I wholeheartedly recommend Chef Rachel Erkan for any culinary needs! If you value high-quality,…read morefarm-to-table food, she's your chef. Her expertise shines through, especially knowing many ingredients came straight from her homestead--an impressive touch. With less than a month's notice, she crafted an unforgettable dinner for my intimate wedding, blending local and Mediterranean flavors seamlessly. Communication was prompt, and she handled dietary accommodations for my group with ease. Chef Rachel was professional, leaving the kitchen spotless, and the food? Some of the best we've ever tasted. Standouts included the tender, flavorful lamb--hands down the finest my group had ever had--the unique honey-cured egg yolk, and the pickled quail egg. The lilikoi curd was a revelation, and her macadamia nut baklava outshone any I've tried. Even the kulolo, a dish I grew up with, was exceptional. Every dish and sauce left us in awe. My family still raves about the meal, and Chef Rachel's work turned my wedding into a dream, ending with us blissfully full. Next time my husband and I are on island, we will be sure to check out what cooking classes Chef Rachel has going on at her homestead. Book her--you won't regret it!

We ordered our Thanksgiving meal from Chef Rachel. Pickup went smoothly, everything packaged…read morewonderfully. Easy directions and prep. Dinner was delicious, creative (loved the purple sweet potatoes and mushroom gravy) and my wife raved about the stuffing. It was so good and yummy, I commend Chef Rachel for knocking this meal out of the park.

We really enjoy this incredible cooking supplies adventure. I say "adventure" because every time I…read morewalk in I find so many beautiful local and international cookbooks, condiments, spices and cheeses from all over the world. It's chock full of great cheeses and lovely gadgets that elevate an at home chefs culinary adventures. I did try a class and only want to suggest the instructor focus on cooking instead of stand up comedy routine. It's not needed; but thank you for the new recipes that I will add to my list. Suggest also to challenge guest with more interesting dishes; put that London based Cordon Blue education to use. We like the challenge!

Was so excited to find this food experience on open table. What a fantastic way to end 2025. Got…read morethere for a 5:30pm seating where we were greeted with prosecco before starting our meal. It was a communal table where 14 total people were sat together. It was great to meet new people and had so much fun and laughs. Worth the elevated experience as food and service was exceptional. Sal who went through our wine pairings was informative and funny. Happy to see there's an option like this on island and Chef Vitaly can cook!

I love the Portobello Risotto! What an absolutely amazing dish! Waaaay more scrumptious flavor than…read moreI expected! Portobello is nicely marinated and breaded, the rice is savory and creamy, all the veggies add color flavor and texture that makes every bit a taste surprise! Mahalo, I'll be back soon!

One of my favorite specialty take out places that boasts a weekly changing menu. Lunch and dinner…read moreonly, pay attention to their ordering times. Order online with options to pay online and in person, in addition to ordering in person. I can't attest to the in person ordering wait time since the online ordering is super convenient for me. Pro tip: follow their instagram, they will normally post their weekly menu via insta story on Mondays, then they post photos of that weeks menu items usually on Tuesday when they open for business; it helps me decide if I'll be paying a visit that week lol. I also like that they always have at least one full vegetarian option and a dessert option. They might seem slightly pricey for take out but I do believe they offer restaurant quality food which makes it reasonably priced in my book.

I recently contacted Dean Shigeoka of AJ and Sons Catering to cater a friend's destination wedding,…read moreand we received excellent service and excellent food! With only about three weeks notice, Dean was able to put together a great menu and cater a small wedding on the Hamakua Coast. He worked with me to decide a menu based on our budget and tastes. For $30 per person we got: - Appetizers (all three as a trio): stuffed Hamakua mushroom, Porchetta on bruschetta, Hamakua tomato jam with puma goat cheese on crostini - Salad: farmers market salad with lilikoi dressing - Main: local fish (market choice), sautéed, served with porcini risotto and farmer market veg - Vegan: vegan yellow curry and jasmine rice - Dessert: Fruit tart, incorporating local coconut, lilikoi, and pineapple. All of the food was AMAZING! My favorites were the vegan yellow curry, lilikoi dressing, and Hamakua tomato jam. I would order EVERYTHING again. Dean communicated well with me via an in-person meeting, email, and phone on narrowing down a menu, making food decisions, and finalizing plans. He and Audrey (mom and co-owner) arrived early to prep and setup a buffet line, cleared plates once people were finished, and cleaned up. I could not have asked for better food or better service. I highly recommend AJ and Sons Catering. They do any size party, though there is a $100 charge for parties smaller than 25, which makes total sense to make the event cost effective for them. Most caterers won't even consider doing small parties. I might even contact AJ and Sons Catering for future parties instead of going to a restaurant!

One year ago today, AJ and Sons catering helped make beautiful memories for our wedding overlooking…read morethe waves at Hilo Bay. Being that we live on the mainland, we coordinated everything via email and phone, and everything worked wonderfully. The food was fabulous and Audrey made everything easy for us from set up, to serving and cleanup. Having used multiple caterers for many occasions, AJ and Sons was the BEST!

Food and service is great. Wait till you try one plate!! We ordered 3 of their popular dishes and…read moreit was huge.

From the owner: We are known for our special sauce and ono local grindsread more

Wether it's the Soursop fish or the Oyster Mushrooms this restaurant will suprise you with…read moreintensely delicious food. Quick service is always a plus so I make it a point to eat here at least once a week! Follow the schedule on their Instagram and see where they're going to be today. Maku'u market on Sunday has a nice ambiance, there's nothing like great vegan food from cool people.

Delicious food! Made my vacation extra special! We met Jasiri at the Saturday market in Kaimu…read more While we weren't hungry at the time, we grabbed his card as we are always looking for good vegan food. He sent us his menu details and we ordered several items: Bigz Kebab, spring rolls, loaded nacho fries, and the "chicken" katsu. Good sized portions, good value for the money, great flavors...and we are enjoying the leftovers! We will definitely buy again! If you are looking for great vegan options in the area, I highly recommend Jasiri's food!