Incomplete bar is refreshing
EVEN THOUGH it's obvious that
Lotus Soundbar has quite a ways to go, I was still impressed by the nightclub's soft opening on Friday.
Sure, the tacky tile floor (reminiscent of the building's previous incarnation as a pizza joint), patched walls and exposed wires had Ramyt Islam begging me not to write anything about the place, but Lotus' unrefined atmosphere is actually a breath of fresh air in a scene that's saturated with the whole "Ultra Lounge" concept. Pupus by chef Francesco Valentini (who is also responsible for the killer pizzas at Bar 35) and complimentary cocktails only made things more enjoyable.
When construction is finished early next year, expect Lotus to be just as pretty as Pearl, the W Honolulu's Diamond Head Grill or the Ocean Club. Owner Paul Shih's plans call for five rooms total, including a couple of super-plush VIP areas on the third floor.
But for now, the vibe is much more raw, like an underground rave in 1999 or 2000 before those kinds of parties got played out. Jamal "Kilowattz da Mongoose" Mamalias, just back from San Francisco after six months, got a kick out of reliving his nights there when it was known as Breathless. Anyone else remember Universal Joint holding it down there back in the day?
Others spotted at the soft opening: NextDoor's Lacy Matsumoto, Girard/Richardson's Jacquie Brown, KHNL/KFVE's Walter Makaula and U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka's granddaughter Kaleihikina Akaka ...
AFTER GETTING a chance to spock out the new PlayStation 3 at the 2006 Sony Expo last weekend, I can see why some people are so excited to spend $600 on the system. But I can also tell it's going to be incredibly difficult to get your hands on one of those machines when they go on sale Nov. 17.
Retail giant Circuit City, for example, will only have 600 PlayStations for sale throughout the entire United States. They've announced that 100 units will be shipped to six mainland markets: New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Wash.
Vouchers will be given out the night before in each city, but I'm sure people will be lining up a lot earlier than that. And it makes you wonder just how many PS3s will be available in Honolulu ...
BAD NEWS for Lupe Fiasco fans: Pipeline Cafe's Jed Roa recently announced the Chicago rapper's scheduled performance this month has been canceled ...