Best Markets/supermarkets on Oahu? Where do you shop for groceries? (Kaneohe: hotel, community college)

[chinatown007]

What are some of your favorite places to shop for your groceries? Best Produce? Best seafood? local farmers market? Best service?

[kaimuki]

I used to love going to the farmer's market at Kapiolani Community College on Saturdays. Great produce, but it's VERY crowded these days. For poke, I like Tamura's on Waialae Ave. in Kaimuki and Tanioka's on Farrington Hwy. in Waipahu.

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by kaimuki

I used to love going to the farmer's market at Kapiolani Community College on Saturdays. Great produce, but it's VERY crowded these days. For poke, I like Tamura's on Waialae Ave. in Kaimuki and Tanioka's on Farrington Hwy. in Waipahu.

If you want to avoid the crowds, come join us at the Ala Moana farmers market on Saturday instead. A few of the smaller vendors have moved over, and lots of the bigger vendors go to both. There's lots of great stuff. I don't know when or if I'll go back to KCC... Ala Moana is so much easier! (The market is in the upper level parking lot by Sears... ocean views while you shop!)

I second the rec for Tamura's poke.

I pretty much shop at:
(*) Farmers market & my CSA for produce.
(*) Costco for other stuff: milk, flour, cereal, canned goods, household stuff, etc. Oh, booze here, too.
(*) The Wine Stop and Tamura's for higher-end and more specialty booze.
(*) Very occasional forays to Whole Foods, Safeway (but they are not all equal... there's only one I shop at), or Foodland (likewise) for specials.

I feel like I should hit up Kokua market or Down to Earth more often than I do, but even though I work at UH, I almost never make it over that way.

[Joliefille]

I'm on the Leeward side, so I hit Costco first, then Safeway for things I can't get at Costco or smaller qty's. I also go to Longs for their specials and occasionally a famers market. Unfortunately, on the Leeward side they're not as good as the ones I've visited in Kaneohe or town.

[kaimuki]

Thank you, newUHprof!

[TX75007]

Stay away from Safeway if you are pregnant and have your three year old child with you.

[KoaKine]

Originally Posted by TX75007

Stay away from Safeway if you are pregnant and have your three year old child with you.

Really???

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by TX75007

Stay away from Safeway if you are pregnant and have your three year old child with you.

As long as one uses common sense and pays for food before consuming it, there should be no problem. However, I prefer Hawai'i-based supermarket chains such as Times and Foodland over the California-based Safeway.

[hotzcatz]

Too bad KTA doesn't have any locations on Oahu, they are a really good grocery store on the Big Island. They have a lot of local produce and locally produced meats and other products. Are there very many Filipino markets on Oahu? Those over on this island have great prices on produce.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Too bad KTA doesn't have any locations on Oahu, they are a really good grocery store on the Big Island. They have a lot of local produce and locally produced meats and other products. Are there very many Filipino markets on Oahu? Those over on this island have great prices on produce.

The owners of KTA never wanted to expand beyond the Big Island. When I was growning up, it was called "K. Taniguchi's" after its founder Koichi Taniguchi. Although it expanded and became "KTA Superstores" later on, it's still a family-run business that's focused on the Big Island. Here's a link to an interview with KTA's current CEO and President, Barry Taniguchi...
Barry Taniguchi - Hawaii Business - November 2010 - Hawaii

There are a few Pilipino markets on O'ahu, such as "Jimmy's Produce and Filipino Store" (808/521-2119) on Hotel St. and "Filipino Seafoods & Vegetables Market" (808/676-4770) in Waipahu. I haven't gone to either one of them in over a year, so I don't know what their current produce prices are like in comparison to other stores or farmer's markets...