Out To Lunch

A sure sign of spring: new lunch spots popping up all over the place. Time to try something fresh at one of these three new places.

Mix Café
A new downtown location of the popular but tiny Chinatown eatery opens today with a modified menu of more sandwiches and salads, and less pasta. Paninis are the must-try – especially the “Si Si Oui Oui” which combines Italian Rosemary ham with French Comte cheese (similar to gruyere) on a French baguette. Four yeses for sure. The baked-on-site carrot cake, loaded with shredded carrots, walnuts, cranberries and raisins, is a good take out treat for the 3 p.m. energy crash. Mix Café Downtown, 1025 Alakea Street (between King and Hotel streets on the Diamond Head side), 808.532.4540.

Pa‘ina Café
The new home of the Poke Bowl opened last week, but with a huge menu that goes way beyond the delicious rice/poke/toppings bowl they’re known for. Choose one of 11 salads or create your own, go for a healthy plate lunch with rice and greens, or pick one of 13 sandwiches. Anything can be mixed and matched to make a combo meal too. Pa‘ina Café, Ward Warehouse, 808.356.2829.

Lemongrass Café
The Pacific Gateway Center’s culinary incubator opened this new café last week with a rotating menu of ethnic dishes from a different region each day. Monday is Burmese, Tuesday Singaporean, Wednesday Lao, Thursday Indonesian and Fridays change every week. The food is all made by entrepreneurs developing food-service businesses or job seekers learning new culinary skills. Lemongrass Café at Pacific Gateway Center, lunch served daily 11 to 2, 83 North King Street, 808.851.7010.