CanoeHouse Photos
CanoeHouse Popular Dishes
CANOEHOUSE ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like CanoeHouse
Recommended Reviews - CanoeHouse
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Chef Rhoda from Top Chef iykyk! Had a Mai Tai, glass of red wine, 8oz Prime Tenderloin, and mango sticky rice. Everything was delicious! Exquisite!! Definitely pricey as it's located in the Mauna Lani resort and primarily caters to tourists in the area but the food was to die for, service was attentive when needed but not over-bearing, and it's situated right on the beach. Open air concept and overall beach vibes/ The White Lotus season 1 decor very similar to other restaurants in the nearby. Lol. There also seems to be a house cat named Grumbles that freely roams around. Tell him I said "Hi!"
My wife and I got last minute reservations to Canoe House on a Sunday evening at 8:00 p.m. Despite having missed the sunset, we still had a very lovely dinner. We saw from Yelp photos that Canoe House offered a tasting menu at some point in time, but during our visit, it was more of an impromptu tasting menu of sorts -- created by our server, rather than an official one with a set beverage pairing. In any case, we still had a wonderful experience ordering items a la carte. Before diving into the food, I wanted to call out the outstanding service at Canoe House. My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and our server started and ended the meal with a round of congratulations. Throughout our meal, our server was super attentive and there was never a moment when our water cups were empty. Empty plates were promptly cleared, cutlery was refreshed when it was needed, and whenever a dish was brought over, he would carefully slide things around on the table so dishes were accessible and not overcrowding. Friendly, professional service of this level is honestly hard to find these days outside of Michelin dining establishments. My wife and I started our meal off with the large loaf of pull-apart milk bread ($18). The milk bread was incredibly fluffy and the outside was finished with some honey and sea salt. The sweet cream butter was rich and had the perfect spreadable consistency. As tempting as it is to want to finish the loaf, you'll definitely want to safe your stomach for the rest of the meal. The next items that we ordered were two chilled oysters ($7/piece), and a hamachi + uni citrus salad ($14). Since we were dining as a couple, our server informed us that we could actually order half-portions of some of the dishes. This was a perfect way to not fill-up before our mains arrived, so we did that for both the salad and the gyozas. The uni in the salad was melt in your mouth tender and had a delicious sweetness to it. I thought the hamachi in the salad was a bit unremarkable: it was certainly fresh and there were two generously sized pieces in the dish, but the fish definitely needed a bit more salt to it. Our next and last appetizer to arrive was the beef and foie gras gyoza ($7/piece). The chili garlic ponzu sauce the gyoza is resting leans towards the sour side, but that's my personal preference when it comes to dumpling sauces so I really enjoyed it. The filling inside the gyoza was on the leaner side compared to your typical pork and cabbage dumpling, but I didn't mind this too much since there was so much sauce in the bowl to accommodate the dumpling. The next four items we ordered all arrived together: the garlic fried rice ($32), the Kona kanpachi ($67), the Iberico char siu pork ($65), and the side of sugar snap peas ($22). Of these items, my favorite bites were the Iberico pork followed closely by the garlic fried rice and the sugar snap peas. If we could've ordered one fewer dish, it definitely would have been the Kona kanpachi. While the fish was flakey tender and the the skin was cooked to be perfectly crunchy, the portion size was far too large for two, and I thought the coconut ginger sauce felt a bit diluted and not as flavorful as advertised. I wish our server warned us that we had ordered way too much food, because we brought 85% of this dish home as leftovers. While I don't necessarily mind having leftovers, having leftovers on vacation -- with less than ideal heating methods available (i.e. hotel microwave), is not great. Overall, I couldn't help but feel this dish was somewhat a waste of money for the two of us. On the other hand, the Iberico char siu is a dish I'd order again and again if I were to come back. The pork was lean and grilled to perfection. The charred end pieces were some of my favorite bites of the night. I didn't miss the fatty bits that are typically present on a piece of char siu pork, and the mustard that accompanied the dish was not over the top spicy like some of the mustards you find at dim sum restaurants. The garlic fried rice was packed with so much garlic flavor. One criticism I had with the dish though is I wish the hot sizzling plate the dish was served on was even hotter. The rice that was in contact with the plate didn't crisp up in the same way that it would with a Korean bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl, or the socarrat at the bottom of a Spanish paella. Nonetheless, the dish was well-seasoned. If you want to save a bit on carbs and not fill up, you might want to skip this dish. Overall, the dining under the stars experience at Canoe House is hard to beat. The service is incredible, the included validated valet parking experience is seamless, the ambience of the hotel where the restaurant is located is breathtaking, and Chef Rhoda has really done an wonderful job with the vast majority of the items we tried. I would not hesitate to recommend Canoe House for celebrating a special occasion if you're visiting Hawaiʻi.
Ambiance - Amazing. What to expect from this company and all of their locations across the world. Beautiful beachfront location with tiki torches and fire pits right on the water. Our dining spot was a legit wrap around couch which was amazing for our son's 4th birthday. Always a 5 plus star ambiance. Service - 5 stars. Not only was our waitress extremely educated on every selection on the menu, but so were the helpers. Food - the reason for my 4 stars. The sashimi poke was a 3star for sure. Lukewarm, zero to no flavor at all. Hard pass when I end up looking at pricing at the end of the evening and I seriously wanted to see what it costed because I should've sent it back. The boxed bread was pretty good but I felt like it was more artistic in sight than it was in my mouth. The salted butter made it more unique tasting but just bread. Garlic Fried rice we ordered because it was "popular". 4/5 but really was actually what you'd imagine. I could go with or without it. Australia Waygu short rib was a 5/5. It was kinda pot roast feeling but man the curry made it slammin fashooo. Luckily we weren't that into the bread so we had more than half of it left to make sure whoever did the dishes had an easy job cleaning up. I don't think we left any moisture on the plate. I will be recreating this in my slow cooker at home. Amazing Fish of the day aka Mahi Mahi. Man we went against everything we know. Fish of the day, fish special, anything that seems to be mentioned heavily and on the seafood side should always be what you avoided. Well, we didn't. My wife likes it, but for me it was a 2/5 at best. On its own it was a 0/5 but mixed with its dressing and everything else it came with it was a solid 2/5. Extremely fishy and went along with the appetizer. Should've sent it back. Dessert - 2/5 and another letdown. The butterscotch miso was unique but for myself it missed almost completely. Comes with entirely too much sauce that the server actually applies to the desert instead of leaving it as a dipping sauce. By the time you're 2 bites in; the ice cream is mixed in with the butterscotch and it's just lost in translation. Hard no for me. My son for the macaroons for his dessert and I'd say a 5/5 as he threatened me if I touched them, and the sticky rice my wife had I'd say was a 4/5 and something I'd order, but wasn't anything out of the normal for me. The menu is small but in actuality extensive with enough selections to want to go back. I'd recommend this place to anyone off the location and service alone but also knowing the things they did right, stood out.
this is the spot for a special occasion. the prices are a little crazy yes, but the view of the ocean is spectacular and the food and service are fantastic. i was surprised to find huge portions as well. we started with the milk bread and wagyu dumplings. i will say the dumplings were the weakest of the night for me, they sauce was delicious but the foie gras was undetectable in the filling. still tasty but nothing groundbreaking. the hit of the night was the massaman shortribs. the portion was very generous and certainly easy to split between two people. it was rich and tender without being heavy or one note. konpachi was also delicate and well balanced. for dessert we received some macaroons for birthday celebration and the wonderful sundae. simple but elevated. it was a magical night!
Holy cow... the flavors were so unique and I've never had something like this before. You'd think you tasted similar things since it's all the same sauce bases but they pair it so perfectly together to make a delicious dish. The red cabbage salad had a yuzu/soy dressing and came with dates. So. Good. I assumed it was overpriced for a salad with so little but honestly it shined. The pull apart bread was good and warm but nothing special. Filling! The garlic fried rice? Idk how they make it so good it sounds so basic but it was the perfect seasonings where you don't feel the icky garlic breath but each bite was so savory and yum! Mahi mahi dish - the roasted carrots were my absolute favorite. How do they carmelize them that well idk, The pork dish was also killer. I loved the yuzu mustard sauce and the pork was super tender and juicy. Again, not usually a pork fan but this one nailed it!! Friendly staff - they were very attentive and helped clean up a spill that we accidentally made within a matter of seconds :-) thanks!
Drove up from Kona (30 minutes) to enjoy an outstanding anniversary dinner! Arrived at opening time and decided to dine outside with an amazing ocean view of sunset. Waiter and other staff immediately engaged us and we spent the next couple hours eating and chatting (which is to say he made sure everything was moving along well having suggested some recommendations we ordered.) To begin, we shared a Waygu Tataki plate of warmly seared beef and delicious ponzu sauce. We then had broiled Kanpachi farmed off the Kona coast, and finished up with a simple dessert of the Canoehouse Sundae made with miso butterscotch, furikake tuile, toasted buckwheat. I'll admit I had to think whether to order this seemingly strange mixture but, perhaps no surprise, it was delicious. So a marvelous meal in a very special setting with my very special partner of 51 years.
Amazing food and wonderful experience. We were staying at the Mauna Lani, and had to try its signature restaurant (especially since a few in our party were big fans of Chef Rhoda in Top Chef). Each dish we tried had an amazing mix of flavors. Everything was fresh, even the pull apart bread. I opted for the Ahi Tuna, and it was cooked to perfection. The oysters were excellent as well. We also LOVED the ambiance. It seems most tables, whether indoors or outside, faced the ocean with an open concept. Therefore, even the indoor tables are technically outdoors. This was the perfect set up to watch an amazing Hawaiian sunset during dinner. As expected the service was very friendly and attentive. This is one of those must visit spots on the big island. Even if we don't stay at the Mauna Lani next visit, we're definitely going to still visit this place.
Stayed at Mauna Lani, so we had to try Canoe House for a nice dinner with a few girlfriends. The food came out beautifully. We ordered the lamb chops, roasted potatoes, and a colada. The lamb was tender and flavorful, with just the right amount of fat, and the potatoes were perfectly crispy. The colada was pretty strong, which I liked, though my friends wished it was a bit sweeter and more balanced. The restaurant is stunning at night, and our waiter was so kind -- he even took the drinks off the bill when he saw my friends didn't enjoy them. Definitely worth visiting if you're staying in Mauna Lani. Food: 8.8/10 Service: 9/10 (forgot to take our card for a while after we said we had to leave) Ambience: 9/10
We were looking forward to eat a special dinner at the Canoe House after seeing all the positive reviews. But it ended up being a huge disappointment. The ambiance is fantastic as well as the service - but the food we ordered just didn't live up to the hype What was good was the milk bread with black lava salted butter and the crispy garlic rice. The rest was mediocre at best Amberjack- the fish itself had good texture but it had a gamey flavor. I did like the ginger sauce Gray snapper- this was the special. Supposedly it is like an Ono but it was not. It was also over cooked Corn Riblets - at first I wasn't sure if I liked them, but in the end I did, They have a tajin like seasoning with a citrusy butter and an essence of truffle. Once you started eating them it was hard to stop Cabbage- I didn't have this but my Niece liked it We passed on desert All in all it is a beautiful location and very convenient if you are staying at the Auberge. If I went back, I would order other entrees
located at the mauna lani hotel, this restaurant is right along the beach in kamuela. resort casual vibes, but expensive prices and great food. my boyfriend was recommended this place during our weekend getaway to kona. some stand out dishes were the kanpachi sitting on a coconut thai sauce and the wagyu gyoza. For dessert, the canoe sundae is to die for an a must order! Service was great, very attentive and personable. Would definitely love to come back if I was ever in the area! follow my foodie ig page: smolgirlfatass
Beautiful location, validated valet parking. The host station was impeccable, the waiter was great initially but the service was very slow and the food was mediocre at best. The $27 mai tai was strong but did not taste like a mai tai. I am a Mai Tai connoisseur and I know they vary in their recipe, but this just tasted like rum. The fresh catch was mahi and it was just ok, the kona kanpachi was just ok and the garlic fried rice was so hard it was inedible. The waiter even had to bring out some chili bc he knew the food was really bland. The outdoor patio area was not busy with several empty tables but still the service was very slow. For a $200+ meal, Would not recommend.
Our experience at Canoe House couldn't have been any better. My husband surprised me with dinner while we were on big island for our anniversary. I'm a big menu looker, but because of the surprise, I went in blind. I wanted everything! With the help of our server, Ashley, we made a lot of choices and each one was perfection. We started with the bread. My husband is still talking about it. He called it a Minecraft block. It was big and so delicious. The butter! Oh the butter made the whole thing even better. Then we got the carrots, corn ribs and the fried rice to share. The carrots were good. On the sweet side, but so good. But the garlic fried rice! Best fried rice I have ever had! It comes out still cooking on this stone. They stir in an egg for you at the table and it mixes up these fried bits from the bottom. I took what was left and ate it the next morning for breakfast and it was just as good the second time! We both got steaks for dinner and they were cooked to perfection. Mine had a coffee rub, and his had a pink peppercorn sauce. We shared bites and couldn't decide which we liked more. The views can't be beat. Right by the beach, outside with the palm trees, without the mass tourist hustle and bustle. Something we can't seem to find over here on Oahu. Ashley made it such an amazing experience and offered so much insight about their menu. She was kind and helpful and we loved every suggestion she made. We will absolutely be back.
3 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
We went here for our first time on the big island. The food was amazing. The corn they served is flashed fried drizzle si truffle oil and it was delicious. The grill kona Kampachi was my favorite item. Everything tasted great. Great vibes and highly recommend when on the big island. read more
4 years ago
View is stunning. Property is gorgeous and perfectly maintained. We had amazing service! Would return again. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
6 years ago
9 years ago
Rating purely based on food quality. Service was mediocre, a bit slow for me. I also prefer my water to be always full with ice especially when sitting outdoors. Checking up on us more often, would've been nice. But that's all of my complaints. Appetizer; Ahi Crudo (is that how you spell it?) was good. The limu Ono was so crunchy & fresh, my hubs enjoyed the pickled onion. The fish was fresh, just wish it was a bit colder. Big Island Abalone was amazing! Super soft and tender. The flavor was delicious. Probably the best abalone ive ever ate. The book choy was also very fresh and yummy. Main dish; Mac Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi was great. The black rice yummy, Thai curry flavorful, and the veggies was good however the bell pepper was a bit over cooked. The Mahi itself was cooked to perfection, just enough crunch from the Mac nuts, the pineapple ginger salsa was also a nice addition--gave it some kick. Rib Eye, my husband enjoyed this and ate it so quickly. It was a pretty big portion. He liked the potatoes, he said it was salty, which he liked. I tasted the rib eye with the sauce they provided--the sauce was yummy! Dessert; Baked Hawaii this was also delicious. The Mac nut ice cream was amazing, the cake barely there was good--but the roasted meringue was the highlight! All in all--view was beautiful & food was great! Will come back again when visiting Kona! Tip; Reserve for 6:00-30 cause we went at 5:30 and it was soooooo HOT! read more
5 years ago
Beautiful setting. The raddish wasabi salad is unbelievable!!!! It is worth going for. The burning hay that cooks the fish tableside app was fun & good. The lamb is amazing. The lobster disappointed. Overcooked, salty & very small portion. Tasting menu was also a disappointment. It was ok. Pull apart bread was good, just hawaiin bread with a lot of crust area. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
I have to say certainly "special occasion" worthy. This open aired eatery at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel offers incredible ocean views and upscale gourmet food. We were excited to come back to this spot having stayed at this hotel and dined here in years past. Simply stated, the CanoeHouse did not disappoint. There is a wide variety of scrumptious seafood and other items on the menu. We both enjoyed the "fresh from the sea" Mahi Mahi. It was prepared with a macadamia nut crust and served with rice and a pineapple salsa. Superb. Of course service is top notch here too and our server Rosie, made sure of that. We were celebrating a birthday and anniversary the night we dined. Well here that called for 2 complimentary desserts. Both were amazing and quite delicious too. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere just couldn't be any better. Be sure to make a reservation to secure your spot at this gem. You will want to come back! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
5 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
3 years ago
speechless. what a way to end our stay at the Mauna Lani Resort. this 5 course meal was delightful. each course practically left me in tears. i am not even sure what each course was, everything just melted in my mouth and i was happy. this wasn't a meal, it was an experience that i will remember forever. you must get the 5 course meal! i asked for a drink pairing as well. I started with a sake cocktail and ended with pinot. the view of the sunset was gorgeous. i watched the sun go down over the 3 hour meal overlooking the ocean. can't think of many things better. every waiter/waitress was so kind and attentive. stunning night. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
Refreshed and better than ever! Menu is a bit more refined than the past, service is impeccable and the location simply cannot be beat. This is a bucket list spot and it deserves to be so. read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
6 years ago
My wife and I live on the west side of Big Island and Canoe House has always been one of our favorite fine dining restaurants. A couple of years ago the hotel was purchased by Auberge Resorts and they closed everything down to renovate the property. The renovations are GORGEOUS. 5 stars all the way for beauty, ambiance and service. Same goes for the Canoe House restaurant. The renovations are exquisite and the service is excellent. However, something major has changed and not for the better. My wife and I went for Christmas Eve dinner last night and we couldn't have asked for a better table... we were at the edge of the dining area, closest to the waterfront. Visually, it was perfect. We ordered a very nice bottle of wine to go with our dinner. We don't shy away from pricey menus and if the server hadn't told us about prices we wouldn't have known anything. So we ordered some items from the "specials" he told us about. I ordered Alaskan king crab legs (server said the price was $65). Ok a little expensive for an order of those but I figured well worth it for the beautiful location and delicious culinary experience. My wife ordered the Wagyu beef filet. I didn't really pay attention to pricing as I was looking on the online menu for side dishes. She ordered a 3 ounce cut of the steak which should have been enough since she was going to share my crab legs. We decided on an order of the garlic fried rice with poached eggs on top. Our meal arrived after about 30 minutes and this is why I gave a 2-star review: First, my entrèe was Alaskan king crab... leg. As in, one. A single skinny leg. They had scooped the meat out, braised with blow torch and then put back in the shell with seasoning and chopped scallions. It was very good. But ONE leg? For $65? My wife's Wagyu beef was 3 ounces of deliciousness, served with very tasty sauces for dipping. The garlic fried rice was perfect. However, we were both still very hungry after finishing these meager quantities. We ordered a piece of fudge cake for dessert and even that was tiny! Don't get me wrong- everything was delicious- the portions were just very, very small. So why the 2-star review? Value. Our check amount was $302.62 before the tip. Remove the $108 for the excellent bottle of DuMol 2016 Pinot Noir and we paid about $200 for a skinny crab leg, a tiny piece of steak, a small plate of fried rice and a tiny dessert. Sticker shock alert: we were charged $84 for the 3-ounce piece of beef! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? For the prices Canoe House is charging for their dishes the portions should be quite a bit larger. So if you plan to go for a fine dining experience while staying on the south Kohala Coast, I highly recommend going to either Manta at the Mauna Kea Resort (the view of the bay is breathtaking) or Meridia at the Westin (Formerly the Hapuna Prince Hotel). Prices are more reasonable and they serve normal sized portions so guests will feel like they got what they paid for. Both Manta and Meridia are beautiful restaurants with exemplary service and the food is equally as delicious as any other 5-star restaurant in the world. Hopefully the Canoe House reads this review and takes it seriously. We love the restaurant and the hotel- the renovations are amazing. But the value for what the customer is being charged vs what they are getting from the Canoe House is just not there. read more
5 years ago
CanoeHouse is AMAZING!!!! Their ocean views and beautiful sunset is just phenomenal! The ambiance, food, friendly staff and knowledgeable servers are exceptional! Their tasting menu is a foodie delight! Always looking forward to dining here again and again! :) read more
4 years ago
Very vegan/vegetarian friendly! Tell the hostess if you have any dietary restrictions including that you're vegan or vegetarian and they will provide special menus for the table! The main menus have some vegan listings but there are more than what's actually listed. We had the most amazing time and experience! The ambiance was pleasant, music was fun, and staff was very efficient. Ayshea was our server and we couldn't have asked for better! She was very informed about the menu and answered all of our questions. The buses food runners and all support staff were also so kind and attentive. We got all the vegetarian options and out of everything my favorite was the Pull Apart Bread and the Corn ribs. Maybe i'm just a simple girl, but these dishes blew me away. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
More info about CanoeHouse
68-1400 Mauna Lani Dr
Kamuela, HI 96743
Directions
(808) 885-6622
Call Now
Visit Website
https://auberge.com/mauna-lani/dine/canoe-house/
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
CanoeHouse Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - CanoeHouse
Is it good for large groups?
I think it could be with enough planning. The patio outside has a lot of wiggle room to move tables around. We saw a party of at least 10-12 there.
How far in advance can I book reservation online? Is the tasting menu worth the price? We have a…
I believe you can book as far out as open table allows. Is response to the tasting menu, let me first say that I'm a foodie that loves great food and value. So answering the question of worth going to be relative to your idea of value. You pay…
What is the dress code?
There is no dress code. I recommend Hawaii casual i.e aloha shirts for men and sundresses for women.
Does this place have gulten free bread?
Call them. I'm pretty sure they don't. But their bread is awesome if you can break your gluten rules for one night. Only place I've ever had shokupan bread like this.
Do they only have a prefix visit or is ala cart available?
A la carte is totally available. I was just there a few weeks ago. I honestly prefer the ala carte menu compared to the tasting. Have fun! What an incredible meal you're gonna have.
Can non resort guests get a reservation?
Yes, check open table about 2 days before you want to go
Hello :) hope all is well ,Is there a reservation available for tonight for 2 people?
No, there is availability. Sorry.
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
36 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
1 year ago
6 months ago
3 years ago
1 year ago
6 years ago
15 years ago
10 years ago
17 years ago
4 years ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
5 years ago
14 years ago
3 years ago
12 years ago
13 years ago
4 years ago
9 years ago
5 months ago
CanoeHouse - japanese - Updated July 2026
Best of Kamuela
People found CanoeHouse by searching for…
Browse Nearby
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Coffee near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Sushi near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Restaurants near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Things to Do near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Parking near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Desserts near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Ramen near CanoeHouse
BEST of Kamuela, Hawaii Shopping near CanoeHouse
