During a rainy afternoon, we stopped by the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center to escape the downpour. At the Gap, we talked with a sales associate who told us about some of the local restaurants. "Yeah," she informed us, "Mama’s Fish House is the most expensive restaurant around." But my husband and I like to search for the hole in the wall, local restaurant experience. "What about the Paia Fish Market?" I asked. "Oh, yeah," she remembered, "That’s a nice restaurant too."
On the return trip from Hana, we decided to try the Paia Fish Market. Our casual swimsuit attire presented the only problem and weren’t in the mood for a fancy restaurant. "Let’s just take a look and decide when we see it," we concluded.
As it turned out, the sales associate’s definition of "nice restaurant" and ours were a bit different. The Paia Fish Market is an unassuming counter service eatery that boasts benches and tables for their patrons. Serving delicious food was more of a concern than impressing the tourists, although there were many visitors in the place. If you are concerned with touching sticky tables and bussing after yourself, skip this place. But if you want terrific Mahi Mahi, you can’t pass this up.
My husband and I both ordered the grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich topped with the house cole slaw. Our orders were accompanied by the requisite skinny cut Cajun fries, which were sprinkled with Cajun seasonings. Simply seasoned, the fish was tender with a mild flavor, not at all overpowering. The substantial meal filled us to contentment. It was too bad that we never went back because the Paia Fish Market certainly merited a repeat visit.
Pricewise, here’s what we paid: Mahi Burger $8.00, Cajun fries $2.00.
As we devoured our dinner, we noticed a couple outside the window by our table. They seemed to be agonizing over whether or not they should step foot in the joint. We got their attention through the window screen and assured them that anything they ate would be memorable, in a good way. Convinced, they too dined there for dinner.
And that is how word-of-mouth can turn a hole-in-the-wall into a popular dining destination.