Dining On The North Shore

Laie Bay Catch of the Night (market price). Nathalie Walker photo

Celebrate the holidays at Hukilau Market place at Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) in Laie, where its 12 Days of Christmas event takes place Dec. 10-23 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Enjoy a festive canoe ride ($5, or free with a Pepsi product), train rides for keiki, snow day (Dec. 19 only), special holiday sales at Hukilau Marketplace, family activities, photos with Santa and more. There also will be free, live entertainment from acts such as Weldon Kekauoha (Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.), Natalie Ai Kamauu and Makaha Sons (visit hukilaumarketplace.com/events for a complete schedule and more information).

Located at Hukilau Marketplace — a place to shop, dine and relax — Pounders restaurant is named after a popular bodysurfing spot nearby, and is an upscale yet casual restaurant with local-friendly food. Open for lunch and dinner, the menu features tasty island-style dishes, made with fresh produce from local farms, Hawaii-raised beef and locally caught seafood; as well as authentic Hawaiian-style artisan pizza baked in a kiawe wood-fired brick oven.

REELING IT IN

Pounders in Hukilau Marketplace features many local favorites with a twist. The restaurant recently added some new items to its menu such as Laie Bay Catch of the Night (market price) for dinner entrees. Chef Felix Tai notes that the eatery uses only bottom fish for this dish, such as onaga (long-tail red snapper), ehu (short tail red snapper) and opakapaka (pink snapper). Guests can choose to have it prepared steamed with a ginger and shoyu marinade, deep fried with a sweet chili glaze, or baked with a spicy lemon grass lime marinade.

It also includes a choice of ulu mashed potatoes or rice, and house vegetables.

Pounders

Polynesian Cultural Center, Hukilau Marketplace
55-370 Kamehameha Hwy., Laie
293-3287 for take out orders or to make a reservation
Monday-Saturday, lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m; dinner: 4-9:30 p.m.
HukilauMarketplace.com