Located near the airport is a hidden gem known as Mitch’s Fish Market. From the outside you would never think that this location held anything like a restaurant, as it appears mostly as a small warehouse. But to our great fortune in this most unexpected of places you will find one of the best sushi restaurants in the state.
The inside of Mitch’s Fish Market looks like, well, a fish market. The moment you step through the front door you will be greeted by the strong smell of fresh fish. One of the best things about this establishment is the daily shipments of fresh fish that they use. If you dine here you’re more than likely will see the sushi chefs running in and out of the walk-in refrigerator at the back of the restaurant, hauling out fresh fish to fill the orders of hungry customers.
What Mitch’s might lack in traditional decor and atmosphere it makes up for with pure taste. The two master sushi chefs, Hideo Mitsui and Masakazu Murakami, are both originally from Japan and their skills and training shine through perferctly. If I were to sum up this restaurant, I would say that it is more of a lure to sushi purists. With today’s growing trend of mixing fish and non-traditional ingredients to create a variety of “rolls”, it is getting harder and harder to find sushi bars that cater to sushi’s original form. Mitch’s menu does include a few non-traditional rolls, but for the most part the superb dining experience will come from the simple nigiri sushi orders, with nothing more than rice and a piece of fish.
For me no visit to a seafood specialty restaurant would be complete without sampling its raw shellfish offerings. These particular oysters are brought in from New Zealand and served simply with a splash of ponzu sauce and grated radish. They have a wonderfully sweet taste accented by a hint of spiciness from the radish. These oysters were excellent, extremely fresh and void of any “fishy” taste you would find in lesser shellfish.
One of the unique things about Mitch’s is the wasabi that they offer with their sushi. Mitch’s freshly grates wasabi root as opposed to using the stuff out of the tube. This creates a much more flavorful wasabi to be mixed in with your shoyu. A word of caution: Freshly grated wasabi packs a much bigger punch than wasabi from the tube. Start off small and add more in carefully to avoid too much spice!
Mitch’s offers a variety of different nigiri sushi sets. For my visit I decided to go with the Ume set, as it held all the classic sushi items that I have come to love growing up here in the islands. Every single piece of sushi in this set was delicious. Every slice of fish as fresh as the one before it! I would make special note that the ikura (salmon roe) was probably the best I have ever had.
Also I consider myself more of a traditional sushi lover, I also like the more modern rolls. Mitch’s take on the California roll is as good as any I’ve had.
Spicy tuna is arguably the most popular non-traditional sushi nowadays, and Mitch’s version does not disappoint. Using the same fresh fish as in their nigiri offerings, Mitch’s sushi chefs incorporate just the right amount of spice to the mix and combine it all together with vegetables for a nice crunch.
The negitoro roll at Mitch’s almost gleans inside due to the oily toro fish inside. The negitoro roll is a simple yet flavorful offering. Toro and chutoro (fatty tunna) is not for everyone, but those who enjoy these cuts of fish will certainly enjoy this roll.
Another unique offering from Mitch’s comes at the end of the meal (or earlier if you request it). At the end of each meal Mitch’s offers a bowl of Lobster miso soup. The lobster makes this miso soup a little sweeter than most. It is a very flavorful bowl of soup, and the perfect way to end a great meal of fresh sushi.
Final thoughts: Mitch’s Fish Market offers arguably one of the best venues for sushi in the state (at times I dare say the best). The sushi chefs here offer a great selection of traditional and non-traditional sushi items. Backed by the expertise of the chefs and the superb quality and freshness of the fish, Mitch’s is sure to be favorite place for any sushi lover. I would highly recommend this establishment!
Mitch’s Fish Market
524 Ohohia St. Honolulu, HI
Phone: 808.837.7774
http://www.mitchsushi.com/