Blue Hawaii opened at 1301 S. 72nd St. in the Aksarben area in July 2024, a spin-off from one of restaurateur Jian “Peter” Pan’s previous concepts. It’s the kind of place that reinforces a familiar truth: some of the best food can be found in strip malls. Sitting beneath a large Massage Envy sign, flanked by Jersey Mike’s and Wellness Edge, Blue Hawaii delivers Hawaiian cuisine from an unexpected corner of Omaha.
Pan was born in China and moved to Hawaii as a teenager, where he attended high school. It was there that a teacher gave him the English nickname he still answers to today: Peter. He doesn’t have an official culinary pedigree; his background comes from family recipes and years of hands-on work. For years, he worked with family and friends at L&L Hawaiian BBQ, a well-known chain of restaurants that began in Hawaii. Pan worked at several locations across multiple islands, including Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. There, he learned about Hawaiian plate lunches, the art of grilling and sushi-making. He absorbed recipes and techniques passed down from family.
Not long after marrying his wife Maomao, they started a family of their own and in 2018 decided to move to Nebraska.
The chefs, manager and owner at Blue Hawaii
Photo by Jennifer Corey
“It’s a pretty tough decision since we had a lot of connections, spending half my life in Hawaii,” Pan recalled. “It was just crazy expensive, you know, I got a new family and then my wife and I decided to have some restaurants in Nebraska.”
Today, Maomao operates one of their other restaurants, Bobo China.
Pan emphasized that Hawaiian cuisine is not a singular tradition, but a blend of cultures. It’s a true melting pot of food culture developed from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino and other influences. It’s shaped by plantation workers who shared meals and techniques. It’s what defines Hawaiian food, and it’s what he wants to represent authentically in Omaha.
Making the sushi tacos
Photo by Jennifer Corey
“I try my best so that people can just have some real, authentic Hawaiian food in Omaha without taking a long flight to Hawaii,” Pan said.
That authenticity shows up in classic Hawaiian lunch plates with generous portions. It’s important to Pan that authenticity sits at the heart of Blue Hawaii, alongside fair pricing and accessibility. His goal is to give diners delicious food at reasonable prices and make sushi less intimidating to younger diners. He wants this restaurant to be a place that reflects how people actually eat in Hawaii, not a simplified or adapted version.
Over the course of our meal, Jennifer and I sampled several dishes.
Aloha drinks – Island Iced Tea and Lilikoi Passion
Photo by Jennifer Corey
We started off with a couple of Aloha drinks, an Island Iced Tea and Lilikoi Passion. Although they come from a can, they’re gently sweet and refreshing with no artificial edge. The Island Iced Tea is similar to a well-balanced iced tea, with subtle tropical notes. The Lilikoi Passion leans into passion fruit—tropical and lightly vibrant. Both work well across the menu, from sushi to grilled plates.
Sushi tacos
Photo by Jennifer Corey
We had to try the Sushi Tacos—the tuna avocado and salmon mango. The taco shells are made of fried, lightly battered tempura seaweed instead of a tortilla. Getting the shells just right is a key component. Too thin and they crumble, too thick and the texture is unbalanced. These shells are a bit of a revelation—they’re crispy and crunchy, and though made of seaweed, carry a subtle flavor similar to a sushi wrap. The tuna avocado is fresh and has a subtle, slightly tangy sweet sauce. The salmon is fresh, clean and well-matched to the mango. Both taco fillings are mixed with white rice. It may not have been “Taco Tuesday” but who cares? These tacos are good any day.
Rainbow roll
Photo by Jennifer Corey
For sushi, we tried the volcano roll and the rainbow sushi roll. The volcano roll is shrimp tempura, creamy cheese, spicy crab, tempura flakes, eel sauce and spicy mayo sauce. It’s crunchy and spicy, with the cream cheese rounding out the heat. The eel sauce adds a sweet, savory element. The rainbow sushi roll is spicy crab meat topped with tuna, salmon, shrimp, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce. The spicy crab brings a prominent, yet subtle, heat. The salmon and tuna are fresh. The mayo and eel sauce complement the roll well.
If you want a broader sample of the menu, you’re able to combine plate offerings, which we did. Each plate comes with two scoops of sticky rice, mac salad and a slaw. The macaroni is chilled, creamy and tangy with al dente noodles. The slaw has a lovely, vibrant crunch and a sweet, tangy sauce and is seasoned well. This slaw isn’t an afterthought; it speaks to intention and is one of the best I’ve had in some time.
Grill plate with Katsu chicken and garlic lime pepper shrimp
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Jennifer’s plate was garlic lime pepper shrimp and Katsu chicken—two of the most popular items on the menu. The jumbo shrimp are made with fresh lime juice and the house sesame pepper sauce. The shrimp came unpeeled, but I didn’t mind the extra work for the flavor. They were buttery with subtle garlic. The seasoning is prominent but shows restraint. The Katsu chicken is Japanese-style fried chicken cutlets coated with crispy Panko crumbs and served with Katsu sauce. The Katsu chicken is breaded well and delicately fried. Inside, the chicken is tender and juicy. The Katsu sauce is slightly peppery, sweet and has a tropical edge to it.
Grill plate with Korean-style Kalbi short ribs and grilled tuna
Photo by Jennifer Corey
I ordered grilled tuna and Korean-style Kalbi short ribs. The grilled tuna is marinated with house teriyaki sauce and black pepper. The tuna had a tender, succulent finish, and the sweet sauce worked well with the fish. The Korean ribs are grilled short ribs marinated in a house special barbecue sauce. The ribs are soft and tender, with a slight chew—the right balance for this cut.
Spam musubi
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Spam musubi is a large roll with Spam, eel and avocado with a rice base. It’s a well-known Hawaiian snack, a fusion food that was inspired by Japanese onigiri. It became popular because of Spam’s affordability. Honestly, you’d never guess you’re eating Spam. It’s fried and has a sweet sauce that makes it a sweet and salty, delicious snack. The eel adds a delicate umami element, making this a smart play on sweet, salty and umami.
Bluefin tuna poke boll
Photo by Jennifer Corey
We finished with the bluefin tuna poke bowl. It comes with cubed chunks of raw tuna, greens and a house poke sauce. The tuna is fresh and carries the sauce well. The corn and cucumber add a refreshing vibrancy. It’s visually striking and deeply satisfying. One of the staff members said there’s a local student who comes in and orders it almost every day. I can’t blame her.
Speaking of college students, Blue Hawaii offers a student discount with valid ID. It’s part of a broader effort to keep the food approachable and affordable, particularly for students looking to refuel during a long study break.
Blue Hawaii interior
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Pan said he’s been working on another restaurant concept with his cousin, which he plans to announce in the next couple of weeks. From what he told me, it’s a concept I’ll be keeping an eye on.
“Omaha is a really great city,” Pan said. “People are so nice, it’s safe and you see a lot of opportunities—something I really couldn’t do in Hawaii, but I can do in Omaha.”
His mission is to give Omaha access to real Hawaiian food without the 7-hour flight across the Pacific. And while I’m game for a trip to the Islands, you can be sure I’ll be taking several mini-trips across town for some authentic Hawaiian poke, grilled plates and sushi. And for damn sure, those sushi tacos.
