Another eludes to a premium cognac. A third sounds like a Spanish greeting. And the fourth is already a well-established name. The Mandalay, XO, Ola and Romano's Macaroni Grill, respectively, are the newest restaurants to create a buzz in the local dining scene.

As quickly as Eastern Garden in Westridge closed down this past February, owners Linda and Larry Chan were already making plans for their new venture located at the old Yong Sing restaurant on Alakea Street.

"We didn't want the name to include anything like 'Garden' or 'Palace,' Larry said. "Linda and I chose The Mandalay because we felt it would match the elegance of the restaurant. If you see the interior, you'll see why it's appropriate."

With exact date not yet confirmed, Larry said The Mandalay (1055 Alakea St., in between Alii Tower and Central Pacific Bank) will officially be open sometime in December.

"It won't be your common Chinese restaurant," he said. "It's going to be a truly contemporary Asian restaurant, offering fine cuisine and Hong Kong-style dim sum."

After almost a two-year hiatus from the local restaurant industry, Raymond Chau — former owner of Won Kee, A-1 Steakhouse and a namesake restaurant in Waikiki — is staging his own comeback.

In December, Chau said he'll open XO (1718 Kapiolani Blvd., 942-2020) at the former Dunkin' Donuts location across from the Hawaii Convention Center.

"The name refers to the special sauce that we'll be offering," said Chau, who was in China for the past two years learning more about different cooking styles. "It's a sauce that's made with dried shrimp, chili, scallops, garlic and Virginia ham. All the ingredients are roasted then grinded to a fine powder. And even though it's called 'XO,' the sauce does not contain any cognac."

Most dishes here will be priced below $10, including fresh onaga and opakapaka.

"This is it," Chau said in an upbeat tone. "I'm going to do everything to make it a success."

No stranger to success is Fred DeAngelo, formerly of Palomino and Tiki's Grill & Bar, and now co-owner of Olino Events and Culinary Flights.

On Dec. 1, the talented chef will open Ola at Turtle Bay Resort.

"It's going to be beautiful," DeAngelo said. "It's right on the beach and you can almost feel the waves and sand."

Defining his cuisine as "contemporary Island," DeAngelo said he'll use ingredients from surrounding farms, including beef from North Shore Cattle and tomatoes from Hauula.

"It's familiar food, but we give it a nice twist," he said. "Ola means life and healthy, and this will come out in the cuisine."

Open for the past couple of weeks, Romano's Macaroni Grill (Hookipa Terrace, Ala Moana Shopping Center) offers Tuscan-influenced cuisine prepared in an exhibition-style kitchen.