Find the Reel Deal at Pier 38 Fish Market

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Pier 38 Fish Market sells seafood so fresh that much of it lands in Honolulu the same day it’s sold. ‘Ahi and swordfish from nearby waters, hamachi flown in from Japan, lobster from Maine, sweet amaebi shrimp worthy of a sushi counter: It’s like a seafood version of a candy store. Each time I go, I hear customers comparing prices to those at other fresh seafood counters on O‘ahu. The selection and lower-than-usual retail prices make sense when you consider the shop’s location within shouting distance of fishing boats at the pier and that its owner, Fresh Island Fish, is Hawai‘i’s largest seafood distributor.

Sashimi platters here can include ‘ahi, hamachi, salmon, bluefin, various roe—the selection changes daily. I’ve also seen mahi, monchong and opah as well as a rainbow of tobiko in traditional orange, wasabi green and bright yellow yuzu. I’ve walked in hungry and left with ready-to-eat nakaochi, fresh ‘ahi scraped from between the ribs and resembling a tartare; negihama or minced hamachi with green onions; and poke kits with cubes of ‘ahi, marlin and salmon to be assembled later. With amaebi, after we devour the tails raw in DIY sushi, we cook the heads in pasta sauce. I’ve also gotten a block of ‘ahi and New Zealand salmon fillets to grill. My family’s omega-3 status improves with each visit.

FAST FACT: The Marine Stewardship Council certified the market for sustainable practices; that’s the blue checkmark label on some fish.

So why did a seafood distributor that for decades sold to local restaurants and hotels decide to open a retail fish market? Back in 2020, CEO Neil Hirasuna tells me, when the pandemic shut down dine-in eating at restaurants, the company was fully stocked with seafood. The solution for all that excess food was to set up a makeshift drive-up line in the pier’s parking lot.

“We had this idea that maybe we could just start selling super cheap fish to the public,” Hirasuna says. “We’d basically throw it in their trunk, they’d hand us $20, and they’d be on their way.” But as fresh fish kept arriving from the company’s 22 commercial longline fishing vessels, the system evolved to online ordering. On Mother’s Day weekend 2021, employees filled more than 1,400 orders.

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

From the beginning, Hirasuna says, the idea was to connect people to the fishing experience. But installing a see-through chill case that lets customers simultaneously view the selection and the processing room beyond meant another year of renovation to cut through a concrete-and-rebar wall. He says it was worth it. “You can see whole fish back there, you can see people cutting your fish and putting it in the trays and you can really be a part of the experience of the fresh fish business,” he says.

You can still order ahead online or by phone. But I like to walk in, peek at what’s being prepped and maybe buy the latest trays that slide in. It might be the freshest seafood I can get without a line.

SEE ALSO: Pier 38 Fish Market Lures Us with Fresh-Off-the-Boat Seafood

Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1135 N. Nimitz Highway, (808) 784-4988, pier38fishmarket.com, @pier38fishmarket