SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento restaurant called Fresh Off Da Boat is serving up Polynesian cuisine with a twist, allowing people to taste the flavors of the Pacific Islands without needing to buy a plane ticket.
Located on Sports Drive in Natomas, the family-run restaurant has dishes like assorted poke and Loko Moco, a marinated beef patty served atop steamed rice with gravy, caramelized onions and a sunny side up egg.
The mastermind behind the menu is chef and owner Muaguttia Tuala-Tamaalelagi, also known as Chef T.
He says the idea behind the restaurant was to focus on "bringing the Island, the pacific island food, traditional food and utilize it into the modern world of street food."
He said his menu is a fusion of fine dining and fun takes on classics, such as his twist on poke. The restaurant offers poke nachos made up of your choice of taro chips or wontons topped with veggies, ahi tuna and a spicy ginger aioli.
So what's behind the name of the restaurant?
"Back in the islands, 'fresh off da boat' is like what's new coming in," Chef T said.
Fresh Off Da Boat started off as a pop up business, and in January, Chef T opened the brick and mortar in Natomas.
Chef T's love of cooking is connected to his roots. He was born and raised in Samoa.
"This whole thing is I want to share the beauty of our culture," he said. "In the Samoan culture, and any pacific island culture, the man does the cooking. The Samoan word is called tautua, it literally means to serve... make food for the elders, for the family, for the young children."
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he and his wife Jacinta Seiuli decided to start a business, utilizing his passion and culinary background.
Chef T attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and worked with prestigious chefs in LA before coming to Sacramento.
From catering to pop-ups at parks and events, the couple did anything to get the word out about their cuisine: Polynesian, Pacific Island and Asian fusion food.
"We didn't leave any rocks unturned, we tried any way possible just to make this dream come true," Chef T said.
His signature dish is F.O.B. Shrimp. The dish starts off with a bed of Samoan-style coconut cream risotto, known as alaisa fa'apopo, topped with crispy garlic shrimp and fried onions.
"It is my dream to become that person from the islands, the one that brings Pacific Island food into the world stage," Chef T said.
By sharing his journey, Chef T hopes to encourage others to go for their dreams.
To check out the restaurant's menu, click HERE.
