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Nadine sez...

Diversity has come to the humble moon cake. The Chinese confection, soft cake baked around sweet bean or lotus seed paste, with a golden egg yolk at its core, has been unchanged for centuries, until this fusion-happy one.

In the sweet beans, the moon cake shares something in common with Japanese mochi cakes, and putting two and two together, Shung Chong Yuein is now offering moon cakes with white mochi exteriors at 15 cents more than their cake counterpart. Instead of paying $3.45 for lotus seed cake with egg, you'll pay $3.60.

But you'll have to hurry down there because the mochi cakes will disappear after the Moon Festival Sunday. The occasion will be celebrated 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza.

It's possible that the mochi version will be so popular that they'll have to offer them year 'round, like the regular moon cakes, once a holiday-only treat.

» Where: 1027 Maunakea St.

» Call: 531-1983

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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM

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Gary sez ...

You can't go wrong with Latin jazz played outdoors. Poncho Sanchez and his solid band will get concertgoers off their okoles and shaking what their mamas gave them on Saturday night. And it's at the criminally underused Andrews Amphitheatre on the UH-Manoa campus, so barring rain, a good time should be had by all.

John sez...

"Tea" opened at Kumu Kahua three weeks ago and it is still the best show by far I've seen in the new 2005-2006 local theater season. It's also one of the best shows I've seen throughout 2005. Playwright Velina Hasu Houston tells a powerful story about the experiences of Japanese "war brides" and their families. Tess Yong makes a brilliant local stage debut as Himiko Hamilton in the superb ensemble cast. This is must-see theater for any one who appreciates a well-written story filled with memorable char- acters.

"Tea" plays this weekend and next at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, with tickets available at 536-4441. As my fellow SB columnist Jason Genegabus would put it, don't sleep on this one!

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