Malama Pono Restaurant

Very unique experience. The food was super delicious and different. Highly recommend this place, especially if you like Asian Pacific twist to your meal. Portions are on the smaller side, don’t forget to add the appetizer! Plantain French Toast was out of this world.

Second time I’ve got here and I love everything on the menu!!! First tip: Make a reservation!! I first went here 2 years ago when it opened, but every times I’ve tried to walk in lately it’s been booked until now. The service is fast but the atmosphere is relaxed, vacation vibes. We particularly loved starting with the oysters, getting the crispy rice, then cauliflower and lettuce wraps. Absolutely delicious and worth every dollar!

Everything about this place is amazing!!! The ambience, the service, and oh the food is delicious. It came out fast and hot even on a Saturday evening during dinner. My husband and I got the shrimp/grit and the Maui Maui dish. So rich and flavorful. Don't let the small in serving size fool you, I was indeed full when I left. We both got dessert( candy bar/lemon cheesecake) but was still a bit too full to finish. I attempted to though. As a pastry chef I was impressed the smoothness of the chocolate mousse.

Wine & beer selections for drinks only. We paired a white wine for the seafood. Must try the clams!! Oysters were very tasty as well. Service is always delightful. Aesthetic/ambience is also on point.

This is my favorite restaurant!! The food’s texture with its superb flavors are never a miss! I’m a true local girl so I feel at home here. Please come and support this newer addition restaurant to the area opening right around when the Pandemic hit California. Beer and wine only at this establishment. Anything on this menu is sure to excite your palette. Chef Mario knows what he’s doing!! This is a great place for date night!!

amazing food, excellent service, nice location. Just a great overall dinning experience. Reasonable prices as well for the quality of yummy food.

EVERYTHING was amazing. Literally everything. The appetizers, main course, the dessert. A MUST TRY! And let's not forget the amazing service. So many wonderful suggestions! And it was our 19th wedding anniversary! So fun! Can't wait to try the Duck next time.

My companion and I had dinner at Malama Pono on a Saturday evening. I had a tasty Yuzu based cocktail. We shared the Hopa appetizer. The rice cakes in the appetizer were a bit greasy but the tuna mix on top was delicious. We shared the outstanding Yuzu Aguachile and the Horseradish crusted Mahi Mahi. The sauces on all our dishes were excellent. The food was served at a good pace. The staff was attentive and had informed recommendations on different dishes. Overall it was a very good meal and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Was looking for interesting places in this area and came to try this place out, and it was worth it! The lighting inside is so dark that we struggled a little to see menu details, but it worked out OK. I got the loco moco plate and the drop baby drop cocktail (shochuu, yuzu syrup, and some weird sweet salt that I didn't care for), and was very happy with both. Service was nice and friendly - one of my weird quirks is asking for only half a glass of water on the refill, and most places just fill it full anyway, but this guy actually gave me half.

I got to try Malama Pono with my bf last night for dinner. I was craving Hawaiian food after a recent Maui trip, and this hit the spot! We ordered everything family-style. Seafood ricotta dumplings: 8/10. This was really good!! The dumplings were creamy and bursting with a strong seafood flavor. The sauce it came with was so rich and flavorful, I wanted to lick the plate! Farmer's Market Beet Salad: 6/10. Good though nothing special. Kalua Pork Lettuce Wraps: 6/10. Flavor was fine, but pork seemed a bit tough/overcooked. I thought the Mac salad it came with was fire though! Loco Moco: 9/10. Delicious!! The dish came out nice and hot, the pork patty was juicy, and the mushroom gravy on top was rich and savory!! This was one of the best loco moco's I've tried in SoCal. World Peace Candy Bar: 7/10. This was yummy, and I loved the citrus flavor from the candied kumquat. It was very mousse-dominant though, and we both thought the dish was missing some additional texture- adding cake or graham crust as a base would've been perfect. Our servers were polite and attentive. We had multiple servers throughout the night come by to refill our water. I also thought this place was pretty unique because most of the authentic Hawaiian food I found on Maui were at small hole-in-the-wall spots, and the fine dining places there were expensive and really only had American food. I'm glad to have a nicer fine dining Hawaiian restaurant close to home! We will definitely be back again to try more!

I had passed by this place many times and finally decided to try it. Reservations were easy, available, and I was seated right on time. My favorite was the Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Crispy Rice and the Spam Crispy Rice. It was so good I didn't have a chance to take a picture.

Came here last minute and my second time here! Got a table right away! The service is outstanding! Food is so wonderful and fresh! It's shareable which is really nice so we could try different things. My favorite dish is the white beans. I'll definitely be back again!!

Food: 3/5 Service: 5/5 Came here for date night! Hubby reserved this spot because it had high reviews on Yelp and it was an interesting Hawaiian fusion restaurant in our neighborhood. The vibe was relaxing and casually nice for a date spot. Service was great too as their motto is taking good care of you. Hospitality was great and felt like they cared. Now onto the important food... I've had high hopes because I love Hawaiian food and the menu sounded amazing. We started off strong with the yuzu aguachile (4.5/5) where the green sauce reminded me of the Indian green chutney--refreshing, herbacious, tangy goodness. I liked the seafood (especially the scallops) and veggies in it that tasted very fresh. It's not a 5/5 only because I've had better elsewhere (Holbox). The first dish might've set the bar too high for the subsequent dishes. We had the Mochiko fried chicken (3/5) which was very lightly fried and not greasy which was nice, but it was primarily salty, and I wasn't able to taste a more robust flavor profile.. the tempura formula was perfect, just the saltiness was too much to bear. The accompanying sauce didn't really add to the dish. Next we had the hapa style crispy rice (3/5), which came with 2 spam crispy rice & 2 spicy yellowtail crispy rice. The spam one was very average for me, contrary to several other reviews that rave about it. It was again, salty and greasy. I would've preferred a bit of a tang to it to balance out the heaviness but it was topped with a mayo sauce which amplified the heaviness. I wouldn't get it again. The spicy yellowtail crispy rice was again heavy on the mayo and I couldn't taste any spice. I wish they didn't call it spicy or would actually make it spicy. Last but not least, we had the horseradish crusted mahi mahi (2/5), hoping this would be a redeeming dish, but it was actually our least favorite. There was absolutely no horseradish flavor whatsoever and I felt like the name of the dish was misleading. But, later the kind waitress explained that the grated horseradish creates the crust of the fish so when fried, there's only a slight crusty texture that remains, but no taste of the horseradish. The sauce was a heavy beurre blanc which didn't accentuate the mahi mahi at all, and the pineapple in the sauce was basically canned fruit. I couldn't finish it without the chili oil and togarashi that we had asked for on the side. At the end of the meal, I felt heavy, but not full or content. The service was great, but the food was a big miss for me. I felt that the names were misleading and they were cloying to the palate. It was worth trying once though--great experience!

OMG, the Spiked Tofu Salad!!! Let me just say, I'm a meat eater and would never normally order something like this. But after trying all the phenomenal dishes here and needing to meet some dietary goals, I trusted the amazing staff's recommendation, and I'm so glad I did. This is hands down the most amazing salad I've ever had. I'm literally trying to figure out how to get a to-go version that still keeps all that deliciousness intact. We absolutely love this place, perfect date night, the vibe is incredible, and it feels like our second home. Thank you, Malama Pono crew... we love you!

Finally got to try this place! So glad i did because everything was great. -Ambiance- Perfect place for a date. I just went with a friend but the the lighting made me feel like I should be dating my friend -Service- Everyone was super friendly and helpful. No pressure to order quick and answered all questions with no problem. The vibe is very "aloha" so their servers basically felt like family -Food- I'd call the food Hawaiian fusion. Drinks are sake based but so creative and delicious. Honestly, could have picked any drink and would have been happy. We order their version of rice cakes, the Agua chile, the Brussel sprouts, and Pono Mixed plate. Really flavorful and for sure hard to find a place that makes food like this. Favorite thing we got was the rice cakes and Agua Chile. Cant wait to come back for more!

The food the service and atmosphere all so good and welcoming ! A really great Hawaiian fusion. Their happy hour is only and hour so go when they open and make a reservation because the place is small. They are known for their spam crispy rice but the yellowtail crispy rice won my taste buds as well as the fresh shrimp and scallop aguachile with a generous amount of chips. Definitely going back for more of everything !

Food was delicious, very flavorful and presentation on all was pretty & exceptional. Service, once at resturant was excellent, also, the ambience is nice. My only complaint is, thus the missing star. I left three voice messages, with my call back number, regarding my reservation. No one ever called me back, I had to physically go in regarding the matter. But everything was so yummy, I'll be returning. Just a few pictures of the six items that my friend and I ordered.

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 Caprese For 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 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.

The food is so good!! The menu has so much to explore. I want to go back and try everything. Their fish variety is so fun and the food is delicious. Great cocktails too and solid service. The restaurant is beautiful inside; cute and chic, feels intimate and fun. I'm impressed I'll definitely be back.

Went to Malama Pono with the family recently, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. Service was solid--no complaints at all. They were accommodating with our seating preferences when we made the reservation. The atmosphere is upscale casual, a bit small, but that wasn't a huge issue for us. It's definitely got that contemporary vibe more than its got the islander vibe (IMO). Now, onto the food. Malama Pono features contemporary Hawaiian/Islander-inspired fare. I will admit, I sometimes get mixed feelings when a restaurant does a spam musubi-type dish at a premium price point. Luckily, most of the menu is full of seafood and meat dishes that are fairly priced for this type of restaurant, which balances it out. Here's what we ordered: - Crispy Rice Tuna: A solid starter, well-executed. Can never go wrong with this type of dish, even if it can be a bit trendy/overdone! - Tempura Cauliflower: Another solid app - small in portion but each piece had a fantastic balance of breading and sauce and maintained perfect crispness. - Colossal Crab Cake: Delicious and definitely lives up to the "colossal" name--packed full of crab. - Ahi Tuna Poki Mi: Though calling it Poki without a rice feels a bit off to me, it was delicious! Not a deal breaker. A well balanced dressing with the type of fish. - Hokkaido Sea Scallops: Excellent! But as expected of well made scallops. - Malama Mochiko Chicken: A good take on a classic, though maybe a tad sweet for my personal preference. - Steamed Mussels: Good, but a bit on the sweet side for my taste as well. (theres a theme here) - Various desserts with names I forget: actually awesome. Very sweet, but in this case is a non issue haha. Overall, everything was quite tasty. While not everything was exactly to *my* taste, most, if not all of it was well-made. Malama Pono is definitely a place to check out if you're in the mood for island-inspired cuisine with a contemporary twist.

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.

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?

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!

Oh man what a gem!!! Intimate place that's kind of a Hawaiian fusion sort of. Staff is excellent and it's always the same folks, has a real family feel. They have some unique dishes and everything is excellent. Here's a list of my favorites but everything is worth trying Spicy Yellowfin crispy rice Tempura cauliflower Crunchy Lomi Salmon tartare Seafood Ricotta dumplings Horseradish crusted mahi mahi No liquor license so that have shochu and other creations. Their sparkling "my tai" is just about my favorite drink in town. Good size, creative and delicious! .. coming for happy hour 5-6pm is a nice $3 off drinks and some food deals too Please go try this place, it's wonderful and should stay around forever

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 spam Malama mochiko fried chicken ($12 hh) - solid fried chicken, also the portions are great for the price compared to the other happy hour items House-made garlic naan with tzatziki ($8 hh) - the garlic naan was okay but none of us liked the tzatziki dip After 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 expected Pono'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 rice Keep 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.

Had heard so many good things about Malama Pono, and chanced coming here on the earlier side without a dinner reservation. We were seated immediately, and the space is very cutely decorated. Staff was friendly, but had the tendency to come by VERY frequently. Before ordering we'd been approached probably 5x times? My friend and I ordered the short rib, scallops, and shared the cauliflower. The cauliflower was good, but both of our entrees were disappointing. My short rib lacked any texture, and was drowning in sauce. It might be good for cocktails and apps in a nice ambiance, but overall our experience was just meh.

Found this gem while surfing through Yelp on a Tuesday night. Saw the pictures and the reviews and gave it a try. The ambiance - perfectly dimly lit. Giving it an intimate vibe but also dim where you can't really focus on any other table besides yours. It definitely gives date night vibes. The service - service here was unbelievable. We definitely felt the staff and managers really went the extra mile to make sure we were enjoying our time and made sure everything was tasting delicious. From breaking down the menu, recommendations, and jokes it was a great time The food - holy crap do not skip on the crispy rice. They were so good we actually doubled up on the order. The chicken plate was so juicy and fried to perfection. The salmon tartare tasted so fresh and gave me vacation vibes. And the cocktails here were so good and was so surprised it's all made with a Japanese sake/soju. Definitely coming back, it was so good and so fun! There's valet parking but also plenty of street parking

I came here during happy hour (Happy hour 5-6pmTues-Fri). They have indoor seating and a small patio for outdoor seating. It wasn't too busy yet when we were there so it was a little quieter. Our server was attentive and food came out quick. I loved their spam crispy rice- I would definitely get two orders next time. The ahi tuna and Aguachile were fresh and flavorful. The wontons had a good amount of filling on the inside. I loved the mochiko fried chicken- it was so crispy and wasn't greasy at all. If you love chocolate, order the world peace candy bar for dessert. I like rice pudding in general and enjoyed their island rice pudding with coconut shavings and pineapple. Parking- street parking or valet

Food is absolutely phenomenal! Service is on point! Absolutely love everything here! This review is long overdue. Came here for dinner one night and was completely blown away by the food and experience! It's a cute hole in the wall and you would never know that such a great restaurant is here. We ordered a bunch of items in the menu to share. There was not a single thing that wasn't like "wow". The food was delicious and spectacular! Service was superb attentive and friendly, our server explained every course and answer all of our questions. Definitely a culinary experience. Highly recommend!

Absolutely love this place, it's one of my go to's, food is delicious and everyone that works there very nice! Great vibe,highly recommend!!

I have nothing but love for this gem. One of the greatest restaurants in the Valley without question. Food is excellent, staff is top notch, comfortable atmosphere. I always leave here very very happy. I usually get the Mahi Mahi, which is always perfect. The sauce is very flavorful and not too heavy. Their Hakkaido Scallops are cooked beautifully with a wonderful sauce, and the bacon gives it nice richness. The seafood dumplings are great, but not my favorite dish. Personally, I think the saffron cream sauce could use some acid like maybe lemon juice to put it over the top. The beat salad is one of my favorite things. Very clean and fresh and full of flavor. I get almost every time. I tried the Mussels this time and they were excellent. In a nice tomato sauce almost like a Harissa with a nice spice. The sausage was a nice touch. I love you Malama Pono!!!

Oh wow!!! A little amazing hidden secret. Go! I promise, you will love everything. The service was amazing. This is my 2nd time coming and definitely coming back again.

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!

Hawaiian fusion at its finest! Loved this trendy yet comfortable restaurant in Sherman Oaks. I had the pan seared snapper which came with a side of seaweed rice. The sauce was delicious if a bit sweet for my taste. The portions are just right here, not too big or too small. Crab cake was full of crab with a refreshing fennel slaw to complement. Uni crispy rice was a tasty treat to cap off a great meal.

The food was authentic and delicious. The service was fabulous. I had the Kahlúa pig, lettuce wraps, and my Husband had the short rib stew both hands down very very good.

Food 4/5: maybe we saw the reviews prior to the arrival, we were expecting something really tasty but I think other than spam crispy everything else lacked a bit of flavor. Drinks were also ok not too great. Service 5/5 Ambiance is good for dates or hangouts 5/5

Amazing food and some of the best service we have had in LA in a long time. Everyone here was so attentive, super nice and had great energy. Excellent service. The restaurant ambiance is great too really nice and cozy. The food was absolutely amazing as well, we loved the yellowtail crispy rice, the yuzu aguachile, and salmon tartare. Absolutely flavorful and soooooo fresh. Great quality seafood. We also loved the cauliflower and scallop entree as well. Amazing food and amazing service, you have to end with their French toast desert soooooooo amazing

The food was delectable. Staff were attentive and helpful with recommendations. Will be back!

Who needs to eat in Hawaii? Just eat here! Now if you want to go to Hawaii. Please, go. But if you are looking for a fantastic Hawaiian food adventure. Please come here. I've been to the islands 7-8 times. This place makes better food that 90% of the upscale restaurants I've been to on the islands. The services, the ambiance is like being back in Hanalei Bay in Kauai. The apps are awesome! We had the uni, yellow fin crispy rice and the Pono Papas Bravas. All were delicious. Then were shared the shrimp and grits, the sea scallops, the short rib (OMG so good!!!)and the Duck. OMG! This place has been here 6 years and I haven't been... WTF!?!?!The flavors here are unreal. Then we finished with the chocolate bar and rice pudding. The absolute perfect way to finish the meal. I told Darren our server they would be ashamed for serving such delicious food. (I'm being sarcastic of course) this place is AMAZING!! This food is fucking awesome! I forgot to take any other pictures of the other plates because we were too busy scarfing it down. All of the food presentation was incredible as well.

Solid - the menu we encountered during our visit was a little bit of a mixed bag, so definitely ask your waiter for the seasonal recommendations. Cool ambiance, great drinks, & nice service. We tried the Brussels sprouts, beet quinoa salad, spam crispy rice, and a variety of other dishes that I honestly can't remember. While appropriate for a date, work dinner, or celebratory shindig, I truthfully can't tell you "you 100% must order X, Y, Z dishes" because I don't think we did the best job ordering the best dishes.

I have dined here a few times now, and wanted to wait to write this review. This may be my new go-to dinner restaurant! The highlights: The ONLY item I have tried off the menu that I *probably* wouldn't order again was the adobo, but only because I am obsessed with all the other items and the adobo didn't stick with me. The seafood dumplings and spam crispy rice are MUSTS!! The creamy sauce the dumplings are drenched in could be a pasta sauce, I could sop it up with bread and have just that as a meal. It's that good. The warm french toast is also a staple, it's unlike any dessert I have had before and is so savory and delicious. The staff is INCREDIBLE. Tate and Darren and Sergio (?), along with the rest of the staff, are some of the best I have come across in the restaurant industry. Their vibe along with the physical vibe of the restaurant (moody lighting, dark but bold colors, gorgeous plants) just makes you feel right at home from start to end of the experience. There is street parking and valet, the valet stand serves a few restaurants on this block but Malama Pono is one of them (not sure if they validate this).

I am genuinely embarrassed that I didn't know this place existed! Hidden gem in the valley with easy peezy valet up front. Intimidate, romantic and pretty vibe. 5 star food and Service thanks to Darren. DO know it is wine and beer only currently DO try the tuna crispy rice and uni crispy rice. Omg the salmon roe in the tuna crispy rice was such a pleasant surprise! Love their ceviche! My date loved his meat dish (forgot what it was as I dont eat meat) Absolutely 1000 percent you need a reservation. Cant wait to come back!

This is one of my favorite restaurants I've tried this year. I was very impressed with the service and atmosphere but the food really was the star. We tried four things and everything was incredible, all of our food was perfectly seasoned and unique but still had that distinctive Hawaiian flair. I think the food is reasonably priced and pretty generous portion sizes. The spam on rice and yellowtail on rice are must tries! Can't wait to go back and taste more of their menu.

Wound up here randomly on a date night with the wife. Talk about an incredible meal. Run, don't walk to get those mussels. Everything tasted incredible and was well prepared. I'm a fan of big bold flavors and this is exactly what it was. Service was fantastic too !

I came here because I heard it's really good . The place is small but nice. It was really hot , so my experience wasn't the best. I ordered a tofu salad and a beer. The beer was good but the salad was bland. The service was ok and a bit slow. The potatoes were really the only thing i enjoyed. I'm sure for other people this place would be to their liking but I just wasn't a fan of their food.

Made a reservation for dinner (recommend reservations due to location being smaller). Happy hour is 5-6 and you can save $$ on some great dishes. We started with the yuzu aguachile (my favorite), spam crispy rice, and fried seafood wontons. Wasn't a fan of the wontons tasted superrrr seafoody inside. I ordered the shrimp and grits which were absolutely fantastic. The flavors were just spot on. Hubby had the kalua pork lettuce wraps which was a big plate. Our friend had the braised short rib which he also enjoyed. Please whatever you do, don't leave without trying the WFT for dessert! Plantain bread as French toast topped with ice cream wow. I thought I was full but I somehow made room for that!! Overall a solid delicious spot and would highly recommend. Would love to come back!

Went there for the first time and didn't have a reservation but the few high tables are first available so we got one fast. We shared the spam & tuna crispy rice (I think it's named differently) these were excellent really! The salmon tartare was amazing too. Absolutely not a fan of the yuzu "cheesecake" served with layers in a jar - it was weird and not really good tbh it's also absolutely not a cake whatsoever but more like a creamy custard - the crumbles were dry & hard on top-the dessert explains the lost star. Had a glass of the Chardonnay and loved it! Service was good and friendly. I will return for the crispy rice!!

Me and my husband found this place when going to the area to get my nails done. I will now be commuting 25 minutes from home just to go to this restaurant. Everyone there is so friendly and the food is incredible. We also loved the ambiance. Best food we've had in years. We got the oysters which my husband gets everywhere and he said these were the best he's ever had. The fried chicken was also delicious and very different in flavor from others. We also got the Kalua pork lettuce wraps ( a must try) and the pork belly fried rice which was insanely good. Their freshly made naan with tzatziki is so fresh and light. You have to end this meal with their ice cream and berries. You will not regret coming here only that you can't try everything.

Ambiance, service, and food is 100/10. The cauliflower was so crispy and delicious. The yellowfin crispy rice was so good we missed a photo. The drinks were amazing. The chicken wings were super garlicky and yummy. This will 100% be a new regular spot for me. I already have more things I want to try on the menu. Shoutout to the staff and servers. Everyone was super nice and attentive.

10s across the board. The food - we ordered a lot of dishes and finished everything. The owners have done an incredible job putting their own spins on delicious classics, and it works. Personal favorites and must gets: seafood ricotta dumplings, papas bravas, and spicy yellowfin tuna crispy rice (though literally everything we got was up there). Only thing that I didn't die for was the crab cakes but I'm not much of a crab cakes guy to begin with. So you'll probably like those too if you usually like crab. The staff - everyone from the owners to the waiters are an absolute vibe. This is the kind of place you want to be a regular at just to hang with these awesome folks and eat their amazing food. Try everything. Drink their soju. You'll be happier than ever.

It has been almost two years since dining here and the food has gotten even better. The seafood ricotta dumplings is just a beautiful dish and I was so happy that it was still on the menu. Each dish is so unique and full of flavor. Service is prompt and gracious. We sat in the patio and the weather lent to a perfect outdoor summer dining experience. Can't wait to go back!

Really great Hawaiian restaurant in Sherman Oaks! I was looking for a special dinner restaurant in the area that wouldn't break the bank and Malama Pono pulled through. They have an eclectic menu packed with seafood, meat, and vegetarian options. We started with the Brussel sprouts with poached egg, bacon, and Parmesan and it was a strong start: the runny egg really brought the whole dish together and the Brussels were served over a savory sauce. Definitely get the spicy garlic crispy chicken. It's a whole new take on wings. If you love garlic flavor and crispy fried chicken you'll love this one. For the main dish we got the horseradish crusted Mahi Mahi. Perfectly cooked fish with a crisp crust and a thick, savory, pineapple flavored sauce. The salty sweet sauce balanced so perfectly with the fish and it came with a bit of rice to soak up that amazing sauce. As if the meal couldn't get any better, we ended up finishing it off with some of their WFT (warm French toast) made with warm plantain bread and topped with ice cream, caramel sauce, and cacao nibs. It was like an elevated banana bread French toast. Absolute perfection. The service was great. You can tell they put a lot of love into their food. The restaurant itself has a nice chill Hawaiian vibe and manages to serve very high quality innovative dishes without being pretentious. If you love Hawaiian food, or are looking to try it for the first time, this is your place!

Wow, stumbled upon this place as I was in town for work. Decided to come here with a friend on a Thursday night around 7pm. This is a small restaurant with lots of greenery decor and super cute ambiance. We ordered the crispy tuna rice, brussel sprouts, kalua pork lettuce wraps, and scallop ricotta dumplings. The food was absolutely phenomenal! Each dish had its own unique flavors. The brussel sprouts was topped with a runny egg yolk with sweet, tangy, and roasted flavors. The tuna rice was soft and savory. The dumplings were creamy from the ricotta while you can still taste the seafood flavor of the scallops. And last but certainly not least, the kalua pork was the perfect combination of savory and salty, topped with a sauce that had a hint of wasabi. Service was attentive and friendly. They were dressed super casual to resemble the island vibe. My experience was fantastic and I will definitely be back next time I'm in town.

I think WOW about covers this great place. The staff is fabulous and all of Tate's suggestions were so right on. Everyone was genuinely friendly and nice. We started with a mix of the Spam Crispy Rice (Sweet soy, Nori Aioli, Scallions Togarashi) and Spicy Yellowfin Crispy Rice (Ikura, Pickled Shallots, Scallions). Sorry no photos... guess we were hungry, but this was sooooo good. The Spicy Garlic Crispy Chicken with fresh garlic, Calabrian chili, parmesan and celery slaw was delicious. And just as Tate described, the Seafood Ricotta Dumplings were special and unique... like beautiful pillows of seafood in an insane sauce. So gooood!!! The Warm French Toast was a great closer and featured Plantain bread with coconut caramel, cocoa nibs and vanilla ice cream. This was also amazing, and not too sweet...a. perfect end to a perfect meal!

This place is so cute! It's small and intimate feeling and the food is great. Def recommend the salmon tartare (I don't even like wasabi but the way they incorporated it into this dish was amazing) and the mussels! We had wine but def wanna try the shochu cocktails next time.

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 Rice Spicy Garlic Crispy Chicken Crispy Brussels Sprouts Chopped Salad *** Ahi Tuna Poki-Mi *** Colossal Crab Cake *** Kalua Pork Lettuce Wraps *** Braised Short Rib Adobo We 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.