93 Lihiwai Street
(808) 935-9349
Suisan Fish Market is a long-standing Hilo institution and Hawaii fish market, and has played a significant part in Hilo’s history and fishing tradition since 1907. Beginning as a small cooperative of Japanese fishermen at the turn of the century, Suisan has overcome many challenges. During WWII, the U.S. military seized the property of Japanese fishermen in Hawai‘i and banned Japanese fishing. The ban was lifted after the war. On April 1, 1946, Suisan encountered a devastating setback when a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Aleutian Islands and triggered a massive tsunami that destroyed the fish market facility as well as the entire Japanese fishing fleet. Suisan rebuilt and was thriving when in 1960 another huge tsunami struck Hilo, again annihilating the Hilo Bay area and Suisan. Through the years since, Suisan has weathered lava flows, hurricanes, and a massive fire, and still stands today. Expanding their market from fresh-caught local fish to a complete food service industry, Suisan is the largest food distribution facility on the Big Island. At Suisan Fish Market you can get a taste of history with their fresh delicious poke bowls and loads of other delectable offerings.
Suisan Fish Market Specialties
What to eat in Hawaii? If you love poke, Suisan Fish Market is the place! With every kind of poke you can think of, Suisan serves up heaping helpings of poke, rice, and salad, and offers poke by the pound. Besides their vast selection of specialty poke, you can enjoy local favorites at this Hawaii fish market such as sweet potato and lobster salad, edamame, lomi salmon, kimchee cucumber, and ocean salad. Prices average about $11 unless you buy poke by the pound, then it depends on the market price. Plate lunches are huge, so you get plenty of bang for your buck.
How to Get There
If you’re looking for something to wrap you day in your beautiful I Love Hawaii vacation home, from Hilo Airport, take Airport Road to Kanoelehua Avenue (HI-11). Turn right, and go to the next light at Kamehameha Avenue (HI-19). Turn left, and go to the next light at Manono Street. Turn right; Suisan Fish Market will be on the left. Look for the blue hole-in-the-wall place on the right side of the Suisan Fish Market warehouse.
