Islanders love large portions. But a lot of us are concerned about the health effects of supersizing.

Enter Salad Creations, a Florida-based franchise that opened its first outlet at the corner of Bishop and Hotel streets in September. The create-your-own salads are large enough to serve four people as a first course. After eating my first salad there, I was able to fill an entire takeout container (the size of a standard plate lunch carton) with the leftovers.

The Salad Creations system has been thoroughly thought-out and tested in the chain's other stores (more than 25 of them): Signage is clear, well-placed and informative and there are detailed menus for the office bulletin board.

Start by lining up at a glass-fronted buffet staffed by two or three salad mixers.

The question on everyone's lips: "How many choices do I get?" The answer: all of 'em. First select from four kinds of lettuce (iceberg, romaine, spring mix, spinach), then point to your desired "throw-ins" in the little bins before you — more than 25 options, including vegetables, dried fruit, chopped nuts, cheeses, hardboiled eggs, four kinds of grated cheeses ($6.99). Each serving is a small palmful.

They'll ask if you want it tossed or chopped (with a double-bladed instrument like an oversize pastry cutter), what kind of dressing (up to two containers from 16 choices) and whether you want it on the side.

For $2.25 to $3.50, you can add additional protein — ham or chicken at the low end, salmon or shrimp at the high end. If you must have more refined carbs, there are breadsticks for 25 cents each.

Featured salad mixes range in price from $4.99 (a simple tossed vegetable salad with cheddar and croutons) to $7.99 for Chinese chopstick salad (grilled teri chicken, mandarin oranges, Chinese noodles, spicy Asian peanut dressing) or cobb or chef salads. I tried a Santa Fe chicken salad (chicken, cheddar, tomato, corn, red onions, carrots, bell peppers and sunflower seeds; $7.99). It was rather sparse on chicken and there wasn't anything Santa Fe about the flavor, which was bland. I decided I'd rather do a create-your-own with lots of choices.

Also available are wraps ($6.99) — generous portions of the salad mixture with featured ingredients such as tuna salad, wasabi chicken, grilled chicken fajitas, roast beef, chicken caesar, and a vegetarian Boca mixture with chickpeas or the turkey BLT. The turkey BLT was so large, it weighed heavy in my hand as I carried it back to the office; there wasn't any discernable "B" in the BLT but it was nicely crunchy and satisfying. You can add extra meat to these for $2.25.

On my second visit, the day's special soup was my all-time favorite: corn chowder ($2.99 when ordered with a salad or wrap). Unlike many overly thick, gloppy chowders, this was just between thick and thin, full of nicely al dente potato chunks, minced carrots, corn and with a bacony background flavor. Passed my rather stringent corn chowder test.

For dessert, there are cookies. Add chips and fountain soda to any salad or wrap for $1.99 extra.

Downsides: It's a little noisy with all that chopping going on, and it can be a few minutes longer than takeout usually does, given all the choices folks have to make.

While this is hardly sophisticated contemporary salad, such as you'd find at Downtown@ HiSAM down the street, it's reasonably priced, great value — and virtually guilt-free.

TIME FOR DESSERT

So now that you've been very, very good and had your salad for lunch (and snack and dinner), you've earned a visit to Satura Cakes. This is another of those Japanese-style pastry shops popping up around the Islands where everything (including the packaging) is exquisite-looking and cloud-light.

One bite of the classic chocolate cake (two layers of creamy filling, intense chocolate glaze), and I knew these people are serious about cakes (just read the long dissertation on their Web site) and about their motto: "Never another ordinary bite."

Indeed, I found Satura a cut above other Asian bakeries I've tried: There's more than pleasant-tasting air to these cakes and cookies. There's the heady aroma of real butter and the distinctive flavors of costly ingredients. And they decorate with real fruit and whipped cream.

If you, like me, prefer two bites of expensive heaven to a plateful of cheap nothing special, check out Satura.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.