The Limu Poke Leviathan took place on October 18, 2008. Mahalos to Luana Hills for the use of their facilities. 12 Limu Pokes (Ahi) put their reputations on the line in a WOW Grinds Blind Taste Test. The results was small kine controversial as some of the popular places ranked near the bottom while some of the unknowns rose to the top of the rankings. Click "read more" to see the results.

Click on a Judge to see their profile. Hover over each Judge's score to see their comment explaining that score and a score breakdown. A complete list of judge's comments is located below the results table. We did weighted scoring again with Taste=50%, Texture=30% and Presentation=20%.

Judge's Comments

#1 Alicia's Market

Judge 1 - Taste 7...Texture 6...Presentation 8. Too much sesame oil.

Judge 2 - Taste 9...Texture 9...Presentation 9. Liked the shoyu and sesame oil in the seasoning but slightly fishy after taste.

Judge 3 - Taste 9...Texture 7...Presentation 10. Hondashi/shiro shoyu flavor. Not very traditional, but tasty.

Judge 4 - Taste 10...Texture 10...Presentation 10. WINNAH! Nice cubed fish, garnishings attractive, taste remains in your mouth throughout the whole culinary experience.

Judge 5 - Taste 9...Texture 9...Presentation 9.

Judge 6 - Taste 9...Texture 9...Presentation 9. Sauce takes the fish taste away. Good!

Judge 1 - Taste 8...Texture 7...Presentation 8. Yummy.

Judge 2 - Taste 10...Texture 9...Presentation 9. Very good balance. Liked the spicyness. Not too salty. Liked the little onions.

Judge 3 - Taste 6...Texture 4...Presentation 6. Lots of sesame/chili oil, mushy. Barely classified as "limu" poke.

Judge 4 - Taste 6...Texture 6...Presentation 6. More like a fusion of the evening...kim chee poke rather than limu poke.

Judge 5 - Taste 6...Texture 5...Presentation 7.

Judge 6 - Taste 7...Texture 7...Presentation 8. A little more on the spicy side. Liked it.

Judge 1 - Taste 8...Texture 8...Presentation 7.

Judge 2 - Taste 2...Texture 3...Presentation 4. Pieces too small. Way too salty! And didn't look very good. Couldn't taste the fish.

Judge 3 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 8. Smokey/salty. Fish has a good texture but cut too small.

Judge 4 - Taste 9...Texture 8...Presentation 10. Great taste and presentation. I wish the fish was cut bigger.

Judge 5 - Taste 8...Texture 7...Presentation 6.

Judge 6 - Taste 9...Texture 9...Presentation 8. Limu makes the taste better. V Good! Small pieces of fish but tastes great.

Judge 1 - Taste 6...Texture 6...Presentation 7.

Judge 2 - Taste 6...Texture 8...Presentation 8. Melts in your mouth. Not too salty. Slightly garlicky.

Judge 3 - Taste 6...Texture 7...Presentation 8. Crunchy, smokey, salty.

Judge 4 - Taste 5...Texture 8...Presentation 8. Looked good taste is pretty average.

Judge 5 - Taste 6...Texture 7...Presentation 8.

Judge 6 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 8. Not that much difference than A.

Judge 7 - Taste 3...Texture 6...Presentation 6. No taste either.
Judge 8 - Taste 7...Texture 7...Presentation 6. Choke ogo, good texture.
Judge 9 - Taste 2...Texture 2...Presentation 7.
Judge 10 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 8.
Judge 11 - Taste 5...Texture 7...Presentation 6. No flavor.

#5 Fort Ruger Market

Judge 1 - Taste 4...Texture 3...Presentation 3. No taste.

Judge 2 - Taste 4...Texture 6...Presentation 7. No enough flavor.

Judge 3 - Taste 3...Texture 3...Presentation 3. Bland, mushy. Onions cut too big.

Judge 4 - Taste 7...Texture 5...Presentation 5. Too much onions and too largely cut. Bland tasting poke.

Judge 5 - Taste 7...Texture 7...Presentation 7.

Judge 6 - Taste 4...Texture 6...Presentation 8. Not too much taste although fish is good size.

Judge 7 - Taste 8...Texture 8...Presentation 8. Too big the onions.
Judge 8 - Taste 5...Texture 6...Presentation 7. Looked good but bland.
Judge 9 - Taste 7...Texture 6...Presentation 6.
Judge 10 - Taste 7...Texture 7...Presentation 6.
Judge 11 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 6. Good ogo, onions too big.

#6 Costco

Judge 1 - Taste 3...Texture 3...Presentation 4. Limu taste junk.

Judge 2 - Taste 9...Texture 10...Presentation 8. Too dark. Very good taste, but little bit too much limu.

Judge 3 - Taste 5...Texture 3...Presentation 5. Over powering limu. Soft, mushy fish.

Judge 4 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 1. Looks like a whole bunch of hair in the poke.

Judge 5 - Taste 6...Texture 6...Presentation 7.

Judge 6 - Taste 5...Texture 6...Presentation 6.
Judge 7 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 4. Too much limu.
Judge 8 - Taste 5...Texture 6...Presentation 7. Choke ogo, but bland. Little after taste.
Judge 9 - Taste 6...Texture 8...Presentation 7.
Judge 10 - Taste 5...Texture 6...Presentation 7.
Judge 11 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 7. Too much ogo.

#7 Foodland (Control Double)

Judge 1 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 4. Same like I.

Judge 2 - Taste 8...Texture 5...Presentation 4. Limu too light, looked stringy.

Judge 3 - Taste 6...Texture 3...Presentation 7. Similar to I.

Judge 4 - Taste 10...Texture 9...Presentation 8. See selection I.

Judge 5 - Taste 6...Texture 6...Presentation 5.

Judge 6 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 6. No difference from I.
Judge 7 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 8. Look like I.
Judge 8 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 4. Dry also.
Judge 9 - Taste 5...Texture 6...Presentation 4.
Judge 10 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 5.
Judge 11 - Taste 3...Texture 3...Presentation 3.

#8 Marujyu Market

Judge 1 - Taste 5...Texture 6...Presentation 5.

Judge 2 - Taste 6...Texture 7...Presentation 8. Too fishy tasting. Too salty. Limu too fat.

Judge 3 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 3. Lots of tsuji pieces. Fishy.

Judge 4 - Taste 4...Texture 4...Presentation 7. Looked like it had potential but that's all it was potential...pretty bland.

Judge 5 - Taste 8...Texture 8...Presentation 7.

Judge 6 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 8. Average, not that good.
Judge 7 - Taste 3...Texture 6...Presentation 6. No mo taste.
Judge 8 - Taste 6...Texture 5...Presentation 7. Look good but not much.
Judge 9 - Taste 3...Texture 6...Presentation 5.
Judge 10 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 6.
Judge 11 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 7.

#9 Foodland

Judge 1 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 4. Same like J.

Judge 2 - Taste 1...Texture 2...Presentation 2. Couldn't swallow it. Too salty. Fishy. Sour.

Judge 3 - Taste 6...Texture 3...Presentation 7. Salty, stringy, citrusy.

Judge 4 - Taste 10...Texture 9...Presentation 8. Taste great, nice cut fish. Presentation could use some work. Mushy looking. Too pink throughout.

Judge 5 - Taste 6...Texture 6...Presentation 5.
Judge 6 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 6. No difference from J.
Judge 7 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 8. Look like J.
Judge 8 - Taste 4...Texture 5...Presentation 5. Looks little mushy, tastes dry, blah.
Judge 9 - Taste 3...Texture 3...Presentation 4.
Judge 10 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 5.

Judge 11 - Taste 4...Texture 4...Presentation 3. Dry looking.

#10 Tamashiro Market

Judge 1 - Taste 4...Texture 6...Presentation 6. No flavor.

Judge 2 - Taste 0...Texture 6...Presentation 7. Too salty and sour tasting.

Judge 3 - Taste 5...Texture 3...Presentation 8. Salty. Strong iodine flavor. Mushy.

Judge 4 - Taste 4...Texture 4...Presentation 7. Another poke with potential, however that's where it all ended up being - potential - No taste.

Judge 5 - Taste 8...Texture 8...Presentation 8.

Judge 6 - Taste 4...Texture 6...Presentation 9. Not too much taste. Fish pieces are good size.
Judge 7 - Taste 7...Texture 7...Presentation 7.
Judge 8 - Taste 6...Texture 7...Presentation 7. Good ogo. Good fish.
Judge 9 - Taste 0...Texture 2...Presentation 6.
Judge 10 - Taste 8...Texture 9...Presentation 8.
Judge 11 - Taste 0...Texture 0...Presentation 0.

#11 Tanioka's Seafood and Catering

Judge 1 - Taste 5...Texture 3...Presentation 3. Looks old. Taste slimy.

Judge 2 - Taste 1...Texture 1...Presentation 1. Couldn't swallow. Way too salty, sour and pungent.

Judge 3 - Taste 4...Texture 3...Presentation 3. Mushy, salty.

Judge 4 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 5. Average throughout.

Judge 5 - Taste 7...Texture 8...Presentation 8.

Judge 6 - Taste 7...Texture 7...Presentation 4. A little brownish.
Judge 7 - Taste 4...Texture 6...Presentation 4. No mo taste!
Judge 8 - Taste 6...Texture 5...Presentation 5. Bland. Looks slimy.
Judge 9 - Taste 2...Texture 5...Presentation 5.
Judge 10 - Taste 5...Texture 5...Presentation 5.
Judge 11 - Taste 4...Texture 6...Presentation 3. Meat looks brown, not red.

#12 Poke Stop

Judge 1 - Taste 3...Texture 3...Presentation 1. Sat in sun too long. Too much onion.

Judge 2 - Taste 0...Texture 0...Presentation 0. Too scary looking to try. Too pale and old looking.

Judge 3 - Taste 5...Texture 8...Presentation 1. Chewy, oniony, fish-fresh/not frozen/hard to get over appearance.

Judge 4 - Taste 1...Texture 1...Presentation 0. Do I even need to comment on this one? Pale looking fish. Bland tasting poke. Did not need to sample a 2nd time.

Judge 5 - Taste 0...Texture 2...Presentation 1.

Judge 6 - Taste 0...Texture 1...Presentation 2. Too much onions. Kills the poke taste.
Judge 7 - Taste 0...Texture 0...Presentation 0. Doesn't look appetizing.
Judge 8 - Taste 4...Texture 4...Presentation 3. Dry fish, mushy, looked old.
Judge 9 - Taste 1...Texture 1...Presentation 3.
Judge 10 - Taste 6...Texture 6...Presentation 5.
Judge 11 - Taste 6...Texture 8...Presentation 8.

Comments

Add New

Impatient No Mo' Impatient No Mo' (66.8.244.xxx) 2008-11-15 00:05:53 Eh! Alright! Alicia's stay #1 in my family's poke-book too! Right on! Awesome job. Poke stop - wow - sound super junk. Almost call DOH, kine. Maybe dey can take some lesson from Alicia's. Could tell which place used fresh ahi or da frozen, add coloring kine? Reply

ilikegrind 2008-11-15 08:21:59 Sorry took so long, but feels good to finally finish this one. Yeah Alicia's limu poke is good. I agree with one of the judges that it's not traditional but still ono. I don't know what was up with poke stop, maybe they had an off day. You right, some used the CO2 coloring to make the meat really pink. Can taste the difference when you taste side by side. Reply

CO2? Not Impatient Anymore (66.8.244.xxx) 2008-11-15 14:56:37 WHICH PLACES USED CO2? Reply

ilikegrind 2008-11-15 17:42:08 I think the Foodland one is CO2 treated because it's really pink rather than the fresh ahi that is deeper red color. I'm not for sure on this, just guessing by the way it looks. Reply

JJSeafood One down. (66.8.244.xxx) 2008-11-24 15:03:22 Jus cuz I read dis website - I wen try da Limu Poke from JJSeafood for da UH game. Wuz tasty - no doubt bout dat! BUT everyting' in da poke was SMALL! Small kine pieces. Small kine limu - and no enough! So da judges were so right on! I like try Alicia's next. Reply

ilikegrind 2008-11-24 15:47:52 Thanks for the comment One Down. You got dat right. JJ is small size cut of fish but plenty flavor. Funny thing is the judges liked the small cut style in the shoyu poke challenge, but they didn't like the small cut style in the limu poke. Go figgah. Let us know how you like Alicia's. Reply

Ehu (70.95.143.xxx) 2009-03-31 10:36:28 Judge 11 is off!! How can Alicia's be 3, when Ke'eaumoku's 5 but No'mo Flavor, WHAT?? & there can never be too much Ogo!! Reply

ilikegrind 2009-03-31 12:21:00 Tanks for the check up on the scores Ehu. You right, Judge 11 seemed inconsistent in the scoring of taste. I not sure what Judge 11 meant by "no mo flavor". I guess that's why good have more than one judge so the other judges can compensate for possible inconsistencies in the scoring. Reply

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