EAST SHORE RESTAURANTS ....

East Shore Previews...
   Lihue • Kapaa• Puhi 
   Wailua • Nawiliwili

The windward shore is given a gentle sea breeze that slips through the homes that sit only feet from the waves, over pastures and farms, around buildings where we work, and streets and that one highway; up hills that look out over it from lighted windows where we live. Loyal and knowing, the shore and her people grace one another.

Cover Story
Cafe Portofino Italian Restaurant
Savor the Flavor at Kauai’s Premier Award Winning Italian Restaurant

Giuseppe Avocadi invites you to enjoy great food, and gracious hospitality, at his award winning Italian restaurant, Cafe Portofino. Indulge in a world of flavors enhanced by the view of the blue Pacific and white sandy beach of Kalapaki Bay.
Celebrating his 14th anniversary of culinary expertise and customer satisfaction, Giuseppe is the proud recipient of eight DiRona Awards, the restaurant industry’s most prestigious honor, an International Award of Excellence Five Stars, Zagat Award, and is listed as “One of the Top Ten” by Gourmet Magazine, rated by Martha Stewart in her book, “Honeymoon Destinations,” praised by gourmand, Bradley S. O’Leary, in his book, “Dining by Candlelight: America’s 200 Most Romantic Restaurants” and recommended by Frommer’s Travel Guide.
Cafe Portofino is distinguished by its dedication to notable cuisine, created daily using local produce and herbs.  “Our menu is probably the most glorious expression of the Mediterranean diet!” exclaims Avocadi of his Italiana-inspired cuisine and Avocadi knows what he’s talking about; born and raised on the Italian Riviera he is a restaurateur with a natural passion for great food. “It’s what I do best,” he says with great pride. And visitors from the mainland, Europe and Asia heartily concur, rating menu selections as “outstanding.”
Globe Trotter Travel magazine, Japan’s most influential travel publication, writes, “You’ll be charmed by Guiseppe and his wonderful accent and Old World graciousness. The staff, the food, and the atmosphere make for an enchanting evening. Come for the true amore.”
The al fresco ambience, coupled with the warm and hearty “buono serra” greeting from Giuseppe, creates a perfect setting for Cucina-Italiana from a kitchen that turns out an ambitious and excellent repertoire of pasta, fresh seafood, and veal enhanced by sauces with an Italian soul.
The atmosphere, inside and outside is lively and convivial and the staff most knowledgeable about the creative assortment of antipasti, pasta, veal, poultry, and fresh fish. Homemade gelati, that wonderful Italian ice cream and fruit sorbets are prepared daily.
Antipasti Portofino offer five choices from Chef’s Daily Selections, a aromatic brew of fresh Steamed clams, and crispy Calamari Fritti. Winning entrees include fresh Island Fish, superb Fettuccine Alfredo, a traditional Roman dish of Linguine a la Carbonara, made with bacon and parmesan cream sauce, and Penne con Salsiccia, served with Italian sausage, tomato, garlic, basil and hot pepper. Two outstanding specialties are Osso Buco, veal shank served on a bed of pasta, and Scampi alla Provinciale, shrimp sauteed in butter, white wine, garlic, lime, and red tomato sauce. And, to add to your dining pleasure there’s the romantic harp stylings  of Jovanni nightly.
“We are pleased to serve you, “says Giuseppe, “and are committed to making your evening at Cafe Portofino an extraordinary and delightful dining experience.”

Island Palms Island Style Grill & Bar

Island Palms is the newest addition to the Kapa’a dining scene. The island style grill and bar anchors the north end of Choy Village (Lemongrass Grill Seafood and Bar is the southern boundary), a unique and distinct East-Meets-West restaurant and retail complex, scheduled for completion in the very near future.
The interior design features an airy high ceiling, gently rotating fans, tile floors, hand-carved tables, and walls decorated by colorful island blooms. The outdoor patio, perfect for people watching the Kuhio Highway traffic scene, is dominated by tall grass thatched umbrellas and romantically lit by tiki torches. The menu focuses on a variety of fresh island style dishes popular with visitors and regulars, reasonably priced, and served with friendly aloha charm. “The three points we’ve always stressed are quality, service and value,” Choy says. “These have been our ingredients for success.”
The menu focuses on island style cuisine with pupus of Baked Oysters on the Half Shell with julienned won Bok, onions, shiitake mushrooms topped with a delicious scallion custard, a Seafood Won Ton Poppers of lobster, crab, and curry powder with a garlic mash filling, wrapped in won ton pi and served with a sweet chili sauce, or Island Style Hot ‘n Spicy Chicken Wings.  They may not be the original “wings” served by Frank and Teressa Bellissimo at Buffalo’s Anchor Bar but they are spicy and addictive. Another starter favorite is Deep Fried Artichoke Hearts, stuffed  with cream cheese, capers and basil, dipped in tempura batter, rolled in panko flakes, and served with buerre blanc sauce.
The Chef’s Special Catch of the Day is served with a kama’aina choice of steamed pork wrapped in taro leaves, or island style “imu” pork dished up with rice, Anahola sweet potatoes and tomato relish. Another delicious fresh fish alternative is Kauai Island Catch with roasted garlic mash potatoes, grilled eggplant, fresh asparagus, and a light white wine cream sauce.
Delectable entrees feature Pacific Coast Coconut Shrimp dipped in tempura batter, rolled in coconut flakes and panko, and served with sweet chili sauce and rice; Fresh Island Pineapple Boat Canoe of fresh herbed shrimp skewers with pineapple fried rice; or Huli Huli Chicken, with stir fry seasonal veggies and Asian angel hair. Vegans can opt for Marinated Grilled Portabella with eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow squash and baby bok Choy or a Tofu Lasagna of Marinated sauce, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, shiitake mushrooms, eggplant and ricotta cheese layered and baked in the oven.

Voted “Best Restaurant on Kauai” Honolulu Advertisers 2006 ‘Ilima Award, Blossoming Lotus restaurant also garnered a rave from Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel for “When body-conscious Hollywood types come to Kauai, they dine at Kapaa’s upscale Lotus Restaurant” and their World Fusion Cuisine featuring culinary delights form thirteen regions around the world. The award-winning menu can start you off with Mung Dahl, traditional Indian curried mung bean with cilantro, Mamapacha’s Pizettas, a creation of pumpkin seed-jalapeno cheese, herbed jicama relish, avocado and arugla on zesty flax cracker, or a Mighty Aphrodite Greek Salad of organic greens, mixed green olives, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, feta, cucumber and capers covered with a balsamic vinegar.

Wahooo Seafood Grill & Bar

Specializing in a variety of fresh island fish served with a unique Euro-Pacific island flair, Wahooo Seafood Grill & Bar is recognized as Kauai’s premier seafood restaurant. Set in a comfortable, casual, open-air island atmosphere overlooking the historic landmark coconut groves in Waipouli it is truly a place to savor exceptional dining. Signature dishes include the “Hapapuu’pu, “delectable sea bass seasoned and grill-seared, set upon a mound of whipped Wasabi Mashed Potato, sauteed fresh mushrooms and spinach complemented with Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce, Seared Scallops with Lotus Root Passion Fruit Sesame Glaze, Wok Fried Sashimi, Snow Crab Cakes in a Pineapple-Papaya corn relish, or Steamed Clams in a Herbed Garlic Butter Champagne Broth. Entrees feature slow roasted, succulent Prime Rib fit for a king, tender Baby Back Ribs, Porterhouse Steak, and Stuffed Pork chops simmered in Napa Valley chardonnay. There’s also Combos of choice Porterhouse, Prime rib or Filet Mignon paired with Scampi, Snow Crab Cakes, Hawaiian Island Fresh Catch, or Hawaiian Spiny Lobster Tail, and hearty soups and crisp salads and freshly made pasta, too! An excellent wine list will round out the evening. Live music every Friday night in the Hanapa’a Lounge and a bountiful Seafood Prime Rib Buffet on Sunday. Reservations suggested.
 
Kauai Hula Girl Restaurant

Visitors and kama’aina happily agree that the Kauai Hula Girl Restaurant is a welcome new addition to the Coconut Coast dining-out scene. Here, the past and the present meet, in what has been described by one seasoned traveler as “a very classic rendition of one of the most modern Hawaiian restaurants I’ve ever seen.” Great food and drink – there’s something for everyone on the Hawaiian-style lunch and dinner menu. Surfer-size portions at affordable prices are served up with gracious and friendly Aloha service with the assistance of a mea ho’okani pila (musician) playing his ukulele while wahines tease you to join them in doing the hukilau. From the moment you enter the restaurant you’ll experience the history of the first Tahitians from ancient days past, to the romantic era of old Hawai’i, and modern Hawai’i today. “A taste of Hawaii” is offered in a wide range from the ‘aina (land), and from the kai (sea). There’s also pasta specialties, sandwich selections, salads, tropical drinks, and Hawaiian brews. Dinner reservations suggested.

Pho Vy Vietnamese Restaurant 

When you first walk into the restaurant you will notice how clean and elegantly decorated it is. With “Oldies Music” playing softly in the background they serve a small menu so that guests are insured the freshest of ingredients; it covers the basics of traditional Vietnamese Cuisine. You will enjoy the delicious egg rolls that are deep fried to a perfect crispness as well as the fresh Summer Rolls that are the appetizers and accompany many of the other dishes. Pho (pronounced fa) is the well known soup noodles that are a favorite that keep guests coming back time and time again.  Vermicelli is a cold noodle served with grilled beef or chicken. There’s a delicious vegetarian plate accompanied by egg or summer rolls is a bed of noodles with bean sprouts and lettuce with a wonderful fish sauce. There’s the marinated steak that is prepared with a French influence, grilled and requires no additional seasonings as it is impeccably mouth-watering as it is. To drink there is the fresh and strong Vietnamese coffee served either hot or iced, Thai Iced Tea and a variety of Boba Drinks. One of the few places on the island where one can get good Boba. Owned by Jaclynn Pham, Pho Vu is located in the Kauai Village Shopping Center, next to Long’s Drugs at 4-831 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa. 808.823.6060.  One of the newer restaurants on the island  they have fast become a very popular spot with both locals and tourists. Please call ahead for reservations to be certain they have a table for you when you arrive.