We used to work together at another local Japanese restaurant, said William, who originally is from Indonesia.
As for the other two business partners, one of them has a (local) Japanese restaurant and one used to live in Hawaii, said William, adding the latter also has a poke restaurant in Pensacola. We just put it all together.
Wooden letters, painted to resemble the U.S. flag, spell out the restaurant name on one of the sky-blue walls. A surfboard sign is adorned with Panama City, while another sign says mahalo ( thank you in Hawaiian).
Menu boards hang on the wall behind the counter, where customers order, pay and grab a number for the table. Paper menus detail even more options. If you need a minute or five, you re encouraged to sit down at a booth and take your time, and William is happy to help with suggestions.