Honolulu Magazine has a long tradition of nailing food trends on Oahu, the most populous Hawaiian island and home to the wonderful hive horde of Waikiki. For their part, foodies love Honolulu due to its wildly cosmopolitan flavors and "East meets anything goes" savoir faire.

The annual "Best Of" issue from the magazine just hit the racks and it's a must-read for intinerant noshers. One key highlight is, naturally enough for Hawaii, the fish. Ahi in particular is the strong suite for Hawaii.

The "Best Poke" prize goes to Alicia's Market, a joint that sells 200 pounds a day of raw ahi and tako (that's octopus) Hawaiian-style ceviche flavored with soy sauce, oyster sauce, inamona (candlenut powder), jalapenos and everything else. Missing out on poke in Hawaii is like skipping the poisson cru in Tahiti. The stuff is so onolicious that have one bite and you're hooked for life. Alicia's offers particularly fresh and flavorful poke (although the freshly mixed stuff at the Fort Ruger Market is perhaps still the best classic poke in Honolulu).

Alicia's Market
267 Mokauea St., Honolulu, HI
808-841-1921

Alex Salkever is the founder of Hawaiirama, a travel blog focused on Hawaii. He takes you on his own poke odyssey here in an extensive five-part tasting spree.

Filed under: Food and Drink, North America, Oceania, United States