Great selection of poki and fresh vegetables. Love the deli meats and somen salad. Everyone was friendly

KTA is a local market that carries a lot of Asian foods. They also have a bakery and a pharmacy so its very convenient for many of us. They are known for their Poke near their Seafood department, and I tried it myself but it was just OK. I didnt find them special to be honest. Plus, some poke didnt look too fresh at the day of my visit. I like coming here to get something that I cant find at Safeway. Safeway carries almost everything too but some of the stuff I like getting are like Korean groceries. For other groceries, I like to get them at Safeway but when KTA has special sales, its worth coming here. The cashiers here are super nice and friendly. They all say hi and always smiling. Back in California, it is so hard to find anyone say hi to you at the register. Veggies here look fresh but is pricy. I think veggies in general are pricy in Hawaii but you can maybe find cheaper options at Target or even Safeway when theres sales. Plenty of parking but can get busy here especially on the weekends. Dont forget to bring your own grocery bags! Another tip is that. if you dont have a coupon or forgot the coupon for the item you came to buy, they have extra coupons in the front of the register. You can just grab it and go pay :D read more

When I'm in Hilo, I try to make it to KTA for their baked goods. Their Bakery carries some yummy locally made items like the Tsubushian, mochi, manju, rolls and more! They are perfect if you need to bring something to a meeting or take back home to share. The locals know where to go, definitely head to KTA for something delicious. read more

It's like if a Safeway and a Pan Asian Market got together and had a beautiful baby....it would be KTA. Just fabulous. Why don't we have grocery stores like this at home... Great produce, fresh meats, and my top two favorite parts: 1) Bento Boxes! All kinds, freshly made, and so cheap! 2) Poke Counter! Over a dozen different delish poke, made fresh every morning. Sigh...maybe they'll franchaise to the mainland? A girl could only dream.... read more

I usually go here for my daily grocery needs but I went yesterday and my wife when tell me that some of the employees was cute, I was telling her you crazy or what. KTA get the freshest produce and all but ain't no way I letting them take my wife. read more

Their marlin poke rocks! If you stay pake (cheap), they sell day-old marline poke in da kine Styrofoam flat trays across from the deli. Purchase Mountain Apple products when you can! These are products made with vegetables, fruits, eggs, or beef that is grown and raised here on the Big Island. read more

More than just grocery store, it's like a huge country store. They also carry Punaluu bread, local pickled vegetables, taro chips, local Portuguese sausage, fresh fruits, fresh seafood, and more. It's just an excellent place to find a taste of The Big Island. One of our favorites is the mustard cabbage maki sushi. They don't always make it and their sushi's usually run out pretty quickly. Prices are pretty good. It's a clean and fairly large store. There should be plenty of parking, but just make sure to be aware of all the people in the parking lot and walking across the main crosswalk into the store. read more

KTA Super Stores - Grocery Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Insane ripoff! The exact same donut at Foodland that costs $.99 costs $2.49 at KTA! I bought 1 of each on the same day because I was so shocked that "The Local Friendly Store" was goughing Hawaii residents and laughing all the way to the bank! Every single product at every single KTA grocery store is FAR, FAR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN AT FOODLAND AND SOMETIMES DOUBLE WALMART! BOYCOTT THE THEIVES! read more

I love KTA! You can really feel the love and community spirit in the store, especially now that it's the holidays. My family and I stopped in to buy some groceries for our weekend visit to Grandma's. As we checked off our grocery list we were greeted by so many wonderful employees who inquired if we needed help finding anything. We filled up our cart with wine, cheeses, crackers, produce and everything else we'd need to make Thanksgiving special for our family. My hubby purchased tako poke and pipikaula to eat at home for lunch and OMG everything was so good! Can't wait to return to KTA to try more of their baked goods and local specialty eats. read more

Stopped by here before going to the Volcano National Park to pack a lunch to go. We got a day old package of ahi poke (seasoned Japanese styled, they also have Hawaiian and Korean Kimchee styled) which was 75% off and no we didn't get sick. The smoked salmon poke was delicious. There were over 14 types of poke, but only 2 of us so we didn't get anything else. I got the taro/coconut pudding or "Haupia" from the bakery. It was VERY GOOD. Then again, I usually like any taro or coconut desserts. read more

Favorite grocery in Hilo area, great choice of fish and local pickled vegetables, kimchi is amazing

Best locally made baked goods on big island. Huge selection of island grown meat including pork, beef and even Kona Quail eggs! KTA supports local farmers and ranchers, so local island residents should support KTA. read more

I got the breakfasts there. They are reasonably priced, very generous with portions. I was not lucky this time going there- cause I missed out on some local foods that KTA usually offers. Still the same ole KTA- though. read more

KTA is my favorite grocery store since I was a little girl going shopping with my Mom and sister. They always had an assortment of items. 2021 the COVID has impacted us and the store has always been a safe place with having a security guard at the door making sure everyone sanitizes their hands and offers the customers a clean disinfected wagon. The have everything from a pharmacy, bakery, banking, deli, fish Dept with ono poke and prepared meat. The assortment is endless. I recommend them a 100 percent read more

This supermarket is clean, well lit and offers great value The deli and bakery sections offer a lot selection at reasonable prices They also offer items for sale that are popular as gifts to take Bacchae home if you are visiting the Big Island, such as specialty jams and jellies, baked goods, gourmet Hawaii Island Coffee, and Two Ladies Kitchen mochi and manju. There is a 5 cent bag fee for a grocery bag if they provide one for you. read more

Big conventional supermarket. Was hoping to get something to take to eat on the plane but no such luck. They do have an aisle of mac nuts and another of rice and ramen. Fresh produce including apple bananas and papayas. I'll stick to all the great stuff at farmers markets. And supplement from Island Natural Foods. read more

KTA is a local grocery chain that caters specifically to the Asian local population, mostly the Japanese. One thing I really enjoyed about KTA was the seafood section, particularly the variety and good quality of Ahi Poke they have(although Safeway's is pretty good too..). Ahi Poke, for those of you who have never tried it, it amazing- A Hawaiian seafood specialty very similar to ceviche, prepared with ahi (tuna), tako (octopus) or other types of seafood, green onions, soy sauce and other ingredients depending on what you get to create one of the best snacks/appetizers ever. They also have a great bakery with all sort of favorites (tropical ruit breads, lilikoi pastries, an enormous variety of the best mochi, etc) read more

KTA Super Stores - Hawaiian poke - Grocery Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Overall very good one stop grocery store. Everything you need to complete your shopping list. They have everything from fresh produce, meats, seafood (best poke), canned goods, household items, pet food, etc. The bakery department has a wide selection of cakes, pies, fresh breads, and pastries. They can custom make a cake for you, or they have some already made for most occasions. Easy to find at the corner of Puainako St. and Kanoelehua Ave. Lots of parking, and close to home. The staff is friendly and helpful. We go there at least once a week for our grocery shopping. read more

One of our main grocery stores we like to shop at. Absolutely love their bakery and marinated meat section. There poke selection is great too read more

I was born and raised in little old Hilo and lived there for 22 years... and KTA is my favorite place to shop for food and it's right in the heart of Hilo! My top 10 reasons why I love KTA... 1. Bakery Section (the strawberry cake I love and their egg begals!) 2. Bento section (you must go early, they sell out fast.. from breakfast bentos to lunch bentos... you can never go wrong!) 3. Seafood section! (From soaked meats to poke! yumm!) 4. Mountain Apple brand! Love their products! 5. Many open lanes. (Always crowded... and customer service is ok) 6. Coupon book! yay! 7. Selection! Lots to choose from! 8. Drug section. (Pick up your medication and go food shopping) 9. Deli section. (sweet sour meat balls) 10. Thanksgiving kits (everything you need for a thanksgiving dinner in a box) I'm forever a KTA fan... don't know if Mr. Karisu is still there... but if he is... say HI for me! He's super cool and always smiling or cracking a joke! If I'm not mistaken... they use to have a cooking tv show on the local station with the singing sales guy. LOL. crack me up! As for parking... this parking lot is always crowed! But Hilo-ans know where to shop! I like their park and load section infront of the store with covered roofing... for those rainy days in Hilo! Wish there was a KTA in Los Angeles! I'll be back in Hilo next month to visit family... KTA is on my "Things to do list" I'm craving their strawberry cake. 5 stars! I miss you KTA! read more

It's always great to hit a grocery store while traveling. This place had it all. Hawaiian specialties abounded in the bakery area, Asian flair popped up in the meat section, an array of poke flavors presented themselves in the seafood area, and poi in plastic bags was available for the picking. My boyfriend was wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt and was afraid he was going to be mistaken for a staff member (it happens to him at Trader Joe's on the mainland, where the uniform is also Hawaiian shirts). The temperature in the store was FREEZING, so don't come in your tank top or you'll risk hypothermia! Overall, KTA is A-OK! read more

Cashier Angela has the best customer service of any cashier I encountered at KTA. Super friendly and she also gave me lots of tips on how to cook different dishes. True asset to the KTA team. Will be back again. read more

KTA Super Stores - Grocery Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

It's where the locals shop. They have some good daily prepared food specials (that can sell out for popular items), a good poke selection, open late, and have a good location. I couldn't ask for more! read more

I never learn... Last visit went to check out the prices for certain items that only found at KTA and passed on the prices this time around. It's kind of crazy that to get charged for paper bags here when KTA voted to ban the plastic carry out bags. Safeway Sack n save and Longs CVS don't charge their customers for paper bags. Feeling guilty thinking about leaving empty handed and hungry I bought deli items that included chili and fried rice and Korean chicken. Around $18 later (how does it cost this much just for a snack?) should have gone next door to Hiro's for tastier more filling food for way cheaper because the chili was pretty terrible and tasted really bland and mushy like canned chili but without flavor. Imagine eating canned pork and beans that's what the tltexture and taste reminded me of but it was chili. Fried rice must have been an off day or something because it didn't taste like it had much seasoning like less flavor than Panda fried rice. The Korean chicken had pieces that were really tough to bite and nearly impossible to chew like really tough beef jerky. The flavor was good for the limited few good pieces but the tough pieces were pretty bad. IDK if the toughness was due to being overly cooked or reheating previouy cooked Korean chicken or too much post cooking glaze at the wrong temperature. Sure miss K's Lunch Shop and Michelle's Hale Korean chicken when she didn't burn them. read more

All I can say is OMG. This is the place to be if you want to buy local and get run over by a shopping cart all in one day! They are wall to wall HI brand foods. The prices are reasonable for the location. The employees are smiling. Why 4 stars and not 5? The specialty departments. Bakery. Eh, it's okay. I've seen better. Deli, non-existent, literally. The cleanliness. I don't think the store is dirty. Maybe just run down from the stampedes it experiences daily. The crowds, tho... oh the crowds. Elbow to elbow. No joke. Nothing the store can do about that. Maybe expand! read more

Better get in early or you miss breakfast offerings and the best bentos and musubis. The largest KTA in Hilo does not disappoint with its full offerings including bakery, deli, meat, pharmacy and poke counter. Many speciality foods such as fancy meats and cheeses are available here to make any mainlander happy. Prices are generally reasonable with the exception of the $18 Lilikoi Cheesecake. PS cheesecake in Hawaii is not the same as cheesecake on the mainland. It's a trap. read more

On a Thursday before noon I ordered a bite to eat from The little restaurant next door and while waiting I decided to run over to KTA to purchase a small package of Chicken and some Parmesan cheese. I went to the express check out. The first line was the only had three people in line snd the second one two. I stood in the first line and an elderly lady was having some issues. They came and opened a third express lane and the lane to the left was moving rapidly as they were going to two lanes. The gentleman in front of me and I were going on 5-7 minutes watching people who hadn't been in line as long as us moving through the left line rapidly. I said I wonder if we can move to that line? The gentleman in that line told the man in front of me to go next. He looked at me and said you only have two things you go ahead. Are you sure I asked both gentleman? They said go ahead. As I approached the line a "Karen" who was putting her items down, says to me..... There's a line and your cutting in. I said no M'am I'm not. She began to raise her voice snd I told her not to concern herself. At that time the Young Woman Cashier, who had absolutely no idea what was going on decided she would jump in and question me. Where did I come from her line was for only those two cashiers, and who I asked if I could move ahead, and did I ask everyone etc..,, I left my purchases on the belt and walked away. It's one thing to be questioned by a grumpy old lady!! Quite another to be quizzed and questioned by an employee. Last time I checked it's no your job to be the line police, nor to be rude to paying customers. I immediately got in my car and called the Store and asked to speak with a Manager. They said they would take care of it, and apologized. I'm hoping they do!! What is up with Customer Service these days?!! read more

Can you carry Jackson Farms Hawaii Coffee products in your stores? I would buy it on all the islands. It tastes JUST LIKE IT CAME OUT OF ANOTHER PRODUCERS PACKAGE. You know the Black Gold , Royal Kona And Gourmet Kona Coffee brands? All Jackson Farms Hawaii coffee products. Can you get some of that in stock in ALL your stores? They have farms in Florida and Hawaii. The owner John Jackdon is the CEO of a multi-conglomerate I cant imagine why these products are not on the shelves yet. read more

This KTA was jam packed with goodies! Have been to a few on island and this one had the best selection of seafood, poke, local fruits and vegetables, not to mention the BEST snack aisle. read more

Real good ahi poke! All the ones we tried were good, but we didn't have anywhere to store perishables and just took away a small container of Korean ahi poke. The poke had a sweet beginning like shoyu poke and a spicy hot after taste. I wished I bought more for the road. The fish used was fresh and never frozen. The price was right, too. A 1/4 lb. was nearly $4. Besides poke, KTA is a good place to stop for groceries or just drinks and snacks for the road. Forget paying for pricey bottled water and juices at the hotel! The supermarket carried pretty much anything you might need: bakery goods, fresh produce, seafood, meat, and dry and canned goods. There is even a pharmacy here, just like big box grocery stores. Bring the coolers and stock up. read more

Prices look reasonable here if on sale. Just bought a lot of pastries and breakfast stuff. Didn't try the poke

This is a long over due review since I've been coming here for over 15 years... Although not the newest or cheapest grocery store in town, I love the products they offer in this store. A lot of it is locally made and grown that you can't find at Safeway per se. What a lot of people don't know is that as sleepy as Hilo/Big Island is, this island is a purists foodie heaven because everything is pretty much grown there. From cattle to cocoa, there's a lot of resources for chefs and cooks a like. That being said, their hot food section is the bestest!!!! They've got an impressive array of choices. Dude, they sell hot lau lau (so does sack n save!)! And on Weds or Tues? (I forget) they used to sell this beef pot roast that was HELLA good. At any rate, each day offers a special and I suggest you get it, coz it ain't a special for nothing plus local folks will definitely snap it up. Their hot food section is so popular, usually by the early evening (5-6pm) things are gone and pickings are slim. Pros: -Nice locally made/grown products not found elsewhere -Have a Bankoh branch inside -HOT FOOD DELI IS THE BEST HERE -lots of parking Cons: -Not the newest of stores (could use a bit sprucing up) and aisles widened -parking lot is funky...you'll see what I mean TIPS: Bring your own bags! Big Island does not provide shopping bags for free anymore read more

On our trip to the Big Island, it was the second KTA store we shopped at. My husband is in love their chocolate mochi so we had to find another KTA store before going back to our hotel in Waikoloa from Hilo to get his precious mochi. This store is bigger than the store we shopped in Waimea. The bakery section offered more selections. Near the entrance is where customers can find locally made snacks and treats like Donna's Cookies and Stone Cookies. KTA is celebrating 100th anniversary this year so there were t-shirts and bags commemorating this occasion near the front of the store. My husband and I got one of their anniversary t-shirts that said "Someone Special" on the front as a Father's Day gift for my father-in-law. This is a local business that has made it's mark on the Big Island and we are happy to shop here to support them. Happy 100th anniversary, KTA! read more

Hello, pie. DH and I were on the island at the same time that a raging debate over "best pie in Hawaii" was being duked out in the Honolulu Talk thread. There were many references to Holy's Bakery and a mention of Big Island Candies as well. It happens the weather was a total shut out and we didn't do half of the things we wanted. Boo. However, every voggy cloud has a silver lining. We had a sizable amount of money left over for pie. Props to my lovely husband for loving a crazy wife who says things like "So, I'm gonna buy some pies on the way to the airport.". In my defense, he got to help eat the pies, but he snickered and shook his head while I was buying and flying with them. So, I bought four frozen pies, talked story to a random woman who was also buying pie (the Holy's vs BIC debate is fierce!), talked story to the cashier (who likes Ted's pie on Oahu, the heathen), and headed out. The store was clean, the staff was friendly, the fellow shoppers were sweet. It was a great experience! Also, there was a split decision on the pie. Holy's Apple is the DH's favorite and BIC Apple was mine. read more

Hokki Gai (surf clam) Poke is chunked clam mixed with sesame seeds, ogo (seaweed), green onions. The clams are so sweet and slightly briny. The ogo adds a slight crunchy texture. The green onion adds a refreshing flavor. Rating: 5/5 Marlin Poke is chunked swordfish mixed with ogo, minced garlic, sesame, and chili pepper flakes. Swordfish is a meaty fish with an assertive flavor. The garlic and chili pepper tame it down to bring sweetness out of the fish. The ogo adds a slightly briny flavor to tie it all together. Rating: 4/5 Spicy Tuna Poke is chunked tuna mixed with tobiko (fish roe), green onion, and diced onion in a spicy mayo. Similar to what you would find in a spicy tuna roll in a sushi bar. The difference is that this is chunked rather than minced so texturally you'll have the soft tuna chunks and the crisp, pungent diced onion. The tobiko bursts in your mouth with sweet briny goodness. Rating: 5/5 Tako Poke is tako (octopus) mixed with ogo, minced garlic, and chili pepper flakes. The tako is sliced and acts like a sponge, absorbing all of the flavors, yet retaining the sweet tako flavor. The ogo's slightly crunchy texture contrasts nicely with the tender tako. Rating: 4.5/5 Wakame Salad is a good side dish to poke or to put your poke on instead of rice. KTA seasons it perfectly with a balance of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. You have the natural briny flavor from the seaweed itself and then the sweet sour flavor of rice vinegar. I could eat a whole plate of this! Rating: 5/5 read more

Beat grocery store in Hilo. The take out is good, pre made bento boxes are good. Always come where for my groceries when I'm in town visiting. read more

Best place to get locally grown food, besides the farmer's market and Island Naturals. I like that they have it on their price labels whether something was grown in Hawaii or imported from the mainland. You don't get that at the farmer's market (Note: do not assume that all the produce at the farmer's market was grown in Hawaii. Just ask the vendors and they usually will tell you. The garlic is typically imported from China). KTA is the only place in Hilo that sells Hawaii-grown shimp. I am trying to avoid shrimp that has been imported from other countries, as there is no regulations on the conditions that the shrimp are raised in or the chemicals that they use. The locally grown beef is delicious, and the locally grown pork looks good but is usually in limited supply and prohibitively expensive for someone who doesn't have a lot of disposable income. TIP: The one thing that I find deceptive about KTA is their liberal use of the Mountain Apple Brand. While most of the things bearing that label ARE locally grown, be on guard. If you look at processed foods & beverages' Mountain Apple Brand labels, you will notice that they aren't all locally grown ingredients. For example, you would think that the Mountain Apple Brand orange juice is made exclusively from locally grown oranges. NOPE. For the processed stuff, the Mountain Apple designation just means it was prepared in Hawaii. If you see Mountain Apple marinated chicken, the chicken is from the mainland, the sauce ingredients from who knows where, but since they prepared it by putting some marinade and sauce on it in Hawaii, it is labelled under that brand. read more

These 104 yelp reviews probably all talk about how * a m a z i n g * the poke is here..... Well here's #105!!!! Coming back to Hilo from CA, this is the very first thing I am in search of right off the plane.. Fresh poke!! And my cousins always take me straight to KTA. i love their varieties of poke they offer & they do let you taste it if you ask =] i wish we had something like this back home where you can buy it by the pound, but poke around here in So Cal CANNOT COMPETE AT ALL... no matter how many poke shops pop up, nothing comes close. cruise the "frozen" section for some high quality ahi steaks too... damn! makes me go ooooOooOooweeEeeeEe read more

KTA Super Stores - one of THE best places to get your fresh poke in Hilo. Lots to choose from! - Grocery Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

If you're in the area, come here for the fresh poke. It was sooo good especially the ahi tuna with sesame seeds, seaweed, sesame seed oil, and shoyu sauce! read more

We came for the poke, and overall the poke quality was good to below average. We came about 45 minutes before closing, so that could be the reason as I'm assuming the poke are prepared early morning. The best one's we tried were the lobster mix poke and the scallop poke. Unfortunately the worst was the tuna poke. It was chewy, and some pieces I couldn't even swallow. Unfortunately pretty bad we couldn't even finish. I do want to say the person who helped us with the poke was awesome, he let us take our time, let sample everything, etc. Overall, maybe it's because we came too late to get the poke. YMMV though, so I'd still give this place a shot if you're in the hilo side of the big island. read more