Entrepreneurs understand well the gap between ideas and reality. Ideas just seem to come faster than physically possible to put into action. If only thoughts were deeds. That will never happen, but there are ways of accomplishing goals by working smarter.

While toying with the idea of opening an Asian-style fondue restaurant, Chai Chaowasaree could have gone through all the laborious motions of shopping for real estate and training new staff. Conveniently, he had existing space to spare within eye-shot of the patio at Chai's Island Bistro, saving him what I imagine would have been months of legwork.

Island Fondue will have its official launch Monday under bright yellow umbrellas as a restaurant-within-a-restaurant, though sited outside Chai's patio area. “;Fondue,”; in this case, is a fancier reference to what most of us would describe as shabu shabu. The idea is genius in so many ways.

The beauty of the concept is that in putting cooking in the hands of customers, the restaurant can serve more people without putting too much strain on cooking staff.

Diners also can double their pleasure, able to experience the fondue, and supplement its healthful ingredients with pupus and desserts off the Chai's Island Bistro menu. It's important to note this is a one-way deal. If you're seated under roof at Chai's, you won't be able to order the fondue, allowing them to preserve the restaurant's ambience and prevent cooking smells from permeating the room.

Island Fondue also fits in nicely with a trend toward healthful dining and being aware of the ingredients going into one's meals. There's also been a push toward menu labeling, making the nutritional content of restaurant food available to diners.

Recently, the Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act was signed into law as part of health reform. That means chain (20 or more locations with the same name) restaurants or similar food establishments will be required to make caloric information available to customers before they place their orders. Other nutritional information must be available upon request.

Although Chai's doesn't have the 20 locations that would have made compliance mandatory, he has made the information available for his Island Fondue menu. You can find the list at Take a Bite, blogs.starbulletin.com/takeabite.

Island Fondue offers a more casual alternative to Chai's, with the bulk of items priced at less than $10. Of course, prices can add up fast because you'll find yourself wanting to add everything to the pot.

The fondue, or shabu shabu method, is one of the most healthful ways to cook, with ingredients swirled in a choice of boiling rice-and-vegetable-based Island Fondue broth or Spicy Fiery Hot Pot broth based on a recipe from Chaowasaree's mom. He says he toned down the spiciness, but given its Thai origin, it still packs enough heat to please lovers of chili peppers.

Sectioned pots make it possible to enjoy both, which is nice because the milder broth is easier on fish, while beef holds up well to the spicy broth's strong flavors of toasted sesame seeds, cloves, Thai chili pepper, Chinese five-spice, star anise, cinnamon and dried shrimp, to name a few ingredients. It also contains ground peanuts, so those with allergies should stick to the milder broth.

Island Fondue broth comes with Napa cabbage, Chinese celery, green onions, long rice and tofu, which should be taken into consideration before ordering other ingredients to add to your pot. The Spicy Fiery Hot Pot comes with ong choi, Aloun Farms sweet onion and enoki mushrooms. To all of this you can add such ingredients as USDA Choice beef round eye ($6), garlic-topped tenderloin ($9) or wagyu ($17). If you're on a budget and typically eat light, the basic hot pot ($8) with a couple of additional items might be all it takes to feel sated.

The endeavor is essentially critic-proof! As long as there are quality ingredients going into the pot, the minimalist platform doesn't create much room for error.

Here are succulent king salmon ($6) and mahimahi ($7), which is typically underappreciated, and has never been fresher. In this format I preferred it to the snapper. Add extra vegetables such as Aloun Farms zucchini, won bok and ong choi, at $4 each. I enjoyed the noodlelike but slightly crunchy texture of the enoki mushrooms ($7) swirled in the spicy broth.

Other options include black tiger prawns ($8), sea scallops ($8) and boneless, skinless chicken breast ($5).

Having extra pairs of chopsticks would have been nice. Ladles and slotted spoons offered are a bit too big for a divided pot, and in fishing for morsels of beef, we ended up scooping out more broth condiments than desired. Otherwise, if double-dipping with your chopsticks, make sure your friends have no communicable diseases.

If you need something decadent to feel satisfied, try one of Chai's newest evening appetizers, including fresh oysters on the half shell with a light and refreshing lemongrass garlic mignonette ($12), crispy soft-shell crab with spicy miso cream ($12), gravlax salmon roulade surrounding crab-and-cream cheese mousse ($10), sun-dried tomato and Puna goat cheese wontons ($10/$9 for lunch) or some of his new seafood pad Thai dishes.

Chai's crowd-pleasing desserts, like deep-fried banana tortilla with banana and cream cheese ($7.50), molten chocolate lava cake ($8) and a sampler of chocolate and Tahitian vanilla, Chai's tea and Thai coffee creme brulees ($9) are available, but I couldn't help but dream of chocolate fondue to complete the fondue experience.