GREEN DOOR CAFE SERVES UP ZING

Green Door Cafe? That hole-in-the-wall that started out in Chinatown, closed down, reopened in Kahala, closed down ... and now it's back in Chinatown.

There's a lot about the quirky Singaporean-Malaysian eatery's third incarnation that's familiar. First, it's back to four tables and a shorter menu. Second, after an interlude with real plates in Kahala, the Styrofoam is back. Also back: plastic utensils, which gets interesting when trying to ladle out curry and realizing it's easier to lift up the Styrofoam and pour it on your paper plate.

We tried the entire menu (which changes often), plus sides of the famous coconut rice and roti bread ($1.50 each) — toasty hot, steaming moist discs of sweet gooey goodness. It's not like roti we know, but who cares?

Roti aches for curry, and owner Betty Pang's chicken-and-onion Malaysian yellow curry ($8.75) with fresh-ground spices is a good match. Sweet roti and zingy-hot curry make the mouth happy. We also love the Singapore long beans tofu ($8.75), a deeply balanced dish with a fresh sour sauce, but we'll pass on the lomi salmon unless there's a Hawaiian plate on the menu, too.

Both shrimp dishes — Singapore basil shrimp ($10.75) and shrimp tofu with shrimp sambal ($10.75) — slammed home the heat and flavor, but the shrimp tofu was incredible. Elements of sour, spice and savory, in a fermented shrimp paste, big shrimp cooked just right ... oh, wow!

Pang told us she'll make our dream dish from the streets of Penang, char kway teow shoyu wok-fried noodles, if we give her a day or two notice. Will we be back? You bet.

Green Door Cafe, 1110 Nu'uanu Ave., 533-0606, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; open at 6 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays (closing time depends on traffic)

FOOD NEWS

To commemorate the 750th anniversary of the passing of Shinran Shonin, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii is facilitating the creation of a temporary cafe that will serve the traditional food of Buddhist monks who reside in the mountain temples of Kyoto. The food, called shojin ryori, is healthy, organic vegetarian fare, and will be prepared for the event by a visiting Japanese chef schooled in its preparation. Dubbed Cafe Annon, the two-week food event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 4 through 17, at Tsukiji Fish Market at Ala Moana Center. There will also be stations in the restaurant devoted to educating the public on Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu. For more information on Cafe Annon, call 522-9200 or visit www.hongwanjihawaii.com.

Romano's Macaroni Grill in Ala Moana Center now offers discounted pupu and cocktails — $3 beer and wine, $5 cocktails and $5 appetizers — from 4 to 7 p.m. daily during its new happy hour. Call 356-8300 for more information.

Auntie Pasto's restaurant (1099 S. Beretania St., 523-8855) has created a new list of corkless wines. Owner Ed Wary said the restaurant no longer uses wines with cork stoppers because synthetic stoppers are easier on the environment and create less waste — there is zero spoilage from cork residue contamination.

TRY THIS

CHOCOLATE PORKER

Yep, you read that label right: the chocolate bacon bar (available at JJ's Sweets and Gifts at Pearlridge, 485-1685). A less high-maka version of gourmet chocolatier Vosges' Mo's Bacon Bar, this sweet-and-salty confection hits all the same great notes. And how could it miss? It's made with bacon and — all together now — everything tastes better with bacon. Even chocolate.

FLIGHTS OF FANCY

Twist at Hanohano, the Sheraton Waikiki's made-over restaurant in the Hanohano Room, unveiled its new wine bar last week. Flights @ Twist is essentially a collection of five wine-tasting menus that range in theme from Thunder From Down Under — bold reds from wineries south of the equator — to Go Green, a trio of organic and/or sustainable wines from California. Each of the menus ($11-$17) comes with a trio of tasting flights, along with easy-to-digest mini profiles on each of the wines. There is also a pupu menu of items designed to match the various wines. Bonus: (Besides the amazing 30th-floor view) Flights @ Twist offers 25 percent off the wine menus from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. daily.

Flights @ Twist

Sheraton Waikiki's Hanohano Room 2255 Kalakaua Ave.
921-4600
Hours: 4:30-11 p.m. daily