Malama Pono Restaurant

What a cool little restaurant on Ventura. This is the 2nd time we've been here, and the only difference between the first and second time is that the second time was EVEN BETTER. Why was it better? Because we tried even more of the foods this time. So first off, here are some of the items we had last night:Spam Crispy RiceSpicy Garlic Crispy ChickenCrispy Brussels SproutsChopped Salad ***Ahi Tuna Poki-Mi ***Colossal Crab Cake ***Kalua Pork Lettuce Wraps ***Braised Short Rib AdoboWe also ordered some drinks which were delicious too, but I don't remember what everyone else ordered. I ordered the "Hawaiian Punch" Iichiko which made me feel like I was dining in Waikiki Beach again.Although everything we ate was so authentically delicious, we were absolutely floored by a few of the items which are starred (***) above. But now how many times have you been to a restaurant where the food was scrumptious while the service was not so delightful, right? That is not even remotely an issue here because Darren was so thoughtful, accommodating, and knowledgeable while providing warmth in his greeting at the table. Malama Pono is hands down my favorite Hawaiian restaurant on the mainland. If I'm not going to fly to Waikiki to eat Hawaiian food, this is the only place for me.

I came to Malama Pono with high expectations given the outstanding reviews, but left with only an "average" impression. When we walked through the front door we were wowed by the beautiful decor, consisting of deep blue walls, velvet chairs, candlelit tables, and overall classy atmosphere. The service felt rushed, although it could be that they were just overly attentive. Our server asked to take our order 4 times before we were ready. The cocktails were nice, however we were unimpressed with both of our entrees. I had the Hokkaido sea scallops, which had a strange texture, and the strong flavor of the sauce they were in overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the seafood. The short ribs were not all that tender and the sauce was more like a soup that almost completely covered the short ribs. I might return for the cocktails but would probably skip the main courses.

We finally made it out here for dinner. I'll admit that I was craving Hawaiian food because I missed Maui. I miss their fresh fruit and their exquisite food... But I'll be honest and say this is a bougie version of Hawaiian food fusion. Not a bad thing, but also wasn't exactly what I was hoping for ... I was looking for some down home cooked short ribs and maybe some halibut or macadamia ice cream. Lol I'm dreaming about Hawaii clearly. Ambiance: intimate, date night. Casual to business casual depending on your purpose of being there lol. I chose to Wear something nice cuz... Let's be real I need to put my nice clothes to use too. Parking: street parking. Watch the signs... Depending on what day it is they have an ample amount of parking. It just gets there early and look for parking. Expect to walk lol.Food: Seared carpaccio: raw fish. Good and upscale flavor lol. Yellowtail crispy rice: my favorite thing here because I like Crispy rice. Snapper: maybePono mix plate: it's an upscale mix plate with meat rice and sides. WFT - Warm French toast for dessert! I think I need to come back to this place with realistic expectations that this is not exactly how it's grilled at the beach. I think I will enjoy this place again with a better understanding of the fusion.

Malama Pono means "to take care of." It's an aptly named restaurant-- I always feel genuinely taken care of when I come here.Food is Hawaiian inspired. Decor is intimate and pillowy (love their pillows!).Service offers genuine caring and warmth. Matthew, Brent, and Darren are wonderful guys.Everything is delicious.My favorite dishes:- ricotta seafood dumplings - pan fried snapper in coconut reduction- shrimp and grits- Naan CapreseFor chocolate lovers, get the World Peace Candy Bar for dessert.Be sure to check out the portraits of fat and fluffy cats hanging in the restrooms (I believe they are Matthew's cats).Malama Pono's vibe is cozy, relaxed, and unpretentious.Feel cared for. Come by.

I really wanted to like this place but the food was just mid in flavor to me (besides their crispy rice) esp since I got the dishes everyone recommended. The ambiance is great though if you're looking for a date spot or a girl's night out dinner if you don't care too much about taste of food. Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Crispy Rice (5/5): If I were to come back I would get their crispy rice! Prob one of the best texture wise of a crispy rice I've ever ate. The outside was crispy but inside was soft, fluffy white rice that paired so well with the spicy yellowfin tuna and picked shallots with Ikura. It was 4 pieces for $16.Pono's Papas Bravas (3/5): The potatoes were crispy in texture but it lacked flavor even with the furikake seasoning. The mayo dip was really nice and added flavor but the red dip tasted like a tomato hummus that didn't go well with the potatoes. Everyone raved about this dish so I was a bit sad it didn't live up to my expectations.Malama Mochiko Chicken (2/5): Everyone raved about this dish too but I was disappointed. The chicken was fried but not juicy at all. Every bite I took was very dry and even dipped in the ponzu shoyu sweet and sour sauce didn't save it. The best thing about this dish was the fluffy rice. Not sure if I just got it overcooked?

LOVE LOVE LOVE Malama Pono! The fusion dishes and delicious drinks are worth every penny.Expect the interior to be a bit tight and dark, but that adds to the experience. There's also exterior "patio" seating, but it's right by the street and thus was not too interesting to me.I loved the Tuna Poki-Mi and the Mochiko Chicken with Furikake Rice. The Potato Bravas were good, too, but I was definitely already filling up on everything else.I ordered a My Tai cocktail and it was sooooo good. Highly recommend giving their cocktails a try.Some other items on the menu caught my eye, so I'll have to find my way back and give this place another go. I recommend making a reservation, as it was pretty popular when I went.There's street parking around the area - don't forget to pay your meter and pay attention to those parking signs.

It's been a couple of years since we visited, but only becaue we live further away. Otherwise, we'd be here, at least, monthly. Great vibe, outstanding food and service, a super nice wine list, and some tasty cocktails.Crispy Rice dishes are so great! Loved our Seared Albacore Civiche, and both entrées, and tried the French Toast dessert, which was an awesome ending. Easity one of the top restaurants in the Valley!

Consistently good! I have been coming here since the opening of this restaurant and It is consistantly spectacular. It is comforting to be greeted by the same team/staff without constant turnover. Our favorite choices are always the crispy rice, tempura cauliflower, and seafood ricotta dumpling. Explosive flavors, perfetly balanced, variety of textures, and simply DELICIOUS. Sleek and cozy dinning room with bar and patio seating, there is not a bad seat in the house!

Good spot for happy hour, which is offered 5-6 pm Tuesday to Friday. The food was a bit hit or miss, but overall I enjoyed the meal.My party of 4 came Friday evening around 5:15 pm to catch their happy hour. I made a reservation a couple days earlier and there was plenty of availability. I definitely recommend making a reservation as most of the tables had a reserved sign.They have indoor seating as well as patio seating you can choose from, but the patio is a small outdoor area with 3 tables right next to the sidewalk as opposed to a patio in the back, so I imagine it can get a bit loud with all the car sounds. I opted for indoor seating when making the reservation, and I'm glad I did.It's extremely dim inside, to the point where it was a bit hard to read the menu. It felt weird looking out and seeing the bright outdoors and then contrasting it with the dim ambiance inside.The happy hour menu includes food and drinks. I didn't order any drinks, but my friends were generally happy with theirs. I tried a sip of their Island Greyhound and it was a tasty lemonade drink with Japanese shochu added.From the happy hour menu, we shared:Ahi tuna poki-mi ($12 hh) - fresh and flavorful poke. Just wish there was more than 4 slices!Spam crispy rice ($12 hh) - this is the most popular item here if Yelp is to be believed, and I can see why! The rice was super crispy and paired perfectly with the spamMalama mochiko fried chicken ($12 hh) - solid fried chicken, also the portions are great for the price compared to the other happy hour itemsHouse-made garlic naan with tzatziki ($8 hh) - the garlic naan was okay but none of us liked the tzatziki dipAfter the happy hour ended, we ordered a couple more items to share:House-made garlic naan caprese ($26) - this was a solid dish, but I definitely think it's pricy given that it's just a couple strips of naan with some grilled tomatoes and burrata on the side. It was a much smaller plate than I expectedPono's papas bravas ($11) - they cook the potatoes well here! Regretted not getting this off the happy hour menu earlier Pono mix plate ($28) - this was okay, the meats were hit or miss (for example, I found the fish incredibly dry). Also, they should include more than one tiny scoop of riceKeep in mind that when you make a reservation, you may only get 2 hours at your table if it's a busy time. We were informed by our server around 6:45 that there was another party coming soon with a 7:15 reservation, so this definitely isn't a eat and slowly chat for a couple hours type of place.

My husband and I tried this restaurant for our Fridate and we were not disappointed! We got there at 5pm and realized a happy hour menu! We ordered drinks (beer and cocktails) that came in tall glasses! Next we ordered the small plates spam and crispy rice, ahi tuna poki, yuzu aguachile, machiko fried chicken and the papas bravaa - Yes we were hungry! Drinks were very good and food - Fantastic ! Ambiance - cozy and romantic! Service - impeccable!Will be back soon! Thank you for a nice food experience Malama Pono!