Wonderful service, good food always wanting to go back for a good meal and time.! Also got to talk with the owner of the restraunt and he introduced us to his home town in Japan while we ate and drank on the tv. Really good vibes and atmosphere. read more

The Hokai sashimi chirashi had 8 small to medium sized pieces set in a bamboo basket and not on top a bed of white sushi and not brown rice-- definitely not worth the $38. The sukiyaki had a lot of fat and overcooked as evidenced by dark brown color. Rice had a chunk of hard rice. Atmosphere is nice. For better Japanese cuisine go to Sakura in Kailua. read more

Good food ramen has much to be desired but a good stop for sure wish the sushi menu was available read more

MOA Kitchen - Coke sake to finish off a great meal :) - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Very good restaurant, lots to choose, we had the soft shell crab and spicy Ramen. Hit the spot, excellent flavours. Friendly wait staff read more

MOA Kitchen - Spicy Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Loud atmosphere but nicely decorated interior space with limited seating. Amazing ramen!!! Slow service because of the lack of staff but they are friendly and nice. read more

If you're on the big island and love good Japanese food- you must come here. The fish is absolutely delicious, so fresh and authentic. We tried the 10 piece omakase, miso butterfish, tuna sushi roll, takoyaki. It was all amazing and after we left we made a reservation to come back later this week read more

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The best miso butter fish I've tasted!Our server Kaliko is the bestest!!! She knows what I enjoy & anticipate our needs. We love her!

Haven't had sukiyaki in years (used to live in Japan) and this scratched that itch. Takoyaki were also amazing. read more

MOA Kitchen - Sukiyaki - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Fresh and high quality Nigiri. Good service. Came there by myself at noon. No lines. A surprise during my way to Hilo. read more

MOA Kitchen - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Love the ambiance, love the kitchen/cooked food. Sushi, meh... not so much. We ordered a little bit of everything. Most of the cooked/kitchen food came out first and we were so satisfied. Pot stickers, pork katsu, ramen were all delicious. Ramen was a bit small portion than I'm used to but the flavors were great. Sushi, the rice was way over seasoned/extremely sour due to the vinegar. The fish wasn't fresh. Our scallop handroll was plain and flavorless w/ overpowering vinegar sushi rice. Please change your sushi rice or maybe we visited on an off day..? We also ordered edamame and it never came. I still feel you guys deserve 4 stars because I do see potential. We drove 45 mins just to dine here and I hope you guys continue to do well. read more

Enjoyed some fantastic sushi rolls! We definitely recommend MOA for a tasty lunch and hope to return at some point!

The food was fantastic. Having been on Big Island for 4 days already, unfortunately we have been very disappointed in the quality of food at so many places. That is until Moa Kitchen. Service was ok but food tasted great. We didn't have reservations but waited about 20 mins or so for table. There have been lots of restaurants who insist on reservations only without saying that in their yelp page and turn away paying customers with plenty of empty seats. Which is just stupid. Luckily this wasn't the case. We enjoyed the food and would recommend them read more

MOA Kitchen - Miso butter fish - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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The service here is amazing! We got a table as soon as we arrived. The environment is lively and fun. Our sever was fast and speedy and came out to take our orders quickly. This was great, because we were hungry. The sushi was amazing and I had the best toro and flawless lamb chops ever. My wife loved her fish and it was so soft and flaky it melted in your mouth. She also enjoyed her salad. My daughter loved her ramen so much and ate it in a flash. She had the best ramen she had ever had in her life. The mochi was good (the ice cream part mostly) and we are definitely coming back for the great food, nice location, and wonderful service. read more

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Ramen is ono, we got the spicy miso which had just the right amount of spice. The chicken skewers were delicious & perfect portions. My husband loved the katsu chicken & we shared the furkaki fries, (they could have use more on top) but overall delicious, fast & friendly read more

I will give the food of MOA Kitchen 5 stars review. However, I would like to give one star for the service. On 12/24/2022, we arrived at MOA kitchen at 7:48 PM, we have 6 people. We heard a loud music band performing in the restaurant; the very delightful and cheerful atmosphere attract us to walk faster into the restaurant. However, we are told that all reservation was booked and we can only buy takeout. I observed all the other servers and even the chef came out to look at us nervously when the young lady reject to give us a table. I got a very weird feeling, about why all workers are so nervous when the young receptionist lady turn away walk-in customers. I asked the young lady, how long would you hold the table for reservations, and she answered 10-15 mins. Then we order take-out. By 8:07 PM, a big party table of 10 left, and I saw the servers rearrange the tables by splitting them back into two four-people tables. By the time, we got our food ready to go was 8:30 PM, and I saw the chef packed our food. There were no next reservations showing up. Before I left, I went to the bathroom, and I felt something was wrong, why was my food bag that the young lady gave was so light since I ordered the $48 sushi 8 pieces, the signature dish of MOA which I did not see it was in the bag. Therefore, I asked to recheck my bag prior to taking off. The chef rushed out from the inside and holding my sushi bento box, ran toward me. The young lady knew what I have ordered but did not put that sushi box into my bag. Prior to taking off, my friend was very upset about the young lady lying about the reservations which never showed up. I was very upset about the receptionist forgetting my Sushi. We drive a long way from Waikoloa's village to Waimea and were treated this way. My observation about the business operated by MOA's current store manager is very exclusive. They like their local neighborhood people whom they are familiar with. And discriminated against tourists. I saw all servers were very nicely serving the reserved parties that night with hugs and kisses. But lying to us, tourist that there was no table for us. In fact, 12/24/2022 was not the first time I eat at MOA. I was there on 12/21/2022 after we stargazing on Mauna Kea. It was 8:25 PM when we arrive at the restaurant. The server also first told us that they need to close at 9 PM so they can't let us go in. But I told them you close at 9 PM, by the time we were already done eating. I told them, if they cannot take any more customers, you should put their business hours close at 8:30 PM, not 9 PM. Closing at 9 PM is a piece of misleading information. After negotiation, we got a 2people table to accommodate 3 of us. Overall experience with MOA Kitchen is that I enjoyed the food and dining experience, but I feel uncomfortable being treated unfairly. By chatting with a very nice Japanese waitress on 12/21/22, she told us that the owner lives in Japan and only visited a few days a year to MOA. I hope that the owner will read this review and get knowledge of what is going on with his business. I really love this restaurant and admire how authentic and delicious the food is; however, without knowing how customers (tourist) are treated in the restaurant will kill the business in the long run. read more

MOA Kitchen - The young receptionist lady who rejected all walkings on Christmas Eve and forgot my sushi box. - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Tasty sushi, but thought the ramen left a little something to be desired. Felt the prices were fair. Would definitely go back.

It is always busy here so this time I remembered to book a reservation this time so that we don't have to wait for a long time or get denied due to no availability. The restaurant is keeping on top of Covid protocols. The temperature check at the entry with sanitizers and the seatings are spaced 6 feet apart. The restaurant felt clean and safe. We went there for late lunch. We started off with yakitori trio, takoyaki (octopus balls) and soft shell crab. Then we had shio ramen. All the ramen here are chicken based soup and they also have few vegetarian ramen options too. All the ramen come with chicken char siu chicken, chicken meal ball, chopped onion and green onions and I added ajitama (soft boiled eggs). We also had cold draft beer in the frosted cold mug. Everything was really yummy as remembered. If you visit Waimea, you must check this place out! read more

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Decent food, servers were great and a variety of food to choose from. I had the Shoyu ramen and the soup base is excellent. Although if you want a lot of trimmings, it will cost you money. But definitely worth going to. read more

Solid 4 stars After eating lots and lots poke, raw fish, sushi, etc. while vacationing in Hawaii; I wanted something different. Came across MOA Kitchen on Yelp and decided to give it a try. To be honest, I didn't have high hopes given that it was ramen on Big Island (hmmmm), but I was wrong. I can't say this was the best ramen I've ever had, but it was pretty good and special. Their ramen is made out of chicken broth and I haven't had many of those. It was flavorful and very comforting. The desserts were also delicious; I really liked the homemade mochi. The service was top notch. The waitress was super sweet and welcoming. read more

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We made a reservation here two days in advance due to the popularity. We weren't able to get dinner reservations, so we used Yelp for lunch reservations. When we arrived on 6/26, there was a hand sanitizer station and a temperature station with a threshold temperature of 99.5 degrees. We were both well under that, so that made me feel comfortable as a customer that the owners cared about being COVID-conscious. The Shoyu Ramen broth was absolutely creamy and reminiscent of chicken noodle soup but much more complex and delicious. The sushi flavors all married perfectly with the fun pop of eggs on top. Our lilikoi (passion fruit) panna cotta topped off our fuel for exploring the island with a flourish! The tang of the lilikoi with the creaminess of the panna cotta custard. There were both locals and tourists eating so if you're ever exploring the island, this is a perfect locally owned spot to satisfy your palate while exploring the Island of Hawaii! read more

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We stopped in late on a Saturday night after coming down the mountain (Mauna Kea) and honestly I wasn't expecting much from a ramen/sushi place in Waimea. Man, was I wrong. This place really blew me away with the quality of food, and the warm service. We got the Takoyaki, Chicken Karaage, a selection of Yakitori, Yakionigiri, Moa Shio Ramen, and Spicy Miso Ramen (which btw their spice level is legit). Beer and sake were also enjoyed by our group. While we were treated politely, we were firmly informed when last call rolled around. Which, I appreciate so that you can get any last orders in and also start polishing off any remaining dishes so you can gtfo and let the staff go home. I'm definitely willing to come back here next time I'm lucky enough to be in the area! read more

We love the food, service and ambiance. Everything on the menu has been delicious. We wish they had a location in Waikaloa as well.

My favorite sushi spot on the Big Island. My Wahini loves their Ramen. Very well priced . The fish quality is beyond reproach. Staff is professional and very nice. I eat here every time we come to our Hawaiian home. We are lucky to have such a great little spot like this! read more

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Amazing attention to detail... From the Chicken Katsu-Don to the japanese curry, this place rocks. Not only is the food complex and delicious, but its served in cast iron pots and beautiful trays. There's magic going on in that kitchen! read more

Awesome fresh food. Service was super awesome and the very clean. Katsu was very good. We also ordered the shio yuzu ramen....omg!! The broth was so delicious. I would recommend it if your sick or on rainy days. Also ordered the maguro bowl chirashi. Presentation was awesome and great quality! Def will be coming back on our next trip! I think the owner was there, he was very nice!! Such a cute restaurant. Thank you!! read more

The service remind me of service in Japan..not overly friendly but very polite and quick! All staff work very hard and are very focused. I had the spicy miso ramen...sooooo delicious, not salty like a lot of ramens can be. We added the egg and nori. Also had the 8 piece nigiri chefs choice and was blown away but the preparation of each piece. We also ordered the toro nigiri and wow the only problem was I got too full or I would've ordered more. I hade two future reservations at the end of our meal because this place is such a gem! read more

MOA Kitchen - Toro - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Food was great and the service was awesome. It had something for everyone in my family to enjoy.

While on the Big Island a few of our friends was craving for Japanese Food and Ramen. We found this venue and decided to take this 35 minutes drive to Waimea. ATMOSPHERE Cute little place in a small town. First time here in Waimea so didn't know what to expect. While it was pretty chilly outside, we were able to keep warm inside. SERVICE Love that we were able to make reservations ahead of time! Big Plus. We were seated right way and received a warm welcome from our waitress who introduced herself immediately. Very friendly staff ! FOOD Overall, the food was okay. I am an avid Japanese food foodie and typically will have ramen once a way. I even traveled to Japan twice in the past three years and so have experienced authentic japanese food. While my friends went with the ramen, I decided to go with Oyako-Don (comes with miso soup). I would say it was okay. My friends did share that the ramen was bland and didn't have much taste. OVERALL, this was a good experience. I love that they have this quaint little restaurant in this small town. Again, the service was amazing. read more

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Terrible restaurant. Worst meal and service we had in two weeks on oahu and the big island. Rude service, ruined my young sons birthday dinner. The hawaiian spirit is buried in the parking lot behind the dumpsters. These people need to hire better servers. read more

Hawaiian Spicy Ramen? With Chicken? Without the poached egg? Really?! We're traditionalists--pork belly, egg, etc. And we LOVED it! Medium spice level was hot for us, and we enjoyed the heat more with every bite. The Chirashi bowl was also terrific . Came out nicely presented as a bowl AND a platter to better display the nigiri selections . Again , not the traditional pile of sliced fish in a bowl, and again we LOVED it! Nice people , casual vibe , highly recommend. read more

MOA Kitchen - Hawaiian Spicy Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

I was looking forward to try MOA kitchen based on the great revueplus that you can easily make a reservation on Yelp! 5 stars! Ambience is casual with a mix of locals and tourists. The waitress recommended the octopus balls and the beef tataki. The beef tataki had a good sauce with ponzu and onions, but the beef itself was tasted like some overcooked leftover roast beef. It was horrific. Recovering from the first dish, the Takoyaki octopus balls were better. We tried a few Yakitori dishes: the chicken was a bit dry. The meatball skewers were moist and flavorful. But I can't help but compare it to the yakitori hachibei in Honolulu that is the master of yakitori. Also there was a very long awkward pause in between our first dish and the yakitori dishes. Looks like the menu is extensive as it also has ramen and rice dishes, sushi and sashimi and Tonkatsu. I would recommend this place if you are in the neighborhood but not if you have to drive 30 minutes out of your way read more

With Red Water full we went across the street to MAO Kitchen. A pleasant surprise find by accident. The J-grill dishes were great and the chicken karaage was right on. Crunchy batter on moist pieces. Good job guys. Next will try your ramen. read more

First time here for us and it was delicious. Service was great and every dish was great! No pictures to show sorry.

Those little lamb chops are Devine! The pork dumpling Delish! The small house salad with chicken is a lunch "go to" Everything I've ever had there I've LOVED read more

Enjoyed the ramen followed by this delicious panna cotta! Definitely worth a visit while in town. read more

MOA Kitchen - Lilokoi Panna cotta - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Overall -- pretty good foods, you wont leave with regrets at least. Food is on the saltier side, i definitely needed a lot of water. Probably would ask for less salt next time. Service -- our server was pleasant though she never refilled our water and didnt take off the price on the final bill for beef tataki we sent back. Nice but not the most attentive considering there were only 3 parties dining at the time. We ordered nouko shio ramen, unagi-don, takoyaki, beef tataki, and uni nigiri (not pictured). Nouko shio ramen (4.5/5) -- thick flavorful broth, perfectly cooked chewy noodles, could be just as delicious with less salt though. I also got zembu topping but because the noodle and the broth were the superstars, the toppings didnt make a big difference so i dont think its necessary for the next time. Unagi-don (4/5) -- amazingly tender eels, not at all overcooked, served over rice. The flavor is just what you expect, no surprises. Takoyaki (2.5/5) -- drenched in sauce, cant really taste anything but the sauce. I did notice the tako pieces were rather small. For the price, i wouldnt get it again. Beef tataki (1/5) -- not really sure what happened?? The ponzu sauce didnt have its characteristic citrus flavor, and i could barely taste the shoyu. The beef itself didnt have any flavor of its own - not even the beefy aspect. We sent it back to the kitchen. Uni nigiri (4.5/5) -- our server let us know that the uni is imported from japan. Wondeful briney oceany flavor intertwined with sweetness and perfect creamy texture that melts in your mouth. My favorite of everything we ordered today. Its a good quality uni and definitely worth the money. read more

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Stopped by while we were nearby. Delicious food and friendly service. We were able to sit down quickly for lunch. Tried the sukiyaki (which is a newer add to the menu). read more

MOA Kitchen - Sukiyaki and Chicken Karaage - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

My favourite restaurant on the island. Consistently good quality of food and great service. Trey have changed their many a little. So I miss a few sets of rules which were great and also the mulberry tea and dessert are greatly missed by me. But it's definitely a delicious place to eat! Highly recommended! read more

The best miso butterfish I've had in a long time. Generous portions for the price. Quick and friendly service.

#By far the best veggie food on big island My husband and I are both vegetarians and have had a lot of trouble finding great food in Hawaii but this place was a game changer. They have good veggie options throughout their menu across the ramen, pupus and even the yakitori. We loved the veggie ramen, shishito pepper yakitori, veggie goyza & the lilikoi cheese cake. The food was delicious. The wait staff was great & provided excellent recommendations. Highly recommended! Covid precautions: the restaurant is trying to take reservations to avoid over crowding. They take your temperature and ask you to sanitize your hands before you enter. They wipe down all surfaces thoroughly between use read more

MOA Kitchen - Spicy veggie ramen - Ramen Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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