Found this place in Yelp while searching for a place to eat in the area. The town was highly…read morerecommended by our tour guide to check out. Naturally, we'd need a good place to eat as well :) Japanese food sounded good and was a break from all the pork we'd been eating. This place did not disappoint, and we got there at a good time. Within 20 minutes, there were groups of patrons waiting for a table. It got really crowded inside. We ordered sashimi (came with hamachi, salmon, tuna), New York strip kushiyaki, and the black cod. The beef tasted very high quality, and the fish was so fresh. The sashimi pieces were quite generous too. The black cod is slightly on the sweeter side for me but still enjoyable and so melt-in-your mouth tender. The staff was very busy, and they looked understaffed. The space is a bit small, so it can fill up quickly. It's definitely worth trying though! High quality food without the high prices. Glad we were able to make it here during our vacation.

CUTE VIBE. GREAT STAFF. DELIGHTFUL FOOD…read more I reviewed the pics online and saw the chirashi bowl. Honestly, such a great choice. The food was so refreshing and good. Truly thrilled we found this place. 10/10 going again.

We had dinner at Merriman's in Waimea with our family of six, and it was one of the highlights of…read moreour trip to the Big Island. From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. Bianca and the entire staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. They made us feel relaxed and well taken care of throughout the evening without ever being intrusive. The food was outstanding. Our table enjoyed the day boat catch, macadamia nut-crusted fish, Caesar salad, beet salad with goat cheese, cucumber salad, smoked taro hummus, and desserts including sorbet and seasonal ice cream. Every dish was fresh, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor. The combination of incredible food, gracious service, and a warm, inviting atmosphere made for a memorable family dinner. A heartfelt thank you to Bianca and the entire Merriman's team for making our evening so special. We can't wait to return on our next visit to the Big Island.

First of all, WHAT?! How can everything we had be a 10/10? Not just the food, but the service as…read morewell. I am so happy that my husband & I got to experience this restaurant while in Hawai'i. For starters, we ordered their special lobster salad (with lobster, mango, avocado, and pickled hearts of palm) and their mushroom side dish. Both were absolutely packed with flavor, and the lobster salad especially included very new flavors for us both. The mushrooms were out of this WORLD! For entrees, we ordered the spicy lobster ravioli and their mushroom side curried macadamia nut fish (swordfish). Each bite was a little taste of fishy heaven for both dishes. We are so happy with our visit here, and cannot wait for the opportunity to come back and try more amazing, home-grown food. Thank you for this wonderful experience!

Stopped in for a little lunch on our way to Hilo, cute spot . Everything was delicious large…read moreportions. Wife got the short rib bowl, I got the chicken karrage bao , both were yummy. Order at counter, all was fresh and hot !! Would be back !!

One of the few spots that stay up later than the rest of the surrounding businesses resulting in…read moredinner rushes, so be mindful and patient when dining in during busy hours (typically between 5pm-8pm). You order at the counter and if you're lucky, you'll have the lovely opportunity of being helped by Cat. She's very knowledgeable about the menu and is very thorough when leading you through the ordering process. Once the food arrived, presentation was great. Everything looked super yummy and fresh! Our ginger pork dumplings and one order of the short ribs came out right away, however my partner's short rib plate didn't come out at all (20 minutes have passed by). It was a slight disappointment having to eat my meal while my partner was waiting for his, however we gave them the benefit of the doubt and figured it was due to the fact we received our order as soon as that dinner rush started. When mentioned to Cat, she was super apologetic and got us the missing plate right away with no excuses. Thank you so much! This series of events will not prevent me from coming back to this spot whenever I am back on this side of the big island because the food is great, ordering process was easy and to the point, customer service was awesome, and hours are very forgiving. Give it a try!

Great food, good serving size, plenty of menu options and great prices! We're from GA and it's our…read more2nd time here in 2 days! Love their ramen choices!

When they say Ramen, they mean RRRRAMEN! They have pages of Ramen choices on their menu, complete…read morewith a picture of each selection. There's something for everyone's taste. If you don't feel like a big bowl of Ramen, there's lots of other choices too, like a small bowl of Ramen along with onolicious side dishes, or even non-ramen selections that come with a large portion of grindz that'll fill your belly. The restaurant is family owned and operated, and they work hard to ensure you have a great experience, They also do a lot of take out via Door Dash, etc. Lots of free and easy parking too. Prices are moderate, and they give you a card they stamp on every visit, and after just 6 times eating there, you get a free large bowl of ramen!​​

Unusual layout with the dining area straddling the sushi and ramen kitchen. Additional patio…read moreseating was also available, however the evening was warm and humid so we opted for a table indoors. Traditional Japanese decor - nothing surprising here. Service after being seated was friendly and helpful in suggesting an alternate to replace an appetizer they were out of. The Asahi was cold and crisp. Edamame bathed in a not too spicy chili sauce along with an order of fresh jalapeño hamachi. Several rolls later (Mongoose, dragon, Mauna Kea, rainbow, salmon avocado), still curious, we tried a tiger roll. WOW - a truly, enjoyable sushi experience! Thank you Izakaya Shiono Kona! Domo arigato.

We got takeout and had the Vege Tempura, Vege Ramen, Vege Roll and Avocado Cucumber roll…read more This seems like a lot but it's good for 2 adults. Food is very light, tasty and well made. We also had the Matcha Shiratama Zenzai for dessert. It was awesome. Great combination of flavours. Everything is reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend it. Parking is street side and based on availability.

I'm giving 3 stars only because of the service that night…read more We never received part of our order, in a very long period of time They were severely understaffed for the amount of people being seated. The manager was very nice and comped what we did get. In future if understaffed- limit seating to match staffing. The crab ramen with truffle was very delicious. Wish we could have tried more.

50% of on Sundays and Mondays for early dine? Say lesssss!…read moreWe enjoyed 4 sushi rolls, ravioli, poke, and cucumbers all for under 70 with tip. That's INSANE. The rolls were delicious l, I forget the name of the one I liked but it had spicy crab in it. Also, the ravioli with the mushroom Madeira sauce was heavenly. I could've ate 12 more of those (it's a small portion). Service was great, they have the system down. Waters at every table before early dine and the server gives you a good run down of what the special is and checks back with you before it ends. I highly recommend checking out sansei

I went here because one of my relatives said they had good sushi. But when we got there, we were…read moretold they didn't serve it at dinner. The service was great and the ambiance was amazing. The food was good but everything tasted very salty. After we left, I was up all night with food poisoning. Something I ate there was definitely not sitting well. I wouldn't recommend for a weak stomach..

What a gem that's flung far from Kona, in the middle of nowhere off the side of Highway 11. It's…read moregot this old Hawaii meets Japanese comfort food charm that evokes a wistful presence from yesteryear. There's something about a flower being pinned to your hair as you're seated to eating a bowl of saimin as Unchained Melody plays in the background that brings a nostalgic smile to your face and makes you feel right at home. Oh - and if you ask the server what's in the Kona Beef Curry Stew... it's beef and curry. Ha. Tellin' them city folk like it is.

OMG the pancakes!! It comes with whipped cream & haupia sauce and holy cow it's the BEST!…read more The pancake is ginormous and normally comes with two but I didn't want to waste so asked for just one. Volcano omelet and crispy hash browns hit the spot Mahalo Mahalo Mahalo

There's not much parking in front so you might have to get a little creative. We waited for 35…read moreminutes for a table of 6 and were one of the last ones seated. It seemed fine until we realized they were slipping on the service. My uncle didn't get his tossed salad with his tripe stew but no biggie, and my son's kids meal that was only pancake, bacon, and an egg was the last to get to the table. Everyone was eating and trying to share their food with my hungry son who was in tears after waiting another 30 minutes for his food. They were very apologetic and our server (like everyone there) was SUPER sweet, and even brought him extra bacon for the inconvenience. I could see there were regulars in there who were getting better attention than us, it happens, which was kind of a disappointment in the service area. The large table sat after us all had their food rolling out the kitchen as soon as they ordered. The food was still great, very homey, and delicious as always. The place was nice and breezy due to a storm coming in soon. All in all a great place to come eat, just come earlier I guess so all the good stuff doesn't get 86'd before you get there...my uncle was looking forward to the lamb ribs but there's always next time and for this place, there's always a next time!!! One last thing, hands down BEST gravy I've ever tasted on a loco moco...I'm in tears just thinking of it!

Beautiful setting, everyone's meal was pretty much spectacular. Honestly one of the best…read morepreparation of mahi mahi I've ever had. The beef & foie gras dumplings were huge and very unique and delicious. Our waits person Dion was also kind of a highlight of the evening. She had the girls at the end of the our table crying with laughter the whole time. The boys end of the table had a relaxing time with fine wine and great whiskey cocktails. All in all, best meal and evening we've had on the Big Island in years! Mahalo Canoe House - awesome job!

My friend and I ate here on our last night at the Mauna Lani. We'd heard great things about this…read morerestaurant due to its executive chef being a Top Chef winner. We ordered the following: Shokupan Pull-apart Bread: 5/5 Delicious, light and fluffy. The butter was also great. I didn't realize how large this was going to be. It's definitely a great shareable for 4-5 people. Shishito Peppers: 5/5 Beef + Foie Gras Gyoza: 2/5 I had high expectations for this dish but ended up not loving it. The gyoza skin was chewy and cold, and the filling was just mushy and I didn't get a great foie gras flavor. 24 Oz Bone-in Dry Aged Ribeye: 3/5 The meat quality was decent but had quite a bit of fat that we skipped over. It was cooked how we wanted it (medium), but was overly salty. Garlic Fried Rice: 4/5 We loved this fried rice but it was also extremely salty. Service was great and overall, we enjoyed our meal. The saltiness was just hard to deal with and made it hard to finish the steak and rice.

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!

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!