Came here on a Saturday afternoon lunch and it was definitely busy! There weren't that many seats available since this place is pretty popular, but the staff here do a great job cleaning the tables clean! We ordered the Ai Pono original plates, which I got Da Roots plate and my bf got the Da Spicy plate. We both really liked our plates!! I think I actually liked the poke on mines the most, it was really refreshing and the fish was super thick! The marinated beef in mines was very flavorful and it was my first time trying ahi katsu, so that was really unique to try. I didn't really remember too much on my bf's plate, but I remembered he enjoyed it a lot. The mac salad was also really good, but we were too full to finish the whole thing. There is plenty of parking and it shared with a small target in the same plaza. The staff was really nice and efficient here. The food was great!! Would come again :) read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Da Spicy Plate - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Luckily we came on a Friday afternoon right before the lunch crowd so our order came out quickly. We got 2 orders of Da "Spicy" Plate and added the Thai Garlic Shrimp (3 pieces) to the order for $3. Thai Garlic Shrimp - easily our favorite part of the whole meal. Fried to perfection, crispy enough to eat even the tails and the sauce was delicious. We'll probably order just a plate of this next time. Guava Chicken - probably the most disappointing as it was super salty and dry for both our plates. Crispy Korean Chicken - top was still nice and crispy from the skin even with all the sauce on it. Was pretty good even though it wasn't that memorable compared to everything else. Spicy Ahi Poke - fish was fresh and it was a nice texture and temp contrast to all the other fried food on the plate. Mac Salad - heavy on the mayo but was still pretty good. Yellow Pickled Radish - there's just one piece included but it was super salty for some reason. Overall it seems like they season their food very very generously so it's great for people who like it saucy and salty. Place is super casual and they had the door open so it was super cold inside. We ate quickly and left because of how cold it was. read more

Shop was cute & service was great! Wasn't a huge fan of the chicken. Chicken was hard and noodles were okay. I did really enjoy their fried shrimp with the sauce! Their poke was fresh and very good! I wasn't a huge fan of the Mac salad but my husband and mother in law loved it (they're both from Hawaii). We tried their lilikoi and guava cheesecake. I loved both, guava was my favorite, it was sweet and lilikoi was tarty. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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the chicken katsu plate was pretty good, i liked the mac salad. ordering ahead and picking up was very convenient. it's in a shopping center so easy parking, i'd come back to try their variety plates next time! read more

Ai Pono Cafe - chicken katsu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Wow just wow! I tried the guava chicken and spicy Korean chicken, just phenomenal! Wish I took a picture of my food but the second I opened my container that food didn't stand a chance. Vibes inside are very cool and staff is great! read more

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I was born and raised in Hawaii and this is BY FAR the best representation of the flavors of Hawaii I've found outside of the islands. Chef here has authentic Hawaiian style food with his own unique twist on it. Everything I've had here is amazing. read more

A hip new family-run Hawaiian restaurant that specialized in take-out with traditional 3-part trays. You will get a lot for your buck, dont underestimate the size of the platter! While I enjoyed being able to eat Hawaiian grill food in California, I wouldn't say its the same as actually being in Hawaii, still its a good enough compromise to take me back to those white sandy beaches. My primary issue with this place is how salty everything was. We only ate 1/3 of the plate and threw the rest away because everything was just too salty. We got Da Salty plate and Da Spicy plate. Most of the items were drenched in soy sauce and extra salt and after a few bites, we couldn't stomach it. Maybe we're just not as used to salt? I think the only thing I could stomach from our order was the guava chicken. I would definitely order a plate of just that because the flavor of that was exceptional and it was not drenched in salt. The shoyu poke and korean bbq chicken was very salty. Would definitely give this place a try again if they could tone down the amount of salt and soy sauce that is slathered on everything. The food itself was cooked exceptionally well and looks really amazing when it comes out. It was just very difficult to eat because of how salty everything is. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - The menu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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My husband and son enjoyed their food. But heads up for anyone needing gluten free- they only have 1 item which amounted to rice and a literal sliver of Mahi Mahi. A very unsatisfying dinner. My fault for listening to Yelp reviews! read more

Probably one of the best Hawaiian foods in the area. Good quality and packed with lots of flavor!! Meal plates can range from $15-$21 but will for sure leave you full. We got the Da Roots: bone in short rib, ahi katsu, shoyu ahi poke, Mac salad, rice Dana Mite: crab salad, spicy ahi crusted with wasabi danamite sauce over haha rice Dirty lickin Korean chicken: crispy boneless chicken thighs with truffle sauce Portuguese sausage musubi Everything was so bomb and we all came out super satisfied and stuffed from our delicious meal. Highly recommend when you're in the area read more

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OMG!!! First time here and definitely not my last!! As soon as you walk into the establishment you hear the lovely Hawaiian music playing. It will give you Hawaii vibes. The staff are very friendly and very knowledgeable on what to recommend if it's your first time. I ordered the dirty licking Korean chicken and DAMMMM WAS IT DELICIOUS!!! The flavor and the crispness of the chicken was out of this world. It kinda reminds me of the Korean fried chicken from zipppys. The mac and the salad that came with it was also delicious, meaning it had flavor on them. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - "Dirty Lickin" Korean Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Spam and sausage misubi barely barely had any meat and sooo much rice. Chicken katsu was mid Definitely not wait the long wait(over 45mins) read more

Was excited to finally try this place, as my bf is a huge fan of Hawaiian food. The inside is pretty fun and well decorated. I loved the table decorations with the mini picnic tables. The food came out pretty quickly. We shared spicy plate and a plate with chicken and fish. The fish was very fishy and pungent and the chicken very salty but I really liked the flavor of the spicy chicken and the mac and rice were pretty great. I thought it was overall a pretty good spot. My bf who is a bit more of a Hawaiian connoisseur pegged it more as average ‍. I'd return if I was craving Hawaiian. read more

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I wasn't expecting a 3 star experience and sadly I don't really get the hype. All the pieces of galbi on the Da Roots Plate I got were basically fat and hardly any meat on them. The ahi katsu was ok and the shoyu ahi poke was aight. The mac salad was good. I tried my friend's katsu and it was nothjng special to me. Because of how popular they are, I would be willing to come back to try another dish and maybe their cheesecakes since they seem reasonably priced as opposed to their Rice Krispies. Food was out in under 15 mins and it was pretty quick to order. Also do not order their strawberry lemonade. It was so bad and was like a bad candy almost. Definitely not the quality I was expecting from a place like this. Maybe it was an off day? Also their "Order fuckin here" sign is funny read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Da roots, Chicken Katsu Bowl, strawberry lemonade - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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How do I always find local places I love but are usually not necessarily convenient to where I live? My wife and I came here because our son had a football game near by. Hawaiian food rarely ever disappoints and is usually very satisfying. We decided family style was the way to go even though it was only the two of us but, hey, we are family. We ordered a poke bowl and their moco bowl. The poke bowl was a little skimpy on the poke but what there was was satisfying. It comes with half rice half mixed greens with seaweed salad and a scoop or krab . The moco bowl was just as you would expect and it was definitely bigger than a bowl. It had a good sized burger patty, 2 perfect fried eggs, a load of rice and a flavorful gravy. I will definitely come back to try some of their other delicious options. read more

I came here for lunch and got da spicy plate. In short, it made me happy. I called my beautiful wife just to tell her about how good my lunch was as I was eating. I will be coming back soon read more

I have been wanting to try this place forever after following the hilarious chef on IG. I had the Korean zombie and my hubs had the Korean chicken. First the good...the music, ambiance and decor all great. Reminded me of home. The Kalbi was ono and the poke was good. Now the not so good...the meat in the meat jun and the chicken was not marinated. In my opinion you cannot get away with unmarinated meat in Hawaii. And the Mac salad was a separate side order. It was disappointing. I'd come back for the Kalbi and poke but I would not order the chicken or meat Jun. I want to try more on the menu next time I'm in town. read more

Pretty much a standard Hawaiian bbq joint with what you would expect on the menu. I think their ingredients tasted a little fresher than similar restaurants, and my tonkatsu was noticeably tender. The layout of the restaurant is counterintuitive but large signs bluntly direct customers towards the back of the restaurant to order. The workers like to play their hip hop music loud so this may not be the venue if you're seeking a quiet place to eat or converse. read more

This place hits the spot. Being born and raised in Hawaii we often miss food from home. Ai pono definitely takes us back to the west side of Oahu! I love my fried noodles. The flavor was on point. It was a generous portion as well. If you like meat jun they have that too when you order Korean zombie. Mac salad was also good. Not all hawaiian food spots make it like they do back home. When ever we are in the area we always try to stop at Ai pono. So happy they opened a Vegas location too. We will need to check that one out one day read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Chicken Katsu , fried noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ai Pono really exceeded my expectations. Every bite of my spicy plate was sooo delicious, and my friends really enjoyed their plates as well. This is probably the best Hawaiian food I've had outside of Hawaii We went during lunch on a Wednesday and it was pretty busy, but the vibes were good and there was no wait time. Food came out really quickly too. Highly recommend! read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Ahi Katsu, Da"Roots" Plate, Da"Spicy" Plate - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food: Garlic shrimp: good Crackhead chicken: great texture but salty Teri beef- $19 for 2 manini pieces of beef?? Tough texture ok flavor I definitely made the mistake of thinking I finally found a spot like back home (Oahu) - but I was not feeling the aloha. The person taking my family's order was plain rude. For what you get it's definitely overpriced for "street food" - and I didn't feel "ai pono" after read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Crackhead chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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First time here. Workers were nice and food was good. Very different than any other Hawaiian food I've had. This had more flavor and I love the hot sauce they have. Will def come back and try other things on the menu. read more

Finally tried Ai Pono Cafe after seeing them on instagram and saw the great reviews. I had the spicy ahi poke bowl and my husband had their Korean zombie plate. I was pretty disappointed once we started eating. The poke bowl is $15 and only comes with a small scoop of poke along with mostly seaweed salad and imitation crab. The meat jun is different than what we're used to growing up in Hawaii - on the more dry side. We removed the skin of the chicken which I guess held all the flavor cause it left the remainder bland. Food came out fast. Friendly staff. read more

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Stupid good. I've already taken so many friends here and will continue to. You'll have plenty of leftovers too if you're a normal calorie person. My fatass doesn't get leftovers but it's THAT good. Also vibes.. just vibes. read more

Huge fan. This place is amazing.! The food here was an absolute 10/0 too bad i don't have more room to try more items I'll be back. Completely worth the drive The plate was more then enough . The short rib was meaty good meat!!! The service here is awesome everyone is very welcoming and up beat very nice The ambiance is loud and very traditional. See ya soon Ai Pono read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Outside - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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WTF DID I JUST EAT! I have NEVER eaten Hawaiian food this flavorful. This has got to be the most authentic Hawaiian food and I ain't ever step foot in Hawaii . I have been following Ai Pono on IG for a minute now and finally made my way to Costa Mesa. It did not disappoint! Going in, the restaurant has bench style seating with high chair counter table tops along the wall. The walls are covered in beautiful traditional style Hawaiian art. One wall is covered with Hawaiian historical figures and plaques that give the story of who each person is in the portrait. A truly unique and beautiful way to not just feed your belly's but feed your brain with knowledge of the Hawaiian culture. BUT, my absolute fav part of this spot (other than the food) is their tiny library of Hawaiian books you can read while waiting/eating in the restaurant (don't forget to return them!). Now to the food! I ordered The Roots plate (I hope I got that right) and added the garlic shrimp for an additional cost. The portions are HUGE! I shared this plate with my kiddo and we had left overs to enjoy at home for a late night snack. Our plate came with a bed of rice topped with bbq ribs, slices of katsu tuna (might have that wrong but it is tuna with what seems like a light batter on top), fresh ass poke, and the best Hawaiian mac on earth. The garlic shrimp were beyond flavorful with the shell on and you better believe we ate that whole. Every bite is a burst of flavors dancing on your taste buds. I know the owner/chef thinks Yelp is the worst thing that has happened to the culinary world, but I'm super stoked to be able to write this review. Service was amazing and the restaurant is clean. I can't wait to continue exploring their menu and take a trip to their new Vegas location. I'll never be able to eat at another Hawaiian restaurant because Ai Pono set the bar high AF. Thank you chef for bringing a taste of your homeland to Cali! read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I try to eat here once a week, it's one of my favorite places to go to! When asked for recommendations I usually tell people to try this place out. read more

I came here with a friend recently and she raved about the ahi poke bowl so thats what i got. We came here at around 6pm and they hadnt open yet for dinner so we had to walk around until they opened. There were a bunch of people already waiting by the time they opened. I ordered the ahi poke bowl with unsweetened pineapple iced tea and i ordered the short rib plate togo for my husband. The ahi poke came with rice but i subbed it for salad. Overall the bowl was good but it was a bit too saucy for me. I loved the poke bowl with the tabasco sirarcha sauce that they had. The pineapple ice tea was not that good. It had a weird mop taste to it. As for the meat plate that i got my husband, he also didnt really like it. He said it was a bit too saucy for him. The ribs were marinated in a sticky sauce so it was very saucy. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We came here once for a takeout lunch at their Costa Mesa location and ordered Da Spicy Plate (spicy fried chicken, spicy chicken bites, with poke and mac salad) and Da Roots Plate (short ribs, ahi tuna poke and mac salad). Both plates were delicious. The fried chicken was crispy and amazing and the two different types of poke both tasted fresh and not too salty despite what it looks like. The mac salad was average and the fried chicken bites were not dry at all. The 3 stars for this review are really unfortunate because about 15 minutes after lunch, we both had the runs. Did the chicken or poke go bad and we simply couldn't taste it because of the deep-fried prep and sauces? Or was it the mac salad? We will probably never know, and I am somewhat hesitant to try again. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Portions are smaller than usual compared to Matiki and Da Hawaiian Kitchen. Food is okay and covered in sauce.

I visited again for another takeout with the short rib and a side of shoyu poke. The poke is still fabulous, fresh, tender, and well seasoned. I have second doubts about the beef. It was tough and over cooked. I also got a macaroni side on my plate and the saddest 4 tablespoons of the "salad." The salad looked like someone ate half of it. I don't think I should ever go for this meat again. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food is fantastic and definitely gives true Hawaiian vibes. I wish I was eating it rn ! Service was pretty fast for being busy and staff are really friendly. I wish there was another location to spread some love ! read more

First time here, my wife is from Hawaii and hard to find good local food besides her moms. The Korean chicken, guava chicken, spicy poke are fire. The spam musubi was good too. Will be comin' back. Thank you!! read more

I stopped by ai pono for lunch after finding this spot on TikTok and trying a bite out of my friend's food. I got da spicy plate and it did not disappoint. I was intimidated by the line at first but I received my food fairly quick. only took about 5 minutes or so! the chicken was well seasoned and I felt like I enjoyed the poke here more than other traditional poke spots I've found in OC. I can't wait to try what else is on the menu. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

If it don't have poi or taro on the menu it ain't Hawaiian. Enough is enough lol. I want real Hawaiian food gah damn it lmao

Pretty great! I wanted to try a bunch of different items so I ended up opting for Da Spicy Plate (guava chili pepper chicken, crispy Korean chicken, spicy ahi poke, mac salad, rice) and Da Roots plate (none-in short rib, ahi katsu, shoyu ahi poke, mac salad, rice). This was a really great way to try out the different meats and proteins. Of the meats and proteins I tried, my favorites were the guava chili pepper chicken, bone-in short rib, and spicy ahi poke. Their short rib was cooked PERFECTLY, was nice and fatty, and had a fantastic marinade. Addicting! The guava chili pepper was amazingly crunchy, moist on the inside, and seasoned well! I kinda wanted more sauce (which would've been my fault because I forgot to order extra). The spicy ahi poke was DELICIOUS. The sauce was the perfectly blend of creaminess and spiciness. I also really enjoyed the ahi katsu! I have never had katsu-ed fish before and it was tasty. The crispy Korean chicken was fine too, but lackluster compared to the guava chili pepper chicken. The shoyu ahi poke was also delicious and had a totally different flavor profile than the spicy ahi poke. It is the perfect foil to the spicy ahi poke. While the spicy ahi poke is fattier, creamier, and heavier, the shoyu ahi poke is lighter, fresher, and has cleaner flavors (more ginger-forward and acidic). Macaroni salad was nice and rice was standard. Overall, I slightly prefer Da Hawaiian's take on Hawaiian fried chicken, but they truly are quite similar! Perhaps if I had ordered extra sauce, they would've been neck and neck. Where Ai Phono shines is that they offer plates with multiple meat choices. So if you like having a variety of options (from poke to fried chicken), this place is perfect for you! Tasty food! And the interior of the restaurant is super cute! A great amount of space with true Hawaiian vibes. Love it! I'll be back! read more

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I came here around opening on a Saturday and it was already busy- for good reason. The restaurant itself as a homey feel, and plenty of seating if you want to bring a group. The cashier recommended that I try "Da Roots" plate, so that was what I ended up ordering. It came with Korean short ribs, chicken katsu, and mahi mahi - my boyfriend's favorite was the mahi mahi, but I think the short ribs stole the show for me. Each of the entrees were delicious and flavorful - this spot is definitely a solid lunch pick! My only complaint was that the rice was a bit soggy. read more

Supah good ono broke da mout shop. Love the creativity of Hawaiian kine food here--poke was all on point in all the meals tried. Fried saimin was very good--but was missing the hot Chinese mustard. Thai Garlic shrimp was very good Grilled mahi mahi meal was super ono and the chicken teri bowl was good. Great food and service, in a small hole in da wall atmosphere makes for a great shop here. Only downsides: no more shave ice or malasadas. read more

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Was visiting the area and decided to try this place. Came on a weekend around noon and it was packed! Service was fast and servers were nice though. Ordered Da "roots" plate and Da "korean zombie" plate. They were both tasty however I found the short ribs too salty for my liking and the ahi katsu to have a little too much wasabi than i would have liked. Other than that, everything else was perfect. Would highly recommend Da "korean zombie" plate!! Will be coming back and trying more. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Da "roots" plate - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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First time going to this place. Parking should be okay since it is with other shops and near a target. Staff is very patient and nice here when you need time to look over the menu they will give you it and give you attention when you need it. Got the da spicy and da roots plates. Both poke in the boxes were very good if you want more ginger and no spice then the one in the roots box you would like but I do like spicy so got to go with with spicy box. Both proteins I would say are very flavorful when I got it so no complaints on that. The macaroni salad wasn't my favorite thing since a little under seasoned for me personally. They have some tables inside and out so if it is a nice day sitting outside would be great. Both plates got us about $36 after tax I believe. Portions are good so I would get full from these plates if I ate this for dinner or lunch. Very close to where I get mochi donuts so now I will get donuts then come here. Also the ahi katsu was great and the Wasabi sauce they have on it was good as well. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Da spicy plate - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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What the "F" man, are you serious?? The only reason I didn't rate with a 5 stars is the skimpy piece of Spam in the musubi. The Spam was sliced so thin, I could have held it against the light and see right through it. Come on folks Spam ain't that expensive to slice it 2-3x thicker. Owner wasn't there for me to bitch about the sliver piece of spam. We ordered (4) other plates and all were excellent. Short ribs were a bit too salty but good. read more

Ai Pono Cafe - Asian Fusion Near Me - Costa Mesa, California