I’ve seen various social media posts about Alii Fish Market and even tried a bit of their poke at a party once but never got to experience it myself. Since last week was Spring Break, I was willing to venture off campus for lunch due to decreased traffic and better parking options when I return! Alii Fish Market is located in…and correct me if I’m wrong, old stadium mall? It’s the one with Kozo Sushi, Aloha Vietnamese Foods, Golden Eagle Chinese Restaurant. It used to house Sweet Home Cafe before it closed too…oh and Tori Ton! Anyway, Alii is nowhere you would expect but it’s definitely in the same lot…just more towards the Young Street side.
Well let me just say, why did it take so long for me to come here?? Oh my gosh. How good was it? I came two days in a row lol. I first came with my co-workers and got take out for lunch. The next day I was going to have lunch with Chan in downtown and offered to do a pick-up here for him and his colleagues and they all jumped at the chance. So yeah, get ready for a long post…but man the poke here is so fresh and their prices are crazy good. Support local folks! And!! When I came the first time, it was just us in the store and the staff were so so so nice to us. The chef kept giving us suggestions and let us try the different pokes…it was really nice. And like Aunty said, being nice matters!
Clockwise from top: Spicy Creamy Garlic Ahi x2 ($10, 1/2 lb each), Smoked Shoyu Ahi x 2 ($13, 1/2 lb each), Ginger Ahi ($10, 1/2 lb), Spicy Hawaiian ($10, 1/2 lb), and Limu Ahi ($10, 1/2 lb)
Spicy Lomi Ahi (1/2 lb) | $10.00
All the pokes are good, forreal. I actually bought the spicy creamy garlic ahi myself which goes very well with sushi rice (which they have!) and some Korean seasoned nori (which the chef gave us for free – he asked if we were eating now and gave it to us!). This is the spicy lomi ahi, this was very good too, my coworker was nice enough to share a taste with me. For the lomi version, they cut the ahi up more negi style, tastes great!!!
Filet A Fish Market Sandwich | $10.00
buttered bun, fresh fish katsu, takuan tartar sauce, cheddar, local tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise
I feel a bit bad because I am sharing two sandwiches which will probably not be in season when you read this. But hey, I HAD to share it. This fish sandwich was SOOO good. And I don’t know if you can tell but they give you two huge pieces of fish katsu. The takuan tartar sauce is good and different. I enjoyed it a lot! And $10?? Way worth it! If you see this on the menu and love this kind sandwich, GET IT.
Teri Ribeye Beef Sandwich | $12.00
buttered bun, cheddar, local sweet onions, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise
Here is my sandwich on day 2 lol. Again, another sandwich you probably wouldn’t get but it was DELICIOUS. I’m not usually a teri beef kind of gal because it’s usually hard to chew but I was intrigued by ribeye. Well, I was not disappointed…it was delicious! Great flavor and the buttered bun, for both, you can definitely taste the butter. $12 is a great deal too!
Truffle Cheese Fries | $7.00
Good truffle flavor but a bit too greasy and oily for my taste. The fries come with sandwiches so it’s probably not on the menu unless they carry sandwiches again! I actually got the fries with the fish sandwich so I just felt like it was too much fried food for one meal you know?
Poke Yaki Onigiri – Spicy | $5.00
I didn’t get this but all the diners who got this raved about it…and it absolutely remains crispy even though it is sitting out under a heat lamp since it’s pre-made. They have poke inside that’s cooked but remains soft and melt-your-mout kine goodness. Recommend!
Unagi Musubi with Wasabi Aioli | $5.00
This is probably one of my all time favorites. The unagi is wonderfully seasoned and soft, not bony like it can be sometimes. Works so well with the wasabi aioli. This must be a popular one because it was completely sold out when I tried to get it the second day. I highly suggest you utilize their online ordering located on their website! Highly recommended!
AFM Fish Patty Musubi | $4.00
Another favorite of mine. The name and look of it, not too impressive right? Wrong. The fish patty is nicely seasoned, a little bit sweet and the fish patty is moist! Not pressed too hard, no bony bits…and no real filler. It’s the perfect size musubi, didn’t think I would like it this much but I do! Recommended!
Smoked Fried Noodles (10 oz) | $7.00
Good fried noodles but nothing special, and no particularly strong smoked taste either. Good enough to get since I enjoy noodles but again, nothing special.
Ahi Patties | $15.00
Add Sauce | $1.50
Chan got this pack to share with everyone and I got to try a patty. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with it’s smothered in sauce right? But I suspect this is the same patty they use in the musubi so I think it would be good either way but don’t quote me on that.
I didn’t get a picture but got to try the Sesame Garlic Fried Ahi Belly, that was just okay. They bread it and fry it up and then smother it in sauce (imagine Zippy’s Korean Fried Chicken) so to me…it was just okay. The ahi was dry and a bit of a chew which I don’t equate to how belly should taste. I would pass on that one.
All in all, Alii is winnahs! I would definitely return, their hours are a bit hard for me to…10AM – 3PM everyday but Tuesdays (closed). When you’re there, make sure you check out the snacks and sides in the cases! I got a container of chili garlic peanuts which our friends seemed to enjoy a lot!
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