In the mood for some good sushi, I went online to see what sushi restaurants were open for lunch on a Saturday. To my dismay I found that the establishment I had originally thought of, Sushi Sasabune, was not opened. I reached back into my memory and recalled a sushi restaurant that a friend of mine had recommended months ago. He had mentioned that it was near the airport, in a location where you would not expect to find excellent sushi. This restaurant was Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi Bar, and after my first experience, I can say with great confidence that I’ll be back!
Mitch’s Fish Market is in a very unconventional location for a sushi bar, just off Nimitz Highway on Ohohia Street. This small restaurant has street parking only, and can only seat about fourteen customers at one time. I would highly recommend calling ahead for a reservation, especially if you intend to stop by for dinner.
When you first walk into Mitch’s, the first thing you’ll notice is the familiar smell of a true fish market. The scent of fresh and raw fish lingers in the air of the restaurant, which may turn you off a little until you adjust to the smell. But trust me, the smell is soon forgotten and out of mind once you’ve begun to sample the fresh fish used to prepare Mitch’s sushi!
The restaurant features a small bar that seats up to four, and then a handful of small tables that seat another ten customers. It is behind the counter where you’ll find master sushi chefs Hideo Mitsui and Masakazu Murakami, both of whom are originally from Japan. These two chefs demonstrate a high level of skill and understanding of the art of sushi. Their skill coupled with the availability of daily fresh ingredients is what makes Mitch’s great.
Soon after sitting our server brought cups of hot green tea to our table. We took a glance at the menu, which is almost entirely comprised of sushi. Mitch’s offers a variety of nigiri and temaki (roll) sushi, in addition to a selection of sashimi and various other dishes. Everything we sampled was very fresh and well prepared, leading me to believe that you can’t go wrong no matter what you order.
The first item I ordered was the Nama Kaki. This appetizer features four raw oysters garnished with green onions, spicy ground radish, and a splash of ponzu sauce. After a quick spritz of the lemon wedge, I dove right in to the oysters. The oysters provided are fairly large, but could be taken as oyster shooters if you prefer.
The quality and freshness of the seafood at Mitch’s was apparent from the first oyster to the last. The oysters were very clean tasting, lacking the poor “fishy” taste you get with lower quality oysters. The simple flavoring with ponzu and the spicy radish went perfectly with the natural flavor of the oyster, and the crunchy green onions created a great texture contrast with the soft oyster meat. Definitely a great start to a great meal!
The lobster miso soup is a complimentary item whenever you dine at Mitch’s. If you are daring enough to sample the Spiny Lobster Sashimi (which I certainly will do on my next visit!), then this soup would come with a lobster head in it rather than the shrimp. The addition of lobster meat makes this miso soup almost like an exquisite lobster bisque, minus the grainy texture of the shells. This miso soup was very rich and flavorful.
When enjoying your sushi you will likely find that the sushi chefs have already included a small amount of wasabi. If you enjoy spicier flavors, every sushi order comes with a small portion of additional wasabi. The wasabi used at Mitch’s is freshly ground in the restaurant, which is a very special treat. You will find that freshly made wasabi is vastly superior in flavor and potency to store bought wasabi.
Mitch’s offers a variety of sushi sets, two of which feature a selection of nigiri sushi and two featuring chirashi sushi. For our visit we tried the Sushi Ume set. This set was a generous arrangement of various nigiri sushi classics, including maguro, hamachi, ebi, tako, sake, and ikura. Consistent with the quality you come to expect from Mitch’s, the seafood used to prepare these various sushi selections was excellent. Each piece was a delicious morsel of flavor, perfectly balanced with just the right amount of wasabi. Nigiri sushi served at Mitch’s come with a very large cut of fish, with a smaller portion of rice compared to most other sushi restaurants. Not only does this deliver great value to the customer, but also allows the flavor of the fish to shine through.
I must note that the ikura (salmon roe) used at Mitch’s was particularly exceptional, completely lacking in a “fishy” taste or scent. It is rare to find ikura of this quality.
Unlike Sushi Sasabune, Mitch’s embraces modern trends in sushi, offering some popular non-traditional dishes. The spicy tuna roll offered at Mitch’s is very delicious, accentuating the fresh taste of ahi with a well conceived spicy mixture. Lightly dusted with sesame seeds and with the use of alfalfa sprouts, Mitch’s spicy tuna variation has a nice soft and crunchy bite to it.
Sake nigiri sushi doesn’t get much better than at Mitch’s! Using a New Zealand salmon which is brought in fresh daily, Mitch’s sake nigiri demonstrates how fresh ingredients is key in creating great sushi. The salmon was very delicious, with just the perfect amount of oiliness and fat.
Another non-classic sushi roll recipe, the California roll is a sushi that makes use of crab meat, cucumbers, avocado, and mayonnaise. Even the vegetables used at Mitch’s taste very fresh! The California roll has a great texture contrast to it with the soft crab meat and avocado giving way to the crunchy “snap” of the cucumber. The mixture of flavors from the various ingredients makes for a tasty sushi.
The final sushi I had ordered was the Negitoro, which is a roll sushi that features a fatty tuna mixed together with green onions. The ingredient that really makes or breaks this sushi is of course the tuna. Most sushi restaurants don’t acquire fatty tuna that is quite up to par with Mitch’s. The fatty tuna in this Negitoro had just the right amount of oiliness, and when combined with a dab of wasabi, makes for a wonderful flavor combination.
Final thoughts: There are very few sushi bars in Hawaii that make use of very high quality and fresh seafood. Mitch’s location allows for it to get the freshest fish directly from shipments that come in everyday. When dining at Mitch’s you’ll see the chef and servers going in and out of the large walk-in refrigerator at the rear of the restaurant, fetching new cuts of fresh fish. With the masterful skills of chefs Hideo Mitsui and Masakazu Murakami, and Mitch’s commitment to using only the freshest seafood, Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi Bar is arguably one of the best sushi bars in the state. I would highly recommend Mitch’s to any sushi lover!
| Service: |   |
Above Average |
| Food: |  |
Above Average + |
| Atmosphere: | |
Average + |
| Overall Value: | |
Above Average + |
| Price: |  |
$30+ per person |
Mitch’s Fish Market
524 Ohohia St. Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Phone: 808.837.7774
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food review, Hawaii sushi, Hawaii sushi bar, Hideo Mitsui, Masakazu Murakami, Mitch's Fish Market & Sushi bar review, Mitch's sushi
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Awesome website Dale, I look foward to viewing the various reviews and checking out the onolicious eateries around the island. Only bad thing is, after I read the reviews and check out all the pics, I get REALLY REALLY hungry.
For the latest on “Loco Kine Grindz”, this website is the place to be.
ps. See you all at Mitch’s
Dave
Excellent web site. It gives me an idea of where I should go and what I should order. BTW Dale, seriously, how can you afford to go out so often?