Our Picks for the Weekend
Star-Bulletin staff
|
FREEBIES
Aionas host open house
Lt. Gov. James R. Duke Aiona and his wife, Vivian, host a holiday open house at Washington Place, 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Take a guided stroll through the 159-year-old mansion that served as home to Queen Lili'uokalani and Hawaii's governors. Entertainment will be by Hawai'i Opera Theatre studio artists Amy Healey, Malia Ka'ai and Kawika Maguire, singing arias, art songs and holiday music. Harpist Ruth Freedman will perform upstairs.
The Greek-Revival mansion was built in 1847 by Capt. John Dominis, and is believed to be the site of Hawaii's first Christmas tree, grown from a sprig by Mary Dominis, widow of the captain. Mary Dominis hosted a party in 1858 for 100 children and their parents, establishing the holiday tradition.
Call 586-0249.
FAMILY
Dinosaurs worth a peek
Who said dinosaurs are extinct?
Not folks at Bishop Museum, where the "Dinosaurs Alive" exhibit opens Saturday and continues through Jan. 26.
Sunday is the perfect day to catch the new exhibit since it is Family Sunday, which means kama'aina and military get in for $3 and keiki ages 4 through 12 get in free if they bring a Kraft product.
Put on your safari gear and look for the triceratops and its young or take a peek at a baby apatosaurus. You also may be able to sneak up on an ankylosaurus, utahraptor, dilophosaurus and velociraptor.
There will be a claymation video explaining how dinosaurs lived, colorful dinosaur costumes if you want to blend in with the herds and a baby triceratops who needs help learning how to walk.
The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except for Christmas. Admission is $6.95 to $15.95. Children under 3 are free. For more information, call 847-3511.
MUSIC
Na Leo keeps to tradition
Na Leo joins the Honolulu Symphony Pops again this holiday season for the orchestra's third annual food drive for the Hawaii Foodbank. The Na Leo ladies -- Nalani Choy, Lehua Kalima Heine and Angela Morales -- will join conductor Matt Catingub and the Pops orchestra, as well as the Honolulu Symphony Chorus, for two evenings of festive music in the spirit of Christmas. Songs from their two previous holiday albums, "Hawaiian Christmas Gift" and "Christmas Gift 2" will be featured, and the trio will be available for CD signings in the Blaisdell Concert Hall lobby. Concertgoers are invited to also bring non-perishable food items to the concert hall and leave them under one of the Christmas trees in the lobby. (Much needed this year are canned items such as meats, tuna, meals, soups, fruits, vegetables and beans.)
Tickets for the 8 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday start at $15, with a 20 percent discount for seniors, students and military. Call the symphony box office at 792-2000 or go online at www.honolulusymphony.com.
CULTURE
Try a taste of Morocco
Need a break from Christmas? Or, maybe you're just longing for something different and exotic.
The Moroccan Art-Tea Party may just be what you're looking for.
The Aloha Morocco Week isn't until March, but from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, the Hawaii Friends of Morocco and the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco are holding a preview event with live entertainment, an art raffle, tea and pastries, and a food tasting.
The party will be held at 1802 Keeaumoku St. For more information, call Mimi Makward at 386-2906 or go online at www.morocco-in-hawaii.com.
FOOD
Chin's
4230 Waialae Ave. (across from Kahala Mall) / 737-7188
Chin's is best known in California, where 10 of the restaurants can be found between San Diego and Encinitas. But the family of restaurants had roots in Hawaii, dating to founder Chin Tsai's original Mongolian BBQ, dating back 25 to 30 years ago.
His longtime friend, chef Sunny Chan, has brought Chin's to Kahala, where the restaurant is right at home with local palates thanks to Chan's similarly lengthy career, including a long stint at the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Golden Dragon, and most recently, Chin's Ho Ho in Kapolei, the testing ground for many of the restaurant's current offerings.
Tea figures prominently in an excellent dish of chamomile-smoked chicken ($16.95 half and $32.95 whole), green tea smoked duck ($14.95/$28.95) and shrimp ($15.95) tossed with fried tea leaves and spilling out of a bamboo basket.
There's a range of Szechwan dishes and if the weather ever cools, comfort food in the form of Chinese taro combined with shredded dry scallops in a hot pot ($12.95).
Open 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Meals cost about $35 to $50 for two without drinks.
Send questions, stories or other story ideas or comments to: Features, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813 or e-mail
features@starbulletin.com.
Please include your phone number.