Alicia's Market — Restaurant in Honolulu

On a whim, yesterday I went here after hearing a lot of people complimenting the food, and looking at their Instagram feed.

Parking can be a little sparse depending upon the time of day, but I was able to find one in front of the laundromat.

Upon entering, it kinda has the same feel as Tamashiro Market to a certain extent. You know, that "Mom and Pop" type of hole-in-the-wall place that makes you feel comfortable, yet sad that they are now few and far between.

They have a very eclectic selection of food as you go toward the back of the market. Of course the poké is front and center, however, they have spareribs and other meats on display... which highly tempts a carnivore such as myself, and a well displayed menu of various plate lunches.

My choice for my first visit ever...? The Hawaiian plate... Lau Lau, Kalua Pig, Lomi Salmon, and a scoop of rice... it's my litmus test to see how "local" a place is. Needless to say, there was no disappointments, quite the contrary. The Kalua pig had a smoked quality that I found pleasing to eat, the Lomi Salmon was more Salmon than Lomi (hehehe), and the Lau Lau was filled with the appropriate amount pork and fish, compared to a lot of places that wrap more luau leaves and skimp on the filling... you know what I'm talking about, it's not like how Frank Delima described a typical skimpy Hawaiian food spread, half crab, one opihi, lomi-lomi tomato... no, Alicia's Market loads up the food and it was quite delicious.

I also got a half pound of wasabi ahi masago poké... it was a delicious compliment to a wonderful meal.

I can see why Alicia's Market has been open since 1944, they do what they do, and...

OMgosh…. Where do I begin 😬😮‍💨 It all started great in morning with the bus ride (after buying day pass) to 7eleven for some drinks and small eats, then spend morning at Pearl Harbor Memorial. Here’s where things started to go south 😳 As soon as trying to leave and head over to Alicia’s for Poke bowl, all the buses were delayed, 👏one👏after👏another… and on top of all that, closed/construction roads plus mid-morning traffic rush 😵‍💫😬 So after getting on the wrong bus that took me onto highway opposite direction… I decided to lyft and finally got to Alicia’s, but only then I realized my phone was at 5% and dying 😳 so I immediately closed all my apps, placed phone in low mode. Thinking I’m safe outta the woods, thought maybe I can take quick snap for IG and guess what?… zippp my itch phone completely DIED 🥲… couldn’t get any worse 😭 Not only am I now stranded, my itch phone refused to charge cooperatively 🫠 But the front guy of shop was kind enough get me a Lyft back to my hotel, while using his phone charger as I waited 🥹 Also a couple of their regulars offered me a ride back as well… such kind people🥰 Thx y’all 💖 Anyways, I didn’t get my chow-down on until it made it back to my hotel to finally relax from such stressing chaotic turn-of-events😬 🫠😅 My roast pork and sweet onion shoya ahi still tasting fresh and crispy after all that roughness mid-day 😋 It’s so good and now I’m back to my happy chilled self again *FYI shop does give some discount, if paying with cash, but will also take credit cards with a...

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never left a review for them before—time to fix that! Alicia’s truly has the best poke on the island. Bold claim? Sure. But if you’re naming the top poke spots on the island, Alicia’s absolutely deserves a seat at the table.

I’ve been coming here consistently for four years, and they’ve never let me down. I’ve tried plenty of other places, including the two big names starting with “T” (you know the ones). Honestly, they just don’t compare. Alicia’s poke is fresher, better, and priced far more reasonably. A poke bowl here is under $15—and you get way more fish than the other places charging over $20. The only thing “off the hook” about Off the Hook is their pricing. When I went there, they gave me two baby scoops of poke, probably half the amount I get from Alicia’s.

That said, I usually buy poke by the pound rather than a bowl, and Alicia’s consistently delivers great value there as well. Plus, they don’t stop at poke. Alicia’s also offers all kinds of meats and even poke-and-meat combo bowls. Their char siu turkey tails? The best I’ve ever had. Plus, they’ve got roast pork, roast beef, char siu pork, furikake salmon, mussels, scallops, and more. Honestly, I’m probably forgetting a few items, but man, I love this place!

Don’t just take my word for it—skip the overpriced, mediocre spots and give Alicia’s a try. You’ll see exactly what I mean.

Sincerely, The...