Pa’ina Cafe

I came here for lunch and ordered the pulled pork sandwich. What I got was a disgusting mess. I get it, sometimes food is meant to be messy. But this was more of a case of the cooks not giving a damn than an artistic choice. My partner ordered a pastrami sandwich which was alright but I just can’t bring myself to give higher than one star after my experience.

GO TO THE ONE IN KOKO MARINA.
I came to Pa’ina Café at Ward and was pretty dissatisfied with the service here. It took me a few minutes to place my order because the cashier was texting & even then she monotonously took down my order. I felt like I was bothering her? Lol. As I was waiting for my order I noticed a lot of their employees were on their phone texting or mingling with each other instead of doing actual work. I saw one girl make an order as she was taking a call (balancing her phone between her ear and her shoulder). There were so many employees yet it took 10 minutes to get my Hawaiian bowl.
I had asked the cashier to sub the lomi salmon for more spicy ahi + kalua pig. When I got my Hawaiian bowl I noticed there was 5 pieces of spicy ahi and a load of kalua pig. I went back to the annoyed cashier and asked her if it was possible to get more spicy ahi & all she did was pretend to go in the back (probably to rant to her fellow coworker — not a manager) and came back to tell me spicy ahi would be extra.
I told her that I went to the Koko Marina location yesterday and they did a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ for me, but she really couldn’t care less. It’s so sad because the immediate day before I went to the one in Koko Marina and everything went smoothly. But whatever, just gonna go there from now on.

If the Paina Bowl is their signature dish, I am very disappointed. Being a fan of poke, I heard and read many positive reviews of this place. Granted I did not try the rest of their menu so this one star is for their raw fish items. My Paina bowl looked very appetizing but it only took one bite. One bite of the fish was by far the worst experience I had. To describe it it was slimy, and very stringy. I do understand that poke usually involves trimming of the «ugly» parts and are masked in ingredients to hide their negative potential. The strings in the meat was unbearable where it would get stuck in my teeth. The slime lingered in my mouth for the entire day. If one had old previously frozen fish, you know what I am talking about — and now imagine you paying $ 11 for a nauseated feeling. I am very disappointed and disgusted. I hope to bring up the star ranking for this restaurant by trying other things on the menu other than seafood.

So this is going onto my list of places where I want to eat everything (yes, I really do have a list for that). *-* I spent a good amount of time just staring at the menu because I couldn’t decide. Everything looked too good.
I ended up getting the special of the day, which was a shichimi-​crusted seared ahi tuna bowl ($ 10.25). It was absolutely amazing. I inhaled it in under 10 minutes (that was me trying to savor the moment). You can choose between white or brown rice and there are a plethora of toppings you can add as well. The fish to rice ratio is perfect!
I’d love to come back here to try their salmon poke bowl! And the acai bowls… and let’s face it, pretty much everything. :D
Service is friendly and the food is super tasty! Definitely make a stop here if you get a chance to!

Salmon Poke Bowl (White rice, Shoyu Ginger Salmon Poke, Lemon citrus aioli, Red onions, Radish sprouts, Masago, Shredded Nori): Availability limited. The salmon was too chewy, not very fresh. The aioli was incredibly heavy.

Pa’ina in Hawaiian means «gathering.» Besides providing great food, their main purpose of their establishment is to bind relationships closer together.
I usually have a craving for poke and this place is conveniently located at Ward Center, which is perfect for post-​shopping food. It’s a bit pricey here, but the quality of their poke is pretty good. Pa’ina Café’s menu is like most café menus; they have salads, sandwiches/​burgers, smoothies, lunch plates and poke bowls! Their price ranges from $ 6-​$ 12.
My go-​to food is usually their signature poke bowl Poke Crunch Bowl. It comes with rice (white/​brown, your choice), their special teri glaze blend, shredded nori, tempura balls and spicy tuna. The poke is fresh and I love the mixture with teri sauce and tempura flakes. It comes in 3 sizes: small $ 7.50, large $ 9.25 and x-​large $ 10.25. The large can usually fill me up. I also tried their Acai bowl which was just like any other acai bowl I’ve tried before. Nothing too special about it.
The reason for the 4 stars is not because of the food or customer service but because before you even order your food, there’s always a long wait. I think it’s because they only have one cash register ringing up customers and their neon menu is very hard to read, especially when you’re all the way in the back of the line. On my last visit, the line to order was almost out the door and was moving very slowly. If I wasn’t craving for their poke crunch bowl, I probably would have left and gone somewhere else to eat. But other than that, the staff is very friendly, consistency of their food is usually spot on and there’s a decent amount of seats and tables available for customers to dine in. The staff is also quick to clean up spills when customers knock over their drinks. Yes, it would be me to sit next to the clumsy lady who spilled her drink all over the floor and splashed on my legs –_​– But the worker was really nice to give me wet napkins to help me clean it off my legs.

The Hawaiian Bowl is the best! It comes with your choice of poke, white or brown rice, kalua pig, and lomi salmon. I recommend the spicy ahi. The best part… you get all of this for under $ 10!
Service here has been consistently quick.

Comically small amount of avocado for the price. When asked for more I was told that’s how much it comes with. Very disappointed
Seems like there are always tons of people working here but service is excruciatingly slow. Stop standing around and start making my $ 14 poke bowl.
After all… it is just raw fish on a bed of rice. These guys need to shape up their act. If you want to have some great fast poke, try «Ono’s Seafood» on kapahulu Ave. So much better.

What can I say… where else can you go for yummy sandwiches, poke bowls, plate lunches, Acai bowls, salads and smoothies?! This place is great! You will leave satisfied and not feeling guilty because everything here is yummy a well as healthier than most other plate lunch places. The prices are reasonable too! I love their grilled ahi here!

Super delicious!
I ordered the poke crunch bowl which was amazing. The line is long but moves quickly and the staff is super friendly

Poke bowl? More like a deconstructed sushi served in a bowl and it’s oh, so yummy! If you come here, you have to try one of their signature bowls…
On my salmon poke bowl that I ordered, they gave a very generous helping of their perfectly seasoned poke over a sweet & mildly spicy ginger-​shoyu blend mixed in the rice (but not too heavy where it’s soaked in it) topped with a drizzle of the garlic mayo aioli and a light garnish of furikake, tabiko caviar and sprouts. It was delicious to say the least. To get more of a textured feel in your mouth, I suggest adding tempura flakes to the bowl. It adds a nice crunch for only 50 cents more.
The best part is that the prices here are comparable to other poke bowls and sushi places around the island that are nowhere near as good. The salmon poke bowl that I described earlier was only $ 9.00 (I know, right?). As I mentioned earlier additional toppings, such as the tempura flakes are an extra 50 cents each.
The service here is also great. The staff was patient and even offered their favorites and recommendations as I was deciding on what to get. On a side note, I stopped in at 4pm and there was no line and only a handful of people dining in.
So, next time you’re in the Ward area, stop in and try one of their signature poke bowls! Did I also mention it’s a great option for the Lenten Season ;]

Our first stop on Oahu for poke bowls. We got two poke bowls with brown rice, and spicy tuna and salmon. The price is pretty affordable for each bowl. The poke was fresh and you can add whatever toppings you wanted. I went with the seaweed salad. Yumm :)

This place is very much a chain, but the food is good. It wasn’t really a «restaurant» feel, more of a fast food place.
Good: Kalua BBQ pork sandwich (it was very saucy and full of meat). Not a date food, it’s a beast to eat, but the best burger (type foods) are.
Okay: crunchy poke bowl with spicy ahi. The same (if not better) poke can be found at food land or don quijote. The rice crispies on top were pleasantly delicious with the real rice on the bottom (brown or white).
If you’re near the ward centre it’s good, but not anything spectacular.

Came in for a poke bowl late lunch. Overall Pa’ina Café is a clean and quick place for a healthy lunch if you are in the area or working around Ward Center. I had to fill my poke craving during my short stay and Ono Seafood was closed on that day.
I chose to get the salmon poke bowl. I was happy that the sauce was creamy vs. shoyu based. The salmon was soft and the poke was fresh, but I still like my poke from other places like Foodland or Ono Seafood. The red onions in my poke bowl were super spicy and raw, I couldn’t eat all of them (and I love onions!) I have not tried the other items on the menu but the plates looked good too. My friends had the ahi poke bowl and the Hawaiian bowl. The Hawaiian bowl has three Hawaiian foods: lomi lomi salmon, kalua pork, and ahi poke. That bowl seemed more substantial compared to the other poke bowls.
I would recommend it if you are in the area and are craving something relatively healthy, but I wouldn’t recommend to visitors or tourists to make the trip here.

This is where I go to get my poke bowl fix. I usually go for the Poke Cruch Bowl with the Hot Shoyu Ahi poke, teri glaze, and tempura flakes. The play between warm-​cold, savory-​spicy-​sweet, soft-​crunchy is amazing. It’s a symphony of flavors and textures. So good.
Looks like a coffee shop inside. Nice vibe. New location next door in the Ward Centre.

100 Unilocal Review Challenge 2015: ¹⁰⁹⁄₁₀₀
This is a take-​out style café. My party and I ordered a Salmon Poke Bowl, Small Poke Bowl and the Steak & Shrimp Pa’ina plate. We then took a seat at one of several round tables and helped ourselves to free ice cold water. The tables are small and circular with only one large table which was occupied by students studying. The tables feel a bit cramped but it’s hipster, serve yourself environment more than makes up for it. The café is clean, well A/C’d and has a nice ambiance to it in the evening.
Within 10 minutes our food was ready at the pick-​up counter. We were given chopsticks and napkins then dug in. At first I was in love with the fresh salmon chunks on a bed of hot white rice, topped with layers of onions, vegetables and some sort of delicious sauce! But half way through I started to get disgusted of the overpowering white sauce. It was delicious but too rich in flavor and left me picking out just the salmon pieces leaving behind my white rice flooded in sauce. I was told the small poke bowl had a strong wasabi taste but was good and the steak & shrimp plate wasn’t anything special. We all ended up with food leftovers which we disposed of.
I like the idea of local, healthy food but the sauce on my Salmon bowl was way too overwhelming and for $ 8.95 I know tons of other local shops to pick-​up a poke bowl! There Acai Bowls looked good & reasonably priced so I may return for those.

After weeks of hearing about the poke and acai bowls and salads, I finally was able to step foot inside this local business with three locations. It’s nice because there is a location at ward warehouse and then there is the location at ward village. The ward village location is located across from Nordstrom rack and T. j maxx and Pier 1 imports.
They are well known for the poke bowls. My bf and I decided to stop by this location and give it a try. I ordered the paina bowl small with brown rice. He ordered the Hawaiian poke bowl with brown rice. I was in heaven while eating this bowl. Their teri glaze was delicious with the spicy tuna (wasn’t spicy).
I was disappointed that they only had given one napkin per bowl. I spilled lil sauce on the table and I had my only 1 napkin to wipe the mess up. Geez they could be more generous with their utensils and supplies.
I yet need to try the acai bowls here. They popping everywhere.

It took me quite some time to fall in love with Paina Café. Each time I went there, parking was a hassle and the line was ridiculously long. Their poke bowls are good and yes, I recommend getting them but only when I began to explore other items on their menu, I began to fully appreciate the café.
The food establishment has a great reputation and is well-​known for their poke bowls. In addition to their poke bowls, I usually get the grilled shrimp plate and the acai bowl. Their acai bowl stands out from many that other businesses offer because they put guava in their acai. The guava isn’t overpowering but adds a nice twist to the bowl. Their menu pretty much has a good mix of everything-​poke, salads, sandwiches and last but definitely not least: dessert. Paina Café doesn’t skimp on dessert; they have a lot to offer like cheesecake, Belgian waffles, tiramisu, mini cakes and so forth.
They have a bench in front of the cashier to sit while you wait for your order. The restaurant has a lot of seating options-​tables, benches and even counters seating but during peak hours, you’re lucky to find a seat. Overall, their customer service has been good and the food definitely isn’t bad. I think that the new location that they recently opened may help to alleviate the crowd in this original Paina Café.
P. S. Free Wi-​Fi is the icing on top of the Paina Café cake!

Paina Café is known as the home of the original poke bowl. They’re also known for their refreshing acai bowls.
Being that I’ve lived in Hawaii for a while and was grossed out at the thought of trying raw fish for the longest time, once I finally overcame my fear and decided it wasn’t so bad after all, I knew that a trip to Paina was in order. I’ve long walked by the café without ever stopping in.
On a particularly muggy Monday evening, I met a friend at Paina. She said she usually gets the «DIY» poke bowl option, but there are lots of options for the poke lover.
I had done my Unilocal research beforehand to scope out what people liked from here, so I had an idea of what I wanted before actually ordering. I had my eyes on the «Poke Crunch Bowl,» which looked delicious based on the photos alone.
The bowls come in three sizes — small, large and xtra large. My friend said she usually gets the small, so I followed suit, but I was still slightly hungry afterwards. It’s a good portion if you want something lighter for dinner, or if you plan to get dessert from someplace afterwards.
The poke bowls have a lot of options when it comes to toppings. If you don’t go with one of the pre-​set bowls, you can customize and add whatever toppings you want (all for an additional fee, of course).
Paina also features a variety of salads and sandwiches, if poke isn’t your thing. My friend said that their plates are also really good (the Hawaiian one, specifically).
The café didn’t start off being crowded when we first showed up for dinner, but by 7 p.m., the eatery was pretty full. I would definitely return to Paina to try some of the other poke bowls on the menu, as well as some of the entrees. Here’s what we got:
«Poke CRUNCH Bowl»: This newer menu item features your choice of white or brown rice, the eatery’s special teri glaze blend, shredded nori, your choice of poke and crunchy tempura flakes. I went with spicy tuna and brown rice. I was pleased to see that my entrée included a decent portion of the spicy tuna and I wasn’t left with a lot of rice leftover (good 1:1 ratio). The teri glaze blend added a hint of sweetness to my meal, but it was balanced with the saltiness and texture from the shredded nori. However, the crunchy tempura flakes were my favorite part of this poke bowl. I felt like I was crunching on rice krispie treats atop my poke! It added some fun texture to my meal and I would order this bowl again in a heartbeat … except if I know I’m hungry, I would get the large size.
«DIY Poke Bowl»: My friend opted for a regular poke bowl and decided to customize hers with different toppings. She said she usually gets spicy tuna, but she chose hers with brown rice, shredded nori, seaweed salad and I think she also added avocado. She said she doesn’t usually deviate from her go-​to order and really likes the spicy tuna from here.
«California Bowl»: This was one of the other signature bowls that I was eyeing but decided to order it on a future visit. It includes white or brown rice, special teri glaze blend, imitation crab with Cali sauce, shredded nori, sliced avocado, red onions, masago, pickled cucumbers and radish sprouts. I would probably change my bowl a little and get it sans the red onions, radish sprouts and cucumbers, but other than that, I’m really excited to try this bowl. Especially since it comes with imitation crab … one of my favorite things ever.
«Ahi Tofu Burger»: This is something I would definitely love to try one day if I don’t come to Paina for poke. This burger features an ahi tofu burger, lettuce, tomato, red onions and a garlic aioli sauce. I would probably get it sans the tomato and red onions, but I’m really curious to see what that ahi tofu burger tastes like. And I’m a huge fan of garlic aioli of any type.
«Paina Plate»: If I’m coming here for dinner and feel like getting a plate, I would probably go for ahi (grilled or seared), salmon (grilled) or three ahi/​tofu patties. You get your choice of white or brown rice, choice of salad dressing (I would go with Ranch unless the Paina one sounds more appealing), and I would opt for the walnut pesto or garlic aioli sauce. Definitely can’t wait to explore this option one day.

I had to stop in to get a cold beverage since my water was depleted in my hydro flask. It’s a small café with options of gelato, poke, salads, sandwiches, and meal plates. I ordered a small coke zero. My eyes then went to the menu, and I thought well I’m here already. I knew what I was going to get.
I gave my order of the 4 steak skewer plate with brown rice, potato salad, and salad with balsamic dressing. I was also given the option of a choice of sauce. I picked the garlic aioli. Within 5 minutes my food was placed in a recyclable container. That’s a plus.
I can’t say I was pleased with the skewers. They were extremely salty and tough. The garlic aioli tasted like mustard, horseradish, and hot sauce. The garlic was nonexistent. However, the brown rice, salad, and potato salad was ok. Maybe I came on a off day…