Poke
A good poke (po-keh, but sometimes pronounced po-kee) can be made by adding bite-sized pieces of raw fish to a base of shoyu/sesame oil, or even just a little Hawaiian rock salt. More often, though, a number of other ingredients like round onions, green onions, ogo (a crispy seaweed), and inamona (kukui nut) are added. They are all simply tossed together and eaten as a pupu (appetizer). This dish is indispensable to our local diet and life. You simply won’t find a party here without some form of poke, and scarcely will you even find a backyard BBQ without it, especially if there are any beer-drinkers around.
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It's all about fresh fish! Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Ave. is tough to beat, with the utmost of quality choices like this delicious shoyu ahi poke. |
Poke stops developed from fresh fish markets, and today remain commonly intertwined. For the most part, when you find one, you find the other. Fish departments at all the large supermarkets around the islands, like Star, Foodland, Times, Safeway, and Don Quijote, all have poke available. Foodland and Don Quijote tend to have the cheapest poke around ($5.99-$6.99 per pound), but it will come from pre-frozen fish. The poke stops listed here are all top-knotch when it comes to quality and freshness, but prices are a little to a lot higher than your grocery store variety.
The typical poke stop uses a refrigerated glass showcase displaying not only poke but fresh fish and seafoods, along with simple, mostly savory snack items like seaweed salad, taegu (a Korean dried codfish in a sesame-chili sauce), boiled peanuts, and seasoned edamame, to name a few. These panoramic showcases are fun, colorful, and interesting to behold, especially for visitors. Just the ahi and tako (octopus) poke alone can have 5 or more different variations on each one, but we’ve only just begun! There is raw crab poke, mussel poke, clam poke, smoked marlin poke, salmon belly poke, dried turnip poke – shall I go on?
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Fresh Catch in Kaimuki, another excellent poke stop, carries a wide variety of poke and also other local products, as well, such as hot plate lunches and marinated meats by the pound. |
When purchasing poke, remember to check for a few things. First and most importantly, does the fish look fresh? This may get a bit tricky, as oftentimes the fish has been sitting in a dark marinade, and to further confound you, some vendors treat their fish with carbon monoxide, which gives them a “too-bright,” cherry-red coloring that lasts much longer than is naturally possible. There are no known health implications for this kind of treatment, but who wants fake colored-fish and artificial enhancements? Retailers are supposed to have signs stating when the fish is treated and you can always ask, but then again, I’m not so sure they can always be trusted. Always help yourself by noticing other hints of quality fish, such as smell, texture, and firmness – most will even allow you a free sample.
If you’re a stickler for quality and insist on the best, you want places that add marinades only after ordering so that freshness can more easily be determined and also to ensure that the sauces do not overwhelm the flavor of the fish by over-saturation. You will pay a price for this premium, however, easily reaching $10-$12 per pound. This is not always necessary, as cheaper cuts of ahi that are pre-sauced and pre-frozen are regularly found at about half that price, and can still be very good. Leftover ahi poke can be made into another delicious meal by pan-frying in a little oil until the outsides are white and the insides are still pink - you may even prefer this version to raw.
Da Big Boy’z: Ono’s and Ft. Ruger Market, but just because they are mixed to order. The other spots also offer fresh, high-quality fish, so this whole section is excellent, actually.
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Never tough and dry like some spots, the tako (octopus) poke is also killer at Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Ave. |
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Ono Seafood. A Closer Look. 747 Kapahulu ave. in Kapahulu. 732-4806. Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-3pm. 2 stalls fronting store or on street. Map. Quite simply put, I think this little hole-in-the-wall has the best poke anywhere on the planet! You won’t find glass cases full of choices here, because the poke is mixed and made to order. This way, there is no over-saturation and the taste of the fish shines in all its natural glory. The poke most people are used to is a bit firm compared to the poke here, which is of a quality that, like good sashimi, is much softer in texture. The marinade is a spicy shoyu-base with a mixture of other ingredients like inamona and fresh red and green chili peppers that all blend well together, proving for a rich, complex taste. And if you love tako (octopus) poke but sometimes find it too tough and chewy, try it here and your love will be renewed. I’m not sure if it’s from preparation or outright freshness, but it is so delicate and tender that I now have a hard time purchasing the dish from anywhere else! They are located right next to the Hawaii National Bank, with only two parking spaces fronting the store. You pay a premium for this poke, but the quality is undeniable.
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Ft. Ruger Market is a small, family-type grocery store nestled in a residential area of Diamond Head, but is well-known amongst da locals! |
Ft. Ruger Market. A Closer Look. 3585 Alohea Ave. in Kapahulu. 737-4531. Monday-Saturday 6:30-6pm, Sunday 6:30am-4:30pm. Parking outside store. Map. A small grocery store in a residential area, Ruger Market has long been famous for their fresh poke, which, like Ono’s, is not sitting in a marinade but tossed only after ordering. You can tell them exactly how and what ingredients to use, and they will cheerfully accommodate your needs. The poke here is generally more lightly flavored than Ono’s, providing a simpler, cleaner, more natural tasting poke. Both are my favorites and the choice between them is a difficult one. There is also Hawaiian food, plate lunches, lots of spam musubi, and many other local specialties.
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Follow the giant red crab! Tamashiro Market is a hustling, bustling, local-style market filled with fresh fish and seafoods of all kinds. |
Tamashiro Market. 802 N. King st. in Kalihi. 841-8047. Weekdays 9am-6pm, Saturday 8am-6pm, Sunday 8am-4pm. Parking in small lot outside store or across street at Kaumakapili Church. Map. When you want fresh fish or anything else from the ocean, this little store is where you want to be. The poke is made fresh daily and is a huge draw here, but you’ll also find fish of all kinds, both locally caught and shipped-in, as well as shrimp, clams, oysters, squid, octopus, seaweed, and glass tanks full of live Kahuku prawns, Maine lobster, and Dungeness crab. When in season, this is one of the best places to find the Kona crab, or red frog crab, known for its sweet-tasting meat and unusual frog-looking appearance. Besides being a seafood store, you can also find a small grocery and produce section. This store has become a local icon of sorts, standing very conspicuous with its bright pink building and large red crab “mascot” hanging on the wall outside, both stroking curiosity from all who drive by. After inspecting your way through the small, busy aisles (all 2 of them!), be sure to take a ticket, or you may never get to the beautiful fish behind the glass cases! They will also clean your fish at no extra charge. If the thought of a large, busy, third-world type of experience in Chinatown seems intimidating for you, Tamashiro Market is good place to start with. It’s a bit tamer, a bit cleaner, a lot smaller, and doesn’t smell quite as bad!
Tanioka’s. 94-903 Farrington Hwy in Waipahu. 671-3779. Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 9am-3pm. Parking outside store. Map. This is another store where activity hustles and bustles like mid-morning Chinatown and is probably the busiest poke stop on the west side. In addition to its huge selection of poke, they have plate lunches, bento, candies, home-made ice creams, crack seed, and Hawaiian food plates.
| Light it up with this firecracker poke from Fresh Catch in Kaimuki! |
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Fresh Catch. A Closer Look. 3109 Waialae Ave. in Kaimuki. 735-7653. Tuesday-Friday 10am-7:30pm, Saturday 8am-7:30pm, Sunday 8am-5pm, Monday closed. Parking outside store. Map. Fresh Catch is a relative newcomer to the scene that arrived with a bang! Hosting a casual, but clean, well-designed, nautical theme, it has all your favorite varieties of poke as well as plate lunches, pastele, salads, soups, sandwiches, and goodies. They do a lot of volume here, with large trays and catering services that can satisfy any large party or get-together, or just take home marinated meats that you can cook yourself. As for poke, try the fireball ahi, which is a triple or quadruple-spiced version of spicy ahi, or the delicious smoked tako poke, which comes in a creamy dynamite sauce and crunchy, bright-orange tobiko eggs. Just about everything here comes bold and full of flavor, in the true local way!
Tamura’s Fine Wine and Liquors. 1216 10th Ave. in Kaimuki. 735-7100. Monday-Saturday 9:30-8pm, Sunday 9:30am-7pm. Parking outside store. Map. Here you will find one of the largest selections of quality wine and cheese anywhere in the 50th state. The beer choices are also much better than any grocery store, and they have many other specialty food items in store. The poke section is small, but very good. Try the Tamura’s special sauce ahi poke.
Poke Stop. 94-050 Farrington Hwy. at the Waipahu Town Center in Waipahu. 676-8100. Monday-Saturday 8am-7pm, Sunday 8am-5pm. Parking in center lot. Map. Chef/owner Elmer Guzman had the pleasure of working for Sam Choy, Alan Wong, and Emeril Lagasse at their respective restaurants. Despite this impressive fine-dining background, chef Elmer decided to open a casual, economical shop specializing in fresh seafood and local-style items with a quality twist in mind. There are oyster po’ boy sandwiches, crab cakes, deep-fried furikake tako, salads, and bento choices along with a wide variety of poke and other local specialty dishes.
Alycia’s Market. 267 Mokauea St. near Sand Island. 841-1921. 8am-7am Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm Saturday, Sunday closed. Limited parking fronting store or on street. Map. A long-time local establishment that has quietly garnered a loyal and numerable following, Alycia’s Market is an old-school, Chinatown-like grocery store with a booming take-out food section serving an impressive amount of different items. There are as many delicious poke varieties as any full-fledged poke stop, marinated meats to grill yourself, local-style sushi (inari and maki), Hawaiian dishes, roast pork, roast turkey, roast beef, char siu, turkey tails, pastele, boiled peanuts, taegu, and everything else you’ll ever need! Choose individual plates for dining at near-by Sand Island Park or elsewhere, or make it a one-stop shop for giant trays of hot meats, platters of sushi or poke, and ready-to-grill items for any local party or get-together. Alycia’s Market meets every criteria of a local dive, with its aged facility, beat-up exterior, and location amidst older residential homes and industrial buildings, but if that prohibits you from visiting, you’ll be the loser!
Pa’ina Café. 1200 Ala Moana Blvd. at the Ward Warehouse in Kakaako. 356-2829. Lunch and dinner daily, except closed by 6pm Sunday. Parking in Center lot. Map. Pa’ina Café is an inexpensive stop at the tiny Food Court at Ward Warehouse, serving delicious poke bowls, sandwiches, gyros, salads, fruit bowls, smoothies, and other such healthy fare. Generously-portioned poke bowls, including a few mixed with other items like lomi salmon and kalua pig, are the top draws, but don’t discount everything else, as they carry an impressive array of café-chic dishes that will impress you, especially at these prices. They may have a Hawaiian name, but the menu is local as well as international, with Italian caprese, ahi nicoise sandwiches, Greek salads, Goteborg sausage musubi, and other simple, yet creative dishes. The combination of freshness, decent variety, and great prices, all from a tiny, take-out corner, are all reasons to keep coming back for more!
Diamond Head Cove Health Bar. 3045 Monsarrat Ave. at Diamond Head. 732-8744. Monday, Friday, and Saturday 10am-8pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 10am-12am. Parking in center lot. Map. There is a hip island scene here that offers fresh fish dishes, sandwiches, wraps, salads, smoothies, and other healthy fare besides poke, but is perhaps most unusually known as one of the few places on the island to get a kava (in Hawaiian called a’awa) drink. Kava is a root which is pounded to release its liquid and mixed with water to produce a bitter, earth-tasting drink, and the drug-like effect, which relaxes the muscles while keeping the mind sharp, is completely legal! It is popular with natives of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and many other Pacific island nations and is now trying to make its way into the mainstream of Hawaii. Try this health bar on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights between 8pm and 10pm for live Hawaiian entertainment and kava till 12am for a fun and very different experience.
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