My partner and I discovered this hidden gem in 2024, and it was one of the best dining experiences we had that year. We're back again, this time sharing the experience with some of our closest friends and celebrating a birthday. As expected, Steve provided exceptional service, and the food was fantastic. We started by sharing several small plates, including the Hamachi Sashimi and tempura string beans, along with an Empress Honey Bee for everyone. By the time we were ready to order entrées, we were already getting full, but we still wanted to try the Braised Beef Cheek and Miso Roasted Monchong. We're so glad we did. Each dish was beautifully prepared, and every bite seemed better than the last. We finished the evening with the Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Yuzu Cheesecake, and ice cream sampler. Needless to say, we left JO2 very satisfied! Thanks again to Steve and the team for another wonderful evening, outstanding service, and an incredible meal. We're already looking forward to our next visit. read more

I cannot say enough good things about JO2. I've now been twice. Both times were such a super experience! We literally almost had everything on the menu as we did "shared". We all got to taste the different dishes and every bite was heavenly. My favorites are the dumplings, lobster, duck salad, more lobster, fish of the day with scallop topper, etc. Who am I kidding, every dish was my favorite. Big shout out to the chef and to Nicole who's an incredible person and server. She's a character! All the servers are so attentive and sweet. Truly, I love this spot. You can tell everyone who works there LOVES their job. They know how to serve ALOHA! Don't skip on dessert either. As I waddled out with a big grin! By the way, I was too busy eating to take photos but I should have because the artistic flare they create is exquisite. read more

We did the early dinner pre fix, which is available from 5-6pm. There are 2 choices for an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I tried the papaya salad, marlin, and yuzu cheesecake. Overall the food felt fresh and had nice flavors. I enjoyed the colors. Some of the veggies and the fish were undercooked though. Portions were good. We had the white wine pairing, which was a Chardonnay. Service was nice. read more

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Greatly appreciate the staff letting us dine so late after our reservation! Our first dinner is Kauai to start our trip and it was fantastic. Loved the pork chop and the wine. Staff were attentive, patient, and friendly. read more

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We walked in around 5 and made it for their early dinner special. We decided to do one early dinner special (app, entree and dessert) for $50 and then ordered à la cart. It was a wonderful meal. We particularly enjoyed the scallop ravioli with the yuzu beurre blanc sauce and the fish and tom yum! I could eat that beurre blanc sauce with everything! Finished with a lovely deconstructed yuzu cheesecake! Look forward to revisiting next time we are in Kauai! read more

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This place is a must try when you're on Kauai. Every dish we had was put together very well and tasted good. Staff was very pleasant and attentive. There is plenty of parking. Give them a try when you're in Kapaa. Alooooooha and happy eating. read more

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Where to start... I heard that this restaurant reopened in the middle of Oct 2025 due to the tragic passing of the executive chef (my condolences), so the sous chef is now Executive chef Megan. Our party of 6 enjoyed the scrumptious dishes served. I was glad that I was notified which dishes I was able to eat due to my crustacean allergy. I canʻt pinpoint which dish was my favorite since all were delectable. However, if I had to pick, it would be the scallop and ahi combo. The scallop was tender and ahi was cooked just right. So were the other dishes I tried - the beef cheek was also tender, the carrot ravioli - yum, and the tempura green beans - so good and not oily. Our party of 6 had such a great time - amazing food, great service and lots of laughs. Definitely try this place. Not sure how it was with the previous chef, but Chef Megan poured her heart into the dishes we ate. read more

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WOW! The food here was absolutely incredible -- every dish was bursting with flavor and so fresh. The service was just as amazing; there are two sisters who are a part of the server crew, make the whole experience fun and memorable. We thanked the chef on the way out. You can really feel the love and care they put into everything. We'll definitely be back! If you can snag a reservation, I highly recommend it. read more

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Well, once again, returning back from Oregon and our vacation, we've came to Din at your beautiful establishment. We are so sorry to hear about the loss of our head chef and owner. We love this restaurant. Will always continue to back to support you. To let you know whether your dining experience has not changed the food is at the utmost quality staff and servers continue to offer the best service on the island. Your food is amazing. I'm so glad that they kept all the menu items with your name. We love you so much and look forward to returning to your restaurant every time we visit Hawaii. The temporary green beans still are at my top favorite and the beef cheek. Is my favorite entrée there we look forward to returning to your restaurant soon again, Aloha !! read more

JO2 Natural Cuisine - My wife loves the ahi!! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

All the best to the chef, keep going back to Jo2. Restaurant. Service is good, Amazingly hard to find this farm to table excellence. Food is so good and been a customer for almost 10 years. read more

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Food was good. Service was good. I expected this to blow me away though, to be one of those places I tell stories about, stories that get more elaborate everytime I tell them. This place is solid, but it's not one of those. Menu is a good mix of Asian-inspired and seafood-centered dishes. Prices are high, but reasonable for this part of this island. read more

Something different from the typical Hawaiian style foods you'll find in Kauai. As far as "fine dining" goes this is just about my favorite and as a second time visitor this has not disappointed me many years later ! The prices are a bit higher than your standard fare here and the location may seem a bit out of place but it is absolutely worth it. Our server was delightful and there is an extra air of care for service here that you don't get elsewhere. On the east side of the island it's a bit of a drive from poipu at ~45 mins and I highly recommend reservations in case you decide to trek out there. Can't wait to come back again ! read more

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We had the Prix Fixe menu and loved it! Fun atmosphere with very attentive service. Good parking read more

JO2 Natural Cuisine - Asian Fusion Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Food and service were excellent. Second time here and it's still satisfying. Dinner for four was delicious and well spent. Shout out to our server Nicole who was so welcoming. Early Dinner $50 (Bouillabaisse, Lemongrass Crusted Fish, Cheesecake & Red Wine)! Green Goddess Drink Green Been Tempura Beef Cheek Hokkaido Risotto Kama Panna Cotta dessert read more

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This place was amazing. We went on a recommendation from a trusted friend who frequently visits Kauai. This was the best meal of our vacation by far. Our server was so welcoming and knowledgeable about all the menu items. We started off with a couple of cocktails. Quite tasty and beautiful presentation. The first course we had was the crispy duck salad. This dish was very unique and incredibly tasty. For the main course we had the beef cheek and a fresh fish that I can't remember exactly what it was but it was delicious. Had the panna cotta dessert. Light and sweet. Very good. The vibe was casual but trendy. Very understated location in a mini strip mall. The focus was really on the food and almost completely locally sourced ingredients. We were so impressed by our food here. Would definitely recommend. read more

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The food and the service were amazing. The twin sisters serving kept us entertained all through dinner. The scallops and Ahi was fantastic

Best meal in Kauai hands down. Definitely worth the drive from Lihue (it's really not that far). The early dinner special is so worth it. Great seating and booth tables available. Staff super kind and friendly. The fish is fresh and the vegetables are cooked so perfectly. The desserts were so delicious to end the evening. Everything was just so fabulous including the plating which were like works of art. We didn't mind the slight wait between dishes as it let us enjoy and digest. Left full and so happy. Highly highly highly recommend for locals and visitors!!! read more

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The service was top notch, the food, not quite there. Scallop ravioli contained a one nickel-sized overcooked scallop that hit more like a clam. Green bean tempura, as expected, nothing exceptional. Marlin tom yum was served lukewarm, they gladly replaced it but sauce flavors were bland; tasted exactly one bite of lemongrass. My server was a delight, and that was the highlight. read more

One of the top five meals of my life and I've had some amazing meals. Our server was so sweet and efficient. We were right by the kitchen and watching chef interact with his guests shows how much he truly cares. The crispy duck salad is not to be missed. The flavors, texture, everything was on point. We loved the braised beef cheek, it was melt in your mouth amazing and seasoned perfectly. The green beans are perfection, crunchy, salty, divine. We might be the anomaly because we didn't love the scallop ravioli, it was good but not blow your mind amazing. It fell a little flat compared to everything else. We can't wait to be back on the island and go to JO2! read more

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I will dream about this place. I will rouse Anthony Bourdain from the grave so he can experience JO2. I will make additional Google accounts to review this place. I will see the pork and shrimp dumplings when I close my eyes. I will request the scallop ravioli and tempura green beans as my last meal on death row. We love food, but this was the best meal we have EVER had. Incredible service!!!!! Can't miss this fine dining hole in the wall! read more

JO2 is the best restaurant on kauai ‍ I eat everywhere all of the time and JO2 is unmatched. -Butterfish was insane. Super light unlike most places that do a bold sauce to cover the fish -lobster pasta 10/10, that's the only way I want lobster -duck salad had many yummy components- pistachio, mushrooms, very crunchy piece of duck on top and plenty duck inside -ribeye was perfectly sauced with butter and I think rosemary and maybe a citrus. Flavors that make you go "hmmm" -loveeeddd the panna cotta I'd like to eat 10 more -surprised but I actually liked the bana cream pie. Probably because it wasn't an actual pie Service is pro! It's a smaller place with enough staff to give appropriate attention to each table. read more

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Food is fresh, local & amazing Service is excellent, attentive Their 3 course early dinner is delicious and you experience farm to table food read more

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The service was very nice and our food came out at a fairly good pace although the entrees took a while. I think the overall experience was underwhelming because while the overall quality of the ingredients were good they were just not as tasty as I thought they would be. I was super excited for the scallop ravioli and while the brown drizzle of sauce on it was nice the overall dish was a little lackluster. Maybe I was expecting something different but the sauce tasted mostly lemony and the raviolis were barely stuffed. The three scallops they gave us in our entree were also nearly raw which was a little unpleasant. The worst part is that the portions were also very skimpy for the price and didn't feel justified. I think the best thing we had was the dessert. If the portions were normal I think it wouldn't be as bad. My husband and I are not huge eaters but still left hungry. That being said maybe we also just ordered the wrong things. I really wanted to like this place and was excited for it but unfortunately left feeling like it could have been skipped. read more

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The food was just okay, but we were expecting a more memorable dining experience given the restaurant's reputation. Unfortunately, the food, portions, ambience and pricing did not come together to justify the cost. At these prices, we expected more in terms of both quantity and overall experience. read more

As someone who has tried most of the restaurants on this island, I have always thought, and will always think that jo2 is by far one of the best food experiences that you can get on this island and for a reasonable price. You do not come here and try to change anything about any of the dishes. It is pure art. Every dish is an experience for the palate and it is wonderful. many things are farm to table, and the servers and bartenders are extremely well knowledgeable about each dish and the different alcohols offered. Over the years, I've tried nearly every dish on the menu and I can't say that there's a single thing I haven't enjoyed. Not only that but I am completely in awe every single time, no matter how many times I have tried it. Anytime I have bougie foodie friends in town, this is always a top destination for a dinner. however, nowhere is perfect, the ambience is very unassuming considering how amazing the food is. It is not your fanciest restaurant as far as decoration or table settings, etc. But if you ignore that, then it's fine. If they had a better ambience/location, this would be a five star restaurant through and through. It's always my number one recommendation when considering quality of food overall. read more

I found JO2 on YouTube review. This was listed by a couple as a must go place to eat while in Kaui. So after a fun day of golf we headed over to JO2. The restaurant located in a small strip mall seemed and was very simple , the inside very quaint and hostess was very pleasant. We started with a couple drinks and move right into the carrot ravioli so delicious as we shared every bite and lick the plate good . Then went right for the suggested dish on YouTube and it did NOT disappoint off the charts in flavor , texture and overall presentation . Dessert Chocolate Cream Brûlée we have to say was just ok and we both cherish a this dessert . Overall a great experience and our server Dana was awesome and made or dinner a pleasurable experience . JO2 is a must do fir you too while in Kaui Until next time .... read more

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After looking at a few forums of places to eat near our hotel in Kapaa, JO2 was highly recommended. I made a reservation for a Tuesday night and it wasn't busy when we arrived but was busy once we left. We opted to share a few small plates such as the oyster ravioli, hamachi crudo, tempura mushrooms and duck confit salad. Our waiter asked if we wanted to space out our food in a certain way and we just said to have the food come out when it was ready. About 10 minutes after ordering, our oyster raviolis and hamachi crudo arrived. Both plates were small and we ate both of them rather quickly. Consensus: the oyster ravioli presentation wasn't as nice as other photos of them shaped as dumplings, but the sauce was tasty, and the hamachi crudo was fresh and tasty. Then, we waited, and waited, and waited for our duck confit salad and tempura mushroom dishes. We waited probably 40 minutes before they arrived. I don't know if our waiter placed our order all together and the kitchen was slow, or if he placed the items in later. We'll never know. He was also pretty absent from our table and the table next to us. Once we finally receive the tempura mushroom and duck confit salad dishes, I placed an order or their cheesecake so we wouldn't wait too long. These two last dishes were tasty. The cheesecake arrived swiftly and that was our favorite dish of the evening. Overall, the food was good, just the timing of receiving our food was a little off. It's also a restaurant that tries to be elegant with a casual vibe which was a little confusing when we were trying to figure out what was acceptable to wear. read more

JO2 Natural Cuisine - Mocktail! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Great experience, thoroughly enjoyed the appetizer (poached carrot ravioli - ordered it to try something new and it was delicious!), entree (slow braised beef cheek - rich flavors and everything went well together), and dessert (manjari chocolate creme brulee - good flavor and texture). We also had the yuzu cheesecake, this was the only item I wasn't too fond of, it was a bit tart for my preference but aside from this, recommend all the other dishes. The server was friendly and service was pretty quick. Space was a little small but it was nice, would have liked better ventilation since we were by the kitchen and smells were good but strong and stuck to clothes. Overall, do recommend if you have a chance to visit! read more

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My husband and I, along with our family, celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on September 2nd. We chose to dine at JO2 because of its rave reviews, but unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. We ordered three passionfruit martinis and one lychee martini. The passionfruit martinis arrived 20 minutes later, warm and no longer chilled. The steak was only seared on one side, and the Bolognese noodle bowl was incredibly dry--honestly, it was the worst dish I've ever had. To make things worse, my mother-in-law had bought us a bottle of champagne, but by the time it was poured, our glasses were no longer chilled. The worst part came when the server brought out a panna cotta with a candle, wished me a "happy birthday" (even though it was our anniversary), and quickly walked away without any real acknowledgment. Her response felt insincere, and the whole situation left us feeling completely let down. It's really frustrating when such an important occasion doesn't live up to expectations, especially when you're celebrating a milestone like a 30th anniversary. Very disappointed to say the least! read more

Wonderful gem of a spot, with excellent service, delicious and creative food, and a neighborhood restaurant vibe. High end food but in a casual setting. Especially enjoyed the mushroom tempura, scallop ravioli and Japanese fried chicken but honestly everything was good! read more

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Went back again. Fourth time here. They chef passed away about a month ago, so they're limiting the days they're open. Everyone was very friendly as usual. Food took a little time to come out, but was delicious as always. read more

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Adding a few more images from our latest meal there. Everything was outstanding as usual. read more

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If you're from the mainland, you're gonna wait a long time for your dinner. We waited an hour and left. There are no hostesses to see you. There are three frantic servers running around the bartender was almost irritated at us for wanting drinks. I've also noticed that there are a lot of five star reviews for this place and I just can't understand it after sitting and waiting an hour and possibly more if we hadn't left... for food. As we were going out the door very unhappy the waitress said that they were shortstaffed in the kitchen. It would've been good to get that information on the front end so we can make a decision as to whether we want to sit and not eat for an hour. read more

Came here by recommendation online and our group was not disappointed. They, like a lot of amazing restaurants on the island, source local ingredients which means their menu changes constantly. Dana was amazing, and not only was she attentive, but provided amazing recommendations for all of us, on TOP of making sure our food restrictions for the kids were met. Everything. Was. Fire. The only thing I felt was underwhelming was the Tom Yum Risotto; but the octopus that accompanied it was amazingly tender and perfectly charred. The scallops were all fresh and delicious, + cooked to perfection. The Cornish hens was moist and crispy, and the Kuruboto Park was so tender and flavorful. Desserts were top notch (get that chocolate creme brulee. Wow!) The food paired with the service was a great experience for all of us. If we find ourselves back on Kauai, we will definitely stop in again! read more

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We made a reservation for a nice dinner and JO2 was such a great choice! Walking into the restaurant it was decorated really well, with a lot of local artwork, specifically watercolor of flora and fauna of the island. The restaurant overall was also very clean with an indoor and outdoor area and full bar. The service was absolutely fantastic, super kind great recommendations. We started out with the lychee punch and unsweetened hibiscus tea, both were very fantastic and garnished well. They brought out bread with olive oil and balsamic which was okay. The star of the show was the seared Ahi tuna (6oz) and two large seared scallops on a bed of purple mashed potatoes and assorted veggies, including green beans and brussels sprouts, all serve served on a burre blanc yuzu sauce. Everything was cooked perfectly! I really liked the sear on the ahi and scallop, and I'm impressed by a brussels sprout with such flavor without grease. I was stuffed at the end! I would recommend JO2 for a nice dinner and there's space for a big party as well! read more

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We got a reservation for 5pm a couple weeks out before our Kauai trip. I ordered from the pre-fix menu, and hubby ordered from the regular menu so we could try different entrees. I started out with the honeybee empress drink, all the food came out soon after and all very beautiful and instagramable! Some are more mentionable than others so keep reading below. My pre-fix included: honeycomb salad minus the goat cheese - the honeycomb was interesting, however the salad was like any mixed greens lemongrass crusted mahi - this was a generous portion and very good. panna cotta with ice cream - we were stuffed by the time the dessert came. Hubby ordered: Scalloped Ravioli - The taste is fine, but tbh we couldn't tell if there was actually any scallop inside. Scallop risotto - this was very delicious with large pieces of scallop. So Ono! Lobster Tail linguine - very tasty and size lobster tail. I think their entrees are what stand out here, everything is sharable. And I feel one prefix and adding other entrees is the best way to get a taste of everything. read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed a fine dining experience at this small, intimate restaurant in Kapa'a. Every dish is perfectly executed and beautifully presented, a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. We had the Hokkaido scallop ravioli, the green bean tempura, the ahi & scallop combo w/yuzu beurre blanc, and the lemongrass crusted mahi. We've spent eight weeks vacationing on Kaua'i over the past three years, and this was one of the best meals we had. If you enjoy gourmet food, seek out this restaurant. read more

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Amazing food, so creative kitchen and friendly staff. A must visit in Kapaa, one of our favorites. Unique flavors.

The menu looked great, the service friendly and well executed. That is the reason for the 3rd star. The food, I am not sure if it was an off night but things simply were not great. Hamachi sashimi does not need to be drenched in sauce if it's fresh. Which it probably was but the sauce took away from the fish. The duck confit - if one does great job on the duck but places it under a mountain of overdressed, super strong dressing ..... the result is something that is hard to describe. The pasta dish with rabbit sausage and green beans - tasted like cooking 101 of culinary school - throw it in the pan and see what happens, give it a fancy name, they will order. Overall, quite disappointing but maybe it was an off night based on the other reviews. Overall, just a meh experience. read more

Maybe you should start by just looking at the pictures of the food. I'm not sure we've been to a restaurant with food that looks so good in its closeup. Just absolutely beautiful. Honestly, I could go on and on about the food because it was that good. Really we enjoyed a truly excellent meal here. But instead I'll just focus on just one dish. They served a bolognese with salad. Not on the side, but as part of the dish. It was brilliant. Totally creative and delicious. That's the kind of restaurant that I would give 10 stars to if I could. Not to be missed... read more