That was blues giant Taj Mahal at the Liliha Bakery counter after his Friday show at The Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace. We buzzed him the other day to ask what he had and how he heard about the hole-in-the-wall local fave, and he was so enthusiastic.

"I had saimin and I had a mahimahi sandwich, and I love the place," Mahal said. "This is the place; my band (the Hula Blues guys) took me there (with city ocean safety director Ralph Goto coordinating). I'm not a McDonald's or Burger King kind of guy, so this was great." ...

Meanwhile, O-shen, the Hawai'i and Papua New Guinea reggae artist, popped into Cheeseburger Waikiki for a late lunch before his Jammin' Hawaiians Saturday concert at the Waikiki Shell. Had to load up for his "1 Rebel" hit. ...

Fiji, who also did the Jammin' Hawaiians show, paused at Aaron's for nourishment, with Pro Bowler pal Jeremy Newberry of the Oakland Raiders among his party. That night, Kevin Durand, "Smoking Aces" and "X-Men" actor, was at Aaron's; he's doing ABC's "Lost," which tapped Peter Aaron Maharaj of Aaron's as an extra, along with his mom and dad. The episode, "The Shape of Things to Come," which used the Downtown YWCA as a stand-in for a hotel in Tunisia, airs April 24. ...

HERE 'N' THERE: Haumea Hebenstreit Ho, Don Ho's widow, won't get one of the two Trump Tower suites he bought before he died, according to Ho's trustees. The two units are back on the market — a cost-saving measure. ...

Bruce Shimabukuro does a live-at-the-Willows show from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow and again June 27 as part of the "Friday Music Live" series. The $10 admission includes pupu; a buffet dinner option is available. Call 952-9200. ...

Great double-truck ad for "South Pacific" in Sunday's Arts & Leisure section in The New York Times, and yes, our Loretta Ables Sayre (as Bloody Mary) was among those with glowing reviews. The crew did the cast recording Monday, due for a May release. ...

When your mother is a professional ice cream maker — even when you're 3,000 miles away — there are perks, as Cadet 4th Class Michael Francis Kim, oldest son of Roselani ice cream's Cathy Nobriga Kim and husband John, has discovered. Kim is a freshman at California Maritime Academy in Vallejo. No surprise, then, that their campus lu'au had extras — tubs of Roselani's Haupia, Hawaiian Vanilla Bean and Kona Mud Pie — flown in. "And Michael asked for a 'side order' of Mango 'n Cream, Pa'uwela Sunrise and Classic Macadamia Nut for one of his professors," Nobriga Kim reports. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Jordan Segundo and Yasmin Dar have declined an invitation to host the second season of "Destination: Groove Dance Hawaii" because the show will air on OC16 this season, and the cable station hires hosts and imposes an exclusive-to-OC16-only lid, prohibiting any outside activity. So they've turned down the offer. ...

Segundo and Angeli Callo are the lone locals who will appear with other Philippines performers in "Wowowee," a Bigatin Productions one-night at 7 p.m. May 10 at Aloha Stadium. The show will be broadcast on ABS-CBN as an international two-hour special. Segundo is the media spokesman for this event. Details: www.bigatinworldtour.com ...

Caught a closing-weekend performance of Diamond Head Theatre's "Flower Drum Song," and the buzz was not overstated. Autumn Ogawa, as Mei-Li, has a voice that has bloomed beautifully, and while there was an incongruous height difference between Ogawa and Wang Ta (played by Brad Mezurashi), they had special chemistry. Surely, DHT could have easily drummed up full houses, if further extensions were possible. The ensemble was sprightly, mobile and highly efficient, led by Cathy Foy-Mahi doing her dragon-lady best as Madame Liang, and Greg Zane's direction and choreography were right on target, moving choruses — decked out in stylish finery by Karen G. Wolfe — with flowing charm. Wouldn't these creations be a hit for rentals next Halloween? ...

There was a full house for "Menopause the Musical" at Sunday's matinee at the Hawai'i Theatre — partly because Andrea Snider corralled a large group from the Newcomers Club to attend. The "Musical" ensemble of four — Monique Whittington, Nancy Slusser, Jan Roeton and Liz Hyde — did a talk-back discussion before settling into early dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House at Restaurant Row, where other guests included Louis Tucci, Nancy's husband and audio man on the "Menopause" tour; and Monique's mother, Brenda, who had just arrived from Danville, Ill., for an Island visit. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.