Pau Hana Poke — Restaurant in Hawaii

Fresh Fish, Limited Options: A Decent Poke Bowl Takeout Spot

If you're on the hunt for a quick and satisfying poke bowl in a takeout format, the Pau Hana has got you covered. This little gem specializes in serving up bowls with fresh fish, but be prepared for limited options when it comes to toppings. While it may not blow you away, it offers a decent dining experience with its convenient takeout service.

One thing that stands out about Pau Hana is the freshness of their fish. The cuts of fish used in their bowls are consistently high quality, and you can taste the difference. Each bite offers a delightful burst of flavors that showcase the essence of the ocean.

However, the limited options for toppings might leave some customers wanting more. While the focus is on the fish, it would be nice to have a wider variety of toppings to choose from to complement and personalize the bowls. It's worth noting that if you prefer a simpler and more traditional approach, the limited options might not be a significant concern.

As a takeout place, Pau Hana does not offer seating options. Customers can either enjoy their meals on the go or find limited seating available by the side of the building outside. This can be a bit inconvenient if you prefer a sit-down experience or if the weather isn't ideal. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a quick and easy meal option, the takeout service is efficient and convenient.

The staff are friendly and attentive, ensuring that your order is prepared accurately and promptly. They are knowledgeable about the menu and can provide recommendations if you're unsure about what to choose. The cleanliness and organization of the establishment add to the overall positive experience.

In summary, Pau Hana offers a decent option for those craving a satisfying poke bowl on the go. The fresh fish is the highlight of the experience, while the limited options for toppings may be a slight drawback for some. The lack of seating options can be a minor inconvenience, but the efficient takeout service makes up for it. If you're looking for a quick and tasty meal option without too...

This place was recommended by a local chef friend living on island so he would know. As an avid poke maker and eater myself, I love discovering new poke spots during my travels and Pau Hana Poke did not disappoint. Pau Hana Poke had some interesting options that you don't often find at your typical, run of the mill poke shop. Baby Tako (Octopus), abalone, smoked marlin, taegu / opae and more!

I got the #2 Hapalua Poke Bowl ($18.99) which comes with 2 choice poke, 2 choice sides and 2 scoops of rice. The glass case is set up so that all the poke options are on the bottom shelf and all the sides are on the top shelf so you just have to pick 2 from the bottom and 2 from the top. Easy peasy. The other members of our family got the #1 Hapaha ($13.99) which is the same as Hapapua but just 1 choice of each. Both are fairly reasonable given high cost of fish right now.

Pro tip: the bowls are fairly dense and packed to the brim. If you have small eaters and you don't mind sharing, it may make sense for 2 people to share one Hapalua (for example). I almost finished my Hapalua, but the other three family members had a LOT of leftovers from their 1 choice Hapaha.

They also offer drinks, apparel, pickled onion, butter mochi, banana bread, chantilly ube rice pudding and more! They have a seating area outside at the end of the building, but we had a convertible rental so we decided to drive around the corner, put the top down, and enjoy our poke in the beautiful Kona weather.

Pau Hana Poke is open from Mon-Thu: 10am-4pm, Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat: 10am-3pm and closed on Sundays. Definite must eat...

Very good Poke with reasonable prices.

Pretty solid fish, but no great seating (outside benches or unkempt picnic tables around the corner). Availability is an issue for some of their fringe poke options: salmon, oysters, smoked marlin

Highlights: smoked marlin has very good flavor. It’s a leaner fish than salmon with great smoky flavor and a nice smoke ring. Not sure if they used liquid smoke to flavor it, but very nice texture (like leaner, less slimy smoked salmon) oysters are fantastic if you like oysters. Nice flavor of the sea, very plump, fat oysters in the marinade, and a subtle sweet aftertaste. Note that the oysters are still raw, so if they normally aren’t your speed, this is likely to go unappreciated by your palate wasabi ahi is a very interesting flavor. I haven’t seen it on the mainland, but it’s a more common flavor option here in Hawaii. Wasabi oil mixed into mayonnaise and then used to marinate the ahi tuna. It’s not sinus opening spicy and is actually balanced quite well. Tuna is the prominent flavor profile with notes of wasabi and not too much mayonnaise. May differ by batch though and would recommend tasting a sample before you commit to this last one, their salmon is quite good, on par with the good salmon poke on the US mainland. That said, this is often out of unavailable and seems to sell out more quickly than their ahi tuna.

Located near a Costco as well, so a good stop to visit right after groceries as long as you get there before closing...