Around the time my girlfriend Lani and I started going out, she introduced me to what is now my favorite place to eat in all of Hawaii. I find it so delicious and satisfying that I'm pretty sure I gave myself mercury poisoning not too long ago. Why? The restaurant is called Ahi & Vegetable, and their specialty is.. Ahi!
Ahi is the hawaiian word for tuna. A lot of locals enjoy raw fish, and my girlfriend being both local and half japanese means she has quite the hankerin' for raw fishies. Spicy Ahi is a very popular meal here in Hawaii. It's made of cubed or in the case of Ahi & Vegetable, pulverized Ahi blended with mayonnaise, siracha, and a number of other secret ingredients. The result is typically served over rice, in what Ahi & Vegetable refers to a Spicy Ahi bowl. If you spend any amount of time sitting inside one of their locations you'll soon realize that it's the most popular item on the menu. Furthermore, if you spend any time enjoying a Spicy Ahi bowl, you'll soon realize why it's the most popular item on the menu! They're delicious!
This is a Spicy Ahi bowl from Ahi & Vegetable, with salmon sashimi added as well.
One of the great things about Ahi & Vegetable is the level of customization you can put into a bowl. Brown rice, sushi rice, white rice, extra rice, two scoops of Ahi, a side salad instead of soup, the list goes on and on. Students with a valid ID (most students here in Hawaii go to the University of Hawaii or Hawaii Pacific University, which is located on the same block as Ahi & Veggie) can get a salad for free, so Lani typically goes that route. The salad is great too, and comes with an amazing peanut dressing.
You can see the little dressing cup in the top right corner. Shredded carrots and cucumber make a simple salad extra tasty!
I've become such a fanatic for these bowls of heaven that one scoop of Ahi tends not to satisfy my cravings. I generally opt for double rice and an extra scoop of Ahi. I never walk away hungry from Ahi & Vegetable!
If you're ever in Downtown Honolulu during the week and enjoy raw fish, you NEED to visit Ahi & Vegetable. Ask for the Spicy Ahi bowl and customize it however you'd like. I'd definitely recommend sushi rice! Check them out on Yelp! or Google Maps
