Poke – Page 7 – mmm-yoso

Big Island: A revisit to Teshima and other stuffs

April 28, 2013 mmm-yoso Hawai'i - The Big Island, Japanese Restaurants, Poke, Travel

On our last full day on the Big Island we decided to just relax. We took a walk down Ali'i Drive then back around Kuakini Highway.

It was a quiet day, so we just drove around a bit and talked about lunch…..yes, you know us. Teshima's"old school Japanese restaurant" charm had really gotten to the Missus. So with not much else to do, we drove back up to Kealakekua and stopped by Teshima for lunch.

The Missus was craving fish so She immediately went for the "Fresh Catch" Sashimi Tray ($17.50) which was ahi.

For some reason, the Missus really enjoys the old fashioned tsukemono and sunomono. Ditto the old school miso soup.

The fish was very, very fresh, and the Missus scarfed up all twelve pieces in no time.

I went with the "Monday Special" ($12.75). Now I've read some complaints about the prices and portion sizes at Teshima…..but take a look at this for $12.75……..

Geeez…..really?

Five slices ahi sashimi, the teri beef was very "local" a bit chewy. The fried fish here is quite good as well.

The makizushi and inari sushi take me back to "small kid" time…though combined with a chawan of rice….man, that's more carbs than I usually consume in a whole day, or two, nowadays.

The Missus got the fried fish, tsukemono, sunomono, and miso soup.

So I had an order of the famous shrimp tempura($7.25) as well.

If you like crunch, these will fill the bill. The tempura is surprisingly light and crisp.

We both thought that it tasted a bit of old oil that needed to be changed though. There seemed to be a bit of an off taste and even some greasiness to all the tempura.

So in the end a good meal, but not wow'd by the tempura.

Teshima Restaurant
79-7251 Mamalahoa Hwy
Kealakekua, HI 96750

We spent the rest of the day "just cruisin' around". Went to various stores, including a couple of health food places and walked around a bit.

After a very typical afternoon nap, we went out and took another walk around……through Long's, Hilo Hattie looking for gifts for the Missus's relatives and friends.

As it was getting to late afternoon, we discovered we were still pretty full. So we thought we'd go for some poke and beer for dinner. We walked back to the KTA and the pre-packaged selection looked terrible, so we went across the street to Sack n' Save. The poke selection there was better. I eventually settled on some ahi limu with inamona and of course boiled peanuts (not pictured), which went well with the Mehana Humpback Blue, which was the best of the three we gried during this trip.

This was ok. Not the best quality fish, the ogo kind of tough and dry, but passable.

I'm not a big fan of seaweed salad, but the Missus likes it……

As evening settled we saw a good number of locals who seemed to know each other parking in the back of the King Kamehameha. It seemed like there was a big party going on. So after eating and a quick shower we headed downstairs and strolled over to Kailua Pier.

That's Ahuʻena Heiau in the foreground. I guess some company was having their Christmas Party….yes, it was that long ago.

The chatter and laughter brought smiles to our faces as we just sat and took in the wonderful Kona evening. We had a great time in the Big Island. It had been too long since we were here last. We'll be back again soon……

Las Vegas: Checking out the Capital of the “Ninth Island” and Hawaiian Style Poke

February 26, 2013 mmm-yoso Las Vegas, Nevada, Poke

If you're from Hawaii, I'm sure you heard Vegas called the "Ninth Island". I'm pretty sure that ore ex-pats from Hawaii live in Vegas than the rest of the United States combined. I'm not sure what the allure is, but I do remember folks I know packing up and moving back in the 90's, drawn by the gambling and the lower cost of living. Bozo told me that Vegas gets over 250,000 visitors from Hawaii a year and you really can't help but run into them. You'll run into them every which way you turn if you stay at the "capital of the Ninth Island", the California Hotel in downtown.

It was quite a phenomenon, how Sam Boyd and the California Hotel developed such a beloved relationship with local folks. In fact even been a book written about it. Cheap flights (remember "Didi Ah Yo and away we go?") and locals love of gambling sealed the deal. I still remember my first trip to Vegas with friends….of course we stayed at the Cali. I recall getting in at night…oh, the bright lights, oh the gambling! Then I got up in the morning and pulled back the curtains and I swear, all I saw was, desert, railroad tracks, and gila monsters.

I didn't think I'd get the Missus to the Cali; there's so much else to interest Her. I could have lured Her with the oxtail soup from Market Street Cafe, but they only start serving that from 11pm. So while the Missus was occupied elsewhere, I decided to visit for old times sake. The crowd and believe me, it was pretty busy, looks a lot older nowadays. But Market Street Cafe is still going strong with folks waiting in line at 915 in the morning.

It was nice wandering around a bit…..great memories of those really cheap junkets we used to take. I've had many a meal at Aloha Specialties which wasn't open yet on this morning.

I don't really gamble anymore….the Missus gets major chest pains watching me lose perfectly good money which could have gone to Her next pair of Christian Louboutins. But I thought I'd part with a twenty for old times sake at the slots. Two pulls later I was up over $550! You always get the better odds at these type of places. I played it down to $500 and cashed out quickly. The folks working here have always been very friendly….probably because of the Hawaii connection.

I took a quick walk down Fremont Street, which looked really depressed……

Then it was time to hele……

I headed back up to Spring Mountain Road. I thought I'd treat myself to two medium size lunches, the first was to grab some poke at Hawaiian Style Poke.

Now the thought of eating fish in the middle of Nevada might seem a bit odd to you, but with all the transplanted locals….well, I was curious. I initially thought of hitting up the popular Poke Express, but Bozo told me that this little, fairly hard to find shop near the corner of Wynn and Spring Mountain Roads was the way to go….so I did.

The shop is tiny, with a fish counter and trays of small batches of fish. There are different "seasonings" on the fish, but it looks like they pour on the same shoyu based "sauce" on everything. Fair enough, as the fish looked pretty fresh. I drove across the street to the plaza that holds 99 Ranch Market and had at my poke under this…..

Both the spicy garlic and shoyu poke were ok.

The spicy garlic wasn't very spicy and though there was some garlic flavor it was pretty salty from the shoyu. The shoyu poke was also on the salty side and you could tell the fish wasn't really "A" grade….though I gotta say, the prices aren't bad, $14.99 a pound if I recall. There were a couple of pieces with fibrous "sugi" and a few that were plain tough.

I think I'll check out Poke Express next time.

Hawaiian Style Poke
3524 Wynn Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89103
Mon and Wed-Fri 10am – 6pm
Sat-Sun 10am – 5pm
Closed Tuesday

Still, I had 500 bucks burning a hole in my pocket and another lunch spot to hit!

Big Island: Akaka Falls, Hilo Farmer’s Market, Suisan, and other “stuffs”

February 20, 2013 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Hawai'i - The Big Island, Poke, Travel

Our little road trip took us from the Keauhou Farmer's Market, through Kamuela, with a stop at Village Burger. Just outside Hilo, we made a stop at one of those "old familiar places", Akaka Falls State Park….which actually has two waterfalls; the smaller Kahuna Falls….and the "Big Kahuna", Akaka Falls.

The trail here is really easy, about a half mile total and was a good opportunity for the Missus and I to get out and stretch our legs.

Not much has changed here….except there's now a $5 parking fee.

There's something about bamboo that cools me and gives me that relaxed "aaaahhh" feeling.

Before heading to our hotel, we drove into Hilo, near the airport and hit up Big Island Candies.

I've often recommended visiting Big Island Candies when in Hilo, but always add on…."make sure to bring money." They'll start serving you samples from the time you walk in the door, don't be surprised if you've done the ol' credit card damage before leaving. I was surprised not to see a tour bus or two in the parking lot while we were there.

Instead of staying around Banyan Drive, we opted for the Dolphin Bay Hotel, in a semi-residential area, right across the Wailuku River from downtown Hilo. The place reminded me of those 60's-70's apartments I grew up in. No A/C, but there was a kitchenette….so we decided, as we often do, to self cater.

I'm lucky enough to remember the fish auction at Suisan, long gone now. Suisan is still the major food and seafood distributor on the island and of course the shop on Lihiwai Street is still open for business.

The Missus was shocked when She asked for samples they'd give Her a couple of pieces of fish to try. I was surprised at the quality of fish for the price.

We ended up buying some "stuffs" for dinner.

If you're staying on Banyan Drive, Lihiwai street is close by.

It also seems that if you buy fish from Suisan, you can take it to the shop next door and they'll fry it up for you.

Suisan Company Limited
93 Lihiwai St
Hilo, HI 96720

We were happy to arrive on Saturday, because Suisan, like most of the other shops in Hilo is closed on Sunday…….we often joke that everyday feels like Sunday in Hilo, so Sunday feels like Christmas Day without the festivities!

We wanted to hit up one of our favorite places in Hilo, the Hilo Farmer's Market. We'd be leaving early the next morning, so even though the place was winding down, we wanted to see if things were as we remembered.

Even though the Farmer's Market runs 7 days a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the busiest, with the most vendors. You can get everything from rambutan to musubis here. The Missus loves the papaya from the market.

Located on the corner of Kamehameha Avenue and Mamo Street, you really shouldn't miss it if you're in Hilo.

Hours:

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sunday 7am – 4pm

Wed and Sat 6am – 4pm

It really seemed like Hilo hadn't changed much……. After driving back to the hotel, the Missus decided on going for a walk….a loooong walk. We'd pretty much seen most of Hilo during our previous visits, so I thought why not.? We walked from the hotel right off of Puueo Street onto Kamehameha Avenue, drifting in and out of businesses, finally stopping on Bishop Street….here you can see a bridge over the Wailoa River.

It hard to believe that this area was once Shinmachi "New Town", a "thriving community" which was wiped out in the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960. If you ever have the chance, check out the small, but interesting Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo.

It was getting a bit sticky out and we headed back….stopping at KTA to refresh ourselves in the A/C and pick up some liquid refreshment. Dinner itself was quite satisfying, all the great veggies and the saussicon we bought at the Keauhou Farmer;s Market.

Because we had samples of the poke from Suisan, we knew we'd enjoy it. Though there seemed to be a lot of "sauce", the two poke we had weren't salty. The Missus preferred the wasabi poke.

There was just enough wasabi in this with a touch of sweetness.

The furikake poke was also good, though not quite as good as the wasabi version.

We both really took to something they called "Hawaiian Candy" at Suisan. It's very crisp, dried fish….crunchy like candy, salty like dried fish, it has an addictive quality that we both enjoyed.

Since this doesn't need refrigeration it lasts and we snacked on it during the rest of our trip. Good stuff!

We had tried the Mehana Red Ale earlier in the trip, so we opted for the Pale Ale, which turned out to be a bit too "hoppy" for the Missus. I still enjoyed it though. I would have enjoyed visiting the brewery, but we were in Hilo outside of their hours…..we'll get that in next time.

Of course, we had to have some boiled peanuts which the Missus just couldn't get enough of. I think She would be perfectly happy if all we ate was poke and boiled peanuts the entire time we were home.

We also finished up the tamarillos…..

Because we'd be getting an early start the next morning, we crashed early….but man, those coqui frogs, an invasive species of tiny, quarter sized frogs from Puerto Rico which make a very loud "KOOO-KEEE" sound kept me awake. I don't recall it being this bad before. Yikes! Oh well, we were on vacation, so what a couple of million frogs mating outside our window, right? Perhaps things had changed in Hilo since our last visit after all…….

Kailua-Kona: Costco, Da Poke Shack, and KTA Keauhou – The Big Island

December 16, 2012 mmm-yoso Hawai'i - The Big Island, Poke

Even though we'd eaten and done the coffee tour thing, it was still pretty early. So I decided to head over to what I'd recommend for a quick first stop in Kona….it's close to the airport, you can stock up on water if you're staying for more than 3-4 days….Costco….yep, Costco. My friends know how much I dread going to Costco, the crowds, the insanity….but here I was going of my own accord. This being the Big Island, meant that Costco might have some interesting items…..

Like poke……

Rambutan seems to be much more popular than I recall……though I hadn't been to the Big Island in almost a decade. They even sell it at Costco.

It was great to see local products being sold at Costco. You can even get local poi!

Or even Hamakua Mushrooms……

And what other Costco has its own Guard-Rooster??? Pretty aggressive little fella'. Make sure you don't take his "reserved space"!

We then headed off back to Kona and was able to check in at the King Kamehameha….which was a good choice for us. Nothing fancy but the location, at the top of Ali'i Drive worked for us. The interior of the hotel is much nicer than the exterior which looked a bit dated. The staff was also very nice, especially the parking lot ladies who always smiled and waved us and in and out.

That taken care of…..means it was time for lunch, right? We headed up Palani Drive to Kuakini Highway, then back down to Ali'i Drive and a small shop called Da' Poke Shack.

The little shop with a couple of parking spots and tables outside has about a dozen varieties of poke…which you can get a la carte as a bowl or as a plate (with two sides)…..though the plate seemed a bit steep at $20, we decided that it was something we could share as a rather light lunch.

I ordered the "Shack Special" which was a mildly sweet furikake poke and the "Wet Hawaiian" which was some kind of award winning version of poke….brown rice with kimchi and seaweed salad as our sides.

The portion sizes of the fish seemed to hover around 4-5 ounces. They told me, this was ahi……it seemed like tombo ahi – albacore, or even A'u as the fish seemed a bit mushy. Regardless, it was fresh, the flavors not too bad, maybe a bit on the salty side.

We shared our table with this momona (chubby) dove, who has obviously been eating well.

Not the best poke I've had, kind of pricey, but probably the best in the area.

Da Poke Shack
76-6246 Alii Dr
Kailua, HI 96740

Open Daily: 10am – 6pm

We then attended to the next task at hand…..trying to figure out what was for dinner! Since the room had a decent mini-fridge, we decided to check out KTA in Keauhou, which we recalled as being pretty decent. We did make a couple of purchases and headed back to our room with a self-catered meal on hand.

After freshening up, we took a nice stroll up Ali'i Drive a bit….which basically looked the same, except for the lack of tourists. We watched the sunset from the back of the Kona Inn…….which never, ever, gets old.

We then walked up a bit further, cut over to Kuakini Highway and made our way back to our room……..and dinner, which was pretty simple. The Missus loves boiled peanuts.

And smoked ahi…….

I really enjoyed the local grass fed pipikaula poke, which I thought was really tasty….didn't like the look of the poke on sale, and frankly, if you don't have a fish counter, I ain't going to buy it.

The pipikaula had a nice chew and the flavor was nice and beefy; this wasn't too salty and was really enjoyable. Totally dinner on the hotel lanai food….and just like old times…….

We enjoyed the pupus with some Mehana Beer, which even the Missus enjoyed. We had decided to boycott Kona Brewing Company. The brewery and restaurant were mere yards from our hotel. However, when we walked over just to find out about the tours, the Hostess/Server was really very rude and condescending……so was another Server I asked. So no more Kona Brewing Company for us……

We got to sleep early….we'd be heading out to Hilo side in the morning.

Honolulu: Whole Foods Kahala, Ono Seafood, Tamura’s Kaimuki, Take’s Fish Market, Mini-Garden, and dinner

December 9, 2012 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Oahu, Plate Lunch, Poke

I won't go into great detail about planning or trip; you can read a bit more in my previous post.

During my last trip, I noticed a lot of construction was taking place on a huge lot on Keaunui Drive. My in-laws live about a ten minute walk away. On this trip we saw that one of the "mega-Safeways" had opened on the property. I thought this was great, with more choices, and maybe with a better fish department than the nearby Foodland. Unfortunately, like Foodland, this place serves up carbon monoxide treated ahi….bummer. I guess we'll stick with Tanioka's. We were pretty much pooped and didn't do much the first evening.

But we headed out early the next morning. In all honesty, I'm not the biggest fan of Whole Foods. I did however, relish the opportunity to check out the Kahala location. I wanted the Missus to have a chance to grab some local produce. I was pleasantly surprised to see a really impressive looking food bar area……

This used to be the location of Star Market in Kahala Mall, which sadly closed in 2007.

It didn't seem like we'd have any time to visit a farmer's market on Oahu, so this seemed a decent option. Of course, driving from Ewa Beach on a week day morning wasn't exactly the most wonderful thing in the world….

This was of course, Whole Foods, and the pricing reflected that. I'm not a big fan of the prepared and hot foods, many of which I find on the bland side. But the choice of all the local vegetables was very nice. The Missus and I had sort of a breakfast with stuff like Sumida Farms watercress and Ho Farms Tomatoes.

The Missus just loved the watercress and we bought some stuff for dinner.

Whole Foods Market
Kahala Mall Shopping Center
4211 Waialae Ave, Ste 2000
Honolulu, HI 96816

Our next stop was set to be Tamura's Kaimuki, but their poke department doesn't open until 1030, so we decided to get something to eat. Well, we already did breakfast, so I guess we need to call this brunch?

We headed down to Ono Seafood and decided to share a poke bowl. We went with a "combo" poke bowl; for 50 cents more ($7.50), you get two different poke. The one item that I enjoy eating brown rice with is poke….the Missus loves the "brown rice revolution".

The fish here has been sparkling fresh on all our visits. The poke is not over-sauced and the texture of the fish is not compromised. The Missus really enjoyed the wasabi version of the ahi poke, while I liked the less heavily flavored "Hawaiian" style, with inamona adding a bit of nuttiness, and limu for some crunch. All the juice from the poke flavored the rice nicely, though the Missus has a bit of an issue with putting cold raw fish on top of hot rice…… I on the other hand have no such qualms……

Ono Seafood
747 Kapahulu Ave.Apt 4
Honolulu, HI 96816

We then headed back up the hill to Tamura's.

For some smoked tako, smoked fish, and some other stuff for dinner.

Tamura's Fine Wines & Liquors
3496 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

We decided to make one more eating stop….. We've done breakfast and brunch, so I guess this one is officially lunch? Anyway we headed to Mapunapuna and the former location of 99 Ranch Market. I'd always thought this was a weird location for a market and 99 Ranch Market didn't last that long. It's now a sort of food court with some shops….great for the working folks in the area. Though it still looks kind of seedy…..

**** Both Take's and Mini Garden Express have closed

I'd heard about a little place that makes a nice take-out chirashi with decent quality fish, called Take's Fish Market.

The place is run by a very nice older Japanese couple. They seem very mild mannered, even shy. I ordered the Kaisen Chirashi and was told it was going to be about 10 minutes. So while the Missus walked around I waited a while and actually saw them cut my fish fresh.

I then went for a walk and got the Missus to order something for me from another stand (see below). When I got back, my bowl was ready.

The shari (sushi rice) was prepared decently, not too sour or wet. The fish was very fresh, the hamachi impeccable. By no means is this an earth-shattering chirashi……but looking at the quality and price ($9.95), this is pretty darn good. I really can't, by any means, call this fast food. If I worked around here, I'd be having this just about every week.

Take's Fish Market
1151 Mapunapuna St
Honolulu, HI 96819

While waiting for my chirashi, the Missus and I took a walk. It was just after 11 and this place was packed.

The place was doing major business! Looking at the food the other folks were eating, I could tell….this ain't Panda Express. So I got the missus to order me something while I went back to see if my chirashi was ready.

What the missus ordered for me was the Roast Duck Pan Fried Noodles ($7.95). The Missus handed the styrofoam container over to me and I was surprised at its heft. Opening up I noticed that man, this place really packed it in.

The Missus loved the gooey sauce on the vegetables….mostly napa cabbage. There was a good amount of crisp noodles, one of my favorite thing. I found the sauce more like a fairly bland gravy which needed some flavor. The duck was super meaty and wasn't too salty, though it was on the mild side with regards to anything resembling five-spice or bean paste flavor.

Still, this is a load of food……..we had half of it left for dinner.

Mini Garden Express
1151 Mapunapuna St
Honolulu, HI 96819

Speaking of dinner……..it seemed like the Missus could not get enough watercress. We bought some Sumida Farms watercress and Ho Farms tomatoes and made a salad….and drizzled on a bit of soy and sesame oil for flavor.

Along with the stuff from Tamura's.

The smoked tako seemed a bit too sweet for our tastes.

The smoked marlin, which the Missus loved so much that I had to bring some home with me during my last trip, has somehow fallen out of favor with Her.

Turns out that the Missus prefers the stuff I now make at home. Of course it's made with Her taste preferences in mind.

The pipikaula was decent….not too tough, not overly salty.

I could eat a whole container of pickled garlic…..really.

While the Missus could do the same with tako wasabi……

While writing this I realized that we really packed it in…….though if you look through, we shared our food and never ate too much. We really enjoyed this type of "grazing"……..

We crashed fairly early, we'd bee headed to the Big Island the next day.

Thanks for reading!

We’re Back

December 6, 2012 mmm-yoso Hawai'i - The Big Island, Honolulu, Loco Mocos, Oahu, Poke, Travel

In case you've been wondering…..the Missus and I took what seemed like a really short trip, it seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. We were getting a bit stale, so it was time for us to do something. I know I already went home once this year, but we decided to take that trip.

We ended up spending only a couple of days on Oahu and the rest on the Big Island. I've been there at least a dozen times and the Missus about 5 or 6. We had friends who lived in Hilo for a while. But hadn't been back in over ten years and were wondering if things had changed much.

Since we'd been there so many times, we've done all the sight seeing stuff, so we just kind of just wanted to drive around and enjoy….to the tune of 600 miles in four days! So even though we've been here many times before, you can be sure that we'll be at least showing a couple of great sunsets…..

Maybe throw in a waterfall…..

And being on the Big Island, you know we've got to visit here…..

Of course there will be lots of poke….which the Missus just can't get enough of…..

Or even this….a bargain at $9.95:

The Missus really appreciated the local produce on this trip and took full advantage.

Though that doesn't mean I cut this out of my diet…….

We also had a chance to visit a couple of real "old time" favorites on the Big Island, places that are etched into the locals minds. These places have been serving up the same fare for decades and have a place in the history of the Big Island.

From the very "Local-Japanese"……

To a pork chop that was probably cooked in a cast iron pan several decades older than I am…….

It was all good.

Even the Hamakua Mushroom Burger……..really!

We didn't have much time on Oahu, literally two nights total, but managed to enjoy ourselves……

So let me regroup and recover and we'll be back with a post!

Hopefully, before pigs fly……..

Thanks for reading!

Recently Consumed…….

October 2, 2012 mmm-yoso Cooking, Poke

I haven't done one of these in a while….so why not? Here's some stuff I recently made….well maybe not so recently. FOY (friends of yoso) Mr and MrsZ gave us a bunch of produce from their garden….the Missus just loved the tomatoes, which lasted exactly two days. Day one was a nice salad with cucumbers, etc……

Thanks so much! We appreciate your thoughfulness!

JohnL gave me some limu (thanks John!) from the farmer's market and I was happy to see some decent maguro at Marukai here in San Diego for a change. Of course, the Missus wanted the Spicy Tuna Poke, so I made poke two ways….

The Missus is still enjoying smoked salmon……

and in what has become a bit of a disturbing trend has started to text me photos of Her breakfasts!!!

It's been really hot the last couple of days….so I've been going to my old standby……hiyayakko tofu.

Well, that's it for today!

What have you been eating?

Honolulu: Fresh Catch, Tamura’s Kaimuki, and Ono Seafood

August 23, 2012 mmm-yoso Hawaiian Food, Honolulu, Oahu, Poke, Travel

During the last trip, I made a couple of stops at various places. I wanted the D's to have a taste of local food. In addition, the Missus wanted me to bring home some smoked fish and tako….so I had to do some sampling, right?

Fresh Catch:

Right across from W&M Burgers, this place used to be a Pizza Hut, back in the day….I'm wracking my brain trying to remember what it was before. Anyway, now there's a friendly looking tako on the front.

So of course, I got some smoked tako……the version here was interesting, it was slathered in mayo. I also got some seaweed salad. I noticed that folks from China really love the seaweed salad. It's not a big deal, for me, but heck, if they like it…..

There was something about the smoked tako MrD really liked….I tried to explain to him it was the mayonnaise, but my FIL said there's no Chinese word for it! So did the Missus….so I guess it need to go down in history as the really great tasting stuff that shall remain nameless? Not my favorite version, but it was interesting to try.

Fresh Catch
3109 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816

Tamura's Kaimuki:

The more I visit this place, the more I like it. I actually used to service Tamura's in Waianae a lifetime ago.

We actually stopped by back in 2010, but I guess I never did a post on that one. Anyway, I thought the smoked marlin here was pretty good, so this was pretty much my first choice for a tasting.

Geeez Louise….is that price for Pulehu Tako for real?? It's more expensive than prime beef!

Anyways, I got a trio for tasting. The D's were kind of wary of this stuff….until I told them the pipikaula was "Niu Rou". They ended up enjoying that the best.

My FIL loves smoked food. Both of us thought the marlin was much better than the swordfish…..more flavor, more moist, better texture.

The only thing the swordfish had going for it was that it held together better.

So this was one of my stops on the way to the airport. I bought the Missus a pound of marlin. During that stop I noticed the display on my right….which will probably make my San Diego craft beer buddies smile.

Tamura's Fine Wines & Liquors
3496 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

Ono Seafood:

One of my other stops on the way to the airport was at Ono Seafood, which I've posted on before.

I grabbed a couple of bags of smoked tako for the Missus. Unfortunately, the poke bowl will just have to wait for a future trip. Plus, it'll be more fun eaqting this stuff with the Missus.

Ono Seafood
747 Kapahulu Ave.Apt 4
Honolulu, HI 96816

Spicy Tuna Poke

July 7, 2012 mmm-yoso Cooking, Poke, Recipes

I'm feeling quite sheepish as I type up this post……..you see I'm not a big fan of spicy tuna rolls. In fact, if you do a search on "Spicy Tuna Roll" on this blog, I don't think you'll come up with much. And yet, on our last trip home, the Missus really enjoyed the spicy ahi poke from Lana'i Ohana Poke Market and She asked me to make it. What could I do?

I felt kinda bad using such good quality maguro for this, but it's what She wanted. I also warned Her that mayonnaise is a key ingredient, the Missus claims a total aversion to it, but I've always thought She was closet mayo lover and this proves me right again. Anyway, I saw spicy poke everywhere on my last couple of trips home.

This one is easy…..the spicy tuna thing is very basic stuff. You could add something like Mad Dog Habanero Extract and really do some damage. Perhaps after finding out how easy it really is, you'll just make the stuff at home and eat the good stuff when you get sushi.

I'm really not sure what the Missus will want next.

Spicy Tuna Poke:

1/2 lb diced ahi or maguro
3-4 tb minced red or sweet onion
2 stalks scallions minced – green parts only
2 tb tobiko (flying fish roe) plus more for use as a topping
1/3 cup mayo (Hellmans or Best Foods)
2-3 tb shoyu
3-4 tb Sriracha (or more to taste)
ground chilies to taste
1 tsp sesame oil

– Combine mayo, shoyu, sriracha, and ground chilies
– Gently mix together tuna, onions, and green onions
– Add mayo mixture and tobiko, mix gently
– Add sesame oil, taste an adjust flavoring

As you can tell, I had some fun with my food and plated on a bed of finely diced cucumber. I used a Spam musubi mold to get the shape.

I made some typical shoyu poke for me. While the spicy tuna was a rectangle on a round plate….I did a circle on a rectangular plate……..

Jus' fo' fun…you know?

Hawaii: Poke Paradise – Poke Stop, Alicia’s Market, Tanioka’s Seafood and Catering, Ono Seafood, and Lana’i Ohana Poke Market

December 6, 2011 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Lanai, Oahu, Plate Lunch, Poke, Seafood, Travel

Even though our trip was a mere ten days, we made sure to get in as much Poke as possible. The Missus, who by now is a full fledged poke-phile and I would often discuss the merits of the poke we ate during our trip. We tried five different shops during our stay and here's the consensus, in reverse order of our favorites. I think our favorite will be a bit of a surprise.

#5 – Poke Stop

On our previous trip I had the pleasure of chatting with a former coworker of my MIL and lifetime Leeward resident Melissa, whom I also had a great time sharing dinner with on her subsequent trip to San Diego. It was really great getting her feedback on a number of places in the Ewa/Waipahu area.Poke Stop was one of the really hyped up places, but Melissa told me that the poke was very salty and perhaps not her favorite, so we passed. On this visit, the Missus and I stopped by the little shop for a light lunch. We enjoyed the "trio" of cooked items which I'll post on later, but unfortunately, the poke here was our least favorite, that's not to say it was bad, but someone had to be numba five. The shop is rather small and the choices rather limited, some of which looked like it had been sitting around for a while, but we ended up getting two different poke along with our plate lunch, a Primo, and headed outside to one of the tables overlooking Farrington Highway.

The two poke were totally at different ends of the spectrum…..

The Sesame Ahi Poke, really didn't look much like what I usually consider to be Ahi (Big Eye or Yellowfin Tuna) at all as it was really pale in color…it was almost like Tombo Ahi, aka Albacore.

But Tombo tends to be kinda mushy and this was firm, so I'm not sure. Overall, this was really bland and the fish, though firm didn't have the richness nor oil content to carry the poke on its own. You could barely make out a whiff of sesame oil on this.

At the other end, the Kimchi Tako Poke was super salty.

The Tako (octopus) was prepared well, chewy, but not too tough. It was just much too salty. We did like the service here; the older woman and her younger counterpart were very friendly. When we said we'd be eating at the tables outside, they told us to go ahead and have a seat and brought our food to us.

Poke Stop
94 -050 Farrington Hwy, E4
Waipahu, HI 96797

#4 – Alicia's Market

This little market on Mokauea in Kalihi is known for sparse parking and great poke and roast pork.

I was really lucky, as I was driving up a car left one of the maybe ten stalls in front of the market (and drive in next door), talk about good luck!

This being a football Saturday the place was packed.

You get into one of the free-form pseudo lines and when you think you're next you tell one of the folks behind the counter what you want….and there's no need for long explanations like "one pound of spicy masago ahi poke" as simple "half spicy masago" will do. If you don't notice when it's your turn one of the other customers will likely let you know…after all, this is Hawaii, and "you no cut in line" here. On busy days you can just pay cash at the fish counter, bypassing the single cash register in the front. It just works better that way.

Of the three we bought on this day, my favorite was the Sweet Onion Ahi, which seemed very fresh, with just enough saltiness for my taste. The onions were indeed "almost Maui" in sweetness.

The Spicy Ahi had too much mayonnaise for the Missus and I, though my MIL enjoyed it.

This one also got on the bad side of the Missus…more on that later on.

There was a lot of "suji"(tough tendon/fishing line like tissue) in the Spicy Masago Ahi Poke. You really couldn't tell by looking at it. It seems like they used the cuts with the most tough connective tissue hiding under all that masago.

Did you notice the banner for Alicia's read "Broke the Mouth"? Well the spicy poke almost broke the Missus' teeth…twice She pulled bones from the poke. I chewed on a couple of scales in the masago poke, which made it not only too tough, but also scaly as well.

Not much else to say…….

Alicia's Market
267 Mokauea St
Honolulu, HI 96819

#3 – Tanioka's Seafood and Catering

We dropped by twice….once right after getting off the plane and once I braved the Saturday line out the door and down the sidewalk. The Missus and I were looking forward to the poke from Tanioka's since our previous visit.

On both visits we were lucky as the Ahi Limu was brought out fresh both times and ended up being my favorite.

It was quite good both times, nice balance of flavor, fresh fish, everything you need…..

For some reason, I found the dried aku poke much too salty this time around.

While the Pipikaula (dried beef) Poke seemed much too tame and mild.

The main reason for the revisit is that the Missus' cousins love Ocean/Seaweed Salad, something I find kinda, well, mundane….but I was told that this stuff is really expensive in China.

They could eat this by the pound….but didn't care much for poke, or poi for that matter.

The lines were long, but moves fast. The security guard who doubles as a doorman to handle the weekend crowd is very nice as well.

Tanioka's did come up numba' one on another list, stay tuned for that post.

Tanioka's Seafoods & Catering
94-903 Farrington Hwy
Waipahu, HI 96797

#2 – Ono Seafood

This one is located in my old stomping grounds; Kapahulu. It's actually in what I believe used to be the manager's studio/office for this apartment complex, apartment numba' 4. Just look for the blue apartment…..

The poke here is a couple of dollars cheaper a pound and some of the items they make up fresh for each order. The interior is tiny. This being a two person operation means that you don't move along quite as fast.

The poke here is fresh and unfettered from too many sauces and salt.

The Missus enjoyed the Wasabi Ahi:

The fish was wonderful, bright in color and with a firmness at first bite which gave way to an almost melt in the mouth texture. I did feel that it was made a bit too much restraint with regards to the "whisper of wasabi".

I enjoyed the simple Ahi Limu, except that I found the limu to be really hard.

Other then that, I thought the flavor was really balanced.

We saved the Smoked Tako for my FIL, who loves the stuff.

If I had my druthers, I might have put Tanioka's number two since I thought eating the poke at Diamond Head Look-out affected our opinions a bit.

Still, the Missus wants to make sure to revisit Ono Seafood on our next trip.

Ono Seafood
747 Kapahulu Ave.Apt 4
Honolulu, HI 96816

#1 Lana'i Ohana Poke Market

**** Sadly, Lana'i Ohana Poke Market has closed

This one was a nice surprise for us. I'd heard that there was a nice little poke shop on Gay street right off of 8th. Unfortunately we arrived on a Wednesday when it was closed. I returned the next day……

The little shop was pretty busy when I arrived….three fire fighters and probably half of the police force (two officers) were either eating or waiting for their food. The woman working the front counter was really nice. I found out that even though there's a 5pm closing time posted, they make one pan of everything a day and once that's gone it's pau hana time.

The Missus has been eating a lot of brown rice recently, and has been overjoyed to see that many Honolulu restaurant are now serving brown rice as an option. I really didn't think the brown rice movement had made it to Lana'i, but I was wrong. When I hesitantly asked the woman if they served brown rice in their poke bowls she said "of course we do". Ha….teach me a lesson…..

The Missus absolutely loved the Spicy Poke bowl with brown rice.

Not overdressed, this had a mild kick, the fish really stood out. This was Her favorite until…..

She sampled the furikake-masago ahi poke.

Put together with a restrained hand, you could make out the flavor of the furikake without it overpowering the poke. The masago added a nice crunch to everything.

Still, my favorite was the shoyu poke.

Again, the flavor didn't take over the poke. I believe there was even oyster sauce in this adding a touch of extra savory flavor. I'm not a big fan of oyster sauce in my poke since it takes over the dish, but here it was used in just the right amount. There was even a slight sweetness to the whole thing as well. The fish literally sparkled……

Much like Ono Seafood, perhaps eating our poke at lovely Hulopo'e Beach might have something to do with our enjoyment.

This was taken at about noon………the Missus and I would joke about over-crowding when there were more then ten people on the beach.

Doesn't this look like the perfect place for one of those Corona Beer commercials?

And the view when you turn around ain't so bad either…….

We actually caught the shuttle back to Lana'i City a bit early to see if we could grab some poke to stick in the fridge for dinner. Unfortunately, they had run out of poke before we returned at two pm. You can't win them all……

Lana'i 'Ohana Poke Market
834 A Gay St
Lanai City, HI 96763

Never would I have thought that'd we'd find poke this good on Lana'i.

OK, I'm getting close to the 1700 word mark, time for bed.

Thanks for reading….I gotta go check my blood mercury levels!