At Dean's Drive-Inn, it's the garnish.

Well, it isn't. It's the steaklike chunks of teri beef, the crisp 'ahi cakes with chunks of rich fish and crunchy water chestnuts, the daily fish specials such as ebi with ogo and the local-favorite chop steak stir-fry.

But owner Dean Mishima is only half joking when he says it's the eye-catching swirl of thread-thin vegetables that has built his 14-month-old business in a Kane'ohe strip mall.

Worked for me. The first time I visited Dean's a few weeks ago with my foodie girlfriend, Marylene, my fish special mini ($6.75) was at least 5 ounces of perfectly prepared 'ahi belly in garlic butter; the salad, also garnished, was comprised of leafy greens and it was, in fact, on the side, in its own little container, even though we were eating in. (By the way, the minis here aren't manini; they're just smaller plate lunches, with one scoop rice or mac salad, extra 50 cents to substitute green salad).

My first thought when I saw the beautifully arranged "plates" (actually Styrofoam clam shells) was, "there's a chef in the kitchen." And there is.

For 18 years, Mishima worked at Liberty House, where he ended by overseeing all the restaurants — Garden Court, Gazebo and Hackfeld's.

Then in July 2006, Mishima opened Dean's — "Local Boy/Local Food." His wife, Doreen, is the smiling woman at the front register.

A Castle High grad Kane'ohe-born and raised, Mishima drove by the Kamehameha Highway location for years and never noticed the site, once a Korean restaurant. He was shown the space and decided to try something "local but a little healthy."

Dean's is focused on made-to-order food, especially seafood; more healthful options, including brown rice, green salads and vegetarian dishes; a concern with presentation (that garnish thing); and fair but not excessive volume and prices.

"Especially in Kane'ohe, when I was younger, all they look for is a mountain full of food, a lot of gravy. I don't care if you give me four scoops of rice and one piece chicken, make it a mountain full of food and at a cheap price," Mishima said. "I told my wife, 'I'm gonna try something and if it backfires on me, well, at least I tried.' "

No need worry, Dean. You get 'em.

Besides the 'ahi belly, Marylene and I ordered the teriyaki beef steak (Mishima's No. 1 seller; $5.95, $7.50), an 'ahi cake mini ($6.75; 7.95 full plate), pineapple upside-down cake ($1.50) and chocolate chip bar ($1.75).

It went like this: Marylene forks up a chunk of thick but tender steak, glistening with dark marinade, bites, chews, sighs, "Oh!"

"Oh's good," I say. Then I dig into the beef and become incapable of speech.

"I get chills," she says.

When I really like something I'm eating, I become giddy and childlike, bouncing in my seat. Eating Dean's teri beef, I was bobbing up and down like a ping-pong ball.

We try the 'ahi cakes, caramelized on the outside, meaty on the inside, with an as-beautiful-as-it-is-delicious sweet chili beurre blanc (white butter sauce! In a plate lunch place!). I look at her, round-eyed. She and I spent a happy day testing homemade 'ahi cake recipes once.

"These are better than OUR 'ahi cakes," I say.

"Mmmm, hmmm, ymmmy," she murmurs incoherently.

I dig into my 'ahi belly and immediately start scooping white rice into the pool of garlic butter.

"This lunch is getting more stars with every bite, " Marylene says.

"Mmmm, hmmm, ymmmy," I murmur incoherently.

For dessert, the chocolate bars are OK, but there's something intriguing about the pineapple upside-down cake (squares of cake frosted with crushed pineapple and decorated with a maraschino cherry) — some elusive perfumey flavoring that draws us back for forkful after forkful.

The sweets — made by the women in Mishima's life, including his mother, wife and his sister, Kelly Peralta, formerly a cake decorator at Halekulani — are of a homey kind, change daily and range from andagi doughnuts to chocolate cake with buttercream frosting (all about $1.75).

Later, I found the loco moco mini ($5.25), pretty good but not out of the ordinary. But the chop steak was soul-satisfying — tender meat, a good amount of "juice" and some crunch left in the vegetables ($5.95, $7.25).

Several friends have tried Dean's at my suggestion and concur: "Mmmm, hmmm, ymmmy."

RESTAURANT NEWS

Bigger and better: Plate lunch spot Sugoi (1281 Kalani St., 841-7984) recently expanded, acquiring the next-door space to create a dining area with 12 tables. New on the menu is grilled New York steak, topped with garlic butter and grilled onions and mushrooms. In addition, Sugoi's garlic bottled sauces are now at Times, Foodland, Star Market, Marukai, Wholesale Unlimited and Menehune Mac Factory, and soon in Don Quijote, Wal-Mart and Longs Drugs.

Changes: Hula Grill Waikiki (Outrigger Waikiki Hotel, 923-4852) has a new executive chef, Steve Hessenflow. New menu items: rice paper poke rolls, roasted kabocha and lobster bisque and tandoori-spiced opah.

Michel's at the Colony Surf (2895 Kalakaua Ave., 923-6552) has a new winter dinner menu. The restaurant has also added popular specials to the a la carte brunch menu. Now you can have favorites such as the Kobe Wagyu sirloin burger and a fresh corned beef hash platter every Sunday.

Events: Grenache stars at Brasserie du Vin's next Monday Night Wine Dinner. On the menu: slow-roasted pork shoulder with wild arugula and anchovy aioli paired with 2005 Kaena Grenache Rose from Santa Ynez, Calif. Price: $69. Reservations required: 545-1115.

Winemaking stars such as Jim Clendenen (Au Bon Climat), Mia Klein (Selene) and former Hawai'i resident Hilary Graves (Graves Wine Growers) will be on hand to serve and talk about their wines at Furuya's Favorites, a gulp-and-graze fundraising evening for the Lupus Foundation of America, Hawai'i Chapter, at Vino and Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas, 5:30-9:30 tonight. Food-biz somebodies always turn out for this one. Tickets are $100 per person. Call the Hawaii Lupus foundation at 285-3550.

Take-out turkeys: I Love Country Cafe is taking orders for its annual Thanksgiving turkey dinner. The $99 dinner includes a freshly roasted 14- to 16-pound turkey, chestnut stuffing (made with house-baked bread), mashed potatoes and gravy, whole-berry cranberry sauce, oven-roasted veggies and a pumpkin cream-cheese roll. To order, call 783-7901.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.