Try Shanghai
Friday nights

VETERAN NIGHTCLUB promoter Giorgio Taye has resurfaced with a new party at Shanghai Bistro on Friday nights.

Never heard of Shanghai Bistro? Don't feel bad -- the restaurant, located across Ala Moana from the Ilikai in the Discovery Bay Shopping Center, only opened a month ago.

For Taye, who worked with George Kail to open Maze in 2001 and the reincarnation of "Spy Bar" at John Dominis in 2002, the new "Shanghai Nights" party is his latest offering since trying to jump-start late nights at Nick's Fishmarket with Paul Shih last October.

There was a healthy crowd at the restaurant just before midnight on Friday, a mix of the "beautiful people" savvy enough to know about the party and tourists who just happened to walk by and notice what was going on.

"I wanted to go someplace new," was all I could get out of Taye when I managed to stop him for a quick chat near the bar. I wanted to know if he was setting his sights on the W Honolulu's Friday night "Wonderlounge" party with "Shanghai Nights," but before I could ask, two girls forced their way between us and dragged him away ...

THINGS HAVE come full circle for local radio personality Mahlon Moore.

A year ago the former morning jock and programming director at 99.5 "The Breeze" celebrated his birthday by getting fired from the radio station. The next morning, he sat next to me as we emceed the Aloha Festivals Floral Parade at the Outrigger Waikiki's review tent and wondered what he would do next.

Last Saturday, the two of us sat next to each other once again during the parade, and Moore happily shared that he's back on the job as PD at KHUI. The station flipped its format back to Hawaiian music last month after being sold, and he was brought back into the mix.

Wondering what happened to Ola Souza and Kimo Villarimo, the two other voices regularly heard on "The Breeze" in 2003? Villarimo now does an Internet broadcast on HuiMusic.com, and Souza started on Krater 96 last night as the new hostess of "Love Songs," replacing Sista Sherry ...

ACCORDING TO Andy Bumatai, "evidently the Brew Moon was impressed" by local comic Kaleo Pilanca when he filled in a few times for Mel Cabang on Saturdays at the restaurant, so they've decided to let him headline the night on his own.

"Kaleo Pilanca's Comedy Kanikapila Jam" got its chance after Cabang decided to focus on private parties, and also includes live music to complement the stand-up comedy. Joe Balaz is also on board as a guest performer.

A tip from Bumatai if you decide to check things out: "The inside scoop is to have dinner there and score a good table early."

Sounds like good advice ...