By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
A scoopful of yummy ahi poke at Tanioka's
Seafood and Catering in Waipahu.

Folks forking out
big bucks for
holiday food

Markets are gearing up to
meet the huge demand for ahi,
sushi, laulau, mochi
and champagne

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

Islanders will enter the new millennium with full stomachs, as sashimi, sushi, laulau, champagne and other seasonal grinds are in great demand for this New Year's Eve.

While good eats and drinks are normally a must in any festivity here, Hawaii residents appear willing to spend more on food this year to greet 2000 with flair.

"They're trying to celebrate the millennium in style," said Jeffrie Jones, director of marketing for Foodland and Sack 'N Save supermarkets.

Fish

Fish dealers say it's a bit early to forecast supply -- and therefore prices -- for high-end ahi for sashimi for Friday, but fish eaters should not be surprised to see prices at $20 to $40 a pound.

"Right now, it's really hard to say," said Carl Matsudo, a Safeway seafood merchandiser.

Added Guy Tamashiro, fish buyer for Tamashiro Market in Kalihi-Palama: "... I think there will be affordable ahi for most people, but we really can't tell yet." The market tries to carry all grades of ahi.

Stores won't begin buying fresh fish supplies for New Year's eve until tomorrow.

"We're hoping for a better supply in the next couple of days," said Cliff Yamauchi, manager and fish buyer for Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering in Waipahu.

A federal court injunction to protect leatherneck sea turtles, which prevents Hawaii-based longline boats from fishing in an area in the eastern Pacific about 500 miles from Hawaii, will likely have an effect on this year's supply of top-grade tuna, Yamauchi and others said.

That's because the more premium, fatty ahi supplies are in the colder, deeper water, an area covered by the injunction.

By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Brooks Takenaka, assistant general manager of United Fishing
Agents Ltd. on Ahui St., checks out the quality of big-eye tuna.
Fish dealers say sashimi lovers should not be surprised if prices
run from $20 to $40 a pound for New Year's ahi.

"It blocked a major part of the ocean," Tamashiro said.

Tamashiro's prices yesterday were $3.95 a pound for tombo ahi and $6.95 to $22.50 for higher grades.

Yamauchi said there are other areas where ahi can be caught, but it's the high end that may be hard to get. "It will sell in the high 20s, 30s, 40s (dollars)."

Aileen Oshiro, manager of Bob's Fish Market in the Ward Farmers Market, said there is a good supply of ahi and other fish associated with the holiday such as onaga and opakapaka, which are part of the snapper family.

Oshiro said Bob's doesn't carry the high-end ahi because most of its customers are middle income. Prices at Bob's range from $12.95 to $18.95 a pound for medium-grade ahi.

Champagne, gourmet items

For many, toasting the New Year properly would not be possible without the bubbly, and customers appear to be shelling out more for the good stuff.

"Everyone is buying better champagne," Foodland's Jones said. "Everyone is buying better than what they might traditionally buy."

Jones said people are also buying high-end food. Caviar, smoked salmon and prosciutto (Italian ham) are among the foods that are selling well.

"Those are really doing nicely," he said.

Local favorites

Tanioka's, in Waipahu, is also known for sushi, which is also a hot commodity this time of year.

"Our sushi numbers have increased tremendously," said Yamauchi, who added that yesterday was the last day to place orders.

The store normally sells about 500 pieces of cone sushi a day but expects to sell 5,000 pieces for New Year's Eve and also several thousand rolls of maki sushi. "Our sushi is in very high demand," Yamauchi said.

Jones says Foodland and Sack 'N Save also anticipate a run on sushi and mochi platters. In addition, they expect to sell a lot of black tiger shrimp, live dungeness crab and jumbo king crab legs.

Matsudo said Safeway, too, expects big demand for seafood.

Another popular New Year's dish is laulau.

"Huge" is how Bradley Pulice described laulau's popularity. Pulice owns Fort Ruger Market on the slopes of Diamond Head.

"We make a high-quality product, a recipe used by the store for the last 30 years," Pulice said. "It's always in high demand and a popular item for the holiday. (Customers) always associate it with festive occasions."

Pulice estimates he will sell 500 to 700 laulau for New Years.

Sashimi platters and sashimi-grade poke are also in demand and, in addition, Ruger will fill a lot of orders for mochi, he said.

Chona Montesines-Sonido, owner of Cocina Filipina Restaurant and Bake Shop, said Filipino desserts such as ube, or purple yam cake, are popular.

"We ran out of supply at Christmas Eve," she said of the ube. She expects the demand to be high for New Year's Eve as well.

In the Philippines, Christmas entails a bigger celebration than New Year's, but in Hawaii, Filipinos have made both events big, Montesines-Sonido said.