Alice and Annie Yeung launched Panya about five years ago and now have two outlets: Panya Express on Queen Street, which also serves as the central bakery, and the new bistro.

Panya means bread shop in Japanese. The sisters chose the name to express the East-West nature of their business, explained marketing and communications manager Joanne Low. "You have European breads and cakes made in a light, Japanese style — our cheesecake and our Hokkaido bread or our signature products," she said. "In the Bistro, we wanted to create a place where you have a European feel but with an Eastern influence." They wanted a menu that would be a little adventurous but still familiar to customers.

Last weekend, the place was packed body-to-body with diners and shoppers. Hours are 7 a.m. to midnight, except 8 a.m. to midnight Sundays. They're on the mauka side, mall level near Gap.

Splenda upsizes for the home baker

Splenda sweetener has introduced a large bag for those who use the stuff in cooking and baking. The stuff is so light that the 9.7-ounce bag is equivalent in sweetness to 5 pounds of sugar. It measures cup for cup like sugar in your favorite recipes.

Splenda, or sucralose, is made from sugar but it is not a carbohydrate, so it can be used by diabetics and those on low-carb diets. The large bags are available only at Wal-Mart stores here so far. Information: www.splenda.com.