It’s not wine, it’s not beer, it’s not sake. Awamori is a distilled spirit unto itself, made from rice and native to Okinawa.

Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room will showcase the distinctive liquor in an event that combines teaching and tasting, starting at 5 p.m. May 19.

Among the pourings will be Wong’s private label from the Chuko Awamori Distillery.

The menu: Surf and Turf of Niihau eland tartare with kampachi ceviche, fish nitsuke with grated bitter melon and bamboo shoots, Niihau lamb with ancho chili black bean sauce, and a coffee ice cream dessert.

Cost is $75. Call 945-6573.

Choy sells Poke to the Max in Seattle

Hawaii chef Sam Choy opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Seattle on Saturday, the first of a group of Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max outlets planned for the West Coast.

The restaurant, at 5300 Rainier Ave. in south Seattle, is an extension of a string of food trucks that Choy and his partner, Max Heigh, have operated in the city for nearly three years.

Choy said more than 800 people showed up on opening day. “It was nonstop, wave after wave after wave,” he said by phone Sunday.

He and Heigh plan to open four To the Max outlets in the Seattle area, but their next opening will likely be in Los Angeles or San Francisco.

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Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser

Mr. Tea expands to Auahi Street

At first glance it might seem foolhardy to open a beverage shop near a Starbucks. But in the case of Mr. Tea Café, opening right behind the coffee behemoth in Kakaako’s Salt complex, it doesn’t seem strange at all.

The cafe delivers trendy bubble tea, aka boba milk tea, those refreshingly cool, colorful, multiflavored drinks with add-ins such as tapioca balls, fruit jellies and even ice cream that make for a highly personalized treat. Now the kids can get in line for their favorite concoctions while Mom and Dad go next door for a java fix.

Owner George Huang, who grew up in Hawaii but spent summers visiting family in Taiwan, home of bubble tea, says his shop offers the largest variety of flavors and toppings, and that he uses the highest grade of teas.

Prices range from $3.50 to about $5. The shop, at 691 Auahi St., opened last week. It is Huang’s second location; the first is near Blaisdell Center.

Hours, which are still being tinkered with, are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. Call 366-5168.

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Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser