Poké is known to be a dish deeply rooted in the Hawaiian tradition, as the ancient Hawaiians, the Polynesians, prepared cut reef fishes marinated with salt, seaweed and kukui nuts. Later, the taste changed as more immigrants made it onto the islands, notably the Japanese and Chinese who introduced soy sauce and sesame oil to the cuisine. The Hawaiian local cuisine is a perfect marinade of all the cultures that made the people of these islands – deeply diverse but somehow perfectly blended together.
Poké (pronounced as poh-kay) these days can be prepared with many types of proteins and vegetables, most commonly ahi. Vegetables are mostly added sparingly where you will see seaweeds, white onions, scallions or jalapeños as popular additions for the crunch. The level of seasonings can widely vary depending on the shops, as some places prepare the fish with minimal seasoning (most commonly found with Japanese fishermen/restaurants) to let the fresh fish shine, or extremely flavorful sauces (usually a beautiful blend of sweetness from sugar, saltiness from soy sauce, a kick from wasabi) that elevates the dish with the piping hot sushi rice.
A trip to Hawaii is not complete without visiting at least 2 different places for poké, it’s the flavour of the ocean! Below is a curated list of our most favourite poké shops in Maui:
South Maui Fish Co. (Kihei)
We’ve sampled a lot of poké on the island, at varying price points, and this red food truck in an obscure plaza in Kihei (Aloha Market Place), is the one option we keep coming back for. First of all, please note the opening hours of this shop: lunch hours from 11:30-2:30pm Mon-Sat, and updated! Dinner hours 5-8pm Wed-Sat. But don’t be fooled, go early or risk going home empty handed.
The owners here are fishermen at heart; they supply their own fish, and they know damn well how to best cook and prepare it. The catch? The limited quantity of fresh fish, which results in sell-outs sooner than later during the day.
Options are simple here: 2 flavors (traditional shoyu and spicy aioli), 2 sizes (bowl with 1/2 lb poké and slaw, or bento with 1/3 lb poké with a side). They also serve tacos and grilled fish (never got to try, because the poké is serious business here!). If you have the time and space, I’d recommend you also buy the fresh fish they have, and grill it yourself at home.
A bowl would honestly suffice for lunch for 2 here, with the large portion sizes. We made a mistake ordering two bowls for 2 people the first time, and we both struggled to finish our own portions. Instead of over-ordering on the poké department, I’d recommend ordering 1 bowl for two, and tacos (or) any special they have (especially if it’s their Smoked Tuna Dip!). The bowl automatically comes with the pineapple slaw, which is the best side dish to any well-balanced poké on this island. The slaw is really the winning cherry on top (and mind you, the Maraschino cherries, not some cheap, artificial red candied cherries). South Maui’s slaw consists of thinly sliced cabbage, with small chunks of pineapples, dressed in a light mixture of mayo and lime, with some dried coconut and pine nuts. The tanginess and sweetness of the Maui Gold pineapple perfectly complements the saltiness, creamy and spiciness of the ahi.
Oh yes, the fish, the true star of the show. It’s prepared simply because it’s the freshest poké, well-seasoned, but not overpowering. Both of the flavors are fantastic: the traditional shoyu is my favorite, simple coating of flavor with sliced onions that just melt in your mouth. The creaminess of the spicy aioli, with sliced jalapenos adding a layer of complexity, offers the nice kick to bring the ahi to a new level. Be ready to go more than once during your trip!
Foodland
Foodland, as mentioned in our previous article, is one of the few local grocery supermarkets in Hawaii. Every Foodland has a deli counter where they offer surprisingly super good poké, and is the signature go-to among locals. The fish here is from previously frozen fish, but packs tremendous flavor. Foodland poké is friendly to the wallet, where fish runs from $11.99 to $15.99 per lb, and cooked seafood from $15.99 and above. You purchase this by weight, and can buy it a la carte or with rice.
There’s a myriad of protein options in the Foodland selection, from octopus, shrimp, clams, crabs, mussels, snails, scallops, etc. For non-seafood options, they have imitation crab sticks, seaweed, cucumbers, whole garlic, etc.
In a pre-COVID world, Foodland encouraged you to sample any flavor you wanted. It’s like an ice cream shop! Our favorites are the classic ahi flavors such as the Spicy Aioli, Shoyu, and California Roll (like the Hawaiian style, with added avocados). For non-fish, our favorite is the kimchi tako, while the staff swears by the kimchi shrimp. While all the poké choices here are solid, Foodland definitely skews heavy on the seasoning side so everything’s a bit more salty. For lighter choices, go for the shoyu or traditional Hawaiian with Limu.
Tinroof (Specials on Saturdays only)
Tinroof is no stranger to the local Maui food scene if you’ve done enough research, or been a frequent visitor. The place boasts about 1,500+ reviews on Google Maps, and Chef Sheldon Simeon has earned himself a solid reputation in the local (and national) culinary world. That $9-mochiko-chicken is still in the top 5 must-eats in Maui, but let’s reserve that for another post.
Everyday, Tinroof has a special item (out of their regular menu). You can spot this on their Instagram updates, or surprise yourself during the visit. Saturday will have 2 special items, one of which will always be the Spicy Ahi Poké Bowl that will set you back at $20. It seems to be a simple dish, so we honestly didn’t order it until we have tried out everything else, and oh boy, we wish we did earlier! Ahi was super fresh, and extremely well-seasoned. The seasoning level is definitely something of a personal preference here, but we thought it was just enough to let the fish shine, but not too much to become an overly sauced mess. The spiciness level was just right to marry the creaminess of the japanese mayo, the slightly smoky taste of tobiko and the crunchy sweetness in the japanese rice crackers really added depth and contrast to the soft ahi. Overall, a very well-balanced dish that will make you not regret the $20 you shelled out (that is if you can overlook the mochiko chicken!)
Costco
Say what??? Yes, you heard it right, Costco made our top list, because literally everything here is on point (speaking like a true Costco fan). Costco Maui offers extremely fresh poké, made with ahi or ikura. This is made daily in Oahu and flown over to Kahului! The price is not cheap ($19-$21/lb), but you are definitely paying for the quality of the fish and ingredients, as the poké is made from fresh fish (not previously frozen fish). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with poké made from previously frozen fish, but the texture of fresh fish is just a tad softer, with absolutely zero fishy smell, so even with a light amount of seasoning, the fish quality shines through.
There are only a few flavors: shoyu wasabi and spicy aioli, and everything comes pre-packed. Each portion can serve for a 2-person dinner, but hey in a true Costco supersized fashion, that totally sounds like a normal size to me!
In terms of seasoning and flavor, Costco’s is definitely on the lighter side to let the fresh fish shine through. If you see it on display, I’d suggest consuming it within a day or two for the best quality. They also have pre-sliced sashimi, which is great as well. Pair with the Hawaiian seaweed salad for a balanced, delicious meal!
Like Poké…?
Located across from Costco in the eponymously named “Costco Food Trucks” area is Like Poké, a staple among locals for their huge portions of heaping, fresh fish. They offer four distinct flavors: Shoyu Ginger (sweet style); Shoyu Wasabi (sweet style with a kick); Spicy (creamy sriracha style); and Hawaiian (traditional, savory salty style). Their poke bowls include a half pound of fish, served on a bed of greens with two scoops of rice – absolutely massive! These were priced at $15-$16 previously, but with higher fish prices for fresh fish hitting the island, are set to market prices now which is about ~$20. Still an excellent value for the portions you are getting.
Compared to South Maui Fish Co, Like Poké assaults the senses with their flavoring. For their shoyu dishes, the fish is bathed in their signature sauce, where each bite of the tender fish is enveloped with the heavy, thick sweetness and umami flavors. We’re also big fans of their spicy flavor, where they aren’t shy about the amount of creamy sriracha that they soak their fish in. For us, we’d skip the Hawaiian: it’s a tad too salty for our tastes, and doesn’t have the rich flavor profiles of the shoyu and spicy.
Like Poké also has a good amount of cooked items, where some people swear by their ahi katsu and fried poké dishes. We haven’t tried them yet, mainly because their regular poké is that good.
We hope you will find your favorite poke joints on the island. Sit back, take a bite and let the ocean flavors linger in your mouth.
Wandering Maui 