A plain-language guide to what we sell, how we grade it, and the best way to enjoy each one at home. When in doubt, choose by how you want to eat it, raw, seared, or cooked through, and you will land on something good.
Fresh ahi, graded the way we grade for the islands' best kitchens.
How we grade ahi
Grade is about quality, not size. On the auction floor, every tuna is judged on color, oil, clarity, and texture, and only a handful each morning ever reach the top. We buy at the only fresh tuna auction in the United States and grade for you exactly the way we grade for the restaurants we supply, so you are never guessing. These are the grades you will see on our ahi, from the rare, almost-too-good-to-eat top tier down to an everyday sashimi grade that still outclasses nearly anything at the market.
UltraMuseum quality, the finest tuna on the auction floor and the rarest grade we buy. Deep, glistening red, marbled like fine beef, so beautiful it feels almost a shame to slice. The oil melts the instant it meets your tongue. This is the best of the best, almost too good to eat. Serve it as sashimi, plainly, and let it speak for itself.
PremiumA whisper below Ultra and still extraordinary. Cherry red and velvety, rich with oil and that full, luxurious finish the best sushi counters chase. Stunning raw, sublime barely seared. Few people ever taste tuna this fine.
Bright RedThe classic Hawaii bigeye at its brightest, translucent ruby with clean, even marbling. Our most versatile top grade, just as at home as sashimi, poke, or a quick sear. This is restaurant quality in the truest sense, the fish the islands' best kitchens build their menus on.
RedBalanced, generous, and beautifully flexible, with the signature gummy-bear give Hawaii loves. Made for poke and sashimi, and it takes a grill or a sear without missing a beat. Everyday luxury, and a clear cut above almost anything else you will find.
Select RedOur entry grade, and still a long step beyond the tuna most people have ever tasted. A touch more moisture lets it sear to a ruby blush and grill beautifully, while staying clean enough to enjoy raw. The floor of our range is most kitchens' ceiling.
Sashimi grade means a fish we consider ideal to serve raw, kept cold from the auction floor to your door. Grading like this applies mainly to tuna. For everything else, we select by freshness, oil, and condition, and label every product with its cut and source.
Lean or rich?
Fish run from lean and clean to lavishly rich. If you are choosing for the first time, this is the fastest way to find your kind of fish.
Many of these cross over. A good piece of ahi or opah is wonderful both raw and seared.
How done do you want it?
The same fish can run from raw to fully cooked. Here is what each looks like, and which of ours suit it.
Sashimi, rawCold and uncooked, the purest way to enjoy sashimi-grade fish. Ahi, hamachi, kanpachi, king salmon, walu, opah, and the snappers.
Seared rareA hard, fast sear with a cool ruby center. Ahi, tombo, opah, walu, and swordfish take it beautifully.
MediumWarm and just-set in the middle, still moist. Salmon, swordfish, ono, mahi mahi, and opah. Around 125 to 130°F.
Cooked throughOpaque and flaking cleanly, the choice everyone can enjoy. Opakapaka, onaga, hapu'upu'u, monchong, coral cod, barramundi, and izumi dai. 145°F.
The USDA recommends cooking fish to 145°F. Serving it raw or seared rare is a personal choice, and one best made with sashimi-grade fish kept properly cold.
Cuts, explained
A few words you will see on our products, and what they mean for your kitchen.
Sashimi cut
Cleanly trimmed and graded for raw service, ready to slice into even sashimi or nigiri.
Natural cut
Trimmed to the fish's natural shape, skin on, ready for the knife or the heat.
Loin
A whole muscle section you slice or portion yourself. Our most flexible cut.
Steak
A cross-cut portion of even thickness, made for the grill or the pan.
Fillet
The side of the fish, skin on or off, to cook whole or portion at home.
Toro
The prized, fatty belly of the tuna, the richest cut of the fish.
Poke cube
Bite-size cubes, trimmed and ready to dress and serve.
A guide to the catch
Flavor, texture, and how to cook it. Other names are shown in italics.
Ahi & Tuna
Bigeye Ahi AhiWild · Hawaii
Deep ruby red, rich and clean with a buttery finish. The classic Hawaii tuna for sashimi and poke, and it sears beautifully.
Best for raw, poke, seared
Tombo AlbacoreWild · Hawaii
A lighter, milder tuna with a soft texture and a pretty translucent color. A local favorite for poke and an easy introduction to raw fish.
Best for poke, seared, raw
Yellowtail & Amberjack
Hamachi YellowtailFarm-raised · Japan
Buttery, rich, and clean, with the high oil that makes it a sushi-bar favorite. Exceptional raw, and the collar is a treat on the grill.
Best for sashimi, nigiri, crudo
Kanpachi AmberjackOcean-raised · Hawaii
Firm, clean, and gently sweet, a little leaner than hamachi but just as good raw. Lovely as crudo or lightly seared.
Best for raw, crudo, seared
Salmon & Steelhead
King Salmon
Ocean-raised · New Zealand Exceptionally rich and high in oil, with a silky, full-fat texture you can taste. Roast, sear, or serve it raw.
Best for raw, roast, sear
Steelhead
Ocean-raised Clean and delicate with a finer grain than salmon. Wonderful raw or barely cooked.
Best for raw, light cook
Open-Ocean Whitefish
Ono WahooWild · Hawaii
In Hawaiian, ono means delicious. Lean, mild, and firm with a clean white flake that takes marinades well. Grills and sears clean, and it is lovely raw.
Best for grill, sear, raw
Mahi Mahi
Wild · Hawaii Sweet, mild, and firm, the easy crowd-pleaser. Grill it, saute it, blacken it, or fold it into tacos.
Best for grill, sear, tacos
Swordfish ShutomeWild · Hawaii
Meaty and dense with a mild sweetness and buttery moisture when it is fresh. Grill it thick, like a steak.
Best for grill, sear, raw
Monchong PomfretWild · Hawaii
A white-meat fish with high oil and a deep, buttery flavor that cooks up tender and flaky. Forgiving over any heat.
Best for grill, saute, bake
Opah MoonfishWild · Hawaii
One fish with several textures, from tuna-like loin to rich, fatty cuts. Naturally sweet and firm, it sears like a steak.
Best for sear, grill, raw
Walu EscolarWild · Pacific
Lavishly rich and buttery with a tuna-like texture, a delicacy raw or seared. So rich it is best enjoyed in modest portions.
Best for raw, sear
Kaku Open-Ocean BarracudaWild · Hawaii
Firm, lean, and clean, somewhere between mahi and sea bass. Built for bold marinades and the grill.
Best for grill, marinate
Snapper, Sea Bass & Grouper
Opakapaka Pink SnapperWild · Hawaii
Delicate, sweet, and soft, a Hawaii classic once reserved for royalty. Steam, bake, or sear it gently, and it is elegant raw.
Best for steam, bake, raw
Onaga Ruby SnapperWild · Hawaii
Refined and lightly sweet with tender, fluffy flesh. A prized fish for special occasions.
Best for steam, sear, raw
Uku Grey SnapperWild · Hawaii
Firm and moist with an almost lobster-like density and a clean, sweet flavor. As good raw as it is baked or grilled.
Best for raw, bake, grill
Hapu'upu'u Hawaiian Sea BassWild · Hawaii
Dense, snowy white, and luxurious, a celebration fish often steamed in the islands. Pairs with delicate sauces.
Best for steam, roast
Mero Sea BassWild
Silky and intensely rich, with large snow-white flakes that melt in the mouth. Roast or pan-sear for sweet, caramelized edges.
Best for roast, sear
Bluenose Sea BassWild · New Zealand
Clean and crisp with firm, pearly fillets and a mild sweetness. Excellent for sashimi or roasting, and it stays juicy.
Best for raw, roast, sear
Barramundi AkameFarm-raised
Mild, sweet, and moist with a gentle richness and plenty of omega-3. Pan-sears and steams beautifully.
Best for sear, steam
Coral Cod
Wild · Pacific Firm and mild with an almost scallop-like sweetness that soaks up whatever you cook it with. Great fried, baked, or in chowder.
Best for fry, bake, chowder
Izumi Dai TilapiaFarm-raised
Clean, mildly sweet, and neutral, in the family of snapper and striped bass. Sautes and steams well, and works as light sashimi.
Best for saute, steam
Shellfish & More
Kauai Sweet Shrimp
Raised · Kauai Sweet, crisp, and beautiful, raised in clean Kauai saltwater with no antibiotics. A premium for sushi and sublime simply grilled.
Best for raw, grill, saute
Red Sweet Crab
Wild · Frozen Snow-white, sweet lump meat, fully cooked and ready to use, sweet enough to eat straight from the pack.
Best for chilled, crab cakes, salad
Octopus TakoWild · Frozen
Tender steamed Japanese madako with a clean, sweet flavor, fully cooked and ready to slice.
Best for sashimi, grill, poke
Scallops U-10Frozen
Big, sweet, and clean. Sear them hard and fast for a golden crust and a tender center.
Best for sear
New to ordering fish online? See how your order is cut, packed, and shipped on our Shipping & Handling page, and know that every box is backed by our Freshness Guarantee.
