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   Da Pineapple Grill boasts the area’s most eclectic menu featuring American, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese and other Asian foods.  “We offer a traditional menu coupled with exotic opportunities,” says owner and chef Eleena Danielson who grew up in Hawaii. “Our customers quickly realize that our strength is traditional food with exotic opportunity for authentic island cuisine that travelers recognize and non-travelers can now experience—in Idaho of all places. Our returning customers consistently choose our combination plates so that they can mix Idaho tradition with island tradition. Those new to Da Pineapple Grill often come in and order ribeye steak or chicken, but then they want a lesson in Sushi 101, and some become converts.”

   Just mention to your server that you want to understand Sushi and you will quickly learn that sushi translated means seasoned rice—and the rice is rolled with tempting ingredients. A crowd favorite, Hukilau Roll, includes coconut shrimp, seared tuna, mango salsa, and avocado, and can be dipped in a curry sauce with black sesame seeds.

   When you ask about the raw fish, sashimi, you learn that the fish is caught one day in Hawaii (in the case of the tuna) and overnight expressed in cryo-vac wrap from the Honolulu Fish Market to the Rexburg store and is semi-frozen in a process called par freeze that cures the fish. All ingredients are fresh and everything is homemade at the restaurant. Once the meat arrives at Da Pineapple Grill, it is carefully cut and rolled providing fresh sashimi that customers dip in lemon and ginger sauces. To learn the most, sit at the sushi bar and converse with the knowledgeable sushi chefs.

This Reviewer's Recommendation: Spicy Crab Sushi VegetableTempura-Especially  the Onion  Rings Shrimp Tempura Teriyaki Beef  Octopus Sashimi Huckleberry and Macadamia Nut Ice Cream (wow)

   The sushi bar provides open seating for anyone who wants to watch the sushi chef as he or she prepares sushi to order. The bar has an open Hawaiian canopy that adds to the experience. As you watch the chef, ask for recommendations and when you are ready, your server will take your order.
   The chefs and servers are friendly and kind and willing to take special requests. Many who want to try sashimi have it seared or fully cooked the first time.

   If you prefer to sit away from the sushi bar, the rest of the restaurant’s open seating is relaxed and somewhat intimate with the best seat being in the southwest corner where people watchers can see the entire restaurant (and the sushi bar) or those wanting a quiet meal can put their backs to the restaurant and look outside. The cool, comfortable climate feels great on a hot day and soft island music completes the atmosphere. Da Pineapple Grill has achieved an atmosphere that puts you at ease. The traditional American food draws many returning customers, but the adventure of trying new food is the bonus strength of the restaurant.

   One final note: meticulous detail merits mention. The owners demand cleanliness and attention to little details that go unnoticed by most. The fish chart dates arrival and use of the fish to ensure freshness. The well decorated restrooms show the meticulous clean. But the greatest reward from attention to detail is an island experience that you cannot find anywhere else in the upper valley. Da Pineapple Grill offers a well deserved and adventurous break from the more traditional restaurants in the area.