Fantastic & authentic food! The sashimi was very fresh and the gobo kinpira, poke, and mitarashi dango were all excellent. Service was very friendly. It's a small, to-go only spot. Parking was easy & convenient. read more

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FANTASTIC FOOD. Authentic. Cannot say enough. Stopped here four times. You can order ahead or go early 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. read more

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Kitchen Umeko is a great place to visit. They have a lot of options to grab and go as there is no inside dining. Parking was super easy since there was it's own lot and not an issue. We really enjoyed the Poké bowls and also their Japanese potato salad is the best. I would definitely recommend getting that! The staff are also very friendly and patient as it took us a while to choose since there is so much to choose from! Can't wait to try more of their sushi rolls in the next time we're on island! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Spicy ahi poke bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This spot is great, and traditional. The poke is smooth like butter, no grizzle. And the rice is cooked and seasoned to perfection. The only poke I'll eat in Hilo moving forward read more

Kitchen Umeko - Half shoyu half spicy poke - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Kitchen Umeko is a great spot if you're looking for high-quality bento with lots of variety. The bento options are always changing, so the menu isn't the same every time, which actually makes it even better -- there's always something new to try. Everything is well-prepared, fresh, and full of flavor, and you can really taste the care that goes into the food. It's a reliable place for delicious, thoughtfully made meals, and I'm always happy with whatever I choose. Highly recommend if you appreciate good quality and variety. read more

Authentic Japanese cuisine done right! The dishes were absolutely delicious, the location is incredibly convenient, and the staff provided warm, friendly service. Highly recommend! read more

The best poke in Hilo! 10/10 authentic, fresh, delicious. Fish melts in your mouth like butter. Their rolls are fabulous too. Staff is friendly and helpful. Clean and efficient space. read more

Takeout only sushi place - no frills, just simple, good food! Only open until 2:30pm or until they sell out. Bluefin tuna roll was a stand-out (fish super fresh and flavorful). Shrimp avocado roll was just average (shrimp is just regular cooked shrimp btw not tempura). But I mean, it's probably as good as a cooked roll can get hahaha. Prices were reasonable and the Japanese folks that worked there were warm and welcoming. read more

Kitchen Umeko - Shrimp avocado roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Kitchen Umeko is barn currently the best sushi takeout in Hilo. The flown in fish from Japan, the artisanship of their execution, the massive variety in a tiny shop, Umeko is about quality and fair prices. You cannot go wrong. They open relatively early in the morning and stay open until the early afternoon. If you have favorites arrive early otherwise they will be sold out. They do accept phone orders, but please give them ample time to prepare your meal. read more

Amazing to go! Fresh sashimi rolls, delicious poke bowls. The crispy salmon skin salad was awesome. Highly recommend.

The day we flew into Hawaii at the start of our vacation, I wanted somewhere quick to grab lunch to-go, as we'd flown in around lunch, and still had to drive across the island afterwards, so this fit perfectly. Indeed, at least as of the afternoon we stopped here for lunch a couple months ago, my understanding was that they were *only* selling the grab-and-go items that were already made and packaged, so selection was a little limited, unless we misunderstood them, which is also possible. (It was relatively close to when they closed, though. So if you're picky, your enjoyment might depend on what they happen to have packaged that day.) Anyway, we spent ~$30 to split an unagi roll, a container of 3 inari sushi and an order of salmon belly salad, and took them to the nearby park. Verdict: the inari was pretty substantial, and great - definitely worth $10 for 3. The unagi roll was decent but nothing special. And the salmon was rather disappointing - partially in that I expecting it to be rarer rather than fully cooked, partially in that I wasn't expecting it to be rather weirdly overpoweringly *sweet*, but more than anything, in that I wasn't expecting it to be gristly and full of bones. Definitely much less recommended. We did also get a slice of cheesecake for $4.75, which was entirely worth that price. Was a solid cheesecake. read more

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Good quality and delicious! Hijiki inari is such a rare find and I was able pick some up here. It did not disappoint! They were able to make tekka maki to order for me since they didn't have any out. read more

The Japanese ladies here are so adorable and nice! I came here after having really bad poke elsewhere and was so pleasantly surprised. I got a large poke bowl and they have nice, big portions. The inari poke is also fantastic. The mentaiko potato salad is unique and very tasty. Nothing disappointed here at all. Highly recommend!! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Picked up breakfast at 2pm. I am never surprised at their quality. What surprised me was there was a sashimi platter in the counter. Got that instead of two rolls from the table. So good! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

FRESHNESS and TASTE = A+ Cleanliness = A+ Excellent service too Lots of parking spaces at this time but I'm sure that will change once word gets around. read more

Don't go too late in the day or not much left. I had the Mackerel sushi and it was yummy.

They don't have a lot of gluten free items for me. I got their potato salad which was yummy, but a little too much onions for my taste. The kids shared a large poke bowl. They said fish was fresh and portions were good! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Shoyu and spicy ahi poke bowl. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Sushi Perfection. Party platter made to order was ready exactly on time for pickup. Presentation was great, and the food was even better. A real hit at our gathering. There were no leftovers. Staff was pleasant, friendly, and helpful. Will be our go to place for sushi from now on. read more

Was looking for some "grab and go" sushi but wanted it to look like it was made with care, more effort and feelings! I found them here! I love the meat to rice ratio of the sushi, Some places make their sushi with more rice than filling/fish. Their food and desserts were delicious! Will definitely go here again. read more

While the bento and poke were tasty, they were slightly overpriced. The fish cutter's (possible owner) behavior was appalling. When a customer's poke bowl was forgotten, due to a miscommunication by the staff, he publicly and relentlessly berated them. He completely belittled his employees in front of a waiting line of customers, causing a 10-minute delay. Instead of addressing the issue privately, or simply continuing to prepare food, he chose to humiliate the staff. Mistakes happen; a good boss would have handled it with grace and moved on instead of causing them to be visibly shaken. read more

Everything I've tried here is delicious...oden, kinpira gobo, chiraishi, tamagoyaki with unagi. And they are so so nice!!! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Chiraishi...delicious - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Poke is top notch. Fish is huh quality but not so high quality you wish it was just sashimi. The inari poke was excellent. Possibly best on BI. read more

Nice little take out sushi shop. The fish is fresh and the overall quality is much better than what you would find in supermarkets for about the same price. read more

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Small Japanese takeout restaurant with super fresh poke. The poke is unbelievably fresh and seasoned to perfection. I had the poke bowl with spicy and shoyu poke that came with sushi rice and seaweed salad. They also had bentos & sushi available. The staff (cashier and cook) were very helpful. I absolutely recommend giving their food a try. read more

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I had this incredible sashimi takeout from Kitchen Umeko yesterday; all the fish and scallops from Japan. So fresh and delicious, top quality. They have a fabulous selection of bentos, sushi rolls and side dishes as well. If you love traditional Japanese food this is the place for you. Can't say enough good things about Kitchen Umeko. read more

Kitchen Umeko - Sashimi heaven! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Best take out sushi in Hilo hands down ! Place looks unassuming but this is the only place I'll order sushi from . I haven't had a chance to try other items but I've tried their poke and hamachi and ahi sushi rolls . Fresh fish and good quality and reasonably priced . This is honestly better than the other "reserve a table a year in advance" places . In my opinion . read more

Close to the airport and great for a quick stop for good sushi, many options. Great customer service. read more

Kitchen Umeko - Spicy Tuna Inari, very fresh! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

** TAKE OUT ONLY ** Fresh sashimi, sushi, and some Japanese side dishes. Chef and staff are of few words, but they take pride in their trade. They use Square -- so all (US) credit cards are accepted. We ordered: (sorry, we ate most before we remembered to take photos!) * Chutoro sashimi * Sashimi Moriawase (Tuna & Snapper 真鯛) * Sashimi Moriawase (Yellowtail, Chutoro, Tuna, Snapper, salmon, squid roll, two types of clams, Mackarel) * Hijiki * Tako Nuta * Alaskan roll * Dashimaki Tamago with eel -- don't be fooled by the simple look. Super delish! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Sashimi Moriawase x 2 types - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The bento is outstanding high quality authentic Japanese food that you would find and taste in Japan but your in Hilo. So if your wanting to try good Japanese food try their makurainochi bento read more

The sushi at this take-out only joint rivals that of Tokyo subway station sushi restaurants! The chirashi was ridiculously good. And the various salads they had were also very tasty. We ordered a couple boxes and drove them over to Liliuokalani Gardens for a fantastic picnic lunch read more

Kitchen Umeko is our new go to on the Hilo side of the island! There is always a fresh selection of delicious options available no matter what time you stop in - although the earlier the better for more menu options. Service is quick and friendly, and we love stopping in to grab bentos for easy delicious meals on the go. read more

Stopped in late on a Saturday and the selection was low ..... I had chu toro rolls and spicy poke inari sushi. Absolutely delicious! The folks here are great, too. read more

Very great quality food. Fish is always fresh. Try their tako poke and all of their sushi too. I'm glad they have poke bowls now. I know they have chirashi but the poke is excellent and easy. Such a convenient spot and you would never know from the outside. Quick and easy, since work is right up the road! read more

Kitchen Umeko - Half n Half Poke Bowls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Best sushi & their poke is bomb too! I've loved everything I've tried here, including the desserts, salmon belly, tako kimchee, sushi & Japanese cheesecake. Going back again tomorrow because it's that good! :) read more

We tried them out for the first time today and we are very pleased with the food. Fresh and tasty Spicy Yellowtail Roll and Alaska roll were just right. We had Hijiki and Kinpira for side dishes and they were outstanding too. The service was fast and friendly. It's a takeout only place, great for lunch on the road. We are really glad to have a truly Japanese sushi shop in Hilo. Give 'em a try! read more

Great take out Japanese food! We had several types of inari stuffed with tuna, poke with roe and crab salad plus some tamago with eel. All were so delicious! The counter lady was very friendly and welcoming! The biggest sign outside is in Japanese, posting pic so you can find it read more

Kitchen Umeko - Store front, Kitchen Umeko - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We stopped in to pick up a few things for lunch. We got an assortment of things they had on display. Very friendly service and the sushi was excellent. Will be back again soon. read more

They're new in town but boy are they delicious! I didn't eat the chirashi myself (allergies, personal preference, you know how it is) but it was made fresh then and there and looks absolutely beautiful. If I wouldn't swell up from a single bite, I would be tempted to eat it myself, dang. It must have been super ono though because the one I got it for absolutely devoured it; she's a bit of a picky eater with not much of an appetite, so anything that reignites it with that much fervor deserves a gold star in my book! The hosomaki sushi were standard, but sooo good! I'm not super into how they did the Kappa (I like the thicker cucumber chunks over the thinner kind they did here) but it was still yummy. The tekka though- let me just start off with the fact that I'm not a fan of raw fish- usually I tolerate a few pieces and focus more on the sushi rice LOL. However, I ended up snarfing down the whole thing before I knew it this time! I don't know what he did different but those guys are amazing . Honestly, it tasted better than the kind I can get at some restaurants for about the same price. Definitely a better choice over 7-11 , and a good place for takeout sushi that doesn't necessitate you ordering from a restaurant. As far as pricing goes, I'd say it's pretty standard for sushi; maybe even on the cheaper side as far as their chirashi goes- like, I usually see those for $35+ and ONLY at a restaurant, so a bowl at $24 was definitely a steal in my eyes. Considering their location (next to Teapresso and somewhat near the University), I'm surprised they don't get more foot traffic. I hope they end up staying, because I think I'll cry if they end up shutting down; y'all have ruined me for other sushi. Their variety is really good too! They also have some premade bento boxes of sushi and other seafood that you can just grab and go. I didn't get any myself but I did see some pretty looking unagi if thats your thing! Their setup may not be as pretty as other places, but the food is definitely worth it Their website DOES NOT do them justice imo- y'all should add some photos of your daily bentos and the various chirashi! Show off how gorgeous they look because if I, a person who typically dislikes raw fish, am tempted to eat it, I bet that so many seafood lovers would also wanna try you out read more

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First off when you enter no one greets you and since it was my first time in there I wasn't sure if the sushi was display and you had to put in an order or if you could just take it. The cashier was on his phone and the sushi chef was doing his thing so no one to answer questions. I was excited because the food was freshly made and since they only do fish I was expecting some bomb @ss stuff. Ordered the unagi, salmon/avo and spicy tuna. Prices are ok but the rolls are small and the taste was ok but I was expecting more. If you only do one thing I would expect it to be really good. For that quality and price I'd rather go someplace else that has a bigger variety of food in addition to sushi but that's just me. Will be back if it's convenient but not a place to target for a specific trip. read more

I tried their jyo chirashi and was great. Ingredients were fresh and the whole dish was tasty. Too bad they are not open till dinner time. There's no comparison with sushi sold in the super markets. Even the sushi rice and nori is from Japan. The maguro (ahi) is bluefin tuna and not yellow fin. read more