LET'S GO OUT FOR TURKEY

DON HO'S ISLAND GRILL

Don Ho's Island Grill is offering a special Thanksgiving Day platter ($16 lunch, $18 dinner) that includes herb-roasted turkey and liliko'i-glazed ham served with Portuguese sausage stuffing, pineapple cranberry relish, coconut marshmallow yams, seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes, finished off with a slice of pumpkin pie.

Don Ho's Island Grill, Aloha Tower; Thanksgiving Day platter served between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. 528-0807

EMBASSY SUITES-WAIKIKI BEACH WALK

The Embassy Suites Waikiki is hosting its first Thanksgiving Day buffet ($29.95 adults, $15.95 kids, under 5 free) with guava-glazed sweet potatoes with toasted coconut, pumpkin soup with brandy and oven-roasted turkey with cranberry-ginger chutney, among a number of other holiday dishes.

Embassy Suites Waikiki, 201 Beach Walk; buffet is served 5-8:30 p.m. 921-2345

THE WILLOWS

Thanksgiving at The Willows will include a buffet ($39.95 per person) with a variety of Hawaiian and American favorites, including a poke station, carving station, dessert station, as well as holiday faves like peppered bacon and garlic stuffing, honey and clove scented ham, a potato, spinach and cheddar cheese casserole and, of course, turkey.

The Willows, 901 Hausten St.; buffet is served between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. 952-9200

WOLFGANG'S STEAKHOUSE

Skip the steak and get a turkey dinner instead at Wolfgang's Steakhouse. The special dinner includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes or rice, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans and a slice of pumpkin pie ($34.95). Wolfgang 's regular menu will also be available.

Wolfgang's Steakhouse, Royal Hawaiian Center, turkey dinner will be available 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. 922-3600.

SMALL BITES

YOU SAY YAM, WE SAY YUM

Here's your year-round Thanksgiving fix: a yam smoothie ($3). At Jung Shave Ice (1738 S. King St.), Mr. Jung opens a giant can of candied yams, spoons three buttery-tan lengths into his blender with sugar syrup and ice, and whips up a large Styrofoam cup of icy goodness that transports us immediately to turkey time.

— Mari Taketa

FOOD COURT FANCY

It's been food court-less for some time now, but Windward Mall has finally unveiled its new remodeled food court, and it bears no resemblance to the old space, thank goodness. Gone is the gloomy, dated decor, and the one-dimensional room that was more like an extended hallway than a court has been replaced with a wide-open design washed in calming blues and warm wood. The Pä'ina Ko'olau Food Court opened officially last weekend with a number of vendors, including Blazin' Steaks, Bull Kogi, Chinatown Express, Cookie Corner, Hot Dog on a Stick, Maruki Tei and Yogen Fruz. It will continue to expand in phases, with a total of 10 eateries opening over the course of the month of November.

FOOD NEWS

Hawaii Public Radio will be airing the live annual program “Turkey Confidential,” hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, award-winning host of public radio’s national food show “The Splendid Table.” She will be available to answer listener questions throughout the live, two-hour program. “Turkey Confidential” will air from 6 to 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day on KHPR (88.1 in Honolulu). Hawaiçi listeners can call 800-537-5252 anytime during the show to have their Turkey Day questions answered. The show will also be simulcast live on the Web at www.splendidtable.org.
Chef Chai Chaowasaree, along with guest chefs and entertainers, will celebrate Chai’s Island Bistro’s 10th anniversary and Singha Thai Cuisine’s 20th year from 6 to 9 tonight at The Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace. The evening will feature top chefs from Hawaiçi's leading restaurants, including Chef Mavro’s Kevin Chong, The Beachhouse’s Rodney Uyehara, 3660 on the Rise’s Russell Siu, Vino's Keith Endo, Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas’ Hiroshi Fukui, Le Bistro’s Alan Takasaki and JJ French Pastry's
Luangkhot “JJ” Praseuth, among others. Entertainment will be provided by The Brothers Cazimero, Jerry Santos, Sistah Robi, and the kane of Hälau Na Kamalei, as well as a few surprise guests. Tickets are $90 per person and may be purchased by phone at 585-0011 or at www.chaisislandbistro.com.