Since going vegan, one thing that I've missed is Hawaiian food. During the late 90's and early 00's, I was a frequent guest at Punahele Island Grill in San Francisco until they closed. After that, I would settle for L&L for my Hawaiian fix, though L&L never really had the same variety and home-style food and atmosphere as Punahele.
When I went vegetarian then vegan, I gave up kahlua pork, Island Chicken, lomi lomi salmon, poke, and loco moco. There was some sadness. Yet, having already committed myself to healthy eating and serious weight loss by the time I went veg, I had already cut down on my Hawaiian food fix, including mac salad w/real Best Food mayo, which I loved.
Fast forward to this week, my girlfriend and I were looking for a place to eat in downtown Santa Cruz, and we happened upon
Pono Hawaiian Grill, a new restaurant a block off the main drag of Pacific Ave. Typically, menu-surfing at Hawaiian restaurants leaves me frustrated as the dishes are often very meat-heavy. However, I was surprised to see great big V's up and down the outside menu indicating a good selection of vegetarian options and healthy alternatives. I was so impressed to see more than just a Garden Burger!
Along with the standard Garden Burger, there were 3 veggie appetizers, 3 salads, 2 veggie options (in their own category - thank you very much), 2 desserts, and - drum roll please - vegetarian poke! Yes, veggie poke. I had to do a double take because Pono doesn't have just one vegetarian poke option. They have two -- one made with tofu, one with avocado.
I was impressed that I had a selection of home-style, mouth-watering options as a vegan in a Hawaiian restaurant. Not only did the healthy, vegan menu draw me in, but the restaurant itself had inviting island decor, lively music, and an warm aloha spirit. It wasn't my old Punahele, but it definitely wasn't the corporate L&L.
We ordered at the front counter. As an appetizer, I chose the Japanese-style Seaweed Salad ($4.75); for an entree, Steamed Teriyaki Veggies ($6.95) with brown rice (for an extra .75) and garden salad instead of mac salad (for an additional .75); and a side of their Tofu Island Style Poke (5.95), which was the recommendation of the cashier, who was also the only wait-staff. She would take orders from the people standing in line, and upon hearing the "ding", she would tell the ordering customers to wait while she brought the food to the tables. "Gotta serve the food hot," she would say. She was busy and there were times the line got long. It was a busy place for a Monday night.
Though there is a large outdoor eating area with a bar, we found a table inside and enjoyed the murals on the wall, the paintings of Hawaiian faces and places, the large swordfish hanging from the ceiling, the signed surfboards, the little kitchen hut from which the food was prepped and served. We turned our back to the huge projection TV showing the Olympic Track trials, and instead watched the beautiful Santa Cruz sky change outside as the sun faded and a cool breeze set in.
In spite a little wait, our main courses came; the the salad and poke side however did not. I needed to remind the server about them. I was impressed with the size of the portions for the price. They were not huge but plentiful; they were beautiful arranged, but most important, they were tasty.
My teriyaki veggies included broccoli, carrots, sweet onion,
edamame, mushrooms, and a pineapple
slice covered with a teriyaki glaze & sesame
seeds sprinkled on top. The veggies were cooked well, just soft, and fresh. The teriyaki sauce was not overly sweet and had a nice gingery undertone which highlighted the nutty bite of the sesame seeds.
The green salad had a beautiful House Sesame Vinagrette. It was not overly doused, and went well with the mandarin oranges, carrots, onions, and mixed greens. The purple cabbage however had a bitter taste.
I've always loved Japanese Seaweed Salad. And though this one was a little heavyhanded in being drenched with the dressing (more seaweed would have been nice), it was a good balance of flavor of the soy, sugar, sesame, and ginger.
In terms of the tofu poke, I have to admit I had higher expectations. I used to love eating ahi tuna poke and had hopes that it would be similar, but no. The texture of tofu does not even come close to tuna. And though the flavoring of soy, garlic, garlic, tomato, onion, and green onion was wonderfully balanced, light and refreshing, it wasn't the same as the poke I remembered when I was a meat-eater. However, this tofu marinated in a poke-flavored sauce is nice to have as a veggie option. It's delicious; it's just not "poke".
Though the taste of all our dishes were spot on, for me, the highlight is always the dessert. In this case, it had nothing to do with Hawaiian food but was yum - vegan yum. I thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican Mocha cookie ($2.25) by
Kerri's Kreations, a local bakery, which provides wonderful organic vegan cookies to Pono. The cookie was good size, and had a wonderful hit of cinnamon and spices giving the chocolate chips that Mexican hot
chocolate flavor. The espresso side of the cookie was not very pronounced, but I loved the moist chewy softness of the cookie which included whole grains for added texture. It was not overly oily (which is always nice), and irregardless of the fact it was vegan and organic, it was still 5 star excellent.
Unfortunately
they were out of the Chocolate Mac Nut Brownies this visit. Thus, this non-vegan dessert for
cacao-me will need to wait for the next trip when I sample as a starter, either the Hawaiian Style Fresh Spring Rolls or B.T.'s "Da Mana Salad." The Baked Tofu Stir Fry will be the entree, and of course, there is the other veggie poke to try - Mauka & Makal Poke - made of avocado. We'll see if it is better than the tofu.
Overall assessment: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Though the service was a little too laid back, overall, it was a wonderful veggie Hawaiian experience at Pono Hawaiian Grill. There may not have been veggie options for kahlua pork or loco moco (at least not yet), but I'm glad that there is a place where you can embrace the island spirit, enjoy some beautiful Hawaiian flavors, and still uphold a commitment to healthy and compassionate eating as a vegan.
Though it came in a styrofoam cup, I was very impressed by this traditional Mexican chocolate drink which is typically served in the morning and evening, and is very popular during Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and at Las Posadas (the Christmas Season). This drink came warm, and had a seductively spicey (though not very chocolatey) smell, with a creamy froth. 
