Thirty Eight, a new fish-forward spot tucked into Pier 38, opened for dinner last Wednesday and is already settling into the waterfront’s rotation of harbor hangouts. Taking over the former Nami Kaze space, the restaurant leans into casual, shareable plates alongside whole-fish entrees and island flavors. Early standouts on the menu include hamachi crudo, poke crackers, and a signature fried whole moi.
Where and when to go
Thirty Eight launched regular dinner service last Wednesday and is currently open Monday through Friday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. Those opening details and initial hours were reported by the Star-Advertiser.
What to order
The small plates keep things local and unfussy: hamachi crudo ($17), maguro cabbage ($19), poke crackers ($10) and a shredded cabbage Caesar ($14) headline the list. The poke cracker, built on rice crackers topped with local big-eye tuna, spicy aioli and avocado, was singled out as a crunchy highlight by Aloha State Daily.
Big plates and the signature fish
On the entree side, Thirty Eight leans into whole fish and straightforward accompaniments: fried whole moi ($36), furikake king salmon ($38) and an ‘ahi steak ($28) share the stage with huli huli chicken ($29) and braised short rib ($34). The lineup and pricing were laid out in coverage by the Star-Advertiser.
Kitchen team and concept
Chef de cuisine Daysen Masuda and manager Dong Dang describe Thirty Eight as a neighborhood harbor bistro built around fresh fish and island flavors. “The moi is definitely something I’m very proud of,” Masuda told Aloha State Daily, framing the dish as a nod to Hilo-style steamed fish reimagined for the restaurant’s menu.
Practical details
Thirty Eight is located at 1135 N. Nimitz Hwy. and is accepting reservations via OpenTable, where its listing also shows the current dinner hours. Check the reservation page on OpenTable and the location listing on MapQuest for contact details and updates.
