What a great find in Wailea!! We stopped in for a late lunch after a beach day and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food here. We didn't realize it was happy hour and what a bonus it was. The location is in a strip mall and we were able to go into a few other local shops afterwards which was really nice. The service was good and our waiter had great recommendations that we followed and were very pleased. We started with a cocktail and my mai tai with Lilikoi foam was phenomenal. We ordered several sushi rolls, the rock shrimp tempura, the hamachi carpaccio, the spicy tuna rice cake, edamame and everything was phenomenal. I have already shared this place with friends coming next month and excited to see what they think. read more

Oao - Sushi Bar & Grill at Wailea - Hamachi carpaccio and spicy tuna rice cake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Great extra fresh sushi. Great service. Not inexpensive but full of people Recommended read more

Service was absolutely amazing! The servers made sure our waters were never empty. They were super kind. Dirty dishes would be cleared almost immediately. The restaurant itself was very clean, and had tons of cool decor. There was absolutely no fuss when asking to split the bill. Admittedly, it is a bit pricy but 10/10 worth the cost! Food was amazing and by far the best sushi I have ever had!!! 5 stars all the way. read more

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Great dishes and sashimi and more. They have an extensive menu with many options. Very fresh and the miso soup was also delectable. If you love seafood and sushi a must visit soon. No Rez needed but bring your own adult beverages. No liqueur license now but...coming soon! Nice touch you can sit outside and now extended their hours to 10pm on Saturdays- lovely interiors too! We will be back and placed our 1st order take out which was super easy on their website! YOU and your honey, fam and friends must try this new place for delish entrees and sushi! Go, pack up the kids and take a nice drive to Wailea for fresh fish and farm to table delectable grinds! Hope you love it as much as we did! Onolicious!!! read more

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popular non traditional sushi spot with expensive specialty rolls Wailea Firecracker: lobster tempura, crab mix, avocado, kimchee ahi poke, cucumber, jalapeno, onion, unagi -- little overdone Tuna Emperor: tuna, cucumber, takuan, toro, kizami wasabi, green onion ponzu Hamachi Serrano: shrimp tempura crab mix, avocado, hamachi, jalapeño vinaigrette, sliced serrano pepper, micro greens -- best balance sautéed kale and mushroom, red pepper, garlic -- good shishito and edamame, hamachi nigiri, local, but not like traditional sushi rice. read more

The sushi...wow indeed! Fish so fresh you can almost taste the ocean! Very clean and quiet little place. Although I'm sure it gets packed. Our server was personable and informative. He answered our questions patiently. My only regret, we found this place toward the end of our trip. Hope to have time for a second visit. read more

Oao - Sushi Bar & Grill at Wailea - The Spicy Crunch Dragon and White Dragon specialty rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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The good: Fantastic food! Everything was so flavorful! Awesome bartender Kevin! Tasty mock tails The bad: can't think of any Note: bring your wallet at dinner time and have a great time! Happy hours maybe a great way to check it out. read more

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The best sushi I've ever had. The fish was so incredibly fresh! Great service, small intimate spot, full bar - 10/10; be prepared to break your wallet in the best way possible. read more

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Best meal I've had on Maui ! I'm literally dreaming about my next time we'll get to eat here. We've eaten at the best restaurants on Maui and this was better than Mamas, spagos, merrimans, humuhumu, and other places. The fish melts in your mouth- it's the freshest fish I've ever had. I cannot believe any of the negative reviews on here. When I'm looking for honest opinions- I only want to hear about how the food tasted and not how service and ambiance was. This by far exceeded expectations and all I can say is BRAVO. I wouldn't miss eating here - it's worth every expensive penny!!! This is what we ate: Tempura shrimp Salmon cakes Hamachi roll Wailea rainbow roll Wailea firecracker read more

Great dishes that came out surprisingly fast! Their kids menu was tasty for our little one and we enjoyed some nice rolls and appetizers. The service was also great and felt like a casual place with high quality food. They also have a food truck with similar options nearby in Kihei read more

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New hot spot for Japanese in Wailea that just opened in January 2023, and the word is getting out because the food and service are top notch. We ordered the crunchy dragon roll (tempura prawn topped with spicy tuna) which was fresh and so pleasantly warm, delicious! The unexpected, because we typically don't order it at a Japanese restaurant, highlight are the wings, so crisp, tender and perfectly juicy with a tangy soy glaze. The ribeye, tender perfection with an amazing unctuous sauce and crispy Brussels sprouts and luxe chimichurri sauce on the side. The broccolini side was a generous side to share. The staff are welcoming in this spot, easy to park right by the Wailea Shops. The dining room is dimly lit with a mauka view, and the mock tail list is fun, it's BYOB (huge plus). This is a family owned spot in Wailea with a separate spot in Kihei for to go, so check your GPS (the Wailea restaurant is right by the Monkeypod Cafe in Wailea) but Oao is an emerging must visit spot now. The staff seem hyper connected to the local cool people and so the proximity was fun to observe. Next time we are definitely ordering more read more

Oao - Sushi Bar & Grill at Wailea - Fun bar area with an extensive mock tail menu and the super cool bar manager is a friend of the family owner - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

OMG! Sushi and sashimi were out of this world! Staff are awesome, friendly, fun what a pleasure eating there. Eldon and Robson were great! Made us feel very welcomed and part of the OAO family! Highly recommend eating here! read more

They have samurai sword, black and white asian paintings. Their ambiance is cool. Their soy sauce was kinda sweet and wasabi didn't even taste like wasabi. This place reminds me of a movie Kill Bill Fish quality wasn't bad.. price was Maui Wailea price...... If you don't know authentic Sushi but you want to spend good bucks to enjoy this amusement park feeling, u will like it lol..... It's Maui.... It's boujee island read more

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Heard the news that Oao was opening up a restaurant in Wailea. In the Monkeypod parking lot, this corner unit has been missing an amazing food option. We waited a few days after the grand opening, came in around 6pm for 2 people and were seated. Let me say - the food came out so fast! I was blown away. The sushi chefs are top notch, the mocktails we're on point. Oysters, fresh fish, what more! I can't wait until they can serve cocktails at this location. Great date night spot. read more

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My friends took us to this new restaurant while we were visiting Maui.  The food was amazing.  We had 3 different sushi rolls and the lamb entree.  I especially loved the salmon sushi so fresh with ikura on top.  We enjoyed the chimichurri sauce on the miso lamb, it was so tender and not gammy at all.  We had the ube dessert with fresh fruits.  It was creamy and not too sweet.    The ambiance was very nice and classy and the staff were very helpful as this was our first time dinning in.  There was a lot of parking too.  I would come back to eat great Japanese food again. read more

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Great atmosphere, excellent sushi options, and service from Ian was TOP NOTCH! He was friendly and even gave us some wonderful local recommendations to check out while visiting! Highly recommend! read more

Food service and ambiance all is outstanding. The sever was very cool and made great recommendations

Amazing. I went during "happy hour" where food & drinks are discounted. The sushi was fresh and delicious. King Salmon, Big Eye Tuna & Yellowtail. Also ordered the baked mussels which were amazing. Great service too! Definitely worth visiting. read more

Oao - Sushi Bar & Grill at Wailea - Baked mussels - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Amazing new restaurant at the Wailea Gateway. There's going to be a crowd soon, so hurry up and try it. We were expecting amazing sushi... and we got that with the Big Island Special Roll. Each piece of fish was flavorful and perfectly selected and presented. But we were more than pleasantly surprised with the entree selection. We each got a different fish... New Zealand salmon and black cod. My cod dish was lightly, flaky, and expertly prepared. Both came with a generous portion of shrimp fried rice with sea asparagus. And definitely don't miss the ube dessert! It reminded us of a much improved chocolate pudding. Finally, the service was friendly and prompt.... They're ready to go even though they're in their second or third day of their soft opening. read more

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Actual rating: 10 out of 5! Finally- a perfect sushi spot in Wailea. The staff is very friendly, server Jerome is so kind and helpful with great menu suggestions! The vibe and decoration is very cool. This place is such a great spot for a family dinner or date night. Personal recommendations: Wailea Firecracker roll (the best!), Ribeye w/ fried Brussel sprouts, even the standard spicy tuna is stellar. read more

Exceptional! Went here on a Wednesday night date night and it did not disappoint. Was able to make reservations for 6pm and we were seated immediately. I would suggest reservations because by the end of our meal, there were no open seats and I understand why! The service here was amazing not only from our waiter Jerome, but from all members of the team. We were also able to chat to the manager about how much we were enjoying our experience. We ordered drink that were delicious (sake , li hing mui lemonade, hot tea). Every plate of pupu (sashimi, clams, mussels, calamari ), sushi roll, specialty roll and entree tasted so fresh and created with expertise. We savored every bite! The best part was the food came out quickly. The price was reasonable for the high-quality of ingredients . They just opened up a new location in Kahului but we will 10000% be back to this location again it was just that amazing! I did try to take as much photos as I could of the food, but it was just too delicious to stop and snap a pic and maybe the sake was getting to me read more

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So I finally was able to try this spot out. I was able to try their food truck out at Azeka's but have heard great things about the restaurant at Wailea gateway shops. When we went they were pretty busy but were still able to get us in with a very short wait. The place is tucked away kinda in the back corner but I feel like it made it easier to find parking. Inside was cozy not overwhelming almost a welcoming vibe to the place. I personally liked the decor. We started off with a couple of appetizers one of my favorites was the crab cakes. Not a lot of filler and a good amount of crab with great flavor. I know there are a few places on Maui that serve crab cakes but I have tried many of them and have left disappointed. That was not the case here. We also ordered the Hamachi Carpaccio which was excellent. The fish was fresh and combined with the ponzu sauce and the peppers was incredible definitely one of our favorites. We also ordered the baked mussels and were not disappointed. The preparation was great and the flavors were perfect. Not overwhelming just a perfect pairing of mussels and sauce. We also tried one of the sushi rolls I apologize I forgot which one we ordered but let me just say that I do remember it being excellent. Not too much rice, the roll was beautifully prepared and again the flavors were right on point. Overall had an excellent meal the service was incredible and the ambiance was great. I can't wait to go back and try more of there excellent items. I highly recommend this spot especially if you want great sushi. read more

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The best seafood my boyfriend and I have ever had in our lives! Service was also amazing. Must try. read more

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Great service, bartenders were awesome, and the food was delicious. Definitely make a reservation because it can get busy. But you won't regret trying it!! read more

Oao - Sushi Bar & Grill at Wailea - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Kept seeing this spot on Instagram and decided to try it out for my mom's birthday. Everything we ordered was delicious and I will definitely be back. They seem to always be very busy, so I recommend making a reservation. I do not recommend eating here if you are impatient or starving. The staff is incredibly warm and kind, but have a lot on their hands so there may be a few moments where you're waiting around a bit. I personally found it worth the wait. They are BYOB while they are working on obtaining their liquor license. As someone that doesn't drink, I actually quite liked that they didn't have the licensing yet. They have a decent amount of mocktails that I was very excited to see. The golden nugget was very delicious as Yuzu is one of my favorite flavors. All the fish was fresh, nice thick slices. Always stoked to see otoro on a menu. Also got a salmon avocado roll not pictured, but they definitely didn't skimp on the fish! The uni shooter was awesome but might have a bit of a punch if you're not used to ponzu. All of the desserts were amazing, the mochi ice creams were very flavorful and spot on, I could eat their ice cream by the tub! the ube custard was great, strong ube flavor and not overwhelmingly sweet. Matcha panna cotta was perfectly set and just as delicious. Overall setting is bustling, on the noisy side, crowded, tables close together but not uncomfortable (at least for me) I can't wait to go back and try the rest of their menu items and mocktails! read more

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Would we come here again? ABSOLUTELY! Everything was perfect - from start to finish. Upon arrival, we were greeted so naturally by Joss + our table was already set before we sat down. The menu is viewed with a QR code and it was aesthetically pleasing. The ambiance is bright + moody, definitely a spot for a good time. They currently offer "mock tails" + they are so crisp + flavorful! The "bar" was ran by Kevin & Dwayne who really knew exactly what they were doing, so effortlessly, knowledgeable + swift. We ordered VEGETABLE TEMPURA, ROCK TEMPURA SHRIMP, SPECIAL FIRE CRACKER ROLL, BAKED OAO CALIFORNIA + MISO SOUP that was all 100/10 We were blown away by the flavors of the dishes - what I really appreciated was that each dish had their own flare, it didn't taste repetitive which I was worried about because most sushi places have a repetitive taste that all the rolls taste the same. Also, I love how clean the place is Thank you so much to Joss, Kevin + Dwayne for a memorable dining experience here! read more

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Oao is WOW! After a lovely day at the beach we decided that Sushi was in order for Happy Hour...we ordered four different items from the HH menu..we had a difficult decision on choosing one over the other items...The food was incredibly delicious and fresh...Our waiter Dwayne and the other staff were so helpful and pleasant and obviously enjoyed the cuisine vibe! The ambiance and decor of the restaurant was spot on! Just a beautiful restaurant with amazing staff and delicious / fresh food... We will be back! read more

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The food here is SO good. The sushi is so fresh, and appetizers are great for happy hour. Get the rice cakes. Highly recommend

Over charged at Happy hour. Added high end items (non happy hour) to our order that we did not order, at the end of the service presented us with a total on the cc machine to scan our card. Then had to ask for an itemized receipt. Saw what they did. They also add (pre subtotal) a kitchen service charge of 4% on food items. Pay attention taking advantage of locals read more

I've order 2 sushi party platters from them for birthday parties. They get it done as long as I call 1 day in advance. Beautifully presented tray that will impress your guests and please their tastebuds. read more

Saw this place pop up on a few lists before coming and after getting another rec from our new friend at the bell desk, we decided to give it a shot. The vibe is somehow swanky yet down to earth with extremely friendly waitstaff. We were seated promptly and viewed the menu which had a good mix of everything: entrees and sushi. But of course we were here for the sushi. We got 2 specialty rolls and the eel roll. All were fantastic. We also go the peppers which I could do without. The sushi was the best I've ever had. Specialty rolls have double protein and the fish was amazing fresh and flavorful. The hamachi jalapeño was so tasty...I wish I'd had room for more. But I saved it for the ube pot de creme which was epic. Great texture, no lumps, and not too sweet. The flower was edible and provided a nice compliment in flavor to the ube. I'm so glad we added this spot to our trip but sad we can't come back before leaving. Side story: apparently the restaurant started as a good truck. So we knew it had to be good. read more

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We made reservations & didn't have to wait when we arrived. Brussels sprouts & edamame were really good appetizers. Fried steak and sushi were delicious. Craft drinks were really good as well. Our server was amazing. We'll definitely return. read more

From start to finish, Oao is fantastic! You'll come in the front door to a beautiful setting, classically decorated and upscale. The staff is exceptional, and we were greeted with smiles from the whole staff! Manager Rose is a gem, and she quickly introduced us to the owner, the chef, and the wait staff. No alcohol yet, but the "mock-tails" we tried bode well for the future! We really enjoyed the Hamachi Carpaccio, with a tiny slice of Serrano chili and some of the most incredible ponzu sauce I have ever had! My wife could not stop raving about the Spicy Tuna Rice cakes, which had the perfect amount of fish and crunch to make it delightful! Next up, we had the Manager's recommendation King Dragon Roll. I am pleased to say that she is right on! It is almost a whole meal in itself and topped with caviar and filled with crab, shrimp and Unagi. Each bite satisfied us and I could not stop my wife from sighing as she savored each morsel. An exceptional meal and experience from start to finish. My only regret is that we had dinner plans two hours away and we had to stop eating. The good news is, we will be back as soon as possible!!! read more

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Have you ever had food fresh you could swear you can feel the ocean in every bite? That's what Oao is. This beautiful and delicious addition to the south side really completes your need for having delicious sushi, and gorgeous presentation! Chef Oao really puts so much thought and flavor behind every dish and pairing. I love that they're open for lunch and dinner! Seldom a good sushi spot that's open during the day on island. read more

Really amazing Sushi. One of the best places around Wailea. Amazing service. We had ordered the Oao baked California roll and the King Dragon roll. The lobster tempura hand roll was delicious. read more

Oao - Sushi Bar & Grill at Wailea - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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The best omakase I ever had! It was la 7-course omakase with fresh fish, waygu, soup, salad, and dessert for less than $200. The panna cotta was so good! We had the ube and green tea panna cotta :) The worker was super friendly. The ambience would be perfect to bring your date :) I would definitely come back if I visit Maui again. read more

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wow what amazing service we got Jarome as our server he is actually the best waiter he got our order all right best sushi place in Waliea!!

I feel it is too expensive. The quality of fish was okay. The culinarily combinations had very little appeal to me.nothing I've had there is inspiring. Service is just okay. Pretty meh. Not with the price. read more

Best sushi on Maui! Their menu is phenomenal and comes with all that you would expect from a nice sushi place, I particularly love their carpaccio items and diverse small plate and appetizers. I've had most of their specialty rolls and they are unique and flavorful and each served with beautiful presentation. The service is fast but our most favorite part of eating at Oao is being served by Kevin! Kevin is the "happy" in "happy hour", I ate here with my son for the first time and had the most pleasant experience, it was three moths until we visited again and Kevin recognized us and greeted us like old friends. He goes above and beyond and makes everyone feel welcome. The ambiance is chill, the staff is amazing, and the food is top notch! Feel like we made a friend and this is our go to sushi spot on island read more

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I really wanted to give this restaurant 5 stars because the food speaks for itself, but the service was bad. Our waiter was rude, condescending, underwhelming and uneducated. We are from Atlanta. We have sushi restaurants everywhere. Our restaurants cater to diners who prefer uncooked and cooked sushi. I can get cooked rolls 15 different ways in Atlanta. All very good. It is a well-known fact that "crab" at sushi restaurants is in reality white fish. If the white fish is not the best quality it becomes fishy tasting. Fish should never taste or smell fishy if it high quality and fresh. I am baffled our waiter didn't know that. When I asked him about the crab on the shrimp tempura roll he acted offended. So much so he went to complain about me to the chefs. They replied well there goes your tip. Then when I asked about the shrimp appetizer he replied it is like "popcorn" shrimp. Pop corn shrimp is something you buy frozen in a grocery store. He was basically talking to me like I am a child. He then proceeds to ask my husband if he would like another drink but completely ignored me. You would think in such a high-end area you would have better quality staff. If not for this dolt we would have returned several times during our stay. In the end the food was very good. We enjoyed our "popcorn" shrimp very much. I did leave a tip even though he didn't deserve it but it wasn't my normal 20-25 %. Someone please educate this kid on customer service and the depth and breath of sushi available in other places. Maybe he doesn't get out much? read more