COVER STORY
Owners add new wines, 'House Specials'

Lunch guests have a variety of dishes from which to choose, including pizzas, pasta and lamb chops. Photos by Randy T. Fujimori Kit n' Kitchen Where: 1010 University Ave., next to Varsity Theater Call: 942-7622 Hours: Lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly from 5 to 10 p.m.; Note: The restaurant is now fully licensed to serve alcohol.

These are the new additions that Kit n' Kitchen owners Kit and May Yiu have recently introduced to their menu.

"Our customers are the ones who were eager to see these changes," Kit Yiu said. "They wanted nicer dishes matched with finer wines."

Fait accompli!

Since opening Kit n' Kitchen four years ago, the restaurant has come a long way from its concrete-slab flooring and metallic-table-top days.

The restaurant is newly tiled; tables are draped with white linen cloth; and a new yellow fabric canopy toward the back of the room looks like the awning of a cafe or bistro.

"We've just tried to make it more comfortable and inviting," Kit Yiu said. "We even added a divider to separate a part of the room for more privacy."

Inspired by his chef friends in Japan and China, as well as visits to various local restaurants, Kit Yiu believes that he can provide quality food at a fraction of the cost.

"For example, veal scaloppine at some of the restaurants can cost up to $30," he said. "But here, I only charge $13.95 for a regular order or $16.95 for an extra piece of veal."

Floating atop a pool of either a mushroom-and-tomato or a rich mushroom-cream sauce, the thin slices of veal are grilled then served with a mound of pasta, and sauteed broccoli and mushrooms.

Visiting from Winnipeg, Canada, Glenn and Charlotte Martin raved about the new pesto duck cacciatore ($10.95), which they shared for lunch this past week.

"We loved the zesty pesto-tomato sauce," said Glenn Miller, who discovered this University Avenue eatery during a trip to the Island last year. "We're adventurous diners, so this a great place to come to try different items."

Even the walk from Waikiki doesn't bother the Martins, who have now already visited Kit n' Kitchen on two occasions ... with more visits planned.

Chef Kit Yiu now brings in special wines to match his new dishes.

Standing approximately two-inches tall, the fluffy garlic pillow toast ($2.95) is ideal for sopping up a pasta's remaining sauce, whether it be the rich cream, tomato, black pepper or the garlic oil, as in Charlotte's case.

The bread can even be used to clean the plate of the leftover tangy herb-and-pepper sauce that covers the grilled lamb chops ($10.95 for two or $13.95 for three), or soak up the garlic-mushroom sauce that comes with the juicy rib eye ($16.95).

A piece of bread may also come in handy to tame the taste buds when having the spicy four-pepper shrimp ($10.95) or the "Volcano Chicken" ($10.95), topped with a flaming-hot marinara sauce.

"We still have our pizzas, spaghetti, seafood gratin and red wine oxtail stew," Kit Yiu said. "These are the dishes that helped us build a solid reputation among our customers. So, they're not going anywhere."

But the Martins are. However, before they return to Canada, this friendly couple said they're coming back to try the other new dishes.