‘Pound good food’ with your sweetheart

Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives, if you’ve forgotten Valentine’s Day is next weekend, rejoice! If you’re like most people, you’ve waited until the last minute to make plans for the holiday. Pounders Restaurant at Polynesian Cultural Center’s (PCC) Hukilau Marketplace has you covered, offering a prix-fixe meal and tickets to its acclaimed show — making it look like you planned a romantic evening far in advance.

The special meal will be offered during the weekend leading up to Valentine’s Day — Feb. 12 and 13. For $30 per person, customers enjoy a three-course dinner, complete with tender and juicy steak. Then, after you and your sweetheart fill your stomachs, feast your eyes on the spectacular “Ha: Breath of Life” evening show. (Take advantage of this deal soon, as seating is limited. For reservations, call 293-3287.)

Valentine’s Day weekend isn’t the only good time to go to the eatery. As PCC’s Pane Meatoga explains, “Pounders is named after the popular bodysurfing spot in Laie. You get pounded by the surf, and then you can pound the food when you get to Pounders.”

The restaurant is ideal for locals and visitors alike, offering a yummy twist on Polynesian food. Using local produce, Hawaii-raised beef and locally caught seafood, the chef at Pounders creates savory dishes for every appetite. Pounders even offers a variety of pizzas baked in a kiawe wood-fired brick oven.

Customers can treat themselves to Pounders’ diverse daily menu. Try Spiced Candied Bacon ($8), seasoned with maple and togarashi, a Japanese spice mixture including red chili pepper, roasted orange peel and ground ginger. Pound on Laie’s Own Local Moco Burger ($17) — a fork-and-knife burger — or grind on Miso Glazed Salmon Bi Bim Bap Style ($24).

Pounders Restaurant

Hukilau Marketplace
55-370 Kahmehameha Hwy. Laie
367-7060
Daily, Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Closed Sunday