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Must-Try Fish Types in Hawaii
Aloha!
Recently, I'd been invited by John Kunza to contribute stories regarding food happenings on the island. John has been involved with the internet since way-back in the dot-com bubble (and burst!) days, with many successful ventures under his belt. His latest project, www.dineandcook.com, launches on Memorial Day 2010, while a sister site, www.damnfineeating.com, has also recently launched, garnering about 600,000 hits in its first month! In other words, this guy really knows what he's doing, and seems like a super-cool guy, to boot! John and I have been bouncing different ideas back and forth, and we've finally settled upon an opening page. Since DineandCook is a Mainland-based site, and the number one question I get from Mainlander's is "Where can I find good fish?" I figured a page on popular fish types on the island would probably work well. These fish varieties, such as moi, Kona Kampachi, and opakapaka, may seem elementary to us here, but remember that I'm writing to a mostly Mainland-based audience for today. Here's the submission I've sent to John. Be sure to check out his site!
Aloha!
Must-Try Fish in the Islands? No Problem!
5/17/10 - After nearly 15 years in the Honolulu, Hawaii-based Food and Visitor industry and nearly three years running my www.akueats.com food/restaurant website, I've found the number one culinary question tourists ask here, over and over again, is: "Where can I find good fish?"
Not a problem. After all, living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean does have its perks! All it takes is a simple jaunt down to the nearest grocery store, where you'll quickly discover colorful displays of tuna, marlin, moonfish, deep-water snapper, mahimahi, wahoo, sea bass, and so much more! In fact, fresh fish is so plentiful here, finding a chosen restaurant specializing in seafood is not really a necessity, as just about any quality restaurant will include world-class fish on their menus. Because there are exceedingly too many places to list as well as too many species worth mentioning, I'll expand only briefly upon some of the very best fish choices Hawaii has to offer, beginning with a chapter summary of the entire page:
Must-Try Fish Types:
1) Ahi - Freshness, versatility, and accessibility!
2) Deep-water snappers - Opakapaka (pink snapper) and onaga (long-tail ruby snapper) - Elegance embodied!
3) Moi (pacific threadfin) - Fish of Kings, literally!
4) Kona Kampachi (almaco jack) - Trademarking a fish?
5) Mahimahi (dorado, dolphin) - Since I knew you'd ask!
6) Japanese Varieties - Hon-maguro (giant bluefin tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), and butterfish (sablefish) - Not necessarily caught in Hawaiian waters nor raised through local aquaculture, but popular and excellent in the islands, nonetheless!
7) Shallow-Water Reef Fish - Small, yet highly tasty fish types of varying species.
8) A Couple of Inexpensive Spots for Great Fish!
1) Ahi - Freshness, Versatility, and Accessibility!
Perhaps the most well-known and common variety of fish in the islands, ahi can be dried, broiled, fried, steamed, sauteed, grilled, or cevichi'd with the best of 'em, but perhaps the most suitable and appropriate way of enjoying a Hawaiian ahi is as is, or completely in the raw! Ok, ok, quickly and artfully seared is fine as well, as evidenced by the beautiful, bright red centers of this panko-fried, nori-wrapped, wasabi ginger sauce'd ahi katsu, from island big-gun 3660 on the Rise:
Hawaii Regional Cuisine is a class of restaurant undoubtedly sitting at the pinnacle of Hawaii cuisine, and chef/owner Russel Siu of 3660 on the Rise was one of the original members of its very creation. To this day, he still remains as one of the most influential chefs in Hawaii, so if you're searching for an unbeatable seared ahi and then some, look no further!
We'll check-out raw sashimi ahi in the Japanese Fish section later, but for now, we'll explore another means of serving ahi, through the eyes of an iconic island dish called poke. Extremely popular and also prepared completely in the raw, poke is a uniquely Hawaiian creation that, in its most basic form, comes with fresh ahi cubes tossed in a base of shoyu, Hawaiian salt, sesame oil, onions, and green onions, give or take a pinch of inamona (ground kukui nut) or batch of shredded ogo (type of brown seaweed). Though ancient Hawaiians cooked most (but not all!) of their fish, raw has now become one of the most cherished means of preparation here, no doubt in large part due to the creation of poke in the early 70's. The whole revolution began with ahi, but now encompasses many other fish varieties, along with an unlimited number of cooked and/or uncooked items, such as tako (octopus), crab, imitation crab, squid, shrimp, fish eggs, shellfish, seaweeds, vegetables, and nuts, to name just a few! Here's a typical poke display, colorfully arrayed in all manner of forms and varieties, at Fresh Catch in Kaimuki, just a 5-minute drive from Waikiki!
Ordered by the pound, with prices ranging from $5.99 when using pre-frozen fish to $18.99 or more with premium-fresh cuts, you could possibly find as many as 5-10 varieties of ahi poke alone! The island staple is available at many different restaurants as well as just about every grocery store, but I recommend one of the local specialty poke shops, such as all of the hotspots mentioned on this page. If Japanese-style ahi doesn't suit your particular tastes, or if you're just looking for something new, there's no better way in the islands to experience raw ahi than with this signature local creation! Here are just a few types of poke you'll find:
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A shoyu-based ahi poke with lots of extra's from Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Avenue. |
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A Hawaiian salt/sesame oil-based ahi poke from Ft. Ruger Market near Diamond Head. |
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Another popular choice is a spicy ahi, from Fresh Catch, which comes with a chili/mayo mix. |
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Though ahi is the most common poke around, don't forget other great fish varieties, such as this salmon poke, from Fresh Catch. |
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2) Deep-Water Snappers: Elegance Embodied!
If it's high-end you're looking for, you simply can't go long here in the islands without discovering deep-water snappers. There are several varieties, but the two best are undoubtedly pink snapper, popularly known by its Hawaiian name opakapaka, and long-tailed ruby snapper, otherwise known by its Japanese name, onaga. For locals preparing backyard parties or get-together's, onaga are extremely popular raw, with a sweet, mild flavor and crisp texture. However, when it comes to restaurants, both varieties are more often served cooked, after which both transform into plated portions of extremely tender, exceptionally delicate, flaky-white flesh perfect for fancy French sauces and other haute accoutrements. In fact, top local chefs such as Alan Wong, George Mavrothalassitis, Yves Garnier, and others mentioned on this page will usually snap them up before most supermarkets and grocery stores can even get their hands on them! Reason enough, yes? Note: another excellent high-end choice you may wanna consider is opah, or moonfish, which possesses a fattier, richer, and some say even tastier meat.
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Bright-red onaga, shot at John Dominis Restaurant and courtesy of www.hawaiibeachcombers.com. |
Opakapaka, a true Chef's Choice here in the islands! |
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| Crispy-skin onaga, sandwiched between petite lobster and scallop at Twist Hanohano. | Opakapaka in almond buerre noisette at French/Japanese hide-away Cafe Miro. |
3) Moi - Fish of Kings, literally!
The title is actually no joke at all, as moi, or Pacific Threadfin, was so esteemed in ancient Hawaiian times that it was considered kapu for commoners to partake of, meaning, anyone caught consuming the fish, outside of royalty, was instantly put to death! Once scarce even to locals, moi is now plentiful in the islands thanks to aquaculture and its giant, cutting-edge, open-ocean fish cages housing more than 100,000 fish each! These projects now send moi all over the world, and can be readily found at supermarkets and restaurants all over the State. Check out this moi cage, courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
Unlike most high-end fish varieties in Hawaii, which are served in consumer-friendly fillets or steaks, moi are often plated whole, as they are very small and usually harvested at approximately a pound in size. Its soft, super-tender, very sweet flesh is perfect for pan-frying or baking, but are perhaps best-accentuated through what islanders call Chinese-style steaming. After a sufficient hot-vapor treatment, the fish is then plated, covered with green onions, cilantro, ginger, and shoyu, then finally, drizzled with piping-hot oil to finish. Though very simple, it is one of the best-loved means of preparing fish in Hawaii, and though Chinese steaming can be used for any type of fish, it's more common with smaller reef fish that are served whole, such as moi. Here's a closer shot at the fish of Kings!
4) Kona Kampachi - Trademarking a Fish?
Like moi, Kona Kampachi are grown in huge underwater cages hailing mostly from the deep, rich waters off the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. The interesting thing about this particular fish is that a single company, Kona Blue, has taken what is called the almaco jack, seriola rivoliana, and somehow stamped its own officially trademarked name upon it! File some papers, pay some dues, and voila, a new fish species is born! No, but seriously, a controlled environment, their feed, and the quality of water is different from their normal habitat, so I guess an entirely new name can be justified, after all!
Kona Kampachi is known for its pinkish, firm, crisp, yet highly fatty flesh. It can be cooked in any number of ways, but has been extremely popular raw here in Hawaii, usually in sushi houses and top-flight Hawaii Regional Cuisine restaurants.
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| A fresh Kona Kampachi held by popular local chef Hiroshi Fukui of Hiroshi's, from the Kona Blue site. | Kona Kampachi sashimi and sushi from the excellent website Nook and Pantry. |
5) Mahimahi - Because I knew you'd ask!
Along with ahi, mahimahi is probably the most familiar name in fish here in the islands. Long a staple but perhaps not quite as trendy nor exotic as other fish these days, mahimahi's large fillets of mild, sweet flesh will nevertheless always remain a great choice at any good restaurant on the island.
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| Fresh mahimahi at the Honolulu Fish Auction. | Mahi sandwich from trendy hang-out Stage. |
6) Japanese Varieties - Not necessarily caught nor raised in Hawaiian waters, but popular and excellent here, nonetheless!
With over 30 percent of the population in Hawaii being of Japanese descent, and with 6 to 8 million from the home-land visiting on any given year, there is surely no shortage of great Japanese food here in the islands. Without delving too deep into the vast number of different fish used in Japanese cuisine, however, I'll instead skim the surface and briefly highlight only three noteworthy types - hon-maguro (bluefin tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), and butterfish (sablefish or black cod), all staples in Japan and household names here, as well. But before getting into the three types, I promised to expand upon the uses of ahi in Japanese-style sashimi, which are caught in Hawaiian waters! Of ahi types, tombo, or albacore, is the most inexpensive and least desirable (but still very good when fresh!), while yellowfin and bigeye command higher prices, the bigeye especially prized among sushi-lovers for its spectacularly red flesh. All three sub-types, however, can be used interchangeably as ahi, and names are rarely specified, whether your ahi arrives cooked or as sushi, sashimi, and/or poke.
| Fresh yellowfin ahi, front-left, is in the lead position of a rainbow roll from sushi/izakaya restaurant Hanamaru. |  |
| A gorgeous order of big-eye ahi from 4 King's. |  |
Moving-on to the three Japanese varieties of fish not necessarily caught nor raised in the islands, the first type, hon-maguro, is without a doubt, the most expensive fish in the world for consumption. A single fish of several hundred pounds at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan can fetch anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000! Though any part of the fish is valuable, the most highly-prized cuts are from the belly section, called toro. From there, toro is further classified into chu-toro and o-toro, the latter being the most cherished and luxuriously marbled cuts on the fish. Like Kobe beef, hon-maguro o-toro will arrive more white than red, its fatty marbling providing a butter-soft, highly-exquisite, omega-3-rich slice of heaven that is easily the single-most esteemed cut in the sushi world!
| Various types and grades of hon-maguro from hide-away restaurant Hanabi. |  |
Hamachi (yellowtail) is another popular choice for sashimi, its creamy-soft cuts also coming highly-prized and similiar to that of a Kona Kampachi, only even fattier and not quite as crisp. Cooked varieties are also popular, however, and of these, there's no denying a hamachi kama, which is literally the collar, or gill area, of the fish. Formerly considered a scrap piece, looking very bony indeed, you'll be surprised at how much juicy, tender, and succulent meat there is within its bony plates. Its super-fatty pockets of flesh are easy to access, popping-out in whole, large sections with a light flip of your fork or chopsticks!
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| Grilled hamachi kama from popular sushi house Yanagi. | Inside shot revealing large sections of highly-fatty, highly-flavorful hamachi kama meat from hotspot sushi/izakaya Gaku. |
Our final Japanese-style fish listed is a butterfish, sometimes called black cod or sablefish. Once again, fattiness is of utmost importance in taste and texture, and butterfish is legendary for its fatty flesh, even when prepared from pre-frozen fish. Most commonly, butterfish is marinated in either a sweetened miso sauce or a soy sauce, then grilled, baked, or broiled to a flaky, moist, incredibly silky finish. The following dish shown, however, was deep-fried, a slightly unconventional means of preparation, then covered later in sweet miso. I recommend any type of miso-marinated variety, which can easily be accomodated at just about any good Japanese restaurant on the island. Note: Grilled saba, or mackeral, is another fish very high in fat content and popular both in Japan and here in Hawaii. It can be found at most Japanese restaurants, as well.
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| Live butterfish in its deep-water habitat. | Deep-fried miso butterfish from Kuni Restaurant. |
7) Shallow-Water Reef Fish (Small, yet highly tasty fish types of varying species)
Not saying you'll do it, however... small reef fish a pound or less in size are extremely popular amongst locals! Yeah, sure, instead of guilt-free fillets or steaks drizzled in tarragon bearnaise or truffle beurre blanc, you'll find an entire fish simmered in a hearty shoyu/sugar or simply fried in salt, pepper, and flour, complete with fins flaring, mouths gaping, and eyes bulging! Fun, fun, yes?
Though you can find whole fish at Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, and even Hawaii Regional Cuisine restaurants, they are usually of larger, meatier varieties of fish that serve several people. A whole opakapaka of two to four pounds or more, for example, is a show-stopping experience at chef Wayne Hirabayashi's Hoku's at the Kahala Hotel and Resort, but get ready to pay an arm and a leg! No, this particular section speaks to common folk like myself, in the way of smaller, palm-sized, shallow-water reef fish that locals usually either catch straight from the ocean or purchase at grocery stores or fishmarkets throughout the State. As far as restaurants go, the place to be on this particular subject is Kenny's in Kalihi. You'll find such colorful and interesting names as aholehole (silver perch), mamo (seargent major), nabeta (type of wrasse), menpachi (soldierfish), and more, all sold on a rotating basis, depending on what local fishermen catch that day. Though you'll need to watch for tiny bones and a missed scale or three, all of these individual-sized fish are extremely tender, highly flavorful, and most of all, romantically rustic and local-style, all the way!
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| Is that a bone in my teeth? Deep-fried akule (big-eyed scad) from local hangout Kenny's in Kalihi. | You lookin' at me? Aweoweo (Hawaiian bigeye) from Kenny's in Kalihi. |
A Few Inexpensive Spots for Great Fish!
Kenny's in Kalihi, as stated above, is an inexpensive option, but also an option few tourists ever tread upon, and perhaps more suited to the slightly adventerous. For those needing a tamer, more conventional approach, however, there are a couple of stand-out locales you definitely wanna know about:
Kakaako Kitchen is the creation of Chef Russel Siu of 3660, mentioned at top, where he blends quality with affordability. His tempura furikake catfish for $9 and opakapaka dore for $13 are simply amazing, so don't let the prices fool ya! Similarly-priced Nico's at Pier 38 has recently been featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and has the advantage of a location only steps away from the Honolulu Fish Auction, where chef/owner Nicolas Chaize gathers his catch daily! If you're looking for fresh, top-quality fish at extremely reasonable prices, either spot, or more accurately, both spots, are mandatory for fish lover's visiting the islands!
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| Kakaako Kitchen at Ward Center, walking distance from Waikiki! | Sit harbor-side if you want, right across from Nico's at Pier 38! |
Hey, hope you all found the page helpful! The islands do boast an over-abundance of great fish, for sure, and you will absolutely not be disappointed in any of the choices above. For more information on any restaurant or any fish type listed, please feel free to visit my site at www.akueats.com. Just write me directly through any of the comment boxes, and I'd be more than happy sharing with you all the best fish, all the best foods, and all the best restaurants the islands have to offer!
Mahalo and Aloha!
Aku
