Latest news with #poke
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fan-favorite poke returns in Silver Lake with a new space
A Silver Lake poke destination is back after five years away. Ohana Superette, the casual, daytime-only poke shop from husband-and-wife team Eric and Miriam Park, recently returned with its own space and thoughtful, traditional poke. 'I always try to do my version but not mess with it too much,' chef and co-owner Eric Park said, 'and with the poke I just want to keep it super authentic.' Scoops of ginger-and-soy-marinated tuna, garlicky poached shrimp, macaroni salad and ponzu glass noodles rest on short-grain Koshihikari rice or seaweed salad. The musubi features Spam that's slow-cooked in brown sugar for an almost brûléed crust. Sides of kimchi are made fresh throughout the day to retain crunch. Each customizable bowl features a rainbow of texture and flavor. Ohana Superette's first iteration launched in 2015, inspired by the Parks' frequent family visits to Hawaii, and the operation ran as half of a dual concept out of their former sandwich shop, Black Hogg. They closed both restaurants in 2020 when the pandemic began, and though they later opened popular cafe Bodega Park in the space, Eric Park said he always wanted to reprise Ohana Superette in its own form. 'Almost every week there were people like, 'When's Ohana coming back?'' he said. 'And then one month Miriam's like, 'Let's just open Ohana if a space opens up.'' When the hair salon next door closed and its space became available, the couple jumped at the opportunity. It took two years to permit and flip the salon into a restaurant, even with a pared-down kitchen that doesn't allow for much cooking. They added wood paneling and marble accents. This time around, Park said, he streamlined the menu with fewer add-ons and toppings in an attempt to keep things more traditional — though a few less-traditional specials might sneak in occasionally. Ohana Superette is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 2850 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Lasita Kapé Chinatown's modern Filipino restaurant is drawing even more crowds to Far East Plaza and filling the courtyard with a new weekend series, Kapé. Lasita owners Nico de Leon and Chase and Steff Valencia recently launched a daytime-only Filipino cafe that riffs on meryenda culture, or as Chase Valencia says, 'the art of taking a snack break, social pause, recharge and gossip.' At Kapé, they're serving fresh pastries such as pandan olive oil loaf iced with coconut, mango royal reimagined as rolled cake, Gouda-topped slices of ensaymadas combined with mamon, and the classic date-and-walnut "food for the gods" bars done instead as cookies. Fluffy-egged breakfast sandwiches arrive with cheese and smoky eggplant, longanisa, tocino ham or corned beef on freshly baked pan de leche, while specialty coffee offerings include the likes of affogato with miso condensed-milk ice cream, cappuccino with jackfruit purée and espresso with ube milk. The Valencias and De Leon plan to run Kapé on weekends for the foreseeable future, though an expansion of operations is possible. Kapé is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, (213) 443-6163 , Sogo Roll Bar Highland Park One of L.A.'s best hand-roll bars recently expanded with a second location. Sogo Roll Bar debuted in 2020 at the edge of East Hollywood and Los Feliz with a 14-seat sushi bar almost solely dedicated to the art of temaki. In the years since, the menu expanded with donburi and new appetizers. Now the collaborative venture between Sushi Note's Kiminobu Saito and David Gibbs, and Bar Covell and L&E Oyster Bar's Dustin Lancaster and Sarah Dietz, expanded with a second outpost, this time in Highland Park. Sogo Roll Bar's newest outpost offers an identical food menu to the original, and also serves beer, wine and sake. It takes over the former home of Holcomb wine bar, also from Lancaster, and is open Sunday to Thursday from noon to 9 p.m., and Friday to Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. 5535 York Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 561-3100, Bread Head Manhattan Beach Last year, L.A. Times Food critic Bill Addison called Bread Head 'L.A.'s next great sandwich shop.' This summer, it expanded with a location in Manhattan Beach, bringing those fresh focaccia sandwiches practically to the edge of the pier. Founders and longtime friends Jordan Snyder and Alex Williams — both alums of Trois Mec — began popping up through Los Angeles with stacked sandwiches on crusty-edged bread, then partnered with Joolies founder Greg Willsey and Michael Pasternak (formerly of Night + Market) to launch their first restaurant, in Santa Monica. Their new location in Manhattan Beach features indoor and outdoor seating, plus a seven-seat bar; that bar, ownership told The Times, will hopefully serve beer and wine eventually. Beachy art and pop culture — such as an autographed still from 'Point Break' — line the walls in a nod to the new surroundings, while TVs mean a new place for the neighborhood to watch sports (a feature not found in the original Santa Monica restaurant). A larger kitchen also means a probable expanded hot-foods menu, which could include breakfast and a range of hot sandwiches. Bread Head is open in Manhattan Beach Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1129 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, (310) 209-8071, DineL.A. L.A. County's sprawling two-week event dedicated to dining and special menus returns today, with nearly 450 restaurants participating. This summer's iteration of dineL.A. sees the largest number of restaurants offering special items and limited-run prix-fixe menus since the initiative launched in 2008, and 80 of them are entirely new to the program. For the next 15 days find dineL.A.-exclusive meals at stalwarts such as Mélisse, Bar Amá and Wally's, along with newer spots such as Marea, Soban, Luke's Lobster and Saijo. Sign up for our Tasting Notes newsletter for restaurant reviews, Los Angeles food-related news and more. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncle Sharkii Taps Square to Power Tech-Driven Franchise Growth Across 23 Locations and Counting
Fast-scaling poke and boba chain brings Square's intuitive restaurant tools to its tech-powered Hawaiian food franchise HOUSTON, July 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar, a leading fast-casual poke and boba franchise rooted in Hawaiian tradition, has partnered with Square to power operations and accelerate franchise expansion across the U.S. Offering customizable poke bowls, boba milk teas, and more, Uncle Sharkii is scaling quickly in malls and high-traffic retail hubs. By adopting Square's all-in-one restaurant platform, the brand is creating a digital-first franchise model that simplifies operations, empowers franchisees, and enhances the customer experience across every touchpoint. Square also gives Uncle Sharkii's growing network of franchisees powerful tools to run smarter, more connected businesses – from a single unit to multiple locations. "Our mission is to offer access to healthy, affordable food for all, and Square gives us the flexibility to grow without complexity," said Raymond Reyes, COO of Uncle Sharkii. "As our franchise network continues to expand into new markets, investing in scalable, user-friendly technology has become a key part of our development strategy. Our prior solution had a lot of gaps that Square has seamlessly helped us fill, making operations easier and delivering stronger ROI for the business. This strategic shift reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing the experience for both customers and franchisees, across all locations." Uncle Sharkii chose to partner with Square for its intuitive design, comprehensive platform, and robust analytics. Square technology supports both in-store and online channels, delivering a more connected and conversion-ready experience. With Square for Franchises, Uncle Sharkii franchisees get a complete and connected commerce solution to manage sales, inventory, customer engagement, and more across locations – all in a single platform. The platform supports multiple ordering channels – from in-store ordering on Square Register and Square Kiosk, to mobile pickup – creating a seamless experience for customers while giving operators real-time insights into performance and growth. Uncle Sharkii also uses Square Loyalty to create personalized rewards and ensure return customers. "Our partnership with Uncle Sharkii exemplifies how Square's powerful, yet intuitive tools can transform franchise operations and fuel rapid expansion," said Nick Molnar, Global Head of Sales and Marketing at Block, which includes Square and Cash App. "With an integrated platform that brings together everything from payments and operations to loyalty and multi-location management – all working seamlessly as one – we're enabling Uncle Sharkii's franchisees to focus on delivering exceptional Hawaiian-inspired cuisine and scaling their business with confidence." With this rollout, Uncle Sharkii is transforming how it manages its growing franchise network – franchisees are able to streamline their day-to-day operations, while the corporate team now has real-time visibility into performance across all locations. Most importantly, improved order accuracy and centralized menu management elevates the customer experience, allowing staff to focus on what matters most: serving up the flavorful and affordable poke bowls and boba teas that define the Uncle Sharkii brand. "We're building a next-gen quick-service franchise model, and Square helps us stay ahead," said Fen Reyes, CEO and Co-Founder of Uncle Sharkii. "Together, we're delivering a tech-savvy, culture-rich brand that's ready for scale." Learn more about Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar and franchising opportunities, visit or To learn more about Square's technology for food and beverage businesses, visit About Square Square makes commerce and financial services easy and accessible with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions. Square offers purpose-built software to run complex restaurant, retail, and professional services operations, versatile e-commerce tools, embedded financial services and banking products, buy now, pay later functionality through Afterpay, staff management and payroll capabilities, and much more – all of which work together to save sellers time and effort. Millions of sellers across the globe trust Square to power their business and help them thrive in the economy. For more information, visit About Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar® Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar® ( is a healthy Hawaiian fast-food franchise featuring its Signature Hawaiian™ Poke Bowls, Boba Milk Teas, & Dole Soft Serve®. The brand was founded in 2018 during an overseas family gathering when the founders' daughter, Melody, was gifted a plush shark by an uncle she never met before. The bond was instantaneous and sealed by celebration over boba milk tea, fried snacks, and ice cream. The founders coined the name Uncle Sharkii and adhere to an authentic focus on 'Ohana "family" culture with the mission of offering a streamlined healthy menu for the family on the go — Poke Bowls Made Simple™. Uncle Sharkii stands firm as one of the only national poke brands to be curated by a local born and raised founder who grew up eating, breathing, and living all the paradisiacal essence that Hawai'i represents. Poke originated from Hawai'i as a snack for fishermen. Currently Uncle Sharkii has open locations in the heart of Hawaii, California, Utah, and Texas, with signed locations in Arizona and Nevada. The brand touts itself as one of the fastest growing quick service restaurants serving Hawaiian poke today. With low startup costs, quicker return on investment, comprehensive training, a simple menu, and a sense of community, Uncle Sharkii aims to revolutionize the Hawaiian poke industry from inspiration to reality. The company is actively expanding throughout the United States and internationally. Interested individuals can learn more about franchise opportunities at Follow Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar® on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok. View source version on Contacts press@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ahi labeling bill waiting on governor's signature
HONOLULU (KHON2) — In the first year it was introduced, a bill looking to require retailers to label where raw ahi products come from, has moved all the way to Gov. Josh Green's desk. The local fish industry said it wanted to have an even playing field when it came to fresh vs. frozen fish and people buying poke. 'Bows volleyball returns home from NCAA Tournament Poke is one of the most popular food items in Hawaii, and many are unaware that most of it, nearly 90%, is actually imported from other countries. A woman visiting from Canada said she had no idea poke came from other countries and thought it was all from Hawaii. Fishing industry leaders say most frozen fish sold in Hawaii comes from Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.'They are freezing this product, and often times treating it with carbon monoxide,' explained Mike Goto, United Fishing Agency vice president. 'A new process is they inject fruit juice into tuna that has turned brown and both processes take product beyond normal standards, make it look like it's fresh caught when its not, so it's a misrepresentation.' The USDA requires all seafood sold in stores to have a country of origin label, but if a product is prepared, like poke is, the requirement is gone. Goto said retailers will take imported fish, mix it with local ingredients and add a Hawaiian word to it and make it sound like it is local fish. But the bill sent to the governor's desk would require retailers to label the country of origin for ahi products like sashimi and poke. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'I think this is a first step in a longer campaign to show everyone there is a difference in the quality and product they're consuming,' Goto added. He said the price reflects the difference between fresh local and frozen imported. 'I have to sell my fish at $26 per pound,' said Anela Veriato, who owns Honaunau Poke Shop on Hawaii Island. She said frozen imported goes for $6 per pound and other retailers will buy it. But her reviews are some of the best for delicious poke on Hawaii island. Idol Watch: Haleiwa native looks to move to Top 5 on 'American Idol' People are willing to pay the price for the more local, better tasting fish, with the Canadian visitor saying she would be willing to spend an extra $10 to $20 more for local ahi. 'One hundred percent yes,' the visitor said. Businesses think it will help too. 'Locals want to eat fresh and it will help, and it will help fish resources period, just knowing where our fish is coming from, and what we're eating,' Veriato added. Another woman said she will be checking the label to see where her fish is coming from but said fresh fish always stands out. 'It just melts in your mouth, the local fish,' she said. Green has until July 9 to sign the bill into law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
