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    Restaurant Kenichi

    4.1 (491 reviews)
    ModerateDesserts, Salad, Ramen
    Open 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Restaurant Kenichi Photos

    Business Info

    RESTAURANT KENICHI ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Restaurant Kenichi

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    Boneless Korean chicken
    T S.

    Catered lunch for our office party Easy to order and ready on time. Top quality food, always a favorite for special occasions.

    Hamburger Steak Plate
    Scott G.

    Restaurant Kenichi in Hilo is must visit when visiting. Their staff is very friendly, lots of parking and their food is delicious. Check them out next te you're in Hilo. Alooooooha and happy eating.

    Deep-Fried Pork Chop, Salmon, and Fried Chicken (Appetizer)

    The Deep-Fried Porkchop was one of the best single bites of pork I've ever had in my life. The breading is crispy but underneath the pork is extremely juicy. It's a huge portion (can share between two people easily) and it comes pre-cut so you don't have to deal with the bone as you regularly would with porkchop. I also ended up dipping the pork into the oriental salad dressing which gave it a nice soy / citrus kick. The chicken and salmon were also great choices!! Will definitely be back.

    Apple Crisp
    Janelle R.

    Super cute family style restaurant serving various plate lunches (yes, we were there for dinner but that's what you call it) & homemade desserts! We've been here twice now and service has always been pretty quick. Fyi, parking is limited to street plus the lot to the left of the restaurant if you're facing it. So far, we've tried, their fried pork chops, Korean chicken, chicken cutlet, roast pork, ten zaru, shoyu ramen, brookie & apple crisp Ala mode. All super homey as expected in a small restaurant as such. Nothing super significant that stood out but overall 8/10.

    Miguel M.

    It was a super cozy and fun dining experience with my friend - got a couple different things throughout the night, but I do remember that the desserts were some of my favorites to see and taste

    Grilled Rib Eye Steak
    Rushelle G.

    The portion sizes are more than enough for two people -- honestly, every dish on the menu could easily feed two. Their desserts are absolutely divine. I had the Apple Crisp Crumble with vanilla ice cream, and it was so good I didn't even get a picture before finishing it -- that's how delicious it was! Definitely worth it. The service was great too. It was crowded, but that's to be expected from a restaurant serving such tasty dishes. The ambiance is just okay -- the building looks a bit old and rough -- but the food more than makes up for it. For me, it's a solid 10/10!

    Jeannie N.

    I remember being sad about something, but I wasn't sad about it anymore after eating here. Restaurant is super home-y in a way and it was pretty lively when we were there. It was pretty packed, but the vibes were chill. Don't remember what the plate is called, but definitely get their katsu. Anything with katsu in it will most likely be delicious (and worth it). Juicy cutlet with a nice breaded crunch. We also ordered a bowl of ramen - soup really hit the spot. Would be more than happy to order either again.

    Appetizer =Deep fried Shrimp Spring Roll=Delicious
    Tiana W.

    Delicious! Tried their deep fried shrimp spring roll and dinner options. Service with Aloha was my best explanation of what you very from them.

    Hungry, 1st meal of the day.
    Mike C.

    So after sight seeing, Merry Monarch festival and some family business it was time to eat. Kenichi came up on my list. So ono and so local. This is da kind I remember growing up on. The Kali marinade was solid. The fried pork chop good. Korean fried chicken was bomb. But da Buttah fish is broke da mouth. So hard to find on the mainland, and when you do it's so small. The buttah fish plate is not only ono but good size. Service was good. Our server was local, polite and informative. Good talk story with. If my travel brings me back to Hilo, I'll see you. Stay pono. Mahalo.

    Panko salmon and chicken Katsu combo plate with rice and toss salad w/ranch and dipping sauces.
    Kahea R.

    Family favorite, spacious place. The food is ono the desserts are good but a bit overpriced for a slice but still delicious. Servers are friendly. Overall good eats

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    3 months ago

    Excellent service. Pork chops with Kalbi and the steak is awesome. Best fried rice I have eaten in Hilo.

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    4 months ago

    Server was rude. Rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath. Like damn I'm not blind. His name was Aaron.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Restaurant Kenichi

    Do you have to make a reservation?

    No i just walked in.

    Is it open for inside dining or take out only?

    Doing both.

    Are there vegetarian items on menu?

    Yes

    Can you just order the food to go without sitting down at a table? It says takeout, but I don't want to be rude.

    Yes

    View All 5 Questions

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    Tetsumen Ramen - Char siu ramen

    Tetsumen Ramen

    4.2(616 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    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 :-)

    Photos
    Tetsumen Ramen - Little Japan

    Little Japan

    Tetsumen Ramen - Stamina bowl

    Stamina bowl

    Tetsumen Ramen - Menu items on the bar seating.

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    Menu items on the bar seating.

    Nori's Saimin & Snacks - Omiyage#3

    Nori's Saimin & Snacks

    3.5(327 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Nori's is a shining landmark in the childhood memories of my SO, a cozy, homestyle establishment…read moreknown fondly among the locals. After an impulsive flight to the sleepy town of Hilo, we just had to stop by and see how this iconic institution had fared. Straight up - they don't make it easy. It seems that Nori's has shifted their business, and don't even offer dine-in service anymore. Hours are extremely limited for take-out only, from 11-6 on Friday-Sunday. That being said, the people working were incredibly kind, and locals still filtered through to purchase chocolate mochi and snacks. It's got that low-key, homey vibe that truly feels like an escape from the big city. Parking is easy in their big lot that is shared with a sports bar, where the hours don't overlap much. We placed our order and waited in the little wooden two person booths, a wistful reminder of the dining experience of the past. Ancient newspaper articles from the cornerstone Tribune Herald adorned the walls, above aging gumball and toy machines with quarter turners. I still remember the satisfying click as the machine released a rush of colorful runts, or perhaps a gumball into a plastic vortex. Anyways, check out the pictures - servings here are NOT for the faint of heart. We ordered a Big Plate (for two people, allegedly), which included mac salad, fried noodles, musubis, kalbi, fish jun, bbq beef, and chicken skewers. For a little over $30, I swear we could've eaten for a couple days. They literally gave us a catering pan of food, with a mountain of mac salad in a separate container. - Kalbi - Sweet, flavorful, meaty. Not the most tender short rib, but top tier marinade. - BBQ Beef - Tasty, tender, and thin cut. Solid offering. - Fried Fish - Jun style with egg batter, amazingly flaky and moist. Tartar sauce included had a little mustard zing to it. - Chicken Skewers - While overcooked and dry, these were so delicious I wanted more. The brushed sauce was so sweet and savory. - Musubis - Massive rice balls with a strip of nori. Probably like 2 scoop rice each at least. Nothing special but gotta have da rice. - Fried noodles - Soft and springy, a bit bland compared to the proteins, but dear god this was a heaping pile that could feed a small family. - Mac Salad - Bland. Needs salt, vinegar, anything more to elevate it. Again, they gave a generous serving, but we barely touched this one. We also tried the hilo style saimin. We must be looking at a different dictionary cuz the "small" was quite large. Fresh, springy noodles in a silky, savory saimin broth, adorned with the traditional naruto, spam, and green onion accompaniments. It's pricier than most at almost $10, but it's fresh and you won't be hungry. I'm impressed at the relative value that Nori's offers in today's economy, but sad at their limited take-out only hours. I hope that one day they return to their full, former glory.

    They've been open ever since 1983 and the experts of classic saimin with generous toppings. They do…read morenot skimp. There is spam, egg, char su, and wonton if you choose the Hilo special. The broth is on the salty side and is based from dried seaweed. At this time it's take out only. No dine in. Accepts card and cash. Call in ahead of time to avoid a wait. They are a no fufu business, just straight to the point saimin. They got rice plates and BBQ meat too! (: Happy yelping and eating!

    Photos
    Nori's Saimin & Snacks - Inside

    Inside

    Nori's Saimin & Snacks - The salmon tsukemono good portion

    The salmon tsukemono good portion

    Nori's Saimin & Snacks - Big Plate

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    Big Plate

    5-Spice - teriyaki chicken bento

    5-Spice

    4.5(116 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $

    Everything is amazing! Parking - awesome…read moreStaff - super friendly Food - omg, delish And while you wait, browse the crack seed area and buy some snacks! Love this place!!!

    Stopped here while visiting Hilo and got to-go. There was a lot of food in a serving and we…read morethought we wouldn't eat it all, but we did (besides the rice). I got the Furkaki fish with green salad. If i was basing my rating only on this dish, I'd give it 5 stars. Yum! It was piping hot and it came with a thousand island dressing that i think was home made and it was way better on the fish than the tartar sauce. So i ate the salad and the fish together with that sauce. Amazing! My husband had the chicken with curry on it. This was good, but not great. The Chicken was sliced too thin so there was more breading than chicken. And there wasn't quite enough curry sauce on top of it to really get a good curry flavor. There was a lot of it so my husband didn't even eat all of it. He got the Ube side and it was really interesting for someone not from Hawaii. But I really liked it. More about the place: it's a little market and they sell all kinds of dried fruit and other spices and things. The have a counter in the back you order at. It took a bit to make the food, but it was fresh! The seating area is outside and they have picnic tables with umbrellas. We ended up taking it to eat at the beach. If I'm ever back in Hilo, I would definitely go back for the fish!

    Photos
    5-Spice
    5-Spice - Chicken

    Chicken

    5-Spice - I wanted to try 5-Spice, but it appears they are closed for almost 2 weeks (vacation?).

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    I wanted to try 5-Spice, but it appears they are closed for almost 2 weeks (vacation?).

    Restaurant Kenichi - desserts - Updated May 2026

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