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    Ama Ama Restaurant

    3.8 (808 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndNew American, Hawaiian
    Closed 5:00 pm - 8:30 PM

    Ama Ama Restaurant Photos

    AMA AMA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Touristy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Ama Ama Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chris S.

    We had seen mixed reviews on Facebook groups and frankly- no idea why because 'Ama 'Ama was one of the best dinners we had on our vacation! Not only was the food great but the service was incredible. We did the suggested wine pairings with our meals, but our server could tell that we were enjoying it so much that he brought out his own recommendations which in my opinion often were even better then the pre-selected pairings. This type of service is exactly the "above and beyond" that makes this a must repeat when we return. On the resort, this venue has some of the best views of sunset and I highly recommend! This is definitely not the type of restaurant for little ones who won't be able to sit still as it is on the classy side for the resort

    Elizabeth A.

    Food: good. Service: good. Ambiance: amazing ocean view! Amazing!!! Would I go back? No! It was way too expensive. Pasta for caviar prices! Three stars for the price of what you could get as an experience and meal in a comparable restaurant.

    Akihiro K.

    I made a reservation for the evening, but the setting sun was hot. The meal was luxurious.

    Alice Z.

    This is a really good fine dining experience at Aulani, and the best dinner in the entire resort. They were very accommodating with us having a toddler. 4 course tasting menu is delicious- so come hungry! At $175/person it doesn't even feel overpriced because the quality of ingredients and service is excellent.

    Amy S.

    As I passed by Ama Ama, I was immediately drawn to the wonderful atmosphere and asked the friendly hostess if she could arrange a table with the best view. To my delight, she enthusiastically secured a truly perfect table for me. The service was warm, attentive, and professional, and the food was the best I had on my entire trip,every dish was clearly prepared with care and was full of flavor. I will definitely return next time I visit Ali'inui. Highly recommended!

    Double fisting champagnes
    Jasmin S.

    We went to Ama Ama after mass (St. Jude's) for Christmas Eve dinner. What a delight. I got the wine pairing with my 4 course meal. Taylor was an excellent waiter. I really loved the whole experience. We had a beautiful view of the ocean with the crescent moon looking down at us! The atmosphere was tranquil and very relaxing. I'd recommend they add more top shelf tequila options but other than that it was a delicious meal and wonderful experience. I like how they added the complimentary bread to nibble on in between courses. This is definitely a must do for a couple or family staying at Aulani. Quality is top notch. I'd recommend adding more veggies to the entrees for a more balanced meal.

    Alyssa V.

    Food was good, but nothing overly fantastic. Atmosphere is gorgeous. It was a long dinner, but the service was good. The standout dishes were the crudo and the chocolate dessert. The cocktails were just okay. I think if I go back to Aulani again, I would skip this dinner but it was worth it to experience once.

    Kurobuta pork
    Sharon T.

    Such an incredible experience! We made a reservation right before sunset so that we could enjoy the sunset view from our table, and it was absolutely beautiful! The cast members were all very nice from when we checked in throughout our meal. Getting seated was smooth and the restaurant was mostly empty when we initially arrived. We were seated at a table with a very nice view of the ocean! The dining experience is a 4-course prix fixe meal. For my dishes, I chose the smoked salmon pate, ahi tuna, scallops, and citrus bar. We had an amuse bouche which was a hamachi sashimi which was very flavorful! The smoked salmon pate was also very delicious and had a nice flavor to it. It was a touch on the salty side but it came with some taro chips that went with it really nicely. We then received two different slices of bread and a cracker. I forget exactly what they were but the honey bread was so good! I really enjoyed it but it was so much bread that I couldn't finish it unfortunately. I had the ahi next, which reminded me of an ahi poke. The pieces were cut into small cubes and each piece was well marinated, and they were delicious! There were also some pieces of uni as well which I really enjoy! My partner had the kurobuta pork and this was also so good! The pork was so flavorful and the texture was so nice and tender. This dish surprised us both with just how good it was! For my main course, I had the scallops which came with three scallops, cauliflower prepared 3 ways, and some pork. Everything on this dish was very delicious, and the scallops were the perfect texture! So good! My dessert was the citrus bar and it was so good and was a really nice tart dessert. It was a very nice way to close out from a very rich meal. The passion fruit was delicious and I loved the calamansi as well. And the presentation was so beautiful! Our server was so kind and helped make the whole dinner experience very memorable!

    Yuzu cheesecake
    Yuki Y.

    We had a wonderful birthday dinner for our daughter at the restaurant. Food was excellent (Keiki menu is also yummy). Beautiful presentation. Service is impeccable. Ambiance is great.

    Long C.

    Was very surprised by this place. The service was stellar. Very beautiful setting as we were seated with a view of the ocean. The drinks are stiff. All the food was delicious, the kids cleaned their plates. The kids grilled cheese and kids steak were huge hits. Expect resort prices. But wow what a surprisingly pleasant experience.

    Vince B.

    We've been DVC for over ten years and always have dinner here when at the hotel. The menu format has been changing ever since our first visit years ago. The venue is stunning and the service is fantastic, but what they are charging now for a prix fixe menu is excessive. Especially for pre-teens. We had dinner next door at Mina's the other night and while that was pricy as well it was still 40% less than what we paid for dinner at Ama Ama last night. Also with all the recent rains the amount of gnats was unreal. My wife loves this restaurant but at the current price point I don't think I'll return unless they move to an à la carte format.

    Cassandra N.

    If you've ever wondered what it feels like to dine inside a live episode of National Geographic: Termite Edition, look no further than Ama Ama. Imagine sitting down at a "fine dining" table, only to realize you're sharing your meal with a full-on termite swarm--fluttering around your head, crawling across your menu, and crash-landing on your forks. Nothing says "aloha" quite like brushing bugs out of your wine glass. The ambiance? Well, if you enjoy screaming children echoing across every surface like a live daycare performance, you're in luck. Forget romantic oceanfront dining--this is more like eating in a Chuck E. Cheese with a $130 tasting menu. But wait, the experience starts before you even get to your table. To reach the restaurant, you must trek through the pool area, which reeks of chlorine and eau de toddler pee. It's the olfactory equivalent of a public restroom at summer camp. By the time you arrive at the table, you're already craving a shower. The food? Slightly above mediocre. Think: plated pretty enough for Instagram, but tasting like something a mid-tier country club might serve at a wedding buffet. Not offensive, but not even close to worth the hype, price, or the live-insect entertainment package. To be fair, the server and assistant were absolute gems--kind, warm, and patient saints who deserve hazard pay for working in a dining room that doubles as a termite mating ground. They were the only bright spot in an otherwise abysmal evening. And here's the kicker: Disney's quality hasn't been Disney-quality in well over a decade--it's been a full-on dumpster fire. The only reason we even gave Ama Ama a shot is because on that side of Oahu the dining options are few and far between.

    They have amazing mocktails! This was the cranberry bliss.
    Kimber R.

    'AMA'AMA was everything I hoped it would be and more. We were lucky enough to snag a reservation for Thanksgiving without being resort guests for 5:30. We arrived a little early with the hopes of being set before the sun went down, and they were so kind at the front desk. We got seated just after 5:15 at the perfect table. The service was amazing from the very start and never went down. With two people handling our table, we never wanted for anything. Waters were always refilled in a timely manner and dirty dishes removed quickly and quietly. The restaurant faces directly at the ocean, and if you time it correctly, you can watch the sun set which is absolutely stunning! During the winter, that means getting one of the first dinner reservations of the night. We watched the sun go down while listening to live music eating amazing food. With was perfection. For food, I got the special thanksgiving meal, and my son ordered off the regular menu. I love that you had the option for both. First came the bread service, and it was delicious! My meal included things like squash soup, seasonal salad, roast turkey, herb stuffing with cranberry sauce and pumpkin cheesecake at the end. My son's included venison tartare, octopus risotto, steak and the most amazing potatoes with a chocolate dessert at the end. We sat for almost two hours as courses came out, sharing bites of each others food. The mocktails we got were also great. I got the cranberry bliss and he got one with orange juice. The night ended with a stroll down the beach and a little walk around the resort. It was an experience I will remember for always and we can't wait to go back.

    Pistachio and flan dessert

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    Great meal Scott was our waiter he was excellent loved the purple Demi sauce as all of our courses were wonderful great food

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    Page 5 of 21

    Ama Ama Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ama Ama Restaurant

    Have they opened to reservations if you are not a resort guest?

    No - for holidays they are limited to resort guests - the 4 Season does the same

    Are lunch reservations needed? Seems like dinners are totally booked but lunches seem wide open. Is the service level (I.e. table service) the same at lunch and dinner?

    Not necessary, but helpful to make a reservation. Table service is the same at lunch and dinner. Dinner value borders on horrible but lunch is fantastic.

    Is there an allergy menu? Specifically for dairy and gluten.

    They are very accommodating. I know there is a vegetarian / vegan menu, which may help with the dairy allergy part. But they will modify anything.

    Are walk-ins welcome? or is this restaurant restricted to resort guests?

    They absolutely welcome non-hotel guests! However you probably need a reservation since it's a popular place. Enjoy.

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    Longboards - Asian salad with avocado

    Longboards

    3.4(682 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Not bad for resort food. We had dinner one night (kahlua pork BBQ sandwich, hold the gouda please)…read moreand fish tacos and a side salad (which they charged us $8 instead of $5 extra printed on the menu). I didn't notice until after we signed the tab. The pork was good, but IMO more southern than kahlua. Also, I should have had them omit the American cheese as well as the gouda. No self-respecting shredded pork sandwich should have any cheese. The fish tacos looked good; there were four but they were small (street tacos) and the tortillas couldn't hold up to the sauce. We had breakfast another day (eggs & breakfast meat) and french toast. The eggs & breakfast meat combo was huge, the scrambled eggs cooked just the way I like them, breakfast potatoes nice and crispy and properly cooked bacon. The french toast came with lillikoi mascarpone, berry preserves and syrup. the LILLIKOI MASCARPONE was to die for. I am not ashamed to admit I licked the container. Dinner service was at the table. Our server was very nice and VERY hyper. But super nice. Food was served promptly. Breakfast service was order at the bar and everything was delivered to the table in to-go containers. It was packed well, with all the cutlery and condiments included. I'd definitely come back for breakfast just for the lillikoi mascarpone.

    Hey, it wasn't bad. We had a snack of Asian Chicken Wings and French fries. The fries were…read moreexcellent. Crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth on the inside. Wings were good. Beautiful ambiance near the lagoon. Service was very good. My wife had some wine there on several days. 17 bucks for wine from a can. That was a bummer but it had to be done!

    Photos
    Longboards
    Longboards - Nachos

    Nachos

    Longboards - Mud pie

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    Mud pie

    La Hiki - Warmed smoked marlin dip with wun ton chips

    La Hiki

    4.2(452 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$$

    The July 2026 version of La Hiki's lunch buffet was, sadly, a disappointing experience. At $135 per…read moreperson, here's the good and the bad so you can decide for yourself if it's worth the splurge. The GOOD: unlimited steamed lobster, snow crab, fresh poke, oysters, decent service, and lovely live music. The BAD/AVERAGE: - We were told that some of their ceiling fans weren't working so it gets pretty hot if you're seated by the pool/live music area. Our table also rocked back and forth throughout the meal. It's starting to feel outdated. -There were flies around some of food -The prime rib was the driest/overcooked I've ever had at a buffet, and the lechon was mostly dry as well with some parts were hard crispy. -Compared to previous visits, there was no sashimi station or steamed dim sum, which was a huge disappointment, especially since they had already done away with the pan-grilled lobster. -For the cooked/hot dishes, there were egg foo yung, stir fried veggies, one chicken dish, one lamb dish, and noe pasta. Also were average taste, and just very limited options compared to other brunch/lunch buffets! -There was also a whole cooked fish sitting on the opposite side of the buffet, away from the seafood station, with no label at all. It was completely untouched the entire time we were there, which honestly said a lot. -The ramen bar is a cool concept, but the broths don't taste good and had odd topping choices. -The dessert selection felt limited, and the vanilla ice cream had a strange texture that fell apart instead of being creamy. What frustrates us the most is that the price continues to increase (3-4 times), yet nothing really stood out or added to justify it. If anything, it feels like there are fewer options than before. We've been coming here since the good old days too and it's apparent that it's not as amazing as before. The unlimited lobster is really the only thing that sets this buffet apart, and while I understand you won't find that at most other buffets, it's still hard to justify $135 per person for the overall experience we had. We won't be coming back.

    This review is for their sunday brunch buffet. Reservations…read moreare a must. I wasn't able to book it directly through their site but if you call in sometimes they have additional availability that isn't bookable online. There are so many options here. The best part for me is the poke bar. The fish is so fresh. Although i'd skip the oysters and crab legs as the crab legs were tooo salty and the oysters weren't very sweet. The lobster however was great! The view from the restaurant is of the pool so it could be a bit loud but aren't all buffets? Included with the dining is a parking validation for 4 hours. You can walk around the beach area after which is nice !

    Photos
    La Hiki
    La Hiki - Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream Station (Shhhhhhh.. They get Liliko'i Sherbert behind the scenes).

    Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream Station (Shhhhhhh.. They get Liliko'i Sherbert behind the scenes).

    La Hiki - King Crab Legs Anyone?

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    King Crab Legs Anyone?

    Manalo Lounge - Four Seasons Oahu roll (ahi, shiso, cucumber, tobiko, avocado wasabi aioli)

    Manalo Lounge

    4.5(48 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Beachfront dining with excellent service, unbeatable lagoon views, and decent food. Overall,…read morethe food was very nice plated and great flavors, but in my opinion every dish was slightly salty, not a deal breaker but certainly could be a little less heavy handed. I would come back again but hope everything would be a little bit more dialed in to make it 5/5 stars. Kambucha squash with miso caramel: great flavor and great texture but sauce was again very seasoned. 8/10 NY strip steak: perfectly cooked medium rare with nice crunchy bits on top and very tender. It was served with a few sauces that while indeed salty again, in this case it worked and the salt let the beef flavor shine. 9/10 would definitely come back again for this. KFC cauliflower: korean fried iteration of cauliflower it was spicy, sticky, crunchy, sweet and definitely was one of the table favorites. 9/10 Sunset roll: standard sushi roll with crab and fish on top. It was good and fresh. 8.5/10 Beef, pork, mushroom skewers: the pork belly was great and the sauce was tasty and not overly salty, my favorite of the three. The beef was decent but did not really compare to the steak we had so having them side by side made it kind of underwhelming. The mushrooms were good but kind of small for the price compared to the others. 7.5/10 Shoyu eggplant: eggplant was plump and tasty with a definite soy sauce taste. Kind of verged on the salty side but considering shoyu was in the name it definitely delivered on that front. 8/10 Shrimp toast: fried Japanese milk bread with shrimp and a tangy sauce and salad on top. Great crunch and flavorful shrimp but again the sauce was verging on overly salty. That said, we all did enjoy this dish and would order it again. 8.5/10 Fresh caught fish with crispy skin over rice with consumme: this dish was the only dish that was not overly salty and I thought was delicious, well balanced and had nice delicate flavors. My one nitpick was the skin did not come out crispy as advertised. 8/10 Scallops: Three scallops served over a cream sauce with rice cakes and salmon eggs. The scallops and sauce were the star and very tasty on its own, however, when eat with the ikura, again it followed the trend of overly salty so I kind of avoided it. The rice cakes were kind of just there and was surprisingly bland considering the aforementioned saltiness. Overall, while the scallops and sauce were nice, the dish was a little underwhelming for the high price and small amounts of scallops ($16 per scallop). 7/10 In summary, most dishes had high and lows, but with the great service and views this place still offers a lot of value, I just think it has some kinks to work out.

    Best meal of our entire trip!!! Wow - every dish was absolutely incredible! My favorites included…read morethe shrimp toast and the sushis, but you can't go wrong with anything you order here. Drinks were also wonderful. Service was great. Our waitress did a good job with everyone's requests and allergies. The views are speculator and the entire ambiance is amazing. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Manalo Lounge - "Neko Neko" (Roku gin, yuzu sake, strawberry Calpico, lemon)

    "Neko Neko" (Roku gin, yuzu sake, strawberry Calpico, lemon)

    Manalo Lounge - "Bar snack" - pickled salted cucumbers

    "Bar snack" - pickled salted cucumbers

    Manalo Lounge - View from seat

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    View from seat

    Chili's

    Chili's

    3.5(835 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    I had some time to kill while my Jeep was getting an oil change at Goodyear, so I walked around the…read morecorner to Chili's Grill & Bar. It turned out to be the perfect way to wait. I grabbed a cold Heineken and an order of the Texas Cheese Fries, and they definitely hit the spot. The fries came out hot, loaded with cheese, bacon, jalapeños, and ranch, and paired perfectly with the beer. The bar area was comfortable, the service was friendly, and it was a relaxing place to hang out instead of sitting in a waiting room. If you're getting your car serviced nearby or just looking for a casual spot to unwind, I'd definitely recommend stopping in here. I'll be back the next time I'm waiting on my vehicle.

    We came to Chili's in Kapolei to redeem a gift card we won at an auction after not having been here…read morefor several years. Unfortunately, we left pretty disappointed. We used to be regulars back when they had great value deals like the 3 for $10 meals and complimentary chips and salsa through the rewards program. It was surprising to learn that the rewards program is no longer offered, and we couldn't find any indication of that before visiting. The biggest surprise was the pricing. Most entrées were around or over $20, which felt really steep for the quality and portion sizes. The sides were small, and overall the meal just didn't feel like a good value. To me, not even filling the plate with fries is cheap for a $19 black bean burger. Our bill was around $70, and for that price, there are so many better dining options on Oʻahu with fresher, higher-quality food. The service was fine, but the food and value just aren't what they used to be. It's disappointing because this used to be one of our go-to casual restaurants.

    Photos
    Chili's
    Chili's
    Chili's

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    Ama Ama Restaurant - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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