Nadine C.
Yelp
Local poke in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii...
When the search for poke (raw fish) began, Ryan M. suggested Tamashiro Market.
I was thinking, "Nah".
However, Ryan is correct.
Tamashiro's has authentic poke... the kind with inamona and ogo...
Without mayonnaise!!! Haha!
Tamashiro Market is an old school establishment. Before poke bowls became popular, Tamashiro's was where our parents would get poke! Haha!
Located on the corner of King Street and Palama Street, Tamashiro Market is the pink building with a gigantic red crab on the top! It's in a sketchy neighborhood, so, I drove my friend from Northern California here. I told her to not catch the bus to Tamashiro Market;
don't walk alone; and
don't go after the sun goes down!
LOL!
There's a small free parking lot. Enter from Palama Street and exit to King Street.
Inside, it's a basic grocery store with air conditioning, cement floors (wet in some places), and a fishy smell. Live lobsters and crabs, whole fish, fish fillets ready to make sashimi and poke, fresh produce, baked goods, cooking ingredients, tofu, and other items are available.
In the back, the poke selection is in the display case. The gal behind the case was so nice to my friend (Maybe because my friend was wearing a lei - signifying that she's a tourist)! My friend was given so many samples of poke - the Hawaiian style with ogo and inamona, ginger poke, crab poke, spicy poke, ahi vs. aku poke, etc.
Wow!
That's really the Aloha Spirit!
We ended up getting several varieties of poke. I enjoyed mine at home and she had hers in her hotel room!
Thanks to Tamashiro Market for a unique experience... And to Ryan M. of Yelp San Diego for the suggestion!
Note: Hawaiian style poke had a slight kick to it - must be from the chili pepper water?