ORIGIN STORY
To be honest,
I wasn’t always
a foodie —
In fact, for most of my early life, food was just… food.
I stepped into adulthood as a banker – organized, analytical, and driven to build things people genuinely loved. When my business partners and I opened our first restaurant, Taste of Tokyo, it was a calculated business decision. But what I didn’t see coming was how deeply the world of food would pull me in and how it would slowly shift from a venture to an absolute passion.
Everything changed the day I stumbled into a tiny, unassuming poke joint on a trip to Hawaii.
It was one of those blink-and-you-miss-it spots – if it wasn’t for the lineup that stopped me in my tracks.
That first bite? unforgettable. A half-and-half bowl – spicy tuna on one side, classic marinated ahi on the other, served over warm rice. Simple. Fresh. Balanced. It was a moment that instantly defined my path, and forever changed my relationship with food. I knew I needed to bring this experience home – Hawaii’s iconic eats, capable of transporting your senses, where the land and sea’s bounty has sustained generations of culture unique to this Pacific oasis.
When I returned, I took a deep dive into everything I could about what made Hawaiian poke truly authentic. The technique, the marination, and the ingredients. We featured our first poke bowl at Taste of Tokyo, staying true to the traditional methods and sourcing the freshest, highest-quality ingredients we could find.
Our poke bowl quickly became a fan favourite, and we realized we were onto something bigger. This success sparked the creation of Ono Poké.
Opening Ono was not just about the recreation of delicious food, it was about sharing the culture of an island close to my heart, in the form of something simple yet complex, balanced, and made with care.
My take on that original half-and-half bowl is still on the menu today, a quiet nod to where it all began, and the standard that has shaped every dish that followed.
Crafted with passion. Served with Aloha.
To be honest,
I wasn’t always
a foodie —
In fact, for most of my early life, food was just… food.
I stepped into adulthood as a banker – organized, analytical, and driven to build things people genuinely loved. When my business partners and I opened our first restaurant, Taste of Tokyo, it was a calculated business decision. But what I didn’t see coming was how deeply the world of food would pull me in and how it would slowly shift from a venture to an absolute passion.
Everything changed the day I stumbled into a tiny, unassuming poke joint on a trip to Hawaii.
It was one of those blink-and-you-miss-it spots – if it wasn’t for the lineup that stopped me in my tracks.
That first bite? unforgettable. A half-and-half bowl – spicy tuna on one side, classic marinated ahi on the other, served over warm rice. Simple. Fresh. Balanced. It was a moment that instantly defined my path, and forever changed my relationship with food. I knew I needed to bring this experience home – Hawaii’s iconic eats, capable of transporting your senses, where the land and sea’s bounty has sustained generations of culture unique to this Pacific oasis.
When I returned, I took a deep dive into everything I could about what made Hawaiian poke truly authentic. The technique, the marination, and the ingredients. We featured our first poke bowl at Taste of Tokyo, staying true to the traditional methods and sourcing the freshest, highest-quality ingredients we could find.
Our poke bowl quickly became a fan favourite, and we realized we were onto something bigger. This success sparked the creation of Ono Poké.
Opening Ono was not just about the recreation of delicious food, it was about sharing the culture of an island close to my heart, in the form of something simple yet complex, balanced, and made with care.
My take on that original half-and-half bowl is still on the menu today, a quiet nod to where it all began, and the standard that has shaped every dish that followed.
Crafted with passion. Served with Aloha.
Our poke bowl quickly became a fan favourite, and we realized we were onto something bigger. This success sparked the creation of Ono Poké.
Opening Ono was not just about the recreation of delicious food, it was about sharing the culture of an island close to my heart, in the form of something simple yet complex, balanced, and made with care.
My take on that original half-and-half bowl is still on the menu today, a quiet nod to where it all began, and the standard that has shaped every dish that followed.
Crafted with passion. Served with Aloha.