Hapuku Fish Shop

The Big-Bellied Fish

The name Hapuku comes from the name of a river in Kaikoura, New Zealand. In fact, the Hapuku River is the southern boundary of the family farm of Rockridge Market Hall owners, the Wilsons. Hapuku, in the Maori language, means “big-bellied fish,” or Grouper, which was abundant in the Hapuku. The name is a reminder of connection to place and a reverence for the abundance of nature, which the Wilsons endeavored to bring from New Zealand to Rockridge.

Our Fish

Unwavering in our determination to provide the best tasting and most sustainably sourced fish available, we have developed relationships of trust with a small number of fishermen, farms and wholesalers. In season, we carry live local crab and lobster. We offer live oysters, mussels and clams. All of our whole fish and fillets come in fresh, never frozen. This is why our counter evolves by the day, our choices are governed by the seasons. We rejoice in the summer harvests of sand dabs and the winter abundance of herring (and everything in between). Our selection of sustainable Californian Tsar Nicoulai caviar is one of the widest in the Bay Area.

Housemade Food

We use our excellent seafood to make prepared food worthy of the Market Hall banner. We have a rotating soup menu from Monday to Saturday and you can always find our housemade soups in the freezer. We prepare our own sauces, stock, dips and seafood salads, ready to grab and go.

Stop by for lunch to try our epic fried Fish Sandwich made with local, wild rock cod, panko crusted and fried, served on an Acme torpedo roll with mustard-spiked coleslaw, housemade tartar sauce and fries on the side. Available in store Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–6pm.

Fish Finishing

Our curated a selection of accouterment for preparing fish, like exquisite soy sauces, soup bases, spice blends and flavored salts elevate your at-home preparation. We also have smoked and preserved fish, as well as tools, for all your crab cracking and oyster shucking.

Sustainability

All of our seafood upholds the rigorous ‘Best Choices’ and ‘Good Alternatives’ sourcing guidelines from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.

We consider it our responsibility to not only protect our oceans, lakes and streams with our sourcing choices, but to help every Hapuku customer to understand what sustainability means when it comes to seafood. We like to say “Not all wild seafood is good. Not all farmed seafood is bad.” The key is knowing how fish or seafood is caught or raised and the impact on these practices on the quality and the environment.

Whether it's about where our fish comes from, why we don't carry certain fish, or which fish is the most environmentally responsible choice, we will do our best to share our knowledge and help you make the right decision. We also try to direct you to the best resources for researching more on your own.

We Clean & Advise

You've chosen the perfect tuna steak, striped bass, or oysters. Now what? If you're out of time or out of ideas, let us help you get dinner on the table.

Our fishmongers are always ready to help you with:

• Special orders* (for larger quantities or items not currently in stock)
• Cleaning and peeling
• Choosing from our range of accompaniments
• Specialty and custom platters* (or view and pre-order from our online menu)

*Might require 24–48 hours notice