Kona Grill is one of the new restaurants in the newly redeveloped International Market Place in Waikiki. Despite the name, though, it is not a locally owned spot.

In fact, Kona Grill is an Arizona-based establishment, part of a chain of more than 40 restaurants on the mainland and Puerto Rico. This site is its first in the islands. Knowing that, one might be tempted to think it would be full of tacky, faux-island references.

Thankfully, Kona Grill isn’t like that at all. Instead, it’s a classy establishment, with friendly service and a menu that is Asian-inflected, with plenty of sushi selections. However, its menu is not particularly island-influenced.

The experience

Located on the Market Place’s Grand Lanai, Kona Grill is upscale but casual. Blue neon lighting adorns the entrance, so it’s a bit ’60s — and also a bit like being enveloped by an electrically charged wave.

Trimmed out in wood slats, the place is expansive, with bench seats toward the back, small square tables for four set up lounge style, a bar, and open-air seating out on the patio, which can be covered when it’s sunny or raining but opened up once it turns cool.

Happy hour is available in the bar, patio and lounge area. Though you see only surrounding skyscrapers from the lanai, I would prefer it for a relaxing pau hana evening with friends. There are a number of flat screens around the bar and inside the restaurant, giving the place a sports-bar feel that could get rowdy during big games.

We sat at the bench seating for a while and found it wanting — the seating was placed so close to the tables that the phrase “belly up to the bar” came to mind, along with, “I need to go on a diet.”

The food

Kona Grill has a three-tiered happy hour menu with prices set at $4.75 for traditional rolls, $8.25 for Essentials and $10.50 for Fresh Favorites. We tried items off the Essentials menu: avocado egg rolls, smoked Gouda fondue, BBQ Chicken Flatbread and the Voodoo Roll.

The avocado egg rolls proved to be most satisfying, with a pleasing blend of sweetness and saltiness enhanced by the sauce. Having tasted a fair amount of flat salsas, I decided this was not that; instead, it was a pleasant, tangy surprise.

The smoked Gouda fondue was also a refreshing blend of tastes. Apple slices and pretzel bits were provided to dip into the Gouda, which had just enough flavor to blend but not overpower. There’s enough here to provide a good snack for three people or more. Just be careful not to pull a Costanza and double-dip in the cheese.

Although we had been warned the the Voodoo Roll was extremely spicy, it was left to the pizzalike chicken flatbread to provide the tanginess to the evening’s meal, showing the Southwestern influence of its Arizona homeland.

That was plenty of food for a two-person happy hour snack. Next visit I’d be tempted to try the portobello and goat cheese flatbread (also $8.25) or one of the rolls from the $10.50 selections — the jalapeno and yellowtail sashimi looked intriguing.

The drink

It there was any place where I expected to see an island reference, it would be on the drink menu, but here again I was surprised. No mai tai or Blue Hawaii.

At our server’s suggestion, I tried a Moscow Mule, made with a blend of ginger beer, lime juice and Tito’s Vodka from Texas. Served in a copper cup, it went down smooth, as did the red sake sangria, made with Bogle Merlot from California.

In short, no complaints about the drinks. They made a somewhat sultry evening on the patio refreshing.

The verdict

With its location, Kona Grill will cater more to tourists, especially well-heeled ones. But locals shouldn’t be worried about going there — the patio is informal and inviting, and happy hour prices are affordable.

Even better, happy hour is offered twice daily, in the late afternoon and the last two hours before closing time.