Honolulu’s Newest Poke Shop Makes it Fresh by the Pound

Poke by the Pound opened in 2019 in the heart of Kalihi Kai.

A new poke shop called Poke by the Pound Hawai‘i opened Monday on the corner of Nimitz Highway and Kalihi Street. Poke by the Pound offers fresh fish from the boat and other goodies like tako straight from Japan. Like its name suggests, they mix and sell their poke by the pound for maximum freshness and the resulting flavors are delicate, not overpowered by the heaviness of shoyu or sesame oil.

The tako poke is light, tender and tastes a bit like the sea without a lingering aftertaste. The ahi poke has touches of ginger and chili that packs a surprising punch. In mixing the marlin poke, they made sure to salt it just right, resulting in a seasoned crunch that pairs well with the silky texture of the pink fish.

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Poke by the Pound is owned by Long Tran whose family has been in the fishing industry for over 20 years. They arrived in Hawai‘i in the early ’90s by way of Vietnam and Texas to follow the ahi. Now they’re about a half-mile from the only fresh tuna auction in the country.

To celebrate their grand opening, they are offering a 25% discount on all poke through Thursday, Oct. 31.

Open Mon–Sat, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. 322 Kalihi St. (the mauka corner of Nimitz Highway), (808) 744-1222