Pono; ‘Living in a state of happiness, harmony and balance’. As a person who is oſten found miserable, unstable and generally just a little bit wobbly this might be exactly what I need. 6 months in and I had the pleasure of visiting this superfood bar on St Giles street, inspired by Hawaiian street foods and the experiences of owners Georgia and Ashley as they travelled the world.
PONO
Atmosphere Sat at the window counter, bathed by the warming glow of the late September summer sun, we were invigorated by the hearty and healthy bowlfuls of food. As Saturday shoppers ambled by their gazes invariably slipped to my overflowing portion and lingered hungrily for a moment. MY EYES ARE UP HERE SUNSHINE! Still, not a bad sign for a spot just 2 windows down from a gelato parlour – stiff competition in the eye candy stakes.
The aesthetic is a clean, minimal Scandinavian vibe with wooden textures and whites and greys; simple and stylish. The limited seating area was almost full when we arrived, a shining collage of skinny young folks with designer clothes and gorgeous complexions – I guess that’s what comes of clean eatin’! I resent them and envy their happiness; with hope some superfoods might go some way to undo the abuse my body has sustained from forecourt pork pies and a close, personal friendship with Mr Greggs.
The Main Event The signature dish here might be considered their Poké bowls, not some brutal culinary enterprise of Professor Oak but a take on a traditional Hawaiian staple. Raw salmon or tuna are marinated with strong flavours, inspired by Japanese and Asian cuisines but distinct from the similar sounding sushi. They’re then thrown on top of a mound of super fresh ingredients and coated liberally with a rich poke sauce. As with most fashionable foods, poke started out as food for the working classes. They were offcuts of fish the fishermen
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could have as a snack while working but the popularity has since grown. Pono serve theirs with brown rice, mango salsa, spinach, avocado, corn, pickled ginger and grated carrot. There’s a lot going on flavour-wise and a lovely clash of textures. If you’re not used to unprocessed foods it could even come as a culture shock but, hopefully, a welcome one.
Alongside this a grown up version of the familiar salad bar is available. Staff construct your bowl from the huge array of choices so handy mini clipboards with tick sheets are supplied to ensure you choose the appropriate number of mixers, toppings, dressings, bases and (the delicious sounding) ‘protein scoops’. There’s nothing more fun than clerical accuracy! A guiding hand is not forthcoming from the servers, not because they’re not nice (they’re actually lovely) but because they believe all the flavours work well together so you should pick all the things you love. In a panic I ticked, almost randomly, quinoa, spinach, beetroot, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, grated carrot falafel and garlic and tahini sauce. They weren’t lying, it tasted great and I could feel my shrivelled body thanking me sarcastically for some long overdue vitamins.
The drinks available are a similarly earnest, conscientious, selection of health giving treats. The smoothies, when served, looked like a chemical concoction but the startling blues and greens were all natural and all flavour.
Conclusion For busy folks, eating lunch well can be difficult and oſten the best choice you have is a bland salad pot from a supermarket. Pono is certainly a more expensive alternative to that but, if you can, your money will be well spent on this fresher, tastier and healthier option. If you’re on the go their service is fast and everything they serve can be take away ready.
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VENUE FODDER VALUE OVERALL
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