East And West Meet At Kona Grill

This place has it all. From the moment I drove up and saw the sign “Free Valet Parking” I knew something was different about Kona Grill. It’s exterior had me anticipating its opening. When you walk in, you can’t help but look around in amazement of how beautiful the place is. We’re not talking your grandmother’s untouchable china beautiful. This place is modern, with a modified Asian-American style and great colors everywhere.

A vibrant fish tank greets you behind the host stand, and the bar area is great. They also have a sushi bar with blue-lit walls and hand-blown glass lights. The bathrooms (which I always look at as a sign of how clean the kitchen is kept) are spotless. Full height stall doors and walls, and the coolest sinks I’ve seen.

So once you catch your breath from the scenery, it’s time to look at the menu. I’m not a big sushi guy, so I skipped that part. The main menu offers a variety of selections that have Asian origins, but have been spruced up some to give them a Western appeal. We started with a couple appetizers- an order of calamari, and an order of pot stickers.

The calamari was excellent. It was lightly breaded, and joined with a light orange sauce with a moderately spicy flavor. I held on to the leftover calamari sauce to use with my meal. The pot stickers had some sort of pork filling, and came with a light dipping sauce. Let me add that both appetizers tasted great without any dipping sauce, but the sauces give you options.

The dinner menu offered steak, ribs, chicken, pork tenderloin, fishes, shrimp, and about half a dozen original pizzas. More specifically, there was macadamia nut chicken, honey barbecue glazed rack of ribs, different cuts (and flavors) of steak, and I chose the pork tenderloin medallions. It was about 8 ounces of the juiciest pork I’ve ever tasted, with cheddar mashed potatoes, and a sweet & tangy mushroom sauce on the side.

The portion was a good size. It was big enough where I could’ve stopped two thirds through the meal and been full. But I kept going! This meal was too good to pass up. Even if you’re someone who doesn’t like traditional Asian foods, you will like Kona Grill. Many of their sauces are served on the side so you decide if you need it or not. They also serve brunch on Sundays.

My brother ordered the rack of ribs. They fell off the bone in his mouth. This kid gets ribs whenever he can, and is usually a picky eater. However, he thoroughly enjoyed the ribs and there wasn’t a single piece of meat left behind.

Kona Grill’s dessert selection could not be passed up. Their selections include their original cheesecake, an Ultimate Fudge Brownie (which our server affectionately referred to as “a brick” because of it’s size), Caramel Apple Crisp, and a few other selections. Our table of five made the mistake of ordering four desserts. Each was large in size and taste. We could have easily ordered just three desserts for all of us and still had some left over.

I had expected the prices to be outrageous because the restaurant looked so great. However, the prices were similar to that of Longhorn Steakhouse, options from $10 a plate, up to around $30 a plate. Many of the fishes and steaks hover around $15 to $22 a plate, which is reasonable for the quality and rich flavor of the entrees.

Kona Grill proved itself to be one of the more original, and pleasant, dining experiences in Short Pump. Its atmospheric style has a smooth mixture of that of Tara Thai and Bar Louie. It had a fun, open feel, while maintaining the elegance and beauty you might expect to see at a nice restaurant at a vacation spot. The food preparation is unsurpassed by any other Asian cuisine in the area. My plate looked like a perfect display item, and it took me a moment before I could dig into it. The service was great and the food selection is certain to bring a new taste to the Short Pump area. Kona Grill receives a grade of A.