Azama K Fish Wholesale

MOAS — Mother Of All Secrets. There can be only one. I’m gonna share. The best miso butterfish; Azama K Fish Market, period.
Marinated for at least a week, the flavor penetrating all the way to the core of the thick filets. Incredibly complex, almost seductive flavor of sake, miso, sugar, ginger. The fillets themselves, cut from large, fatty black cod. Once cooked, the firm texture from the sake marinade becomes apparent. Huge flakes peel from the filet. If you’re lucky enough to have a cut with the belly attached, you’re in for a treat. If you’ve cooked it correctly, crispy on the outside and incredible fatty goodness on the inside like a piece off slab bacon.
1. As of this writing, $ 17.95 /​pound regardless how much you buy.
2. Two pieces per pound.
3. Call ahead if you have a large order. They will not sell the fish unless it has been marinated to their requirements.
4. INCREDIBLE dried aku. By incredible, I mean the best. Old school, crafted with passion and care. The bloodline has been meticulously cut away by hand before the fish is salted and dried. The result is a very clean fish flavor. Perfect residual moisture, perfect salinity, perfect with a cold beer. $ 29.99 /​pound. (yes, I buried this on purpose).
5. Cash only.
6. Street parking only. Good luck.
7. Not like any fish market. Cluttered with overflowing shelves, a scale haphazardly balanced on boxes and the heavy smell of drying fish. No display case, no poke, nothing but: miso butterfish, dried aku and sometimes lau lau, and fried fish cake.

Best dry aku. Semi soft/​chewy inside with a dried slightly crusted outside. Aku is bright red, no blood meat. Price ranges according to market price, average $ 27/​pound. I always buy a few pounds to take on inter-​island visits instead of manapua. Go early, because they always run out.
Cash payment is probably best.
Laulau is very tasty, moist and a decent size. About $ 10 for 3.
It’s a hole in the wall non-​traditional store, meaning just a see through refrigerator with goods, no real walking space when you walk through glass doors. No seating area, just a table and scale to weigh the food.
It’s located on 10^th ave as you drive into the valley on the Hawaii Kai side. There’s only street parking and that may be hard to find depending on what time of the day. You might even past the shop if you’re not looking good because their sign is worn and missing some letters. The shop is next to Wash & Dry on Kaau and 10^th ave.

Saturday 11 am still closed?! Need to get the boss next door, it’s lunch time! Still one of the best Laulau in town. $ 10 for a bag of three Laulau.

As most of the other Unilocalers said, this is hands-​down THE BEST DRY AKU on the island. Super fresh, top quality aku, perfect amount of salt, a slight, slight hint of smokiness, and best of all, the TEXTURE is PERFECT, having just enough softness, tenderness and chewiness.
Azama Dry Aku for da’ win!

Super cheap, fresh, and quality lau lau, 3 for $ 10. Many places give you lau lau that is pretty much half fat, half meat. But theirs was very quality, all meat and very tender. Though we are super close to this little market, we have never visited until last week when a few ladies at the spa recommeded it to my grandma. Well worth it!

Best kept Kaimuki secret.
Hands down. The best. Dried Aku. Around. Soft yet chewy. Clean yet smoky. You just gotta try. Have them cut it for you unless you wanna hack at it at home.
Hands down. The best deal on Lau Lau. Around. 3 for $ 10. Mouthful of luau leaf and huge chunks of pork. Perfect to stock up the freezer for lazy dinner nights in.
You can also get: Pickled Mango, Poi, Lomi Salmon, Hamachi Kama, Kulolo, Aku Bone and other local delights.
This is one of those places where it makes you excited to live in Hawaii — support local and eat local.
Parking is on the street. Stroll up the road and treat yourself to shave ice at Your Kitchen.

Have you ever wondered how a company decides they’re going to do something and do it well? I’ve often wondered this about Azama. This place does very few things, but does them about as well as they can be done.
First, yes they are open even though they always appear to be closed. If the door is locked, go to the next door on the left and peek your head in. Let whoever is there know what you want to buy and they will take you over to the store. They often are working in the second room when there are no customers in the store.
Second, the place is a dive with equipment and supplies everywhere. Do not let this deter you. You cannot understand the reasoning behind genius. You take it as it is.
Third, look at all the signs and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or think you want. Sometimes they have stuff and sometimes they don’t and there’s only one way to find out.
So what do they have and what should you get? What everyone talks about and what they are known for is dried aku. You can get it in long strips of about a foot or you can have them cut it into bite sized pieces for $ 1 extra. It is the most flavorful and softest dried aku you will find (if you can even find homemade dried aku elsewhere). Have this with a beer and you will thank me.
Other items of note if they have them: excellent laulau (only $ 10 for three!!), lomilomi salmon, Hanalei poi, aku bone, kulolo, and pickled mango. They often have hamachi kama for only $ 8.50 a pound. You might have to help them open the top load freezer (there are piles of stuff on it). However, buried in there are beautiful yellowtail collars vac packed two at a time for you.
The hours they are open are somewhat limited, even though it seems like they are working on making food all day and night. Parking can be tough, especially when Hobietat, North Shore Grinds, Your Kitchen, and the laundromat are all cranking which may require you to park around the corner. If you can make it over here, do it. You won’t regret it.

I love this place. I live right behind in the apartments.
Anyways – I usually get the three lau lau for $ 9. And those things are just life savers for dinner. Pop it in the micowave and eat with rice. Out cold!
Anyways – so a couple of days ago they had a paper sign that said 12.95 a lb for ahi. :O yes!!! Sashimi grade! Yes!
Best post-​work out meal. Cut up and serve like a poke bowl.
I love you Azama!

Best dry aku around! I’ve been coming here regularly for a couple years. Recommended by Azama-san’s brother in law Masa. I used to always go to farmer’s market and see Ken at Bob’s fish market until they turned the whole place into a Marukai.
Azama can be a little soup nazi-​ish, but he’s allowed to because his dry aku, butterfish, hamachi kama and other stuff are the best.
He recommends you call ahead to check if he’s got dry aku. I used to always get scoldings when I first started going there a couple years ago, but now he knows me. He’s got ono wet lihing mango, seasonal pickled mango, sometimes shoyu garlic from japan, hamachi kama, butter fish, hamachi slabs for sashimi, fried fish cake and all kinds of ono stuff! He’s hard working and there 7 days a week!
I want to let everyone know about how good he is, but I don’t want him to be too busy that he sells out and I can’t get my dry aku fix! so… save some for me!

This hole in the wall fish market gets fish flown in from Japan! The Japan dried aku and butterfish is what this place is known for… I love the dried aku here. I eat it ONLY from this place and nowhere else. Thats how good it is!
They have two rental spaces next to each other. One side they cut the fresh flown in fish and butcher it to pieces and gut it and everything. The other side, they have the scale, packaging and display fridge where they put their final product in. I must say this place isnt sparkling clean so be ready for a china town experience when you walk in. Needs to be cleaned up a bit but still a great place to grab japan fish from.
Cash transactions only.
I will pick up dried aku and miso butterfish from them again in the future.

I Had To Let The Secret Out! Sorry Mr. Azama! Only For My Fellow Unilocalers!
I know that there is one review with Azama K Fish Wholesale but this is the true spelling of this true Mom & Pops secret place!
I know by sharing this, it’s going to run out my supply of «So Ono The Best In The State Miso Butterfish Supply» but I had to share it with my fellow Unilocalers to enjoy!
WHY:
Hands down! If you Enjoy grilling miso butterfish (I know that your mouth is watering now) this is the Best Place to pick it up!
Not only does the Azama’s have the best miso butter fish, they also have great Lau Lau’s to take home,
The cleanest dried Aku that you will eat.
Tempura Fish cake on the weekends (So Ono!)
If you are going to pick up miso butter fish, it would be a good idea to call ahead to make sure that there is an ample supply on hand and preorder the fish.
The price at this review time is $ 17.95lb (Not bad. if you ever ate Miso Butterfish at a really good Japanese restaurant, how much did you pay for that small little piece of fish… Lol!!)
I Guarantee You that everyone that eats it will turn and tell you. «HOLY SH_​T THIS IS BEST BUTTERFISH THAT I EVER ATE» .Just Smile :) and tell them I Know!!! …SHHHH! Unilocal Secret!!!

A friend recommended I try the lau lau here, so the other day I dropped by to check them out. It is not a restaurant. In addition to lau lau, they sell miso butterfish, dried aku & other items. I picked up 1 bag of 3 lau laus for $ 8 (I believe they are cash only).
The lau lau was still wrapped in ti leaves. There were a ton of lau lau leaves which I prefer. It was filled with a generous amount of flavorful, not too salty pork — which may have been smoked prior to placing in the lau lau. Enjoy!