Nobu's stylish, mod-cool lounge is no cheap date, but it offers compensations. The cocktails are Asian-inspired, and the bar is full of people who are dressed to look their best on weekend nights.

THE LOUNGE AT NOBU WAIKIKI

Where: Waikiki Parc Hotel, 2233 Helumoa Road (across from Halekulani), 237-6999

Hours: 5 p.m.-midnight, nightly

Got parking? Yes. Valet at the Parc's porte-cochere on Helumoa, or self-park in the hotel's garage off Kalia Road.

The appeal: Intriguingly designed, Asian-inspired signature cocktails — many fresh-ingredient-infused — and chef Nobu Matsuhisa's entire Nobu Waikiki menu in a modestly upscale, hope-we'll-see-a-celeb-and-be-seen mod-lounge setting.

Those cocktails: Include a bellini martini (peach vodka, peach liqueur, white peach puree) and the nashi martini (pear-infused gin, pear liqueur, fresh lime juice, honey gelee) among a dozen or so others. A bit overpriced at $12 each? Definitely. But actually $2 less than their Nobu New York counterparts.

My favorite: The suika martini. Pieces of fresh watermelon are vigorously shaken with vodka, honey syrup and fresh lime juice. The shaking breaks apart the fruit, infusing the cocktail with a refreshing watermelon taste, kicked by alcohol and lime and the light sweetness of honey. According to our bartender, it's the lounge's most popular cocktail.

The food: For a Nobu take on bar food, we ordered Nobu-style sashimi tacos: bits of raw salmon, 'ahi, cooked crab and lobster, stuffed cold into crisp, salted very-miniature tortilla shells. Darn tasty, but at $16 for a platter of four (one salmon taco, one 'ahi taco, etc.), too much for too little.

Interiors: Curvy leather Euro-cool loungers, darkwood cocktail tables, a 10-seat walnut main bar, above-bar dark panels of woven birch and onyx walls are given a moody-sexy glow by votives and overhead spots. The lounge also was appreciatively less cacophonous, its service less unnecessarily excitable than the restaurant.

The crowd: Fridays and Saturdays are busiest, with as many dressy klatches of 20- to 50- somethings anchoring themselves in the lounge as there are killing time until restaurant tables are ready. The lounge was packed from 7:30 to 10 p.m. on a Saturday we stopped by for dinner.

The soundtrack: Anonymous, unthreatening house played at a conversation-encouraging volume.

Celebrity sightings: Unless you consider Al Masini a celebrity ... I saw none.

NIGHTSHIFT ...

There's so much sweet post-sunset activity going on this weekend. I'll cut to the chase.