Honolulu Weekly

Du Vin

1115 Bethel St. (545-1115). Daily 11am-closing. Food: $4-$16. AmEx, DC, Disc, JCB, MC, V.

This downtown brasserie’s menu reads ’served daily from 11am untilÖ’ and the telling ellipsis captures the languid, nuanced dining missing from Honolulu. Sample vin, vino or wine from the expansive wine list to go with a cloudlike, supple brie baked in puff pastry, oysters Rockefeller or the chalkboard’s daily specials, and make it an open-ended evening.

India Cafe

Kilohana Square, 1016 Kapahulu Ave. at Kihei Pl. (737-4600). Mon-Thu 5-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-2:30pm, 5-9:30pm; Sun 11am-2:30pm, 5-9pm. Combination plates: $7.50-$13.95. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

India Cafe is one of only two places in town to get dosai, the South Indian crÍpe. You can also get Malaysian nasi lemak. Lamb masala and chicken curry are winners, but sometimes the food is off the mark. It’s a casual cafe worth chancing.

Jackie’s Kitchen

Ala Moana Center, 4th level (943-2426). Sun-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri, Sat 11am-11pm. Appetizers: $5.25-$18.95. EntrÈes: $14.95-$28.50. AmEx, MC, V.

Burgers might not be very Chinese, but perfectly steamed moi topped with ginger and Chinese parsley is. A bestseller is the Rush Hour Ribs. Be a drunken master at the ‘flair’ bar.

Maui Mike’s Fire-Roasted Chicken

96 S. Kamehameha Hwy., Wahiawa, (622-5900). Mon-Sat 11am-8:30pm. Combo deals: $5.49-$6.79. Whole chicken: $9.95. MC, V.

Launched by North Shore guys Mike Royce and Jairus Cannon, Maui Mike’s Fire-Roasted Chicken is a fast-food joint serving slow-cooked meals. The additive-free birds (flown in weekly from Texas) turn in a rotisserie, the juices dripping into the gas-fueled fire. The result is nicely seasoned supermoist meat that doesn’t need one of the six dipping sauces you can choose from. Sandwiches and sides like fries and baked beans are also on the menu.’

Mexico Lindo

600 Kailua Rd. (263-0055). Sun-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm. MC, V.

Uber colorful Mexico Lindo is one of only three Mexican joints in Kailua, but this spot is packed every night. An offshoot of the Kane’ohe original, Mexico Lindo has friendly service, live mariachi and hearty fare that’s far from authentic–perfect for Windwardites who prefer things western with a Pacific twist. The blue crab quesadilla with the signature papaya avocado salsa is perfect.

Ola

57-091 Kamehameha Hwy., Turtle Bay Resort (293-0801), Daily 11am-3pm & 5-9pm, Entrees: $16.95-$37.95. V, MC, Disc, AmEx

Chef Fred D’Angelo demonstrates his notable flair for Mediterranean fusion and Pacific Rim cuisine. In addition to regional standards like grilled ahi and miso butterfish, he puts creative twists on Hawaiian favorites like the colorfully plated and loaded kalua pork and goat cheese nachos. The steamed clams with a splendid roasted garlic white wine broth is the exceptional plate on the menu, served with the contrasting flavor of raw watercress. Go Tuesdays or Thursdays so you can dine to the acoustic stylings of singer-songwriter Stephen Inglis.

Uncle Bo’s Pupu Bar & Grill

559 Kapahulu Ave. (739-2426). Daily 5pm-2am. Pupu $6-$10, Entrees $10-$25. AmEx, Disc, JCB, MC, V

Kapahulu’s unofficial restaurant row gets a late-night dining option with this sleek resto-lounge. The seafood-heavy pupu menu features strong flavors–sweet chili calamari, dynamite shrimp–to pair with successive rounds of drinks from the pink backlit bar. Don’t miss the Thai style steamer clams in a sweet chili garlic oyster sauce. Service is gracious, informative and exactly what you’d expect from a place where the chef prefixes his name with ‘Uncle.’

Yanni’s Greek and Mediterranean Cuisine

500 Ala Moana Blvd. (585-8142), Mon-Sat open for lunch at 11am, dinner served after 5pm, Prices: Entrees $15.50-$25.50, V, MC, AmEx

If a Greek restaurant can’t do calamari, it can’t really be called Greek. Yanni’s does calamari–curly, bite-sized pieces of extra-tender squid tossed in a tempura-light breading. The supple mezethe’s counterpart is the saganaki–a triangle of pan-fried kefalograviera sheep cheese that is rich, heavy and savory with a squirt of lemon. Add it to the homemade rolls–dense balls of pale, yeasty bread–and the trio of dips (tzatziki, made with Yanni’s yogurt; melitzanosalata, an eggplant dip similar to Middle Eastern baba ghanoush; and teramosalata, fish roe dip) and you could ask for the check and go home happy. The kiawe-fired pizzas are also fantastic.

Yotteko-Ya

McCully Shopping Center, 1960 Kapi’olani Blvd., 2nd floor (946-2900). Mon-Sat 11am-2pm, 5-11pm; Sun 11am-2pm, 5-9pm. $3.75-$9.45. AmEx, JCB, MC, V

This ramen house is part of a Japan chain. While the noodles taste kind of like pasta, the restaurant makes what is possibly the best char siu in the city. You can order your ramen Japanese style (al dente) or local style (cooked longer for softer texture). The red-and-black style quotient make Yotteko-Ya date-worthy.