Ordered one of the menu specials: Korean katsu. It was seasoned perfectly and the sauce was sweet…read more I like thinner breading so it was cooked just the way I like. One of my favorite parts is the service. Very family oriented and the service is fast. Our food came out in less than 20 minutes. If you're ever in Hilo and want comforting local food this is the place.

At first stepping in , we were on a kalbi mission, only had two people, mind you it's about 4:30pm…read more We were seated and menus given. They have a good selection of eats, Japanese and Korean food! We had the kalbi, bulgogi and spicy pork dishes which included rice, miso soup or salad. I have to admit, as I sampled everyone's order the food was Ono! ( good!) the portion as well was on point, not minini! We enjoyed our meal and the service was great too! While in Hilo town last trip here we ate at a smaller place and the food was so so, but this place is a definite spot to return and grind!

It was a pleasure to discover this exceptional establishment offering a fusion of Asian cuisines…read more Food quality: Everything was fresh, tasty, and good portions for the money. Ambiente: Cozy, clean, and nicely decorated. Price: Priced right, and two people can enjoy a wonderful meal for under $116. Service: Right off the bat, the hospitality felt welcoming, the service was attentive, and our orders came very quickly. Good job!

Very underwhelming experience, this restaurant is Japanese in name only…read more For starters, after being seated we had a 1 hour wait to be served food for a table of 4. And then we the food finally came, it was cold and unappetizing. Miso soup was way too salty and the salad was perfectly average. The beef teriyaki and chicken katsu combo plate came out lukewarm which is unacceptable considering I waited 1 hour and they can't even bring hot food. Shrimp tempura according to my mom was underwhelming and not the best tasting. Beef curry was the worst out of all the dishes. It was so watered down and tasted like water, 0 curry flavor whatsoever. Considering these plates were $25 each, I'd stay clear of this place. Definite tourist trap. If you want authentic Japanese food, go to the ramen place nextdoor instead. They have a better curry rice bowl despite being a ramen place.

ALWAYS A GREAT DECISION TO COME HERE!!…read more The food and service is always on point. Really cool locally owned restaurant. We usually get the sizzling steak and/or korean chicken salad. Never disappoints. Mahalo kenichi crew

Our high school club chose to eat here to support a local business for our end-of-year celebration,…read morebut the experience was unfortunately very stressful for our students and staff. We spent two and a half months planning this event. My club treasurer and I confirmed the price on seven different occasions--five times over the phone and twice in person. Each time, we were quoted just over $600 with about a $110 in tips, which we paid in full two days before the party. However, the day before the event, we were told there was a miscalculation and we needed to pay another $400. Because our students had only fundraised the amount we were originally quoted, we had to remove two people from our party and downgrade our menu which did not include drinks anymore. We requested to bring our own drinks due to the last-minute budget change, but we were told we could "only bring alcohol and no outside sodas and juices." It was disappointing that this was the only accommodation offered to a group of high school students. During the party, we also encountered several cleanliness issues. We found hair in the food and cockroaches in the rice, as well as on the walls and near the buffet area. I am totally not joking about the food; I was shocked by what we saw. The servers were very polite and apologized when we let them know, but it was a major concern for us. I understand that accidents happen, but this was a very difficult situation for our club after so much careful planning. Personally, I will not be eating here again for a long time.

Fantastic service and attention from the whole staff! Cozy atmosphere with great music. Every dish…read morewas meticulously crafted with unique flavors, perfectly cooked. We loved the sizzlin tepanyaki poke with Ono and the desserts. Chef Mark and the staff do a wonderful job of showing off the flavors of Hilo...miso infused caramel on a fluffy cheesecake...I'm gonna be thinking about that dinner for a long time!

My wife and I stopped by Moon & Turtle for dinner during our brief visit to Hilo and we had a…read morefantastic meal. We showed up right when they opened at 5:30 p.m. without reservations on a Wednesday evening and was luckily able to get seated at the bar. Between the two of us, we ordered a bunch of items off the "small" section of the menu, including the smokey sashimi, sizzling tetsuyaki poke, smoked tonnato caesar, crispy rice, and their special of the day -- agedashi wontons. Of the items we ordered, the crispy rice and the agedashi wontons were my favorite items. The crispy rice is priced per piece, and you'll certainly want to order at least two per person, because one is simply not enough. The rice block is fried a beautiful golden brown -- similar to a hash brown. The crispy rice pairs perfectly with the ono mixture on top of it. With the agedashi wontons, I initially thought the filling was a bit under-seasoned at first, but when enjoyed with the broth, the wonton comes out tasting perfectly seasoned. The broth had so much umami to it and the wonton had the perfect crunch to it I always love a good Caesar salad and the one here is spectacular. With anchovy croutons, shaved cured egg yolk, and smoked ahi dressing, you're getting some creative, premium ingredients in this salad and everything works so well together. Even if you're not a salad person, I would definitely recommend giving this dish a try. On top of delicious food, the service at Moon & Turtle was spectacular. Food was promptly brought out after we placed our order, pacing didn't ever feel rushed, our water cups were never empty, and our server checked on us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. I would definitely stop by Moon & Turtle again if I'm in Hilo.

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!

Everything about this place is awesome! Our server was so attentive and friendly. We came on a…read moreTuesday night and only waited a few minutes, but I can tell this place gets busy. The food seems like authentic Japanese cuisine and everything was super delicious. My dad loved his tantan ramen - nutty but not heavy. I really liked the chicken katsudon, which was on the saltier side but still so filling and hearty! This was an awesome find and I'm so glad we stopped here for dinner :-)

First time eating at new location as several times it was closed when I attempted to go…read more Parking fills up fast in morning. Same menu with the one pound Lau Lau. Newly renovated really like how clean and organized it is. Will be back... tons of local foods.

My order~ Original Fried Rice Loco Moco…read more Pros +Comfortable seating +Friendly staff +Easy to find parking +Tasty food +Affordable prices Wish their reusable bags were more affordable. $20 seems steep.

Great food. The ramen and sushi were flavorful and presented well. A mixture of local and Japanese…read moreingredients. Friendly service in both English and in Japanese.

best ramen i've ever had in my life, hands down…read more ramen is usually hard for me because i can't eat pork and a lot of spots don't offer non-pork ramen, whether it's the pork belly or the broth being pork-based... so when my friend from waimea told me this was a chicken ramen establishment, i was overjoyed! so not only did it fit into my dietary restrictions, it bested all the other ramen i've ever had (though i have not been to japan yet, so maybe take that into consideration, but still). not only that, but the gyoza and croquettes were phenomenal. i was just getting over a health condition that demolished my appetite, but i just wanted to keep eating and eating. really wonderful service and the inside is cozy. very packed too and it was just a random night in july. next time i find myself on the big island, moa is getting another visit.

Came here for lunch on a Sunday, many places closed, looking for plate lunch but heck, we eat…read moreJapanese too. Tenkatori bills itself as a Japanese style fried chicken, our only other choice in the food court was Mexican (Philippino place wasn't open) so we were open to try. Tenkatori did not disappoint-ordered bento chicken-one was tater tot bento, other was rice and chicken bento, with wasabi and yuzu sauces. Bento came with four softball sized pieces of boneless chicken thighs hot out of the fryer, so fresh and juicy, the juices were literally squirting out between bites. Dipped in the creamy wasabi sauce-great flavor without the head-numbing experience. Yuzu was also creamy, not acidic like lemon, just the real deal. Btw both sauces good with tater tots, but they give you ketchup too. Quite the find, in a quiet marketplace on a stormy Sunday Tenkatori lives up to its ratings. Will be back!

The fry on the chicken is out of this world. The flavors are on point every time. Best fried…read morechicken on the island. It's also a good value in terms of quality and quantity versus cost. A must try!!!!

I don't usually award 5 stars to anyone, but Sushi Sam's has earned my heart to write this review,…read moreand I'm grateful to have been there to experience it myself. 5 stars for service! What an experience, and the wait was totally worth it. Not that we waited long; we had a reservation and got seated right away. 5 stars for service! Our waiter, Yuki, was super friendly, responsive, and really attentive to what we needed. We even met the owner and toasted to his hard work. 5 stars for food quality and quantity! The quality was super fresh and just the right amount. Each plate was plentiful and looked amazing. We had a bunch of sushi dishes, and the rib-eye steak was to die for. Cooked medium rare and so tender. 5 for the venue! It was clean, organized, and cozy.

I'm not the best at making reservations, so I've actually been turned away at Sushi Sam's a few…read moretimes. The food was delicious, beautifully prepared, and every bite lived up to the hype. Service was personable and quick without feeling rushed. It's just as scrumptious as all my neighbors and friends have been telling me for years. Sushi Sam's has definitely earned its reputation.

Small, cute Japanese restaurant . Very polite . The sushi was excellent! The owners are really…read morefriendly and accommodating. Been too there cute restaurant many times.

We stumbled on this place just walking around town. We called and made a reservation for later in…read morethe week. We arrived a few minutes late (it was quite busy in the area, plan ahead). After a short wait we were seated in this 3 table restaurant. The rest was kind a dream state. One of the best Japanese meals I've ever had, including some amazing meals in Japan. We ordered the omakase with the same flight. Every dish was special and the attention to detail brought it over the top. Service is so attentive and warm.