Love Tommy and the crew. They work hard / food always great / portions always good. Mochiko chicken is so insane here

One of the better plate lunch places in my opinion! My workplace decided to do lunch takeout from here as a farewell party for one of our managers and boy am I glad they chose this place. Their food delivers on flavor and they're VERY generous with the portion. When I first opened my Crab Stuffed Ahi, I thought I would still be hungry but boy was I wrong...I was struggling to finish the last couple of pieces so it's definitely worth your money! It is a bit dry but paired with the wasabi sauce is PERFECT. I would love to come back and order it again! Maybe with a side of fresh poke and the banana cream pie too! read more

Monarch Seafoods - Crab Stuffed Ahi (yum) - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Decent quality fish takeout spot in Kalihi. To start, I recommend calling ahead of time to make the process as hassle-less as possible. I ordered the Ahi katsu which came with a salad and a scoop of rice. The plate is around $15 and that seems to be the average price for any plate at this location. The portions are filling and you should have some left over. The Ahi Katsu was fresh and not overly oily. While the fish itself lacked a little bit of flavor, the salad dressing definitely made up for the lack of flavor. If you are ordering with a group, I highly recommend ordering poke to share. Parking: Challenging. Limited stalls with not much street parking. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Ahi katsu - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is a hidden gem off of Kalihi street. Only heard of this place because of a friend who goes here regularly. Being that they are open only 10-1:30 makes it a little difficult for me to get here but it was very worth the drive out here. Not very much parking so I would recommend to go with someone so you can jump out and grab and go. I got the crabbed stuffed ahi and it was delicious. Met the owner and he was a super cool guy. Did an order for some of the teachers at my school and needed to be ready at 10am which is when they open and he helped to make it possible. If you never tried this place make sure to check it out. My friends tip is to try the wasabi sauce. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Crabbed stuffed ahi - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Nori-wrapped, crab-stuffed ahi... sounds good, right? I read about it and longed for it... The day finally came when I saw an open parking spot on Colburn Street! Lack of parking in this area of Kalihi is a major obstacle! Monarch Seafood is located on the corner of Kalihi Street and Colburn Street, across from the Bank of Hawaii. Many reviewers warn customers about parking at the bank - - do not do it! It's very tempting. I thought about it. Just wait for a space or just keep looking everytime you pass by... one day, parking will appear! Inside of the small shop, there's a self-service beverage refrigerator, and a display case of a variety of fresh looking ahi poke. Right next to the poke was two containers of pickled mango. Wow... so perfect for my baby sister's birthday dinner tonight! I got one pickled mango and one limu poke. Of course, I had to sacrifice and be the taste tester, so when I got home, I took a bite of each... whoa, brah! Broke da mouth! Later that evening, my family asked where these local delicacies were from because the pickled mango and limu poke hit the spot! I only got 3/4 of a pound of poke because that's all they had left. I can see why... the poke was good quality... smooth, firm, and fresh with a touch of sesame seed oil! For myself, I ordered the nori-wrapped crab- stuffed ahi... yesss! So onolicious! It was better than I expected because of the hint of wasabi that pulled the flavors together and added "oomph" to the roll! I will continue to look for a parking space so I can get the ahi katsu next time... and other menu items! read more

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We always order here from work when the boss man treats us. I usually get the ahi belly as pictures or mochiko chicken salad. Everything always looks and tastes good and they give you really nice portion. I like that when I went here to pick up it's an old school looking fish market. Lots of stainless steel. They're poke looks awesome o hear the fried poke is great too. But they've been consistently good. Honestly better than a lot of high end restaurants I've been too. Try they out. They get really busy during lunch hours from all the nearby shop workers so I suggest ordering in advance. Support local! read more

Monarch Seafoods - Pan Fried Hawaiian Salt & Kukui Nut Crusted Ahi Belly - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Monarch Seafoods has changed. The display case was empty. No fresh cut fish to chose from. We called in the order and it was ready by the time we arrived 10 minutes later. It's clean and that's important for a fish place. Unfortunately the crab stuffed ahi was burnt and dry. We took a couple of bites then threw it out. Had to go home and eat leftovers. read more

Ahhh you've found one of the many spoils in Kalihi... if you can find parking... Monarch Seafoods is a great place to 'pick up' snacks if you're in the mood for a lil' taste of some local seafood flavor. Basically, this is meant to be a take out joint, not a sit in and dine. Sometimes, we'd just eat right outside the shop because of da hanger pains, but you make da call when you get yours! Located Kalihi St. just south of the Bank of Hawaii... parking is really the only issue here, like a few other places, but Monarchs does do take out orders besides ordering to go in shop, so grab a snack buddy to drop you off and pick you up for some ono grinds! At one time, I did work in the area and Monarch was on our rotation of places to eat... dishes like Aku Bone, Ahi Belly and my fav the Nori Wrapped Crabmeat Stuffed Ahi... I know right... Whoa! Portions for the price aren't too high but not for the penny saving person, but the taste and flavor for a change of pace from your regular seafood joint is spot on! Workers are busy, but friendly and efficient as humanly possible... so smile if they don't smile, because you know they are filling choke orders constantly... that's a good thing... I tend to question places that aren't too busy or the workers are just standing around waiting for something to happen... not this place... hours are pretty standard and stay open till posted hours... haven't been to this place close to closing time, but sure they'd sell anything they had left till the last minute! Till the next rotational visit... Grind On! Pau! read more

I ordered the Crab stuffed ahi and Ahi katsu for lunch one day. I really like the ahi katsu, definitely would recommend. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Crab stuffed ahi - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Sooooo amazing! It was a bit difficult to get through the phone to place the order, they seemed really busy. Also picking up the food during their select hours was only possible due to teleworking. However, pick up was effortless and the food was prepared perfectly. The crab stuffed ahi was fresh delicious crab inside moist ahi pate. The seared ahi was really quality sashimi grade and not overcooked at all! Highly recommend supporting this local business read more

Monarch Seafoods - Seared Ahi. Ps the salad dressing is to die for, slightly sweet miso vinaigrette. - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Crab stuffed ahi was really tasty, had a nice crunchy outside that survived the drive home and was not greasy or heavy feeling. But it is imitation crab. Also got the bento to get a little bit of variety and everything was ono. Mochiko chicken wasn't fatty and it was moist. I hate biting into chicken and getting just a mouthful of fat. The fried poke was good, but a little heavy feeling on the grease. Crab cake was ok, definitely needs with the sauce they give. Definitely worth trying more items! read more

Quality fish served here. Whenever I'm in kalihi I try to make a pit stop here for some ahi onion shoyu poke. Their fish is ice cold, cut into perfect size, not too big, not too small, it's perfect where it gets the right amount of sauce on it that you can taste both the fish & the seasonings. They also have hot plate lunch items here too! Check out the menu as the items are priced very good for such fresh seafood. The staff here work fast too! read more

Haven't been to monarch, since the pandemic began. It was very clean inside, and there was no line. The only downside is the parking. I parked in the stall, and instead of parking in a stall, another customer parked in front of all the stalls, blocking my exit. Other than that, food was great! read more

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Great seafood place! Best to order ahead of time and to leave a bit early so you can find parking. Our favorites are the Nori Wrapped Crabmeat Stuffed Ahi, and the Deep Fried Poke. We ordered the Fried Poke as a side because we already ordered to plates of the stuffed ahi, but it normally comes as a mixed plate. The Banana Cream pie is awesome if they have it that day. Overall; great food, and great service, (everyone is always nice) the only thing that is challenging is the parking. read more

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Definitely one of my favorite places to grab lunch! I debated long and hard about gatekeeping this place, but they really deserve the recognition! The workers are always friendly and quick! And the service area is always clean. My go-to meal: a crab stuffed ahi plate, all salad, extra dressing (usually comes with white or brown rice and toss salad). Panko crusted, nori wrapped, high quality ahi wrapped around creamy imitation crab salad fried to a perfect golden brown! Crispy, chewy, creamy yumminess! (I like to top with wasabi sauce and unagi sauce if eaten at home for a touch of sweet and spicy) The salad is a spring mix and always fresh. The dressing is the perfect match to the whole plate! Sweet and Tangy! If I could eat this every week, I'd be so happy! read more

The power is a super nice lady. Usually the place closes at 3 pm but explained to her no we came all the way from San Francisco 3 times to try the Nori stuffed crabmeat and ahi with a wasabi drizzle. The plate come with rice and a choice of macaroni salad or salad. But by the time we got there they didn t have a choice. And at that point after 3 tries on getting he famous nori wrap I took whatever she gave us. And it's was well worth the wait in my opinion. Will definitely ately come back to try other items on the menu another time. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Nor I stuffed crab meat and ahi tuna - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you can find parking nearby, it's your lucky day! Their ahi katsu plate is a winner, with ahi rolled in nori and panko then deep fried just long enough to get the panko crust crispy but the ahi still rare inside. It's served with a creamy wasabi sauce that is tasty and not overpowering. This comes with rice and a side salad with creamy, sweet garlic dressing that somehow goes perfectly with the ahi. The poke is also fresh and simple. Who knew that someplace with "seafood" in its name would also have deliciously crispy mochiko chicken? Unlike most places, their's is reminiscent of the kind I grew up with, with a thicker batter that has more sweetness from the mochiko flour. Some pieces have more skin and fat than meat, but I'm okay with that..that's what statins are for! The prices are reasonable and the staff nice and efficient. I'm so glad they have stayed open during this 2020 pandemic to give us great and affordable meals! read more

Fresh fish! Nori wrapped stuffed ahi was BOMB crunchy not soggy. Bento was a good choice if you didn't know what to get. A little bit of everything! They're always busy so get there early OR try and phone order for pick up. Parking is a little tricky as they only have street parking and they're located on a corner shop so you may have to walk a bit if there's no parking close by. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Stuffed nori wrapped ahi - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Usually only eat from here when we order from work. Food is very good and there is quite a few choices to choose from. My favorite is the stuffed crab ahi. Ive tried other food but this is my favorite. Service is great. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Stuffed crab ahi - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

All this time I've been working town side I've never been here until couple weeks ago. Reason I always just pass this place is because everyone said it was price but since I can't eat meat every Friday's I decided to give this place a try. When I looked at the prices I was like hmmm this place ain't pricy at all compared to other fish places. I decided to try what they're known for which is the nori wrapped crabbed stuffed ahi or something like that it's called. Lol. But whatever it's called. It is the bomb!!! So far every Friday's this is my go to spot for seafood. I always get the same thing. Why change or order something different if it's the bomb right? Maybe one day I'll change my dish but for now I'll see you every Friday with the nori rolled crab stuffed ahi. Also phone orders are the best. They are sometimes too busy and you must wait a while. I learned the hard way on that one but that's a good sign if it's busy. See you Friday again! read more

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Price is mid range but all of their items on the menu are outstanding from the Ahi steak to the chicken so tasty! What makes this place even more amazing is that they are right down the street from where I work so easy access to the delicious plates they create! read more

How can you not like this place? Well - I just don't like their parking situation! I normally illegally park on the curb with my hazards on and run in! Don't even try to park at the bank. There's a parking attendant watching their lot. I normally order the stuffed ahi roll with all toss salad.. well they serve weedy salad which is super bitter but the dressing they use makes up for it! I normally get a side of extra wasabi sauce. I normally skip the raw poke but sometimes I like to get the spicy ahi on the side. The prices are reasonable and they accept credit cards which is a plus! read more

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My bf told me about this place because of their well-known crab stuffed ahi roll plate. We decided to come here for lunch. It's a small shop tucked in the corner across from Bank of Hawaii in Dillingham. Parking is very limited. Since it was a Sunday we parked at Bank of Hawaii and quickly ran to order our food. I think you can do street parking on Sundays. There was not a lot of options on the menu but we looked at what we really wanted. So we ordered the: Crab stuffed ahi roll - rice and mac salad. It was crispy and tasty. Wasn't too salty. Mac salad was same as any other place. Kalua pork plate - came with rice and salad. It was a little salty but good. I was craving it for a while. Pricing was decent I guess. Though wasn't too sure if I would come back. I feel like the food at Fresh Catch tastes better for the price. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Crab stuffed Ahi roll plate - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Okay for those who frequent Kalihi or Nimitz area must know that you have the best hole in wall restaurants. It is nice since you have a counter here for take out, they do phone orders and their food is so good, of course you want them to cater your parties/tail-gates. If you want to wander from the McDonald's of local foods, AKA Zippy's, I highly suggest order the their deep-fried crab rolls or ahi poke. If you love battered goods, you must also try their mochiko chicken! If you also have the chance, order their salad b/c the house dressing that comes with it is super bomb! Think of Japanese style miso but with a honey-mustard hint of flavor. IDK for sure, but it is so good, you can purchase the dressing by the bottle for a reasonable price. Their crab cakes are pretty good, not a huge fan as my coworkers are. The main thing I keep coming back here is that I know you get great value for the portions and taste. The Hawaiian plates are also priced right for the lau lau, chicken long rice. poi and lomi salmon. I think it is available on certain days but call in or grab a menu to memorize their daily specials. I have to admit that the kalua pork is good here, the liquid smoke flavor, but it was a tad dry for my liking. If you have a sweet tooth, you must try a slice of the banana cream pie ($2.75) each. You may also opt for the whole pie for ($15)! It is great b/c the pudding-like custard in the pie is sweetened just right with fresh banana slices in each bite. They have no parking lot, but if the garage has open spots that over-take the sidewalk, you can park their for a SHORT-period of time. If not, it is best to have someone who can walk-in as you wait on the side. The cashier/food prep employee, she is always multi-tasking during the lunch hours. Hours of Operation Monday 10AM-4:30P Tuesday 10AM-4:30PM Wednesday 10AM-4:30PM Thursday 10AM-4:30PM Friday 10AM-4:30PM Saturday 10AM-2PM Sunday 10AM-2PM read more

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How come I got plenty onion?? Where's the mushroom?? ...Lunch menu listed as " Garlic butter sauteed tiger shrimp with zucchini + mushroom over linguini." read more

Monarch Seafoods - Where's the mushroom?? - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Jewel of a place in Kalihi. Take out only. But the food is Ono. The Crabmeat stuffed ahi with wasabi sauce is phenomenal. Their Hamburger steak is great as well. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Crabmeat Stuffed ahi - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My FAVORITE crabcakes. EVER!!! Family owned. Used to work right next door and always see the same happy, funny, hard working people. Love them! Love the food! read more

Got a chance to try their deep fried poke plate with salad. I was mostly satisfied with the whole thing. The fish, cut into cubes as usual, was not dried out and the Panko flakes were fried to a crispy brown. The plate had a generous amount as well, over twelve pieces. There was only one scoop of rice and the greens were okay, and a couple pieces were really wilted and should've been thrown out instead. The plate also came with salad dressing and a spicy mayo dip for the fish. Price was not bad for size of the plate. I would take out from this place again in the future. read more

Monarch Seafoods is a place of nostalgia for me. My family used to eat here almost every weekend at a point of our lives! Glad to see after all these years their recipes have never changed. My regular go tos are the garlic butter linguine with tiger prawns, nori stuffed ahi and their ahi katsu. As everyone says, their salad dressing the supppper good here. The fact that almost everyone picks the side salad over mac salad is telling! The nori stuffed ahi can be dry at times, but I usually put the salad dressing on top of the the ahi to make it not as dry. When coming, I would say come as early as possible. I phone ordered at 1:15 (45 minutes before closing) and they had run out of ahi katsu for the day. Their parking situation is very spotty, usually I would have someone else in the car and circle back around for them to take out. Their orders usually take 10~15 minutes and I recommend phone ordering! Their hours are usually the times I'm at school or work :( But if you have a lunch break near here it's totally worth it. PS They didn't give us forks, so we had no utensils to eat with as we were out for the day. I'm all about sustainability so maybe ask for forks/utensils when ordering from them! read more

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Hidden gem on Kalihi Street. Meant to try here many times but due to only street parking, it's a 2 person operation. 1 to run in and the other to circle in the "get away car. " Ordered the furikake salmon and 2 bentos and they were both fantastic. The salmon was perfectly cooked, the deep fried poke was ono and the mochiko chicken was excellent, crispy and not overly battered. Even the crab cake was very good and was actually made with crab and not the imitation. They make the mochiko chicken the way it's supposed to be made, with mochiko and not some flour batter. Definitely our go to place now. read more

I went to Monarch Seafoods today that is right around the corner of Chun Wah Kam and across Bank of Hawaii. This place has poor and yummy seafood. I tried one of their specials nori wrapped crabmeat stuffed ahi. This was indeed unique. Parking can be tough to find but worth it if you craving poke or seafood. read more

Monarch Seafoods - Nori wrapped crabmeat stuffed ahi - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

food: satisfied in the taste and full of flavor ordered: choice #1 roasted garlic chicken with mushroom sauce (panda style) choice #2 monarch deep fried poke side half pound poke! "spicy tuna" service: walked in as a first timer. old man rude as shit "can i help you" us not knowing where the damn menu! on a regular paper in front the cashier. ordered the half pound spicy tuna while the food was being made, old man drops my container and poke on the ice scoops it back and tops it off with more. like am i supposed to be OK with it? read more

I finally got my foot in the door of this great local style take out in the heart of Kalihi. I tried the Mochiko/ Deep Fried Poke combo, great taste! This place is small and has no parking. Best to call in and pick up or have someone drop you off. They have a great local style menu from Furikake Salmon to Hawaiian Plate. When you walk in The menu is posted on your right side on the wall. Its kind of hard to see. This place is like a small deli, eveything is made and packed where the food is cooked. The service is good and they are efficient. The price is reasonable and they are always busy. read more

Mochiko chicken & fried poke are my go to! The portions are enough to be split into 2

Finding this place was hard because there's literally no label or logo on the storefront. But luckily there was a long line already so I knew that was for sure the spot. Lots of locals in line and picking up 6-10 plates all at once. They said that it's better to phone order ahead of time and come pick up and while I hadn't I didn't have to wait long for my order after ordering. They were super fast. THE FOOD: Nori Crab Ahi Roll- what the heck! This is so good! I've never heard of anything like this. The nori layer is fried and crispy while the inside is filled with crab and ahi. Sounds simple but combined it is simply heaven! Ahi limu poke- really fresh and seasoned to perfection. Melts in your mouth and goes surprisingly well with the ahi crab roll. read more

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Braddah Tommy and his employees awesome! Food and fresh poke Winnaz Whenever working in the area I buy lunches for my employees. They all love the plate lunches! read more

Monarch has the best poke. Thats not an opinion, that is fact! Their spicy ahi is amazing. Not the mayo spicy tuna. Im talking sesame oil, sweet onion, ina mona and whatever other magic they put in the spicy ahi poke. The crab stuffed ahi plate is also must have. The wasabi sauce on top is the wasabi icing on the ahi cake. If you're fat like me you finish off your meal with the best banana cream pie you're ever going to eat. I can't speak on the rest of the menu because I can't seem to order anything else. Go there, get these 3 things and thank me later. Or thank Monarch. Thanks Monarch. Update: I tried the bento recently and now i cant choose between that and the stuffed ahi :( The bento is a great choice because you get variety and its a good amount of food. Who would've thought a fish place would have the best mochiko chicken read more

Monarch Seafoods - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Yes. It looks as good as the pictures. We decided to try the crab-stuffed ahi, although hubs really wanted to try the kukui nut crusted ahi belly, which we were told they didn't have any available, and the ahi katsu was also not available. Took the advice of my fellow yeeps and called in that order before heading to the store. It was a Saturday, and parking was not bad at all, although I'm sure it's not all smooth sailing for parking on weekdays. Hubs found some parking on the other side of the street, and I headed in to get our order. Waiting inside the store seemed a bit crowded, so I waited outside for a few minutes until other customers came out. I did see that there were a couple of pickled mango containers left, so I added that on to my order which was $25 for two plates. Total bill, $34. Yes. pickled mango for $9. I trust my fellow yeeps, so I kept that coveted red juicy container of mangos and headed out with our order. That crab stuffed ahi looked like a sushi roll, but it was panko-battered and deep fried. It really tasted good! I will ask for more dressing the next time, as that aioli was perfect for the fish. Definitely a fan, and will be back to try some of the other yummy-sounding dishes. read more

My husband and I would come here all the time for gourmet food for a reasonable price. Today was a disappointment. We bought an ahi belly plate to share. My husband mentioned his first bite was a bit crunchy but didn't think anything of it until he went in for another and saw a "fried cooked" cockroach stuck to the ahi belly. After he calmed down from multiple dry heaving he called the eatery but they were already closed and didn't want to save the plate to show them for the next day I'm glad I let him eat first read more

Monarch Seafoods - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

OK I really hate it that there's no parking here. Because honestly, if there was parking I'd be here All. The. Time. But the parking is the only reason this isn't a 5-star review. Because the food. OMG, the FOOD. This poke is possibly the best poke I have ever had in my whole life. So buttery and fresh! The flavors. Oh my gosh. I have no words. We ordered the Hawaiian Plate for office lunch and got them in pans. So cheap - $13.95/person. There is a minimum of 5 people. It came with rice, lau lau, kalua pig, poke, and lomi salmon. The lomi salmon was so good too! Big pieces of salmon (almost unheard of anymore) and so flavorful! The lau lau and kalua pig were good too, but hey, it's called Monarch SEAFOODS. The poke and the lomi were the first things to go. I had to go and pick it up but they were so fast once I got there. The office mates LOVED it. We will definitely order from here again for that. Usually when we just order plates for lunch we get something like crab cakes or grilled ahi, which is always good. We always go with 2 people so one person can drive the car around and around and around while the other person picks up the food. It can be SUPER busy in the area, and in this restaurant in particular. It is very small inside, designed really only for you to go in, choose your food, pay, and get out. People are parked illegally ALL over the place, but when you gotta get your Monarch fix you just gotta! read more