I've long envied the life of my good friend Dave Choo. A multi-talented writer and editor who works at local magazine shop Pacific Basin Communications, Choo has somehow wangled gigs as a foodwriter for both Hawaii Business Magazine and the now defunct Downtown Planet. I often wondered when he had to pay to eat and his reply was, invariably, "Not often enough." Dave has just published a bunch of his reviews in book format, covering a variety of restaurants from mom-and-pops to polished hotel joints. His reviews are refreshingly unpretentious and written from a purely local mindset -- if you want to eat like a local, listen to Dave. Here is the first of a few excerpts I hope to run. Buy the book, people. Mahalo.

The Well Bento
2570 S. Beretania St., Ste. 204 / Map /808-941-5261
Daily, 10:30AM – 9PM

I call it Post Traumatic Plate Lunch Disorder, or PTPLD. It’s that wave of nausea and disgust that washes over my body as I push away an empty plate of pork cutlet with brown gravy. It’s usually followed by an irresistible feeling of sluggishness and then remorse. However, PTPLD doesn’t last very long, because a week later I’m eating a fatty teri-beef and boneless chicken combo or getting zapped by a Zip Pac.

For eight years, The Well Bento has served a healthful alternative to this sinful Island fast food. And for eight years, I’d never visited the little take-out restaurant along South Beretania Street near University Avenue. When I did I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I got all the flavor and satisfaction I usually (and temporarily) get from a fat-filled plate lunch, and without a hint of PTPLD.

The Well Bento is owned and operated by Todd and Kristine Brown. When the couple bought the place from the previous owners, Todd spent an intensive couple of weeks with the old chef, learning the restaurant’s recipes until he could reproduce Well’s “macrobiotic fusion” food faithfully. Todd and Kristine haven’t changed the restaurant’s menu, except to add a new daily special or two.

On my first visit ot The Well Bento, I thought I’d ease into macro fusion eating. I ordered the Grilled Steak ($9.50), a sliced USDA Choice flank steak served with macaroni salad, coleslaw, broccoli, grilled root vegetables and tahini sauce on Lundberg brown rice. My dining companion got a Grilled Salmon, ($8.25), which featured the same side dishes.

When I opened my Styrofoam plate lunch container back at the office, I was nearly bowled over. Not only did the lunch smell wonderful — savory and herby and fresh — but it looked great, as well. The vegetables were vibrant, even the roasted ones. The plate lunch was also delicious. The steak, which was cut into about eight or nine thick slices, was seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. Although it had gotten a little overcooked sitting in the box, it was still tender. The vegetables (carrots, onions and potatoes) were crisp and tasty. I especially liked the addition of a small stalk of gobo, or burdock root, which gave the mixture a nice crunch.

The X-factor in the meal might have been the tahini sauce, which tasted suspiciously like brown gravy. It was savory and smooth but didn’t have the richness (i.e. fat) of the brown stuff. Two out of three ain’t bad. Besides, it added a lot of moisture to the dish and tasted great over the rice. The next day, I got a little gutsy and ordered the Zen Macrobiotic ($6.95), an all-vegetable dish that is billed as The Well Bento’s “healthiest offering.” Pretty scary stuff. The garden in a box features kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, gobo and the daily beans, which looked like pinto beans. This feast sat on a bed of brown rice, which was covered with a generous helping of the tahini sauce.

The Zen Macrobiotic surprised me even more than the grilled steak did. I’m not sure how Todd gets so much flavor into his vegetables. When I opened the box, I got a blast of garlic, herbs and pepper. The potatoes packed a punch, and the other veggies provided various tastes and textures — sweet, crunchy, salty, starchy. I have to admit that I relied on a little hot sauce to get me through the beans. But it was only a few shakes of the bottle. OK, maybe more than just a few.

In any case, much to my surprise, I never got bored with the meal. It was visually pleasing and had lots of variation. Best of all, when I pushed the box away, I didn’t suffer from PTPLD. Not only did I feel good, I felt well.

—Alex, 04/08/07