From Montreal cravings to the Taranaki coast

On my regular trips back to Montréal to visit family, I’d often find myself eating poke bowls, fresh, colourful, nourishing meals that were full of flavour and felt like a great healthy takeaway option. I was obsessed! Every time I came back to New Plymouth, I wished there was somewhere here to get that same kind of food.

At the time, I felt there was a real gap in our community. There were plenty of takeaway options, but not many that felt fresh, healthy, filling and exciting all at once. After many years working in hospitality, I decided it was time to create something of my own, and hopefully, something that our community would love too.

So I bought a food truck, gave it a complete makeover, and Kahakai was born.

The name Kahakai means shore or coast in Hawaiian, and it pays tribute to where poke originated. Traditionally, fish caught along the Hawaiian coastline was freshly cut into cubes and enjoyed simply with ingredients like salt and seaweed.

Poke bowls have now spread around the world, adapting to different cultural differences and this is where Kahakai's Poke bowls have been inspired from. They have evolved from those traditional beginnings, bringing together the fresh spirit of Hawaiian poke with the bold Japanese-inspired flavours and colourful toppings that have become our own style.

Good, fresh food made for our community, and a takeaway option that you can feel good about eating.

“I wanted to bring something fresh, healthy and exciting to New Plymouth, something I’d been craving and missing every time I came home from Montréal.”