Pono Pacific Kitchen

I cannot speak more highly of our experience here. Three of us came for a birthday celebration on a cool Thursday evening. Our reservation was fairly early in the evening so the tables were still filling up as we dined. The staff was tremendous every step of the way from greeting to dessert menu with our waiter offering warm and enthusiastic banter, particularly about the food and wine as one would expect. The atmosphere was quiet without feeling stuffy and was perfectly lit throughout, I can't even recall if there was any music because if there was it was that seamless. A great place for a long meal. For starters we enjoyed calamari and the blue crab soup. The calamari was delicious with a good sauce and crunchy coating that stayed on. The meat wasn't tough or too small as well. But the soup, that soup was incredible... Rich, creamy, smooth and dominated by a briny crab flavor that was not one milligram too salty. I didn't order it as a starter, but I did order it for dessert later (literally). The barbecue oysters had an intense smoky sauce on them that I loved but my dining companions did not as it did dominate the oyster flavor. We got a range of mains; the top seller, the scallops, a grilled ahi dish, and my swordfish entree. The prices reflect the quality of ingredients and every element of the dishes was savored and scraped from the plate. The peppey au poive sauce with the ahi comes to mind as something we dipped everything we could in. Perfect cooks across the board with the ahi being a little more on the pleasantly warm through side rather than the incredibly thick cuts in similar ahi steak dishes, without being dry or overdone though. If I recall the swordfish came with a scalloped potato and broccoli rabe and those sides where half the reason I got it. We all ordered a dessert which was rare, everything was portioned out so nicely that we left full but not stuffed. The tangerine creme brulee did not lack on the tangerine flavor and didn't disappear into a vague citrus flavor. I had a bowl of the blue crab soup and we also had an order of the crab cakes, which while delicious were not particularly special, just a perfect crab cake. The wine and drink selection is lovely as well although that's not really my wheelhouse. Every bite was exceptional and it's one of the best restaurants I've been to in the region in years. It's quality and variety of options reminded me of the golden age of Artisan in Paso Robles decades ago. Go here, please.

This is my fourth trip to Pono and my first in about a year. Old friends who are new transplants wanted to try this restaurant and it was as good as I remembered. We shared the calamari as we studied the menu. I had the hamachi appetizer which was fabulous and an arugula winter salad whereas my friends had the butterfish ( their specialty) and the bouillabaisse . All were wonderful! The homemade chocolate mouse and coffee ice cream was shared. We will be back!

Great drinks great food and great service. I can't eat gluten and my friendly server was very attentive to my dietary restrictions. The food was delish and the drinks were strong. Everything tasted fresh. Loved the potatos, squash, and brushless sprouts. Those were my standouts. I would have liked more gluten free desert options but that is just nit picking and doesn't take away from the menu.

Unfortunately, my experience was quite average, especially given that this was a birthday celebration. While a complimentary gesture from the chef would have been appreciated, it wasn’t provided. More concerning was the service — our order was mixed up several times, and we were repeatedly served the wrong dishes. The restaurant is also quite overpriced for what it offers. The mocktails were disappointing and not worth the price, so we ended up replacing them. Another drawback was our table placement: we were seated right next to the kitchen, with constant waiter traffic, which made it difficult to relax or enjoy the restaurant’s ambience. The biggest issue for me, however, was being served food on cracked dishes. For a restaurant positioning itself as reputable, this is unacceptable and detracts significantly from the overall experience. Additionally, an automatic 18% gratuity is added for groups of 6+, which in this case felt unjustified given the level of service we received. Based on this visit, I genuinely don’t understand the consistently high ratings.

One of the best restaurants I’ve tasted in the USA! Honestly it made my whole trip with my husband, I was impressed of the service. The waiter was passionate and had all the details like a gastronomic restaurant. The butter fish is marinated for 5 days, melting in your mouth, just disappears! The bread??! The best I had in the states. And I’m French okay? Honestly I would give it more stars if I could!