VALENTINE'S DAY TREATS

AZURE

Azure's chef de cuisine Jon Matsubara is preparing a Valentine's Day dinner for two for $150. The four-course menu includes chilled Kumamoto oysters and cold-smoked hamachi sashimi, crab-and-shrimp bouillabaisse, duets of Kona lobster and rib-eye steak; uni risotto and shrimp scampi; or steamed whole moi and king crab. And for dessert? A sampling of four Waialua Estate chocolate desserts.

Azure, The Royal Hawaiian, 2259 Kaläkaua Ave., 921-4600

D.K STEAK HOUSE

Chefs at d.k Steak House are preparing a Valentine's weekend prix fixe menu for $60 per person that includes a choice of appetizer, dessert and entree selection from the following list: seared prime rib, steamed-fresh Island opakapaka, vanilla-butter-poached Caribbean lobster tail and red-wine-marinated veal chop.

d.k Steak House, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, 2552 Kaläkaua Ave., 931-6280

JJ BISTRO & FRENCH PASTRY

Skip right to dessert with JJ Bistro's Valentine's Day special: a dozen chocolate-dipped strawberries for $23.95. Need more than just sweet stuff? Get a four-course meal ($24.70 per person) that includes escargots, sweet pea cream soup with scallops, a choice of entree and a dessert.

JJ Bistro & French Pastry, 3447 Wai'alae Ave., 739-0993

TWIST

Enjoy a romantic dinner 30 floors above Waikíkí — with a view you can't buy — at Twist at Hanohano with Chef Ryan Loo's dinner for two ($95, $123-$151 with wine pairings). On the menu: Serrano ham and yellowfin 'ahi carpaccio, Kona lobster with butter-poached Hämäkua hearts of palm, chilled Kumamoto oyster, "Twisted" veal Oscar and for dessert, white-chocolate-and-haupia panna cotta.

Twist at Hanohano, Sheraton Waikiki, 2255 Kaläkaua Ave., 921-4600

THE RANCH IS BACK

The Ranch House, the beloved family-style restaurant in ‘Äina Haina that specialized in local-style home cooking, reopened on Kapahulu Avenue on Jan. 27 and will celebrate its official grand opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday. The opening celebration is doubling as a fundraiser for the Waikiki Community Center. Tickets for the event are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.
The new Ranch House serves up all the old-time comfort food favorites like Tutu’s Meatloaf, prime rib and chicken fried steak, as well as daily chef’s specials.

THE RANCH HOUSE

449 Kapahulu Ave.
737-4461
Hours: 5-9:30 p.m. daily

CHEAP EATS

BIG BENTO BOX OF SAVINGS

When it comes to cheap eats, Makino Chaya in 'Aiea (Westridge Shopping Center, 98-150 Kaonohi St., 486-5100) does it even cheaper. Get a bento packed with 15 items — with the rice in its own container — for $5.50. And as if that's not a good enough deal, the Japanese eatery now offers a variety of bentos for as little as $2.97. Our favorite super-cheap lunch box: salmon and furikake musubi set with nishime, tamago-yaki and tori karaage.

FOOD NEWS

The following restaurants are offering special New Orleans-inspired menus for Mardi Gras on Tuesday: Don Ho's Island Grill (528-0807), Gordon Biersch (599-4877) and MAC 24-7 (921-5564).
Kupu, the nonprofit organization that runs the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps., is holding its first fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 tonight at Pearl Ultra Lounge in Ala Moana Center. The event, "The Sweet Side of Kupu," will include a dessert bar, a silent auction and a game room. Admission is $20 for two or $15 for a single ticket. For more information e-mail desiree.vea@kupuhawaii.org.
Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach (2169 Kalia Road) is hosting a live lunchtime radio broadcast today of this year's Grammy Award nominees, including Amy Hänaiali'i, Jeff Peterson and Manu Boyd and Glen Smith of Ho'okena. The performances will be broadcast live on radio station AM940 from the restaurant. In addition to the entertainment, guests can enjoy a buffet lunch of grilled mahi mahi, laulau, shoyu chicken, kälua pork and cabbage, lomi salmon, poi, pipikaula and more. Seating for the show starts at 11:30 a.m. today, with the live broadcast from noon to 1 p.m. The buffet is $25 per person. Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 924-4990.