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Healthier take
on local favorites

Meat lovers and vegetarians unite! In perfect harmony, you can dine together and savor local-style grinds at the Kaka'ako Kitchen.

After operating on Waimanu Street four years, Kaka'ako Kitchen moved to Ward Centre last March. Improved parking was one of the main reasons for the change in location.

"The volume of people we have here now is unbelievable. Our customers include the downtown crowd, students, entrepreneurs, island entertainers (including Robert Cazimero), news anchors, radio personalities, and former Miss Hawaiis. The Governor comes by or has food picked up for him," said Tony Ho, manager of Kaka'ako Kitchen.

The mixed plate, Island beef stew and five-spice shoyu chicken are among the Kitchen's most popular dishes. Monday through Saturday, there are two daily specials, including a vegetarian special.

The vegetarian dishes include Portobello and tomato salad; vegetarian chili with beans and eggplant, red onion and tofu casserole. All menu items are made from scratch.

Owner Russell Siu's philosophy in opening Kaka'ako Kitchen is to offer local-style food that is healthier, according to Ho. And, in our estimation, Siu has truly succeeded.

Many of the dishes are served with an option of brown rice and fresh Waimanalo greens. A reduced-fat lemon miso salad dressing is available. What's more, the staff will try to accommodate special dietary requests, such as preparing a dish with no added oil or substituting tofu for meat or fish in a stir-fry.

Ahi Chopped Salad

4 pieces ahi, 4 ounces each, lightly seared and diced medium
1 cup small diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped black or calamata olives
8 fresh shiitake, sliced
3/4 red onion, sliced thin
8 pieces won ton pi, julienne and fried crispy
1 carrot, for string garnish
5 ounces assorted baby greens

Combine all ingredients except ahi, won ton pi and carrot string. Add soy sesame dressing (recipe follows) and toss lightly. Divide among four bowls. Top with ahi, won ton pi and carrot strings. Serves 4

Approximate nutritional information per serving without dressing: 230 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 29 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate *

Soy Sesame Dressing

3/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup salad oil
1 cup rice vinegar
4 lemons, juice
3/4 cup sesame seed oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Mix together all ingredients. Makes about 4 cups.

Approximate nutritional information per 2 tablespoons: 150 calories, 13 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate *

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Not every item on the menu at Kaka'ako Kitchen meets government lowfat guidelines. However, with such a wide variety of choices, dressings served on the side and a staff willing to please, you should be able to order a meal that meets your specific health needs.

Kaka'ako Kitchen at Ward Centre: 1200 Ala Moana Blvd. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call: 596-7488

Health Events

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Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who has been teaching
and writing about food and nutrition since 1975.

Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a food and nutrition consultant
and owner of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.
She is also responsible for the nutritional analyses
indicated by an asterisk in this section.

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