Fishy idea planned
for Ala Moana Center

Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant, patterned and named after the largest fish market in Japan, will open early next year and operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

According to owner Ken Mitsusune, the Tsukiji name is being used with permission from the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, which is the official name of the fish market that everyone calls the Tsukiji market after the district where it is located.

It is a huge visitor attraction, but it is so only secondarily since it is a working fish market surrounded by sushi bars, noodle shops and other popular Japanese street foods, such as yakitori, or barbecued chicken on skewers.

Frommer's travel guide online describes the Tokyo market as "a must for anyone who has never seen such a market in action."

Hawaii's Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant will operate a real fish market in addition to its restaurant, sushi bar, yakitori bar, sake bar and Japanese buffet restaurant, with dishes prepared in an exhibition kitchen.

Nick's Fishmarket has long been a dining destination a little further down the road in Waikiki -- but everybody knows Nick's has never really been a fish market, right?

It is doubtful that the Ala Moana version will see boats pull in starting at 3 a.m., or that toddler-wielding visitors will have to dodge speeding scooters bearing stacks of seafood-laden foam boxes, but the ambiance is intended to be at least reminiscent.

Interior design work is being imported. Tokyo-based Hashimoto Yokio Design Studio plans wall-sized windows on the mauka side as one feature.

The restaurant will seat 350 customers in its 14,000-square-foot space. It will be part of Ala Moana's soon-to-be-branded Hookipa Terrace, which is the fourth-floor area that includes Ruby Tuesday, Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. and the Mai Tai Bar.

"Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant is like nothing Honolulu has seen before," said Mitsusune.

So how does a major national mall owner such as General Growth Properties Inc. take a 14,000-square-foot gamble on an unproven restaurant concept?

"We definitely go through a whole process to evaluate the business and that includes going over the business plan, resumes, design concept, financials, as well as just exploring the opportunity with the potential retailer," said Sharon James, regional vice president of marketing for General Growth at Ala Moana.

"The concept itself has worked for Makino (Chaya) and Todai (Seafood Buffet)."

Hookipa Terrace is to be completed in the fall and will include other new-to-Hawaii restaurants such as locally owned Kyoto Ohsho and California-based Island Fine Burgers.