USA TODAY’s REVIEWED
Philadelphians loved Poi Dog’s Hawaiian-style plate lunches, ahi poke, and Spam musubi since it opened in Rittenhouse Square in 2017, and for years before that during its life as a food truck. Luckily, the now-closed restaurant lives on with Kiki Aranita’s line of Hawaii-inspired sauces.
“I want people to encounter these sauces in places (grocers, shops, independent restaurants selling pantry items) that are reminiscent of what Poi Dog's restaurant was: small but an integral part of its community and maybe a little quirky,” she says. “I want people to have that feeling of discovery many of our customers felt when they happened upon our restaurant or food truck, but I want them to be creative with the sauces.”
The Maui Lavender ponzu sauce, made with lavender grown on the island, makes a lovely, aromatic dip for sushi and dumplings. Though since its recent launch, the chef notes she’s heard the sauce has been used to make cocktails, and even sipped straight from the bottle.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
We had to say goodbye to Poi Dog’s beloved ahi poke bowls when the financial hit from the pandemic closed the restaurant. But you can still enjoy a taste of its Hawaiian flavors. Starting Dec. 15, Poi Dog will offer two sauces online. The ponzu ($14) is made with lavender blossoms from Maui, steeped with dried bonito in Japanese yuzu juice, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. It’s a fun, floral soy sauce substitute for dipping fried dumplings and sushi or for seasoning a pan of noodles.
The Chili Peppah Water ($8.50), a staple condiment in Hawaii, lends a moderately spicy, vinegary tang to all sorts of food. It’s made with local hot and sweet peppers brewed in vinegar, with hints of ginger and a saltiness from Hawaiian Sea Salt. “We say, ‘Chili peppah water over everything,’ and ‘everything’ refers to rice, meats, macaroni salad, and vegetables,” says former Poi Dog co-chef and owner Kiki Aranita.
food & Wine’s communal table with Kat kinsman
A year ago, Kiki Aranita was in Hong Kong for a cousin's wedding when she heard the first rumblings about a virus that was highly contagious and beginning to spread. There's no way she could have known that just months later, she'd have to shut down her much-loved Philadelphia restaurant Poi Dog because of its impact. It was an agonizing decision, but the multi-talented chef, writer, and artist is finding purpose in the pivot with a line of condiments that are based in her Hawaii heritage, making objects that soothe her soul, and finding new ways to keep the Poi Dog dream alive and thriving. She joined Communal Table for an in-depth conversation about the practical, financial, emotional, and intellectual work it takes to be a chef in an age of unrest.