DIY PLATE LUNCH

The make-it-yourself meal comes in many incarnations: fondue, yakiniku, hot pot, butter yaki. But when DIY dining makes it onto your local take-out menu, you know it's going to draw a crowd. Sounds fun, but let's get real — who has the time to make their own lunch during work hours? Answering that question is Stonegrill Restaurant, a franchise grill-it-yourself fast food joint that has managed to streamline the tabletop cooking process so that it fits nicely into a busy day. In the time that it takes you to order and eat a mochiko chicken plate (which is also on the Stonegrill menu, and comes ready to eat for the grill-shy), you can grill your own, and eat it too. A red-hot stone is delivered to your table, along with your choice of raw steak, chicken, fish and veggies. Cooking them just right is up to you. Sorry, no takeout on the grill-it-yourself meals ($8.75-$19.99), but there's a full menu of other plate-lunch style items that can be packed up and taken back to the office.

STONEGRILL RESTAURANT

Restaurant Row 500 Ala Moana Blvd.

537-4573

Hours: 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily

SMALL BITES

PURE DECADENCE, BUT SO WHAT?

Butter makes everything better, right? Side Street Inn (1225 Hopaka St., 591-0253) proves this theory by taking butter pound cake and frying it in more butter to create a light, toasty crust. It's generously drizzled with a cinnamon chocolate sauce and a creme anglaise, then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry for color. It's big enough to share at $7.50, but chances are you won't want to.

Reservations are still available for Chef Russell Siu's upcoming "Chef's Table" at 3660 on the Rise. The tasting dinner is $80 per person and is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26. The menu will include salmon tartar, lobster bisque, poached scallops in a mushroom cream sauce, beef tenderloin with green peppercorn sauce and, for dessert, napoleon of raspberries. Call 737-1177 to make reservations.

Chef Hiroshi Fukui now offers a rotating prix fixe four-course menu for $35 per person at Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas restaurant at Restaurant Row. The menu changes monthly, and this month's menu includes: a sushi trio, Big Island black tiger shrimp, cheese stuffed with Maui cattle meatloaf and Hawaiian vanilla bean pannacotta. To order the prix fixe menu, mention it when making reservations (533-4476).

Chef George Mavrothalassitis of restaurant Chef Mavro is partnering with nonprofit Hale 'Aina 'Ohana to provide advanced training for local culinary students. The first two-day installment of the "Restaurant Reality" program will be held March 24 and 25, and will involve two students from the Kaua'i Community College culinary program that were selected after a rigorous essay process.

Yuchun Korean Restaurant, known for its black arrowroot noodles used in the house specialty mul naeng myun (noodles in an ice-cold beef broth), has moved to a larger space on Kapi'olani Boulevard, near McKinley Car Wash. The restaurant, which is known to draw large crowds during the lunch hours, has closed its original location on Ke'eaumoku Street.

WE'RE CRAVING: GREEK!

THE FAT GREEK

The newest of the Greek eateries in this city, The Fat Greek was an instant favorite when it opened just over a year ago. Its popularity has only grown thanks to its generous portions, fresh ingredients and daily fish specials that really broke da mout'. It's BYOB, and there's no corkage fee, so grab a bottle of riesling and settle in for an al fresco evening of savory food under the Kaimuki sky.

The Fat Greek, 3040 Wai'alae Ave., 734-0404

OLIVE TREE CAFE

Owner Savas Mojharrad's Greek and Eastern Mediterranean cafe offers a value-priced and varied menu. It's a casual kind of place where you can eat lightly (feta and olives with pita, a tabbouleh salad and lentil soup) or dine heartily on the signature souvlaki kebabs (fish, chicken, lamb, served with a house salad) or rotating nightly specials. Seating and parking are at a premium, but patience and perseverance pay off in the end. While you're waiting for your order of braised lamb shank, visit the cafe's sister deli Oliver next door, and don't leave without a bottle of Spanish red and a few slices of manchego cheese.

Olive Tree Cafe, 4614 Kilauea Ave., 737-0303

LEO'S TAVERNA

Leo's does fast-food Greek. With a more limited menu than the others, people (mostly business types on their lunch break at the Downtown location and hungry shoppers on the go at the Don Quijote food court location) go to Leo's for the basics: gyros sandwiches, falafel and hummus.

Leo's Taverna, two locations: 1116 Bishop St., 550-8443; Don Quijote food court, 810 Kaheka St., 949-2225

GREEK MARINA

The East side's claim to Greek is a popular sit-down and takeout joint that offers a well-rounded menu of familiar Greek specialties, as well as a good variety of the less ubiquitous (at least in this city) dishes, such as tiropita (filo-wrapped baked cheese), marides (a basket of deep-fried fish, served whole) and saganaki (flambe of Kasseri cheese).

Greek Marina, Koko Marina Center, 7192 Kalaniana'ole Highway, 396-8441

THE GREEK CORNER

University of Hawai'i students flock to this Puck's Alley eatery for its bargain meals. Where Greek food is considered a rarity, and is priced to reflect such, The Greek Corner keeps its prices low, which keeps people coming back for more. The food can be a bit uneven, but when it's done right, it's satisfying and addictive.

The Greek Corner, 1025 University Ave., 942-5503

FOOD NEWS

Reservations are still available for Chef Russell Siu's upcoming "Chef's Table" at 3660 on the Rise. The tasting dinner is $80 per person and is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26. The menu will include salmon tartar, lobster bisque, poached scallops in a mushroom cream sauce, beef tenderloin with green peppercorn sauce and, for dessert, napoleon of raspberries. Call

737-1177 to make reservations.

Chef Hiroshi Fukui now offers a rotating prix fixe four-course menu for $35 per person at

Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas restaurant at Restaurant Row. The menu changes monthly, and this month's menu includes: a sushi trio, Big Island black tiger shrimp, cheese stuffed with Maui cattle meatloaf and Hawaiian vanilla bean pannacotta. To order the prix fixe menu, mention it when making reservations (533-4476).

Chef George Mavrothalassitis of restaurant Chef Mavro is partnering with nonprofit Hale 'Aina 'Ohana to provide advanced training for local culinary students. The first two-day installment of the "Restaurant Reality" program will be held March 24 and 25, and will involve two students from the Kaua'i Community College culinary program that were selected after a rigorous essay process.

Yuchun Korean Restaurant, known for its black arrowroot noodles used in the house specialty mul naeng myun (noodles in an ice-cold beef broth), has moved to a larger space on Kapi'olani Boulevard, near McKinley Car Wash. The restaurant, which is known to draw large crowds during the lunch hours, has closed its original location on Ke'eaumoku Street.