History
Poke (Hawaiian for 'to cut crosswise') was pre-contact reef-fish scraps tossed with limu salt at the shoreline. The dish came onto the modern Hawaiian table when Foodland and Tamashiro Market in Kalihi began selling prepared shoyu-ahi poke from the 1970s. Maguro Brothers Hawaii in Chinatown's Kekaulike Market formalized the sashimi-grade fresh-from-the-Honolulu-Fish-Auction version in 2014. Foodland Farms Ala Moana now runs a 20-variation poke bar; Ono Seafood in Kapahulu sells the most-affordable two-scoop bowl in the city.
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Common allergens: Fish, Soy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g sashimi-grade yellowfin or bigeye ahi, cut in 1.5cm cubes
- 60ml shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
- 30ml toasted sesame oil
- 1 small sweet maui onion, finely diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
- 20g dried ogo (limu) seaweed, rehydrated and chopped
- Optional: 1 teaspoon crushed inamona (roasted kukui nut), or use macadamia
Method
- In a non-reactive bowl combine shoyu, sesame oil, Hawaiian salt and inamona. Stir to dissolve the salt.
- Add the diced ahi and toss gently so every cube is coated. Do not overmix; the cubes should stay distinct.
- Fold in the sweet onion, green onion and rehydrated limu. Taste and adjust shoyu or salt.
- Cover and refrigerate 10 to 20 minutes for the flavours to settle. Do not marinate longer; the fish will start to cure.
- Finish with sesame seeds at the table. Serve over rice as a bowl, or by the half-pound on its own.
Tip from the editors. Sashimi-grade fish only. If your fishmonger sells it labelled for raw consumption, you are safe; if not, freeze 24 hours at -20C first.
Where to eat poke
Poke in Honolulu
Ono Seafood ★ 4.3
Ono Seafood in Honolulu: Tourists go to Foodland for poke; locals come to this Kapahulu storefront for the sashimi-grade shoyu ahi at half the price.
Why locals goTourists go to Foodland for poke; locals come to this Kapahulu storefront for the sashimi-grade shoyu ahi at half the price.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. No inside seating; sells out by 16:00 weekends.
Maguro Brothers Hawaii Chinatown ★ 4.7
Maguro Brothers Hawaii Chinatown is a two-brother poke counter inside Kekaulike Market; the Tsuchiya brothers source from the Honolulu Fish Auction at dawn.
Why locals goThe two-brother poke counter inside Kekaulike Market sells out by 13:00 and never opens past lunch, so Waikiki visitors miss it.
TipMonday to Saturday 09:00-14:00. The Tsuchiya brothers source from the Honolulu Fish Auction at dawn.
Off the Hook Poke Market ★ 4.5
Off the Hook Poke Market is manoa valley is twenty minutes off the tourist track but uh manoa students fill the counter for the city's best two-scoop bowls.
Why locals goManoa Valley is twenty minutes off the tourist track but UH Manoa students fill the counter for the city's best two-scoop bowls.
TipClosed Sunday. Order via the website for pickup to skip the lunch queue.
Foodland Farms Ala Moana ★ 4.4
Foodland Farms Ala Moana in Honolulu is the flagship of the local grocery chain that calls itself Hawaii's Home for Poke, with a 20-variety poke bar.
TipThe Mauka Makai poke counter at the back of the store is the canonical Foodland order; bento and pipikaula at the deli.
More cities are in research. Want poke covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.