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    Takenoko Sushi

    4.5 (136 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM

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    TAKENOKO SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Takenoko Sushi

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    Omakase set
    Terri P.

    The BEST sushi in Hilo town. My friends had an extra spot and I was able to join them for some divine sushi. Sushi was fresh and high quality. The inside was semblance of a tucked away sushi bar from a busy Japanese alleyway, intimate setting with around ten seats. My friends told me it's a family establishment, and the staff was super nice like going to an aunty's house. Service was impeccable and they were kind to let me do take out before I left. The take out was neatly packaged with ice packs. Not sure about reservations since I came with friends but super highly recommend if you're looking for a sushi spot to chow down.

    Hamachi Kama -recommend
    Jodi H.

    Thank you so much for the impeccable food, resolved craftsmanship and delightful service as always, always, always. You are just as I remembered if not better and more profound in my ever grateful memory. I am honored and humbled to have dined with you again; the kindness you consistently bestow truly parallels your uni and toro and I am thrilled I was able to introduce someone I adore to all of it and more tonight. Thank you for welcoming us! I am so pleased that you are still operating in my hometown. Missing restaurants here has never been an issue until I discovered Takenoko many years ago. And even with all the Nobus and Japan adventures, I have thought of you often. If I ever experience love in separation, this might be it. Until we meet again, a fond supporter :)

    Emma N.

    I called for takeout on a Tuesday (when they were closed) and asked if they were able to do takeout for Thursday. They kindly got back to me that they were able to do Thursday lunch, unable to provide the dinner option until Friday. Pickup for lunch was at 10:45am. They came out with a box containing both omakases + an extra order of bluefin tuna. There was an ice pack on top of each tray. The omakase included 6 pieces of tuna hosomaki, as well as bluefin, salmon, tuna, crab, octopus, hamachi, another white fish I couldn't pinpoint, umi, shrimp, and 2 tamagoyaki. We took the takeout to the Liliuokalani gardens and ate there. It was lovely! I'm sure the sit-down omakase will be even better with the chef right in front of you, but in the absence of another option, the takeout was a great option.

    Unagi handroll
    R H.

    If and that's a big if, you can get a reservation this place is money. Best sushi on the Big Island and at a reasonable price. It's a small setting with an 8 seat setup at the sushi bar. It's also BYOB so bring in your favorite drinks. I normally get the omakase which is priced around $55 then I add on additional pieces depending on what my mood is. Fish is always fresh, rice is perfect and the portions are just right. Service is great, a true family business and is always fun to make friends with people sitting next to you.

    Menu (As of March 2023 / photo 1 out of 3)

    Takenoko Sushi is hands down THE best sushi place in Hilo! Takenoko's is a small intimate sushi restaurant with only 8 seats but has the best service and high quality food. Reservation is highly recommended as the wait list is fully booked months in advance. I've only been here twice, but I can honestly say it's my number one go-to spot for fresh authentic sushi. I love my nigiri sushi, but Takenoko's has really gotten me out of my comfort zone to try new things. Aside from your standard toro, salmon and ebi nigiri, they offer unique types of seafood nigiri that you probably don't really see anywhere else, Such as: * Anago (Seawater Eel) * Ankimo (Monk Fish Liver) * Hirame (Flounder) * Hotaru Ika (Firefly Squid) * Sakuradai (Red Snapper) and even wasabi on vanilla ice cream! Who would've thought to make that a combo? They also offer BYOB, so feel free to bring your favorite drinks to pair with your food! I wish I got her name, but the waitress that helped us today (Monday, March 27) from 6:30-8pm was very helpful and nice! We asked about the Monk Fish Liver out of our curiosity, and because of her recommendation, my husband and I have come to love it! If you have the patience and the budget, I would highly recommend going to Takenono Sushi!

    Danielle A.

    Excellent quality fish. We ordered takeout as their reservations are full. We got the omakase for 2 and it was reasonably priced at around $50 per person. We are at the nearby park (3 min drive away) and it was perfect!

    Here's a friendly heads up
    Victor M. C.

    Nowhere in the business info did it say that we needed reservations to eat here. We drove almost an hour to find reservation only sign on the front door and no one to even answer a phone call or door knock. This is horrible customer service especially when we are looking at supporting local businesses in our vacation.

    Ben N.

    We called a few days ago looking for a table for dinner not knowing that there're fully booked from December to June 2020. We were super bummed but after reading more reviews we found that they do take-out as long as you order 24 hours in advance. The woman on the phone said it was 9 pieces for $50 and after reading the hype and knowing the wait we decided to do it. We ordered 2 orders of the omakase and when we picked it up there were 18 pieces in each (nice little surprise). Not a fan of sea urchin and still am not but everything else was amazing. It's a small restaurant so book your reservation before you book your plane ticket. If you're staying in Kona.....yes, yes it's worth the drive. We were staying in Hilo so it was a quick trip. My advice: order the omakase and order a few additional pieces of the blue fin tuna, you won't regret it. Take the to-go order to one of the many beaches and enjoy a meal that matches the view in quality. For those who say it's not worth the price: I live in Boston and this is better than the best Omakase restaurant in Boston (O ya). So please don't be negative if you can't get a table. Remember the glass is half full, call them a day in advance, and do an omakase to go.

    Seared Toro

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    2 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Many years later and I just want to report back that this place is still elite and serving the best sushi in Hawaii. That is all.

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    3 years ago

    Staff was friendly and accommodating, food was immaculate. The fish quality and sushi rice was amazing

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Takenoko Sushi

    How does the takeout work? I'm going to be in Hilo in February, I'd love to do it, but I keep calling them to ask, and getting their voicemail? Do they have a better way to reach them?

    I wish I have the answer to your question.

    Are they open now dec-2020?

    Are they doing take out for lunch or dinner?

    I just called and got a voice message stating they are closed until further notice

    Do they serve authentic Japanese style sushi with rice wine vinegar and sugar seasoned Rice? Or is it Hawaiian sushi with plainwhite rice (yuck)?

    They serve very authentic sushi with the freshest ingredients. Takenoko Sushi is defenitely one of the best.

    How do I make a reservation?

    L E A V E a message TRUST

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    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Samurai Roll

    Sakura Sushi & Grill

    3.7(283 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$$

    My coworker was craving sushi, and this was the only place we found close to us that was still open…read morefor dinner. Despite the parking lot being quite full, there was still plenty of parking available, and we were seated right away. The menu had lots of options, which made it hard to decide what to order. I went with the Okinawa roll (shrimp tempura and spicy crabmeat inside, deep fried with eel sauce and mayo). My coworkers ordered the Big Island roll and the chirashi don, and they both loved their meals. My Okinawa roll tasted delicious, but it was a little too oily for me - probably wouldn't order it again. The tea I ordered also tasted very watered down, which was disappointing. Service was quick to take our orders, but my food came out way after my coworkers' dishes. Understandable since mine had to be fried, but I ended up awkwardly watching them eat while I waited for my meal to arrive. Overall, a decent sushi spot with good options - just be mindful of what you order and expect some timing issues if you're ordering different types of dishes.

    Food 4/5 - Ordered a sakura boat and unagi don. The sashimi/nigiri in the sakura boat was high…read morequality and fresh, as the texture was soft with no hints of being frozen. The roll was good, nothing to write home about. Unagi don was good, although slices for the unagi were on the thinner side. Miso soup was nice and hot. Price $$ - Price is fair with the portions that are served. Service 3/5 - Service is average, they did make a round to refill our drinks. Ambiance 4/5 - Interior is good with Japanese themed decor. Overall - Had a pleasant experience and would visit again.

    Photos
    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Inside

    Inside

    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Big Island roll

    Big Island roll

    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Okinawa roll

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    Okinawa roll

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Dynamite fish bowl

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

    4.3(2.6k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Came as a party of 2 at noon on a Sunday, and we were seated right away! The ambiance definitely…read moregives a nice island sports bar vibe. Only street parking is available. There was also live music with a lady playing guitar solo and singing! Service was amazing! We never had to wait long to order/get the bill. We were most impressed by the fact that the waitress made sure to split our Hilo local plate into two plates to make it much easier to share! We almost thought we had received two orders because of how well-plated they were. - Poke tower (8/10): Solid choice for an appetizer! There were ample portions of poke, and the flavors were nice. Not a super stand out dish though. - Hilo local plate (9.5/10): If you want to taste a wide range of Hawaiian cuisine in one dish, I would highly recommend getting this one! The Kalbi ribs were sooo good! They were juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. The Kalua pork was pretty good, and both meats paired well with the rice which had an interesting savory haupia sauce drizzled on it. The mango chili slaw and pineapple salsa added a nice tang to balance everything out. - Triple lilikoi pie (5/10): Wayyy too sweet and sugary for our liking, and you can barely taste the lilikoi flavor. We ended up just picking at the graham cracker crust and couldn't finish the rest. It seemed like one of those desserts that are premade unfortunately, and we wish we hadn't ordered this dessert.

    We chose Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine because it's one of the highest-rated sit-down spots in…read moreHilo, but it ended up being just okayyyy. The menu felt very "meh"...nothing particularly exciting or memorable. The cocktails looked great in photos, so we ordered the piña colada flight, but it tasted like there was little to no rum in it. Pretty presentation, but very mediocre overall. Food was just okay. The burger wasn't bad, but definitely not anything special. The fried shrimp dish was disappointing and lacked flavor. The big letdown was the ambiance. We were seated facing the street and parking lot the entire time ...no view...., just sad street. Overall, it didn't live up to the hype. Not terrible, but definitely not worth going out of your way for. The staff were all very nice though. Service friendly.

    Photos
    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Ahi poke tower

    Ahi poke tower

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Dr. Pepper

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    Dr. Pepper

    The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Macnut crusted Mahimahi, sweet chili and creamy sauce

    The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm

    4.0(446 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$$

    So happy to return to Seaside-to celebrate the holiday season with my dear friends in Hilo…read more The restaurant has bar seating, semi-private room seating, and 2+ tops for pairs, families, groups, and more! (I've attended speaker programs there, for example.) Tonight, we were down the few steps right past the restrooms, near the koi pond, and got to help sing happy birthday to someone during dinner! (FYI The staff really do sing well!) Chenoa's service was cheerful and bubbly, thank you so much! And she really tried to help me choose my entree ('cause the Hilo peeps all knew what they wanted, while the townie from Honolulu couldn't make up her mind amongst the many choices). We enjoyed calamari with their yummy sauce (with just a tad of a kick), escargot, salads, cocktails (some peeps), an array of entrees, and of course, desserts! Entrees included bacon wrapped scallops with pasta, shrimp with pasta, miso salmon, tekka maki and salad, and I was so happy with the furukake salmon that I finally chose! Some of us opted in for the $7 addition of soup (last night it was carrot ginger which I also would have loved, or salad (which I chose for the greens), and a warm bread with butter. Desserts included an affogato, mango lychee sorbet, sorbet trio (of mango lychee, raspberry, and pineapple), and a scoop of the kona mud pie ice cream. Everything was delicious and some had leftovers, perfect for lunch the next day! (And of course, Chenoa brought a clean cup of teriyaki sauce for that take out serving!) I also love that they keep a carafe of ice and water on tables with groups-so we could refill our glasses constantly. Oh, and mahalo to the owner who visited us, and helped sing happy birthday to our fellow guest. (Sorry, I didn't catch his name.) Mahalo Seaside, for yet another delightful evening and yummy meal, and Merry Christmas to you all!

    I came here a while ago with my parents and haven't been in years. The food is still very delicious…read moreand flavorful. The fish is super fresh. I loved how they made the rice with wild rice and the flavor that it had infused in it. Proteins were perfectly cooked. The lava was overcooked, so it didn't actually ooze out when you take a spoonful. The tells maki is also a super small serving for the price. Service was good and the setting is still beautiful.

    Photos
    The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Dining with a view (Aqua-farm - fish ponds)

    Dining with a view (Aqua-farm - fish ponds)

    The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Chinese Style Fish

    Chinese Style Fish

    The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Escargot

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    Escargot

    Takenoko Sushi - japanese - Updated May 2026

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