Sometimes a business starts with a flavour you can’t stop thinking about.
For Paradise Poké owners Ryan Moleiro and Lindsay Robinson, that flavour came from Hawaii.
During a trip in 2015, they were introduced to poké and were hooked by its combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and fresh ingredients.
“I wanted to share it with everyone in Ottawa,” Ryan says. “I wanted them to taste and feel, even just for 20 minutes, a little bit of Hawaii.”
Two years later, Paradise Poké opened.
Since 2017, that original obsession has grown into an Ottawa go-to for fresh, flavour-packed poké – built around the simple idea of sharing food they love.
For Paradise first-timers, Ryan and Lindsay recommend the Royal Hawaiian – the bowl they say comes closest to the traditional poké that first inspired Paradise.
Ocean Wise ahi tuna, cucumber, mango, purple cabbage, quickles, and edamame come together over sushi rice for a bowl that’s fresh, colourful, and packed with flavour.
Their review?
“It slaps! (Do the kids still say that?)”
And if you have dietary restrictions – or raw fish just isn’t your thing – Paradise has you covered. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options mean there’s plenty to choose from.
That flexibility matters. Rather than treating different dietary needs as an afterthought, Paradise has created a menu where people with different tastes and preferences can still sit down and share a meal.
The inspiration may have started with one particular flavour, but Ryan and Lindsay have made plenty of room at the table.
Nearly a decade into running Paradise Poké, the business Ryan and Lindsay have built has become a favourite for plenty of Ottawa customers.
For Ryan, hearing people call Paradise their favourite restaurant still feels humbling.
His advice to his younger self is less about getting everything right and more about trusting the people on both sides of the counter.
“Trust yourself and understand that people want you to succeed,” he says. “Customers want Paradise to be as good as you want it to be, so keep putting the love into the food and know that they will continue to show up and give love.”
There’s something full-circle about that.
Paradise began with food Ryan and Lindsay wanted to share. Years later, the response from customers has reinforced the value of what they’ve built together: make something with care, stay invested in it, and people will recognize it.
What Ryan loves about Centretown is simple: its energy.
“When the sun is shining and people are out in the hustle and bustle, Centretown feels alive, and I find it inspires me.”
Paradise fits naturally into that rhythm – fresh food in the middle of a neighbourhood that’s constantly moving.
And after years of serving Centretown, the relationship works both ways. The energy of the neighbourhood inspires the business, while the people who live, work, and spend time here continue to show up for what Lindsay and Ryan have created.
Built on Small Business is about more than longevity.
It’s about care. Craft. Responsibility. Long-term commitment.
It’s about businesses that understand they don’t exist in isolation – that they’re part of a neighbourhood ecosystem, shaped by and shaping the people around them.
Centretown runs on places like Paradise Poké.
Places where passion, care, and a good idea can grow into something much bigger.
And in Centretown, it’s built on sharing what you love.
Photos by the amazing Nicolai Gregory – @nicolaipgregory
