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!

Great great food-friendly staff. Owners hard working people…read more Always eager to assist you and provide Customer Service....every visit there is enjoyable... Highly recommend!!!!!

This is a local spot where people seem to know each other. Very welcoming and a food stop if you…read moreneed something fast. My favorite is the Beef and Broccoli and Roast Pork and ask for the mustard and soy sauce on the side.

Phenomenal. Yes, you have to make reservations and they may take a while but it is 100% worth it…read more You can also order takeout out but it has to be in advance. I cannot recommend this place enough. The ambiance and experience are something to feel in person and watching the dishes being prepared with such precision was fascinating. The sushi is so fresh and just melts in your mouth. What a gem, truly thankful for being able to dine here. I also ordered Unagi but I ate it before I could snap a photo! Lol, it was yummy!

We made the trek (about a 2-hour drive) to try dinner here only to be met with a paper sign posted…read moreon the door that said reservations are booked until the end of the year! Wait, what? The worker was nice about it, but because they don't have a website, how were we supposed to know? We also usually try to make reservations ahead of time, but because there was no website, we figure it's a first come, first serve kind of spot. That's our bad for making that assumption, but now that I'm reading other Yelp reviews, this seems to be a years-old customer service issue. But it makes sense, since exclusivity seems to be part of the business plan (i.e. small/limited seating, reservations only). Must be working for them. Didn't work out for us though, at least in the moment. So even though we didn't try the food (I'm sure it's likely amazing), it sucked to make the drive out here. Pro tip: call first --months ahead before you plan to go here and make a reservation! After just reading some of the reviews, I learned you can do take out but must order ahead of time. Not sure how much more ahead of time. So calling would also be a good idea here. Honestly, the amount of work to just get info, a reservation, and ultimately a meal here is starting to feel cumbersome. I'm not sure I'd want to try making the effort again. We did turn a lemon situation into lemonade and instead had dinner at Ken's House of Pancakes, and they never disappoint! Had we eaten at Takenoko, we would've missed out on Ken's oxtail stew, which was listed as part of the day's special menu items, and it was one of the best meals we've had in Hilo. So, it all worked out.

Ordered pad Thai (level 2 spice) and iced Thai tea over the phone to pick up…read more Love: - courteous & fast service in the phone - easy visibility from the highway & easy parking - immediate & fast service from a friendly worker - well packaged in sturdy container with bag as extra coverage - FOOD was great! Love the chew of the noodles, slightly citrusy, with a portion of lemon on the side, and size matched the price. Thai tea was as expected.

Their coconut soup is really creamy and delicious and full of beautiful vegetables. Friendly staff…read moreand cute atmosphere. Been raining a lot so got it for take home.

My #1 tip: make a phone order so you get what you want and you do not have to wake up at the crack…read moreof dawn. And they'll hold your food until closing, even if they run out of food and close up shop early. Small okazuya that opens early and closes early. My favorite foods: STUFFED CABBAGE: I think it is a Friday special and this is a late find new favorite. I love stuffed cabbage, the kind that reminds you of old school kine flavors, and this is it. SOOOOO GOOD. WARABI SALAD: I love their warabi but it's also because I don't like seafood. I think it's a weekday only thing but you should check. They use kamoboko (fishcake) instead of all the other seafood so it's a mild seafood flavor only, so I can live with that. The warabi is so fresh and tasty. SPAM MUSUBI: I know it sounds boring and you can get this anywhere but theirs is my favorite - flavorful and perfect. and you can tell it was made with love. I don't care for the fancy ones but they have the deep fried ones that come with sauce and everything but their spam musubi is just THE BEST. NORI CHICKEN: so good. Crispy and flavorful. Juicy. And still boneless. Other things: fried chicken is good, but to me it's just fried chicken. They have hash - the regular kind and the deep fried croquette. They're all ok. So many other things I'd like to try. They are small, they are crowded, but they are always super friendly. On the phone they are super helpful and friendly too. This is my #1 stop in Hilo. Tough one, considering it's next to Two Ladies Mochi. Which is probably my second stop in Hilo. Street parking. If you have to park across the street, be careful. I know a lot of people jaywalk, but the crosswalk really isn't that far at the light.

Finally tried this okazuya spot on our last trip to Hilo in February…read more I'd say its a little intimidating to the uninitiated (as I was). A steamed up glass case with hot items as you walk in, no readily apparent menu until you look to the left wall where theres a barely legible white board. Barely enough room for more than a handful of people inside, which is why there be a line outside. At 8am, inventory was low, few selections, we were able to get fried chicken and fried shrimp. We heard a customer in front of us ask for the musubi (not on the menu and not visible), so we got that too. I thought the food was 'pretty good'. I'm clearly not their intended target customer (i.e., wanting to get in super early for warm food for the day). Prices reasonable. Friendly service.

We picked up lunch from here for our office and is one of our go-tos. It's super easy to call in an…read moreorder and pick it up. The portions here are huge and the food is delicious. I got the 2 choice meat jun and spicy pork. I love meat jun, and this one did not disappoint. The meat was juicy and the batter was slightly sweet.

Absolutely amazing local Korean spot! The food quality is outstanding -- everything tastes fresh,…read moreauthentic, and consistently delicious, especially for the price. It's honestly hard to believe you can get this level of flavor and portion size at such a great value. I've been coming here since I was in high school, and the taste has never changed -- always on point, every single time, even after over 20 years. The service is just as wonderful as the food. The staff are friendly, efficient, and genuinely welcoming, making you feel like part of the community. Best of all, there's almost never a wait, so it's perfect when you want something delicious without the hassle. If you're looking for high-quality Korean food at a great price with fast, warm service, this place is a total gem.

Service and ambiance good. Food is a little bit overpriced. I have ordered nabeyaki udon. Authentic…read moreJapanese nabeyaki udon is more stuff in the pot. I'm little bit disappointed but they have various of menu so I should go back again!

Food is highly overpriced. Specifically, portions are…read moreanything but generous and are expensive.

I'm not the biggest fan of ramen so I ordered the chicken katsu plate (substituted for fried rice)…read more Such a big portion for $17. Service was quick and the katsu was cooked nicely.

Daiichi Ramen is a local chain of restaurants serving local style ramen and katsu platters…read more We dined in for dinner on a weekday and was served fairly fast. This isn't a place that serves Japanese style ramen, but more on the Hawaii style closer to sailing where the broth isn't as strong. I would say their tonkotsu ramen is a 3/5 because of their soup base feels watery and lacks substance. However, their beef curry seems to be made with Japanese roux cubes so it tasted authentic (4/5). If you're looking for fast, good portions, and local style ramen or katsu, Daiichi definitely can satisfy your craving.