You know we are famous for two items: our Hawaii grass fed beef and our local fresh fish. The vision for the restaurant has always been to utilize fresh and local ingredients including an abundance of fresh line caught wild fish. The fish we use for Kohala Burger and Taco is seasonal, we utilize what the local fishermen are catching in the waters of the Big Island and sometimes that could be ahi, some swordfish and even some marlin. Whatever comes in on the line one day, is most likely in our tacos and salads the next. Chef Cary is very particular about the kinds of fish chosen to appear on the menu. The list below gives, in priority, the kinds of fish we serve for you to enjoy:
Kohala Burger And Taco Hawaii Fish List:
Ono, also called Wahoo. Usually caught through trolling, Ono are related to mackerel but do not school, in contrast to other mackerel species. The meat of the Wahoo is mild with a flaky and delicate texture. Wahoo are characterized by a slender and tube-like face and mouth, they also have a slender and long body shape.
Mahi Mahi, also called Dorado. A colorful fish, easily identified by the hump on the head, Mahi Mahi is prized for its flesh, which makes for excellent eating. For many people, Mahi Mahi is the fish most closely associated with Hawaii, as it features prominently in the local cuisine.
Ahi, also called Yellowfin Tuna. Highly prized for flavorful meat – excellent both in sashimi and cooked – as well as the fight when hooked and being landed by the angler, Yellowfin is often sought after. One can easily identify Ahi by the dual dorsal fins and bright yellow finlets along the spine of the fish.
Blue Marlin. The Blue Marlin is highly prized by sport fishers as they put up a great fight when hooked, leading to a battle between human and fish to bring in the Marlin. Blue Marlin are challenging for even those most accomplished at offshore sport fishing. Kona is known for marlin that can top the scales at over 1000 pounds, which are locally called, “Granders”.
Tombo Ahi also called Albacore. Tombo is the lightest and mildest in flavor of all Hawaii’s tunas. “Tombo” means dragonfly in Japanese and refers to the very long pectoral fins of the albacore that can equal as much as 30% of its total length. It is found in the open waters of all tropical and temperate oceans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean.
Short billed Spearfish. The Short billed swordfish are commonly known as Hebi in Hawaii. Its dorsal fin is shorter than that of other billfish species, and its bill is very short in comparison. Hebi has white to pink colored flesh and a mild flavor.
Uku also called Hawaii Blue Green Snapper. Uku has clear, translucent pink flesh that is delicately flavored, moist, and firm. Uku caught in the summer season is often rich in healthy fish oils and excellent as sashimi.
If you come in regularly to Kohala Burger and Taco, you will have the opportunity to taste all of these popular local fish and if you want to hear what our customers say about our fish tacos, salads and other fish specials we create, check out our TripAdvisor page or Yelp page.