21 Mart

Mediocre poke for outrageous prices by the pound. Even if it's "fresh" the flavors were not worth it for 30$ a lb. In comparison, the quality feels and taste lower than previously frozen poke from foodland. 30$ lb is crazy to begin with. 21 mart is good for your convenience needs like beer and snacks but just completely skip their rip off poke area. Times and foodland got way better selection of fresh poke for a fraction of the price, and previously frozen for cheaper route.

Before heading to lunch with my sister decided to stop by 21 Mart a convenience & liquor store. I heard stories that they made pretty good poke . So I had to try it out for myself. Entering the store I didn't know what to expect I knew it was going to have liquor and some can goods and groceries for sell. I was correct but in the back of the store there was a showcase w/fresh Ahi cubes and some Kim Chee tako and imitation crab. So one of the workers came in the back to assist me w/question I had. So I asked him if he had spicy Ahi for sale . He replied I can make it spicy for you. I think he misunderstood me I was asking if they sell spicy Ahi than he explain No! They only sell 2 kinds of Poke. Hawaiian style , and Shoyu Ahi but they can make it spicy if you want. I than explain to the worker I'm going to lunch so I just wanted a quarter pound worth. He said normally they only sell Half a pound or One pound . I thought that was odd but he said he will just try to get it under half a pound. So got into my car and tried the Shoyu Poke and wow to my surprise it was pretty good like everyone said it was. I also gave my sister a sample and she's a Shoyu Poke eater and she said it was ONO ! That means (Good) . I'm a more Spicy Ahi kind of guy or Limu Ahi. The good thing about this place they make the Poke made to order so they toss it right there while you wait. The good thing about doing it this way is that you know the fish is fresh and not soaking in the sauce for a very long time. Keep on supporting local during these hard times .

My last visit to 21 Mart was in 2016-2017. The aunty behind the poke bar was no longer there but the set up looked very much like I remember.I was a bit skeptical that their great poke recipe may have changed. Very happy to announce that the Hawaiian style poke was still on point with all my favorite fixings. White onions, green onions, and the ogo. Its the ratio of sesame oil to salt I think that really stands out. Also got some kimchee tako poke, and imitation crab poke. It's a blip on the road and easy to miss. If you're looking for a popular neighborhood gem, 21Mart.

I had time to kill and I've always passed 21 Mart but I had no need to buy anything like a bottled or can drink that I can get from a more known place like 7-11 stores. Sometimes these mom and pop stores sells food inside and on yelp I saw they sold Lau Lau and poke. Not knowing if they make their own Lau Lau from scratch I decided to go for the boiled peanuts which I saw on yelp. Either they don't make boiled peanuts anymore or have any left today, there was none. I asked if they have spam musubi. He said okay but he had to make it. He made it quick so the wait wasn't long but the hot rice made it taste even better! The spam was already cooked in a shoyu sauce. I asked if it's a teriyaki sauce but he said shoyu. I was delightfully surprised when I took a bite it tasted no where close to what I expected. The spam tasted really good in the musubi! It wasn't too sweet but had a shoyu /ginger /Mirin taste. (Mirin is Japanesee rice wine but may have MSG in mirin ) Yum yum. I really like it and it was different. Haven't tasted mirin/ginger in a spam musubi before. I really believe that's what I'm tasting in the marinating sauce!. I'm sure their Lau Lau are good. I remembered I had it long time ago before but can't remember the details so can't review the Lau Lau. It seems like customers raved about their poke which is made to order. Probably the same way with their made to order spam musubi too unless when I came, they needed to make more since it was later in the morning. The neighborhood store is on an older side and carries drinks, snack, some necessities. The guy cashier at the market was really nice and I would come back for the spam musubi, but I wouldn't go there at night. The parking stalls for the mart is on the right side although it said reserved, but I was told you can park there. The left side where I parked is for some business upstairs. I'm not sure what is upstairs but I was going to re-park while he was making my spam musubi but he said no need since he'll be done in 2 minutes. It was odd to see a table & chairs outside with an older man with a hooded jacket with his hood on, sitting there with his cooler bag or backpack. I thought he was watching the parking lot but I think he was doing his own business. A younger guy on a bike came for short time and picked up something and rode away.If you are willing to try the food or the spamMusubi, you may just like it too. The spam musubi was only $1.50!!Thanks for reading my review! =)

This is my wife's absolute favorite poke place. Since I do not have a choice I go get the poke for her, but the owner's need to take a lesson in having Aloha Spirit or at least basic customer service. They treat everyone like thieves and god forbid that you spend $60 on poke and ask for a fork, boy the stink eye they give you. Even after they give you more than a pound more than you asked for by stuffing the container and telling you "little bit extra okay?, still you better not ask for a fork or napkin. Yes the Poke is good, yes it make my lady happy, but i do not get the best feeling when leaving this place. Maybe they should give out "little bit extra Aloha" with the little bit extra Poke that they charge you for.

POKE as it should be! The ladies here don't mess around, and they don't make it till you order it. No week old over-cured salty fish(it's kept separate until just before you eat it). This is my favorite spot to get Shoyu Ahi Poke, and one that's worth a visit if you're in the area (at least try a 1 /4lb tasting).So how did I find this super secret Poke place?Well...does this place look familiar? I first knew this as an unofficial Mitsu-Ken's parking lot. One day while making an office Garlic Chicken run my conscience got the better of me and I decided to at least look in. And the rest, the rest is history.

It's one thing to stumble upon here looking for a quick bite to eat, but it's another thing to intentionally come here to find out that they're popular with the poke, when you're shopping in here for one or a party of 20. Either way, it's how it is. 21 Mart seems to be the place to shop for your party needs. Or is it?21 Mart is basically within walking distance of my work place, so walked here to get food and drinks from time to time. It's definitely NOT a 7-Eleven convenience store and it's far from it actually. It's your typical Asian market place ambiance. Everything crowded into a small space, but there is some room to walk through the aisles to get what you need. They pretty much have your essentials, from sodas and alcohol, to party foods: chips, candy, and all the comforts of what a real party needs. The first thing to point out that this place is pretty much a hole in the wall type of store. If you do not know where this place is, you just need to GPS to find it. The bright side of this place is that there's good parking options here, since it doesn't get too crowded or traffic isn't that bad up and down North School Street on any given day. It does makes you appreciate these small mom and pop operations who still keep it going. Gotta admire their stamina and dedication to their small business!The second thing to point out is the glaringly obvious. There's no air condition here - at least the times I had come through here looking for food and workday snacks. I guess anywhere to save money. I've read that they do a superb job with the poke here. While I did find that their poke was kind of pricey, I opted to try and see what the rage was all about. The verdict was that it was rather good, but average to say the least. Delicately prepared and expertly hand crafted, but the taste was just okay to me. Sorry about the lukewarm response, or maybe that's just the no air conditioning not coming from anywhere in the store that's probably contributing to the problem here. I didn't think it was all that, but for the price, it kind of turned me off. It is what it is. 21 Mart accepts credit cards, so that's always a plus. I believe they have a minimum dollar amount for credit card purchases, so best bring cash, if you know you aren't planning on buying too much at any given time. The lady at the counter can be mean and ornery, but I guess she can be harmless. She really eyes you out from the moment you come in the store till you leave, just to make sure you don't steal anything. I don't blame her though. You're in Kalihi, for cryin' out loud!!!The service is very quick and I can get in and out of here within 20 minutes, assuming that I remember what I want to buy and eat that day. I love the fact that I can get musubi's and hard boiled eggs here for cheap, as well as chips and sodas too. They have an ATM machine inside the store, which makes getting money pretty sweet. 21 Mart also accepts EBT transactions as well. The experience here was pretty good, although being looked at like a would-be criminal before shelling out $$ for my purchases was quite nerve racking for sure. She really watches you, as well as other staff there to make sure you don't run off without paying. Still, it's near where I work, so chances are, I will be coming here a lot whenever I need that quick fix that's nearby. They should fix the air conditioning system though sometime, but for what it's worth, they're doing an excellent job here at 21 Mart. Its not where I'd usually go to get my groceries and what not, but when in the area, you can check this place out. If not, Kamehameha Shopping Center is right up the road. Shop local is best here.They offer plate lunches here too, which is pretty cool too. I probably need to ask them next time.Support local!B-

This is a mom and pop store located in lower Alewa Heights sort of by Mitsu Ken. My friend lives around this area so I came with her to get some poke, cuz she said they're the best. It's super old school, which I kind love. They have an actual great selection of beer and alcohol so whenever I go back into town and stay with her I'm totally going to this place to go and buy pre-game ingredients. LOL The korean guy that owns the place makes the poke fresh, fresh as in mixes it up. They sell poke bowls too. It's kind of expensive for poke, but what place isn't kind of pricey these days. The owner is super nice and talkative. A great place to go before you hit the beach or to the park. The parking is minimal and I don't think there's a restroom.

There are very good poke, the parking lot is large, very convenient, and the prices in nearby stores are very reasonable. I can't think of a reason not to go here.

Hawaiian style poke still da same Neva change bugga is action! Only place I buy poke always fresh and always hit da spot.