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!

Some of the most fantastic ramen I've had in recent years!…read more The restaurant was relatively slow with its dine in customers when we went, but a lot of pick up orders seemed to be coming through the door, granted it was a Tuesday evening. The interior was nothing exceptional, it just felt a lot like most Asian/ramen restaurants inside, though there was certainly nothing bad about it. The ramen at this place is truly fantastic, hot, and fresh. I ordered the kimchi ramen with pork belly. The fermented veggies with the spicy ramen broth hit the spot, and the pork belly was nice and crispy. If you're in the Kona/Waikoloa area, I'd definitely say it's worth the trip!

Spicy chicken ramen was very flavorful, broth is too good didnt expect to find a good ramen place…read morein kona, must try Vegetarian tantanmem ramen broth is very satisfying Must have ramen place, not sure why its rated less, this place should have more stars Prices are very minimal and such a good place

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.

We got takeout and had the Vege Tempura, Vege Ramen, Vege Roll and Avocado Cucumber roll…read more This seems like a lot but it's good for 2 adults. Food is very light, tasty and well made. We also had the Matcha Shiratama Zenzai for dessert. It was awesome. Great combination of flavours. Everything is reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend it. Parking is street side and based on availability.

What a gem that's flung far from Kona, in the middle of nowhere off the side of Highway 11. It's…read moregot this old Hawaii meets Japanese comfort food charm that evokes a wistful presence from yesteryear. There's something about a flower being pinned to your hair as you're seated to eating a bowl of saimin as Unchained Melody plays in the background that brings a nostalgic smile to your face and makes you feel right at home. Oh - and if you ask the server what's in the Kona Beef Curry Stew... it's beef and curry. Ha. Tellin' them city folk like it is.

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!

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

First off, I am from Sinaloa, born and raised, and now live in California. I know what real Mexican…read morefood should taste like. Hands down, the quesabirria tacos and flautas are as good as they come--absolutely amazing. We happened upon this place on Yelp, and I was a little skeptical, but after the first bite, I felt transported back to Mexico. My entire family agreed that these are the best quesabirria tacos we have had outside of Mexico, and possibly even in Mexico. The flavors were amazing, and the consommé was absolutely delicious. We are regulars on the Big Island and normally do not eat Mexican food because we have never found a good spot, with the exception of Shaka Tacos. This place was really busy, and there was only one person working. She was doing it all--taking orders, collecting money, and making all the delicious food. She was never rude and was so pleasant. She said the cooks had called in and she was the only one there. Talk about dedication! She made sure everyone got their food, and it was made perfectly. I cannot commend her enough for all the work she did and for putting out an outstanding order of food. She is a real gem and should be treated as such! It is so hard to find good employees today, and her dedication and attitude inspired me. I wish we had gotten her name, but she said she is always there. If the food takes longer than you like, just be patient, because you are in for a treat when it comes out. Good food takes time, and the food is definitely worth the wait. We will definitely be coming back every time we are here. This place is a real gem. If I could give it more stars, I would. I hope everyone reading this takes my advice and goes to this wonderful place for the delicious food and the warm people.

Really good spot leaving from the falls, we stopped in for lunch and had no wait - it was right…read morewhen they opened. Just two people working and they were both friendly. Food was made fresh and took about 10 minutes! It was a lot of food too. I would've liked more cilantro and lime for the tacos, and maybe a bit more salt in the beans and rice, but overall it was great. The drink was our favorite! Plenty of seating, quiet, and quaint.

50% of on Sundays and Mondays for early dine? Say lesssss!…read moreWe enjoyed 4 sushi rolls, ravioli, poke, and cucumbers all for under 70 with tip. That's INSANE. The rolls were delicious l, I forget the name of the one I liked but it had spicy crab in it. Also, the ravioli with the mushroom Madeira sauce was heavenly. I could've ate 12 more of those (it's a small portion). Service was great, they have the system down. Waters at every table before early dine and the server gives you a good run down of what the special is and checks back with you before it ends. I highly recommend checking out sansei

I'm giving 3 stars only because of the service that night…read more We never received part of our order, in a very long period of time They were severely understaffed for the amount of people being seated. The manager was very nice and comped what we did get. In future if understaffed- limit seating to match staffing. The crab ramen with truffle was very delicious. Wish we could have tried more.