A local food institution
landed a new home. the United Fishing Agency’s fish auction moved from its home
on ‘Ähui Street in Kaka’ako to Honolulu Harbor’s Pier 38.The last time
the fish auction moved was in the late ’70s, when it left its original address
near ‘A’ala Park. “[The Kaka’ako place] had a lot of character,” says Brooks Takenaka
of the humble old digs alongside Kewalo Basin, “but the new facility at Pier 38
is three times bigger, and certainly more up to date in terms of technology.” Takenaka
runs the auctions, long an attraction for fans of fresh fish. For the consumer,
he adds, “we’ll now be able to offer a higher quality product.” No longer will
the mahimahi, opah and ‘öpakapaka have to be trucked from the vessels to the auction.
Boats will now dock alongside the new 18,000-square-foot facility and unload their
catch directly, creating a faster, more streamlined operation. The fish will be
iced down, auctioned off and trucked out in a display of efficiency-all amounting
to a fresher slice of ‘ahi on your plate.  | Photo:
Karin Kovalsky |
The fish auction is the heart
of the Hawai’i seafood industry. That is not hyperbole-all of the 130-plus long-line
vessels bring their catches here where they are bid on by restaurants, supermarkets
and wholesalers. The new fish auction is designed to be more open to the consumer,
in a venue that will eventually have food stands and a diner. “We’re embarking
on an effort to bridge this gap between the industry and the community,” explains
Takenaka. He and his consultant, Dr. John Kaneko, have been developing workshops
for the industry and the culinary world, such as Seafood Safety. Takenaka mentions
that Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi have also volunteered to give some demonstrations
and cooking classes. “We’re going to be doing some exciting new things,”
says Takenaka. “For me, it’s like beginning a new chapter. I’m really looking
forward to it.” Alex Barasch Get
your fish on
United Fishing Agency
1131 N. Nimitz Highway
536-2148 |
{Clipping
Service} Is
TheBus’s No. 52 Circle Island tour worth the $2 fare? A writer for Tennessee’s
Knoxville News Sentinel writes about an around-the-island adventure in the newspaper’s
July 11, 2004 edition: I’m
convinced I’m in hell, but a glimpse outside to the Pacific reminds me otherwise.
I’m riding the public bus on O’ahu. A
$2 tour of a chunk of American paradise, I’ll admit, sounds incredible. And it
is. At times. At others it seems a never-ending nausea-inducing journey through
the roads of Hawai’i’s most populous island, a jaunt far more restrictive than
a car trip, but still an inexpensive link to some of O’ahu’s storied shores. …
We ride along
the North Shore, past stretches of sandy beaches and famed surf spots. As we head
along the coast, the bus keeps filling up. … I’m being bumped and pushed and the
temperature on the bus has steadily risen. I spend most of the two-and-a-half
hours of the trip’s second leg standing and begin to feel sick. I’m missing the
passing scenery because of the crowd and struggling to keep my composure. The
adjectives I used earlier in the day-charming and insightful-must be replaced
with words like torturous and toilsome. I want out. Now. |
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