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Nuka

4.3 (607 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
Open 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Nuka Photos

Business Info

NUKA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Nuka

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Sesame Ice Cream
Michelle B.

It's been awhile since I went to Nuka. It's a modern sushi place in Haiku town that is dear to my cousin and I since we supported them for lunch when they first opened years ago. Now the secret is out and it is filled with eager tourists and locals alike for dine in and also carry out. Because it's in Haiku and wait time can be long, it's not a place I frequent a lot but when I do, it is a special treat. When you arrive, you wait to put your name on the list by the hostess. We arrived around 5:45 pm on a weekday and were told it was a 40 minute wait for either table or Sushi Bar. To our surprise, we probably waited 15-20 minutes tops. They ask for your number so they text you when your table is ready and you get a 20 minute grace period or they'll move on to the next. Seating is limited to 50 so wait times can be long (especially for a larger party) so be prepared. We ordered a good mix of some regular favorites with Specials. I ordered Tutu's Tea which was Assam Tea, Fresh Orange and Lemon Juice, Mint and Honey. For appetizers we had Kinpira Gobo (burdock root, carrot and sake) and a miso soup. At first sips, the Miso Soup lacked Wakame which was brought to their attention and fixed. It was a tad on the warm side and hot water would've kept me sipping more. The stars of the night was definitely my favorite Special, the King Kong Roll which has shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy hamachi, masago and unagi glaze and aioli. So delicious! My cousin got the Negi Bluefin Toro Roll, as he said "fatty goodness!" I do love Salmon and opt for the Peahi Roll with salmon, pea sprouts and masago. The cool adventurous dish has to be the Mahi Bombs which was soaked in Coconut Milk so it was moist and delicate inside and then crunchy on the outside because it was covered with Panko, Mac nut, and Peanut. It accompanied this pickled onion and cabbage and green onion below. When you dip the Mahi Bomb into the Lilikoi Sweet Chili Sauce, it literally was an umami bomb in your mouth! For dessert, you can't leave without a Mochi or a scoop of ice cream. We always crave the Black Sesame Ice Cream! It's gritty like cookies and cream. There was even a cool Miso flavor if you feel fancy. Overall, a delicious sushi fix in the heart of Haiku, served with aloha!

Torched hamachi belly
Val S.

Excellent fish quality, good and friendly service. It can get super busy so plan ahead for that. Rolls are on the pricier side. A good spot for date night or a special occasion.

We waited for approximately half an hour, but the wait was worth it. The food was delicious and service was great.
Reyann C.

Waited for 1/2 an hour before we got in but it was well worth it. The food was delicious and the service was great. Will definitely go back to try more items on the menu

Tempura very good
Brian S.

This restaurant has a little bit of a larger than life reputation in my mind. I'm aware it's a hang out for surfers and the beautiful people of Maui or the people who can truly afford it or tourists who want to see something off the beaten past. My partner wanted to come here. The place is less than a four minute drive from my house and I drive by and go to the yoga studio down the block, I've always avoided it. I know it's a good place and if I went there, I'd wanna go there again and again and again and it's a little bit out of my regular budget, but we went tonight and we enjoyed it. We had the specialty rolls the Haiku roll and the nuka roll. . We had some fresh potato salad, which was very, very good. A burdock appetizer, which was also good. There was Saba. There was ikura I've had better, ikura . We ended our meal with some tempura, which was kind of all different. It was fine. It reminded me of eating an Osaka. The place is Well managed has an accessible field to it.. i'm not sure if my server was new but she was hanging in there and the food came out super fast. I wanted the dishes to settle a little different n the than the food runner thought they should,be place . Who knows no one's really sure house sushi should be set on the table. It's an issue of dispute. I enjoy that dispute and I enjoy this restaurant. It is kind of pricey, but for a special occasion. Maybe for a birthday or celebration or just a day when one wants to feel special I would go back.

Michelle S.

We always enjoy coming here to Nuka. We checked in around 5:15 p.m. for an early dinner and we had to wait about 30 minutes for dinner.. They put your name on a waiting list and text you when your ready to be seated. This place was packed when we checked in. So 30 minutes came and my name was called. We sat down and were greeted with water and our server came over.. She was kind and sweet. We got out drink orders in and I started on a bunch of small plates. We chose the Moscow mule and a Lilikoi Margarita. But we're they both delicious. We both had 2 each. The food came out shortly after that. The tenderloin, the chicken skewers, agadashi tofu, and shrimp and veggie tempura oh and a shrimp tempura roll plus an ocean salad were all amazingly delicious. The Ambiance is it was pretty loud and busy. Tables were filled and the waitstaff was on it. They had the place going with drinks and food. Which is great. We'll be back with others for then to enjoy this pace as much as we do.

Ilana Z.

Sushi was soooo fresh here. we really ordered a LOT and everything was absolutely delicious. The miso eggplant appetizer was honestly our favorite. The sashimi was super fresh and the tuna (of course) was my favorite. We got 3 special rolls, the rainbow roll was our favorite. Get everything here!

Counter seating.
Tutti T.

This place was recommended by a friend. I never heard of this place before. I am so glad to have discovered it. It's in Haiku, a place I don't frequent. Finally had a chance to try. My hubby and I had the miso fish and eggplant, and some sushi. Wow, it was lovely. The service was also very friendly and efficient! We had the home made green tea ice cream for dessert. Perfect ending. The entrance is not very obvious coming here, so your really need to look. Yes, I would recommend this place if your like Japanese food, and you're in Haiku, you gotta come here!

Lilikoi Ice cream and mango mochi
Yeva M.

Good delish food , nice ambiance. Busy though I wish out server would have checked in with us more often.

Mussels
Irma K.

Love this place! Food is always delicious. Excellent sushi! Great service and nice ambiance. We come here on special occasions and never disappointed. No reservations so come early when they open. Be prepared to wait if you come later. Save room for their home made ice cream! Green tea is my favorite.

Hamachi!
E.J. A.

*A truly Best Of Maui candidate! *Independent *Local *Fresh fish *Sushi Chef Masters *Friendly staff *Many items are locally sourced * Japanese made beers and sake. *Parking out front *Clean restrooms *Clean and relaxing environment *Daily featured items *Offers take out *Great staff synergy *Say hi to Lisa!

Ika (squid) sashimi. 8 pc.
Michael S.

Service was ok. They don't take reservations so a waitlist of anything longer than 30 min is def not worth going. To be honest - the Chinese bbq next door looked more appetizing! One bathroom stall for each gender - and its usually taken. (the restaurant itself is small though) We ordered (for 4 people): - miso soup: its $6, and it's tiny. Reminded me of a convenience store miso brand. - miso eggplant: not good. Honestly regret ordering this. - miso butterfish: last and least... Wasn't sweet enough. - Haleakala roll: I mean it was well presented, but I don't remember what it tasted like. And I finished eating it 15 minutes ago. - Haiku roll: literally the roll fell apart as I was trying to pick it up. How do you suck this badly at making a roll? - baked mussels: shrug emoji. - 8pc iku sashimi: it was kinda small? Probably won't order again. We wanted amaebi sashimi but they ran out. Probably for the best. - chicken katsu Don It was enough food, but I'mma be honest - Sansei was a much better experience than this. Miso soup $6? It wasn't even memorable! Portion size of the katsu Don was decent, but the problem was that the breading is made separately from the chicken - so it falls off immediately when you try to dip it into the ponzu. This further reinforces the stereotype: Maui Japanese food... Just doesn't hit the same. Try Honolulu, or Japan itself.... But this is more like "Japanese inspired" or Japanese influenced cuisine. None of the rolls were worth getting. Not sure why I was possessed to believe it'd be good. Came out to $200 for the four of us before tip, but after tax. Would we come back? Doubtful.

Amara P.

Nuka was a super cute small sushi restaurant. 1. They do not take reservations, it's first come first serve however they do have a list you can put your name and number down 2. The servers and hostess were very nice and welcoming 3.I got the Peahi and the nuka roll. Both were great, i would highly suggest Peahi roll. Everything tasted fresh and of great quality. It is on the pricier side but it's a nice place for date night or a special occasion.

Salmon Nuka Bowl
An C.

After several days of poke and hawaiian bbq, mac salad and lots of heavy foods, I was so happy to be eating this Salmon Nuka Bowl! The Salmon option was definitely the move. This restaurant was one of the few open late not too far from Paia. I was so so happy to see LOTS of fresh vegetables, on a small bed of rice. It was the most refreshing dinner. The lime sesame dressing in this bowl was perfection, and the salmon was moist and delicious. Service was quick and the restaurant was welcoming.

Seaweed Salad

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3 months ago

Food is good all the time. The atmosphere is cozy and cute. The chefs at the counter are friendly.

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3 months ago

Went there the other week and they had great service! The hostess, Alyssa was super friendly and personable... Food was pretty good too!

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Nuka Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Nuka

Do we need reservations?

They do not accept reservations but they have an online waitlist option now on their website and it's open from 5:15pm to 8:45pm. Great way to check the current wait and add yourself remotely. Word of advice, you can only add yourself to the… Read more

Are there gluten free options?

Yes

The website for this restaurant still indicates that they require patrons to wear masks. Surely this information is outdated by February 2023, is it not? Do they really still require customers to wear masks?

Masks are no longer required

Are you open on thanksgiving?

No, closed on Thanksgiving

Is there a happy hour?

Every hour in Maui is a Happy Hour!!! But no not a traditional HH where there are reduced prices for food/drink.

Do they take reservations now?

Still only first come first serve seating. They will take your number down and call/text when your table is ready.

Do they serve alcohol during lunch?

Yes

View All 10 Questions

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Hachi by Oao

Hachi by Oao

4.8(62 reviews)
14.1 mi
Locally owned & operated
Minority-owned & operated

I hate to give them a bad review, but it's all based on the circumstances…read more We were so excited to be able to get a reservation over 2 months ago. We were just about to leave our resort when I put it in Google Maps, but AI said they may be closed! Checked my confirmation...no, date is correct. Called the restaurant, left a message. Googled it: which took me to their instagram page: they're closed for renovations from 2/15 through 3/4! Maybe the storms the previous week caused this? I hope it's nothing serious, but we were just so disappointed, and no one has ever reached out to us. And yelp still shows they're operating normal hours!

Strip mall sushi for fine dining prices? It's BYOB, which would be fine if their website told you…read morethat. It doesn't, anywhere. Instead, you show up for your $100/plate omakase (or, God forbid, $185 20-course dinner) and find out you can pair it "with anything from Long's Drugs next door." Or, hey, they have Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite. It might still have been worth it if the sushi were great, but it wasn't. It was pretty good -- better than most places -- but not great. There was nothing particulalry creative about the nigiri, and it wasnt technically outstanding, either - one of us found a scale and another a bone. It simply wasnt worth the price, even on Maui. We drove down from Kapalua to eat here: I would absolutely not do that again. Left feeling disappointed and mildly ripped off. Shout out to the single waitress who handled the entire front-of-house; she was working hard.

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Hachi by Oao
Hachi by Oao
Hachi by Oao

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Paia Fish Market - Mahi burger

Paia Fish Market

4.2(2.8k reviews)
3.7 mi
$$

The laid back vibe and delicious fish were exactly what my family and I were looking for when we…read morevisited Maui. We ordered our food and easily found a seat. The food was brought out quickly! We got several different entrees and an appetizer, but the best thing we had was the ahi steak with wasabi butter. Oh my goodness was it delicious! If you're thinking about it, just go and enjoy!

I was super eager to see the reasoning behind any non-5 Star reviews for this spot. To me, the 4…read moreStar reviews pretty much read as 5 Star reviews and for good reason. We hit up Paia right before our flight back to LAX. It's not very far from the airport and I was bummed we hadn't been told to explore this area in addition to lounging out in Lahaina. There was a line formed even before the restaurant opened but things flowed pretty quickly. While waiting to order I'd pretty much convinced myself that I was going to be disappointed because the menu felt a bit basic. But boy was I wrong. The fish burgers are just absolutely exceptional. I got the snapper and my wife got the ahi. Both pieces of fish were cooked to perfection and were well sized. The bun was top notch and the coleslaw - a dish of which I am generally not a fan - was simply exceptional. At first I thought was a bit weird that they included cheese on the sandwich but that actually worked too! Go here for a no frills, reasonably priced, delicious AF meal if your travels take you into the area. Can't wait to go back on our next trip to Maui!

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Paia Fish Market - Front Counter

Front Counter

Paia Fish Market - Fish burger

Fish burger

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Menu

Nuka - sushi - Updated May 2026

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