Hawaii
THERE was a special reason for Yan Yan Wang to shine in her soprano role in "Turandot" at the Hawaii Opera Theatre performances Friday and Sunday. In the audience was the woman who took her under her wing in China and has become one of her champions in the opera world. That woman is author Betty Bao Lord, wife of the former Ambassador to China (and now an assistant secretary of state) Winston Lord. She flew in from Washington, D.C., just to see and hear Wang in her local "Turandot" role, and then returned to Washington Sunday night. Tonight's your final opportunity to hear Lord's protegee and the highly praised cast perform the opera ...MOVING now from Puccini to Wagner, we're going to have to start calling Robert Mechielsen the "Flying Dutchman." The Amsterdam architect continues to jet about putting his imprint on the isle restaurant scene. First, he designed Jean-Marie Josselin's "A Pacific Cafe-Maui" restaurant (featured both for its cuisine and architectural design in Departures Magazine), then flew to Honokaa where he designed the new addition to Tex Drive Inn for fellow Hollandaiser Ada Lamme. Now the Dutch architect is making his mark in Honolulu, again for Josselin, with his design for the new "A Pacific Cafe-Oahu" in Ward Centre. It opened for dinner last weekend and will open for lunch next Monday for Secretaries Week ...
LOCAL Girl Scout officials were thrilled to see Cathy Guisewite's comic strip character "Cathy" surfing the net for IRS advice only to happen upon a Girl Scout home page. The Hawaii Council was the first Girl Scout group in the country to set up a web page to sell cookies over the Internet and now has updated its web site to include even more goodies. Those not technologically impaired can check it out at http://planet-hawaii.com/gshawaii...
I MENTIONED the above story to another visiting S.F. restaurant man, Danny Coyle, one of the owners of Tadich Grill, and he said he's heard the same thing about Alan Wong's wherever he's gone in Hawaii and vowed to sample it himself. Incidentally, our waitress Friday night commented that Michael Mina, one of the hot young chefs from the Bay area - he's the chef at Aqua, a top culinary spot located next door to Tadich's in the S.F. Financial District - had dined there earlier in the week and he, too, went away shaking his head in amazement. Little wonder Alan Wong's won Best Restaurant of the Year Award in the Honolulu Magazine readers' poll. It's not for everyday dining - the bill for four including wine and drinks was $180 plus tip ...
YOU'LL forgive Bob & Evanita Midkiff if they know how Greg Norman feels after blowing the Masters Tournament Sunday. At least with them, it's "win some, lose some" and not "lose one after another." Last year the Midkiffs were in the foursome that took first place in Child & Family Service's "Child's Play" golf tournament. This year they came in dead last! The two did win a prize, however - tennis lessons at the Punahou Courts ...
