I had just moved to the DMV a few months ago from Hawai'i and tried Abunai because I was dying for a taste of home. I was born and raised in Kalihi, the home of Elena's Hawaiian Food so needless to say my expectations were high. I ordered the Kalua Pork and Cabbage plate with furikake mac salad and the lomi lomi (tomatoes and onions) with li hing pineapple. I really was rooting for this place but I was largely unimpressed. The kalua pig and cabbage was a disappointment. It hardly tasted remotely close to kālua. A more accurate description would be BBQ pulled pork with the BBQ sauce somewhat washed off. The mac salad just tasted like mayo and furikake. I have to say the best part of the plate was the lomi lomi WITHOUT the salmon. The pineapple was okay but with very minimal li hing powder. I want to give this place another try since I do see that it is own by a kānaka maoli wahine but hopefully this time I'll have a taste of the poké. I really hope that they can bring a taste of home that I have been craving so bad. read more

Abunai - Kalua Pig & Cabbage with Lomi Lomi and Furikake Mac Salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Abunai is one of my favorite poke places in D.C. The ingredients are always super fresh and tasty. It's popular, so the lines are long. I usually order through Ritual because I'm not a patient person. Abunai is the priciest of poke options, especially if you want an extra scoop. They also have the least amount of toppings, and the staff is not friendly or knowledgeable, hence the four stars. But my bowl always hits the spot, so I can't complain too much. read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I got a regular bowl with two scoops of protein and found the price to be a little high considering the amount given. The selection of toppings is also more limited than other places and the rice was a bit hard as if it had been sitting out for a while even though I ate there early. The taste itself was good, but if I did go back I would probably try something else. read more

Fantastic staff and food. I love in Hawaii for 10 years and this is very legit food. The staff was attentive and friendly and the food sooooo ONo!! (Good) Met the owner who was very fun, insightful and seemed to really enjoy the business. read more

The portions for protein are soooooo disappointing :( They were ok freshness wise, but 3$ for that tiny scoop each is kind of foul. Also crab mix is extra read more

This is definitely a 4.5 star review!!! I love being pleasantly surprised with a good deal and good food, and that's what I got when stumbling upon Abunai earlier today before my doctor's appointment at Medstar Lafayette, which is right around the corner. I arrived early so I decided to get lunch to pass the time and hopped on yelp to see what was around, I saw that this place offered 13% cash back (plus) had 4 stars (big plus) and had a 92 health score (big big big plus!) so I chose to dine here and what a great choice. There was a long line because it was smack in the middle of the lunch rush and they only had two people working, but the wait was worth it. They do a special everyday and I luckily came in on Friday where all the specialty bowls are only $10! Normally these joints are between $12-$17, so I really came up. I decided on the Abunai which was rocking and I added the pineapple vinaigrette dressing which was the perfect compliment. I loved their ahi tuna, it was so flavorful and all the seasonings they used in the bowl were bomb! The portion size was moderate although I could go for something else and I got the largest bowl. I will definitely be back to try other things. The inside of the restaurant is cute and clean, I wouldn't mind dining in. The service was friendly, although the line was jumping the customer service person didn't mind offering their recommendation on the best bowl etc. I think it's really awesome that they offer such a big discount on their bowls on fridays, considering the price of ahi tuna and poke in general. They've definitely got a new customer in me! read more

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To quote the famous words of the great MC Hammer: Can't Touch This In the great battle of poke shops that are popping up across the District, I would say that Abunai is the clear winner. At this shop, they make the fish the real star. You have your choice between salmon or ahi tuna but no matter what you choose you can be guaranteed you'll receive a hearty helping of super fresh, super fly fish. I'm tired of buying poke bowls that are 90% rice and 10% fish -- at Abunai there is a perfect fish to rice ratio in every single bite. The other add ins (you can customize or go with their suggested bowls) are high quality as well. I went with the classic Abunai and was seriously impressed by how the simple, traditional ingredients made for a killer meal. To wash it all down they have my favorite Hawaiian Sun passion fruit juice! If I have not sold you yet they also offer a 10% off check in offer. The only way they can improve is by bringing in a beach! Five happy stars from me. read more

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The poke here tastes fresh, and freshness is KEY for raw fish! I was so excited to finally give Abunai Poke a try after hearing about it since before it opened. I like that you can get poke bowls with rice or salad, and that there are predesigned bowls or you can choose to make your own. They have both seasoned and unseasoned fish. I went with the Abunai sauce seasoned ahi tuna and added my own mix-ins. While I appreciate the chance to make my poke however my heart desires, part of me slightly wishes the poke were already seasoned and came pre-prepared because the flavors would be stronger since the fish would've had good time to marinate in the flavors. The staff was awesome, friendly, and helpful which I definitely can get behind! Until I can get back to Hawaii, I'll be coming back to Abunai Poke for my poke fix! PS: The spam musubi served warm is a MUST!! read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As the sign stated, "Da poke broke da mout!" Although the only poke that I'm fully confident about my knowledge in is the hokey pokey, I've had enough poke in DC, LA, SF and Hawaii to feel that I can solidly say that Abunai is doing things right. As soon as I got a look at what was going on behind the counter, I could tell by the cuts and color of the fish, that I was in for a treat. Everything from the proteins, to the veggies and rice were so fresh and satisfying. The number of toppings that you can choose from (most with no additional charge) was impressive and made me feel like a kid in a ... poke shop! With that being said, although their signature bowls were tempting, I had to roam wild and customize by own bowl filled with salmon, tuna, edamame, roe, seaweed salad, green onions and avocado. I can assure you there was no skimping on the part of Adbunai, and as I ate and chatted with my friend, it felt as if the bowl was never ending. Unfortunately, after experiencing Abunai's poke, it's making some of my other local poke eating destinations seem a little less desirable, which means another visit is definitely due in the near future! read more

Abunai - Custom bowl: tuna, salmon, seaweed salad, edamame, avocado, green onion & roe - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My favorite place in DC to get poke! It's definitely one of my go-to places for lunch. I got the Abunai Poke Bowl because they had a $10 deal on it on Fridays. And it was a great decisions! I thought there was the perfect ratio of rice to salad to tuna to sauce. The flavors blended together so perfectly, I really loved eating it. I really want to come back and try their other bowls one day! read more

Abunai - Abunai Poke Bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was very excited to try this place. Being a Chef in DC I am skeptical to try overpriced, redundant, and service lacking restaurants in general. So when I do choose a place I like to order more than my fill and support new food businesses. What I ordered: Spam Mac Sundae with sushi rice and wonton chips: Clever name. Great portion and presentation. Bland mac. I chose ​wonton chips. Nope. Too bad though​ because texture would have been wonderful Kalua Pig and Cabbage side 1: furikake mac​ side 2: mixed green with pineapple vinaigrette​ An ABSOLUTE disaster. The braised pork was overly salty. It was supposed to come with pineapples and bbq sauce. Nope. The Mac was bland and the greens didnt have the any pineapple dressing as described on the menu. The portion was great and the rice was cooked well. Not enough to salvage the numerous errors of this plate. Spicy Salmon Handroll Great snack! Well seasoned. It was off putting that they gave ONE SLICE OF PICKLED GINGER and a very old wad of wasabi paste (colorwise). If this is their normal service...just dont bother and save the plastic it came in. Since this was an online order and live 35min away from DC, I didnt see this mess until I got home (1hr.in traffic) I tried to call (twice) in fear I might have gotten someones order by error but after 10 rings each time​​​ with no answer I accepted that this place is what it is. read more

HUGE portions and perfect balance of flavors! This is a new place that's been here for about four months. They'll do well! I wish we had a place like this in my town! The staff is friendly and helpful with menu descriptions and they prepare your bowl as you watch (even asking how much sauce, etc., you prefer). It's a small area with three long tables community style with plenty of backless stools facing glass walls for watching the world go by. We went around 3:30 so it wasn't very crowded and I have a feeling much of their business is to go orders. I really liked the ambience of the place. Very relaxed atmosphere and the huge poke bowls with Hawaiian music playing almost felt like being in Hawaii in a small cafe. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! read more

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Poke tasted bad and not fresh at all. The service was good and the restaurant seems like a nice little spot for a quick lunch. I had a to go order read more

Finally, poke in downtown D.C.! And TWO poke places opening in D.C. in the same week? Plus the fact that this is from Abunai, one of the best food trucks in D.C.!? *Craziness and excitement ensues.* On opening day, I lined up with two friends at around 2:15 p.m. thinking that there wouldn't be many people. Well, that was incorrect. We got our food and checked out around 3:00. There were maybe 15 people ahead of us and the line was moving ultra slow. Hopefully this was an opening day blunder. Food: I got the garlic ahi bowl, and it tasted amazing! Fresh, flavorful and all that jazz. However, the garlic lingered in my mouth for HOURS. Pricing: Expensive! Each bowl, whether you customize or not, costs $12.95. With tax, that brings you to $14.25. Compared to Poke Papa, which just opened in D.C. Chinatown, this has more of a traditional vibe and seemed like the ingredients are fresher. I do like Poke Papa as well, though! The bottom line is this is delicious, but I can't make this a regular lunch spot due to the price. However, if someone were visiting or for a treat yo'self day, I will definitely return! read more

Abunai - The garlic ahi bowl -- super garlicy but good! - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Consistently good. I always get the spicy salmon bowl with the suggested fixings. Good flavor and they don't skimp on the amount of avocado you get. The fried dumplings are also really solid. read more

So glad this place opened up by my job. Love their Poké bowls. My coworkers and I come here at least once a week. Lunchtime lines can be long but they go really fast.I normally do half Ahi and half salmon. Fish is always fresh. SO good! One of my coworkers is from Hawaii and he has given this place a stamp of approval. read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

More like Abu-No. weird sweet flavor, definitely not authentic poke. The rice was cooked too starchy. Idk just Abu-No.

Finally had the chance to check this place out! Absolutely love the food truck and was beyond stoked to hear they opened up a poke shop. My best friend was in town and we actually met about 10 years ago when we both lived in Hawaii so obviously poke is pretty nostalgic for us so we had to go here for lunch! The storefront is adorable! I love all the punchy Hawaiian decor and especially the pidgin board! We got there just before the lunch rush and it definitely filled up after we sat down so get there early if you can! I got the Abunai Bowl and my bff did a create your own (both over greens instead of rice). I was very impressed with the amount of tuna in the bowl! I've been to other poke shops before (not in this area) that it's really more like a salad with very slim amounts of fish. This was the perfect amount I was looking for. The bowls looked beautiful and were absolutely delish! I loved the different sauces and the ahi was sooooo fresh! I tried a bite of my friend's and hers was yummy too! It's definitely on the expensive side but that's pretty expected for fresh sushi. There's a 10% off check-in offer which helped! All together, 2 bowls plus 2 drinks put us back just under $30 after the discount. Great little spot, I will def be back when I need my island fix! Mahalo!! read more

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Disappointing. If you are going to sell poke, sushi, musubi, your rice needs to be excellent. There are not a lot of sauces to mix with cheap, old rice, so your rice game must be strong. Abunai's rice game is very weak. Ordered the Musubi lunch platter, which featured yesterday's cheap rice. Thank goodness for the furikake on top and the nori wrapped around it, else there would have been little flavor and nothing to hold that rice in place. Rice was dry, hard, low quality, and the four pieces of musubi were as if they'd been sitting on a griddle for a while (hard on one side). The mac salad with furikake was okay, and the edamame were also serviceable, but overall I give this a strong MEH. read more

Cool on a hot day! Delicious & refreshing poké! Friendly service. Hawaii in the middle of DC. read more

Abunai - Yum - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is a no brainer. Like you have to expend zero mind tricks to eat here. Value. Flavors. Service. Seriously. My go to is the spam mac salad lunch cup thing. I got i once with an , it didn't need it. So good. You can get it with a side seaweed salad, but that'll bump up a you $$ to like $12-15. No bueno. It's all good though. Can't remember if they serve Hawaiian Sun drinks though. read more

My family and I love Hawaiian food as my wife grew up on Maui. We came here just a few days after visiting family on Maui and dining here tasted like we never left! The food was just as good as the 808 state and highly recommended for those of us yearning for a taste of Hawaii in the DMV area! We'll definitely be back here again when we're in the city! read more

Ogo - Hawaiian seaweed. This was my first time seeing this on the menu and in real life. It tasted nice but was masked with the other flavors of the dish. The best deal is build your own. You have a plethora of things to choose from but be cautious. Overloading with the sauces can definitely produce a weird taste considering they just spray it right on top. Definitely are generous with their proteins though. If you come you should do the make-your-own so you can get a mix of two proteins for instance I mixed the marinated ahi tuna and the salmon. Yummy in my tummy. Plenty of food. Definitely worth a visit, but feel a little short changed on how much was put in mine compared to my friends and we ordered the same toppings. It could be possibly because I didn't do the print mix and rice. read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We had two tuna bowls yesterday and both of us felt sick after eating them. Which is really too bad because I love to support women owned businesses. I would not recommend going here. read more

This place is so tasty. They have awesome drinks such as pineapple cider though I did not partake in these because I had to head back to work. I chose a pineapple orange Hawaiian Sun juice instead. My poke bowl was from the daily specials menu and is really tasty. The restaurant has covid practices in place and has stickers on the ground with witty sayings denoting a six foot distance. The staff were friendly and welcoming. I definitely suggest visiting this restaurant. read more

Abunai - Tako Poke Bowl and Juice - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My wife picked up some Abunai when she was in the neighborhood in DC. This was my first time eating this version of the common Hawaiian dish. It was lighter and had a bit less favor than my go to Poke DC however, I was impressed with the chips side and meat selections. I had the spicy tuna (not that spicy) while my wife had the Sprimp as our protein. Overall it was pleasant to eat and would come back again soon. read more

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Always fresh and delicious food. In addition to the poke, I love the nachos with pulled pork. The daily poke special is at an affordable price. read more

I ordered the Garlic Ahi Poke Bowl (about $13). This was one of their signature poke bowls. You also have the option of building your own bowl. Man oh man, this was the BEST poke I've ever had! They are not shady with the tuna (huge cubes) and the garlic flavor is out of this world good!!!! I chose white rice as my base and it was topped with some greens, seaweed salad, and garlic flavored ahi tuna. Simple, yet delicious! Sometimes less is more! If you are a garlic lover like myself, you will be in heaven!!! I will come back to DC just to eat here. So refreshing, garlicky, and will easily fill you up. I struggled to finish my bowl because the portion was huge. For $13, this is a steal. read more

Abunai - Garlic Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Jesus, take the wheel...this place was everything I expected and then some!!! So first of all, I stalked them online upon learning of their opening. From there, I spent about a week drooling over their menu--yes, it looked THAT good. Fast forward to yesterday where I FINALLY found a justifiable reason to sit in traffic just to go there!! When you walk in, you are instantly greeted with the aromas of fresh seafood. The customer service was great. The menu was pretty self explanatory, and everything looked as good as I imagined! I did the create-your-own w/TWO scoops of spicy tuna, green onions, cucumbers, carrots, seaweed salad, and a little bit of everything...I don't really remember what else I put in there. But what I do remember is that car ride home, it felt like an eternity! When I finally made it, the first bite was a slam dunk! Their poké exceeded my expectations, and I am a true poké addict (my photo proves it). Needless to say, I shall return! read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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They gotta chill with the garlic in the "Garlic Ahi." I love garlic as much as the next guy, but damn. I couldn't get the taste of garlic out of my mouth for 24 hours. Took a mint, chewed some gum, brushed my teeth, and used some mouthwash. No luck lol. Besides that, everything was fresh, and it was just as good as the other poke places that I've tried (Poke Works & Poke Papa). Typically, I only come here when I'm trying to treat myself because it's hard for me to justify the $13 price tag when there are lower price alternatives in the area (Chipotle, Well Dressed Burrito, Sweet Green, Chop't, Poppabox, and District Taco). However, I will say that they are EXTREMELY GENEROUS with the amount of meat they give you! - VVP read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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As someone born and raised in Honolulu, I am really wishing right now during COVID that I could be at home. Luckily, ordering from Abunai helped a bit with my homesickness. I know not all mainlanders agree, but it really doesn't get any better than spam, eggs, and rice + li hing pineapple on the side for breakfast :) Thank you, Abunai team! read more

Ordered a bowl and two hand rolls close to closing time. Hand rolls were packed in and worth! Echoing that while ingredients were fresh, I'm hoping they can add more umph/umphf (haha) to their spice/sauces i.e. their spicy salmon. Staff are friendly! You're probably making a trip here during a lunch break or after a day at the office but I was so glad to make the trip to satisfy my poke craving. read more

Ordered the shrimp poke bowl for pickup. The preparation time was great for when I needed it ready. The bowl itself was tasty. The sauce over the shrimp was yummy with a nice little kick to it. The shrimp were cooked well and the greens were nice and fresh. I was pleased with my overall experience. read more

Abunai - Shrimp Poke Bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I ordered the Abunai Poke Bowl through MealPal and would definitely do it again. The food was ready for pick up on time, and I was in and out extremely quickly. The first thing I noticed was the size of the portion - there was a generous helping of both rice and tuna, and the tuna chunks were large and well seasoned. The wasabi tobiko was bright green and provided some nice contrast to the rest of the bowl. The salad greens were fresh, and I couldn't get enough of the sauce. I've also tried the garlic poke bowl, which is also packed with huge chunks of tuna. This bowl, while tasty, reeks of garlic and onions, so try it when you don't have to worry about your breath :) It's no wonder that Abunai Poke is one of the first spots to book up on MealPal every time! What a great deal for fresh, tasty poke! read more

Abunai - Abunai poke bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I just had a wonderful experience at Abunai. I started with a lobster hand roll. Yummy! The hand roll was crafted nicely with the lobster to other ingredient ratio just right. The contents were distributed evenly. Next, I had the kalua pig & cabbage plate. Good portion for the price. The dish was flavorful and had a wonderful series of layered flavors. There was just enough fat content in the pork for the perfect mouth feel; it did not slip into greasiness. My one complaint was that it was slightly too salty, but not bad. I chose the furikake Mac salad and smoked salmon namasu for my sides. The Mac salad was bland and not my kind of thing, but I can see that it may be appealingl to others. Besides being too salty (I actflavor. enjoy salt), the smoked salmon was fabulous. read more

I am a HUGE poke person and have tried many of the places around DC and Chicago, so I've been meaning to come here for some time now. It pains me to say it, but I am not impressed Abunai Poke. For $12.50 you get two types of fish and unlimited toppings and sauces. I got the salmon and tuna. I stopped eating the fish after a few bites because it tasted kind of off and was super super fishy. Once I got half way through it, I realized that I could not continue eating the bowl and ended up throwing it out. I don't know how else to describe it, other than it seemed extra fishy and grossed me out. I have never had these feelings when eating at other poke places! Unfortunately, I will not be back. read more

Loved my filling poke bowl. The servers were nice too! There are tons of fresh veg to choose from. The fish was very flavorful and they gave very generous portions. The abunai sauce was very good and did not overpower the bowl. Lots of options for greens if you're looking for your fill, lots of edamame, seaweed, salad, even wasabi masago. There is a small brita water on counter for water, and there is one restroom. I was surprised how high the bar stools were for the table, but maybe that's a new thing-- so you can't fall asleep at table and you're in and out! read more

Absolutely amazing poke. I got a make your own poke bowl and it was the highlight of my day. The fish was fresh and the Abunai sauce is off the charts. This is going to become a staple restaurant for me! read more

Abunai - Make your own poke bowl with salmon - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

After coming back a couple more times, I'm upgrading Abunai to 4 stars! There have been several positive changes over the past few months, and most of the issues mentioned in my previous review are now solved or at least mitigated. 1) I've found that with the abunai sauce, less is definitely more. While I normally go for a medium amount of sauce, with the abunai sauce, I ask for light. 2) The rice is so much better now. Maybe it was just a fluke the first visit, but I've had no issues with the rice being clumpy or dry since then. It does slightly stick to the paper bowls still, but much less than the first time I had it. Plus, I guess there's not much that can be done if DC regulations require a certain type of bowl to be used. 3) Last but certainly not least, they've lowered their prices! Originally $12.95 pre-tax, the build-your-own option is now $12.50. They also started offering a 10% off Yelp Check-In deal, so you can get a delicious bowl of poke for only $11.25 now. I'll be back! read more

Abunai - Ahi poke bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Been going to Abunai for the past few months and in the beginning everything was great and fresh ! Unfortunately there's been a decline in the quality of everything. I had to stop getting the poke because it wasn't cut properly and I kept getting what seemed like muscle or something hard to the chew when I ate it. I came in today for my usual veggie bowl and when I sat down to eat it the rice was super bland soggy and mushed together, I hadn't even had the bowl for more than 5 mins, couldn't even stomach my way through it. The veggies were still pretty fresh but I probably won't be back unfortunately. Pics of the soggy rice attached. read more

Abunai - Hawaiian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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