Burlingame eatery Tuna Kahuna wins national Yelp customer satisfaction award

Seeking to expand their horizons and avoid existing at the mercy of food trends such as the popular poke boom over recent years, the Wongs looked at Tuna Kahuna as a fresh start down a familiar path.

So far the approach has caught on, as Yelp recently named Tuna Kahuna one of the nation’s top 100 restaurants. The online review company determined its award according to outlets maintaining an excellent rating, according to customer reviews.

It is the only San Mateo County restaurant to receive the recognition, which Clarence Wong considered affirmation that the restaurant is meeting the mark with its new Peninsula patrons.

“I think our family put it as the people’s choice award,” he said.

Family is a central focus on the eatery, as would be expected for a business run by brothers who found their way to the kitchen following their grandmother’s footsteps while growing up in San Francisco.

But the bloodlines circulate through operations too, as the brothers’ collaboration and experimentation is the sole inspiration for the food. And while pursuit of the perfect can be the enemy of the good, Doug Wong said sometimes the intervention of a loved one is required turn a vision into reality.

To that end, Doug Wong said indecisiveness marred the final days of determining which dishes would be served when Tuna Kahuna opened. Exhausted with relentless hemming and hawing, Doug Wong said his wife finally took the initiative to write the first menu — with assurances it could evolve over time.

That flexibility is essential for the brothers to continue pushing the limits of their creativity, said Clarence Wong, while also noting it allows them to offer dishes which are seasonal.

Seeking to avoid becoming pigeonholed as only a warm weather option, the Wongs matched some of the light, summery notes evoked by poke with heartier partners for dishes suitable in any climate.

Specialized rice served with dashi then topped with fresh-cut salmon seared by a torch seemed warm enough for a rainy day. Meanwhile, salmon mixed with the sweet acidity of the yuzu fruit served over rice but under cured egg yolk was equally rich and refreshing.

In all, the Tuna Kahuna menu offers about 20 specialized orders which can be prepared with swiftness to accommodate a workday lunch order. And patrons are free to create their own dish from the ingredients available too.

For the more adventurous diner with perhaps a little time to spare, Doug Wong said Tuna Kahuna is available to the dinner crowd as well. A departure from the fast focus at Poki Time, the Burlingame location is designed for dining in. And those who stop and stay in the evening may be offered a chance to sit with the owners over a glass of wine or beer and try a taste of the next menu’s offering.

“At dinner, it is kind of a smoother pace where we can interact with the customers,” said Clarence Wong.

Since opening, it’s not been all smooth sailing for Tuna Kahuna though, admitted the Wongs. Staffing remains challenging, as is the case for restaurants across the Peninsula scrambling to retain a diminishing pool of dedicated hospitality workers struggling to afford the rising cost of living.

Then there is the difficulty associated with keeping pace in an evolving food industry increasingly driven by third-party delivery apps, social media presences and the opinion of those publishing online reviews, they said.

And even as the double-sided knife that can be Yelp reviews cut in the favor of Tuna Kahuna with the most recent award, Doug Wong said an eye must always be kept to the critical reviews left on the website as well.

“Everybody is now certified food critics,” he said. “You have access to knowing where the best food is, and that makes us have to elevate our game.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105