THE NIGHT STUFF
Bitchen' Kitchen dishes it up for the dance crowd

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Steven Speirs of Kapahulu and Marcy Cabading of Honolulu chat after midnight at Bitchen' Kitchen at Sam Choy's Diamond Head Restaurant. Stone Groove Family's music is on the Thursday night menu. Photos by Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Stone Groove's Zack Morse serves up the good stuff. The soundtrack at Bitchen' Kitchen mixes old school classics with current grooves.

BiTCHEn' KITCHEn WHERE: At Sam Choy's Diamond Head Restaurant, 449 Kapahulu Ave., second floor, 732-8645 WHEN: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays COVER: $10 AGE REQUIREMENT: 23 and older AGE OF CROWD: 23-40s WHAT TO WEAR: Making an effort works best. If you go casual, make sure it's upscale casual. SOUNDTRACK: "Hey Mama" — Black Eyed Peas; "Family Affair" — Mary J. Blige; "I Can't Wait" — Nu Shooz STONE GROOVE'S OTHER WEEKLY: Club De Ville at The Living Room, Sundays from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

It was the second outing for the new weekly from Sam Choy's Diamond Head Restaurant and Stone Groove Family. Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" was playing. Stone Groove's G-Dog — correctly reading the collective mind of a dance-floor crowd like the Pet Psychic might read the mind of your Pomeranian — was manning the tables. And two rooms bathed in chill green lighting were quickly filling with what seemed a largely female crowd.

It was only 11:30 p.m., and all seemed right in the world.

If being the first person to arrive at the office on Friday morning is about as foreign a concept to you as a music diet determined solely by, say, Hot 93.9 FM, Bitchen' Kitchen is for you. Well-dressed even when choosing casual from the closet, the Kitchen's good-looking crowd loved its conversation, but seemed to appreciate a sweet dance floor even more.

Stone Groove's G-Dog, Delve and Zack Morse — whipping up the good stuff, appropriately enough, on the kitchen set of chef Sam's TV cooking show — filled the floor early and kept it that way. Old school played nicely with new school. Tara Kemp flowed into Usher; Nu Shooz into Mary J. Blige. Even Wham's "Everything She Wants" sounded oddly right next to Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot."

Comfortably crowded, there was lots of room to navigate the neighboring conversation-heavy main room. A raised VIP section near Choy's open-air kitchen offered a view of the room, a chocolate fountain (with fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, marshmallows, strawberries and fruit for dipping), white roses on tables and a velvet rope.

A main bar and a couple of satellites ensured everyone's drink needs were quickly sated.

Of course, with Sam Choy's as host, the Kitchen also featured a tasty late-night pupu menu (spicy 'ahi poke handrolls, honey hoisin pork ribs, etc.). A special drink menu, not all that coincidentally, leaned toward female tastes with $3 and $6 selections cheekily named "chocolate almond kiss" and "sexual chocolate."

"From the décor to the music to the general atmosphere to the chocolate, you can kind of tell that we're focusing this on the ladies," said G-Dog, aka Grant Fukuda. "There's a sexier, classier feel to it.

"I love my boys and all. But it's no fun when there's only one girl and 20 guys jumping around her."

Agreed, smooth operator.

Even the two guys near me at the bar boldly ordering "two Fuzzy Things" agreed they'd rarely had it so good.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.

NIGHTSPOTTING ...

JASON'S WITH THE BANDS

Got a question about live music in this town, past or present? Chances are good that Jason Miller knows the answer. Arguably one of the most tireless supporters and promoters of homegrown rock bands and music over the past decade, Jason and some friends you might know will be celebrating the 10th birthday of his Hawaiian Express record label and promotions company all weekend at Anna Bannanas. Catch Pimpbot and The Crud w/ Mr. Orange tonight, and drop by again on Saturday to see Go Jimmy Go and Microscopic Syllables throw it down live. Doors open at 9 p.m., 21 and older. Entry is $7 on each night. Thanks for all the help over the years, Jason! I owe you, like, a pitcher or something.

THINK PINK

Feng Shui Ultralounge hosts the unveiling of Pink C boutique's spring fashion line Saturday with models and a theme of "Europe Meets South Beach." The usual Partymasters and Double-O-Spot indoor/outdoor goings on, naturally, will also be part of the mix. From 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., 21 and older, at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki's Ciao Mein restaurant.

CRAYON PUNK

Get a caffeine buzz and live thrashing from some of the newest (and youngest) punk bands in town at Unity Crayons' Virgins of Punk IX. The Saturday night live show — hosted by those good band-supportin' folk at Coffee Talk — will feature Limelight, The Gonners, Sunday Silence and NVP. It's all ages, starts at 8 p.m. and costs $5. Get more information and show some love to the nonprofit Crayon crew at www.unitycrayons.com.