By Carrie Honaker · Photos courtesy of the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Foodland
Some families have board game nights. Others have Sunday suppers. Some families run 5Ks together. My family bonds over the search for spectacular raw fish.
It started at a pre-K graduation party at the local hibachi. We ordered sashimi while others enjoyed the spectacle of chef's smoke and flashing knives. Our daughter asked to try a piece of yellowtail. She proceeded to walk it across the hibachi bar chanting, "Don't eat me," until her chubby fingers reached her waiting mouth. The toothy smile with bits of fish peeking through proclaimed her love.
An innocent tasting birthed a tradition of seeking out the best raw fish wherever we went. Weddings, funerals, college orientation, moves to new cities — every occasion rotates around raw fish. When our son brought his first long-term girlfriend home, we didn't ask what she studied or where she was from; we asked if she liked sushi.
We navigate complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, sisters and brothers over a plate of the finest raw fish in the vicinity.
Sending your children off to college is always a gut-wrenching mix of joy and sadness. Sending them to an island on the exact opposite side of the country, only accessible by boat or plane, terrified yet excited me.
We checked in at the college, got our orientation pack, and didn't join the other families milling around campus waiting for tours to start. Was this irresponsible? Maybe, but it didn't matter because raw fish awaited. We piled in our car and headed to our first poke stop.
Poke can be found everywhere on Oahu — from restaurants to grocery stores. The word poke translates to "slice or cut" in Hawaiian, and it's been part of the fabric of Hawaiian culture long before it showed up on top of rice, served cafeteria-style on the mainland.
Oahu offers some unique poke experiences. Bring an appetite and an open mind.
Foodland
I question when people tell me they buy their poke at a grocery store. Foodland gets a lot of play with locals. Our bartender at Lucky Belly (go, run and get the Belly of the Beast Ramen) emphatically endorsed Foodland. She wasn't the only one. We had to make a stop.
The line at the counter was the first indication of greatness. The fact that everyone was native Hawaiian was the second. The third was the explosion of flavor as toasted sesame oil, tangy soy sauce, and salty ahi hit my mouth. The Shoyu Ahi Poke was — well, words fail me. But definitely try it. I have a new appreciation for grocery store fare.
Multiple locations · foodland.com/our-stores-poke
Ono Seafood
Be careful — you might miss this one if you are not paying close attention. Ono Seafood sits next door to a Shell station in a low-rise, bottom-floor apartment complex. Parking is a struggle, and they may close early if they start to run out of their fresh fish. But it's worth the labor.
Their poke is always made to order, an almost unheard-of move in an area stocked with poke places. The small storefront has a refrigerator packed with takeout seafood specialties, and they are good, but hang on. Next to the order counter is a display case housing the fresh catch of the day: slabs of deep red ahi, whole tako (octopus to a mainlander), and whatever other seafood was caught that morning. Locally owned and family operated, they pride themselves on serving "poke that is traditionally local, island style, and ridiculously ono!"
747 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu
Tamura's Fine Wine
In the gauntlet of colorful addresses, this one ranks high. A poke counter tucked in the back of a liquor store with no sign or indication outside that there is anything inside but booze. The poke is really good, almost like fish candy in your mouth, if that could be a thing.
They make it with whatever fresh fish is available at the Honolulu Fish Auction. The heft of the chunks, thick cubes of fish with little adornment, shows it's really about the fish. And, maybe, a little about the bits of jalapeño it swims with.
25 Kaneohe Bay Drive #106, Kailua · tamurasfinewine.com
Maguro Bros
Shane, our adopted "cousin," friend at the bar, and guide to local hot spots (like Heavenly for breakfast — miss it at your own peril), insisted we try their poke. He also made it clear we must go to the secret walk-up in Waikiki, not the original Chinatown location.
The brothers procure their seafood daily from the Honolulu Fish Auction. You would be remiss if you did not order their signature poke, deep ruby chunks of maguro (bluefin tuna). The brothers, Junichiro and Ryojiro Tsuchiya, are on hand, cutting, serving, and preparing the dishes for you. Do yourself a favor and order the Hawaiian, a blend of limu/seaweed, Hawaiian sea salt, chili pepper, and sesame oil. The fatty beauty of the maguro sings in this classic Hawaiian preparation.
415 Nāhua Street, Honolulu
Fresh Catch
You may recognize this spot from an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. Guy Fieri even referred to chef and owner Reno Henriques as an "octopus wrangler." And in my opinion, his tako (octopus) poke rules the sea. Locals love it; so did I. The slices of tako flecked with bits of chili, slivers of onion, and rings of scallions made fresh daily melt in your mouth with tenderness. This hole-in-the-wall deli offers up to 20 varieties of poke daily for island-style, one-stop meals.
1113 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu · freshcatch808.com
Redfish Poke Bar
It's hard not to be enthralled with the gorgeous murals on the buildings of SALT at Our Kaka'ako. Beyond the public art, it's a gathering place with multiple dining options, an artist collective, and darn good poke. Redfish Poke Bar, tucked into the center of the complex, offers traditional local-style poke bowls with a cornucopia of toppings to satisfy mainland desires.
Oahu native Chef Reid Matsumura wanted to "respect the food, dishes, and flavors that people in Hawaii are always ono for, using the freshest ingredients we can get, and mindfully putting together every plate." The spicy ahi stood out with a fiery sauce, and layered with avocado, masago, green onion, and seaweed salad all atop a mound of white rice, it made an elevated last stop on our poke tour. Be sure to save room for dessert — the malasada bites with horchata ice cream is the stuff of dreams.
685 Auahi St, Honolulu · redfishpoke.com
Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Volume 10 (Fall 2022). Story by Carrie Honaker. Photos courtesy of the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Foodland. Restaurant details as published in fall 2022.
