FORKED UP

CHICKEN VEGETABLE LINGUINE
ASSAGGIO
1450 Ala Moana Blvd. #1259, Honolulu
Phone number (808) 942-3446
website assaggiohawaii.com

If there’s any way to eat a lot of carbs without feeling too guilty, it’s by also dropping a considerable pile of vegetables on top of them. Assaggio mixes bell peppers, zucchini, onions, carrots and mushrooms with soft, tender chicken in this simple pasta, but it’s just right to hit every craving (and all the food groups). Of the sauce options, we prefer to go with garlic over the traditional red or white. It adds a little extra kick that finds a balance between the fatty cream and responsible tomato.

COLD KUROBUTA UDON
JIMBO RESTAURANT
1936 S. King St., Honolulu
Phone number (808) 947-2211

Sometimes, it’s true that you shouldn’t mess with an old formula. But we like to be adventurous, and trying something other than pristine udon in a minimalistic broth was tempting at Jimbo, which serves udon in every way you can think of. This particular cold udon was covered in soft, fatty pieces of pork, red ginger and green onions — adding a hearty protein kick to the starch. The flavors were all there and Jimbo’s signature thin udon was on point, but it was just a little weird eating cold meat. Next time, we’ll probably stick to the classics.