Who makes the best poke bowls is always a contentious topic in Hawaiʻi. Whether you’re picking up a bowl on your lunch break or after a day at the beach, everyone has their go-to spot. Another interesting debate revolves around what to order—but we’ll save that for another time. Today, it’s all about the best […]
Raw seafood salad known as poke (pronounced poh-kay) has been around since ancient Hawaiians feasted on freshly caught fish they seasoned with seaweed, sea salt and kukui nuts. Today, poke can be found throughout the U.S., but when you’re looking for the best poke around, there’s no place like Hawaiʻi. 1. Da Poke Shack
Hawaiʻi’s culinary experts dish out their hot takes, from the nonnegotiable beach snacks, to the freshest poke and the disputed age-old question, ‘What’s your favorite Island?’ While you’ll learn what to order next at Palace Saimin, (thank you, Mark Noguchi), a hearty, family-cooked meal for these chefs appears hard to beat. Brian Hirata Brian Hirata
Early Hawaiians caught and diced fresh fish, marinating it with sea salt, limu (seaweed) and ʻinamona (roasted kukui nuts). They called the dish poke, which means to slice, or cut. As emigrants from China and Japan landed in the Islands to work on sugar plantations, they brought ingredients such as shoyu (soy sauce), sesame oil,
Poke (pronounced poh-kay) may be having a moment on the Mainland, but it’s long been part of the culinary landscape in the Islands. While the basic poke bowl is composed of cubed raw fish—usually ahi (tuna)—seaweed, sweet onions and inamona (roasted kukui, or candlenut), the dish has dramatically evolved. Ahi’s been replaced with other proteins,
