WAIKIKI. This vibrant restaurant shakes things up a bit with its curious marriage of Chinese and Italian cuisines. Many dishes maintain their individual heritage (saltimbocca di vitello, whole steamed fish with soy-ginger sauce), although fusion entrees include Chinese roast duck canneloni and hot bean salmon alla Siciliana. Prix fixe menus are also available, and desserts range from tiramisu to lychee sorbet. Adventurous diners will be pleased to explore the novelties and choose their favorite dishes.

WAIKIKI. This elegant venue regales diners with top-quality Chinese cuisine, making for an ideal evening out. The menu, which touches on Szechuan and Cantonese culinary styles, capitalizes on fresh ingredients and flavorful sauces. Curried lobster, for instance, is a house favorite, as is Imperial Beggar's Chicken, which gains tenderness through clay pot-cooking and requires an advance request. You'll also find dishes featuring pork, shrimp, duck, and beef; prix fixe dinners are available as well.

CHINATOWN. Clean-lined and accented with colorful artwork, Indigo makes for stylish dining in a cluster of historic buildings. The menu updates classic Chinese cuisine and includes dim sum selections, most notably savory goat cheese wontons and lobster potstickers. For the main course, look to such incredible fare as Mongolian lamb chops, miso-grilled salmon, tea-marinated pork tenderloin, and a Siamese seafood cioppino. Outdoor dining on the back lanai is much-coveted but may demand a wait at the bar.

MANOA. Favored by a native Chinese crowd, Kirin is also popular with collegiate folks, given its proximity to the University of Hawaii. The menu runs the gamut of provincial cuisine, encompassing the styles of Taiwan, Szechuan, and Beijing. Seafood is a specialty, and there's plenty of it, including shrimp and crab. Other entrees feature beef, pork, chicken, and local produce. Extended hours also appeal to patrons, who like to hang out in Kirin's cozy confines.

CHINATOWN. One of the area's favorite Chinese venues, Legend does a brisk business throughout the day. Lunch pulls in the dim sum crowd, who flag down attended carts of delicacies in order to sample stuffed wontons, calamari, and tender little dumplings. Dinner puts the focus on seafood, and hungry patrons come to feast on shellfish, quick-seared and tossed with fresh vegetables, and whole fish, served tender and steaming. A host of other dishes is also available, certain to please, no matter your taste.