Beat the season’s heat with yummy food

Jai ($10.25 with rice, $10.75 a la carte)

On the hottest days of summer, most of us instinctively reach for frosty beverages, believing they will help us cool down fast. But researchers in human kinetics have determined that a hot drink on a sweltering day is the quickest, most efficient way to lower one’s body temperature.

That’s why summer is the perfect season for a giant bowl of Fairwood Drive Inn & Pho 27 Cafe’s Oxtail Pho ($15.95).

Local Boy ($12.95)

“We make it with peanuts, onions, mushrooms, won bok, carrots, and other vegetables that cook with the oxtail,” says owner Tiffany Ko. “We cook it for a couple hours and then add chopped ginger with a special shoyu from Hong Kong.”

Oxtail Pho ($15.95)

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Guests who prefer to cool off with a vegetarian dish will be thrilled to hear that this creative “two-in-one” eatery offers Jai (Buddha’s Delight), the traditional Chinese New Year dish, all year long. Diners can get their jai fix for just $10.25 (served with rice) or $10.75 for an a la carte order (larger portion). This home-style dish includes glass noodles, bean curd, carrots, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and more. “We never stop making jai,” says Ko with a chuckle. “I would try and stop, but cannot. I still have customers who order it every day.”

Salt and Pepper Pork Chop ($12.95)

A plate that might have been designed with a hungry, sun-kissed surfer in mind is Local Boy ($12.95), which presents a trio of proteins, each one an island favorite — char siu pork, teriyaki steak, and boneless, skinless honey garlic chicken.

“Local people like it,” says Ko. “It’s a big plate of all their favorites.” The plate includes rice and mac salad, or green salad for a small additional fee.

Finally, Salt and Pepper Pork Chop ($12.95) is a piquant, savory delight, marinated overnight in jalapeno, salt and pepper. The dish simply is porktastic!