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What We Ordered - Five Seasons Don with added Scallop - Lava Flow Don I didn't read reviews before ordering so we ended up ordering 2 types of chirashi don instead of trying one of the torched series. Fish was very fresh! No frills or heavy sauces. Location has limited indoor seating and there is a bit of a wait since each bowl is assembled when ordered.
Ocean taste can take all my money. We did see a couple of small cockroaches walking around the restaurant and crawling on the walls. Slightly concerning? Sure. Will I still come back? Yeah, probably. Also a little odd that I've actually never seen any cockroaches anywhere else at south shore marketplace... If you're the type that worries about your food prep.. maybe take this into consideration..
Tuna is insanely fresh, literally like butter in your mouth as you take your first bite. They have more simple classic flavors, if you want something a little richer then their seared series is also a delight! They have sashimi bowls and other seafood if you want a more elevated bowl too. Personal faves are the fresh ginger ahi, the torched garlic ahi, and crème brulee salmon!! Drooling just thinking about it... Love their calamansi honey drink along with their other fruit teas.
Good salmon poke! Salmon poke is hit or miss, but the texture and taste from this salmon was good. I got the spicy salmon poke bowl, but I felt like it could have been spicier. I also wish the rice to poke ratio was better, but they get a point for having warm but not extremely hot rice. Service was good and there is seating in the restaurant, but it can get extremely busy!
Been loving this place since their 'Ohana Hale and later Kapahulu days and their newest location is smaller but still inviting and I like being able to find parking more easily in the South Shore Market lot. I always get the same torched garlic bowl and my hubs likes the Lava Flow. Both of these are equally delicious, fish is fresh, and rice is on point. Their service is quick even during lunch on a weekday. Thank you for the awesome tastes and can't wait to try more.
How many times can we eat here before it's considered a problem? This is our go to order: pineapple plantation iced tea, torched spicy mentaiko ahi, and torched garlic salmon. The best poke bowl with such a delicate and rich flavor!
This poke spot always hits the spot! I switched up my usual order and tried the Island Ginger Ahi, and it did not disappoint. There were several people in line when I got there, but the wait wasn't bad at all. The fish is always fresh and perfectly cut...no chewy or vein pieces. The rice is delicious, too. I also got a honey calamansi drink. I don't like overly sweet drinks, and this one is just right and has fresh calamansi inside it.
Fresh quality sushi- we especially liked the lava flow. Ordered to go by phone 5-6 tables available for dining Quick service
This is not your average poke bowl. Ocean Taste is famous for their torched bowls which have a brûlée-torched top. They do also have non-torched options which are just as good. Service is quick, counter service. There are tables to eat within the shop as well as around South Shore Market.
The torched garlic butter ahi bowl was SO good! The fish was extremely soft, fresh, and flavorful, and the garlic butter added the perfect amount of richness without overpowering the ahi. We also tried the lilikoi iced tea, which wasn't too sweet and had the perfect balance to go with the bowl. It's a smaller shop located inside South Shore Market, but there was still a handful of seating available. The music was good, everything was very clean, and the overall atmosphere was really nice. We definitely enjoyed our food and would come back again!
I've been wanting to try Ocean Taste at South Shore Market for a while since it's always busy and I've heard a lot of good things about it. For my first visit, I ordered the Torched Spicy Salmon Crème Brûlée, one of their popular items. Going into it, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but the bowl was much sweeter than I anticipated. Since it's a crème brûlée inspired dish, that's understandable, but I found the sweetness overpowered some of the savory flavors for me. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I had tried one of their other options, such as the Garlic Torched Salmon. The salmon itself was fresh and good quality. The bowl comes lined with foil, which likely helps prevent sticking and gives the dish a clean presentation. However, because everything is kept neatly within the foil-lined bowl rather than being piled high, the portion feels more modest, which made the $17 price tag a little harder for me to justify. With a small side salad, my total came out to around $21. While everything tasted fresh, I left feeling like it was a bit pricey for what was served. Service was quick and efficient. I ordered upon arrival, there was no line, and my food was ready within about 5-10 minutes. There is plenty of seating available. Ocean Taste has tables inside, and South Shore Market also offers outdoor seating and a communal table towards the center of the market , making it easy to find a place to sit and enjoy your meal. Parking can be a little tricky depending on the time of day. The first floor of the parking structure tends to be the busiest, but if you're willing to head up to the higher levels, especially the third floor, you're usually more likely to find a spot within a few minutes. Overall, I'm glad I finally gave Ocean Taste a try. The ingredients were fresh, the service was efficient, and I can see why it has a loyal following. While the Torched Spicy Salmon Crème Brûlée wasn't quite for me due to the sweetness and the value didn't fully match the price in my opinion. That being said, I would definitely come back to try another item on their menu!
My daughter wanted to try this eatery because she heard good things about it. We went a few minutes after they opened at 11:00am on a Wednesday morning and there was already a line. They have a few tables and bar type seating for singles to sit and eat against the wall. Luckily, we snagged a 2 seater table and ordered the Torched Garlic Salmon to share. -Good news was that the salmon was very fresh, absolutely delicious, and melted in our mouths! Thank goodness my daughter doesn't eat too much and was filled with just half of it. I could've eaten more as the rice was fluffy and the sauces were heavenly. -Bad news is that it's a pretty small serving (it's a mini sized portion container). Another downside is the price of $17.95. -Conclusion: It lived up to the hype. I'd buy it again because it was just THAT good. Keep in mind, it's not a ton of food but you're paying for quality. Service was also excellent as the cashier was friendly and fast. Support small businesses
Good service, very tasty spicy salmon bowl, casual atmosphere with a mellow vibe. Located in a cool little mall with parking
Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the fresh fish quality, unique torched bowls, creative sauces and flavors, and friendly, efficient service.
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Ocean Taste is still one of my top places to get poke on-island. I'm so happy they are in South Shore Market now! I always get the Torched Garlic Salmon. Apparently my sis heard so much about this place and wanted to try too so of course I said I wanted to go LOL. She loved what she got and I wasn't even surprised that she liked it as much as I did because I love it here lol. Highly recommend trying if you love poke and fish. It's one of the best on-island. Upon opening a line begins to form so if you go early you won't have to wait long. read more
Ocean Taste is one of the newest biz in South Shore Market, sharing the space with Nalu Health Bar & Cafe, Lemon Supply, Off the Wall, etc. I haven't visited since they had their old location, but this area seems like a much more profitable spot for them. So popular here - there are usually lines out the door for them! They still have the coveted Aburi Series (torched bowls) which was are insanely addictive! We got the Spicy Salmon Crème Brûlée and Torched Garlic Butter Ahi. The Spicy Salmon Crème Brûlée bowl was delicious - rich, buttery, and the sweet sugar cracked top from the brûlée added a unique taste that's different from other poke bowl places. Not spicy at all, more sweet and savory. Alas, the only downside is the bowls are pretty small making it hard to feel satisfied and full for the price of ($18 each). Since moving to Ward location, we can expect a spike in prices so it's a few dollars more than their old locations. Overhead and fresh fish ain't cheap, so I get it! Plenty of free and ample parking in the garage which is nice. I would recommend trying it out! I could see myself coming back while shopping in the area if I want a snack, but not full meal. read more
Tried the Snowy Volcano Don and the Spicy Salmon Creme Brulee, it was really good! The torched poké bowl was definitely my favorite - it's a small place that packs a lot of flavor, I really want to try more of the selection next time - Miguel Morales Photography read more
2 years ago
Usually I spot a large line out the door for Ocean Taste, but I was finally able to visit on a slower day! The store is pretty spacious but there are only a few seating options. I ordered the Kaisen Don which was pretty big and everything was fresh and delicious - I was able to save some to share with my partner as I couldn't finish it all for lunch. Probably one of my favorite poke shops in Honolulu. read more
I didn't have high hopes coming into Ocean taste because of its location but I live to be proven wrong. I had the Mentaiko Ahi with a passion lemonade and wow. The fish and mayo was torched just right and combine with the rice underneath it was so delicious. Delicious to the point I wish I could have had another but I was quite full even though the fish is deceptively small! I like it here, it was chill and the staff was nice. I want to try the butter ahi next! read more
2 years ago
They have been super busy when they first opened so I finally got to try them. The shop is inside South Shore Market in Ward Village. A lot of parking and it's to the left side when you go in through the parking garage. I got the spicy ahi creme brulee because I was curious how the sugar would be like with the poke... turns out that the crunchy sugar topping complements the salty soft fish. I ordered during lunch time and got my order in a timely manner. Will definitely try their other torched poke bowls. It's just pretty pricey for a small take out box of poke bowl. read more
7 months ago
7 months ago
Saw this place on tiktok and had to try it. We got the Kaisen Don. The fish was really fresh and melted in your mouth. It also paired well with the tako and onions. For $25 I would give it a 4/5 if the price was a little better I'd give it a 5/5. Overall great fish, decent price. Will try again read more
1 year ago
I'm so happy they finally have a permanent home in South Shore Market. The fish is always fresh from auction. I always get the torched garlic salmon bowl and it never disappoints. They also surprisingly have my favorite plantation iced tea. It's the perfect place to get lunch and then walk around the shops. read more
4 months ago
I'm glad Ocean Taste is back. I used to visit often at their former location in Ohana Hale Marketplace at Ward before it closed down. I'm glad they now opened in South Shore Market which is a convenient location with available parking. Their new store is nice. There are available seatings inside or outside their shop. Spicy Salmon crème brûlée: The crème brûlée sauce was very good. Different and original. I like how it has a sweet spiciness to it. The burnt sugar on top adds a crunchy layer. It goes well with the salmon. Torched Spicy Mentaiko Ahi: This poke bowl has a very good amount of mentaiko. You can taste mentaiko in each bite. If you are a fan of mentaiko like me this poke bowl is definitely a the perfect choice. The spicy sauce was also good and wasn't too spicy or over sauced on the ahi. Overall, a great poke bowl shop. This place is one of my top 3 to get poke bowls. If it's your first time visiting I do recommend to get one of their torched bowls since it's what they are known for. The slightly charred sushi rice with the torched sauces are so good. Service was quick now where it takes 10-15 minutes to prepare. I do agree with the other yelpers that the ratio of the sashimi to rice is unbalanced where there is more rice than sashimi. read more
8 months ago
During a recent girls' trip, we discovered these amazing torched seafood bowls. The standout was the torched salmon; the flame-searing adds a wonderful smokiness and perfectly caramelizes the topping. We also ordered tuna and salmon bowls. Every bite of the fresh tuna and salmon was high quality. Lastly, lychee tea--it's light, crisp, and has just the right amount of sweetness. Can't wait to return! read more
I thought I would never get to try this place but then they reopened in south shore marketplace! My friends always raved about it and now I know why. The poke here is delicious! They have both regular poke bowls and torched bowls. I got a poke bowl and it was so good - just enough flavor but it doesn't overpower the fish. I tried some of my friend's torched bowl and that was also so good! Definitely richer in taste. Can't wait to try more of their flavors! They do have some seats inside, but it's a little limited. If you can't find a seat, you can take it to go and probably snag a seat in the open areas of the marketplace read more
1 year ago
I tried Torched Spicy Mentaiko Ahi for the first time and it's far one of the best one I've had from their menu. Can't forget the drink refreshment- Honey Calamansi! read more
1 year ago
I'd seen the hype and with all the possible poke spots it's hard to stand out, but I'd say Ocean Taste met all of it well. The inside is packed but you can find other seating in the Makai market. The tuna was soft and flavorful, having the scallop was a fun treat without going crazy, and it was nice having a chirashi bowl medley without the craziness that comes from town prices. read more
Glad to see them back in action! My absolute favorite, Torched Garlic Salmon. Tasted exactly the same except less salmon and higher price of course. haha Times do change. They are in a great location now. Busy area and lots of parking. They are a little busy sometimes due to the high volume of people coming again so my wait time was about 30 minutes.. The service was still just as I remembered. Lots of seating inside and outside. I would definitely come check them out if you missed them at the old Sports authority. read more
1 year ago
Tried and true. I always come back and get the same order and if not this, the salmon crème brûlée is so good too. Lots of seating and parking. Always good to pair with the CBTL that's right around the corner. Text or call your order and they'll have it ready in no time! read more
Ocean Taste has the best seared Poke bowls! The garlic Mentaiko Ahi bowl is to die for. My boyfriend and I have to prevent ourselves from coming back each weekend. They have seating inside as well on the outskirts. Service: Everyone is so kind and quick. Price: While a little pricy, fresh fish isn't cheap! Quality: 10/10 everytime I visit Must try: -Plantation ice tea (SOOOOOO GOOD) -Seared Poke bowls -Poke Nachos read more
Glad this spot opened a storefront! I remember trying it once years ago when they were just a booth. Located in Ward West Village with ample parking. There's about 3 tables as well as hightop counter spaces for you to sit and enjoy your food. Ordering was quick and the food also came out within 5-10 minutes because I did order the torched ones. The fish was fresh and the topped sauces complimented them well. I definitely prefer the Mentaiko Ahi, only because the garlic mayo was a bit much for me. But it was still good. I do want to come back and try out the other bowls as well. The items are pricey in comparison to other poke places, but it is reasonable for the time and presentation that is put into each dish. read more
10 months ago
The food is amazing! 10/10 recommend. Wish we would have found this place sooner but we will be back before we leave! read more
Last time I had Ocean Taste was when there was still the Ohana Marketplace so it's been a long couple of years. So happy they re-opened and have, hopefully, a permanent location. Located at South Shore Marketplace - parking can be hard during peak hours but people funnel in and out. Went a little after lunch and there was no line. The design of the place looks like the same style as their past locations. Place was extremely clean - inside and the whole marketplace itself. I love me a good seared poke and I've tried both the salmon and ahi options. I got the seared garlic ahi this time and the bowl was packed with a generous amount of sauce - I wish it was just seared a little more but next time I'll ask for well done. Still my top favorite seared poke bowl place. With the large chunks of poke and the garlic mayo, you'll definitely get full so it's def worth the price! read more
2 years ago
So I've been to Ocean Taste at their Ohana Hale location and it was really good! However, I feel like it's changed when they moved to South Shore... ***What I ordered ~ **Torched Garlic Salmon (5/10) ~ The amount of salmon they give you is not much and they also give an absurd amount of rice (which happened to be pretty dry). However, obviously the torched mayo on top of everything made it better. I feel like at their old location the fish and rice was wayyy better. **Plantation Iced Tea (10/10) ~ I thought this very refreshing and good! It wasn't overly sweet and you could taste the pineapple juice and black tea. Overall, I'm not sure if I would come back for the price and portion of these bowls. It's pretty pricey and they don't give too much. I also had to wait 40 minutes for bowl at 3:30pm (there wasn't a line during this time). read more
4 months ago
I was starvin n stumbled upon this place - crowded but was served timely- so many good choices - I opted for the Lava Flow which looked lovely and ofc I love the drink so decided to go with that- the scallops were succulent and fresh n sweet- Ikura was fresh - spicy ahi was uniquely seasoned with some toasted sesame seeds - a very tasty combo - Think this is the BEST fish bowl I have had minus the ones in Tokyo ofc - but on island - I definitely want to come back for more!!! read more
I wanted to try Ocean Taste for a while but it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Today was my big chance so I ordered the very intriguing spicy salmon creme brûlée. I thought that sugar on poke is weird but oh, no! First, the rice is good, fluffy and moist. The salmon has a clean, fresh taste and texture. The brûlée gave it the perfect carmelization, slightly sweet and crunchy. I really enjoyed this spicy, savory, creamy, sweet, crunchy experience. The $17.95 price tag was a little painful, but I can't stay mad at this poke brûlée! read more
2 years ago
I was so sad when ocean taste closed off by market city after just discovering it, I was so excited once I heard they finally opened after their store front had been saying Spring 2024. Despite the food influencer saying it was new, I knew it was the same ocean taste as before. My friends and I did take out and it didn't disappoint. From the snowy volcano bowl, to the garlic ahi, and torched salmon with ikura, everything was delicious. The prices are still reasonable given it's new Ward location, can't wait to have it again finally! read more
2 years ago
Located in South Shore Market, a very little spot. It does get busy, but we grabbed our order to go. The cashier was friendly, and helped us determine which bowl a friend of ours tried. The fish was fresh, and the sushi rice was perfect. I added uni to my order. Worth every penny! Can't wait to come back read more
Finally I have a chance to try this restaurant after they moved to the new location. Always see long line during lunch hour. The interior of the restaurant is very clean. I ordered Torched Garlic Salmon ($17.95) and Spicy Ahi Bowl ($15.95) and Passion Lemonade ($5). The portion wasn't too big with this price. Overall the ahi and salmon were pretty fresh and they did a good job on their sauce. I love the torched garlic salmon and definitely will go back to try other options. read more
5 months ago
I never had the chance to try Ocean Taste when they were located in the Ohana Hale Marketplace before it closed down... BUT I'm glad that I finally got to try this place! It definitely lives up to the hype and the poke bowls are fresh and tasty. The new location is convenient and parking is easy to find because it's located in South Shore Market. I tried their Torched Spicy Mentaiko Ahi (my fav), Garlic Poke Bowl, and Passion Lemonade. I liked that the torched ahi was more saucy with a good amount of mentaiko and the fish also had a nice charred taste to it. If you prefer something lighter and still flavorful, then I recommend the garlic bowl. Service was friendly and quick. I will be back to try their other bowls :) read more
Came here for a quick meal after snorkeling nearby and chilling with turtles. This food was FIRE (pun intended)! And it seems quite unique - I haven't really seen torched poke before, and the sauce combo was cool too. I got the torched Ahi Tuna and my girlfriend got the torched salmon. Both were superb, but I loved the tuna the most. Not only was the meat and sauce tasty, the rice itself was nicely seasoned and tasty. I also got a nice yuzu iced tea - you can ask for less sweet which I recommend. Service was super quick and nice, and there's plenty of seating inside if you want to eat there. Overall, this spot is really good for a light meal! read more
2 months ago
Had to see and taste what all the hype was about! We came at around 12:45 pm. The restaurant itself is fairly small but there are some tables and chairs if you plan to dine in. No line surprisingly which is definitely a plus especially with its upcoming popularity! We wanted to try their bowls and went with the Touched Spicy Mentaiko Ahi ($17.95) and the Torched Garlic Butter Ahi bowl ($17.95). You can also add $3 for side salad if you fancy. The bowls didn't take too long to come out and service here is fairly quick. Right off the bat after opening the container was two beautifully made poke bowls filled with sauce and torched to perfection. The garlic ahi was probably my favorite of the two. Creamy garlic sauce and the torched ahi with every bite made it so ono!! I wished the spicy ahi was spicier but I was told you can request it spicier, but only after we ordered. They are also very generous with the rice and enough for a mouthful each bite! Overall, one of the best poke bowls I've had in a while! Definitely worth the hype and a must try for the first time. Definitely will be back to try their other bowls. Just too many to choose from. The torched bowls are my favorite if you enjoy that torched taste on the ahi/sauce. The price seems high but you'll be rewarded with tasty poke bowls that'll fill you up! read more
6 months ago
Delicious and fresh! I got the Lava Flow Don which includes scallops, ikura, spicy ahi, and tamago! Will come back to try their premium torched bowls which they are known for. read more
New spot at South Shore Market in Ward Village. Ambiance is that of a take out place with some bar seating and a couple of small dining tables. Service good but be prepared to wait a bit for your order. Do not expect fast food as it does take some time to prepare fresh food. Good food - we tried the five seasons don and lava flow don as well as salmon poke shoyu. Everything was fresh! Will come back and try other items on the menu. read more
I am so, so happy to see that this place is open again! After over a year of being closed, Ocean Taste's new location is at South Shore Market next door to Nalu Health Bar. With this new location, it's easily accessible if you're in the Kakaako area and there's ample (and free!) parking available at the South Shore Market structure. They're known for their Aburi Series items and their Chirashi Don's, but even a regular poke bowl from this place gets a stamp of approval from me! With a place that is as beloved and popular as Ocean Taste, don't be surprised if you need to wait a bit for your food; it's totally worth it. I arrived on Sunday around noon and the line was roughly 20-25 people deep. It took me around 25 minutes to get to the counter, and another 20 minutes for my order to be ready. The person at the counter was apologizing for the delay but they're doing their best and were very polite, so I had no problem with waiting. I ordered the Torched Garlic Salmon and it was just as delicious as i remembered it! Think of ordering Aburi Salmon nigiri, but instead getting it in Don form instead; genius, right? I picked up a Lava Flow Don for my cousin, which comes with Hokkaido Scallops, Ikura, Spicy Ahi, and Tamago. She was over the moon about it and also enjoyed how fresh the seafood was! My only complaint so far is that the fish to rice ratio could be just a little better for the aburi series. There's a lot of rice on the Torched Garlic Salmon don for the amount of fish that comes with it; adding just a bit more fish to even out the ratio would do wonders! Despite having a very busy and hectic opening so far, Ocean Taste has been doing amazingly well! Over time, I've tried a good amount of items on their menu and highly recommend the Five Seasons Don if you're feeling luxurious or want to treat yourself; it comes with Ahi, Salmon, Uni, Ikura, Snow Crab, and Ajitsuke Tamago! To stay up to date with them, I recommend following their account on Instagram @oceantastehawaii. Can't wait to come back again! read more
came here for a late lunch with friends and was impressed overall. the garlic seared salmon bowl was delicious and the snowy volcano don was fresh! it's best shared imo because only eating one bowl can get a little boring so it was nice to split half of each with my husband so we didn't get tired of the flavors. portions are good sizes and service was fast. it was really clean inside and had a good crowd coming through during our meal despite it being 2pm. they're located inside south shore market so parking is plentiful, just need to drive up through the levels. we're definitely coming back to try some of the other options next time! read more
2 years ago
I had torched poke on my food bucket list for a while, i saw someone on IG getting them and now finally I tried now i am obsessed! I got the burle salmon and absolutely loved it. Space looks neat and minimalistic. Service was good and fast even though there were so many people there. Definitely a must try in Honolulu read more
1 year ago
Wow these bowls were bomb ingredients tasted fresh and flavors were service was fast and ambiance was simple and clean. read more
More info about Ocean Taste
1170 Auahi St
Honolulu, HI 96814
Ala Moana
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(808) 636-0877
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