Flavors were incredible! Service was outstanding. Portions were plentiful. Some of the food (mashed potatoes and vegetables) were served below acceptable temperature (room temperature). Mostly a great review! To the owner/management: "Market Price" on the menu is not a ticket to gouging. And...[[HIGHLIGHT]]the 'newly renovated' addition below, while beautiful and surely scenic, is very loud and would benefit from some acoustic insulation!!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Then, we'll be back. read more

So happy to return to Seaside-to celebrate the holiday season with my dear friends in Hilo. The restaurant has bar seating, semi-private room seating, and 2+ tops for pairs, families, groups, and more! (I've attended speaker programs there, for example.) Tonight, we were down the few steps right past the restrooms, near the koi pond, and got to help sing happy birthday to someone during dinner! (FYI The staff really do sing well!) Chenoa's service was cheerful and bubbly, thank you so much! And she really tried to help me choose my entree ('cause the Hilo peeps all knew what they wanted, while the townie from Honolulu couldn't make up her mind amongst the many choices). We enjoyed calamari with their yummy sauce (with just a tad of a kick), escargot, salads, cocktails (some peeps), an array of entrees, and of course, desserts! Entrees included bacon wrapped scallops with pasta, shrimp with pasta, miso salmon, tekka maki and salad, and I was so happy with the furukake salmon that I finally chose! Some of us opted in for the $7 addition of soup (last night it was carrot ginger which I also would have loved, or salad (which I chose for the greens), and a warm bread with butter. Desserts included an affogato, mango lychee sorbet, sorbet trio (of mango lychee, raspberry, and pineapple), and a scoop of the kona mud pie ice cream. Everything was delicious and some had leftovers, perfect for lunch the next day! (And of course, Chenoa brought a clean cup of teriyaki sauce for that take out serving!) I also love that they keep a carafe of ice and water on tables with groups-so we could refill our glasses constantly. Oh, and mahalo to the owner who visited us, and helped sing happy birthday to our fellow guest. (Sorry, I didn't catch his name.) Mahalo Seaside, for yet another delightful evening and yummy meal, and Merry Christmas to you all! read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Furukake salmon, teriyaki sauce with a drizzle of wasabi, and veggies. So good!!! - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The husband brought me here for our anniversary dinner and I must say this place did not disappoint!! Raw oyster, sushi rolls and the mahi was delicious!! Service was excellent! read more

I came here a while ago with my parents and haven't been in years. The food is still very delicious and flavorful. The fish is super fresh. I loved how they made the rice with wild rice and the flavor that it had infused in it. Proteins were perfectly cooked. The lava was overcooked, so it didn't actually ooze out when you take a spoonful. The tells maki is also a super small serving for the price. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service was good and the setting is still beautiful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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My husband and I had received a gift certificate from his mom and her boyfriend. First time trying this place. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated at the back where we could see the koi pond.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant wasn't too busy when we arrived.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waitress went over the specials and we ordered the ahi poke nachos for starters. I ordered the shrimp pasta and hubby ordered the furikake salmon. The food was delicious. I would definitely go back even though it's a little pricey. The service was awesome and everyone greeted you when you walk in and when you walk out. read more

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Food is always great, service always with smiles like it's your family serving you. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Pretty view of the sea pond right out your window[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

This evening we dined at the Seaside Restaurant. My wife had the salmon with a side of brown rice and I had the duck with a cherry glaze and a side of mushrooms and jasmine rice. Both of our meals were outstanding in taste and quality. Service was excellent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very nice atmosphere with views of the surrounding water while dining.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Whoa!! This place is so friggin good!!! Everything we ordered was so excellent. Get the calamari appetizer. The fish preparations were all amazing, we tried them all. Service was so friendly and fast! read more

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Favorite restaurant. Food and service great 10 out of 10. Making reservations are best. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Super busy place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

On our last trip to Hilo I wanted a restaurant that had a waterside dining and a menu with choices that had local flavor. We found this restaurant just outside Hilo whose family has been serving the community since the 1920s. Their dining rooms overlook very large fishponds - in addition to a restaurant they are an aquafarm. We enjoyed a delicious pair of cocktails (Pina Colada and a Blue Wave) followed by salad and Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi. The Mahi was served with a Wasabi cream sauce that was delicious! A great night out. It's just 4 miles south of downtown Hilo across from Carlsmith Beach Park. read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Delicious cocktails - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Another restaurant we used to frequent disappoints. 3rd one in a month. Ordered the bacon wrapped scallops with linguine as I have ordered this dish before. The scallops were definitely smaller and there was one maybe 2 mushrooms with a few shreds of spinach in the linguine. My hubby ordered the charisi bowl (as he also had ordered this dish previously) and he said everything tasted old. Another disappointing night out. Looks like we'll be cooking and staying home more. read more

Still the best seafood in Hilo! The Chinese style steamed fish is still my wife's favorite, this time was with opakapaka and she said it almost brought tears to her eyes it was so good! I had the bacon wrapped scallops which were seared perfectly and I had rice instead of noodles. My daughter had the ahi poke nachos and I think there was more delicious ahi than there was nachos which never happens! To finish off we had a walnut brownie with ice cream, and it was the perfect way to end a great meal. Parking is still a pain in their small lot, but food cannot be beat! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]The Seaside Restaurant is a very unique and a quaint restaurant set across of Carlsmith Beach Park in Keaukaha and the fresh water ponds. It almost looks like an old beach house from the outside[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Parking is a little small and can get packed forcing patrons to park across the street at the beach park. Once inside, you are greeted by a hostess and the server then meets you at the front to walk you back to the dining area. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Seating is close and on a busy night it can get quite loud. If you are wearing a hearing aid or are hard of hearing, this makes the ambiance hard to have a conversation in.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There is a small private room that you can book in advance for parties.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]The night that we went, the appetizers were on point, the cocktails were creative and enough to start a blushing of your cheeks and the food and dessert was definitely worth the wait. The moi (fish), if available, is one of their most prized entrees and raised in the pond that the restaurant is located next to. Anything you order will be pleasing to your palate. It is treated like a semi-formal restaurant and wait time between courses (depending on the size of your party) can be a little lengthy, but worth the wait. I was so impressed by the wait staff! Whoever trained them obviously knows what it takes to treat their customers with the utmost respect and priority and I applaud them for this! Very rare to see in Hilo. This alone, for me, was what makes this restaurant truly stand out as a leader in the restaurant business. Definitely will continue to return as a patron! read more

While visiting Hilo for the day we decided to try The Seaside. They have limited hours. We got there right as they opened and were able to get a table and be seated right away. I do suggest you make reservations, because the restaurant did get pretty busy afterwards. The service was amazing. Our server explained the specials and checked on us often. We had the clam chowder, which was the soup of the day. It was delicious. I had the ahi mahi and my boyfriend had the Chinese style steamed fish. Although both were good, I think the Chinese style steamed fish was better. I got mashed potatoes with my fish, which I did not really enough. My boyfriend choose the pasta, which was really good. We both enjoyed the experience and would recommend this restaurant if you're visiting Hilo. read more

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I asked a friend for a dinner recommendation, and we were pleasantly surprised. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a good place for a casual dinner and seems really popular among the locals.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was busy for a Sunday night![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The parking lot was full when we got there, so we parked across the street by the beach. The food was not super high quality, but had good flavors. We had the prime rib, bacon wrapped scallops with linguine, and assorted sushi. Hubs really enjoyed the spicy ahi bombs, but it tasted like chopped up ahi mixed with fishcake. The prime rib was pretty good (comes with rice, cooked veggies, au jus, and creamy horseradish), and I really enjoyed the scallops and pasta (but I'm admittedly a sucker for pasta). read more

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Delicious food, even a few vegetarian options. I had the mushrooms and added a side salad. Flavors are amazing. Every time I eat at Seaside Restaurant it's friendly service, excellent food, and quality table service plus added bonus of beautiful view and season holiday decor in December. Get reservations read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is amazing. From the outside it looks like someone's house, but when we were seated, we had an amazing view of the pond in the back.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I wanted to eat fish so I got the Chinese style steamed fish which was opakapaka. Every bite was delicious. Way tastier than steamed fish from a Chinese restaurant. We also ordered the poke nachos for appetizer, which was a little more boujie than I expected but super tasty. My wife and kids ordered ribeye and new york steak which was really cooked to perfection and tasted excellent. The lobster tail was amazing too. For dessert we got the mud pie and mac nut brownie. Holy smokes! Delicious! Only regret is we didn't get pics of the food. The service was also superb. Very friendly crew. read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Mud pie and mac nut brownie - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great food, excellent service. Best place to get lamb chops. Always our go to restaurant to celebrate. read more

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The food was incredible and the service was great. Fast drinks and the ponzu sauce is so delicious.

BIG ISLAND HAWAII 2023 VACATION #6: A FISH DISH THAT REMINDED ME OF A CHICKEN DISH My favorite chicken dish is Hainan chicken or bi qie ji (white cut chicken in Cantonese) because of the combination of the ginger, scallion, oil, and poached chicken. It's a dish that has simple ingredients but when combined together is packed with flavors. I was first introduced to The Seaside Restaurant when I saw Andrew Zimmern's "Delicious Destinations" episode of the Big Island. Due to the episode I wanted to order the opakapaka, which is Hawaiian pink snapper. What really intrigued me to that episode was the method displayed on TV - the first was steamed then doused with hot oil. After seeing the waterfalls - Akaka, Kahuna, and Wai'ale - I came here for dinner, which I had made a reservation prior to leaving for Hawaii. I arrived early around 4:15 PM, but my reservation was at 5:30 PM. I checked in at 4:45 PM. When I placed my order for the Chinese-style steamed fish my server informed me that the opakapaka wasn't available but kampachi. Even though I wanted to try the opakapaka I was willing to try the other fish. I love mushrooms. My server recommended Hamakua mushrooms. I never had this kind of mushrooms so I ordered them. These mushrooms are one of the cleanest I've tasted yet still have the umami taste. Sometimes certain mushrooms can taste too earthy, but not these Hamakua mushrooms. When I planned my Hawaii vacation in February I was looking forward for the Chinese-style steamed fish. With a smell of the ginger and one bite the dish reminded me of Hainan chicken especially as steamed rice is served. Since the fish is steamed not boiled there is a meaty texture. The oil presents a silky taste to the meat. Due to the oil, ginger, and scallion I thought I was eating Hainan chicken. I took my time eating this dish to enjoy. The Chinese-style steamed fish I ate at The Seaside Restaurant could be one of my top ten favorite fish dishes. I don't consider myself as someone who loves to eat fish. After eating the two dishes I was full and didn't order dessert. Even though I only ordered two items I was impressed hence the rating, which was mostly due to the Chinese-style steamed fish, I gave The Seaside Restaurant. read more

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We love this place because all there dishes are delicious. We come here often and try different things. It was our first time trying the mud pie and it did not disappoint. read more

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Frisk Riesling was perfect. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Table was a little wobbly but food and atmosphere was great as always.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Prime rib, spot on. Furikake Salmon was fresh too. Calamari always a must. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is what my grandchildren was in awe! the restaurant sits on a koi pond..very picturesque![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waiter was very attentive, service was awesome! Ordered two appetizers, calamari & escargot piping hot & delicious. Ordered California sushi roll for the kids.. The ono with pesto pasta was ono; my husband ordered, mahimahi with macadamia crumble! da bomb also ordered scallops with wasabi sauce pasta! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I sure enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and both their Miso Butterfish and Slow Roasted Seaside Prime Rib. Very tasty and delicious! read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Chose the Seaside for our first night in Hilo because it was within walking distance of our accommodations. First off, we had incredible service from Genoa. We had a reservation for eight and were seated in the lower room. This was not ideal as it is a small room and there was no airflow so it was quite hot and stuffy. There was only one other table of two, and then a second large party. That table (thankfully) was unsat for most of our visit, but when they arrived it was suddenly incredibly loud in the tiny room. Overall food was decent. The fresh catch and volcano shrimp were both good. The blackened ahi tuna was fantastic. The New York strip rather pedestrian and unseasoned. Drinks were standard. All in all, just didn't feel the quality of the entrees equaled the price. Our bill came to $400+ and two of our eight were kids who split one keiki meal. read more

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After years of never going we went here for my birthday dinner. The hostess was warm & welcoming with a beautiful smile. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside ambiance is very plain, almost cafeteria like but then you see the beautiful views outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We started with the poke nachos, fabulous! The wine arrived and was really nice, ext our dinner salad. It was fresh, looked lovely and tasted very nice, it was sparse. A tiny wedge of tomato and two slices of cucumber, it needed just a bit more stuff. The bread that came with it was hot, crisp outside and tender & fluffy inside, YUM! Then came dinner. My hubby had the grilled Ahi with a wasabi sauce and it was absolutely delicious. And beautiful. I had sautéed Ono in lemon butter & capers. I've had Ono a million times and it's easy to end up dry and flavorless, but this was amazing! A lite crust to the edges and incredibly moist and delicious inside. The sauce was creamy white and fabulous. Both our vegetables were cooked just right and very tasty. Our waiter was really nice and very efficient and food timing was right on. DESSERT! I love bread pudding but it's often a disappointment, but not here. A large square of bread pudding with purple sweet potato, home taro and white bread was incredible. Dark and slightly crusty top, tender, moist and very soft inside. The haupia sauce was genius and the lite caramel drizzle was sublime, the homemade vanilla ice cream put me in heaven!Hubby had the brownie sundae with the same ice cream, EXCELLENT! Not too fast and not dragging on for ever. It was a great birthday dinner and was just over $220. Expensive, but everything was amazing. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It does however get very loud, I highly recommend this place and we will dine here often.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Grilled Ahi - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Hate to have to write this review as I was so excited to try this local favorite last night before attending a play. We had plenty of time and ordered drinks, and chose our dishes carefully, after lots of debate and discussion with our server, who was at that point patient and helpful. When our dishes arrived, the food was so disappointing. My fresh fish dish was dry and so overcooked it was inedible, and did not all taste fresh! The scallops wrapped in bacon ordered by my dining companion (who was previously a real enthusiast for this resturaunt) were also over- cooked, very tiny ( size of a quarter) and almost tasteless, including the bacon! We nicely explained and asked to return these dishes to the kitchen, and this created an icy response that seemed to spread through the resturaunt. Though outwardly polite , we got "stink eye" from everyone on the floor and our original waitress nearly disappeared. We waited quite awhile to get mediocre teriyaki chicken dishes, as a replacement which we hurriedly ate to be able to make our play's curtain rise I think IF the quality was there this place would not seem so over expensive, but it was just not al all worth it. (Even if it was cheap I would avoid it!) Sorry to experience and learn this as it has been well reviewed before including by people I know. But too much was "just wrong" to think it was a "fluke" event, and it seems important to let others know. It may just be a place sliding into decline. It sure seemed so. read more

Colin and the staff at Seaside never disappoints! Food is always good! THE go-to if you're wanting some ono fish!!

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great historic restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Fresh mullet from the ponds on site. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Walked around the beautiful ponds before dining.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

If you haven't been to...THE SEASIDE RESTAURANT and AQUA FARM, then you are have been missing out! Go on...make your reservations now! Trust me...you'll be happy you did! This place is...HILO! Talk to any local from this island, talk to any local from the neighbor islands, talk to any tourist from across the seas...they know...SEASIDE. Seaside has that reputation. TSRAF is family-owned and they have been serving the Hilo community for many generations...so you know that they pump out AMAZING food, not to mention YUMMY-licious cocktails, too! TSAF is beautifully located on the family's aqua farm about 15 minutes away from town. The restaurant is surrounded by glass windows and picturesque views of the water and greenery. The atmosphere is laid back and relaxing. Dining on scrumptious food and sipping on delicious cocktails is my kinda' dining while enjoying the view! TSAF has a very special place in my heart because it always brings my family together. We've celebrated birthdays, special occasions and a wedding, too! Thank you TSAF for helping my family create many momentous celebrations here! Here is my recent tasting: COCKTAIL: - LILIKOI DROP: very refreshing, delicious, tart and a kick! I took my time enjoying every little sip that ended with a kiss of li- hing mui! Muwah! APPETIZERS: -POKE NACHOS: yummy! The perfect bite to the start of our dining experience! A crispy fried won ton chip topped with ahi poke drizzled with a sweet chili sauce covered with slivers of nori and beautiful purple stemmed radish sprouts! -CALAMARI: scrumptious! generous portion, large pieces of tender calamari deep fried to perfection! Everyone enjoyed this dish! -SPICY AHI SUSHI ROLL: delicious! It was a popular one amongst the family. -SHRIMP DYNAMITE SUSHI ROLL: oishi! Beautifully plated and well executed! My favorite sushi here! ENTREE- FURIKAKI SALMON: magnificent! 2 generous portion salmon filets seasoned well and covered in a confetti of furikaki! My plate came with mashed potatoes, sautéed zucchini and yellow squash! Everything plated was delivered to perfection! I recommend this dish! DESSERT: -BREAD PUDDING and VANILLA ICE CREAM: unforgettable and EPIC! I am already...DROOLING! I loved everything about this dessert. It came to the table nice and...HOT and it paired nicely with the COOLNESS of the ice cream. This bread pudding is special and not like others. In between the pillowy bread layers, there are morsels of fresh taro and sweet potato.Unique and delicious! Over the top, was a generous amount of warm haupia sauce and a caramel drizzle. So, if you are in Hilo, you MUST visit TSAF for an unforgettable dining experience. You'll thank me for that! read more

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This restaurant was great on previous our visit to hilo. So my wife's cousin who lives in Hilo made reservations for a party of seven. When we checked in they said it would a few minutes. Our reservation was for seven o'clock. Since the restaurant closes at 8 o'clock we asked if they we going to kick us out at eight. She responded that those seated before eight didn't have to worry. Jokingly my wife's cousin asked if they we gonna run out of food. The hostess replied we didn't have to worry. While placing or order we we're told that the clam chowder was not available. I ordered the the lamb chops. A few minutes later the server informed me that the ran out of the chops. So I ordered the snow crab. My niece also ordered the snow crab. Her potion was larger than mine. Humm. In all the food was enjoyed by all. And they do have a blender so I was able to order a Lava Flow. Enjoy. read more

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We went here tonight and I got the Prime Rib when my wife ordered her NY Strip we said Medium Well and made a point to make sure we didn't want any pink. We got a medium Rare sent it back come back medium. Ruined our dinner tonight very disappointed. Also $54 for Prime Rib with no salad or dinner roles is a bit ridiculous. I've had better at Texas Roadhouse. We won't be back. read more

Not good. Had a reservation for 7pm and got seated at 7:30 up, but actual entrées were be delivered in an hour later I said no way who restaurant like this anyway it's ridiculous. read more

While visiting Hilo, my colleagues and I had dinner here at the suggestion of a local friend. For all that my friend said to expect it would be packed, the hostess sat us quickly at a table. We were hungry and that's a good thing because there were several things we wanted to sample from the menu. We shared sushi plates and an order of kanpachi. It is a very tasty fish and I hope it becomes better recognized! read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Sushi - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Went here yesterday on a whim for my birthday. Didn't have a reservation. The host seemed annoyed that we didn't have a reservation but we arrived at 5 and there was only 3 other groups in the restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We got seated in the back of the seating area by the door that connect the dining room from the bar. Not sure why they wouldn't want to sit us by the water front windows but they didn't[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] . Our server an older gentlemen was very good and he's the only reason I'm not giving 2 stars. Food wasn't warm and the bacon wrapped scallops overcooked and dry. My husband's prime rib cold. The Kona coffee mud cake delicious. For a place that calls themselves fine dining restaurant I expect better and for the price in my opinion not worth it. read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great local spot with a view. One of the few restaurants that still serves up, whole locally caught fish. Decent wine selection, and good desserts too. Service can be a little slow if it's busy, so just plan for that. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]The food, service, the ambiance and location are extremely wonderful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommended! If you're looking for that special place that's premium without being snooty The Seaside Restaurant is a great choice in Hilo. read more

Friends told us this place had the goods and it definitely did!!! T bone steak - 10/10!! Juicey, flavorful, yummy sides New York steak - 7/10 not as juicey but still delicious. Nice texture. Mushrooms and onions were flavored and cooked to perfection Miso butterfish - 10/10 amazing. Flavors were perfect, fish was crispy not too oily and soft like butter Bread pudding 10/10 - the salty/ sweet combo was perfect and the textures were between gooey and crunchy. Kona mud pie - 8/10 I'm from kona so maybe I'm biased when I say I prefer kona mud pies better . Smaller than I'm used to but still tasted good. Recommend this spot on the water. Lovely view, friendly staff. Only one bathroom. We arrived when it first opened and when we left the parking lot was packed! Must be a local fav :) read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Bread pudding with ice cream - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I had a very satisfying and delicious meal at this restaurant! I wasn't feeling in the mood for a heavy meal so I opted for ordering two appetizers as my entree. When I asked, the waitress said this was alright so I got the ahi poke nachos and the edamame appetizers. First, I very much enjoyed the nachos. The fish tasted very fresh and didn't have the toughness I sometimes encounter in poke. The chips stayed crisp to the last bite despite being covered in a thick sweet chili sauce so the texture was consistent throughout my meal. My only complaint might be that I wish there was also an acidic crispness, like a pickled onion or something, as a topping. The nachos are topped with sprouts, avocado, and onion, however I felt that there wasn't enough to contrast some of the heaviness from the fish and sauce. The nachos were still very solid though and I'd definitely order them again. Second, I also liked the edamame. They were cooked to the perfect texture in my opinion. My issue with them was that they tasted a bit heavily salted. This could be something most people enjoy, but for me the grainy texture from the sea salt and strong salty flavor on the outside distracted from the flavor of the edamame itself. However, the salt did make the edamame extremely flavorful so perhaps that was the intention. The ambiance of this restaurant feels very nice, and the staff members are friendly. The windows look out onto a body of water and I enjoyed watching the birds flying home for the night and the koi fish swimming right below the window. read more

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm - Ahi Poke Nachos and Edamame Appetizers - Seafood Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

[[HIGHLIGHT]]All 3 food service ambiance are excellent.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Wonderful place![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Kona coffee dessert meets my sweetest tooth ever! Will come back! read more