Today, a quick trip to Onekahakaha requires a good bento. Actually if I had it my way I could go to Kawamoto's at least 2-3 times a week. Kawamoto's has been a staple of authentic, home cooked (when no can home cook your own) meals. From regular everyday drop ins to birthday parties, celebrations of life and everything in between. Kawamoto's has been my Ohana's go-to for well over 50 years. Wait a min, I'm finding myself getting a little teary-eyed and homesick writing this review. And now im craving a bento that simply doesn't exist in Cali. To me, Kawamoto's is and will always be one of the best places to go and get of all the foods I love. read more

Stopped by to pick up breakfast. There were about 5 people in line around 8:30am, but it moved pretty quickly. Staff were friendly and food was good. My favorite was the nori chicken. Parking is limited, but we were able to find street parking in front of the store. read more

Kawamoto Store - Nishime - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Thank you Yelp for helping me find this place!! Staff were super friendly and very efficient! Lots of people were calling in orders so that might be a good option but if it's your first time then you're going to want to look at the food items to decide what you want! I highly recommend the spam musubi, shrimp tempura, Mac salad and Korean chicken! You really can't go wrong with anything thought! It's street parking only so just gotta be patient or lucky! Otherwise be sure to go with someone else so you can just hop out! This place is a staple and a must visit when in Hilo! read more

Kawamoto Store - Love the presentation and everything was YUM! - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Classic meets comfort (food), this okazuya gets me excited every time! Staff is all about Aloha, the line is consistently out the door, and the kitchen is always jammin', like a well-oiled machine. This place opened post WWII and is a landmark to this day! Really am soooo glad to see okazuyas thriving. The smells and flavors take me back to my childhood. It will always have a special place in my heart. My go-tos: maki sushi, shrimp tempura, nori chicken, nishime, shoyu pork, corned beef patties. You can't go wrong! read more

Kawamoto Store - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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There were a lot a positive comments about getting boxed lunches at the Kawamoto Store, so we stopped by to check it out. The line was about six people deep, so we just waited our turn, in this older part of Hilo. The foods are predominantly Japanese and Hawaiian type foods and fairly inexpensive. I love historical businesses for their character and this is no exception. I felt like a kid again in the restaurant which was running out of prepared foods by 10:00 AM. Pro-tip is to order days in advance if you're a traveller, and if it's a Holiday meal, a month or two in advance would be best. We heard them turn down a local for the Christmas celebration two weeks ahead of December 25th! read more

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5 stars. As a local Kawamotos has been a go to spot for as long as I remember. Make sure you go early right when they open to get everything fresh and hot. The okazu spread is always so good. I usually get tempura shrimp, fish, sweet potato, hash, Korean chicken, and the teriyaki beef. Honestly everything is good so you won't go wrong with anything they serve. Portions are great and the prices are fair especially with everything being so expensive. I love the staff as well. If you want good food and good service Kawamotos is the place to go. read more

Kawamoto Store - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

A must try if you are in Hilo. The reviews are not kidding when they say to come early. I came about 20-30 minutes after opening and the line was out the door! It was worth every minute though. Our favorite items were the tempura shrimp and ono. So crispy, flavorful, and cheap! They also sell cookies - would recommend the corn flakes and coconut cookies. read more

Kawamoto Store - The goods - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

First time and had a long lune. They take phone orders for pick up so planning ahead and calling in an order is probably best. But then you miss the fun of what might be freshly made or new for the week/day. Food was ono - our favorite was the korean chicken - super crispy with a great sweet shoyu sauce that soaked right in (best fresh). The cone sushi are the old style we always loved, a bit sweeter than I usually like (I prefer a bit more rice vinegar) but yummy and moist with some bits of carrot mixed in a nice big/thick tofu skins. The fishcake was yummy and other stuff was pretty good too. The interior feels like a timewarp to 20th century Hawai'i in a good way - great food, great service and people, though you are still paying 21st century prices. read more

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Quintessential Hilo. I grew up coming here and I have no idea how I haven't written a review- it's like 20 years overdue- and it's a requirement any time I come back home to visit. You google it and wonder why they open at 6am? Well there's gonna be a line. The later you wait, the longer it gets. And if you wait too long, they'll be out of all the best! Everything is made daily at the crack of dawn and no matter what you choose- it's gonna be good. My top favorites are the Mac salad, tempura fish, long rice and bbq teriyaki. read more

Kawamoto Store - HEADS UP! Closed tomorrow through Tuesday! - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Came here early in the morning at 6AM to pick up some bento boxes before driving up to Volcano National Park. The service here was great and fast! The employee was very friendly and helpful. As I was not a regular customer, he patiently walked me through the various options as he took my order. Although not exceptional (as you might expect of deli food), the food was still quite good and very affordable! The prices in the deli are a little less if you buy them in person versus online. My smaller bento box was only $6.50 while my bigger bento box was $9. Of the proteins, my cousin and I enjoyed the breaded Ono the most. This is a little Japanese deli that is pretty hard to spot even when you're looking for it. I wasn't able to find any designated parking lot for customers so I parked on the street in front of the store. read more

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Im never NOT coming to Kawamoto store when I visit Hilo. In fact no trip is complete without it. The food is reliably amazing, the service is always friendly and I have not once been disappointed by my experience here. read more

Kawamoto Store - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Sometimes in this life you come across a hidden gem that you still think about every now and then...this is that place! Imagine a non-descript and inconspicuous deli in Hilo...and you have no idea what to expect. We walked into a bustling shop lots of locals already in line and lots of beautiful women cooking in the back. We were there for breakfast and while we loved the posted menu we didn't know what to order. The kind gentleman behind the counter sensed our first timers confusion and kindly offered to put together 2 boxes of a mixed variety of items. We tried everything...from the noodles, musubi, Korean chicken, fried fish, fried veggies, everything was seriously AMAZING! We took all of this and had a nice picnic at Rainbow Falls! A definitely unique and memorable restaurant...I just wish we lived CLOSER!!! Thank you for existing! read more

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Kawamoto's is a solid local spot in Hilo with ono grinds and great prices. The food is fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you're craving when you want something simple and satisfying. Portions are good for the price, and the overall vibe feels very local and welcoming. Definitely a go-to spot if you're looking for good food without breaking the bank. I'll for sure be back read more

For broke da moufth GRINDZ, Kawamoto Store is da place for da local kine GRINDZ!!! I used to commute to the Big Island for 16 years (for work), but how come nobody evah told a Bruddah about of this place??? Thanks to all my Yelp buddies for posting their AWESOME food pics, & reviews of Kawamoto's, now Bruddah man can proudly join the club of folks who have come to Kawamoto's for da local kine GRINDZ! So da last two weeks I've been working on da Big Island to help cover some work for my coworker, as he's been out recently, due to illness. . Da FAMOUS Kawamoto Store has been around since 1947. Being around for the last 77 years tells you that da Kawamoto's sure knows their okazuya! I guess my Yelp buddies weren't kidding when they said to go early, otherwise da GRINDZ is gonna run out. Like a dummy, I show up @ 11:00 am, thinking it was fairly early enough. Guess what? Bruddah Fran was left wid' da scraps! Buwahahahahahahaha! But even wid' da scraps, I must say what I did scrounge up, da scraps was ONO!!! Lol! I wen' score some Cone Sushi, Korean Chicken, & Shrimp Tempura. What can I say about da grubbage? Da Korean Chicken was spectacular! When I come back here in da near future, garans I'm gonna order more of this! The Shirmp Tempura was very light, and they did it in a way that the dish was not oily. A well made Shrimp Tempura. As for da Cone Sushi, we'll, ya gotta have some starch when eating Frrrrrrried food! Lol! If you like old skool local GRINDZ, when in Hilo, this place is a "MUST"! Thanks to all my Yelp buddies! If I didn't see your check-in's & pics, I would have missed out on a good thing. :D read more

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Real ones know. Kumamoto Store has the best cone sushi and maki on the island, period. The bentos are also the best--fresh, classic, and done right. Heads up: they close at noon, so don't show up late. The staff genuinely have aloha, and the nostalgic vibe feels like old Hawaiʻi in the best way. If you know, you know. read more

Kawamoto Store - Maki Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I would have to say that Kawamoto's is my favorite lunch shop in Hilo. They haven't changed anything since I was little. And now over 30 years later for me and it's still the best. Some may say Hilo lunch shop is their favorite, but I'll always pick Kawamoto's. read more

Kawamoto Store has the best lunchbox foods ever! Their menu varies and everything they serve is freshly cooked daily! They are definitely a staple when traveling to Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii! They make the best Cone Sushi (Inari Sushi or for those not aware, it is sushi rice in seasoned fried tofu pouches (or aburaage, in Japanese) EVER! The staff are super helpful and provide quick service! At times, they may come across a bit short but it's only because there customer lines are super long the entire time they are open. Their hours are from 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM. The staff are truly 'dialed-in' with they provide, so you can totally count on receiving efficient service! Kawamoto's gets my personal 5-Shaka rating! read more

Good choices okay style Service hood as well Old style so normal on ambiance Parking was scarce, bring a driver and you can jump in and out if you call ahead read more

Kawamoto Store - Different choices you can pick from , mostly fried finger foods - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Yes, line is long! Though there are multiple people serving and getting your order ready, it's still slow. Even during non peak hours, expect to wait about 30-45 minutes, unless you call in. If you call in your order, it is based on what they have in the moment and NOT what they will have by the time you pick up. Food, there was good variety to pick from and they were tasty. Was everything equally tasty? Nope. Things like seaweed chicken were too dry. While the pocket sushi could be too sweet depending on your taste buds. Best thing to do is just get one of everything or two of everything and share. It was enough for our brunch by getting about 75% of what they have available in twos. If you want to make it easy, just select from their menu of bento boxes. Get a couple and you'll get a good sampling. read more

Kawamoto Store - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Kawamoto's is a Hilo staple. We ordered from here for work and called in bentos ahead of time. There's not much parking, so picking up the bentos is a two man job. One person waits on the side while the other goes down to grab the bentos. They have two lines - one for phone call orders and the other for those who are ordering there. Even the phone call line was REALLY slow. We were second or third in the phone call line and still had to wait about 15-20 minutes. I thought it would be quick to get our food, but that was not the case. This was on a Thursday at around 10am, so I wasn't expecting it to be busy. Our bentos had spam musubi, chicken, maki roll, fried sweet potato, and Teri beef. My favorite was definitely the fried sweet potato. The spam musubi was also really good. The food is good, but just be prepared to wait in line, even if you called in an order. read more

Kawamoto Store - Bento - musubi, beef, sweet potato, chicken - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

If you know Hilo and okazuya, it's all about Kawamotos. Always serving Ono food and always with aloha. Old school Hilo hole in the wall. The workers up front always make you feel welcomed. Gotta tip them in advance if using credit card. read more

Kawamoto Store - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Kawamoto Store should be your first stop when you land in Hilo. They open at 6am and there is a line out the door with hungry people waiting to order. It's an okazuya (Japanese-style delicatessen) so all the items are made and placed in the case. You pick whatever you want to create your own custom bento. I recommend the Korean fried chicken, shrimp tempura, maki sushi, and cone sushi. My favorite was the shrimp tempura because it was extra crispy and the batter tasted like shrimp chips. I regret not getting 2 pieces of that shrimp tempura. The staff here are efficient. They have a tiny space and most of it is blocked off for storage or office space. This place is takeout only and no seating available. The prices are very reasonable. The cheapest item is a piece of fishcake at $0.60 and the highest is a piece of fried chicken at $2.75. They also sell noodles, long rice, nishime, tofu, mac salad, and namasu for $5.90 per pound. There were a lot of locals picking up trays of food from the phone order line so that's a sign you know this place is good. I did a phone order before I boarded my flight in Honolulu. I did that hoping to save time and bypass the line but the sad part was that the nori chicken and cone sushi wasn't available yet. When I arrived for pick up, I saw the cone sushi in the back case and the nori chicken in the front case so I stood in line for 30 minutes to get those 2 items. I spent about $11 total on my bento and I was stuffed. They accept cash and card for payment. For parking, you parallel park on the street. If you come with a group, drop some people off in front of the store so they can stand in line first while the driver finds parking. read more

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We went specifically to try their maki sushi and cone sushi as our pseudo breakfast cuz our flight was very early. Had read some Yelp reviews and needed to try them. We doubled back since there was no close street parking and the line was quite long. Both sushi were moist. The maki sushi had lots of ingredients rolled in the rice and nori. Told hubs it was like the kind his Koloa grandma used to make. For some reason one of the pieces had some tuna that reminded me of cat tuna. Hubs stopped eating all of a sudden and not sure if it was only a coincident but got sick then and there. I only ate 3 pieces and I was fine. If there's a next time and we're not under a time crunch I'd like to see what other options we can try. read more

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Kawamoto Store is the spot for locals to pick up their favorite items for lunch or lots of their favorites for a party. It is not unusual to see lines out the door so getting here early like we did was definitely a plus. Spam musubi, chicken long rice, fried chicken, shrimp tempura, tempura sweet potato and nori chicken are just a sampling of their offerings and have already become my faves, that I had to return the next day for more to take along that evening to the volcanos. They are delicious hot especially that nori chicken that is worth the wait, while you talk story with the locals, but they are also made for eating at room temperature making it the perfect travel food. If I was flying out of Hilo, I would definitely stop by here to for lunch or dinner for the plane but since I wasn't, it did travel with me on the drive over to Kona. read more

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Cafeteria style food joint, cheap eats and no frills food. I would avoid any fried food, the fried fish was fine though. I like the rice related items, can't go wrong with it, just some musabi and you have a meal. read more

Overall Experience: 9.0/10 The location was more hidden at first, but once you get in line you understand why there is a wait here and it's totally worth it. The service was nice and patient as you order your food for takeout, as it has no seating. There are some bento options, or you can choose to buy a la carte. Food: The food was amazing and extremely affordable. Spam musubis for 90 cents, the most costly bento was under 10 dollars it will keep you full for the whole day. The shoyu chicken was flavorful, juicy and was still warm. The was an amazing balance of sweet, salty and umami. The korean chicken and shrimp tempura was still so crispy and delicious. I dont think you can go wrong with any options. I would highly recommend those stop by and try anything that looks good to them. Just be warned they will sell out of certain items before they close. read more

Kawamoto Store - Box with spam musubi, shrimp tempura, corned beef hash, Korean Chicken, Shoyu chicken - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

If you want a big assortment of fried food to go, this is the spot! We came here pretty early and the line wasn't out the door yet, but our wait time was around 20 min. The line moves pretty quickly because it's so organized. As soon as you get to the front, someone takes your order (all the food is out and labelled for your choosing) and then they give you a register number to go to to pay and wait while they pack up your food. We wanted food to go so that we can indulge after our hike at the Volcanoes National Park. The food was packaged really well and even though the food was cold by the time we got to it, it was sooooo good! Our favorites were the shoyu pork and korean fried chicken. I would skip the regular fried chicken as it lacked a bit of flavor. And go get some noodles with your order! Our box was less than $30 and both our bellies were oh-so-satisfied. Other things to note: 1) Street parking on a busy street. 2) When we went, there was something wrong with their system so they could only take cash. Not sure how regular that is, but have some cash just in case. read more

Kawamoto Store - Shoyu pork, Korean fried chicken, fried chicken, spam musubi, corn beef hash - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Wonderful local Japanese deli. Got everything you need to fill your belly without busting your wallet. Maki sushi and Nori chicken were super ono. Love the texture and flavor of the long rice also. Everything carefully packaged it's OK if you see a line, the staff is pretty efficient about moving it along. No dine in. Authentic feel of old town Hilo. read more

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We had to try food from the Kawamoto Store. We got to the store at 7:20 am on a Saturday and waited for 25 minutes in line to place our orders and waited ten minutes to pack our order. We got lots of goodies for breakfast [Spam musubi, breaded Ono, nishema (braised vegetables), noodles, soyu pork, tempera shrimp, and nori chicken] which cost less than $16. Everything is charged by piece or serving. The menu on their website has example bentos to give you an idea what you can get by price point. Everything is very reasonably priced, freshly made, and delicious. The process for walk-up is to line up until it's your turn to place your order. While in line, you can see what's available in the case. When you finish placing your order, the staff will tell you a number (1, 2, or 3). Then you wait for the staff to pack your order and call the number given to you. Then you go to the counter that correspond with the number given to you to pay and pick up your order. While in line, we learned that you can place a phone order, if you know what you want. But call between 5 and 6 am. Once they open the doors, they are too busy to take phone orders. Everything we was delicious. Clearly this place is a favorite with locals as they line up for both walk-up and phone orders. read more

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Quick Summary Nice little gem in Hilo, when you want to get your fried food fix. Can call ahead to skip on the line, but the line moves pretty quickly. The staff are very friendly and patient. My favorites are their tempura, particularly their fish. Food- 5 stars Really solid batter on their tempura. Would highly recommend their tempura'd fish. Definitely balance it out with some pickles and musubi, but the highlight was the tempura fish Service- 5 stars The staff are very friendly and patient. They were awesome Bottom Line Good and fast tempura with excellent service. It's street parking only, but people come and go quickly. read more

Kawamoto Store - Outside - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great selection of local foods. Reasonable prices but you should get there early to get your pick. read more

Food is good. Prices have gone up a bit. But it's my go to when I'm craving Okazu. I also get the sushi and Mac salad. My favorite read more

Kawamoto Store - Kawamoto favs - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Definitely go early but the locals know to call it in. We happened to find this on Yelp while planning our day trip to Hilo and while showing up at 11:00 we didn't have much options. We still managed to score a good bento and 2 servings of mac. Definitely get more than just a serving of Mac salad it is delicious. The biggest win was my picky eating daughter tried everything and she loved it. A huge win. The flavor and quality were there for sure! We will definitely make it there early next time! read more

Kawamoto Store - Deliciousness in a box - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Hands down the best Okazuya place I have ever gone to. Be prepared to wait in line but the wait does not disappoint. The service, prices, and quality is beyond exceptional. Every bite of food is delicious and comforting. From the cone sushi and spam musubis to the freshly fried chicken and tempura. Even walking in the door reminds me of walking into grandma and grandpas house. Truly a remarkable place that I hope never closes. read more

Kawamoto Store - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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They are very busy and the street parking was full as well when we got there at 8am. I love the concept of how you can choose what you want in your own bento box. Prices were reasonable and the staff were super nice! Our favorites were the korean chicken, cone sushi, maki sushi, and fish cake. I love how many choices we had to choose from. And pretty much everything we got was pretty good. I was so glad we got to try this, before we flew out today. read more

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Tastes like sweet shit and very slow. Maybe the only good point is the price. But I can't finish it due to the gross taste

This store is good for quick and fast food to go. We brought food here and take the food to the park and eat it to enjoy nature. Food is cheaper than the other place we went to, filling. I like the fried sweet potato and fried fish. The Korean chicken taste good. Service here is quick. Parking is street parking. read more

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I am really not much of a bento person but I was attending a meeting for work and for lunch they brought in bentos from Kawamoto. The tempura was very tasty as well as the chicken. I would definitely consider having it again. read more

Mixed. Stood in line for 45 min for food that was good, not great. Line was about 8 parties deep and shocking how slow it went... just felt it didn't move. The staff seemed to be prioritizing phone orders. No queue control- the same person who took it, plated it and then checked us out. She was the only person working queue. On the other hand, we walkes away with 3 bento boxes for $25. Perfect lunch. I would go again only if no line. read more

Food tastes pretty good and fresh. The price is reasonable. When I get there it too late, most of food is gone.