Po’ai By Pono Potions

I've had this place bookmarked for a while but have also been scared of downtown's parking situation. I walked here with my workplace on a Thursday afternoon, so didn't have to deal with parking at all! Poʻai is also one of the few coffee shops in downtown that is still open after 2pm on a weekday. Overall my experience was perfect. The interior of the shop was clean with lots of seating, workers were friendly and my matcha was so good! I thought it would take a lot longer to make tbh, but my drink came out faster than Starbucks takes. I asked for a matcha recommendation and was encouraged to try the matcha manakō (li hing mango syrup and I substituted oat milk for the standard whole milk). The flavor of the syrup was light, not too overpowering and not overly sweet. I could really taste the li hing flavor! Can't wait to try more drinks the next time I'm in the area, and cannot recommend this place enough.

We stopped by Po'ai by Pono Potions in the morning for a matcha drink and were immediately welcomed by the warm and inviting atmosphere. After browsing the menu, I decided on the Hapa Honey, made with honey lilikoi syrup, macadamia, and whole milk, topped with pineapple foam and local honey.From the very first sip before even stirring, I knew this drink was something special. The pineapple foam and honey added an incredible burst of flavor, making for a rich and delicious experience. Once stirred, the drink became perfectly balanced, with each ingredient blending beautifully.This was one of the best matcha lattes I've ever had, and I'll definitely be returning to try more drinks. Highly recommend checking this place out!

My friend and I planned to come here for brunch and a matcha since their photos shows a variety of pastries and matchas.While they had a few options for matchas, they didn't have a lot of pastries, maybe 2 options of like bread? Maybe we just came too late (~2pm)I got the Maddie for matcha and she got the matcha manako. Her drink was eh. My drink was worse. The lavender and the zest make the drink taste so minty. I drink a lot of matcha, so that was extremely unpleasant. It's a cozy little cafe to just hang around.

First time trying this place and definitely will be going back to try more of their drinks! We ordered the Aloha Tower, Hapa Honey and Matcha Manako and they all tasted delicious. There is plenty of seating available (even a separate room) and the drinks came out pretty quickly after we ordered them. It was pretty quiet inside as there were a few people sitting there sipping their drinks while working on their laptops. Parking: street parking around or nearby garages

SIMPLY OBSESSED.This place is my go to spot to recharge for inspiration, new ideas, or just a spot to rest my brain. There's something magical about this place that just fills my entire life with so much fresh energy that I truly cannot pin point exactly what it is other than the people that make this happen.From Chris to Sky to Cat and everyone in between that crafts the baked goods and drinks, my heart and my brain thank you :)

I was really looking forward to trying this place and had high expectations from other reviewers and people who recommended this place, but we couldn't finish matcha drinks we ordered. We ordered a regular matcha latte and the Maddie 4 matcha latte and neither had a matcha flavor despite the color looking good. Service was friendly and the space is really nice, but I would probably recommend their coffee drinks instead.

Man, I must be living under a rock! They have been open for three years and I just found them. A warm and inviting space with places to work or meet up with people.I ordered the Kalihi Cacao. They have a number of drinks available, and this was one of their latte style coffees. The flavor was soooooo ONOOOOO! What I liked was that I could drink it without having to wait and I didn't burn my tongue. I also had a citrus cake/muffin, which was very good.This is a great place to come to if you're out and about in Chinatown!Mahalo Po'ai!

I'm a fan! Located in Chinatown, this is a place that I wouldn't normally visit, but I had seen many people posting about it on social media and it's the matcha that drew me in. There's a drink called Maddie 4 Matcha that includes ali'I lavender syrup, lemon zest, matcha and oat milk. I once tried a matcha lavender latte at another café and was completely bamboozled by the coffee taste I did not expect. This matcha latte had no coffee at all. Yay! I was however pleasantly surprised at how the lavender syrup added a nice touch to the overall drink. They sell bottles of their syrups (vanilla, salt caramel, mac nut, coconut, lavender, hibiscus, honey ginger, pineapple) for you to take home and make your own concoctions. They go for $18 a bottle. They also sell baked goods that are vegan and gluten free if that interests you. The list of bakes goods were interesting - 'ulu mai'a bread, muffins (orange almond, lemon poppyseed, double chocolate, vanilla chocolate chip), kalo fudge brownies and cookie packs. Service is sweet and speedy here. My drink was ready before I was done capturing all the photos I wanted to take. I did come at an off peak time just before they were closing, though. Parking is located in the paid lot right next door or on the street. There are a couple of stalls right next to their store, but I'd imagine that it's hard to ever get those stalls since there aren't many. I'd take a star away because of the inconvenient location that I wouldn't normally visit, but I give that star back for the unique flavors that they bring to your normal cafe drinks. These syrups add a flare that makes you remember them and want to come back for more.

After a recent disappointing iced matcha drink that used oat milk as default, I was jonesing for a matcha drink with whole milk. I can still handle my dairy and although I don't drink milk regularly, I enjoy it every so often. I was running errands in Chinatown the other week where I came across Po'ai By Pono Potions (PBPP) and saw a handful of people waiting for their orders. Curiosity got the best of me and I just had to investigate. I entered this trendy business, a welcomed vibe in the heart of Chinatown. PBPP is located on Smith Street that is just a few doors down from the popular Little Village Chinese restaurant that is now closed. After studying their menu I found an iced matcha drink on their menu board but not a fan of li hing. I addressed my issue to the staff where she recommended Mad Matcha that uses lavender. I made sure my order was to use whole milk.There were a handful of baristas on duty so the wait time was minimal. I was excited when I received my drink. After snapping a few photos I took a sip and was a happy camper. How good was this drink? I ended up returning 3 days later for the exact same drink. If you're in the Chinatown area, this place is highly recommended. Service was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed my drink. They also sell baked goods which I wouldn't mind trying them one day. 2024 #85

Located on Smith Street. No food today. Just a drink. First time here. I ordered a Alohamora. 16 oz iced coconut syrup, coconut milk matcha, Lilikoi lime foam and lime zest. It's a refreshing drink. Service is great. Ambiance is chill. Good music, seating indoors and outdoors. Lots of neat gifts and art for sale. Also their potions. They also have a restroom. There's street parking or nearby public parking. Thumbs up for sure!