Location: Kihei
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Hawaii, United States Food Guide: 9 Japanese food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Kihei
Reviews on Japanese food in Kihei, Hawaii, United States. Situated on Maui's western shore, Kihei has grown exponentially over the years and now offers an impressive selection of hotels and restaurants, catering to visitors who flock to dive, swim and sun themselves on Maui's fine white sand beaches. Home to the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Kihei is an excellent place to spot the vast mammals. Head out on a boat charter, eco-tour, rafting trip or fairway, or rent a car and drive the coastline or to volcanoes Haleakala and Puu Kukui.
Things to do in Kihei
9. Tanpopo
Overall Ratings
5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By darlingdearest
Well, I typically do not eat Italian outside my house, but I wanted to give this place a try. I was not disappointed. The service was friendly and efficient, the appearance is simple but sleek and reflect what I would expect from a Japanese style place. There is no clutter, despite being a small single room place, and it appears to be clean and efficient.First came the Amuse bouche, a palate cleanser, like they call it. Pleasant surprise! The Spicy tuna Bruschetta (technically a crostini not a bruschetta) was fantastic!! I could eat a ton of those! Perfect balance of flavor, heat and texture. The Tuna Poke was also very good, even though it left me craving for some starchy rice at the bottom of the bowl to collect those yummy juices and provide an aesthetically pleasing color contrast on the dark bowl! The Chicken parmigiana and the salad were as expected. The dessert: we had chocolate mousse. Was also good. I would have liked a creamier mousse, a little richer in chocolate flavor. The prices are extremely reasonable and I felt I got a good value for my money. I will definitely go back to try some more items from this bizarre combination of Japanese and Italian flavors. Well done Tanpopo!
8. Isana
Overall Ratings
5 based on 17 reviews
Isana Brave Fish Kitchen is the latest addition to Kihei's vibrant dining scene! Now under new ownership and management, Isana Brave Fish Kitchen is Maui's finest destination for fresh locally caught fish. Fisherman/owner John Arabatzis is bringing this m
Reviewed By jonathanNwinters
Our waiter was super friendly, even had the sushi chef put together a special offering of 4 different sashimi. Was spectacular. Will visit again.
7. Izakaya Genbe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 72 reviews
Reviewed By KPG99201
Cleaner, cheerier (The Wave!) than previous tenant (fresh paint!), these prices are fine for Maui. She had Agedashi tofu ($7.75) and Ramen (pork) Tonkotsu ($11.75). I liked my homemade gyoze ($8.75) and miso ($3.75). Plus tried a new-to-me Japanese beer Orion ($3.75). Waitress polite, prompt and refilled our tea. Going back in January.
6. 1054 Togoshi
Overall Ratings
5 based on 35 reviews
Reviewed By Lost_Sage
While the interior may look cute and kitschy, this little joint next to Kihei mainstay Fabianiâs serves up seriously good sushi. It is a two-person âohana,â as their signs say (the husband is a very experienced sushi chef, and the wife handles waiter duties), which means itâs best to enjoy the slow pace of this meal. We started with 2 delicious appetizers - one was monkfish liver, and the other was yellowtail carpaccio. We also recommend the 12-piece sushi âAâ platter - ours included kampachi, snapper, salmon, ahi, yellowtail, albacore, mackerel, scallop, sweet shrimp, uni, saltwater eel, and tamago. All very high quality and served directly to us counter-side. The show even rolled on during a freak 10-minute blackout of the neighborhood! A highly recommended, very different experience from the poke / big fish-driven seafood offerings on the island. Reservations highly recommended, although you can sometimes walk in and snag 1-2 counter seats.
5. Sushi Paradise
Overall Ratings
4 based on 123 reviews
Reviewed By Max P
We wanted a local place and this hole-in-the-wall, local favorite was the recommendation of our hotel ocean canoeing guide. We made reservations and a table was waiting for us. After a week of eating at the hottest, touristy, more upscale (albeit tasty) restaurants, we were looking forward to a down-home meal. The hostess (wife) seated us promptly and let us know that the service would be "slow". We did note that in order to honor reservations, walk-ins were told of the wait. They seemed more focused on commitments and serving good food rather than filling tables. My husband and I shared the "paradise dinner". Our hostess/"busboy"/server advised us that that would be plenty for the two of us. Boy was she right! Food came out at a great pace. The edamame and miso soup were good. The stand out for us was the chawanmushi. We had not had that before. I was not sure about it when I read the description prior to dinner. Delicious! We absolutely loved it. We had not had that dish before. The seaweed salad was loaded with octopus and other seafood. Yum! The sushi and sashimi were fresh. We left stuffed. Others in the restaurant ordered soup which smelled tasty. Something to try next time. The staff is composed of: the wife (hostess, et al), husband (chef) and, we think, a mother (tiny lady wielding a broom). So yes, the service can only be so fast. Also, many reviewers have noted that the staff is friendlier with regulars. That makes sense. They know each other. We were the only non-locals, non-regulars when we went. It is true, she did seem more interactive with regulars. We did not think much of it though. We were served delicious food in a timely fashion and our needs were attended to quite nicely. Great last dinner on Maui. Go hungry.
Where to eat Contemporary food in Kihei: The Best Restaurants and Bars
4. Sansei Seafood Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1374 reviews
Reviewed By m747p
I worked on Maui ten years ago and visited Maui twice then and was luckily introduced to Sansei. I was back know with my family for a week of vacation, took them to Sansei the first evening and it was love from first sight.Sansei also offers 25% discounts on pretty much the entire menu on orders places prior to 6PM. We were severely jet lagged so we were early birds and had a feast most evenings on Maui - you simply donât argue with success.The food was DELICIOUS!!!!Aloha and thank you very much for posting your great review and comments. We appreciate them very much. And we certainly appreciate you spending five of your dinners with us! That's quite the compliment! We look forward to seeing you again the next time you visit our beautiful Island.
3. Three's Bar and Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2000 reviews
Recently featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. Chefs. Surfers. Friends. Travis Morrin, Cody Christopher, and Jaron Blosser discovered they share a fanatic enthusiasm for surf while working together at a top local restaurant six years ago. While surfing t
Reviewed By mark w
Finally made to this place for the Loco Moco. They have a really good menu. We chose to eat on the deck with the leaves and musician. I had the burger. Turned out to be really juicy, especially with all my fixings. Wife had the Loco Moco, she says it is now her fav Place for Locos. Her Mi Tai was just ok, pretty weak and the onion rings are a pass. Our waitress Janice was a doll.Hi Mark, we really appreciate your feedback and such kind words! We're looking forward to serving you again.
2. Miso Phat Sushi
Overall Ratings
4 based on 324 reviews
Miso Phat Sushi Kihei is here to serve you with Freshest Fish, Award Winning Sushi, and Best Customer Serve in Kihei. Come check out our daily specials.
Reviewed By CaliGirl510
For our last meal on island, we stopped at Miso Phat. We ordered the Miso Phat roll and the TNT roll, Kanpachi nigiri, and Hamachi nigiri. The Miso Phat Roll is Spicy Tuna roll wrapped with Unagi and avocado, topped with Tobiko, Unagi sauce & Sesame Seeds. REALLY tasty. The TNT Roll is Shrimp Tempura and Crab roll topped with Ahi Poke and served with Unagi sauce and Agave Honey. The poke is seriously fantastic. Both are specialty rolls and live up to the tag line of âso big you could explodeâ â when ordering, budget about a specialty roll per person unless youâre really hungry. The kanpachi was vey good. The Hamachi was mind blowing⦠seriously fresh and like butter. We have been ruined until our next visit. We need to remember to order the Hamachi sashimi next time and come with a larger appetite. Good service, nice people. Prices are Hawaii prices⦠if youâre not expecting them youâll be shocked. This said, they are island-normal and not obscene given the size of the rolls.
Where to eat Polynesian food in Kihei: The Best Restaurants and Bars
1. Koiso Sushi Bar
Overall Ratings
4 based on 295 reviews
Reviewed By jwtripmaster
We are a family of sushi lovers from the NYC area and have eaten at many of the best sushi restaurants in the world. The sushi prepared by Hiro was fantastic. The fish was incredibly fresh and rice was excellent. The environment reminded me of a sushi counter in Tokyo (to call it low key would be an understatement!). I would eat at this place everyday - if I could get a reservation! It's a small place (10-12 seat counter + 1 table for 4 or 5) so definitely call for a reservation (I think they take reservations up to 30 days in advance). The lead waitress/hostess (who I assume is Hiro's wife), was very friendly.
