One term that’s often taken for granted here in Hawaii is “fresh seafood,” but at Paradise Seafood Market & Restaurant, the entire menu is centered on offering patrons the freshest foods that are maintained and prepared in the finest way possible.
Step in to the Keeaumoku Street restaurant and you’ll find tanks with various types of sea creatures in the cleanest water you’ve ever seen. And each reservoir contains salt water that’s chilled to the optimal temperature based on what’s inside — yes, each tank is set to a different temperature to ensure peak freshness upon purchase.
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- Live seafood
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- Lobster & Crab Combo ($85)
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- Shrimp Spicy Garlic ($15 dinner; Spicy Garlic Shrimp, $12 lunch)
According to general manager Scott Kim, the water filtration and tank systems were brought in from Korea, as was the machine used to steam the seafood.
Many items like live sea cucumber ($25 per plate, prices subject to change), Kumamoto oyster ($2.95 per piece), live octopus ($21.99 per piece) and Dungeness crab ($15.99 per pound) are offered a la carte, and Paradise Seafood Market & Restaurant caters to patrons wanting a quick meal on the go, heading to a potluck or hoping to buy live seafood and fish to cook at home.
“We’re a wholesaler,” he explains. “We bring seafood to Hawaii and we export to the Mainland and Korea.” In addition to its wholesale status, the establishment also boasts an impressive menu featuring poke bowls, plate lunches, salads, sashimi and more.
For those attending parties, stop in and pick up a steamed Lobster & Crab Combo ($85), which features items such as littleneck clams, oysters, shrimp and corn. Two pounds of crab, a 1.5-pound lobster and a pound each of shrimp and clams are presented.
The platter also comes with house-made garlic butter and spicy sauces, and while many might rely on sauces to enhance the flavor or get rid of the fishy taste, Paradise Seafood Market & Restaurant’s secret method of steaming seafood is on point. Sweet flavors erupt with each bite of lobster, and shrimp are plump and juicy.
But don’t get Dining Out wrong; the sauces offered are excellent as well. Garlic butter never has been smoother, and the spicy sauce has just enough kick to get your taste buds revving.
In fact, the same spicy sauce is used to create Shrimp Spicy Garlic ($15 dinner; Spicy Garlic Shrimp, $12 lunch). With the establishment’s premium style of cooking, the dish emits an almost creamy texture that blends well with the full-bodied shrimp.
For now, the restaurant is BYOB and is in the process of obtaining its liquor license, and while it only has been open for about a month, it already is a huge hit with families and people who work in the area. “There are regulars coming in already,” Kim adds.
In the end, Paradise Seafood Market & Restaurant has a tri-tipped mission of offering locals the best wholesale seafood in town, preparing excellent lunch and dinner specials, and changing the way people think about fresh food.
Paradise Seafood Market & Restaurant
919 Keeaumoku St., Ste. A101, Honolulu
941-6080
Daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (last call at 10 p.m.)
Honolulu, HI 96814
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