We came in on a Friday night around 8:15pm for dinner after an evening flight (yes we are local, born and raised here). It took 15min for our server to greet us and bring us water. We put in an order for sushi the first time they came to our table so my nephew could have his food come out first. She grabbed our drinks we ordered and delivered it. We told her we would put in our dinner order after exploring the menu. She came up about 20-30 min after that first encounter and asked if we were ready to put in our dinner order and we said yes. She grabbed her pad and came back but told us, "I'm sorry I didn't realize what time it was but the kitchen is CLOSED!" (keep in mind our sushi still didn't come) Wait what?!!!!! I was a server all through college, you know what time the kitchen closes and if you have a table you go around and do a last call for food before the kitchen closes. I understand if you seat a late table, so even more so you should be aware of what time it is so you can put in their dinner order prior to the kitchen closing. Shame on the head chef/kitchen as well, they should have given a last call warning to their servers. So long story short, we came here for dinner. Ate a few orders of sushi as an appetizer and and now have to find somewhere else for dinner. This is unacceptable for a restaurant establishment and will not be coming here again. read more

Staff is excellent, food is delicious. My mother and uncle used to go every week, but with COVID we only started recently to go again. Always a special treat! read more

The food was delicious, the staff were attentive. My grandpa got a small cut on his elbow and the staff noticed without our telling them and brought over a band-aid for him. I had the combo plate with fried fish, tempura and tonkatsu and finished it all. It was very delicious! I also had their mango sorbet which I enjoyed. read more

This place has the best ahi belly I have ever had. If you are on the Hilo side I recommend this place. The food is authentic and fresh. Very friendly staff and quiet atmosphere. I would post pictures but I ate everything lol. read more

Service was great , ordered combo shimp tempura was good but the Teri steak didn't have the Teri taste.

Ahi belly was amazing! I just got it charbroiled because I can't eat a lot of oil. I mentioned this to the server & he even had the salad dressing on the side without me asking. Super awesome waiter The service was absolutely fantastic! I can't say enough about our experience. You should definitely try it! read more

Really between 2-3 star, going with 3 based on clean pleasant atmosphere, attentive server. This was our first visit and can sadly say our last. We felt the prices were a bit higher than other similar places therefore expected our meal to impress. To start we ordered one sushi roll ( spicy scallop $9.50) and had been wanting to try Albacore sashimi so we did that too, a whopping $25 for two pieces. For beverages just an ice tea and Coke, $3.50 ea. (NO refills). Our roll comes out and talk about a let-down, I wanted to send it back! Seriously have never seen such I tiny sushi roll in my 25yrs. of eating sushi. I could fit all 6 pieces in my one hand no kidding. It was like a keiki version. I can't really even rate the flavor because the tad bit of filling inside was barely detectable. After that I was afraid for the $25 albacore, sure enough two tiny pieces and the texture was not palatable, rubbery/crunchy. I felt like I was eating something I should've. I'm not saying it wasn't fresh, I'm just shocked at the texture. I'm a lover of all shellfish until I had this. Not necessarily the restaurants fault but it definitely was overpriced for portion. Ok our meals come out, hubby had the fried rice plate w/fish and Katsu $16 I had the lunch combo Tempura and Teriyaki beef &16.50 that came w/rice, couple bites of salad, some kind of seaweed that I've never seen before, didn't care for it and both came w/miso soup. Hubby very pleased with his meal, rice portion good, fish piece on small side, katsu fine. My bento box at first glance all looked like very small portions and then had to ask for Teriyaki sauce, non present? All was good flavor but $16.50 have had better and much larger portion. We had no problem eating our entire meals when typically at least one of us has a to-go box w/leftovers. And then our bill arrives and we reluctantly paid the $90(w/tip) LUNCH bill. Never again. How we got a referral to enjoy sushi there I'm speechless. read more

See all

This place is well decorated for the holidays. It really makes you feel like the holidays are here and you can relax during your meal. This place is a little difficult to find because you have to make your way down a little corridor of the mall. You would never know this place unless you were looking specifically for it. Everything feels nice and cozy as you walk it. We were greeted and promptly shown to our seats. This place really makes you feel like you are in a local Japanese place in Hilo. The mood and the decorations really felt more like Christmas than anything I was really impressed with the specials that they had, they all sounded delicious and I wanted to try them all. They have some great combination plates that will allow you to have 3 items to choose from. I think that this is a pretty worth while deal. Some of the pictures show salmon and ahi sashimi, but mine was ahi only. So you might want to be sure to ask what types will come with the order. Our food and appetizers came out really quick and it was well displayed for us. I can see why this is a favorite for many people. read more

Restaurant Miwa - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

See all

Excellent service and food!! The sushi is always fresh and the people are always smiling

Crazy expensive, extremely slow service, mediocre food. I had ramen and a side of tempura for lunch - $28. Really? The ramen noodles were soft and the soup was loaded with greasy vegetables. The tsukemono was an unappetizing brownish color. read more

Restaurant Miwa - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Food portions are WAY overpriced and appear to be children's size. The old sushi man seems to have a pretty bad stuck up attitude I think he owns the place with his wife who is also obviously not so friendly either hope it never rubs off to their kids. Hey we are paying all of you with our hard earned money!!! What happened to that cheerful friendly other Japanese sushi guy? Heard he opened his own sushi place by reservation only. Last visit the food portions weren't filling especially for the price I paid and quality was mediocre at best. Done with this place there are other Japanese restaurants in Hilo that are friendlier and more appropriately priced. read more

Very local but tourist friendly. Delicious sushi and port katsu. Everything was fresh and delicious! Was a great stop!

I'm giving restaurant Miwa 4 starts because of the dinner combo. This is the best deal on their menu. It's very fair in pricing and there is one thing that stands out. They have the best tasting spare ribs in Hilo. It's not too sweet but just right. The shredded kombu is somewhat weird but if you add shoyu to it, it's ok. One funny note.....the 8 oz. wagyu steak special is something that you better be ready to run up the tab. It's $170 so just tell them that you'll take two! Haha. But as with any sushi restaurant, if they have market price on the menu and you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it. Just a tip for you. read more

I have a hate and love relationship with this restaurant. I really like this place because it's clean and quiet. But they are very overpriced for the portion and quality of the food. The presentation of the food is also very lacking and it doesn't look right to me. It looks like something I will eat at like cheap fastfood-like japanese bento places, if you know what I mean. They have sashimi and sushi but most of them are market price and its ridiculous. I wanted to get Uni and I don't remember how much it was that day but it was very unreasonable and I just didn't want to waste that much money on 2 pieces of uni sushi. Service is minimal. They do check up on you when theres less customers but when they get busy, they don't really check up on you. I waited forever for them to refill my water cups and it was frustrating. The food itself is just OK. Not extragavant. Something I think I can make at home. Even dinner combination bentos are like whatever. Their bento plate is really old and has lots of scratches and it just makes the whole food cheap and less appetizing. I think I rather eat cheap fast-food than to dine here to eat the food they offer. Other than that its quiet, I don't see any merit in Restaurant Miwa. read more

We lived in Japan for 15 years. Miwa's food is what you would find at a good Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. The sashimi is always fresh, the miso soup and the condiments are very good, as is the Orion beer. And service is excellent. read more

Ate the 39$ steak&bangkok shirmp UNI Nigiri 25$ Must say good quality food not quantity Not a fan..will not be back . read more

Restaurant Miwa - $25 UNI was good tho Still unbelievable!!! - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Restaurant Miwa is my favorite Japanese Eatery in the world hands down by a trillion marathons. The place is in a deep corner of legendary and historic Hilo Shopping Center and I consider it the Rodney Dangerfield of Japanese Restaurant worldwide. Been to Restaurant Miwa what seems a trillion times and never got disappointed in this fine cuisine eatery. Worker's are always friendly and professional. Kaaloa's Super J's which is rated 2 on Yelp worldwide, Manny's Mexican Kitchen and Restaurant Miwa are my favorites on the Big Island (island of Hawaii) as well as worldwide. read more

Overpriced for what you get. This is an old school restaurant frequented by locals. Food is just ok. Sushi could be a lot better. I think they survive because there's not much choice in Hilo. I wouldn't go back. read more

Best meal I had on the Big Island. Itzá Jaya menu prepared by Chef Louis in front of you at a Sushi bar. Six patrons at the bar. We had six courses. Started with an amuse bouche of sinónimo. Very tasty. Next was an ahi poke on a bed of crispy sushi rice. Delicious. That was followed by a sous vide egg toast with beluga caviar. I'd never had anything like this but it made so much sense. Great. Next was three pieces of sushi. I can't remember the types of fish but so fresh! Next a delicious pice of steak fro Napa valley. Pan fried to perfection in front of you. Served over a bed of crisp fried veggies A celeriac purée in leek cups, Brussels sprouts and bacon. Finally a moist cake covered with blueberry mousse. There are wine and sake pairings available. I opted for two glasses of sake. My partner had a Kirin. All these for a mere $100 per person. read more

Highly recommend making reservations, stood there for a while with nobody acknowledging us just to get told there's nothing for another hour plus. Maybe if staff was a little more friendly would've just let it slide, really sad cuz this was a family favorite and I don't recall making reservations before unless we had a big party... Might give them another chance another time we shall see. read more

Lovely restaurant! Fantastic sushi :) fantastic seafood curry(which I didn't get a picture of) and tasty miso soup with a Kirin ichiban beer! read more

Restaurant Miwa - Alaskan Roll, Miwa Roll, Crunchy Tempura Roll & Hamachi Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I've been to this restaurant a few times and never had any issues. We had lunch here this past Friday. As a result of the rude service, we may not return. We put in our order which included an appetizer and hot tea. The appetizer was just two orders of tofu. We got our tea reasonably quick. We even got our little side dishes that came with our main meal. However, the tofu took quite some time. I waived her over as she was about to walk past our table. I gently asked, "we put in an order for tofu and was wondering how much longer it will be?". Oh boy. The expression and body language said it all, but her reply took the cake. I work in the service industry so I am very mindful of how to approach someone. I work hard to always provide the best service, even through challenging situations. This woman's behavior to a simple and calm inquiry was unacceptable and disgusting. Through the rest of our lunch, she continued to make us feel so uncomfortable, we finished quickly, left, and went somewhere else to enjoy our dessert. I would like to think I'd consider going back one day. Honestly, her attitude was THAT bad, I don't think I'll be returning. read more

It's pretty pricey for little portions of average food. I got the dinner combo which I think is pretty decent at least you get 3 choices. The only dish I thought was worth the money was the nabeyaki udon! It was delicious. I just wished the put the tempura on the side when they serve it otherwise it's just a soggy shrimp in your soup. I don't understand how other reviewers said the sushi is all fresh and good. I ordered spicy tuna roll and the fish was far from fresh. It had a bad fishy taste that even when I drenched the roll in soy sauce and wasabi I could still taste the unpleasant old fishy taste. Also, very disappointed with buying a fountain drink for $3.50 that's not refillable! read more

Haven't been here in 4 year but still amazing on the food. I had the spicy ramen, wife n mother in law had the tampura saru sobu (cold). My niece had da hot version. Came in about 1pm and was somewhat busy but aside from da food da service was great. I recommend this place if you want a slice of Japan without actually going there. Between the ambience and quality of the food that they serve, love it here. But be patient if in hurry don't come here read more

See all

Service 5 Food 5 Ambiance 4 This is a real family sushi place and there and many options that area Japanese but not sushi. Very good. read more

Restaurant Miwa - Sashimi, salad, and ikura. Great Miso soup. - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Super rude and unpleasant customer service. Definitely not a Japanese restaurant. Definitely wouldn't go back.

The food is delicious, and the service is good. Servers always keep water and tea cups full. The price matches the quality of food, which is good, but if you're looking for something cheap, this restaurant is not the place to go. I'd recommend Restaurant Miwa for established families who like high-level Japanese (and local Japanese) food. I especially like the pork shogayaki (ginger pork) and the fried oysters. Ask for Kyle's special sauces with the oysters. The tempura is savory and crisp. My favorite dessert is the haupia cream pie. Delicious! read more

If I could rate this place 0 stars, I would. Horrible service, cheap quality fish and to top it off, the place looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years. Sakura is a better choice than them. read more

Do not confuse restaurant Miwa with MIYO's (which is nearby but closed on Sundays). Miwa = BAD MIYO's = AWESOME Restaurant Miwa is average Japanese food. We ordered bufferfish and curry (pictured above), both were just so-so. The sashimi combo was expensive and NOT FRESH. We were really disappointed by our $60 meal. Luckily, the next day we found Miyo's down the street - much cheaper and better food. We loved Miyo's so much that we went back two nights in a row. Bottom line - Skip Restaurant Miwa and head to MIYO's instead! read more

See all

One of Hilo's Best Japanese Resturant in town with good food, service, and nice atmosphere to enjoy your meal.

We love Japanese food, especially sushi, so we thought we'd try this place out since we were in the area. My husband has been wanting Hamachi kama and they just so happened to have it as a special for dinner. We also ordered a couple sushi rolls and nigiri. The service seemed a little slow tonight and they were fairly busy. It took a while for our food to come out. The food was okay and quite pricey. The price of nigiri cost twice as much as it would else where. Same with the Hamachi kama - it cost twice as much as it would at other places we know of, and it didn't even come with any sides like rice or soup. We may return to try their miso butterfish or a bento and perhaps during lunch next time. read more

See all

So my husband saved enough money to take out for steak and sushi. My husband order what he tooght was a stir fry but was a soup with a lot of some type of green bean sticks and cabbage with all my non favorite seafood. Our bad¿¿ but I order steak and twice backed potato. The steak was a bit tough, order median and got almost rare (yuck) the salad was ok though the lettuce came from a grocery store, shredded taco lettuce. And a bit limpy. Oh yeah, twice baked potatoes was mashed flaked potatoes with a half of kraft single cheese on top. The sake was $12 a shot and my wine was 12 a glass half full? Empty? Nice water, tipped him 15% . Not worth the money my husband saved. read more

Restaurant Miwa - This is us excited to go eat at "Miwa's" sorry didn't take a picture. And sorry that I wont. Never again. Take my word for it. - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Traditional sushi and Japanese food. One of the only Japanese sit down places left in Hilo.

This restaurant was so good. Unlike other Japanese restaurants in town, this one has plenty of seating (definitely more than 10 seats); so you don't have to worry. We walked in and did not have to wait. And it was a relief knowing that reservations were not necessary. The service was outstanding. Our waitress was very attentive and answered all of our questions. Between my brother and I, we split the dragon roll, the salmon teriyaki dinner entree with soup and salad, and a delicious iced tofu appetizer (can't remember what it was called). It was just the perfect amount for us. There were plenty of options for all sorts of diets. We would definitely come here again since the food and service was great. read more

See all

My friends and I went to Restaurant Miwa for a birthday celebration. They ordered the combination dinners which they enjoyed. I ordered the "jumbo" stuffed shrimp which I had experienced a few years ago and wanted to have it again. The waiter told me it was now stuffed with imitation crab which I accepted. However, the entree was composed of two small shrimp with a stuffing that had a tinge of sourness. The menu should not read "jumbo" stuffed shrimp if the shrimp are not jumbo size. It was definitely not worth the price of the meal. read more

Restaurant Miwa has been around a long time. Sometimes I forget that they're there. When I do remember, I've never been disappointed with my meal there. Wish they had better choice of sushi, but even with a limited choice I would definitely choose the sushi there over some other places here in Hilo. read more

Restaurant Miwa - Combination plate katsu sweet/sour ribs and sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

See all

Try da chef's poki special wit da fish roe....BROKE DA MOUT!!! ‼ Service wise, the young kimono clad Wahine is the epitome of courteous and friendly service in the Japanese tradition! Kyle is DA BOMB!! Sushi chef (don't know his name) is the KEY to MIWA's long term success... E Holomua!!! read more

Mind blowing authentic Japanese food, we go regularly and are never disappointed Asparagus TempuraMiwa Special RollSashimi Combo

Service was unsatisfactory, and slow. Food was overpriced, $17 lunch bento box was kid's meal portion. Rolls were overpriced, half sized compared to other places. NOT RECOMMENDED read more

Worst place in Hilo thus far! So sad as Japanese culture is almost as Aloha as Hawaiian culture. But this place should be shut down. They don't even care to have any service or consideration for their customers. It's sad, we waiting so long for our food only to have it served cold. The hamachi kama I ordered was still cold on the inside and it cost $58. I waited twenty minutes for a grumpy server that seemed like the manager to take the order and tell us we basically couldn't get want was on the menu because short staff & closing soon. The sushi chef was right across from us so we watched as he constantly yelled "eh you guys get a mask put it on" Feeling sorry for others and disgusted we very quickly realized this place wasn't for us. They were so nice to Japanese customers but so rude to everyone else. The nigiri they offered was so small and chirashi was not all fresh. Bummer, definitely not going back to this place read more