"We've added new dishes and we've dropped others," said Priester, who is just now catching his breath after participating in the three-day Taste of Honolulu last weekend. "We call this our first generation menu."

Since taking over the kitchen at the Top of Waikiki a year ago, Priester has taken this one-time, so-called "tourist-trap" restaurant and turned it into a destination eatery for kamaaina.

"It's unbelievable the number of covers we've being doing nightly," Priester said. "It has been mad. We've been extremely busy."

While visiting Mainland guests will still find familiarity in such entrees as a steak-and-shrimp combo and the live Maine lobster, they may need translation help with the miso-and-tarragon seafood scampi pasta ($25) and the sesame-soy-and-mirin-enhanced broiled Hamakua and wild mushrooms ($9), which are playfully presented in crispy wonton spoons.

One of Priester's latest menu additions features a spicy tuna tartare Caesar salad ($11), which is topped with a lime-anchovy dressing and served with curry crostini.

"I guess it's tropical Thai," said Priester. "The combination of flavors works well."

Never shy when it comes to playing with a melange of herbs and spices, Priester's lamb trio ($33) offers a spectrum of flavors, from Southern-style barbecue to Thai to Mediterranean, all on one platter. And while lamb chops aren't a rarity among other restaurants, rarely — if ever — will you see lamb T-Bone or Denver mini spareribs on other menus.

It's also uncommon to see an appetizer of beef tenderloin ($10), which is brushed with a merlot-and-red-miso reduction and presented on a hot river stone.

New to the list of entrees is a Hawaiian moi en papillote ($30). A sheet of parchment paper is used to envelope this one-time, for-royalty-only white fish that's surrounded by fennel, tomatoes, red potatoes and French green beans. Wisps of aromatic steam are released once the paper is opened, stimulating the appetite.

Also recently introduced is the pan-seared glazed New Zealand king salmon ($24), which is accompanied by marinated haricots verts and garnished a la Mediterranean with kalamata olives, feta and mint.