Warm up with hot, new stir-fry dishes

Paniolo Fried Rice ($10.95)

For neighborhood locals who love a good hot pot, Sweet Home Cafe on South King Street in Moiliili is practically legendary.

A few miles east, kamaaina who live in and around Waikiki are discovering that Sweet Home Cafe’s brand-new Seaside Avenue location has all the wonders of the Moiliili restaurant — plus some very tasty surprises.

“We’re introducing a couple new skillet dishes at our Waikiki location,” says manager and head chef Takuto Yasuda. “We’re known for our soups, but we’re trying something different!”

An assortment of dishes to toss into your hot pot

A fusion of flavors, Hawaiian Jerk Chicken ($12.95) is a skillet stir-fry that includes eggplant, onions, cabbage and pineapple. The dish is tangy from li hing powder and a little hot sauce. “It’s a little spicy, but not too much,” Yasuda says. (There are 11 other house-made sauces; feel free to mix your own and add more heat if you like.)

Also new in November: Paniolo Fried Rice ($10.95). This hearty dish begins with a bit of butter, sizzling in a skillet. “We drop rice into the pan, add cheese, onions, celery, kale and tomatoes; and chili with ground beef, beans and a little salsa on top,” says Yasuda. “It’s like bibimbap, paniolo style!”

Locals will be happy to find that those famed hot pots are better than ever at Sweet Home’s new Waikiki location. An autumn harvest of island vegetables (including moringa leaves, eggplant and gemstone potatoes) has been added to the seemingly endless list of nabe ingredients, plus ddeokbokki (Korean rice cake) and handmade mochi pork dumplings, both new items on the menu.

“We have more than 100 plates of various items to toss into a hot pot,” Yasuda shares.

Added enticements include a kamaaina discount of 10 percent at the Waikiki location, and, of course, a sinfully delicious, totally unforgettable complimentary shave ice dessert.