Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [103]
At Mark’s Place, 1610 Haleukana St. in Puhi Industrial Park ( 80 8/245-2722), just southwest of Lihue, island standards (Korean-style chicken, teriyaki beef, beef stew, chicken katsu) come with brown rice (or white) and salad for $6.75 or $7.75. The selection, which changes daily, always includes two salad and three entree choices as well as hot sandwiches (chicken, beef, and hamburgers) and the ever-popular bentos. Mark’s is a takeout and catering operation, so don’t expect table seating.
Lihue, the island’s county and business seat, is full of ethnic eateries serving inexpensive plate lunches. Po’s Kitchen, 4100 Rice St. ( 80 8/246-8617), offers Japanese specials: cone sushi, chicken katsu, teriyaki beef plates, and bentos. One block away, Garden Island BBQ, 4252-A Rice St. ( 80 8/245-8868), is the place for Chinese plate lunches and local staples such as barbecued or lemon chicken and teriyaki steak, as well as soups and tofu dishes.
MODERATE
Café Portofino ITALIAN For a romantic dinner with a harpist playing softly in the background, this candlelit restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine at reasonable prices in a relaxing atmosphere. Owner Giuseppe Avocadi personally greets every guest and then checks again when you leave to make sure that your dining experience was impeccable. The menu lists appetizers ranging from ahi (or beef) carpaccio to the house special antipasto (with five different daily choices). But it’s the pasta that will bring you back here a second time: These homemade dishes are so light you’d swear you could keep on eating all night. There’s a dozen different dishes to choose from, plus the chef usually has a few new creations to make your decision all the harder. Also on the menu are fresh fish, a variety of chicken dishes, veal and beef dishes (from the traditional osso buco to scaloppini a la Marsala to chicken cacciatore), and a few items for vegetarians. Live music is featured every night.
3481 Hoolaulea St., Nawiliwili. 80 8/245-2121.www.cafeportofino.com Reservations recommended. Main courses $20–$40. MC, V. Daily 5–9:30pm.
Duke’s STEAK/SEAFOOD It’s hard to go wrong at Duke’s. Part of a highly successful restaurant chain (including Duke’s Canoe Club in Waikiki and three similar restaurants on Maui), this oceanfront oasis is the hippest spot in town, with a winning combination of great view, affordable menu, attractive salad bar, popular music, and a very happy happy hour. The noontime bestseller is stir-fried cashew chicken, but the fresh mahimahi sandwich and the grilled chicken quesadilla are front-runners, too. The inexpensive fish tacos are a major attraction. The five or six varieties of fresh catch each night are a highlight and a great value. Hawaiian musicians serenade diners nightly, while downstairs in the Barefoot Bar traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music adds to the cheerful atmosphere. On Tropical Friday, tropical drinks go for under $6 from 4 to 6pm, and live music stirs up the joint.
In the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club, 3610 Rice St., Nawiliwili. 80 8/246-9599.www.dukeskauai.com. Reservations recommended for dinner. Main courses $8–$12 lunch, $19–$29 dinner. “Taco Tuesdays” 4–6pm, with $2.50 fish tacos and $3.25 draft beer. AE, DISC, MC, V. Barefoot Bar daily 11am–11pm; main dining room daily 5–10pm.
INEXPENSIVE
Dani’s Restaurant AMERICAN/HAWAIIAN Always packed for breakfast, Dani’s is the pancake palace of Lihue. Varieties include banana, pineapple, papaya, and buttermilk, plus such options as sweet-bread French toast and kalua-pig omelets. Regulars know that fried rice is offered on Thursday only and that the papaya hot cakes are always a deal. At lunch, Hawaiian specials—laulau, kalua