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Il Lupino

Digest Step Up to the Plate

May 19, 2013

Story By: Alana Folen | Photos by: Rachel Breit

A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK’S HOUSE SPECIAL: ACAI BOWL ($10 SMALL, $14 LARGE)

Top-grade, avant-garde cuisine is Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar’s specialty. Guests are invited to dine amid a serene garden setting or indoors where pizza, pastas, freshly carved cured meats and Italian cheeses are deliciously at your fingertips.

Those begging for breakfast will fall head-over-heels for Il Lupino’s Acai Bowl, which manager Olga Brandao proclaims is her morning favorite. Simple pizazz is what it’s all about.

“There’s no match when it comes to our Acai Bowl,” Brandao says. “It’s sinfully delicious, like a dessert, but it’s good for you! We don’t use any harsh ingredients.”

Acai berries, with no added sugar, are blended with ice into a lusciously smooth puree, perfect for those warm spring days.

“Added sugar can oftentimes ruin the natural benefits of acai, so we keep this dish as pure and simple as possible. Also, our acai is not watered down, it’s very dense,” Brandao says.

Organic honey is drizzled atop the dish for an added sweetness, which pairs well with the tartness of the acai.

Freshly sliced bananas, strawberries and blueberries accent the dish with an explosion of color and great nutritional value.

Crunch into bits of locally made, wheat-free granola from Hanapepe, Kauai. Crunchy walnuts and sweet coconut are combined with whole grain oats, healthy seeds and Hawaiian honey for an irresistible topping.

Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar

Royal Hawaiian Center Bldg. B, Level 1
922-3400
Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
(Happy Hour) Thursday-Sunday, 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Cartier Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu, HI 96815

Ilima Awards
Hawaii's Best