“Well, I guess you guys must really like fish!” shouted a man from a passing truck. Indeed, the roughly 15 of us lined up outside on a sweltering afternoon might seem odd for this beach town, but it isn’t an unusual site at Kawamata Seafood, a tucked-away to-go spot, which serves some of the freshest Ja-waiian (Japanese/Hawaiian style) poke around.
“I wanted to open a rustic, hole-in-the-wall to-go restaurant,” says chef-owner Yusuke Kawamata, who arrived in California with nothing but a backpack, surfboard and a $400 travelers check in 2003. He launched his eponymous spot in 2014, located in the bluffs above Capo Beach. “I opened by the beach so I could surf right after work,” adds the avid surfer and skateboarder.
The Osaka native, a trained sushi chef who honed his skills in the Japan restaurant industry, keeps his menu straightforward with a pared-down list of poke bowl options and a handful of sides, like Spam musubi, kimchi, and shrimp tempura. Kawamata fish options include ahi tuna, salmon, and octopus. Sometimes blue fin sashimi even makes a surprise guest appearance. Kanikama (imitation crab), daikon radish garlic chips, scallop, and avocado are a few notable additions that will run you a little extra. Prices start from $12.50 for a regular size bowl and $15.75 for a large one.
While poke’s ascension is hardly new — the Hawaiian-inspired raw fish bowls have had a moment over the last decade, with both small independent restaurants and mighty fast-casual chains like Big Fish Little Fish and Pokeworks spawning throughout the county — the line of loyal Kawamata patrons stretching from the ordering window to the sidewalk are de rigueur, as the aforementioned driver can attest. Its popularity comes, in part, from the perfect balance Kawamata strikes with its delicate fish seasoned with a few potent ingredients. Neither too heavy nor too paltry, the lightly-sauced bowls leave you satisfied, never excessively full.
“I always check the…
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