Farm and Ocean-Fresh Ingredients Elevate Pono Pacific Kitchen
Story by Emily Basanese
Photography by Sarah Kathleen
Long before opening his restaurant in Grover Beach, Pono Pacific Kitchen Chef Preston Tripp got his first taste of cooking with purely homegrown ingredients during an interview for a sous chef position in Honolulu. During the assessment, he was given a handful of local ingredients like lilikoi, yuzu and sea asparagus. “I was sweating bullets,” Preston recalls of what felt like an episode of Chopped. He had never cooked with these ingredients before, but he adapted quickly and created a dish the team loved: local monchong fish with a lilikoi aioli and pickled sea asparagus. He was hired on the spot.
On an island, it’s far more cost effective to source locally Preston began shopping like the locals, opting for farmers’ markets over the supermarket, working in harmony with the seasons. Shipping from the mainland was expensive and after a week on a boat, the produce was hardly at its prime. “You learn a lot about different ingredients and how to use what’s available,” Preston says. He also leaned into the blended nature of Hawaiian cooking, which is heavily influenced by Japanese and Eastern methods; almost every dish incorporates fresh fish.
Living in Hawaii gave Preston and his partner, Ashlee Alewine, a new perspective on food. When they met years earlier working in a restaurant together in Pismo Beach, they hadn’t then seen this deep connection between the earth and the plate. Preston’s adaptability to local and seasonal ingredients, along with his creative style, accelerated Preston’s career. When the couple opted to move back to the Central Coast, they decided to run their own culinary business.
Their first venture was Beachwalk BBQ, a food truck that served casual Hawaiian fare. While building their experience as business owners and evolving their menus, they hunted for the perfect spot to open a brick-and-mortar. Once a space became available in downtown Grover Beach, they knew its location would offer the perfect proximity to local farms and the Pacific Ocean. “The dream of having a restaurant was always there. When this spot came up, we saw the opportunity and we took it,” says Preston.
Pono Pacific Kitchen is just a seashell’s throw from Ocean Dunes Natural Preserve State Park. The ocean has been a recurring theme in their lives and it’s an obvious influence in the restaurant. “Our name ‘Pono’ means ‘being in perfect balance and living with integrity,’” explains Ashlee, who co-owns the restaurant. “We’re trying to pull that through into every aspect of our business, like sourcing from farmers’ markets, working boat-to-table with local fishermen who value sustainability, using SIP certified wines — down to how we treat our employees and guests,” she says.
Preston’s training from Hawaii serves him well here on the Central Coast, guiding his market selections and menu decisions. The couple frequents Halcyon Farms at least once a week and they’re loyal shoppers of the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market. Along with supporting area farms, there’s another benefit to sourcing close to home: “Another reason why I love to shop local is because now your ingredients are in season, and when your ingredients are in season, you’re cooking with the best stuff at its peak,” says Preston. Ashlee agrees, adding: “Why fight against nature? Just flow with what’s available.”
In addition to local produce, the pair gets their fresh fish straight from the Pacific. They work with a local fisherman from Blue Fishery out of Morro Bay, and Travis Meyer at Haha Fish Co. in Lompoc. Haha uses a Japanese technique called shinkei-jime, a method that destroys the nerves in the fish once they’re caught, keeping them calm. It’s a more humane method of fishing, in line with the pono ideology, that prevents the fish from thrashing and bruising. “This method preserves the natural umami of the fish,” Preston explains. “I was skeptical at first — it’s a little more expensive — but now I’m a believer because the product is way better.”
Many guests at the restaurant share the dishes family style, passing around plates of Oysters with Yuzu Kosho Mignonette, Bluefin Tuna Tartare, Hayashi Farms Brussels sprouts and bites of the Bautista Family Farms romaine Caesar salad. The Local Misoyaki Butterfish with Hayashi Farms bok choy and Ponzu Beurre Blanc is one of Preston’s favorites on the menu. Highlights also include the Macadamia Crusted Mexican Mahi Mahi with Bautista snap peas with eel and peanut sauces, topped with a mango salsa. Those who save room for dessert — and you should — are delighted by the Lilikoi Tart. “We make a lot of Hawaii classics with San Luis Obispo County ingredients,” Preston says of the menu.
Preston and Ashlee are currently in the process of adding a rum distillery. That means a signature Pono Mai Tai, of course, as well as a cache of classics and other Pacific Rim inspired sips. In the meantime, Pono Pacific Kitchen will continue doing what it does best: maintaining a balance between what is provided locally, offering the freshest local ingredients and remaining inspired by the dynamic Pacific.
