Maguro Brothers is the small Waikiki window where two brothers from a Japanese fishing-port family serve some of the best raw fish in the islands. The original Chinatown shop runs daytime hours; the Waikiki annex on Kalakaua opens late afternoon, fed by the same morning auction picks and flown-in cuts. The menu is short and changes with what came off the boats: chirashi sushi bowls layered with sashimi-grade ahi, salmon, hamachi and uni, custom sashimi platters, and Hawaiian-style poke bowls in shoyu, spicy, ume shiso and limu variations. Bowls are built to order over a bed of seasoned rice, no fillers and no fuss. Lines are common, seating is minimal, and most regulars walk a few blocks back to the beach or hotel with a bag. It is a destination for serious fish eaters who would rather skip the mall poke chains.
"The fish is so fresh and very proportional. We loved all the salmon, tuna, yellowtail we ordered!"