The view is beautiful, but it doesn't make up for the very poor service. We had reservations and ended up waiting for 15 minutes for a table. A walk-in party the same size as ours was seated before us. Once seated, it took a very long time for anyone to begin the service, although there were numerous wait staff. It turns out that they ran out of chicken in the middle of the dinner shift, which impacted 3 of the 4 people at our table, because they use the same chicken in more than two dishes. No one came around to refill waters or refresh our drinks the entire time we were there. read more

F A N T A S T I C Planned an evening at AMA for when our adult children were on island to visit for Christmas break. It was our first time - and some of the recent reviews made me a bit worried. After an amazing evening - I cannot comprehend the negative reviews. We all loved everything about our evening at AMA. Location is stunning - open air in Hanalei with stunning views of the mountains. Seated quickly by very nice staff. Started with beverages: AMA P.O.G. Mocktail, sake and Magic Dragon (daughter loved it). All were very good and we would order again. Appetizers "Zensai": Bao Buns (very tastiness inside a delicious bun) and Poke. We have lived in island for a few years and my wife and I were shocked that this may be the best poke we have had! Main Courses: "Donburi" - my wife ordered the Ono Miso Bowl and said she would order it again. "Noodles" - both of my kids enjoyed the Chashu Ramen. My son added the spicy miso and really liked it. I had the Braised Beef Laksa on the recommendation of our server - it was excellent. Great flavor and spiciness when I mixed in the side of sauce that came with it. Our server was excellent - attentive, helpful and kind without being intrusive. Our son stated that he would like to return to AMA whenever he is on island for a visit. Pretty high praise as he is from Seattle and enjoys many top ramen/noodle spots at home. Already looking forward to another meal at AMA - many more dishes that we would love to try. read more

The noodles at this spot are phenomenal! The broth in which they come with is so flavorful and all the toppings compliment each other very well. The soft boiled egg was cooked to perfection. read more

Ama - Top: Grilled ono ramen Bottom: Chicken satay donburi - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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Coming from LA, I certainly had low expectations for island Ramen, but the vibe, live music, and friendly staff make this place a hit in my book. The food was flavorful and unique, and there is something for everyone. Definitely recommend the brussels and Ahi Tuna Ramen (add the spicy miso for extra flavor). read more

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The view of the mountains & waterfalls after it rained was so beautiful. The ramen was okay & the cocktails were way over priced. Service was great. read more

Delicious ramen - the noodles had amazing texture. We loved the papaya salad and the cocktails we tried as well. Beautiful view. No complaints. Must try. read more

Tasty Ahi bowl and Brussel sprouts. Located in a nice outside area. The service was outstanding and they took great care of all our needs. read more

AMA is a fun place to dine. Their food is really good. We didn't make reservations so we got there about 10 minutes before they opened and lined up. There were about 5 couples ahead of us but we didn't wait long at all. We sat on a bar outside with a view of their garden and mountains. It was absolutely beautiful. We ordered their Brussel sprouts, pork buns, ramen and curry. Everything was wonderful. The service was great too. It's a super casual place. As a matter of fact, Kauai is ultra casual unlike Maui and Kona. read more

Ama - Our view sitting at the bar eating our pork buns and Brussels sprouts. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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Nice setting and good food. We enjoyed the papaya salad, two mocktails and two different ramens. Very nice broth.

Great location and views. That's the good part. Now the rest. . .we went on a Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm. It was 75 minutes before we were served our food. . .which is not necessarily a bad thing considering the awesome views. However, we watched tables that arrived 10-20 minutes after us get their food before us. And then we were told they ran out of rice. . .at an Asian fusion restaurant. How is that possible? It would be like going to a bakery and being told they had no flour to make bread. The resulting modification by the restaurant was to give us noodles instead. But, they messed up my son's order and my wife's order was barely palatable. Great views but really bad food and service. At least we will have a great story to remember for years to come. . .when an Asian fusion restaurant did not have rice:) read more

Really well-cooked chashu on the ramen, but only the natural flavor. Using bone broth so broth not that tasty, esp versus tonkatsu (not offered). Perfectly prepared noodles, big plus. Delish papaya/daikon/greens salad. Service was good. Drinks had a good selection. read more

We spent our last night on the island here and I was looking forward to it all week. It didn't disappoint! I made a reservation but we got there early and were able to be seated in advance of our reservation which was what we were hopeful for and it worked out. The location has an open air experience in most of the restaurant. I didn't try to go inside but there was an inside. The patio is huge though and looks out over a pretty garden. I love a good Asian fusion spot and this hit the spot! We ordered baos, chicken skewer and the mushroom bowl to share. Everything was delicious. It's silly but I loved the water bottles at all the tables were slightly different. Nice touch to the overall ambiance. Overall, great spot. Easy, approachable food. Can be dressed up if you want to make a night of it or come in relaxed, it all works. read more

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tldr: make a reservation before if you are a party larger than 4; decent ramen and one of the only places on north side that is good, but slightly expensive Four stars purely because the hostess was so gracious to help seat us (party of 10) when this place had reservations sold out for the next couple of weeks. Else, the food would be rated 3 stars since nothing too special, and a bit expensive, but not really any other ramen places nearby. We came exactly at 4:30 and had to wait until about 5 to put our name on the waitlist since we hadn't made a reservation before coming on our trip. The ramen came pretty fast and the broth was delicious, tasted a bit different than meat broth, kind of tasted more vegetables/mushroom like. The pickled mushrooms provided perfect acidity for the ramen. There was a decent amount of noodles, maybe a bit more would have been nice. The ahi tuna was honestly delicious, so soft and delicious. The drinks were not bad, typical cocktails. read more

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The Ramen was amazing but the prices of this place did not make sense to us. One little skewer was $22 and then the whole bowl of ramen was $26. The skewer should've been more reasonably priced. Also was our anniversary dinner and they didn't provide us with anything complimentary even after requesting it. Ambiance is really nice tho, views of the mountain. Outdoor low key spot. read more

Ama - Chicken ramen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Is this the best ramen you'll every had? The answer is no. But boy does it come with one of the most beautiful views. I mean a beautiful Kauai mountain range with a beautiful waterfall. How can you not go wrong. All in all a great dinner experience. Food was great and fresh, service was on par and loved the drinks. I'm giving this a 4 1/2 stars. read more

Ama - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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Love this restaurants we go everytime we are on the island. Best mai tai and noodles Love the setting as well read more

Sadly, truly mediocre. Have tried to get into this place for weeks based in reviews. I had the Ahi Ramen, my companion had the veggie ramen (with tofu). Service barely adequate. We were served pretty quickly but the mai tais were quite watery and slightly bitter. Not good. Sake good but served cold (a first for me). Both ramen dishes were nearly tasteless and honestly my ahi might have been a little off (tasted fishy). All in all, pretty much a waste of $142. Will not be back and would advise you to skip this. Two stars because the ambiance was pleasant. I really don't know where the great reviews are coming from? Limited experience with "high end" dining perhaps? read more

All was perfect except the additional service charge for workers health insurance. That was added to the ticket . Which is weird . I haven't seen that before read more

Ama was very tasty , serving creative, beautifully prepared takes on a variety of Asian dishes service was fast & friendly read more

Solid ramen with great location. Dessert was a lacking and sprouts were burnt but we will definitely go back.

Prices! The three tiny bites of chicken they put on a skewer on top of my noodles was unacceptable. We spent $50-60 per person and we were still hungry afterwards. We are not huge, American eaters. We appreciate fine dining and flavor. This was just something different. Do not go here in a budget and don't go there expecting to eat much. read more

Ama - Scenery at AMA is spectacular! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Service, not so good. She appeared very hungover and confused over where the bathroom was. Ramen, good. The ahi was fishy. Dessert, saved the show. read more

The food and service were amazing! We enjoyed it so much we continue to go back every time we are in the area. read more

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Everything is delicious except the Ramen. My kids liked the ramen but it's quite plain. The views are gorgeous. Service was decent- I had a peppery drink- not a fan- very peppery. Bao buns were amazing Salad amazing Everything so fresh read more

Quick stop during my vacation in PrinceVille and I can confidently say worst ramen I've ever had. I tried so hard to finish and enjoy it and it was just so bland and lackluster. The flavor profile was very very dull which left me very disappointed. The night started off great with the appetizers. The Brussels sprouts were delicious, perfect roast and rich garlic and Smokey notes. The Bao Buns as well accompanied with a fantastic peanut sweet sauce and very soft buns. If you've ever been to any real authentic Ramen restaurant please do yourself the favor of not coming here. On the bright side the staff were very friendly and polite. Restaurant as well had a beautiful view felt very welcoming and comforting. read more

We were walking around the shopping area when we stumbled upon this restaurant with this stunning view of the mountains and decided we had to eat here. Pictures don't do it justice. We were pleasantly surprised that it was ramen which is my favorite! Overall the bone broth ramens were all good but the Ono Laksa ramen was phenomenal! I don't typically like fish but this fish was perfect. It did not have a fishy taste at all (which is what I don't like about most fish) and the broth was one of the best ramen broths I have ever had. It has a lovely coconut flavor with the perfect amount of spicy kick to it that wasn't too overpowering. It looks like they may switch their menu up some times but if this one is on the menu I highly recommend it! read more

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The first time we went a few years ago, it was amazing, the menu was more extensive and we really liked everything we ordered. The ambiance and location are great. However this time the menu was a lot smaller than we remembered and the ramen was just ok. I would say three stars but the service and ambiance bumped it to a 4. The reason we went is also because they have gluten free noodles and soy sauce which is a huge deal for us. However, my son was sick for two days after eating here so the gluten control might not be very strict. The pickled mushrooms made my stomach hurt and the flavor of the broth was good but not great. We also got bitten by mosquitoes so if it's getting dark, do not sit in grass area. Lastly, ask for your drink with light ice because the first one they served me (the Brazilian lemonade) was delicious but it was a small glass of all ice. Thankfully the staff was kind and brought me more. read more

Ama - Patio area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

It's 2024 and we're back. I ordered the vegan broth with vegetables, tofu and gluten free noodles. If you are vegan beware. The "vegan" broth had Bonita which is a fish so by definition can't be vegan. It also came with half an egg. Nevertheless it was tasty. My husband ordered the fish bowl. Also delicious. I ordered a Mai Thai which had a strong tasting almond liquor. I didn't like it and the server brought me one without the almond liquor which tasted much better. We ordered the cheesecake dessert with a caramel sauce. Very good. Recommend you make reservations before you arrive to Kawaii. read more

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I used to love this place, but the menu has reduced to about a third of what it used to be. The only starter available now is the green papaya salad, and the other options are Ramen or rice bowls. Would love to see some of the delicious Asian cuisine that was previously featured return. read more

Terrific meal. All the food was so fresh and the beautiful location an added bonus. We loved the bao rolls and the sake was reminiscent of what you drink in Japan read more

Incredible views, delicious food and quick friendly servers. We had an unforgettable meal here and can't wait to return. The ramen was some of the best we've had and we love ramen read more

Huge letdown. I figured this ramen would blow my mind. Not sure what the hype is but the ramen here wasn't really that good. We ordered a rice dish as well, the chicken and rice was cold...almost like they pulled a previously cooked dish from a fridge. I sent it back and they gave us another cold dish. So strange. I asked if it was meant to be cold and the server said "no" but they managed to do it twice. Didn't bother to finish either dish, it was that type of meal. The atmosphere was fine, great view. Service was mid. read more

One of the best meals we had while on the island! Started off with the buns (my fav!) along with the papaya salad, different than we expected but good- very fresh option with a little spice :) Cocktails we had the Francisco and the Magic Dragon, both great and my husband even said the Francisco was one of the best cocktails he's ever had! (That's saying a lot) The ramen we chose were the ahi tuna ramen (added kimchi - which had a pineapple flavor to it, so yum) And then I had the pork belly ramen which I loved so much! read more

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I didn't have high expectations for this place and it didn't surprise me. $26 for Seared Ahi Ramen. You get kamaboko (fish cake), green onions, cabbage, egg noodles and 4 pieces of ahi, and an egg. Broth is bone broth so very healthy and light compared to normal ramen broth base which is oily. It lacked a lot of flavor. We ordered their PB coconut pie. Tasted more coconut-y than PB. Our server gave us chocolate fudge to go which was a nice topping on top of the fudge that was already on it. Ambiance was on point though. Lots of flies since it's outside. We waited 20+ min as walk ins, 2 people in our party, came on a Saturday evening around 6:30pm. I would rather go to Kauai Ramen in Eleele and pay $10 for ramen. read more

Ama - Outdoor seating - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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If you're a foodie you'll be sad here. The ambiance is beautiful and service is friendly and prompt - I'd say come for cute cocktails and the view but leave the food behind! If you've never had ramen perhaps you'll be pleased. If you know good ramen, well, this is not that. The rest of the food is mediocre and under seasoned as well. Basically, we will stick to our island food truck rule of thumb here- they are all pretty great and most sit down restaurants are a bummer! I suggest the owners and chefs try watching Tampopo for inspiration on making quality ramen :). I mean, if you're going to call yourselves a ramen bar then at LEAST get that right!!! read more

Lovely setting. Great service. Delicious food. Consider trying the green papaya salad!

Wonderful place, I would plan to go before sunset to enjoy the patio and the ambience as well.

Good ramen, beautiful setting right in Hanalei. enjoyed food and cocktails. Definitely make a reservation

Oh ama so sweetly delicious and lovely spot. Thanks for making real food. We felt so good after our nice dinner.

Flavorful and elegant food with an incredible ambiance. The Ramen was phenomenal and the drinks were impeccable. We will definitely go again. read more