Most first-timers arrive at Modo Hawaii expecting a poke counter and leave having underestimated the doughnuts. The Parkside shop is better understood as a mochi-doughnut operation with Hawaiian poke, garlic Spam musubi, coffee, matcha, lattes and ice cream around it. That distinction matters: the sweet order has its own timing, the musubi can disappear before closing, and the listed opening hours do not line up neatly across platforms. Come for a bowl if that is the plan, but leave room for the fried, glazed reason the shop exists. The better way to read the address starts with what comes out of the doughnut fryer.
The first practical snag is a split opening schedule: some listings start at 8:00am, others at 11:00am, and closing times vary. Ask Karpo will tell you which opening window applies today and when to arrive for doughnuts or musubi.
Taraval is a Parkside doughnut stop before it is a poke counter
Modo Hawaii occupies the former Go Go Kare space at 1353 Taraval Street in Parkside. It is a compact neighbourhood stop with a menu that moves between Japanese-influenced mochi doughnuts and Hawaiian-style savoury food, rather than a specialist poke restaurant with a token sweet at the end. That is the useful mental picture for arriving hungry: the bowls are substantial, but the doughnuts are not an afterthought.
The San Francisco shop opened its soft opening on August 26, 2025, followed by a Friday-to-Sunday grand-opening event. Its menu now covers mochi doughnuts, Hawaiian poke, soy or oat-based lattes, coffee, matcha drinks and ice cream. In other words, it can handle breakfast, a quick lunch or a sweet stop, though the strongest first order will usually involve at least one item from each side of the menu.
The doughnuts reward an early, slightly unsealed journey home
Most glazed mochi doughnuts are priced at $3.25, with the plain sugar doughnut at $2.75. The more useful value is the discounted half-dozen at $12 before 1:00pm. That makes an early visit materially different from an afternoon one, particularly if the box is meant for a group. A locally reported first pick is the lilikoi doughnut, whose flavour gives the chewy format a sharper Hawaiian edge than the plain sugar version.
These are fried and dipped to order, which improves the finish but creates a small transport problem. Leave the box open for several minutes after pickup instead of sealing it immediately; trapped steam can turn the glaze and dough soft. It is a minor instruction, but following it preserves the contrast between the crisp coating and the springy centre.
The bowls are a proper second reason to come down Taraval
The shoyu poke bowl, spicy poke bowl and half-and-half shoyu-and-spicy bowl are each $19. The tofu poke bowl is $15, while one-pound portions of shoyu or spicy poke are $29. For a first savoury order, the spicy bowl is the locally favoured choice. The half-and-half is the sensible compromise when the table cannot agree, and the tofu option keeps the same general format without the fish.
Poke is served here as part of a broader Hawaiian menu, not as a standalone build-your-own exercise. That keeps the decision straightforward: choose shoyu, spicy or the combination, then decide how much doughnut to add. The one-pound portions make more sense for taking food back to several people than for an unplanned solo lunch, especially once a box of sweets is involved.
Garlic Spam musubi is an early-arrival item
The garlic Spam musubi gives the menu a more portable savoury option than the bowls. It also deserves separate timing attention. A previous San Francisco visit found it sold out roughly 30 minutes before closing, so treating it as an end-of-day add-on is a poor gamble.
Go earlier if musubi is the point of the visit, particularly if the order also includes doughnuts that are best eaten soon after they are made. There is no current San Francisco price for the musubi in the available menu information, so the bowl and doughnut prices are the reliable anchors for budgeting. The item is worth considering as part of the order, not as a guaranteed late pickup.
Use it as a planned pickup rather than an improvised detour
The shop has active pickup and delivery service, and delivery platforms show scheduled ordering. For a first visit, place the order with the exact Taraval address and allow a little time for doughnuts to be fried and dipped rather than expecting a pre-packed pastry shelf. The practical sequence is simple: order the savoury item, add the doughnuts, collect the box, then leave it open briefly before carrying it on.
There is no need to overcomplicate the visit with a long list. A spicy poke bowl, garlic Spam musubi if available, and a lilikoi doughnut cover the menu's main strengths. If arriving later, prioritise the bowl and treat the musubi as a bonus. If arriving before 1:00pm, the half-dozen offer changes the calculation for anyone feeding more than one person.
Its Honolulu origins explain the menu's split personality
MoDo Hawaii was founded in July 2017 in Honolulu by Kenny Chen, Daniel Furumura and David Mao. The business operated as a San Jose pop-up in 2020 before opening its first brick-and-mortar location in Santa Clara in 2022. It previously had locations in Southern California and Honolulu, both of which closed in 2022.
That history helps explain why the Parkside menu does not settle into one category. Mochi doughnuts provide the original shop identity, while poke and Spam musubi make the San Francisco location useful as a savoury stop. The result is less a dedicated lunch counter than a place where a bowl, a rice snack and a box of chewy doughnuts can sensibly share one order.
Practical notes
Modo Hawaii is at 1353 Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA 94116, in Parkside. Hours are currently listed inconsistently: Uber Eats shows 11:00am-4:45pm on Saturday and Sunday, 8:00am-2:45pm Wednesday through Friday, and no hours Monday or Tuesday; Grubhub shows 8:00am-3:00pm for the current day, while DoorDash shows 8:00am-2:40pm. For a transit arrival, use the Taraval Street address rather than the former Go Go Kare name. Most glazed mochi doughnuts are $3.25, plain sugar is $2.75, and the half-dozen is $12 before 1:00pm. Bowls are $19 except tofu at $15; one-pound shoyu or spicy poke is $29. Arrive early for garlic Spam musubi.
Tags: #poke #modohawaii #spammusubi #mochidoughnuts #parkside #sanfrancisco #taravalstreet #hawaiianfood #pokebowl #matcha #coffee #sfneighbourhoods #sweettreats #pickupfood
Sources consulted: grubhub.com · ubereats.com · theinfatuation.com · patch.com · whatnow.com
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Ask Karpo first
A map pin will not settle Modo Hawaii's split hours, and it will not tell you whether the garlic Spam musubi is still available late in the day. Ask Karpo for the opening window that fits your order, the best time for doughnuts or musubi, and what else around Parkside is worth the walk from 1353 Taraval Street.
