Born and raised on Oahu. Stayed on Kauai for a month and ate at this place 5+ times -- this is the…read morebest saimin. The broth is the true star, with the saimin noodles following. I disagree with some reviews that say that Hamura is nothing special. Iykyk, saimin is supposed to be simple. The broth is so clear and pure, I would just get the regular saimin. IMO you can skip the other stuff (e.g. wontons, lilikoi chiffon pie, other saimins). The perfect order would be regular saimin with side order of ebi tempura and/or chicken skewer. Don't forget to grab a manapua if you are lucky. FYI the server aunties may forget your order, so you may need to keep a mental tab and remind them. They are more than happy to get it right for you

The food here was terrible. The "special" saimin was special in a really bad way. The won ton in…read morethe saimin was THE WORST I have ever had in my life. It was just not edible. It tasted like they mixed plastic into it. The skin was super thick. The saimin tasted like it was left soaking in water for a couple of days. The bbq chicken sticks and bbq beef sticks we bought were not any better. They were dry and super tough. My TMJ ached from chewing so hard on them. The only decent food they served was their pie; it was okay. But they put a lot of sugar in it. I'm definitely not coming back to this place. No thank you!

Great service and even better food. We felt welcomed and the food came out fast and hotread more

What a hidden gem. My family was hungry and our youngest, who's a picky eater, went online and…read moresuggested eating here. We were glad that she did. Two at the table had the Chicken Pad Thai and loved every bite. Two got the chicken fried rice and the portions were more than they could handle. I got the slow braised pork ramen. It was mouth watering. I would highly recommend stopping in and having a bite.

Wailua Drive In is a popular Hawaiian restaurant in Kapa'a, Hawaii, known for its fresh, local…read morecomfort food like plate lunches, burgers, and katsu. Popular menu items include ahi katsu 10/10, chili pepper chicken 9/10, and Hawaii's own- loco moco (not a huge fan in general). They offer a variety of other options, including poke, ramen, and sandwiches, with convenient takeout and delivery available. It's definitely a local favorite due to its generous portions, authentic Hawaiian cuisine and friendly service. We ordered the fried chicken and poke combo with wonton chips and the ahi katsu (my absolute fav). The ahi was fried to perfection- crispy on the outside while rare and tender on the inside. The sauce on the katsu was absolutely fire!!! So good! Macaroni salad was creamy and delicious. And the rice was perfect. Obviously, you cannot visit Hawaii without having some of their poke- always fresh and delightfully tasty. The marinade was savory and packed with flavor.

First time to Kaua'i and I'm looking for some local eats. From the reviews I've read, this seems to…read morebe a popular place. GETTING THERE: It was extremely easy to find. Its right off a main road and you cannot miss it. Parking lot was a bit small, but there was plenty of parking. AMBIANCE: When I went there was plenty of seating. A bit dead, but I also did go pretty early. There were a bunch of decor of older American pop culture like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, etc. But also Hawaiian themed decor (obviously). SERVICE: You gotta walk up to the front to order. I was approached almost immediately as soon as I walked up to the menu on the screen. The girl working was super friendly and welcoming. I made my order and she gave me a pager for when my food was ready. FOOD: I ordered the chili pepper chicken, which was recommended from the girl at the counter. My friend ordered the ahi katsu. The chili pepper chicken was good! It was crispy and extremely flavorful. It was slightly too salty for my taste, but luckily the rice does help balance it out. Some of the crispness was sacrificed for the sauce, but it was overall still pretty crispy. I loved that they used boneless chicken thigh. I was expecting bones or lots of breading but it actually had a perfect ratio. I wasn't much a fan of the mac salad. It was like a mix of mac and potato salad, but more like a potato salad. I'm not big on potato salad, so that makes sense. My friend's ahi katsu was alright in my opinion. The sauce that's on it was good and enjoyed all the flavors. The tuna was just a bit overcooked to my liking, but idk how else one would make a katsu without overlooking it too much. Maybe bread the fish and freeze it before frying? Idk man, I'm not a chef lol but the tuna would definitely be better if it was less cooked. OVERALL: Honestly, I would still come here again. I still enjoyed the meal and the service was pretty quick. Both items were both worth trying. All the flavors were there and the little things I didn't like were just personal preferences. Its a great place to pick up a lunch plate and enjoy it at the beach.

It was our last day in Kauai, and didn't want to spend our time at the airport, waiting for our…read moreredeye flight. So decided to go to Costco to see if their optical department could tighten my Costco glasses before heading back to the mainland. The optical department closes earlier than the store itself, so we ended up wandering around. We intentionally went there on the last day after our luggage had been packed, thinking it would prevent us from buying things to bring back. But there were two things that we don't see on the mainland, that were of good price: 1.5 Coffee beans from Molokai Estate Coffee (100% from Molokai, and which my wife confirmed later was very good) and a Ube cream Liquor from the Philippines, that went great with the said coffee. Both fit in our checked bags and made it home safe. It wasn't too crowded because it was close to closing and was of large size, including self checkout lanes. Another good visit to Costco.

I'm not really sure what's not to love about this Costco. Right after we got off the plane, we…read morechecked into our resort, and came straight here to grab a few necessities. We arrived late in the day, so we missed out on the fresh poke and other seafood goodies. At least were able to grab some bottled water, Taro Brand Salmon Lomi, and chips. Those items alone were worth grabbing, and lasted us the entire week. My admiration for this location is because it wasn't as crowded as the Honolulu locations. Or maybe we just arrived at a good time late in the day on a Monday. Here, we were able to navigate through easily and select various treats for gifting. Like Mauna Loa chocolate macadamia nuts, a variety of Hawaiian Host items, and I tripped out seeing these bell pepper crisp and a ramen crunch snacks. We bought two bags of furikake and shoyu flavored rice crackers, or arare. In the bakery, I died and really wanted to try this fresh baked Mayorca Suprema sweet roll. Check out my pic, you'll be droolin'! And you can't leave the store without buying a bag of Island Princess Macadamia Popcorn Crunch or their honey roasted macadamia nuts. We did see cheap, but made of decent quality rain jackets if you need one ($19). As well as some bargain deals on casual shoes and sandals. No problem upon check out, service was cordial. And oh yeah, their outside food court is the standard. Hot dog and a drink $1.50, chicken bake, and a slice of pizza. Sadly, nothing different. No issues finding parking either. In short, this Costco location has a wide variety of items not found on the mainland. Great gift items as well as supplies you'll need for your resort stay. I mean, you can go to the Island Market or ABC Store, but that's where it can start to get pricey. Just my thoughts and my words. To each his own!

Dee and Dan are excellent servers. Very sweet. Dee is very friendly & offered advice on where to…read morevisit around here as must sees. We ordered snacks of coconut shrimp & banana lumpia's. So very good! Sweet lemon iced tea was really impressive! I don't like tea but this is the first one I tried that I liked.

This is the spot! The portions are diner style for sure. My wife and one daughter could have shared…read morethe chicken katsu plate. The food was authentic, local and fulfilling. I had the pineapple chicken which came with two scoops rice and scoop of macaroni salad. I couldn't finish the last half scoop of rice but crushed the rest. The pineapple chicken wasn't overly sweet and chicken was tender. I'd eat here once a week if we had a spot like this in San Diego. My family had chicken katsu plate, chicken teriyaki plate and a grilled cheese. This is a totally family and kid friendly spot. Staff feels family run and very high quality service. When we visit Kauai again - this spot will be on the list.

Took a trip to Kauai and based on what I've heard, trying the oxtail soup and banana mac nut…read morepancakes was a must! And my goodness was it the best pancakes I've ever had. It's light, fresh, but packed with soo much flavor that exploded in my mouth! I couldnt get enough of it!!! At first my friend and I were debating whether or not to add macadamia nut inside d/t the extra cost, but boy is it worth it! The oxtail soup was really good too. Especially how easily the meat fell off the bone and the flavor that warmed the heart and soul. By far my favorite food stop in Kauai. And I'd come back to visit just for their food! Service was efficient and fast and at the end they give u a receipt to which u then go up front to pay. Ambiance is like an old school dinner that's frequently packed with locals and guests 5 stars!!

Makes me sad to leave less than a five star review, but honestly I don't understand the hype for…read morethis place and I feel the need for an honest review! Hubby and I were recommended by a local to try this place for their macadamia nut pancakes (which were good) and the oxtail soup (which we didn't try as we wanted breakfast)... Upon entering, no proper greeting just a yell from across the dining room from a lady pushing a cart "how many" and then proceeded to point to an empty table. Next, our server came around asking if we would like coffee..yes please! I had to track her down for some sweetener and when I asked for the sweetener she acted as if I was bothering her as she handed it to me. Mind you, I had just heard her tell a different lady who went up to to ask her for something as well to "go have a seat, I'll be right there" :/ I understand this is a busy restaurant but I do feel they need to work on their customer service! Hubby got an omelet that was very runny and ended up making him sick. I ordered the Macadamia nut pancake and it was good! I chose to leave 2 stars for the pancake alone! We will not be back to this restaurant. I think if they were more friendly and cook their omelets a bit more, this could have very well been a 5 star review.

Very quick and friendly service. Reminded me of childhood! It's homey and comfortable. Everything…read moreclean and organized. Order the broasted chicken. That crispy chicken skin, omg. Yum! Waffle is just okay, but the pancakes are delicious! Fresh fruit for baby was great variety for great price. Brother ordered the chili and chicken and that chili reminded us of our dad's Japanese family recipe, so ono! We will be back.

Hot off the griddle!…read more My family ate here several times during our stay and each time our food was served hot and quick! The pancakes were so hot, fluffy and delicious. I had the shrimp Benedict's, my mom ordered the oxtail soup and everyone else ordered pancakes and bacon. The only reason I'm removing a star is due to service. Henry or Daddy O wasn't as friendly as the rest of the staff. There's only a few people working at this small establishment and when they get busy you can expect not so great service from the waitress and Daddy O. But if you get passed service, the food is delicious.

Came here to satisfy my Japanese food cravings and it hit the spot! I'd recommend making a…read morereservation so you don't have to wait. We waited about 40 minutes then we were seated. The interior was beautiful and clean. It was hard to choose what to eat since everything on the menu looked so good. We got the agedashi mochi and matcha beer for starters. I got the Sukiyaki and my boyfriend got the tonkatsu. Both were really delicious! I can't wait to try other things on the menu!

I appreciate this spot so much, because they accommodated our huge party of 20 people flawlessly!…read moreWe had a lot of dietary restrictions as well in the group. The owners and staff are super sweet as well, and food is fantastic. I got the tonkatsu teishoku and it was super flaky and juicy.

We were a group of six first time visitors to Kauai, and we came to Blue Wave after a friend and…read moreKauai local recommended it. We are so happy we got in! The interior is cozy, and our group felt big for the space, but we did get seated at a table that accommodated all of us. We were also very nicely accommodated in our quick service, as we had a reservation at a nearby attraction that was closing in. I asked the waiter (PJ, I think?) to select 6 nigiri sushi for me, and I also ordered a roll, as did everyone else. Everything was delicious and it's obvious why this place was crowned a Kauai Best last year. The sushi was phenomenal, the service was very welcoming, and the ambiance is ideal. If you like sushi, this is a must visit in Lihue. Easy 5 stars. Mahalo Blue Wave!!

Without a doubt, this was the best meal on my trip to Kaua'i…read more GETTING THERE: It was extremely easy to find. Its right off a main road and you cannot miss it. Parking lot in the back was a bit small, but the establishment itself isn't very big. AMBIANCE: As I said, it's a very small place. It can hold maybe about 20-25 people. It's a tight little place with very few tables and a small sushi bar. The dim lights and natural lighting gave it an intimate ambiance. I was seated at the bar and you can watch the chefs assembling my food while being trained at the same time. SERVICE: Our server was phenomenal. I believe his name was PJ. He was quick, attentive, and gave us a good laugh every time he stopped by to check on us. You can see the trainee going through on the job training, but the food still came out in a very timely manner. They were quick and we're happy to answer any questions we had. FOOD: I'm from the Seattle where the fish is extremely fresh and we get some amazing sushi. Also been to Japan a couple times. This was definitely up there for me. Everything was delicious; from the soft shell crab, to the blue fin toro, to the popcorn shrimp. Although I did indulge a little, I believe the chef's choice would be an amazing pick with high value for someone on a budget. Surprisingly, the blue fin toro wasn't my favorite. While it did taste amazing and melted in my mouth, I found the tai snapper to have more dynamic flavor thus marginally beating it out. Also I've never had steak sushi before, but I became a huge fan of the A5 wagyu nigiri and it left me wanting more. Hands down my top 3 picks. OVERALL: I highly recommend trying this place out. I loved the food, the atmosphere, and the service. Its definitely a must visit for me if I were to come back to Kaua'i.

6/12/2026. They changed the name of the restaurant from Kim Chee #9 to New Kim Chee. I absolutely…read morelove their meat jun

Looking for a korean food fix on Kauai? Try here. They have all the normal menu items like meat…read morejun, kalbi, bbq chicken and mandoo. Moderately priced. Dine in or take out. Service is moderately fast and if you want to dine in they have a ton of tables. It's a nice, quiet place. Reminds me of all the other Kimchee Restaurants. Very good!