Love this place! We visited this local favorite on a trip to Hilo. We went for an early weekday…read morelunch, so it wasn't busy. There was parking in the shared lot, but spaces are tiny. Booth seating was perfect for us. The wait staff were super nice and patient with us. Their menu is huge and has a lot of options for customizing. Fortunately, there are diagrams on the wall to help you decide. I got a Miso Standard ramen ($20 with an Ajitama (seasoned soft boiled egg), hard texture, fried garlic, extra noodles. It was fabulous! Really hit the spot. Loved the chewier noodles and the rich, flavorful broth. DH got THE Garlic ramen ($26.50) also with an Ajitama, pork belly, and extra noodles, regular firmness. The kids wanted extra Naruto (fish cakes), 75 cents for 2 small pieces. One of our kids is under age 5, so we got a Miso mini ramen ($9.50 value) for free! Wow! Little one said he did not like the flavor of the seasoned egg. Noodles were very soft, but stayed together, and soaked up a ton of broth so they were flavorful. He said the Miso Mini comes with corn instead of fish cake. We loved all of the toppings. The pork belly was excellent! Portion sizes are great. We had some leftovers to take back. Overall, a fantastic place to satisfy those ramen cravings!

Best ramen in Hilo. I like how you can pick exactly how you want your bowl of ramen to be. My go-to…read moreis the miso ramen with the ajitama egg and spicy ball. If prices were a little lower for some other items on the menu, I would be willing to try more things. When they had the sushi available, it was really good too! Hopefully you bring back sushi again!

ALWAYS A GREAT DECISION TO COME HERE!!…read more The food and service is always on point. Really cool locally owned restaurant. We usually get the sizzling steak and/or korean chicken salad. Never disappoints. Mahalo kenichi crew

Our high school club chose to eat here to support a local business for our end-of-year celebration,…read morebut the experience was unfortunately very stressful for our students and staff. We spent two and a half months planning this event. My club treasurer and I confirmed the price on seven different occasions--five times over the phone and twice in person. Each time, we were quoted just over $600 with about a $110 in tips, which we paid in full two days before the party. However, the day before the event, we were told there was a miscalculation and we needed to pay another $400. Because our students had only fundraised the amount we were originally quoted, we had to remove two people from our party and downgrade our menu which did not include drinks anymore. We requested to bring our own drinks due to the last-minute budget change, but we were told we could "only bring alcohol and no outside sodas and juices." It was disappointing that this was the only accommodation offered to a group of high school students. During the party, we also encountered several cleanliness issues. We found hair in the food and cockroaches in the rice, as well as on the walls and near the buffet area. I am totally not joking about the food; I was shocked by what we saw. The servers were very polite and apologized when we let them know, but it was a major concern for us. I understand that accidents happen, but this was a very difficult situation for our club after so much careful planning. Personally, I will not be eating here again for a long time.

That garlic rice! Get the garlic rice. Ahi don with the garlic rice is my go-to. Even the bentos…read morethey make are great if you're in a bit of a hurry.

I ordered the Katsu and it was fantastic, with tender meat and a crunchy crust. The garlic rice is…read moretasty with a hint of curry flavor. The salad was fresh and the sesame vinaigrette was well balanced. Highly recommend!

Such a delicious spot!…read more Made to order juicy fried chicken karaage! We ordered 8 pieces to share, plus 6 wings and 2 side rice. So much food! Rice was made perfectly. Karaage was perfectly seasoned and crunchy. Enjoyed every bite! We were unable to finish it all, so brought it home. And we re warmed it in the air fryer and it was just as delicious! A must try in Hilo!

Last week we were in Hilo and needed a quick lunch before heading back to the airport. We used…read moreYELP to find a quick bite and were not disappointed. First of all; YELP is a useful tool to find what you need when you need it. Five stars to YELP Secondly; if you need a quick bite; look no further than this restaurant. It's a mom and pop style with great service. Very clean; simple menu; delicious chicken. Can't complain. The owners are from rural areas in Japan and moved to the US and later took a vacation to Hilo and fell in love with this Island and its people. And the next is history; they moved to Hilo and set up shop. Let's hope the economy and people continue to visit this little gem so that they can live here a long time. We will definitely visit them again on our next trip to Hilo

These guys are doing the best cheesecake I've tried on the island and possibly islandS. Yuzu Basque…read moreCheesecake is very, very special. Definitely of a great restaraunt quality. Once I'm in Hilo I take several to keep in my fridge. Keep it up, Hana Tako, thank you! P.S. It is sold by pieces. Couldn't find where I'd be able to buy the whole cheesecake though..

From the owner: Located inside KTA Puainako by the Deli, Hanatako serves Takoyaki, a Japanese traditional dish made…read moreof wheat batter with Tako (octopus) filling. Donburi (Rice Bowls) are also available including Chicken Katsu Curry Bowl, Karaage (fried chicken) Bowl, Katsudon and much more! Currently available after 3PM! In the morning around 10AM, we now serve Authentic Japanese Bento and Akadashi Miso Soup!

It was a pleasure to discover this exceptional establishment offering a fusion of Asian cuisines…read more Food quality: Everything was fresh, tasty, and good portions for the money. Ambiente: Cozy, clean, and nicely decorated. Price: Priced right, and two people can enjoy a wonderful meal for under $116. Service: Right off the bat, the hospitality felt welcoming, the service was attentive, and our orders came very quickly. Good job!

Very underwhelming experience, this restaurant is Japanese in name only…read more For starters, after being seated we had a 1 hour wait to be served food for a table of 4. And then we the food finally came, it was cold and unappetizing. Miso soup was way too salty and the salad was perfectly average. The beef teriyaki and chicken katsu combo plate came out lukewarm which is unacceptable considering I waited 1 hour and they can't even bring hot food. Shrimp tempura according to my mom was underwhelming and not the best tasting. Beef curry was the worst out of all the dishes. It was so watered down and tasted like water, 0 curry flavor whatsoever. Considering these plates were $25 each, I'd stay clear of this place. Definite tourist trap. If you want authentic Japanese food, go to the ramen place nextdoor instead. They have a better curry rice bowl despite being a ramen place.

We tried out this legendary Japanese Hawaiian diner near the end of our trip. It is literally like…read morea slice out of history! Not to be missed! They have a TV showing historical clips of the Japanese immigrants who moved to Hawaii. We learned so much just dining there! The servers were very nice and friendly. They even offer free, hot green tea. It wasn't crowded when we went there for lunch. The server said we could order from the dinner menu too. The restaurant is decorated with a bunch of old family photos. It's not a fancy food location, but a place that is in the locals' hearts. Also, it's not standard Japanese American food, so don't come in looking for rolls and such! Instead, they serve fresh, perfectly prepared Japanese food with a Hawaiian twist, favorites like saimin and shrimp tempura. The large saimin ($16.17) was delicious and really hit the spot. Toppings were Spam, eggs, and veggies. Simple, but tasty! Shrimp tempura appetizer ($14.85) was a pretty large sized dish. The pieces have a lot of crunchy batter and the kids loved it. It was a bit greasy, but that's to be expected. DH got a Oyako Donburi with sashimi ($21.93). Wow, the sashimi was truly amazing! So tender, it just melts in your mouth. The eggs were cooked with bamboo pieces which kinda threw DH off. I liked them, but DH would've preferred it without. The flavor is sweet/salty and pretty mild. It came with miso soup and some pickles. Parking is right in the front and backs into the main road. It can be spicy getting out if traffic is heavy. They don't have a lot of bathrooms, so there might be a wait. Those are the downsides. Otherwise, a wonderful local place to eat!

After reading about the extensive history of this long-standing Japanese/Hawaiian family…read morerestaurant, we had to come check it out. I got the No. 3 Teishoko which comes with Miso Soup, Sashimi, Sukiyaki, Shrimp Tempura, Sunomono, Tsukenomo, and Rice. The tuna was so smooth and melts in your mouth. And I loved the flavor of the pairing of pickled vegetables with the sukiyaki (flavorful and tender). I do wish the shrimp tempura had a little more shrimp and less tempura batter though. Also, we didn't realize that our waitress was the great granddaughter of Grandma Teshima herself. She was so nice to us during our visit! I would recommend checking out this restaurant. Looking forward to trying out their breakfast the next time we come back!

My gf food coma right after. Service was fast and excellent. Ambiance decent. We ate everything…read morebecause it was so good. And she went to sleep not even an hour after

We went with a friend for dinner a month ago and the food was excellent. Started with some gyoza,…read moreand tempura, chicken karaage and then sushi which was fresh and beautiful, and black garlic ramen was superb. We had leftovers that were great the next day for lunch as well. This is a popular place so be prepared. We ate inside not having a reservation but I'd suggest calling for a reservation outside. Also keep in mind that rents are high in Kona, it's a challenge to find people that can afford it and work in our restaurants, so be kind to them. Parking is also a challenge but patience and determination will get you there. Currently if you are a Costco member you can purchase gift cards for $80 that will get you $100 at the restaurant, so effectively a 20% discount. Those discount cards seem to rotate in and out at Costco so that will probably change. We've gotten two takeout dinners since then and it's a definite favorite of ours. Mahalo.

Great food. The ramen and sushi were flavorful and presented well. A mixture of local and Japanese…read moreingredients. Friendly service in both English and in Japanese.

best ramen i've ever had in my life, hands down…read more ramen is usually hard for me because i can't eat pork and a lot of spots don't offer non-pork ramen, whether it's the pork belly or the broth being pork-based... so when my friend from waimea told me this was a chicken ramen establishment, i was overjoyed! so not only did it fit into my dietary restrictions, it bested all the other ramen i've ever had (though i have not been to japan yet, so maybe take that into consideration, but still). not only that, but the gyoza and croquettes were phenomenal. i was just getting over a health condition that demolished my appetite, but i just wanted to keep eating and eating. really wonderful service and the inside is cozy. very packed too and it was just a random night in july. next time i find myself on the big island, moa is getting another visit.

I came during a Friday lunch rush and they were turning out orders pretty fast here. It's counter…read moreservice where you order, wait for your food, and either take it home or eat it in the food court (it's not about the ambiance, it's about the flavors). I got the pork bento which came with miso soup and an iced tea and it was $32 with tax and tip. Kind of on the expensive side for lunch but it was a lot of food and it tasted flavorful and fresh. Pros Fast fresh Japanese food Cons Food court or take-away (not a major con but worth noting)

A another local boutique Owner recommended this place to us, and we decided to come check it out…read more Sadly, we were full at the time and have not walked off our lunch yet. Lol. We were able to order an iced Matcha tea and it was really good, but a little light in flavor. Lol. I was really excited to try their Ube smoothie, but it was pre-mixed with cow, milk, and since I'm lactose intolerant, I wouldn't be able to have it comfortably. Lol. The lady that helped us was incredibly friendly, sweet and nice, and she knew everything about the food and drinks. She was very apologetic about the cow milk and the smoothie being premixed. Hee. They also had a little Ready To Go take out counter area with some delicious looking items. I took a picture of that as I took a picture of the drink. I will have to go back for lunch and write update my review. Hee