There are loads of places to get food all across the island of O‘ahu in Hawaii. Whatever dish you fancy, you’re likely to be able to get it. One of the very popular dishes around the island is that of “poke”, which many inhabitants and tourists love to enjoy.
However, the dish has changed a lot over the years, and you can now get it with all different kinds of combinations of extras.
This, along with the range of places to buy poke from, can make it difficult to find the one for you – and leaving you asking, where can I find the best poke in O‘ahu?
Well, Spotlight Hawaii has got the answers for you! In our handy guide below, you’ll find out about the best places to buy poke in O‘ahu, along with the different types that you can get from those hot spots. Read on!
What Is Poke?
To start with, let’s establish just what exactly poke is for those who may not know about this delicious and appetizing dish. Put simply, poke is a dish of diced raw fish.
The fish has been gutted and skinned, as well as being deboned. That fish is then often served with a series of dressings, such as sea salt and seaweed. On top of those, candlenut and limu are also added to it, and sometimes soy sauce and green onions.
While these are the more traditional additions, other versions of poke include other seasonings. Some will include fresh or dried chili pepper, inamona, and wasabi.
In addition to those, some versions will even include fish eggs, or furikake – which is a mixture of fish and seaweeds. All bring new flavors to the poke, and you’re bound to find the combination that you like the best.
The Best Poke In O‘ahu
In the list below, we’re going to look at the best places in O‘ahu that you can get poke – in all its varieties!
Aloha Poke Shop
With a name that is straight to the point, you can obviously get poke at this restaurant! Offering both dine-in and takeaway, you can get a delicious version of the classic dish here.
Their poke bowls contain salmon, ahi, and hamachi – which are all types of fish, giving you a great range of seafood alone.
If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, though, or simply don’t want fish, then you can have an alternative! The restaurant does a tofu version of their poke.
On top of that, they have a salad version too, that’s packed with healthiness! Though this version still features the ahi fish, so it’s not going to be a choice for non meat eaters.
You can contact them by calling +1 808-533-7653.
Address: 1111 Bishop Street #116, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States
On top of their many other dishes, the Maguro Brothers restaurant has a great range of pokes available for you. Many of them feature the ahi fish, with loads of different variations of it.
For example, a spicy mayo ahi poke is available. If that isn’t your thing, then you can buy an ume shisho ahi, or a shoyu onion ahi poke bowl.
That isn’t to say that they only sell ahi pokes, though! A hamachi version is available, listed as the “Himachi Wasabi Yellow Tail” poke. With wasabi involved, this will be one for people who can handle their spice!
In addition to this, you can even get an octopus poke. The “Madako Limu” is bound to offer a different flavor to the other fish versions, and simply must be tried.
Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations.
Address: Waikiki Hotel, 415 Nahua Street Pearl, Honolulu, HI 96815, United States
This hot spot for poke is constantly coming up with new dishes, mixing with different varieties of poke to find the new must-eat for their customers, varying their styles and flavors.
You can get a traditional shoyu ahi poke, with ahi and soy sauce, or try one of their newer versions if you’re feeling adventurous.
On top of that, their website has loads of recipes for all different kinds of poke bowls, so you can even attempt to make your own at home. Their recipes cover anything from a roasted beet poke to poke pan sushi.
Foodland is a popular grocery store chain, so there aren’t any reservations. However, their store in Kapolei is the only one to offer an in-store restaurant, where you can reserve here. You can find the other stores here.
This O‘ahu restaurant has a variety of different types of poke available, and you can get them in a variety of servings: a regular single bowl, a super portion bowl, or even a bowl that has a combo of two different styles.
As for the poke varieties? Well, if you’re into the spicier side of things, then you can choose the spicy ahi or the wasabi ahi. On the other hand, you can get a shoyu ahi, or even a shoyu tako.
The tako is a type of octopus, which is obviously quite different to traditional ahi! For extra adventure, get a combo bowl of the two.
In addition to those, you can get the ahi or the tako in a “miso” style poke.
They don’t take reservations, but you can call them on +1 808-732-4806.
Address: 747 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816, United States
If you’re looking to try poke in a way that you’ve never had it before, then the Monkeypod Kitchen is the place for you! This restaurant serves up their poke mixture in crisp won ton shells.
Billed on the menu as “Poke Tacos”, these feature the raw ahi fish as their main. In addition to that, it’s accompanied by a mixture of ginger and cabbage, as well as shoyu and avocado cream sauce.
It all combines to make a poke flavor you’re unlikely to forget – especially when its soft texture is contrasted with the hard crunch of the won ton taco shell!
This restaurant has lots of food, as well as a tasty poke bowl. Their poke has ahi, and is served with traditional or spicy sauce. On top of that, you can add some avocado for a little extra!
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