A Taste of Hawaii on the Carolina Coast

Pipeline Poke was born from Zac Zaytoun’s desire to introduce Wilmington to a cuisine that shaped both his career and his love for food.

Originally from New Bern, Zaytoun grew up vacationing with family in Hawaii. It was there that he had his first taste of poke, a traditional Hawaiian dish that combines raw fish with a variety of fresh, flavorful ingredients and sauces.

“I loved tuna salad when I was a kid,” Zaytoun said, “That was the first thing my mom taught me how to make so I could feed myself. When she took me to Hawaii, she was like, ‘This is their tuna salad – just try it.’ I was eight years old, and I was really picky, but I was like, ‘Whoa, this is awesome.’ That was it for me.”

That early introduction stuck with him, even as he pursued culinary school and restaurant work back on the Carolina coast. His culinary journey took a major turn when his brother, also a chef, called from Hawaii, where he had moved to work.

“He called me one day and said, ‘Dude, I need some good cooks. Do you want to move out here? I have a spot for you.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, I’ll come.’ I was probably 22 at the time.”

In Hawaii, Zaytoun and his brother worked at Morimoto Asia Waikiki, owned by renowned Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto.

“I was the junior sous chef there,” Zaytoun said. “I started as a line cook, and after about six months, my brother moved away from Hawaii, and I was promoted. That was kind of like my culinary springboard.”

Armed with the kind of training that could open doors anywhere, Zaytoun returned to Wilmington ready to put his experience to work. He became head chef at 1900 Restaurant, then sous chef at Bento Box for about five years. It was there that he met chef Lee Grossman, and along with two other investors, they launched Pipeline Poke.

“It kind of happened organically,” Zaytoun said. “I started putting poke on the menu as a special, and it just kept growing in popularity – people just kept loving it.”

Zaytoun said the rising popularity of poke at Bento Box helped him and Lee realize that Wilmington was ready for a restaurant that specialized in Hawaiian poke.

At Pipeline, everything is fresh. Fish is flown in several times a week and hand-cut on-site, sauces are made in-house, and poke is crafted the way Zaytoun first tasted it in Hawaii.

“It makes a huge difference,” Zaytoun said. “Every flavor that I make, I’ve based off of ones I tried in Hawaii, and I’ve tried to replicate them as best I could, but at the same time put a little bit of my own twist on them.”

With nine signature flavors, multiple protein choices and the option of a bowl, plate or roll, there’s something for everyone. Zaytoun said some customers gravitate toward the same dish each time they visit, while others enjoy eating their way through the menu.

To keep things interesting, Zaytoun has developed what he calls the “Haole Series.” Haole is a slang term used in Hawaii for someone who’s not from the island.

“So, the Haole Series is poke that’s not Hawaiian; it’s whatever I want to make at the time. Some funky stuff that’s fun to play around with. We did a Greek-themed one with harissa yogurt sauce, fresh dill, pomegranate molasses and fresh pomegranate seeds. Then, for the summertime, we were doing the Fiesta. It had a Chipotle agave sauce on it, with mango, avocado, lime crema and cilantro on top. And now we have a new one: Nashville hot poke. It’s Nashville hot mayo, hot honey, a Southern chili garlic sauce and house-made house pickles and cabbage. People like it a lot so far.”

Pipeline Poke also offers Spam musubi, a popular Hawaiian snack, and poke by the pound, keeping the Hawaiian deli-style tradition alive.

“I was pretty adamant that we sell by the pound for authenticity since that’s primarily how it’s sold in Hawaii,” Zaytoun said. “When I lived in Hawaii, on my days off, I would just go get a pound of poke and a six-pack of beer, and we’d go sit on the beach. That works just as well here in Wilmington.”

Three years in, Zaytoun credits his success to his team.

“That first year was just a blur,” Zaytoun said. “I mean, like 72-hour weeks, just trying to make it happen. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve kept a lot of my crew here. I still have some who helped open the restaurant with me. I would not be able to do it without my team. We’ve just been rocking it out and getting busier and busier.”

The compliments he treasures most come from those who know poke best.

“Local Hawaiian people come in, and they’re like, ‘This is incredible. This is good, if not better than I had in Hawaii,’” Zaytoun said. “Or ‘Bro, that was home, I just tasted home.’ That’s why we’re here.”