Just as other national fast-food corporations have done, KFC Hawaii has bowed to local tastes and introduced a new item: May's teriyaki chicken sandwich — a marinated chicken thigh "burger" with lettuce, pepper mayonnaise and the inevitable sesame seed bun. Steve Johnson, general manager of KFC Hawaii, says many locals grew up eating May's teriyaki at family gatherings. May's makes the signature sauce at its Kapolei facility, which includes a several-thousand-square-foot kitchen overseen by chef Ryan Day, national sales manager of Palama Meat Co., which owns the May's brand. The sandwiches will be a permanent addition to the line. Prices, which may vary, begin at $4.59 for the May's teriyaki sandwich.

'NEW LOOKS'

KODAMA ROLLS OUT CONTEMPO SUSHI AT SANSEI WAIKIKI

Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, among the first to turn traditional sushi inside out at its flagship Kapalua location, is introducing a "new looks" line of contemporary sushi at its Waikiki location; the Kapalua and Kihei outlets will soon follow. Says owner D.K. Kodama, "Our 'New Sushi Looks' are the results of ideas from lots of our sushi chefs ... We tried lots of recipes." The dishes, priced from $12 to $13, showcase local products and are suitable for sharing, Kodama said. Among the dishes: torched Kona kampachi stuffed with Maui onion, shiso and nori paste and flavored with citrus and chili pepper); hamachi nori aioli poke (diced yellowtail and cucumbers tossed in a citrus and garlic mayo); and cajun-seared white tuna sashimi (black cod marinated in soy and lemon with shichimi spice and kalbi-style sauce). And there are more.