Dropped in for lunch. Food was good and service was great! Will be a "go to" whenever visiting Hilo!

Amazing food! Great drinks! The service is top notch. We have gone several times and are never disappointed!

Made reservation for 14 for 7:00pm. They said they cancelled our reservation because we didn't show up. We were not late as we showed about 6:50pm. They finally seated us and took our order and waited about an hour before our food arrived. We left the restaurant about 9:15pm. The food is great but the service sucks. read more

Service was friendly. Didn't have to wait. A lot of locals there. Food was good. Quick service. Would go again.

Went to Miyos for dinner. The meal was so amazing! Staff was great and nice. Definitely a repeat customer.

Great service! Good food! Host most accommodating. Ample parking and great ambiance. A finer dining experience when you forgot to make reservations! read more

Really solid Japanese food. The food is prepared with high quality ingredients with absolute care and precision. The tempura was exactly as I would expect to get in Japan. Light and crispy. The crispy tuna with tuna is the best we've had. The perfect ratio of rice to chopped tuna. And the tuna is high quality. Just so yummy! read more

Miyo's might be one of the best restaurants in Hilo now--which my family hails from for five generations now. Seeing the food offerings grow and improve over the past decade has been really impressive. 20 years ago the nicest place was a Japanese restaurant near Liliuokalani gardens, but now there's a good handful of impressive restaurants in the area. Miyo's is located in a strip mall across the street from Big Island Candies--which alone is one of the most impressive food businesses that was built in Hilo. These folks started the famous cookie trend that Honolulu Cookie company has been emulating. My auntie told me that the Chef for Miyo's left the area to Europe for restaurant training and his new menu really does a great job of reflecting that. Below are some highlights: -- Hamakua mushrooms were well seasoned and very fresh. Excellent. --Rice crispy bed of sushi style appetizers were very creative. Rice can be thick because of the crispness though. --Louis egg toast squares were creative as well. Love the effort and uniqueness of this. --Had fresh catch special which was kanpachi--this was a bit too salty, but the presentation was excellent. read more

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We made reservations thinking we would just eat some izakaya. However, what we got instead was a kaiseki experience. So if you are making reservations (which you should since restaurants in the area are booked up fast during COVID), make sure you ask the host what you made reservations for, there is definitely a price difference between the 2 experiences. If you make reservations through Yelp, you are booking the fine dining option. One half of the restaurant is izakaya, a la carte, while the other half is the fine dining experience, where the chef has a set menu. For the kaiseki, there are two times to make reservations, 5pm and 7pm, 12 people max each time with 6 people sitting at the bar. Your experience will be better at the bar. We got 8 small plates in addition to a palate cleanser and had a wonderful food journey that night. Your experience will differ as the chef changes the menu weekly to monthly, depending on what the chef is inspired to do. You can either do a wine or sake pairing with your meal. The chef told us that he is planning to renovate the kaiseki of the restaurant to a full bar with fancy, creative cocktails in November, so your experience will definitely be different once it is completed and reopened. For a fine dining experience on a state known fo r more expensive prices, the final cost of a dinner for 2 was really reasonable. read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Chef - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Love this place, however, can be busy and short staffed at times . Good to make rsvns or walk up and out your name on their wait list. Lunch hours are a great time to enjoy your favorite meal. Their bento boxes are filled with ono selections. My favorite is always Zaru Soba- refreshing on a hot afternoon. Be patient and enjoy! The servers always do their best! read more

I've heard nothing but really good things about Miyos. Some friends wanted to take me to dinner for my recent birthday and my usual go to is the Hilo Bay Café, but I wanted to try something different so I chose Miyos. Our reservations were for 6:30 PM when we got there it was quiet, which was nice. We were able to take our time and review the menu and order cocktails. They have a really nicely decorated bar in a separate room at one end of the restaurant I'm going to go back just to have a drink there at some point. They have a nice variety of manual options and one of my favorite things is Katsu Japanese curry. My two friends ordered Bento boxes, which were absolutely amazing. The Japanese Kury ordered was really really delicious. Japanese curry is one of my favorite dishes and they are spot on with how they prepare it. The Katsu chicken was generous. The rice was delicious and the curry with vegetables was excellent. The cocktails were very good. There was a mango cake with rainbow sorbet that we ordered for dessert and that was excellent. I'm really happy that I found a Japanese restaurant where I can try a variety of options and know that they're all going to be quite delicious. I think the prices were fair and as I said earlier, the service is really really good. If you want a nice relax time make reservations for an earlier dinner by the time we left at about 8 o'clock or so the place was packed! Mostly locals which is a sign of a really good restaurant especially in Hilo The Good: Cozy restaurant with excellent menu and excellent food. Nice cocktail bar and great service. The Bad: nothing that I can really think of. There's Apple parking. Chances I'll Be Back: YES I have found a new place in Hilo that I really really like that serves excellent Japanese curry and a menu that is worth exploring. read more

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It's our place to go! Menu is awesome We never had a bad experience. This place is amazing read more

What an experience created by Chef Louis. Hilo has something special. On our last night in Hilo, we tried to find any restaurants doing indoor seating and we came upon this place. Izakaya Miyo...so we said why not? When we arrived we actually stood in front of the Miyo side (and there is a difference) and then we were told to go to the right side of the restaurant. There's actually two restaurants in this section of the complex, and the izakaya side is the more of the fine dining side. So unbeknownst to us, we were actually in for a unique experience with the chef personally preparing and serving us dishes. After we were seated, we ordered our drinks (we drove to the volcano after dinner so I didn't get a sake pairing) and we just waited for the other guests that would be dining with us. I'm sort of jealous that Hilo has a local chef like Chef Louis. The sense of community that this izakaya was something I have never experienced before. On top of the food, it was truly something special. The sous chef called this place a kaiseki which translates to a Japanese restaurant that serves small dishes. Instead of omakase or izakaya, Chef Louis opened during COVID-19 and needed a strategy to survive, but also at the same time create new experiences and he definitely did. Charging a reasonable amount to locals, he pretty much made a new menu every week. After time passed more and more tourists came in so now it's every month. What you get is really and truly up to the chef. We were fortunate enough to have eaten here before his new remodel that's coming up. They are not only doing kaiseki, but Chef Louis will now plan on venturing into mixology and creating new alcoholic beverages so if you're in the area this is something to keep your eye on! So as I said before, if you come here the experience will be completely different with different items on the menu. However, what I experienced was: Pallette cleanser: pickled ginger and cucumber. 1. Tomato soup with butter shrimp nested on top of shiitake mushrooms. 2. Sous vide egg with pesto in between Japanese bread with sturgeon caviar on top. 3. Spicy tuna on top of a rice patty topped with wasabi caviar and baby shiso leaf. 4. Mackerel nigiri - favorite for me. Fish melted in my mouth. 5. Another nigiri (forgot the name of the fish) 6. Final nigiri (again, forgot...but absolutely amazing) 7. Kobe beef with kind of an oignon brule except used with a torch and sugar topped with butter surrounded by brussel sprout with a sort of jam. 8. Blueberry mousse with an assortment of fruits. I would definitely hands down recommend this place to any local or anyone who is visiting and want a truly new experience that you probably can only find in Japan. I know truly that there are chefs that are super hyper focused on their dishes, but not get the chance to intimately talk about their thoughts and Chef Louis and his staff was so easy going that it was just an amazing experience. I'm sure that Izakaya Miyo is going to be one of the superstar restaurants here in Hilo and it will get a lot busier. I wish Chef Louis and his crew the best and if I ever come back to Hilo that I will look this place up and see their successes. read more

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Food was delicious Service is great and I love the Ambiance New owner did so much changes. read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Miso Butterfish - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

A friend who grew up in Hilo recommended this place and now every time I visit the island I must make a stop here! Every dish embodies the homestyle feel that keeps me coming back to Miyo's and always leaving satisfied and happy. - Sizzling mushrooms: This was delicious!! The sauce was buttery and perfectly umami. It is pricey for a shareable, but if you're a mushroom lover it's definitely worth a try - Japanese curries: The curry never disappoints! The portions are very generous and they really load it up with veggies. The deep fried tofu is flavorful and soaks up the curry beautifully. The chicken Katsu is perfectly crispy and delicious. - Teriyaki chicken: My friend mentioned that the teriyaki chicken was lacking a little flavor (we recommend the sesame chicken over this), but definitely a homestyle flavor as promised. read more

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I went to Miyo's twice in one day - takeout for lunch and dine in for dinner. For lunch, I had the tofu and vegetable tempura, and I liked the variety of vegetables. It was a little soggy, since I was eating it around 20 minutes after we picked it up. I thought that the flavor/texture of the rice was a little funky. I'm not sure what the Hawaii laws are specifically regarding plastic, but Miyo's charged us for every little thing they could think of. We got charged for the plastic takeout container, in addition to each cup that the dipping sauce came in. I haven't had any other experience where I was charged for each piece of plastic in a takeout order. For dinner, I had the vegetable curry rice and tofu steak. The rice with the curry was much better than what I had during lunch. The tofu steak was pretty good, and I really liked how the side of eggplant was seasoned. read more

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DISAPPOINTING SERVICE: great from the hostess to the waitress and bus boy. AMBIANCE: no more guitar player. FOOD: Disapointing. Mostly it was a salad (who goes to a Japanese restaurant for an American salad?!) with very good hot Tempura (leaning on it? (less dishes to wash) and a small portion of meat with fat and grizzle. ***No notice about the source for the lettuce. Rat Lung Worm transmitted by snails is a real and deadly problem on our island.*** Prices: $10 increase from the original owner's prices a few years ago, but without ahi or other goodies. The combination plate was $28. This restaurant opened in the 1970s on the Wailoa Fish Pond. It moved to a new strip mall maybe ten years ago. This used to be our favorite Japanese restaurant. PLUSES: No wait for a table on a weekend night. read more

We made a reservation for 7pm August 19, 2025 (last night) arrived at 6:50pm and announced our arrival. No tables available, so we sat outside waiting. We has to chase down the hostess, then the waitress to place our orders. About 20 minutes later a glass of water and luke warm Misu Soup was brought. We were told our orders were being prepared and out soon, the table next to us were just served, as we ordered just after them we expected it to be soon. We are now into 50 plus minutes since placing our order. About 20 minutes later the waitress told us our orders were cancelled. NOT BY US. We are two 80 year old seniors who are long time friends of Miyo the founder of Miyo's, and the new owners seem to have squandered her reputation read more

Took wife and daughter's family to Miyo for both our anniversary New Years Eve dinner. We were seated promptly and wait staff was at our table quickly. Ordered a couple 7 Up's for the kids, waitress came back with cokes. She rectified the mistake immediately. We ordered appetizers, the egg toast was very good, the edamame not so much. I ordered beef teriyaki which was good but served cold, huh?? Others also mentioned their food wasn't warm. My wife ordered a rice bowl but said it was really too salty and not edible. Overall it wasn't the best of experiences, not sure we'll give it another try read more

Wedding Anniversary ruined. Reservation system does not work. I booked an advanced reservation to Izakaya Miyo for the Omakase experiece. It was for our anniversary and there was a reservation option via yelp. Yelp confirmed via email and i even got a text message the day before which i replied to for confirmation. I even tried calling two days in a row to further confirm the reservation but there was no answer after multiple phone calls. Anniversary night and we got all dressed up, We got there at 6:50pm for our 7pm reservation and wouldnt you know it, we are not in the books at all. I showed the hostess the email confirmation and the text confirmation, and nope, those does not count at all. It only counts if you get a call back from the chef that you are in. Where does it even say that? What was the point of offering a yelp reservation option then? We were turned away for our anniversary celebration. Messed up reservation system. Be careful in reserving a spot, apparently the email AND text confirmation does not count. read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Yelp reservation - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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If you're a Japanese food lover who, like me, enjoys a good meal beyond just sushi and sashimi, then Miyo's in Hilo is definitely worth checking out. I've been fortunate to try Japanese food in many places, including Japan itself, and it's nice to find a spot here in Hilo that focuses more on those classic Japanese comfort foods. Although it might be a little on the expensive side, Miyo's is the best option I've discovered so far if you are craving oishii Japanese food in Hilo. read more

One thing you have to love about Hilo are the amazing culinary experiences you can enjoy. Having authentic Japanese made locally is not surprising. The best Japanese restaurants are right here in Hilo , Miyo's is no exception to the rule. The shrimp and vegetable tempura combo A was super delicious with sashimi, both ahi and salmon. The salad was crisp and fresh and severed with rice and miso soup. No shame I ate it all. I sat in the bar, which was comfortable for me and the service was good at lunch. The ambience is casual, with a nice bar, It was a rare and occasional treat for myself that brought joy to my palate and tummy. Mahalo Miyo Restaurant read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Bar area - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Aloha, when in Hilo, fresh fish prevails. Izakaya Miyo is a Japanese restaurant who doesIzakaya, kaiseki and sushi too, nice. Although we had lunch, we notice a pre-fixe Kaiseki dinner menu that looked awesome, will definitely have to return for that. Good social distancing, tasty fresh food, a staple in Hilo. Will need to work our way through the lunch menu as well as the Kaiseki at dinner. Enjoy! read more

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Great staff, great service, great food, great drinks Favorite dishes were the steak, tonkatsu, and ahi ceviche Bartenders were very friendly and drink specials were highly innovative. Cocktails were all high quality. Definitely a must visit when in Hilo. read more

My spouse and I are Kapuna! We have been eating at MIYO'S since 1985 and consider Myiyo a dear friend. But since the pandemic we haven't eaten out much and decided to go to MIYO'S at the last minute for lunch after shopping! We were greeted with Aloha! We both ordered one of our favorite meals at MIYO'S from the past that we loved! But when the food arrived we both looked at each other with utter shock! The Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura Visually Oily!!!! And when we pick up the Shrimp were "Limp, Not Crispy and Everything Was So Oily " that I went to ou car to get paper towels and hand sanitizer that's how oily the food was and the selection of Vegetables was pedestrian at best! And when the bill came and we were charged $62.70 and the bill had a suggested tipping range from 18% to 25% we were mortified and insulted!!!!! We both are retired from the food service industry from Northern California and have eaten at restaurants all over the country but haven't ever been served such ill prepared food. That would have never happened in any of the kitchens that we were at the helm. It would have never passed the expediter and we would have thanked the chef for their service but take your knives and go, and pay them for their service!!!!! When MIYO'S business was over looking the Lagoon even if we walked in at 1:55 PM we never had poorly prepared food and nothing was ever served that was greasy and oily and flaccid Shrimp, "That's An Abomination!" !!!!!!!! Waisted our money and paid to be insulted! This Entire Experience Is An Insult To Japanese Food Culture! Who's At The Helm Or To Be Direct How Could You Allow Food To Be Served Like This At An Price!!! And We Feel Ripped Off!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I am only giving Miyos two stars because of the company we had while dining at the restaurant. Let's start with the temperature of the restaurant -hot and stuffy ( I feel sorry for the staff as it was sweltering) even with the windows and back door open which we were sitting near. Service - severely lacking in the art of timing. It was nice we got rice but it sat in front of us for almost 10 minutes before our food arrived. Then the food comes and two in our party asked for forks as they could not use chop sticks, another wait This was after an initial request for them when we sat down which must have been forgotten. Their food got cold while they waited to be able to eat it. But our food wasn't hot when served to us either as they insisted we start while they awaited their forks. Let's now reflect on the 3% charge for paying with a credit card and the mandatory added on tip for a large party (when did 5 people become a large party?) Will we go back? Probably not. To hot, too loud, substandard service and fees that should not be charged. Sorry Miyos HUGE FAIL!!!!! read more

Cool spot. Meh food. Got the squid and eggplant and sesame chx teishoku. Both were ok. Tempura was nice and crispy. Sesame chx was kinda gross. Fried chicken bits in a heavy sesame sauce. At least it wasn't super pricey. Outdoor seating is nice read more

4.5 stars Casual Japanese spot with great portions and yummy food. Had live Christmas music with a ukelele when we went which was a nice touch. We ordered Miso Butterfish special ($22.50), Sea Bass Collar ($18) special, and Una-Don ($20). The sauteed eggplant as a side was especially delicious. The sea bass collar wasn't really a collar and was sort of tough, but that's alright. Butterfish and una-don were solid. Food came really quickly! Perfect since we were hungry. Service was great :) She was the cutest and so polite! Easy plaza parking. read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Miso butterfish special ($22.50) - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Try Everything!!!! Every appetizer was better than the next. Service was great, nothing but Aloha If, IF, the owner makes a dessert, get it and prepare to lose your mind. Ps - get a reservation. Mondays thru Wednesday are my favorite days. read more

miyos food is so amazing it is such a must try! everyone should go and try it! the service is great and everything about it is amazing

Went to Miyo for lunch over the weekend. The restaurant is separated into 2 sections - the izakaya side seems to be a smaller, newer section to the right, with a beautiful wooden sushi bar. There are a few counter seats & tall tables to fill the space. We started off a tad disappointed since we wanted to try their omakase & izakaya items, but they only serve those items from the evening. The lunch menu only has a limited amount of izakaya items (they use the same physical menu for lunch & dinner so you know exactly what you're missing out on LOL). In any case - all is well, we were hungry & we had a good amount of other options so hope wasn't lost! Our friendly server came to greet us & got our drink order right away, as well as our food order. Thank goodness for our server helping us out - the menu is a bit confusing with all of the different bento boxes & combos you can have as your meal lol. The food: Our server recommended the hamakua mushroom appetizer. These were delicious & buttery & garlicky & all things yummy! - Softshell crab tempura. I thoroughly enjoyed these! The portion was small & it came with filler broccoli pieces, but the crab was perfectly crunchy yet soft. yuuum. - Sashimi platter. Only choice of ahi or salmon. We had a total of 12 pieces (6 of each) - nothing special, definitely underwhelming on the quality (this actually made me think that coming for lunch might have been a blessing in disguise since we didn't spend our hard earned monies on the omakase for this quality of feesh) - Sautéed squid & eggplant. Really good! It wasn't too heavy & I loved the sauce. Also came with a generous portion of green salad w/ a yummy dressing. Also came with miso soup & rice.. It was good quality miso soup too. - Chicken curry was nothing too special, but it was a LARGE portion. - Miyo's specialty chicken plate: YES! We persuaded my creature of habit boyfriend who always gets chicken katsu to try this instead and he was so glad! It's pieces of tempura chicken topped with their house-made sesame sauce. SUPER good. - No photo but a member in our party ordered cold zaru soba. The server told us that there was no soba, only udon noodles. They went for the udon but didn't think it matched well so left a good amount of it. Lunch prices aren't too bad (appetizers are a little pricey, mains aren't too bad). Will maybe come back next time I'm in Hilo to give them another try for their izakaya items. read more

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Local Japanese food restaurant in Hilo. Very good service and very reasonable. I got the 3 choice combination and it was only $22.00 that is very cheap for Japanese food. Definitely will be back if I'm in Hilo again read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Fried Oysters - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We went here last night for a belated birthday gift. What a great intimate, interactive and personal experience from the chef. Every course was fantastic - it was just the meal I was looking for on our trip! 100% worth it. My only feedback: if customers aren't sitting at the bar being able to watch the chef perform his magic, turn the lights down just a bit! It was so bright for the remaining two tables and wasn't a fully romantic, relaxed setting. I get the bright light for those watching the chef prepare the dishes. read more

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Miyo's Restaurant serves basic Japanese food at a price that was reasonable but I was not all that pleased with the food. The highlights were that the egg toast and smoked pork belly'. The egg toast had the most perfectly gooey poached egg yolk between two toasts, very good. The smoked pork belly was tasty and fork tender. My wife and son had an oyako donburi and a gyudon. Both were satisfactory but nothing special. I ordered the combination teishoku with mixed tempura, teriyaki and fried oysters. The tempura was OK, thre beef teriyaki was Ok but a little dry, but the oysters were burnt. I had enough food so I just let the server know how terrible the oysters were and that I had enough to eat so I didn't need a replacement. It was pretty obvious judging by the color that they were burnt and I managed to eat just one before complaining. The food was just OK, but when I travel I want food that is more than just OK. read more

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The omakase was a truly unique experience with top notch quality of ingredients. That being said, on our evening, it had more Western flare with some hints of Asian inspiration, which is something I have never had before and would recommend trying. The omakase comes with a wine or sake pairing for each course and the sakes were great. My wife had the salmon salad and enjoyed it as well. Even though she did not order the omakase (dietary restrictions), the chef and staff made an effort to include her in the dining experience and were kind and attentive. As with most places in this area, a reservation is highly recommended and worth it! read more

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This is a great hidden eatery. I hadn't seen it recommended on many tourist websites, but it's a must-eat-at for anyone who enjoys traditional Japanese food. It's also got vegetarian options! A plus was having the chef walk around asking each table how they were enjoying their food. Very personalized experience here. read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Vegetable soup with clear broth 9/10; very fresh tasting, filling, and paired well with their ponzu sauce - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Food: 8/10 Service: 2/10 Ambiance: 0/10 Ordered appetizer sampler: normally there is a dipping sauce for tempura items which we didn't receive (unless I was suppose to ask, it should have been offered) Server (Kaikea A) was not engaging in conversation. I specifically said "we just flew in this morning" not even a "where are you visiting from?" Never checked on us, had to wave to him while he was mixing drinks at the bar. We didn't make reservations and they stuck me & my niece on a high table in the back by the bar. Miyo's was suggested by my cousin who lives in Hilo, and we ordered takeout my first time there, I'll remember to do that next time. As far as tipping, I DO NOT TIP ON TAX...who the hell does that?!?! I would've given more tip if I had better service. read more

Miyo's Restaurant - Appetizer Sampler minus dipping sauce for tempura items - Izakaya Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This experience was in the top 3 of the best meals of my life- bold statement but true! My husband and I love experiencing chef tasting menus, so while traveling to Hilo for our honeymoon we put in a reservation here. The chef was the right amount of informative and passionate when checking on us and presenting each of the 6 courses. Each flavor profile was unique and stand alone, it was hard choosing a favorite plate! The biggest win for me was the salmon tartare and the lavender panna cotta. I normally steer clear from panna cotta, but this dish totally turned me. It was the perfect chilled temp, solid texture, and savory lavender taste, perfectly set off with the lemon cookie crumbles. Drinks were offered when we arrived that were curated and delicious, but there wasn't specific alcohol pairings to go with each course. I think this would be a nice touch. The courses were delivered very quickly too, I think a little more time in between would really set off the experience! Food lovers this experience is for you! read more

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Food: 10/10 Environment: 6/10 Customer service: 0/10 Everything was exceptional except for my server. Skyler was very unfriendly and did not give attentive service. He was impolite towards my daughter and clearly got annoyed when she wanted to know more about certain menu items. He did not make a positive impact on myself and my daughter. I wish I had gotten another server besides him. read more

Fantastic service. The restaurant was very busy but every server was on the job and checked on us constantly. They had several people actually bringing out food so we were never waiting. We tried: udon with tempura, soft shell crab appetizer, sashimi, gyu-don, crispy rice appetizer and bento box with teriyaki chicken and the fried oysters. The fried oysters were half the size of normal fried oysters but the flavor was good. I felt it was very crunchy but had a lot of dough. The chicken teriyaki were cut into very small bits so wasn't as tender as it could have been. Everything else was great! Soft shell crab not greasy and very flavorful. read more

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