Chicken karaage was really good, super juicy and tasty. The people were especially nice. Would def…read morego again!

We wanted a last meal before board our flight home to Oakland. We spotted the YELP for Tenkatori,…read moreand while it was a ways from where we were, we went anyways... What a delight. Very clean, modern spot, a friendly family business! We had two chicken dishes- the karaage thighs, and a yakitori bento, and both were great! Plentiful, freshly fried (we were a little late, they have 2pm closing but they served us cheerfully). Service was amazing, and the other customers seem to be regulars! When the server had a moment, she told us that this is a Japanese franchise, and they also serve some of mom's special sides, which they have on a digital list. That's going to be our go to next time we are in town. What a find!!!

Kitchen Umeko is little walk up/take out place with handmade sushi rolls, bentos, fresh fish &…read moremore. The service has always been good. The people are really nice & helpful. Some of my favorites so far are the crab cone sushi, the smoked hamachi roll & of course the poke bowl that definitely has another name. I forgot what it is called. It is on the pricier side but in this case I really feel you get what you pay for. Everything is so fresh! When you want to treat yourself or someone else try Kitchen Umeko!

Fantastic & authentic food! The sashimi was very fresh and the gobo kinpira, poke, and mitarashi…read moredango were all excellent. Service was very friendly. It's a small, to-go only spot. Parking was easy & convenient.

Best ramen in Hilo. I like how you can pick exactly how you want your bowl of ramen to be. My go-to…read moreis the miso ramen with the ajitama egg and spicy ball. If prices were a little lower for some other items on the menu, I would be willing to try more things. When they had the sushi available, it was really good too! Hopefully you bring back sushi again!

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!

Amazing taste, and perfectly cooked. Good service too…read more Located across from city municipalities.

Came on a whim, we and the family had to get out because we just needed the change of pace. Once…read morethat was done , everyone was hungry. I have had this place in my collection for a while. And was a few minutes from opening. Perfect. So we drove from the Walmart area. The parking lot was almost already full when we got there, always a good sign. People taking out their food. Once inside busy. Efficient service. Sat and given menus. Four adults. We decided that we should share a meal because portions were giant. Pork cutlet, ramen, and pork chops. I would pass on the ramen . But the pork was fire. We had enough to share . Everyone was full. We all shared the ice cream cookie . Didn't look like a lot but the bowl was definitely full. And so were we.

These guys are doing the best cheesecake I've tried on the island and possibly islandS. Yuzu Basque…read moreCheesecake is very, very special. Definitely of a great restaraunt quality. Once I'm in Hilo I take several to keep in my fridge. Keep it up, Hana Tako, thank you! P.S. It is sold by pieces. Couldn't find where I'd be able to buy the whole cheesecake though..

From the owner: Located inside KTA Puainako by the Deli, Hanatako serves Takoyaki, a Japanese traditional dish made…read moreof wheat batter with Tako (octopus) filling. Donburi (Rice Bowls) are also available including Chicken Katsu Curry Bowl, Karaage (fried chicken) Bowl, Katsudon and much more! Currently available after 3PM! In the morning around 10AM, we now serve Authentic Japanese Bento and Akadashi Miso Soup!

Phenomenal. Yes, you have to make reservations and they may take a while but it is 100% worth it…read more You can also order takeout out but it has to be in advance. I cannot recommend this place enough. The ambiance and experience are something to feel in person and watching the dishes being prepared with such precision was fascinating. The sushi is so fresh and just melts in your mouth. What a gem, truly thankful for being able to dine here. I also ordered Unagi but I ate it before I could snap a photo! Lol, it was yummy!

We made the trek (about a 2-hour drive) to try dinner here only to be met with a paper sign posted…read moreon the door that said reservations are booked until the end of the year! Wait, what? The worker was nice about it, but because they don't have a website, how were we supposed to know? We also usually try to make reservations ahead of time, but because there was no website, we figure it's a first come, first serve kind of spot. That's our bad for making that assumption, but now that I'm reading other Yelp reviews, this seems to be a years-old customer service issue. But it makes sense, since exclusivity seems to be part of the business plan (i.e. small/limited seating, reservations only). Must be working for them. Didn't work out for us though, at least in the moment. So even though we didn't try the food (I'm sure it's likely amazing), it sucked to make the drive out here. Pro tip: call first --months ahead before you plan to go here and make a reservation! After just reading some of the reviews, I learned you can do take out but must order ahead of time. Not sure how much more ahead of time. So calling would also be a good idea here. Honestly, the amount of work to just get info, a reservation, and ultimately a meal here is starting to feel cumbersome. I'm not sure I'd want to try making the effort again. We did turn a lemon situation into lemonade and instead had dinner at Ken's House of Pancakes, and they never disappoint! Had we eaten at Takenoko, we would've missed out on Ken's oxtail stew, which was listed as part of the day's special menu items, and it was one of the best meals we've had in Hilo. So, it all worked out.

We came here for my mom's birthday dinner…read more We sat towards the back of the restaurant where it wasn't crowded for a Wednesday night. When we walked in, there was a private party in the room to the right and the patrons sitting through the rest of the restaurant. What I liked about it was that the staff seems to have sit people strategically apart to reduce the noise as we really didn't hear any other party which was nice. My friends and I arrived a little later than the rest of the party as it was a surprise to my parents that we were coming, as I live in California. We ordered the calamari and sashimi plate as appetizers. We ordered the wafu steak (2x), the combination (x3) and tempura udon. I am allergic to shellfish and asked only for vegetable tempura with my udon. And they made the accommodations. Which was very much appreciated. The service was fast and friendly and I would recommend coming here on any day to eat their food.

It's always surprising when you enjoy an unexpectedly pleasant dinner! But even more of a surprise…read morewhen it feels like home. This unassuming Japanese restaurant is buried in the back of shopping center, but it is a hidden gem. Buried in the deepest corner of the shopping center, this restaurant is the gold at the end of the rainbow. We dined a little later in the evening, on a rainy Sunday night...and there were still people coming in to eat! All the waitstaff were so nice. They helped us with the menu and always kept our tea and water filled. The service was top notch. We were hungry and ended up ordering a lot of food. We had... Asparagus tempura Hamachi Kama Negi-hama maki Futomaki California roll Dinner combination with sashimi, tempura, and pork shogayaki Mud pie ice cream Everything was delicious, but the hamachi kama, negi-hama maki, futomaki, and the pork shogayaki were exceptional. We would definitely order the mud pie ice cream again as well. We will be back for more Japanese food for sure...this is such a cozy home away from home!

Good quality, brown rice, great price! This place is located in a small food hall in downtown Hilo…read more The service is fast and the food is delicious.

They are the best sushi kitchen! The quality of all their food is so fresh! We go there whenever…read morewe are in town! One of the great things about Dragon Kitchen is they serve brown rice! We love everything on their menu and the party trays are amazing! If you want excellent sushi and service, you have got to go to Dragon Kitchen!!!!

Food is okay, service is not great, we have to wait for a refill as our server (we feel like)…read moreflirting with a customer, and she did not pay attention to what we need like water, etc, ambiance is okay.

Got takeout for someone's birthday dinner, so I can't speak to the dine-in experience. We got a few…read morerolls to split -- all were exactly what you'd expect. The guy who took our order was awesome. An old menu we found online showed they carried unagi donburi, but the more recent menus no longer showed it as an option. The guy we spoke to on the phone to place our order was awesome -- he told us he could make anything we wanted so, alas, we got an unagi donburi. It was also tasty, but nothing you wouldn't expect. The udon we got was really good and felt like the most unique thing we had ordered, however, it was a little on the salty side. Overall a great experience and a great addition to the Japanese food scene in Hilo

My family & I come here often. Great service, food is yummy & we definitely recommend Osakas 100%!read more

Went here mostly because other japanese restaurants were closed at the time but hoped its 4 stars…read moremight mean it was really good? Sadly, it was just meh. Just had a bowl of saimin for $15, very average. Noodles were overcooked, broth just ok, and skimpy toppings. Glad I didn't order anything more expensive because everything seemed very overpriced. For high quality food, its ok but to pay a lot for mediocre food, pass. Don't recommend.