Several weeks ago, for the first time I visited the original Palama Market on Dillingham Blvd. in Kalihi, a supermarket that caters to Oahu’s Korean community. I was absolutely fascinated with the wide selection of delicous-looking Korean specialty items I’ve never seen anywhere else.

Sea Food w/Green Onion Pan cake

My friend discovered this Seafood Pancake at a Korean Festival a few years ago, so when he spotted it in Palama Market, he immediately snatched one up for us to try. As odd as the name sounds, let me tell you, this stuff is ONO! It’s a medley of seafood items such as immitation crab, fish and shrimp with large stocks of green onion, carried in a slightly flavored flour and egg “pancake” batter.

It has distinguishable seafood flavor, though not “fishy”. The pancake batter is a nice “filler” providing a semi-chewy texture. The flavor sort of reminds of the deep-fried gobo fish cake from the big island. It’s non-messy finger-food serving size would definate make it a potluck hit. Anyone who knows the recipe for this, please let me know!

This is all I have for now - of course just one of MANY prepared specialties in Palama Market too numerous to mention. The market also has a full-service produce and meat department, a hot food Korean take-out shop and an extensive self-serve line-up of freshly made marinated Korean vegetables and seafoods. You want Kim Chee or Taegu? Come here. They’ve got every variety under the sun at very reasonable prices.

Palama Market has two locations: Palama Shopping Plaza on Dillingham Blvd, across the former GEMS and a new one on the corner of Kalakaua and Makaloa st. near the Kaheka Don Quijote.

Seafood & Onion Pan Cake (Palama Market)
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