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.

FANTASTIC FOOD. Authentic. Cannot say enough. Stopped here four times. You can order ahead or go…read moreearly in the morning and buy items for lunch (pickup for lunch). Otherwise, if you arrive after lunch rush you may find a very very limited selection of food. I really enjoyed the spicy inari poke, mochi, garlic chicken and unagi tamago. Their mochi and cheesecake is also a delight. Other items I tried but would not recommend as much include the unagi roll, the shoyu inari poke and the salmon mixed bento. I don't think their bento is where they shine (good but not as good as other items). Out of the bentos I tried though, the mackerel bento was nice. To go only. Eat at the ocean park (5 min drive away). Ambiance casual.

My wife and I visited Hawaiian Shrimp Company since we were craving garlic shrimp. Located inside a…read moreseemingly deserted food court inside a strip mall, Hawaiian Shrimp Company is well hidden. Unless you're actively looking for it, you probably won't stumble upon it randomly. Between the two of us, we shared a single plate with garlic shrimp and lilikoi shrimp and three sides -- two scoops of taro potatoes (extra charge for having a duplicate side) and some broccoli. For close to $30, the shrimp plate feels expensive, but you actually get quite a bit of food -- definitely enough for two to comfortably share. Between the two types of shrimp (a plate comes with four of each), I liked the garlic shrimp a bit more. I loved how intense the garlic flavor was in the shrimp. In the past when I've had garlic shrimp in Hawaii, it's always been drown in a pool of butter, resulting in an oily coat around your mouth after each bite. The shrimp here uses a fraction of the butter and oil used elsewhere, leaving a much cleaner taste after each bite. With the lilikoi shrimp, my first bite reminded me walnut shrimp: there was a subtle sweetness to the shrimp. Unlike the garlic shrimp, the lilikoi shrimp are butterflied, making it easy to distinguish between which shrimp is what flavor. The fact that the shrimp can even be butterflied means the shrimp used here are quite large in size, indicative of the value you're getting with your plate. With the sides, the broccoli is well-seasoned, and the taro potatoes have nice large chunks mixed in. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with my meal at Hawaiian Shrimp Company. I understand some folks would be quick to write-off a restaurant as understated as this one, but definitely give it a try if you're looking for some good tasting garlic shrimp.

The food was epic. I got the shrimp plate, then the awesome workers allowed me to try the lilikoi…read moresauce. Everything worth the price

from one tourist to another, this is the perfect lunch/dinner place. We got the grilled chicken…read morewrap with mango coleslaw and grilled chicken sandwich with fries. Both have amazing flavors. highly recommend! friendly staff and open concept which lets a lot of fresh air in!

Busy Friday afternoon. Raining. Starving…read more Ordered the Dynamite Fish Bowl and it was very flavorful. Chucky pieces of fish and delicious sauce. We were a party of 19. Nicole handled us like a champ! Energetic and lively! Thank you for the exemplary service! Thank you for the birthday plate for our party!

When in Hilo, two must stop places are Two Ladies mochi and George's meat market! Back before 9/11…read moreever took place, we would stop at George's with our cooler bag and stock up on prepared meats (oxtail being my favorite) and head back to Oahu. Once 9/11 occurred it made stopping at George's a little more effort so that we could get frozen meat back home without ice. However, George's came up with their absolutely delicious thin beef jerkies and that has been a must buy ever since!! And now, they have the best snacks and energy bars! I've not been able to go lately but a friend of mine was gracious enough to offer to purchase for me and bring it back to me!! I feel ever so lucky to have bags of beef jerky and energy bars in my hands!! Hoping to get to George's myself soon!!

They also sell Gluten free pasta for Italy, Excellent extra…read moreVirgin Olive oil and good from Italy!

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!!!

Crack seed. For us…read morelocals in Hawai'i, these snacks were childhood staples. The crack seed store, a classic place where vibes of nostalgia are generated every time I walk into one. 'Cause I grew-up with li hing mui and arare. There's a small number of locally-owned crack seed shops on the Big Island of Hawai'i and in Hawai'i in general. This is one of them, the "local-style candy store" for an island boy like me. I enter 5-Spice, located in East Hawai'i after the intersection of Kilauea Ave and W Puainako St, heading south. I remember frequenting this business when it used to be at Puainako Town Center. Their popularity over the years gave them the ability to move to a larger space. Now independently located in their own building with ample parking. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Would I be able to control myself, holding onto what's desired without adding anything extra? It's always impossible for me to do so. Everytime. Yummy preserved items in large display jars, others placed in vacuum sealed bags. All priced by-the-ounce. I become curious, wanting to taste it again. I go to my favorites, seeking them first while browsing through the visual display of many others. Cracked seed goodness on one side, bagged candies and sweets on the other. I've seen this all before yet, I stand still with the desire to place it all in my hands. And I sure do, my hands are full. I mail them to the U.S. mainland in care packages, travel to the neighbor-islands as omiyage, and personally enjoy them at work or at home as snacks. They make great gifts for friends and coworkers too. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Let's talk about food, where mouth-watering plates and yummy burgers are prepared. Bentos are packed to-go on the countertop. Offering an extensive menu for a take-out, all made to enjoy outside on picnic tables or elsewhere. Daily specials are available along with catering + platters too. Front service by the team at the counter is pleasant, attentive. Gratitude is always extended for every purchase. Comfortable, courteous, welcoming. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Meat Jun Plate" A light egg batter and thinly sliced beef served in an upscale fashion due to care in preparation and quality of flavor. The soft and indulgent texture of each meat jun piece, perfectly seasoned + cooked. Your choice of tossed greens, purple sweet potato or macaroni salad. "Honey Chicken Plate" Featuring a crazy yummy sweet and savory glaze, sticky and glossy. This sauce, this recipe creation is glorious. Chicken pieces are tender yet slightly crispy on the exterior. "Bibimbap" Freshly made Korean banchan, thinly sliced seasoned beef over white rice. I pour the gochujang over everything and mix-in the sunny side egg, bringing forward a creamy texture along with heat + depth. Choose the sweet potato salad as your side. "Gravy Burger Combo w/ French Fries" This massive burger patty is filling, satisfying. Charred and smothered in rich brown gravy served with lettuce and mayo. Choose the sweet bread bun, the seasoned salt on their fries makes all the difference. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delicious food to-go with generous portions, sealed bags of cracked seed items + sweet treats at 5-Spice. For enjoyment at home, to share at work, gifts or omiyage. Find this charm, this unique and tasty experience on the Big Island of Hawai'i - East side. Locally owned and operated.

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.

That garlic rice! Get the garlic rice. Ahi don with the garlic rice is my go-to. Even the bentos…read morethey make are great if you're in a bit of a hurry.

Food is consistently good. Ahi don with garlic rice and toss salad! The absolute best. The space is…read moresmall and parking can be hard on market days.

Great restaurant find in Hilo! Food was superb as was the service. Small space so reservations are…read morea must. We got the early but they weren't ready for us. That was ok because we found a wonderful speak easy about 2 blocks away that was fabulous. Great night in Hilo!!

Quaint local restaurant that has a creative menu with a personal flare of the Owner chef. Staff is…read morevery knowledgeable about their menu and makes excellent recommendations. My husband and I sat at the bar and enjoyed the excellent company of our bartender server who gave excellent descriptions of the menu items ...making our mouth water before we even ordered our dinner. At Her recommendation, we enjoyed the ricotta gnocchi's As our shared starter and the pan seared local Opah fish dish which was amazing.. Reservations are highly recommend as this is a locals favorite... so tables fill quickly.. and you don't want to miss this exquisite restaurant in service and food quality!