Over the years I've found that my love for cooking extends far beyond the kitchen and has taken root in other areas of my life. As a fisherman born and raised here in Hawaii I have had the privilege of catching a wide variety of tasty fish. Just like hunters who track a specific type of game, local fishermen must know where to go to catch specific types of fish. And just like hunting, fishing also has seasons allowing us only a short amount of time to catch fish that we otherwise would not be able to take home. Of course most of the time we come home empty handed which is why it is called "fishing" and not "catching".
You're probably asking yourself what I'm trying to convey at this point. My point is that when a chef looks to the source of their dish they find valuable information about what they are cooking that might have otherwise have been overlooked.
Case in point: the moana (many bar goatfish). The moana's favorite source of food is rock and sand crabs. This gives the moana a sweet crab-like taste that many local fishermen enjoy. As a chef you would want to take advantage of this knowledge. I personally would either stuff the fish with a crab mixture then bake and top with an aioli to be torched at the last minute or steam the fish and serve in a crab stock based miso soup. As a chef you want to know everything you can about your product and as a fisherman, you have a distinct advantage when it comes to seafood.
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Yesterday I decided to check back in on Fresh Catch to see what has changed.
I was relieved to find that my favorite styles of poke where still on the menu and that there were new creations that have been added to their line-up. If I were to suggest a handful of styles I would have to suggest the smoked tako, spicy hawaiian (limu ahi in spicy sauce), wasabi ahi and fireball ahi (very spicy. go with the less spicy stuff if you dont think you can handle). If you are feeling adventurous, there are a number of hard to find types of poke including korean-style top shell poke and spicy salmon depending on the day.
Although it was the poke that brought me back to Fresh Catch Kaimuki, it was the ahi katsu that will be bringing me back in the future. Although it isn't the seared sushi grade ahi katsu you might find "up the street" that will put a hole in your wallet (enough speculation on where I'm talking about) it is VERY good and is a large portion for only $10.25. The ahi katsu is topped with an aioli and a generous amount of furikake and would have to be one of the better fish dishes I have had in awhile (I've been trying to eat fish at least every other day for a month now). Now that I know that their ahi katsu is good I will have to come back to try more of their cooked menu.
For rating and full review click here.
Fresh Catch's Website.
Showing posts with label poke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poke. Show all posts
April 21, 2010
March 20, 2010
Alicia's Market
If you are anything like me, you like to have more than just chips and dip on game day (especially the Super Bowl). Just in time for March Madness, I decided to check out a lead on a market dishing out everything that I need for the big game all in one stop.
Alicia's Market looks just like your ordinary family-run neighborhood market from the outside but stepping inside you will find that it is much more -- like Alice in Wonderland, but you are in awe with the food and not talking rabbits. Located along Mokauea Street near Nimitz and Sand Island, I again set out on another long (Hawaii standards) drive for good food. A drive I will gladly take for the food at Alicia's Market.
"What constitutes bowl game food," you may ask? Being a huge football and food fan I find that the food should be on par with the game itself. This of course means all measures of local delicacies that include (but are not limited to) Char-siu, roast pork, boiled peanuts, soy beans (edamame for you non-local types), at least three types of poke (may also include sashimi), and last but not least, a giant pot of rice (and maybe a barrel of zippy's chili). Alicia's Market has all of this (minus the Zippy's chili) and much more (beer)!
One thing I suggest with places that sell roast meats here in Hawaii is that you get there early. You want your roast meats as fresh out of the kitchen as possible. The same goes for your raw fish. You want your poke and sashimi as fresh as possible. Sometimes this isn't possible if the place you are going to doesn't bring in fresh fish daily. Again, getting your fish early is your best bet. Of course the food is always better the day of the big game as places like Alicia's market need to stock up on fresh product to meet demand.
As always, I'm usually in the mood for roast pork and that day was no exception. Last Super Bowl I had the fortunate opportunity to try a few pieces of roast pork from Alicia's Market. The roast pork was very good but when I visited the place in person this past weekend the roast pork wasn't up to standards. By the time I got home I found the roast pork soaking in a puddle of oil (20 minute drive) and not as good as I had remembered it to be. None the less it was still tasty. The char-siu was much better than the roast pork and was not sitting in oil when I opened it up.
Being the type that likes to try anything at least once, I had the opportunity to try turkey tails. It was cut up sort of like how the Chinese cut up roast duck (ask for it whole). Although turkey tails are mostly fat, they are extremely flavorful and will be on my list for my next Super Bowl party.
In addition to all of this, Alicia's market also provides roast duck, chicken, and PIG!!! Yes, twice a week (from what I heard) Alicia's market roasts pigs (lechon) and will gladly provide their expert roasting services to you for a fair price if you call ahead.
After ordering all of my roast meats, I felt like a kid in a candy store. But it would just get better as I stepped a few feet to my right to the poke counter.
During the last Super Bowl I also had a chance to try Alicia's Market's masago ahi poke. I have to admit that this was some of the freshest poke that I had ever eaten. Just as the roast pork on game day was better, so was the poke. I guess you just can't beat food on game day. However I would still rank the poke as superb even though it wasn't as great this time around.
The poke counter at Alicia's Market is amazing. "Bountiful" might be the right word. If you had ever been to a Foodland poke counter, this was larger and the quality of seafood much better. What more can you ask for? How about wasabi masago ahi poke? For those of you that might prefer the regular masago ahi poke over the wasabi version, there is only a hint of wasabi and it accents the poke perfectly. But for those of you who prefer the pure taste of raw fish over poke, the sashimi at Alicia's Market is excellent as well. Alicia's Market sells pre-sliced sashimi plates (the small ones are the perfect size for a lunch or dinner).
After ordering a 1/4 pound of pretty much everything at the roast meats and poke counters, I passed by the beer section (I was too preoccupied with the food to think about beer) and passed by the front counter (you pay for the roast meats and poke in back) when I noticed one of my favorite game day snacks sitting on the counter. Boiled peanuts anyone?
Growing up I've always been a big fan of boiled peanuts. However, it seems these days there aren't as many places that still make quality boiled peanuts (I can only name a few off the top of my head) so I was pleased to find that Alicia's Market also sells boiled peanuts. I picked up a two-pound bag as well as a container of soy beans (edamame) soaking in some liquid before I headed out the door and back home. After a long meal with a few friends we popped in a movie and eventually took out the peanuts and soy beans. The peanuts (although a bit over cooked) were excellent due to the cooking liquid (probably some of the best I've had) and the marinated soy beans were great as well (marinated in a garlic-poke sauce).
In conclusion, Alicia's Market is the place to go if you are looking for that "one stop shop" for your game day food needs. Just make sure you order ahead if you have a big order and be sure to come early regardless. Trust me, it will be worth it and you will be well pleased.
Alicia's Market
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 4
Food Quality: 3.75 (better on game days)
Monetary Value: 2.75
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.5
267 Mokauea St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
808-841-1921
Alicia's Market looks just like your ordinary family-run neighborhood market from the outside but stepping inside you will find that it is much more -- like Alice in Wonderland, but you are in awe with the food and not talking rabbits. Located along Mokauea Street near Nimitz and Sand Island, I again set out on another long (Hawaii standards) drive for good food. A drive I will gladly take for the food at Alicia's Market.
"What constitutes bowl game food," you may ask? Being a huge football and food fan I find that the food should be on par with the game itself. This of course means all measures of local delicacies that include (but are not limited to) Char-siu, roast pork, boiled peanuts, soy beans (edamame for you non-local types), at least three types of poke (may also include sashimi), and last but not least, a giant pot of rice (and maybe a barrel of zippy's chili). Alicia's Market has all of this (minus the Zippy's chili) and much more (beer)!
One thing I suggest with places that sell roast meats here in Hawaii is that you get there early. You want your roast meats as fresh out of the kitchen as possible. The same goes for your raw fish. You want your poke and sashimi as fresh as possible. Sometimes this isn't possible if the place you are going to doesn't bring in fresh fish daily. Again, getting your fish early is your best bet. Of course the food is always better the day of the big game as places like Alicia's market need to stock up on fresh product to meet demand.
As always, I'm usually in the mood for roast pork and that day was no exception. Last Super Bowl I had the fortunate opportunity to try a few pieces of roast pork from Alicia's Market. The roast pork was very good but when I visited the place in person this past weekend the roast pork wasn't up to standards. By the time I got home I found the roast pork soaking in a puddle of oil (20 minute drive) and not as good as I had remembered it to be. None the less it was still tasty. The char-siu was much better than the roast pork and was not sitting in oil when I opened it up.
Being the type that likes to try anything at least once, I had the opportunity to try turkey tails. It was cut up sort of like how the Chinese cut up roast duck (ask for it whole). Although turkey tails are mostly fat, they are extremely flavorful and will be on my list for my next Super Bowl party.
In addition to all of this, Alicia's market also provides roast duck, chicken, and PIG!!! Yes, twice a week (from what I heard) Alicia's market roasts pigs (lechon) and will gladly provide their expert roasting services to you for a fair price if you call ahead.
After ordering all of my roast meats, I felt like a kid in a candy store. But it would just get better as I stepped a few feet to my right to the poke counter.
During the last Super Bowl I also had a chance to try Alicia's Market's masago ahi poke. I have to admit that this was some of the freshest poke that I had ever eaten. Just as the roast pork on game day was better, so was the poke. I guess you just can't beat food on game day. However I would still rank the poke as superb even though it wasn't as great this time around.
The poke counter at Alicia's Market is amazing. "Bountiful" might be the right word. If you had ever been to a Foodland poke counter, this was larger and the quality of seafood much better. What more can you ask for? How about wasabi masago ahi poke? For those of you that might prefer the regular masago ahi poke over the wasabi version, there is only a hint of wasabi and it accents the poke perfectly. But for those of you who prefer the pure taste of raw fish over poke, the sashimi at Alicia's Market is excellent as well. Alicia's Market sells pre-sliced sashimi plates (the small ones are the perfect size for a lunch or dinner).
After ordering a 1/4 pound of pretty much everything at the roast meats and poke counters, I passed by the beer section (I was too preoccupied with the food to think about beer) and passed by the front counter (you pay for the roast meats and poke in back) when I noticed one of my favorite game day snacks sitting on the counter. Boiled peanuts anyone?
Growing up I've always been a big fan of boiled peanuts. However, it seems these days there aren't as many places that still make quality boiled peanuts (I can only name a few off the top of my head) so I was pleased to find that Alicia's Market also sells boiled peanuts. I picked up a two-pound bag as well as a container of soy beans (edamame) soaking in some liquid before I headed out the door and back home. After a long meal with a few friends we popped in a movie and eventually took out the peanuts and soy beans. The peanuts (although a bit over cooked) were excellent due to the cooking liquid (probably some of the best I've had) and the marinated soy beans were great as well (marinated in a garlic-poke sauce).
In conclusion, Alicia's Market is the place to go if you are looking for that "one stop shop" for your game day food needs. Just make sure you order ahead if you have a big order and be sure to come early regardless. Trust me, it will be worth it and you will be well pleased.
Alicia's Market
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 4
Food Quality: 3.75 (better on game days)
Monetary Value: 2.75
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.5
267 Mokauea St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
808-841-1921
March 7, 2009
Therapy Sports Grill
Looking for a home base for March Madness or just a great brew? Therapy Sports Grill is the place to be! Located in Koko Marina Center Therapy Sports Grill is a shining jewel in today's restaurant scene. Aside from having a wide selection of on-tap beer and made-to-order drink specialties, Therapy Sports Grill really shines through its eclectic menu.
Usually when someone is trying to put together a menu they stick with one or two types of cuisines. For example an Asian themed menu with a local Californian twist or a bar featuring traditional Japanese bar food. In Therapy's case, they took this standard and threw it out the window.
Therapy's menu consists of traditional bar food, local favorites, sushi and so much more. However, what you have to keep in mind is that like most bars, food is a premium and can therefore be costly. This is common for most restaurants and especially for bars (making money off of drinks rather than food). But enough about the ins and outs of restaurant finances, lets talk food.
Sushi. Before I continue let me just say just between myself and a friend we spent $120 on this review. I'll just let you guess how much of that went into sushi. Therapy's nigiri sushi menu is quite expensive and their sashimi menu directly reflects the sushi menu as well. My suggestion is to go with the sushi moriawase large ($50.00) for two people or small ($30.00) for one person. This platter (we ordered the large) contains a variety of nigiri (two pieces each) as well as a mound of lobster salad and spicy tuna. The quality of sushi was disappointing for $50.00 (not to say that it was bad but just disappointing). I'd place the quality a little above genki sushi. Aside from the nigiri menu Therapy also features a large hand roll menu with many creative and new combinations that are worth taking a look. Aside from sushi and sashimi Therapy also offers a few selections of house-made poke.
The salads and burgers at Therapy didn't stand out much in my mind so I didn't order any of them. However the pupu's and plates section really caught my attention. We ordered hamachi kama (which took about 45 minutes to cook but was worth the wait and was served with the traditional sauces and sides), wasabi chicken (sort of like mochiko chicken with wasabi aioli. very tasty) and mushrooms with brie (a classic). Let me also mention that their garlic chicken, furikake chicken, buffalo chicken and dynamite chicken are basically the same as the wasabi chicken but with different sauces. Other dishes that caught my eye were their black bean fried rice (sounds interesting), fried pickles (love them), and their fried mac and cheese (another classic). And to top it all off, Therapy also serves a variety of donburi including maguro & natto don and spicy tuna don.
Did I mention beer? Therapy prides itself in serving not only foreign and domestic but local as well. Their cocktail menu is also filled with a variety of classic drinks. No wonder it's called Therapy Sports Grill! The mix of sports, great eclectic food and drinks combined with a relaxed atmosphere really is therapy for the mind, body, and soul all in the heart of Hawai'i Kai.
Therapy Sports Grill
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 2.75
Food Quality: 2.75
Monetary Value: 2
Quality vs Quantity: tie
Overall: 2.5
Open Daily
11 AM - 2 AM (Happy Hour: 2 PM - 6 PM [ Ain't it great when happy hour is hours long?])
7192 Kalanianaole Highway (Koko Marina Center)
Honolulu, HI 96825
808-394-8200
Note: The day that we went in to review Therapy they didn't accept credit cards. However I am assured that they do accept credit cards.
Usually when someone is trying to put together a menu they stick with one or two types of cuisines. For example an Asian themed menu with a local Californian twist or a bar featuring traditional Japanese bar food. In Therapy's case, they took this standard and threw it out the window.
Therapy's menu consists of traditional bar food, local favorites, sushi and so much more. However, what you have to keep in mind is that like most bars, food is a premium and can therefore be costly. This is common for most restaurants and especially for bars (making money off of drinks rather than food). But enough about the ins and outs of restaurant finances, lets talk food.
Sushi. Before I continue let me just say just between myself and a friend we spent $120 on this review. I'll just let you guess how much of that went into sushi. Therapy's nigiri sushi menu is quite expensive and their sashimi menu directly reflects the sushi menu as well. My suggestion is to go with the sushi moriawase large ($50.00) for two people or small ($30.00) for one person. This platter (we ordered the large) contains a variety of nigiri (two pieces each) as well as a mound of lobster salad and spicy tuna. The quality of sushi was disappointing for $50.00 (not to say that it was bad but just disappointing). I'd place the quality a little above genki sushi. Aside from the nigiri menu Therapy also features a large hand roll menu with many creative and new combinations that are worth taking a look. Aside from sushi and sashimi Therapy also offers a few selections of house-made poke.
The salads and burgers at Therapy didn't stand out much in my mind so I didn't order any of them. However the pupu's and plates section really caught my attention. We ordered hamachi kama (which took about 45 minutes to cook but was worth the wait and was served with the traditional sauces and sides), wasabi chicken (sort of like mochiko chicken with wasabi aioli. very tasty) and mushrooms with brie (a classic). Let me also mention that their garlic chicken, furikake chicken, buffalo chicken and dynamite chicken are basically the same as the wasabi chicken but with different sauces. Other dishes that caught my eye were their black bean fried rice (sounds interesting), fried pickles (love them), and their fried mac and cheese (another classic). And to top it all off, Therapy also serves a variety of donburi including maguro & natto don and spicy tuna don.
Did I mention beer? Therapy prides itself in serving not only foreign and domestic but local as well. Their cocktail menu is also filled with a variety of classic drinks. No wonder it's called Therapy Sports Grill! The mix of sports, great eclectic food and drinks combined with a relaxed atmosphere really is therapy for the mind, body, and soul all in the heart of Hawai'i Kai.
Therapy Sports Grill
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 2.75
Food Quality: 2.75
Monetary Value: 2
Quality vs Quantity: tie
Overall: 2.5
Open Daily
11 AM - 2 AM (Happy Hour: 2 PM - 6 PM [ Ain't it great when happy hour is hours long?])
7192 Kalanianaole Highway (Koko Marina Center)
Honolulu, HI 96825
808-394-8200
Note: The day that we went in to review Therapy they didn't accept credit cards. However I am assured that they do accept credit cards.
November 11, 2008
Fresh Catch Kaimuki
Fresh Catch Kaimuki
After stuffing our faces full at Genki Sushi, we drove just a few short minutes over to Fresh Catch in Kaimuki. You can easily spot Fresh Catch driving down Waialae Avenue because of their colorful blue roof and giant tako. Fresh Catch resides in what used to be a Pizza Hut establishment. As you can guess, Fresh Catch sells seafood and more importantly poke.
When you step into Fresh Catch you are transported. It is spacious with a few picnic type tables, and a long refrigerated counter. Besides poke, Fresh Catch also sells plate lunches (Beef stew, lau lau, salmon, etc.) as well as marinated meats ready for the grill. But the main attraction at Fresh Catch is the poke. So many to choose from, so little time. Fresh Catch has a number of traditional and non-traditional styles of poke.
I had been fortunate enough to have been given a $25 gift certificate from a family member so we planned on making the most of it. We ordered the traditional Shoyu poke and limu aku poke but also ordered an outrageous poke dubbed "Fireball Ahi Poke". Now Fresh Catch has a spicy ahi poke so I thought I knew what I was getting us into (i was wrong). Along with the more traditional fish pokes we also picked up a smoked tako poke and a Korean-style top shell poke. At a quarter pound each (a half pound for the shoyu poke) and an energy drink (I have a soft spot for energy drinks) our total came out to $25.24. A deal for a pound and a half of gourmet poke (and let me tell you this is gourmet!).
We bid farewell to Fresh Catch and headed back home where we would eat our delectable poke for dinner (with rice of course).
Limu Aku Poke
Shoyu Poke
Fireball Ahi Poke
Smoked Tako Poke
Korean-style Top Shell Poke
When you step into Fresh Catch you are transported. It is spacious with a few picnic type tables, and a long refrigerated counter. Besides poke, Fresh Catch also sells plate lunches (Beef stew, lau lau, salmon, etc.) as well as marinated meats ready for the grill. But the main attraction at Fresh Catch is the poke. So many to choose from, so little time. Fresh Catch has a number of traditional and non-traditional styles of poke.
I had been fortunate enough to have been given a $25 gift certificate from a family member so we planned on making the most of it. We ordered the traditional Shoyu poke and limu aku poke but also ordered an outrageous poke dubbed "Fireball Ahi Poke". Now Fresh Catch has a spicy ahi poke so I thought I knew what I was getting us into (i was wrong). Along with the more traditional fish pokes we also picked up a smoked tako poke and a Korean-style top shell poke. At a quarter pound each (a half pound for the shoyu poke) and an energy drink (I have a soft spot for energy drinks) our total came out to $25.24. A deal for a pound and a half of gourmet poke (and let me tell you this is gourmet!).
We bid farewell to Fresh Catch and headed back home where we would eat our delectable poke for dinner (with rice of course).
Limu Aku Poke
Shoyu Poke
Fireball Ahi Poke
Smoked Tako Poke
Korean-style Top Shell PokeThe first thing that I tried was the limu aku poke. It was wonderful. I would have to rate this among the best poke that I had ever eaten. I tried the shoyu poke and that was also to die for. Some places don't add enough flavor to their shoyu-style poke. This shoyu poke had just the right amount of saltiness. I was hesitant to try the fireball ahi poke so I opted to try the Korean-style top shell poke. Top shell, more commonly known as whelks, are water snails. Similar in texture to a large opihi, top shell is chewy and has that nice snail flavor. I've grown up eating top shell so it doesn't bother me at all. Next I tried the smoked tako poke. This, by far, was the best of the bunch. It was slightly spicy in a mayonnaise sauce but the best part about it was the smokey tako taste. This was good smoked tako. I would eat it by itself. But with the sauce, it was just amazing. The smoked tako poke is a must buy if you are going to Fresh Catch. At long last it was time to taste the dreaded fireball ahi poke. It tasted great. One of the best if not the best spicy ahi poke that I've ever had. There was just one problem...I was on fire. I can usually take the heat but this was just excessive. I suggest buying the spicy ahi poke unless you feel adventurous.
In the quality vs quantity battle, I feel that quality has prevailed. This was some of the highest quality poke I have ever tasted. The flavors were outstanding and the ideas were just amazing. I am certainly buying my poke for my next Super Bowl Party at Fresh Catch. In truth, I sat here looking for something bad to say about the place, but I just couldn't find anything and that is hard to come by for someone such as myself.
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 4 (very friendly counter staff)
Food Quality: 4.5
Monetary Value: 3
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.75
Contact Info:
Address: 3109 Waialae Ave.
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808-735-7653
Hours: Closed (Monday), 10AM-7PM (Tuesday-Friday), 8AM-7:30pm (Saturday), 8AM-5PM (Sunday)
In the quality vs quantity battle, I feel that quality has prevailed. This was some of the highest quality poke I have ever tasted. The flavors were outstanding and the ideas were just amazing. I am certainly buying my poke for my next Super Bowl Party at Fresh Catch. In truth, I sat here looking for something bad to say about the place, but I just couldn't find anything and that is hard to come by for someone such as myself.
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 4 (very friendly counter staff)
Food Quality: 4.5
Monetary Value: 3
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.75
Contact Info:
Address: 3109 Waialae Ave.
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808-735-7653
Hours: Closed (Monday), 10AM-7PM (Tuesday-Friday), 8AM-7:30pm (Saturday), 8AM-5PM (Sunday)
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