Ritodhi C.
Yelp
Went back to Ono for the first time during the pandemic, and it didn't quite live up to my previous experiences. I got the large with 4 scoops of protein (salmon x 2, ahi tuna, shite shrimp) over mixed greens. Now that I've had the chance to explore more poke across Houston for comparison, I can say that in terms of quantity, Ono is probably average to mildly below-average, and it's actually fairly uncommon that they charge extra for crab salad and seaweed salad, though it still comes out to be roughly the same amount at $12-14 for a bowl. Not that anyone asked for my business advice, but I actually think it would be better psychologically from a customer perspective to raise the overall price of a bowl, while keeping these add-ons free.
Echoing my previous complaint, I think the sauces at Ono tend toward the bitter side of the spectrum. I got the Classic Shoyu and Citrus Wasabi, and my bowl was sorely lacking sweetness for counter-balance. Perhaps the greens boosted the bitter profile as well to be fair. I also got Thai chili, which made the whole thing not just bitter, but spicy is well (more of a throat burn than a mouth-coating fieriness). In terms of fish, the salmon was nice, the tuna was OK but a little chewy, and the shrimp was too scarce to make a fair assessment.
Ono Poke is still a solid option for lower-budget poke, but my most recent trip certainly wasn't as inspiring as those in the past. Maybe I need to try a different combo of sauces and "catches."