Healthy Eats

Call it getting a head start on your New Year's resolution.

Hale serves up Japanese-centric, vegan, macrobiotic dishes in its chic industrial space, and many are fried in a mix of olive and sesame oils. For a lighter delight, sample an über-healthy Celeb Wrap, inspired by Madonna’s own lunchtime treat--a whole wheat tortilla hugging brown rice, fresh Kahuku corn, Hijiki, tempeh, avocado, carrot and romaine. Their perfectly cooked and seasoned ‘opah sandwich is the next best bet. 1427 Makaloa St, Honolulu. 808-944-1555; Halemacro.com

Raw Pad Thai

If it took one raw lemon cheesecake for Licious Dish owner and chef Sylvia Thompson to run-not-walk to a raw culinary career, imagine what one of her vegan, raw, gluten-free meals might do for you. People rave about her Living Lasagna, wicked chocolate tart, and goji-strawberry kombucha beverage, but these days I'm digging Kaffir Miso Pad Thai: crunchy bell peppers, carrots, onion, purple cabbage, bean sprouts and kelp noodles coated by lip-smacking kaffir lime miso sauce, then sprinkled with cilantro and sesame cashews. Thompson often tells customers this colorful mix represents “the antioxidants your body needs to keep from rusting from the inside out,” but the flavor alone will convert you. 650 Iwilei Rd, #170, Honolulu, 808-536-9680; e-liciousdishes.com

It’s clear from the pidgin-inspired name that popular Kaneohe spot Pah Ke is a Chinese restaurant, but chef Raymond Siu isn’t bound by the traditional and avoids typical greasy fare. His fine dining training (think Wong and Yamaguchi) is threaded through to the desserts, but shines brightest in distinct “Chinese Hawaiian” menu selections emphasizing local ingredients. Siu’s spinach and Waimanalo greens salad topped with Ka‘u orange pieces and in an orange vinaigrette just might be irresistible, followed by boiled Kahuku prawns from Leonard Wong’s third-generation shrimp farm served with a side of ginger, green onion and cilantro in a sweet shoyu sauce. They’re so plump and tender you might mistake them for lobster. 46-018 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe. 235-4505; pahke.com