Thanks for the heads up. Looks good but parking is kinda a bitch. Luckily for me, mom has long banking visits at
Union Bank across the street.
No, and I have recently re-affirmed that fish king is also a poor replacement.
I haven’t tried all the places in LA proper yet, but in South OC, all the poke I’ve tried at Kawamata Seafood are mighty, mighty tasty…
2 Likes
Don’t know how legit it is but seems like North Shore Poke has your real Hawaiian seaweed @Ns1
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/north-shore-poke-co-huntington-beach?select=6Dam-XmC0C4AjT5e41O1kw
omg that 2nd pic, seaweed looks LEGIT.
@Porthos thanks for the link. Those pictures also look very legit, similar to the stuff I saw in HI. I’ll have to check it out when I’m in HB next month.
Not gonna lie, JL’s pictures of Kawamata Seafood looks like it’s the better product.
Looking forward to your side by side comparison! 
I went once based on J_L’s rec and thought it was absolutely lovely. I’ve never been to Hawaii, though…
ns1, have you weighed in on costco poke yet?
inquiring minds want to know.
thanks.
I have not but visually the chunks are way too big. def on my list though cuz QPR and all.
i await your verdict. yes, some chunks are big. clearly you are no size queen.
It is actually $18-19/lb at Costco.
1 Like
Costco poke is no bargain and it has no mana. If there is a life force in poke, their versions are semi-comatose. The stuff is mass-produced in Washington and Fedexed to the stores. One would think that being from Costco, QPR would play into the product. If you have no other decent options, I guess Costco’s will do.
thanks for the intel; that is unfortunate.
how much is it a pound in other places around l.a.?
as one point of reference, it’s $18-22 for tuna poke @ Fish King.
Pretty sure it was only $12-$14/pound for higher quality retail poke in Oahu, with a low of $6-8 at the supermarkets.
Santa Monica seafood has a pretty good version, but their prices are crazy, I want to say around $30/lbs. I got to have someone once and liked it a lot but was glad someone else was buying.
Poke-Poke in Venice, which seems pretty traditional to me but probably still not enough so for the purists, sell their “Big Poke” (16 oz) Hawaiian style (no rice) for $14. It’s pretty good pricing but a pain to get to, parking-wise.
If I remember correctly, $15-18/lb. Depends on type of fish. Ahi, albacore or shrimp. The albacore was actually preferred by most, and it was in the lower price range.
Not a big Sweetfin Poké fan either. As Haeldaur mentioned, the fish quality is good, but my portion of salmon was stingy. And overall, the poke was bland.
My favorite poke is from Ohana Poké Co. in Silver Lake - far from Santa Monica. I haven’t tried their downtown location yet. I always get their sweet unagi salmon. For your sides, you can choose either kimchi cucumbers, ponzu glass noodles, or wakame seaweed salad, which is my go-to. Their salmon is very fresh and succulent and pairs beautifully with earthy edamame, crunchy wakame, and brittle dried edamame. I always add avocado and tobiko to my bowl. For me, they win with their harmony of flavors and textures.
1 Like
Ditto on Kawamata Seafood
Authentic or not, me know not, nor care, but their garlic soy sauce is fucking maika`i loa.
1 Like