Visit Kona - Umekes Fish Market Bar and Grill

Ahi Katsu - panko crusted ahi with unagi drizzle and garlic or spicy aioli

On our last day in Kona, my friends and I were in search of an eatery near the airport and found Umekes Fish Market Bar and Grill in Kailua-Kona.  Headed by Chef Nakoa Pabre, Umekes features a variety of popular traditional Hawaiian food creations with a modern twist. The menu is extensive and offers fresh ahi poke bowls, veggie options, and their take on local favorites like loco moco and lau lau.   

I called ahead and was able to make a reservation for our large party. They have a semi-private room right in the front that fit our group of 15.  Service was very friendly and we all enjoyed our meals.  If you are kama'aina, be sure to ask for the 10% discount!  For even more savings, you can pick up discounted Umekes gift cards at the Kona Costco.   

Fish Tacos (3 tacos tempura fried or cajun grilled with avocado, pineapple lomi salsa, pickled slaw, fried onions and garlic aioli on flour tortillas).

   

UMEKES FISH MARKET BAR & GRILL
74-5599 Pawai Place,
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740

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Da Seafood Cartel

OG Tostada

Curious by the large crowds at the old Wally Ho's on Kamehameha Highway, my friend and I stopped by for lunch and discovered Da Seafood Cartel. Known for their ceviche, tostadas, and tacos, Da Seafood Cartel offers a great extensive menu. 

We decided on the OG Tostada with a layer of blue crab spread, ceviche, avocado, and BSOD (Black Sauce of Death -which they also sell by the bottle) and fish tacos - 4 oz beer battered fish topped with slaw, pico de gallo, and chipotely aioli.  Both dishes were super delicious!  The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and open daily from 11am to 7pm. You can also find them at the Kaka'ako and Kailua Farmer's Markets. Highly recommend! 

Fish Tacos

Da Seafood Cartel
98-380 Kamehameha Hwy Aiea, HI 96701
808.762.0044

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Visit California: King's Fish House

One of the best meals I had on a recent trip to Southern California was at King's Fish House in Carlsbad, CA.  We found it while browsing the Yelp app for restaurants near our hotel.  

We were seated outside, which was great, as it was less noisy and had a more spacious feel - families.  

Right after I took my seat, I immediately ordered a glass of Reisling, which was much-needed!

While we were waiting for our food, our server delivered a warm loaf of complimentary bread and butter. It was so hard not scarf it down being that we were famished!

The kid's macaroni with cheese came quickly and our boys loved it. It was a very generous serving for $5.95.

Our starters arrived next - King's Crab Cakes and a bowl of claim chowder. 

Both starters were DELICIOUS! The claim chowder had a good consistency - not too thin, not too thick. 

The crab cakes were one of the best I've ever had - loaded with pieces of real crab, not a lot of fillers .. crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.  

For my entree I splurged with the lobster roll.  They offered it two different ways - with mayo or butter.  I'm not a fan of mayo, so I opted for the butter (which is called the "Connecticut" version) and it was worth every dollar.  

The hubby ordered the Beer Battered Fish and Chips.  

He had the option of ordering two or three pieces .. good thing he ordered just two pieces - just look at the size of each piece. 

Is was definitely sufficient in size for one person (especially after our two starters). 

If you're in the Carlsbad area and yearning for seafood, this place is for you!

King's Fish House

5625 Paseo Del Norte

(760) 431-3474

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Nat's take on FISH Honolulu

After reading about Gem's first dining experience at FISH Honolulu, I was hesitant to try it so soon after she went. But my friend wanted to check it out, and so we did.

We decided to share the crab cake appetizer and Fish Tacos Baja Style. It took a while for our food to come out, but at least it was correct.

I absolutely loved the crab cakes - I thought it was one of the best crab cakes I've ever had. There was a lot of crab meat in there, and not that much fillers.

The tacos were good too.  The fish was moist and the outside batter was crunchy.  I just wish there was more than two tacos, since it is considered an entree.

I thought it was a little pricey for what we got, but I liked the taste of the food and ambiance of the restaurant. 

FISH Honolulu

324 Coral Street (SALT Kakaako, 2nd floor)

(808) 600-3160

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FISH Honolulu

I recently met a friend at FISH Honolulu, a new restaurant in SALT at Our Kaka`ako.

Fijian Seared Scallops

Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich

Fish Fry of the Day

Lobster Roll

Overall I thought the food was good, and although I didn't expect everything to run smoothly since the restaurant had just recently opened, I didn't expect things to be as bad as they were service-wise.

Our server was very friendly, but despite my friend and I both repeating the four dishes we wanted to order, one of the orders was wrong, and another item was completely forgotten about - we had to ask for it and we got it 1.5 hours after being seated!

As for the food - I thought the Fish Fry was tasty.  The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the flat fries were addicting (my friend said he wished they were crisper).  Ironically, we didn't order the Fish Fry.  We had ordered the Day Boat Fish & Rice.  I even repeated "Fish & Rice" to our server after I heard him say "Fish & Chips," and when another server dropped off the dish to our table and my friend and I asked about the rice, it wasn't until I looked at the menu again did I realize we were given the wrong dish.

I liked the Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich, which had a bit of a kick due to Sriracha-honey butter.  

The Lobster Roll was very buttery (unfortunately I did bite into a piece of shell), and the Scallops were pretty good.

Our lunch started off with being served the Scallops, Chicken Sandwich, and Fish Fry.  After our server cleared our dishes for the first three items, we were waiting for about ten minutes, thinking that the Lobster Roll was still coming, but then our server brought our check!  We then told him we're still waiting for the Lobster Roll.  He seemed shocked, asking "You didn't get it?" He apologized, stating they didn't have their sous chef that day, which was the cause for the extra long wait.

There is a lot of room for improvement, and despite how things unfolded during our lunch, I wouldn't hesitate to give FISH Honolulu another try for dinner, but maybe in a few months.

FISH Honolulu
SALT @ Our Kaka'ako
324 Coral Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 600-3160

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Lunch at Nico's Pier 38

It's been years since I've been to Nico's Pier 38. In fact, it was before they renovated back in 2011, and before they were put on the map by Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

One of the signature dishes here is the furikake pan seared ahi. 

The Pier 38 Fish Burger, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, comes with TWO ground fish patties. 

Don't forget to check out the dessert case, located between the cashier and pick up area. It's loaded with house-made cakes, cheesecakes, bars, and and pies. My favorite is the chocolate peanut butter stack - it's seriously to-die-for.

They also have a Fish Market, stocked with goodies made in Hawaii...

and of course, locally caught fish straight from the morning's fish auction.

NICO'S PIER 38
1129 N. Nimitz Highway
(808) 540-1377

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Uncle's Fish Market

The first time I went to Uncle's Fish Market, I had an okay experience.  The menu item I wanted to order was no longer available (mahi tacos), and the fish I ordered (monchong) for the tacos was just way too smelly.

But I recently visited Uncle's Fish Market and had a much, much better dining experience.

Uncle's Original Poke Tower

Fresh Fish & Chips

Uncle's Seafood Pasta

Although once again I saw mahi tacos on the menu, I decided to order the Fresh Fish & Chips.  I love a good basket of fish & chips! Panko-battered onaga was deep-fried and served with French Fries and Cole Slaw. The 4 pieces of fish looked small, but they were thick pieces, and I could only finish two of them (along with lots of fries).

Someone in our party also ordered the Fish & Chips (it's her fave), and another person ordered the seafood pasta, which was full of fish, shrimp, scallops, and calamari.  You can opt for marinara, Alfredo, or a combination of the two sauce!

We all shared the poke tower, which was consisted of layers of sushi rice, ahi poke, and ahi tartare, topped with masago and sliced nori.

Our trio had a bit of a wait for a table, as was expected since we arrived in the middle of the day, but the service was wonderful.  

Uncle's Fish Market & Grill

1135 N Nimitz Hwy

Honolulu, HI 96817

(808) 275-0063

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