Hawaiian-inspired restaurant opens its doors in downtown Victoria

A poke bowl at Kahuna is pictured.

A new restaurant has officially opened its doors in downtown Victoria. It’s called Kahuna, serving traditional Hawaiian cuisine including burgers, poke bowls and plate lunches.

The eatery originally launched two years ago in Duncan as two separate restaurants next door to each other, sharing a common kitchen. On one side is a burger joint, and the other side serves a poke and plate lunch menu.

That turned out to be a success, and now the two co-founders hope there is an appetite for Hawaiian cuisine in Victoria as well. Kahuna combines both menus under one roof.

“The origin of poke is Hawaiian. It’s a Hawaiian word for cubing fish and it’s also a style of seasoning that fish prior to eating it,” said Robert Stutzman, co-owner of Kahuna. “We spend a lot of time creating a flavour profile with our bowls.”

“All of the elements of our bowls are marinated or have flavours associated with them and stand on their own,” he continued.

Also on the menu are traditional Hawaiian deserts including pies and cones. Kahuna is located on the corner of Chatham and Store streets across from Capital Iron.