As taken as she was, though, with the colorful ocean life in the tank, Rosetta's attention — as well as that of neighboring guests, many of whom were kamaaina — would quickly turn to the table once our martini arrived.

Standing about a foot tall with a cobalt blue glimmer emanating from plastic cubes of light that were buried beneath a heap of crushed ice, this was no ordinary martini.

In fact, it contained neither vodka nor an olive garnish.

Instead, this "cocktail" was made up of oysters on the half shell, fanned jumbo prawns, fresh ahi sashimi and a zesty ono ceviche. Presentation does count and this "symphony on ice" (market price) certainly scores high marks.

For the past couple of years, chefs at Neptune's Garden have refined their menu, striking a balance between pleasing the hotel's out-of-town guests and creating a menu that offers appeal to local residents.

So while tourists have the option to take comfort in such familiar foods as seared dayboat scallops, oysters on the half shell and classic steak Diane, kamaaina can choose to venture into such Island delicacies as taro-crusted crabcakes, ahi carpaccio, ginger-steamed Island snapper and motoyaki-style stuffed lobster.

Before our entrees, G.B. chose to have a bowl of creamy Vichyssoise, prepared with fresh Lehua taro instead of potatoes, which is usually the primary ingredient for this dish.

The whipped velvety taro proved to be a tasty substitution, providing a satisfying Island touch to this otherwise classic French summer soup.

In choosing our entrees, our friendly waiter Mark — whose impeccable service made us all feel at home — informed us that they had a veal chop and fresh ono as the evening's specials.

And while most restaurants have taken moi off their menus because of limited supplies, Mark informed us that this threadfin fish has been one of the restaurant's mainstays ever since it started being farmed in Hawaiian waters.

When I told Rosetta that moi was once only served to royalty, she laughed that it would be the appropriate entree for her to order. (Yes, G.B. and I quipped, she is, after all, the queen mother!)

Pan-fried and complemented with a delicate shiso-butter nage, the flaky moi lived up to its lofty status, easily exceeding Rosetta's expectations.

The same could be said for G.B.'s fettuccine Alfredo ($28.50). A heaping mound of pasta was tossed with a cornucopia of seafood, including bits of fresh Island fish, rock shrimp, scallops and lobster, then colored with green asparagus, white mushrooms and red tomatoes.

The accompanying cream sauce was subtly punctuated with bits of garlic and folded with parmigian-reggiano cheese. What we liked most about this sauce was that it didn't overpower the flavor of the seafood.

G.B.'s mom Rosetta received a warm aloha reception last weekend.

Weighing in at a hefty 22 ounces, my prime bone-in rib-eye ($55) dwarfed Rosetta's and G.B.'s entrees — combined. It was, as Mark said, an entree of "he-man" proportions.

Arriving at the table in a sizzling platter, the beautifully-marbled rib-eye steak rivaled the finest cuts found on any steakhouse menu. And it tasted just as good, too.

Done to a medium-rare temperature, the Flintstone-sized steak was juicy and its tender texture melted in my mouth.

Utterly indulgent!