Sack N Save has grab and go options for a quick meal in Hilo, Hawaii

It all started on May 6, 1948, when Maurice J. Sullivan, an Irish native, along with the Lau family, opened up Foodland, the first modern supermarket in Hawaii. Since then, the market chain has expanded to 35 locations on the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. Sack N Save is part of the Foodland family.

• Travel tip: If you are a local or visit Hawaii often, pick up a Makai Card. You save money and earn points to redeem for rewards in store or HawaiianMiles with Hawaiian Airlines.

Just like KTA, Sack N Save has a great selection of grab-and-go bento style foods and poke. These items are also part of their Island Essentials checklist on their website. Here’s a few things you might want to pick up on your next trip:

Spam Musubi is the best compact, all-in-one food on the planet. Everybody makes it a little differently from how much nori to wrap around it and how they flavor their spam from just plain fried to adding shoyu or family recipe teriyaki sauce. Sack N Save’s version looks like a huge nigiri sushi with just the right amount of sticky rice, a thick slice of spam, and just the right amount of sauce. I don’t like spam that is overly sauced since it overpowers the spam flavor that I love. It’s wrapped in plastic wrap to keep the rice sticky and makes the nori a little chewy but good nonetheless. Rating: 4.5/5

Spicy Ahi Poke is similar to a Spicy Tuna Roll you might get at a sushi bar, but much creamier. They use more of the Japanese mayo and sriracha mix than KTA for a creamier consistency. Everything is covered in this so, in the case, it looks more like an orange parfait. The tobiko sparkles through with the bright orange color. Although, it was very creamy, the flavors along with the onions, green onions, and ahi worked well together. Rating: 4.5/5

California Poke with Avocado is definitely haole-style. The flavors are very mild and the avocado is just too soft to marinate with the fish causing a mushiness. Folks that love the California Roll, might want to try this one first as an entry to the poke world. For me, it just didn’t match, but good effort. Rating: 3/5

Korean Style Marlin Poke is tastes like marlin and kimchi flavors mixed together. It has a tiny bit of vinegar flavor with chili peppers, sesame seeds, and green onions, but no cabbage. The flavor works really well with the marlin, bringing big fish flavor to the forefront. Rating: 4/5

Korean Style Mussels Poke is very similar to the Korean Style Marlin Poke. Same ingredients, but the mussels give it very a different texture and flavor profile than marlin. The briny and creaminess of the mussels are a nice contrast to the spicy kimchi flavor. Rating: 4/5

Garlic Ahi Poke is a nice play on flavors. The ahi is cut into nicely sized chunks, not too big and not too small, so the shoyu and flavor penetrate the fish just right. The flavor profile is almost Korean-style and just love the garlic. I could eat this all day long. Rating: 5/5

Mussels Poke is very simple with ogo and little bit of chili pepper. It’s briny but it balances with the sweetness of the mussels. The ogo adds a nice crunchy texture contrast to the creamy, soft mussels. Rating: 4/5

If you want to try a different take on poke, head to the nearest Sack N Save (or Foodland) to find your favorite. Don’t forget to pick up a spam musubi too!

For more information:

Sack N Save Puainako

2100 Kanoelehua Ave

Hilo, HI 96720

+1.808.959.5831

Hours: Daily from 5am to 12am