Best Poke Bowls on Oahu

When visiting Hawaii, there is a variety of food to choose from. Since the islands are surrounded by water, it is the best place to eat fresh fish. Oahu is home to some of the best poke bowls, and here is a list of some of them. 

Tanioka’s Seafoods and Catering (Waipahu), Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

This restaurant is locally authentic, so expect to find a long line outside Tanioka’s doors. Although the wait in line can be around 30 minutes, it’s worth it. As you walk in you’ll see the wide selection of poke. Tanioka’s sells regular poke bowls ($10) with rice, but the real gem here is the mouth-watering tempura poke bowl ($16), drizzled with spicy aioli and unagi sauce, with vegetables and shrimp with your choice of poke. 

Off the Hook Poke Market (Manoa), Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Off the Hook Poke opened for business in 2018. Just like Tanioka’s it is locally authentic. Off the Hook gives you “a hole in the wall” kind of vibe to it. When ordering, it’s like ordering from a food truck window, but the market is in a building. This is my favorite place to get a poke bowl from because of how close it is to Chaminade and UH and how fresh it tastes. Just like Tanioka’s, Off the Hook has a variety of poke to choose from. Choose to do a regular size or a mini poke bowl with the option of one or two choices. My favorite is the half spicy half wasabi poke bowl with all the toppings. 

Tamura’s (Waialae Avenue), Daily, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Tamura’s has four locations on Oahu and two on Maui, but the closest to Chaminade is on Waialae Avenue and 10th Avenue. It is also a wine and liquor store. According to its website, it is best to call for their poke hours because all times vary. They don’t do poke bowls anymore but you can get a half pound or a quarter pound of poke and then get a scoop or two scoops of rice on the side. They also have a wide selection of poke, one being marinated in their signature sauce. This is the flavor that I would get. The sauce is sweeter than spicy; it almost tastes like oyster sauce but not quite. This is more expensive with a quarter pound priced at around $11. 

Foodland (Kaimuki), Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

There is a Foodland located in Market City just between Kapiolani Boulevard and Kapahulu Avenue. Foodland is the best bang for your buck. It has a deal with your Maika’i card where if you get more than a pound of poke, it is just $10.99 per pound. I usually get that and make rice at my house. If you are too lazy to make rice or if you can’t eat that much fish, the poke bowl is affordable at about $8. The poke bowl contains freshly made poke on top of steaming rice, you can also create your own bento and pair the poke of your choice with fried chicken. Foodland has a nice wide selection of poke to choose from. My favorite selection has to be the California poke because of the addition of crab and avocado to the poke. 

Ono Seafood (Kapahulu Avenue), Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Locals love this eatery because of the variety of poke and its laid-back ambiance. This market is located on Kapahulu Avenue and it is a great place to stop and get poke at if you are in the area. One negative aspect of this market is the parking. It has a small parking lot with very limited spots to park. Aside from that, try the spicy ahi poke bowl. It is one of the only poke places where you can sit down and eat. They have nice picnic tables and umbrellas just outside the tiny store.