August 3, 2023 — Pier 38 Fish Market sells seafood so fresh that some lands in Honolulu by boat or plane the same day it’s sold. ‘Ahi from nearby waters, hamachi flown in from Japan, lobster from Maine, sweet amaebi shrimp worthy of a sushi counter: The selection changes daily at this tiny retail shop.
The fish market opened in April next to Nami Kaze restaurant. Dinner crowds might miss it since it closes at 5 p.m. I stumble on it after brunch with a friend. Since we’re happily full, I plan to browse and return another day. But I can’t resist and end up circling back to buy hamachi sashimi ($15 for a little more than half a pound), amaebi, a block of ‘ahi ($18.95 a pound) and a lobster ($16.95 a pound). I marvel over a rainbow of tobiko, flying fish roe in plain orange, green with a wasabi kick and yellow from a hint of citrusy yuzu.
It’s like being in a seafood version of a candy shop. Each time I go, I hear customers comparing prices at other fresh seafood counters on O‘ahu. The selection and lower-than-usual retail prices make sense when you consider the fish market’s location within shouting distance of the fishing boats at the pier, and the fact that its owner, Fresh Island Fish, is Hawai‘i’s largest seafood distributor.