bit off - Denny's for milkshakes? Taco Bell for anything? But there are some real local beauts mentioned here that are not in the guidebooks. Note: I am no longer linking to the food reviews or articles in the Honolulu Advertiser, due to their dynamic page configuration, which means busted links for me. It's a shame, as Lesa and Wanda definitely deserve more press and I love their stuff. Sorry for abbreviated listings here. More coming shortly.

—Alex, 08/13/07