Kai Poke in Huntington and more Long Island restaurants to try this weekend

With a resurgence of warmth (well, temperatures higher than the 40s) coinciding with the last weekend before the culinary hoedown of Thanksgiving, the moment is ripe for meals that are light, inexpensive and far removed from turkey and its fixings.

Tula Kitchen in Bay Shore is a funky, airy spot where the menu satisfies many kinds of tastes, but offers plentiful choices for vegetarian and vegan eaters. Breakfast (served all day) brings organic egg omelets, Nutella pancakes and quinoa bowls; a vegan Reuben is a lunchtime highlight, and the dinner menu is dense with layered salads and larger plates such as baked salmon cakes with rémoulade. Don’t overlook the excellent craft cocktails. $$-$$$

Tula Kitchen, 41 E. Main St., Bay Shore, 631-539-7183, tulakitchen.com

The tiny Kai Poke on Huntington’s Main Street is a mecca to Hawaiian-style bowls of raw and marinated fish layered with dozens of toppings, from edamame to tempura crunch. Choose from five signature poke bowls, or build you own combination from a bar stocked with rice, quinoa or greens (as a base) plus ahi tuna, salmon, tofu and shrimp, nine sauces and more than 20 toppings and mix-ins. $-$$.

Kai Poke, 28 Main St., Huntington, 631-888-3188.

Though not as light as raw fish, chef Rona Mirzai’s curries, dumplings and rice platters at Choopan Grill in Selden are aromatic and transportive without being too heavy. Handmade dumplings — either stuffed with tomato-laced ground chicken and garnished with dried mint, or filled with garlic and leeks — are not to be missed. Follow them with succulent lamb tikka kebabs or the excellent Kabuli Palau, a plate of slow-cooked lamb shank under cardamom-scented rice. Or whet your holiday appetite with kadu, caramelized pumpkin bobbing in tomato and cayenne curry — a savory twist on the squash. $-$$

Choopan Grill, 1310 Middle Country Rd., Selden, 631-696-1817. choopangrillofselden.com.