Our Picks for the Weekend
Star-Bulletin staff
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LAST CHANCE
Lads and lassies will be auctioned at O'Toole's
Matchmaking was one of the oldest traditions of Ireland. On Saturday, the tradition will be revived with a fundraising twist, as eligible bachelors and fair lasses will be auctioned off to the highest bidders.
The Society of the Friends of St. Patrick will be hosting "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match," with live music, dancing and prizes from 4 to 7 p.m. at O'Toole's downtown on the corner of Nuuanu and Merchant.
Proceeds will go toward Irish cultural events such as the St. Patrick's Day Parade, concerts and performances, as well as Irish music programs. If you're looking to auction off your best friend or best-looking friend, e-mail RadioLorraine@aol.com.
FREE ADMITTANCE
Things Japanese are for sale at cultural center
A treasure trove of items will be available at the Things Japanese Sale at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i Community Gallery and Gift Shop, starting Saturday and running through Sept. 1.
"There are so many treasured items in our inventory that new items will be put out every day," said gallery director Christy Takamune. "Whether you are looking for that one-of-a-kind gift -- like an extravagant and elegant wedding kimono and obi that can be displayed as a wall hanging -- or precious dolls that come in their original glass cases or antique tea and dish sets that were made in Japan -- this sale is the place to find everything Japanese-related."
All sale proceeds will go toward the center's educational programs and cultural activities. Sale hours are Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information call 945-7633, e-mail info@jcch.com or visit www.jcch.com.
STAGE
Bid on celebrities' items at 'Laughs for Lions'
Get lots of laughs and (maybe) Cameron Diaz's antique necklace or a Masters golf visor signed by Tiger Woods at "Laughs for Lions," a night of comedy hosted by the Kamehameha Lions Club Foundation to raise money for the blind and disabled.
Comic Paul Ogata headlines Saturday's event at Mamiya Theater. Larry Thomas, the "Soup Nazi" from "Seinfeld," will be on hand signing "No Soup for You!" stuff.
A celebrity auction offers the necklace worn by Diaz in "Gangs of New York" as well as other movie memorabilia and signed sports collectibles.
The show starts at 7:45 p.m. with preshow mixer at 5:30. Tickets are $40; $75 for VIP seating.
Call 528-1073 or visit laughsforlions.com for reservations. No tickets will be sold at the door.
FAMILY
Get an early start on your Christmas shopping
Have you checked the calendar? It's mid-August. Not too early to start Christmas shopping. Seriously.
A good place to start, especially if you've got giftees to satisfy outside the islands, is the Made in Hawaii Festival, Friday through Sunday at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and Arena.
More than 400 booths will feature artwork, beauty products, clothing, jewelry, food products and way more, all made locally. Entertainment will be continuous, featuring Raiatea Helm at 3 p.m. Friday, Jake Shimabukuro at 7 p.m. Saturday and Frank De Lima at 11 a.m. Sunday. And that's just a sampling.
Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3. Parking in the Blaisdell lot is $4, but on Friday parking is also available at Iolani Palace, with free shuttles running to Blaisdell from noon to 5:45 p.m. Call 533-1292.
FOOD
Aji House at Xyloh
1220 Kona St. / 593-2227
Food in clubs is nothing new, but the menu at Aji House at Xyloh is more ambitious than most. First, there is the pedigree of chefs trained in Hoku's kitchen. More importantly, the menu works because it is small, manageable and well-suited to its loungey environment.
Initially aiming toward the weekend revelers, promoters are also reaching out to an older, laidback crowd. But first, you gotta find the place on Kona near Pensacola. Look for Xyloh's vaguely Gothic, pointy green entry.
COURTESY AJI HOUSE AT XYLOH.COM
Chicken wings ($7) are coated with a ko chu jang-kim chee sauce at Aji House.
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Inside, plop yourself down into any of their plush sofas, and look up to find dishes flash before your eyes on flat-screen TV panels hung throughout the room. There's nothing subliminal about it. Watching all the food appear, fade out and reappear will tempt you to order more than you can eat from a menu beer drinkers will love, with flavors big on a blend of salty, sweet and spicy. No surprise there. "Aji" means "flavor" in Japanese.
Warm up with ahi poke ($8), then move onto Aji House's biggest hit, sweet sake-marinated slices of beef ($12) with a layer of basil and miso pesto torched onto its surface to form a sweet brulée crust.
Those who like mindlessly nibbling while talking can opt for the ease of salt-and-pepper crispy calamari ($9), or Aji fries ($6). Given the popularity of this basic finger food, served many different ways and with your choice of sauces, a more extensive fry bar is in the works.
Open 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Mondays to Thursdays; 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays; and 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturdays. Bar open to 2 a.m. daily. Sundays available for private functions.
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