The Loco Moco is made with a Wagyu beef patty from Angie’s Acres in Aitkin, coconut shrimp, sushi rice and golden curry. Photos: Pau Hana Restaurant and Bar
Pau Hana Restaurant and Bar brings vacation vibes year round.
No matter the Minnesota season, the vibe of Pau Hana Restaurant and Bar removes whatever weather is happening outside and makes you feel like you’re on a mini vacation. Inside Pau Hana, the look of the South Metro fades away, and suddenly, you feel like you’re in the islands. The lights are bright, the colors are vibrant and the air feels almost tropical. “People don’t necessarily expect to find this here,” says Ben Felton, the now former Pau Hana director of operations.
Pau Hana means “after work,” a term Hawaiians use to relax, gather and unwind. Felton says it’s like a happy hour but more intentional. “It shapes everything we do here,” he says. “We want to take people to the islands. It’s meant to be very relaxing.”
A hardworking pizza oven sits behind the bar at Pau Hana.
Since August 2021, the Savage location has been bringing the vibes of Hawaii to the suburbs. Owner and culinary director Chris Ikeda spent several years in Hawaii, learning to cook traditional Hawaiian Regional Cuisine (HRC), which was developed on Kona, Hawaii’s Big Island, in the early 1990s. This type of cuisine was influenced by flavors brought by people who immigrated to Hawaii and brought culinary techniques from China, Japan, Korea, the Pacific Islands, Philippines, Portugal and Puerto Rico. At Pau Hana, all of those flavors can be found on the menu.
What stands out about the restaurant is its high-quality ingredients, Felton says, adding that this is how Pau Hana really took shape—by blending HRC with total freshness. Every week, fresh fish are flown in from the Honolulu Fish Auction, with offerings and specials changing frequently based on availability and seasonality. “Tuna and mahi mahi, all the fresh fish,” says executive chef Curtis Dettman. “We get a menu board sent to us, and the fish are flown in. I think that’s one of the biggest things we offer: fresh, good food.”
The Show You pizza is topped with braised short ribs, miso corn cream and pickled red onions.
One of the most popular items on the menu is the Loco Moco that Pau Hana elevates with Japanese golden curry. Felton says that dish is one of the first that comes to most people’s minds when they think of Hawaiian cuisine. “Ours is delicious,” he says.
Dettman says the menu accommodates specific dietary needs, offering protein options for diners who don’t eat meat as well as items for gluten-sensitive diners.
Pau Hana’s bright and airy dining room gives vacation vibes.
For anyone in a hurry, Pau Hana Express offers a grab-and-go mixed plate option, another popular island life element. The plates mix rice, salad and a choice of protein for a quick lunch option. “That’s very popular with our guests,” Felton says.
Balancing the traditional flavors of Hawaii with Minnesota palates is another strength of Pau Hana. Dettman, who grew up on a farm, understands that the not-so-adventurous restaurant goers might be a little leery. “I grew up on ham, cheese and goulash,” he says with a laugh. “I take what people are familiar with here in Minnesota and elevate it with the Hawaiian vibe. It’s a good mix, and people trust us and end up really liking something they might not have expected to like.”
Mixed with fresh juice, Pau Hana’s popular Kona Mai Tai tastes as good as it looks.
The cocktail menu also deserves some attention. Felton says the Mai Tai, made with fresh juice, is a fan favorite. The entire drink menu aims to complement the food. “That’s the intention with it,” he says. “It’s more elevated and balanced.”
That taste of the tropics permeates the entire restaurant. “You walk in and everyone is smiling,” Dettman says. “There’s great energy, and you feel like you’ve walked into vacation.”
Pau Hana Restaurant and Bar
Instagram: @pauhanamn
