The only sushi I've had in the US that compares to Japan sushi!! Incredibly difficult to get a reservation but SO worth it. Everything is super fresh and big cuts of fish. Highly recommend the omakase read more

I have thought of this place fondly ever since my last visit. When I found out I'd be in Maui again, I knew I had to return. I was somewhat worried that it might not be as good as I remembered, but luckily that wasn't the case. On this visit I took my sushi loving friend with me. She was a little put off that there was no menu, just the board on the wall behind the sushi bar. She's really into rolls, so for her the selection was a bit limited. She ended up ordering two of the very simple rolls on the board. One of them was such a pleasant surprise. I'm normally not a fan of the over mayo'ed spicy tuna roll, BUT this one was different! We watched the master at work, and he added no mayo!!!! Just sriracha sauce, fresh ahi, and green onion. I had a bite and it was awesome. Without the mayo, you could actually taste the freshness of the fish. If all spicy tuna rolls were like this, I could easily become a fan. I ordered the sashimi combo, and it was (once again) AMAZING! The fish was some of the freshest I've ever had. Just pure sashimi pleasure. This place isn't cheap, but with sushi, you get what you pay for. I did figure out ordering the sashimi combo was a better deal than ordering nigiri a la carte, (especially when I didn't want the rice anyway.) The sushi chef is fantastic to watch.My friend and I really enjoyed watching him, it's almost Zen-like. I chatted with the sushi chef a bit, and found out he used to live in Cupertino! I was happy to find out I was supporting a Bay Area person:) He was very nice, and truly a master at his art. On the evening I was there, all the seats at the sushi bar were reserved, and there is only one 4 top. I highly recommend making a reservation. read more

WOW! I never thought this hole-in-the-wall place in a random strip mall in Kihei would have such amazing sushi, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised! I came here for dinner with my bf. We had to wait until 8:30pm to eat, even though we made the reservation earlier that day. We ordered the sashimi combo, spicy tuna roll, hamachi roll, abalone & snapper nigiri, and toro crab roll. Everything was delicious! The sashimi was incredibly fresh, and the rolls were very tasty (especially the special toro crab roll!). The abalone was interesting, though not something I would order again. This place reminds me a lot of Yume in Alameda, which is probably the best sushi in the bay area. If you're ever in Kihei, this is THE sushi place to go to! -L. read more

Pros: Excellent quality fish, go for the moi or snapper sashimi. Happy hours are great- 25% off 530 to 6pm during the week and 50% off on Sundays from 5pm. Cons: I didn't care for their rolls too much, but this is more of a traditional Japanese sushi place so that's expected. The most popular roll is their fried roll with ahi rolled in spinach and arugula. Husband liked it, but I didn't. I thought it was a buzzkill for the fish- ahi overcooked and drowned in an orange sauce. I'm not a fan of over saucing, and this roll is hidden in sauce. Plus the arugula was too overpowering. Other thing that irked me was the 17% gratuity they automatically added to our bill- for a party of two. That's cheeky- let me decide the quality of service and what I pay for it. Granted the service was good, but come on. I'm always a generous tipper, but that puts me of coming again. read more

WOW! Thank God I made a reservation a month in advance. Definitely reservation only, they turned away sooo many people. I came in at 6:30 and it was empty.. in my mind I was like "man, I didn't need a reservation..!" Upon moving in closer, each seat had a reserved sign on it already. It sits 16 people so the chef gets pretty damn busy since there's only one of him. There were times we had to wait since he carefully finishes making an order before asking anyone at the sushi bar if they wanted anything else. The fish was EXTREMELY FRESH and everything was perfect + melt in your mouth goodness. FINALLY I've had good sushi. I was scared of eating the uni since I've never tried it before and people say it's really fishy, but it must've been extremely fresh here since it literally just had a bit of fish flavor but very sweet and creamy texture. It ended up being my favorite item. We had the omakase, btw! Should try a variety of things while you're here =) The price was reasonable as well, I can imagine the same meal costing a lot more in San Francisco. read more

Dinner Omakase is the way to go, if you want the best bang for your buck. Everything was buttery and melt in your mouth. No soy sauce needed. Make reservations, there's only 16 seats! I loveeee it here and wish we had something like this back in San Jose Uni lovers, this is just heaven! read more

Still.my favorite sushi place on island . I do hate that you have to wait to get a reservation. Its simply the best in Maui . I wish i had taken pictures and will do next time . Many mahalos for quality fish and quality work . I truly appreciate that we have some good food on Maui . read more

I love uni. A lot. So when I saw that Koiso had the best uni around, I called to book my seat at the sushi bar. The hype is right, this tiny sushi place had just about the freshest fish I've had since I can remember. I ordered the uni (of course), giant clam, snapper and flounder for round one. I've had snapper and flounder before at other places and they were seriously fishy. This time they were not. Super fresh and really did melt in my mouth. The giant clam was very good, but not the best I've had. The uni, well, it was so good, I actually went for round two on this one. Delightfully creamy and delicious and a good portion that was firm enough that it didn't fall apart when I picked it up, but the perfect texture when I took a bite. For round two, I also ordered the hamachi and green onion roll. The fish was very fresh and the green onions were fresh and flavorful. Most of the time, you don't get much from the onions in rolls, but these tasted like they were just picked from the hillside. Delicious. I've been to many other sushi places on Maui and none of them hold a candle to Koiso. If you love sushi, and by that I mean fresh fish without all the fluff, do yourself a big favor and don't go anywhere else. read more

This was my most favorite place of all during our trip to Maui. If you know me, you know that sushi is my number one favorite meal. I was so grateful that my hubby got reservations here. It seats a max of 14 people, so you have to get reservations. When we got there Hiro greeted us and we got to sit right in front of him as he prepared the sushi. Quiet man, passionate about his work. We ordered the Omakase because we wanted to let Hiro do his magic. The fish was so fresh, I couldn't begin to tell you what was my favorite. The lime that he placed on some of the sashimi were AMAZING. the balance of the sauce, the freshness of the fish and that slight tang from the lime was soooo perfect. I typically dont like the unagi, but Hiro's was amazing. Best Unagi by far. I could of probably had 2 more omakases. This was probably on of my favorite sushi experiences. Everything was so fresh. We also ordered the Spicy tuna and their Green onion Hamachi. Both excellent. Savor the food, you dont need a lot of soy sauce. There was a couple there that obviously missed out cause she didn't like to eat raw fish. this is what Koiso is about. So if you are looking for california rolls and cooked fish, and shrimp..maybe this isnt the place to go. But if you are looking for melt in your mouth, raw but fresh fish to try, this is a MUST. read more

We made reservations for 7:30pm on a Monday night and arrived about 20 minutes early. The place was packed so not much of a chance of squeezing in any earlier. We killed some time walking around the plaza and nearby and came back after a little to let them know we were there early. We were seated on time no problem. Once 8pm came around, the crowd died down quite a bit. Seems like everyone in Maui likes to eat early. The chef and waitress were friendly, but pretty quiet with us. The waitress didn't seem very happy at first when I walked in, and throughout the meal the chef seemed much more talkative with any patrons who were *not* Asian or who were local, cracking jokes and talking up a storm with them, etc... We both ordered Omakase ($45~ for 12 pieces per person). Per the presentation I guess I've been spoiled after having been to a place like Shibucho (in Costa Mesa) where the chefs (father and son) prepare each item at their own pace and present it to each person in stages, explaining what it is. In serving it this way, the meal is much more enjoyable and spread out. At Koiso, the chef neatly placed all twelve pieces on a platter and didn't say one word to us. I was left guessing what each type of fish was, and I think I did pretty well! But it wasn't as enjoyable as if he would have taken the time to at least tell us, in general, what's on the platter or the highlights. I was disappointed with that as it felt somewhat cold-shoulderish. As far as quality, most of the items were pretty decent and had good melt-in-your-mouth quality. The Tai (red snapper), Mackerel (possibly Spanish), and Bluefin Toro were among my favorites. The Yellowtail was a bit too chewy so I could have cared less for it, and the Uni was not the sweetest/freshest and had a slightly bitter aftertaste (it was wrapped in a mint leaf, which I'm guessing was to help offset that?). This place has some really fresh stuff, but I don't know if I'd necessarily rush back to with great urgency if I were in Maui, especially for Omakase (now knowing how it's done [or lack thereof] at Koiso). I would be interested in trying some of the local fish next time. read more

If you like heavy mayo based sushi combos with deep fried toppings and people screaming at the top of their lungs while drinking Sake bombs, go to Sansei. Koiso is not for you. No gimmicks, only the Freshest seafood is served here. This is where sushi chefs go when they're finished with work. 5 Stars easily. read more

Koiso Sushi Bar - Tamago Unagi roll for me. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

I guess 5 stars in Maui means 3 stateside. Fish was fresh but way overpriced like everything else in Maui. No other 'cooked' option other than sushi. Most disappointing was Hamachi which I swear was Tai (snapper) as it was really chewy. Pics posted are misleading espicially of Uni which was not piled on like pics. Also didn't do good job of spooning it off tray as the Uni was all mushed. Yeah I'm being picky but for this price the sushi has to be close to perfect. Maybe it was a off night, but food did not look like pics...if it did I wouldn't be complaining. Better options are happy hr at Sansei or Genki for yor quick sushi fix read more

After reading all the good reviews on Yelp I decided to come here and try their omakase just to see what the fuss was all about. Although it was good, I wouldn't say this is the one of the best sushi restaurants I've ever visited like some of the other Yelpers say. If I had to give them a letter grade, I would give them a B+. I can name multiple places on Oahu and CA that are better... First off, this place is intimate and tiny, just like how a good sushi joint should be. There is one table in the restaurant that seats four, the rest of the seats are all at the sushi bar. I counted 11-12 seats at the bar. This is the reason why you have to make reservations before coming here. I saw multiple people walk in thinking they could just sit down and eat but they ended up either leaving disappointed or putting their name down and coming back an hour later. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers I knew to make a reservation a week in advance of my trip to Maui. Majority of the customers here are tourists. There were a couple locals who knew the sushi chef and they were friendly. They have a big white board just behind the sushi counter that lists all the fresh fish they have for the day. There must have been at least 20 types of fish/shellfish on there which is quite impressive... My friend ordered a salmon skin roll and a spicy tuna roll which were decent but not mind blowing, and I opted for the omakase. I was expecting multiple dishes like normal omakase courses but they just give you one big tray with a bunch of all the fresh fish. No problem here! I took my time eating each piece, carefully dissecting with each chew how the chef made each creation. I always start with the lower grade fish and make my way up to the highest grade. 13 pieces of sushi, everything from maguro to amaebi to mouth watering uni and blue fin toro. Now for my critique of the omakase: majority of the fish was good and fresh, and each cut was normal size, not to small, not too big like some other sushi places. The texture and flavor of the fish was good, but it wasn't like it melted in your mouth. The rice had a nice light vinegar flavor to it and held its structure quite nicely. My favorites were the amaebi and the fresh hamachi and uni, and the unagi was pretty good too. Now the reason for my minus star: I always save the toro for last because it should be buttery from the fat and just melt in your mouth and not taste fishy at all. I mean come on, why else are you paying $15-$20 per piece? I've eaten enough of every kind of toro to know what really good toro tastes like. Unfortunately their toro was a bit fishy and not so buttery. Maybe it was a couple days old? I'm not sure. So my meal ended with just a little disappointment. The entire plate of sushi was good and it filled me up just right, but it was not mind blowing good. And I reserve 5 star ratings on Yelp for mind blowing food. They have only two kinds of sake at Koiso, and we chose the dryer of the two and it was good! Paired very well with the sushi. Anyhow, I still recommend this place if you are ever in Kihei! read more

Koiso Sushi Bar - Omakase FTW - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

So happy we were able to get reservations to come to dinner tonight we were lucky enough to call in at 540 to get a 630 reservation. There were several people that tried to walk in and they got turned away. Delicious sushi for nigiri fans!! My wife and I came in on our honeymoon, and got two omakase's and a few other selections from the board. Fish is really fresh and I enjoyed the uni (eventhough I'm not a big uni person), hotate, hirame, and toro. When we first stepped into the shop there was a tension in the air with all the other patrons really quiet and concentrating on their food. We were worried the chef would be a sushi nazi (like at Eno in SF). Luckily, the chef was really nice, and did talk to us, and even didn't make fun of me for ordering without wasabi (I'm a huge anti-fan of wasabi). He also remade the Nigiri when he realized he made it with wasabi. He also asked my wife if she had anything she didn't like to eat. After our meal when the place was near empty, he even took a picture with us! Dinner for two was about $160 with tax and tip. ($45 omakase with 4 additional nigiris and a beer). We loved everything and even got to try a few new things. Omakase was about 10 pieces of Nigiri plus a piece of tamago. Tonight it included 3 different tunas (different levels of fattiness), eel, salmon with Ikura, hamachi, sweet shrimp, uni, 2 types of white fish, and scallop. We ordered Saba, flounder, abalone, and king crab on the side. Two of the other patrons that left confirmed reservations for coming again this week. If only we had found this place sooner. We will definitely be coming back on our next trip. read more

(Context: dinner on Maui) Get a reservation. You have to call and somehow converse with a Japanese lady, but when you get there, you'll meet the lady and her husband who run the place and you'll fall in love! It's super cute, but a bit divey in a strip mall. The atmosphere inside is kind of quiet and it's tiny, but the service is good! The sushi, despite some people's reviews, is not the best in the world, but it is really, really good. Also good sake! I would say go here and get the Omakase - it's a good variety and it's a change of pace from the rest of the island read more

Koiso Sushi Bar - The bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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First: Make your reservations EARLY. I make my reservations a month in advance, even then sometimes the night you want is taken. Now, this probably would be a 1 star review, if I had gone anywhere else- BUT - Hiro and his wife saved the night. The first thing you need to know is that Koiso is NOT a "walk in" type place, and it seats about 10. They are strict about reservations because they need to be. Unfortunately, when we arrived for our 8pm seating, we were informed they didn't have a spot for us yet. A couple who was dining that evening before us, were in our spots, and unfortunately they just weren't budging (I know that sounds slightly rude on my part, however, they had sat through two seatings at that point and were still ordering food). Koiso (of course) did not want to push the couple out, who were still ordering plate after plate after plate.. but they felt awful we had to wait. Solution? we were offered free drinks, attention was paid to reassuring us that our seats would be available as soon as possible, and we were not ignored. Because of that great customer service, we didn't walk out, even though we had to wait 30 minutes to be seated. And believe me, it was well worth the wait. I wouldn't put up with that most places, we were hungry! But for Koiso? I waited, happily. I don't eat rolls, I'm a sashimi/nigiri girl.. and quality matters to me. I want to taste the fish, I want to see the chef at work. Hiro is magic. The slices of fish on my Nigiri were generous, beautiful, fresh, flavorful... I ordered a few things that are my favorites, and then asked the chef what his suggestions were. I ended up with a mix of OpakaPaka, Hamachi, Hirame, Kanpachi, Blue eye toro, Unagi, and Tobiko. Hiro chats with you happily as he works, and he genuinely wants to be sure you enjoy your meal. I loved my evening - my mom (a sushi newb) enjoyed MOST of what she tried, and it was all around a great experience! I'll always be sure to make a night for Koiso whenever Im on the island. Oh, and try the Miso! It's delicious. read more

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So I walk into this place, and I get asked if I can be helped, I say yes I would like to order some take out, the reply is we don't do take out, I say cool then I'll eat in !! To which she replied we are fully reserved There is no one in the restaurant I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE JUST BECAUSE OF THE ATTITUDE, sure they might have good fish but who wants to eat in a place where they have excuses for serving. Someone So I say No to SUSHI BAR KOISO read more

As other reviewers have pointed out, Koiso is the kind of place you'd never know about if you don't have a Yelp account. I went here last night with a 7:30 reservation and was blown away by this little gem, in the corner of a strip mall called Dolphin Plaza. I live in Los Angeles and eat sushi very regularly, so I know good sushi when I taste it! We ordered a rainbow roll, an eel and avocado roll, and spicy tuna, as well as yellowtail sashimi, sweet shrimp, Spanish mackarel, and salmon. All of it was incredibly fresh, perfectly sliced, melt-in-your-mouth sushi. We loved all of it, and the waitress was so sweet and very accomodating. My one complaint is that service is s l o w. Of course, this is expected when there's only one chef serving an entire restaurant, and the fantastic quality of fish outweighs this minor con. After we finished our meal, the waitress brought out frozen custard desserts incased in a clear jelly. It was honestly one of the most delicious desserts I've ever had. Oh, and you need a reservation. While we were eating, a couple sans reservations walked in. The chef gruffly informed them they needed a reservation and couldn't seat them. Just a heads up! read more

So wish this was back home, great fish! Nice chef and staff. Found the chu-toro the best out of the tunas! Served all at once for omakase so you get to choose what you want first! read more

Hiro does an amazing job, but you usually need a reservation. My favorite sushi joint anywhere in the world.

Best sushi I've ever had, anywhere in the world. That in itself should be enough to justify my 5 stars. I've had sushi in Hong Kong, USA, Australia, Thailand, and a couple of questionable places in Europe that I probably shouldn't have eaten at.... So no, not Japan... Its on my list. This was the freshest, most beautiful tasting sushi. I loved the quaint feel to this place. There are only (i think) 14 seats, and bookings are essential. We called 7 days before to make a booking, and got two seats. We called the next day to make it 3, and the answer was no, we're all booked! Even people eating in the restaurant wanting to come back later in the week were told, sorry.... I love that they keep it small, and don't sacrifice quality. They don't rush you either in order to have a high turnover of limited seating. I've read some reviews, complaining about the rice, and how much better the rice is in LA. lol Well, I went for the quality of the fish, and the knife skills of the chef. Well, cool, go eat in L.A. and leave seats open for people who really care about the sushi. We had a lovely dinner, and would go back (if we could get a seat!) ;) read more

The best meal we had while on Maui. Eat here, but make a reservation first. Order omakase. That's all you need to know. ... read more

Do not try to lie about reservation if you don't have one. It is a very small restaurant (husband + wife team) so they will know easily. Reservation is a must and suggest to make it 4 weeks ahead. The chef is very nice and experienced. Considering how much Japanese food I had and cooked, this place is average although it is so famous and the chef turned down at least 3-4 walk in parties during our dinner (6-8pm). Interesting fact I was the only Asian eating there throughout the dinner and we ordered the most `exotic' items. We have ordered Omakase nigiri (12 pcs each plate), abalone sashimi (raw is the best), toro/saba/uni nigiri and spicy tuna roll. I like the uni and abalone the most and these are way better than Seattle in term of freshness. Price is bit low for Maui. It is a solid choice in Maui but not comparable to BEST sushi restaurants in mainland. read more

Amazingly fresh sushi from Koiso Sushi Bar!!! I made reservations for Tuesday 08/28/2012 and almost blew it! We were running late and had trouble finding the restaurant. Thankfully they held our seats for us. The chef was friendly and took the time to explain the different sushi and made recommendations. My favourite was the Blue Fin Toro , it just melts in your mouth. Thanks to the newly wed couple from Milwaukee that recommended it! We went to a couple other more upscale Japanese restaurants in Maui during our stay, but Koiso Sushi Bar was our favourite. You will definitely need reservations for this place. About 4-5 walk-ins were turned away while we were there. We ordered Tako, Tai, King Salmon, Scallops, Hamachi, Hawaiian Kampachi, Big Eye Toro, Blue Fin Toro, Saba, Unagi, and Sea Eel and our bill came out to $130 after tip. We found this quite reasonable for the quality and freshness. See the photos I uploaded. Thank you Koiso! read more

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As an admitted Sushi junkie from LA I had to try this place and find out firsthand why this is the most coveted reservation in Wailea. Sitting by the pool yesterday I took a chance and called and got a reservation for the same day. To go straight to the point the sushi is an excellent quality, the place is old school husband and wife operated. The reason it is hard to to get a reservation is that there are only 12 seats in the place and they seem to space out reservations about 30 min apart. I would definitely go back as the quality of the fish for the money is great but basic said in the beginning of this review I am from LA and sushi row in the valley has equal or better quality with more creativity and easier to get table so I remain unimpressed but satisfied. read more

Like most restaurants on Maui, Koiso is overhyped by 1.5 stars. Don't get me wrong--the sushi is fine, but falls short of amazing, and is definitely not a 5-star sushi experience if you are expecting the quality and creativity that you get in some of the major US cities. The service is friendly and attentive, which is to be expected, given that the restaurant seats very few people, and the majority of the seats are at the sushi bar. We had the sashimi platter, and then an assortment of nigiri, followed by some rolls. Like everywhere else on Maui, the ahi tuna is very good, whether sashimi, nigiri, or in a roll. The rest of the fish is just ok; by no means bad, but not mindblowing. Unfortunately, the prices are more in line with some of the top-end sushi joints that overnight their catches from Tokyo, so I have a hard time giving more than a 3-star rating. read more

This is probably the best place to have sushi on the island. Oh and by sushi, I mean REAL, traditional sushi. There's a bar with ten seats, and one table for four, a simple setup. I would definitely recommend making a reservation, as many of the seats are reserved for regulars and people in the know. If your idea of sushi is simply rolls, this is probably not the place for you. This is traditional, simple, Edo-Mae style, so no fancy new-style carpaccios. It's really all about the fish here, mostly local and many fish from Japan. On our first visit, he had Santa Barbara Uni, which is considered to be the best quality and tasting Uni in the world. If you haven't had it, I would definitely recommend trying it only if it's fresh fresh fresh, from Santa Barbara, and with the blue label on the side of the wooden box. On our visits we had Opakapaka, which is a local fish, similar to a snapper. He knows the fisherman personally by the way, it doesn't get fresher than this. When we went, we had omakase (chef's choice in Japanese) and would highly recommend doing this if you go. He will ask you there are things you don't like or are allergic to, so don't be afraid to be bold and go with omakase. This will consist of thoughtfully paired servings that will be sure to delight your palate and will vary depending on what's fresh that day. A typical pairing would be something like two different white fish, in our case we had opakapaka and tai (red snapper). Often, you will get a serving of something homemade, in our case we once had stewed kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) and another time we had a lightly pickled Napa cabbage. I HIGHLY recommend this place. If you're on the island and you want sushi, make your way down to the Dolphin Plaza in Kihei. If you don't have traditional sushi back home, experience Mr. Kudo-san's traditional, well-executed method. On the mainland you may have experienced phenomenal sushi (especially on the coasts), but if you understand what this place is about (traditional methods and fresh fish) you won't be disappointed. read more

Tucked in at the back of Dolphin Plaza is this unassuming sushi bar that will knock your socks right off (if you're wearing any). Kudo-san is a gentle man who does not risk the integrity of his craft (art of sushi) at any means. Like all the reviews suggest the sushi he serves is fresh and amazing and its the sushi chef and your interaction with him that takes your sushi experience to the next level! He takes all sushi orders so be sure to eat all the sushi on your plate! The uni (from Santa Barbara I think) was amazing-my husband who does not like uni, actually liked this one! Melts and has a very clean taste. The local tuna was - okay. And if you like natto it's not on the menu but you can ask and see if he can make natto-maki (It's an acquired taste). The california roll with unagi on top is amazing as everything just melts in your mouth with a nice soft and smooth texture throughout the roll. The miso soup was the best restaurant one I have had. Good flavour with nice portions of tofu, wakame and shimeji! (look at the photo of the miso soup posted -its just like that) Yes to reservations for earlier times. We popped in at 8:20pm and was packed - all 15ish seats. But we wanted make a quick reso to come back later as we were staying nearby and at 9pm there were lots if seats! Sooo good - I wish this place was local for us! We'd be regulars! We'll visit again when we're in Maui! Gochisosama deshita! read more

Hands down the BEST sushi restaurant around Kihei and the best meal i've had on my stay in maui. I had the best toro cuts, UNI and unagi ever in my life. It was truly simplicity at its best. First of all, the restaurant can only seat around 15 people..so it is best if you can call ahead and reserve a spot and request for the omakase. The omakase consists of 12 pieces of fresh sashimi sushi cuts and i was blow away by every piece. My most definitely favorite were the uni and unagi...towards the end of our meal, we were given purple sweet potatoes mochi to cleanse our palette. DELICIOUS! The owner was very nice and we learned that he used to live in the bay area and owned a sushi restaurant years ago! I don't think any bay area sushi restaurants can live up to koiso's sushi...i will definitely come back the next time i visit maui. please open one in oahu! read more

Perfectly good sushi, as far as that goes, but a surprising dearth of local fish. The night I went, there were only 3 local fish available, everything else was from Japan or Alaska. He will tell you what's actually local, but if you want freshly caught local fish, this ain't the place. There are only 15 seats in the entire restaurant and it is RESERVATION ONLY. Do not try to walk in, because you will be turned away. A fairly light dinner was $110 for two, including two bottles of beer. read more

so good! one of my favorites. very fresh fish & family hospitality, in an intimate setting. mango custard mochi was one of the highlights. see you again soon! read more

This place has the hands down best sushi my husband and I have ever had- besides eating sushi in Japan. Omakase, Hamachi Kama, and more blue fin Toro. We go as a splurge every few months. The last time we were there Anthony Bourdain walked in with Shep Gordon and ate at the sushi bar with us. Yep it's true! read more

Koiso Sushi Bar - Anthony Bourdain at the Sushi bar! Boom! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Fantastic, authentic sushi bar. Highly recommended. Best uni I've ever had. The owner / sushi chef is very friendly too - will answer questions and make recommendations. Limited menu but he's flexible and will make anything if he has the items on hand. Will definitely go back on my next trip to Maui. read more

We came here around 630pm on a Tuesday for dinner. Our mistake was not making a reservation in advance. A lot of the seats were empty but reserved, and the lady turned us away and told us to come back in an hour. Not wanting to wait and desperate for good sushi, we orderred take out to eat at the hotel right as soon as we got back (I know who gets sushi to go right?? but let me tell you how good the food was!) $100 and 15min later we had 2 boxes worth of sushi to take home. OMG, it was probably the best fish I've ever tasted. The pieces were so amazingly fresh, and a lot of them melted in your mouth. Absolutely to die for! And this was take out! I can only imagine how it would taste if we actually ate it there. Best rainbow roll i've ever had. This place is tiny, ran by the sushi chef and his wife? very cute couple. And they have no problem turning customers away which shows they don't care as much about the money. No real menus, just a whiteboard telling you what is available that day. 2 piece nigiri sushi ranges from 9$-15, but it is well worth it. Also there is sashimi and a few rolls to choose from. Will be difficult to find this quality of sushi again in the mainland. Can't wait to return on my next Maui trip! read more

absolutely amazing... and we're just so happy to finally find a true authentic Japanese sushi restaurant that is on the same level as Izumi's that has closed down a few years back. No this is not the place to bring your date to impress with your cocktail, music, and hip-hop roll, roll up and expect your valet and someone to take your jacket and park your sports car. If you know your sushi, and if you understand what it takes to run small sushi spot like this and keep everything at such a high level and process all the food through the one and only chef's hands, and if you can appreciate the efforts put into food, and not just judge it by how you like it made for you, this is THE place the go to. We witnessed the chef turned away customers because he cannot handle it, and wouldn't even do a simple to-go order - not because he's being snobby, but only because he wants to maintain his standards. We were there for one night and we begged the owner to let us return the following night... it is that good. The only unfortunate thing is that... they're in Maui and I don't live there! =( Let the chef take care of you and just ask for omakase, and as long as you are there for the right kind of sushi, you will absolutely not be disappointed. read more

Koiso Sushi Bar - kazunoko sushi!!! omg it's been a long while since I've tasted it done right! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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On our honeymoon in Maui I told the hubby I'd take care of our sushi night arrangements. Thanks to Yelp, I think we had the best sushi we have ever had (short of grabbing a fish out of the ocean and tearing it apart with my teeth). I can't say enough that calling ahead for reservations is a MUST. If you want to eat at Koiso, just call ahead and don't get all silly about how its pretentious and exclusive. The place is tiny and they get busy. And its just you, the sushi master, and his hostess. If you like big sushi places you can walk into, this is not the place for you. If you like small quaint places where you are up close watching the action at the bar, this is your place. We did the omakase and it was a great decision. I saw a lot of people on here raving about the uni. If you like snotty gonads, then you will probably think the uni here is great. I am not an uni person. However, I'm game for anything else. We got a great mix of the fresh sushi. The chef gave us a nice variety of nigiri, only the freshest of the fresh. The toro was to DIE for. It was big eye tuna, FYI. One of the items was pounded out toro with sweet shrimp on top. I had a sushi-gasm...the best thing I have ever had as far as sushi goes. And when our nigiri wasn't quite enough to roll out with a jittery protein high, chef made us a toro roll. I just can't say enough about this place. Make a reservation and prepare your belly for an amazing meal. Excellent friendly service and excellent food. I didn't get the snob vibe from the chef at all. For what we got it was also not overpriced. OH, and I just have to address someone's review about the "shady" location or something like that....this is in a strip mall type place yes, but it is in no way scary or shady. In fact, its super easy to get to if you are in Kihei or Wailea. read more

Got the table on a Tuesday night without reservations. But, MAKE RESERVATIONS. My order, (2 pieces each): 1 Blue Fin Toro, 1 Uni, 1 Mirugai, 1 Abalone, 1 Anago, and 2 Hamachi. The cost: $68.75 before tip, and worth every penny. Everything was text book perfect. read more

Great place... reservations are required by Hiro unless you have a Japanese friend with you like i do..... than your more than welcome to just come in without reservations.... aloha read more

May be the best sushi evening I have had. Hard to get into, but worth the effort. Chef Hiro is a superstar, and the shashimi was first rate. If you have the time to book ahead (2-3 weeks) go for it. Truly an experience to watch a master at his art. read more

BEST SUSHI IVE EVER HAD! Hands down the highlight of my trip meal wise! Chefs selection was unreal . Very intimate setting we will come gdvk to Maui just for this sushi read more

Koiso Sushi Bar - Chefs selection - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii