Honu Poke & Grill -- Lomita, CA…read more
1824 Lomita Blvd, Lomita, CA
Honu Poke & Grill is a small, cozy Hawaiian-style restaurant located in a shopping plaza near the intersection of Western Ave. and Lomita Blvd.
PARKING & LOCATION
One thing to be mindful of is that the parking lot is currently undergoing renovations. From the looks of it, they may be installing a Tesla charging station in the center of the plaza. Some areas are fenced off, so parking and navigating the lot may be a little inconvenient until construction is completed.
ATMOSPHERE & SEATING
The restaurant has a small, Hawaiian-inspired interior with tropical decorations. Seating is limited to four tables accommodating four people each and two additional tables seating two people each.
There is a self-service water station, but no soda fountain. Also, there are no restrooms available for customers.
My biggest complaint about the dining experience was the indoor temperature. I visited during this October heatwave, and even before noon, the restaurant was already uncomfortably warm. With all the fluorescent lighting turned on and the refrigerated poke display cases potentially contributing additional heat, it felt like the temperature continued rising.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I was actually sweating while sitting there eating my lunch! Better air conditioning or ventilation would definitely make the dine-in experience much more enjoyable, especially during warmer days.
MENU & PRICING
They offer a good selection of Hawaiian-style poke, including Hawaiian Shoyu, Hawaiian Limu, California Hawaiian, Spicy Mayo, Spicy Garlic, Salmon Shoyu, Salmon Limu, Salmon Sweet Spicy, Spicy Garlic Salmon, and Salmon Spicy Mayo.
Poke bowls range approximately from $14.45 to $15.95, while poke plates range from $15.45 to $16.45.
For this visit, I ordered:
* Combo Poke Plate -- Hawaiian Shoyu & Hawaiian Limu
* Loco Moco -- $15.95
* Hawaiian Sun POG
COMBO POKE PLATE -- HAWAIIAN SHOYU & HAWAIIAN LIMU
Both selections tasted fresh, which is definitely something I appreciate when eating poke.
The Hawaiian Shoyu had a nice flavor, and the Hawaiian Limu was equally fresh-tasting. The plate came with two scoops of white rice topped with furikake seasoning.
Overall, I enjoyed both poke selections, and they were a highlight of my meal.
LOCO MOCO -- $15.95
Something worth mentioning is that the Loco Moco is made to order, and I was informed there would be approximately a 20-minute wait. So if you're in a hurry, keep that in mind.
The Loco Moco comes with two scoops of rice, sunny-side-up eggs, hamburger patties, and a generous amount of brown gravy.
The hamburger patties were smaller, almost like mini slider-sized patties. What I appreciated was that they tasted handmade and nicely seasoned rather than like the typical frozen, pre-made patties.
The patties were practically swimming in gravy!
Now, the gravy itself had good flavor, but the consistency was definitely on the watery side. I'm talking almost soup-like consistency. If you scooped some up with a spoon and tilted it, the gravy would immediately run right off.
Personally, I prefer my Loco Moco gravy to be a little thicker, with enough consistency to coat the hamburger patties and rice rather than just pooling around everything. That being said, the flavor was there, so it wasn't necessarily a bad gravy, just not my preferred consistency.
The rice was good, and so were the sunny-side-up eggs. However, the eggs were cooked a little longer than I personally prefer. The yolks were approximately half solid and half runny. When I order sunny-side-up eggs, I like the yolks nice and runny so I can break them and mix everything together with the rice, hamburger patties, and gravy.
Still enjoyable, but a slightly runnier yolk would have made it better for me.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Honu Poke & Grill offers a nice variety of Hawaiian-style poke along with other local favorites such as Loco Moco.
The Hawaiian Shoyu and Hawaiian Limu poke tasted fresh, and I appreciated the homemade taste and seasoning of the Loco Moco patties. The gravy had good flavor despite being thinner than I prefer, and the eggs were just slightly overcooked for my liking.
My biggest issue wasn't necessarily the food but the dining environment. Sitting inside a restaurant sweating while trying to enjoy lunch isn't exactly a comfortable experience. The lack of a customer restroom is another inconvenience worth mentioning.
Would I come back? I would consider returning for the poke, but on another hot day, I'd probably opt for takeout rather than dining inside.
Good food overall, with some room for improvement, especially when it comes to indoor comfort.