WE'RE CRAVING: VIETNAMESE

BAC NAM

With a 100-item menu, this clean, fluorescent-lit, mom-and-pop eatery is serious about its elixir-like broths, potent coconut milk curries and traditional home-style Vietnamese cooking. The owners treat guests like one of their family, and while pho and bun are available, it's the steaming bowl of vermicelli in crab chowder or a soup with snails that offer some of the tastiest examples of regional northern and southern Vietnamese cuisine.

Bac Nam, 1117 S. King St., 597-8201

DIEM CAFE

This is a good place to hit when you want Vietnamese and you're willing to order something other than pho. Solid choices are the stuffed tofu plate and the crispy noodles with seafood. There's not much to talk about in terms of atmosphere, but if you're low on funds, and feeling somewhat experimental, you'll be happy with this choice.

Diem Cafe, 801 Alakea St., 521-2221

HA LONG NOODLE HOUSE

Owner Janice Nguyen, who was born in Vietnam and raised in Kalihi, teamed up with her brother, Paul, to reinvent the pho hole-in-the-wall as a cool cafe. The biggest section of the shiny circular menus is pho — get it with meatballs, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe or any combination thereof. There's also a thoughtful (and playful) "Wat da pho?" section, giving you a blow-by-blow on how to eat pho.

Ha Long Noodle House, City Square Shopping Center, 1286 Kalani St., 845-3687

PHO 1 VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Say you're around Ala Moana and nothing but a steamy bowl of pho will do for lunch. No worries. You can go directly to Pho 1, located between the convention center and Ala Moana on Kapi'olani Boulevard. The flavors are authentic in a menu that goes far beyond noodles. And the anise-flavored pho broth is awesome. Even though it's right on Kapi'olani, parking's not a problem. They have a back lot.

Pho 1 Vietnamese Restaurant, 1617 Kapi'olani Blvd., 955-3438

FOOD NEWS

Stage restaurant at the Honolulu Design Center is ramping up its happy hour offerings with $2 draft beers and $4 cocktails. Appetizers and desserts are also available during the happy hour, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 237-5429.

Azure, at The Royal Hawaiian hotel, now offers an eight-course tasting menu, with wine pairings, created by executive chef Jon Matsubara. The prix fixe meal, titled the Royal Papa'aina or Royal Table, features locally grown and produced ingredients and costs $150 per person. To make reservations, call 923-7311.

Orchids restaurant at the Halekulani Hotel is now offering new lunch and dinner menus created by executive chef Vikram Garg and chef de cuisine Darryl Fujita. Among the new menu offerings are the Kahuku shrimp ravioli, the lobster and crab burger and the bigeye 'ahi with artichokes, hearts of palm and cherry tomato salad with béarnaise sauce. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Dinner is served from 6 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. To make reservations, call 923-2311.

Tomorrow is National Pancake Day, and MAC 24-7 (Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, 921-5564) will feature its create-your-own "MAC-Daddy Pancake," with more than 20 toppings to choose from.

SMALL BITES

EVERY DAY IS TURKEY DAY

Here's some unusual advice: The next time you go to The Counter (Kahala Mall, 739-5100), don't get a burger. The popular burger joint makes a savory and spicy turkey chili ($6.50) that rivals its awesome burgers. The secret to the dish? The addition of cranberries, which add a touch of sweetness to balance out the chili. The result is irresistibly edible.

— Melissa Chang

HOME-STYLE GRINDS

In the old home of Cisco's Cantina in Kailua is the newly opened Honuz Restaurant & Lounge. It's a three-meals-a-day eatery with a knack for home-style diner fare. But don't mistake this place for a plate-lunch spot. It's a proper sit-down restaurant that just happens to do great local-style grinds. And like a couple of other Kailua places known for their breakfast, Honuz adds its big-and-hearty breakfast menu to the list of options.

With signature dishes like the liliko'i brulee french toast and crab cake Benedict, smothered in a thick and rich gravy-like version of hollandaise sauce, Honuz might soon be a contender for Kailua's most sought-after breakfast.

Honuz Restaurant & Lounge
131 Hekili St.
262-3911
Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays