Yama's Fishmarket

For my first post, I thought I might actually take a step back from “local food,” which is influenced by Hawaiian, Asian, and American culture, and talk about only about traditional Hawaiian food. A traditional Hawaiian meal could include:

• kalua pig - shredded pork steamed in an underground rock pit called an imu
• lomi salmon- cubes of salty salmon tossed with tomatoes, green onions, and white Maui onions
• poi: mashed taro made by steaming then pounding taro into a smooth paste and mixing with water
• laulau: pork and fish steamed in banana and taro leaves
• poke: raw cubes of seasoned fish
• haupia: Coconut flavored pudding/custard dessert

And, for the freshest fish and tastiest Hawaiian food, there’s no place like Yama’s Fishmarket in Honolulu, Hawaii. The picture to the right shows a typical plate from Yamas: 1 scoop rice, lomi salmon, laulau, kalua pig, and poke. A plate like this will run you 9 bucks, and poi or haupia are available for an extra dollar as a side. But, trust me, this plate will be worth every penny because everything tastes amazingly fresh.

Yama's Fish Market
2332 Young St
Honolulu HI 96826
(808) 941-9994
www.yamasfishmarket.com

In college on the mainland, these Hawaiian foods are terribly hard to come by, so we resort to making it ourselves! Of course the fish isn’t as fresh as Yama’s, but for all locals craving a decent bite of poke, I’ll share with you my favorite way to make ahi poke:

1 lb. fresh ahi steaks, cut into cubed, bite-size pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions (tops included)
1/4 cup chopped Maui onion (or yellow onion)
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 chili pepper, cored, seeded and diced (optional)
Sea salt, to taste
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp. finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts

2 tsp. finely chopped garlic

Just mix it all together in a large bowl and ENJOY!