Aka Sushi

This is an excellent place to get sushi and other Japanese favorites such as Udon and Tempura. They have a wide variety of choices from hand rolls, to Nigiri. They also offer many vegetarian options. Vegans be warned, their cone sushi (Inari) has mayonnaise in it so it isn't a good choice. My family loves their tempura and their Miso soup. If you are in the Waimea area on the Big Island of Hawaii and are looking for a place to get some great Japanese cuisine, Aka Sushi will fit the bill. I highly recommend it!

A great little shop for take out sushi at a reasonable price. We tried the crab hand roll — this is just like the name implies— easy to eat with your hands like a wrap or a sandwich. We also tried the Spicy Scallop Roll, Fried Scallop Roll, Fried Oysters, Salmon Roll, and Spicy Salmon Bowl. We didn’t get this all at once, it was so good the first time that we went back the next day.

Best sushi on the island. We live in Waimea and we eat here about once a week if not more. Beautiful small restaurant with a great atmosphere and nice decor. Etsuko provides amazing service everytime we go & haruki provides some of the most amazing sushi we’ve had. (Perfect sushi rice everytime) highly recommend to anyone in Waimea or on the island.

This is a family owned business that has been a good place to get sushi in Waimea. The service is excellent and you can't beat the lunch combo with choice of rolls or nigiri plus a side for about $13 at the high end. I always get the seafood fries as my side which a mixture of tempura salmon, squid, and oyster. Their dining room has been closed due to covid.

Hidden gem in the heart of Waimea. We come here pretty often now and are always greeted with the best customer service. The sushi is bomb and some of my favorite on the island. Take out is amazing as well if you have a bigger party. The restaurant is small and great for a 2 person dinner vibe. Love the entire atmosphere here. Great spot if you’re looking for delicious, fresh, flavorful sushi!

Absolutely delicious scallop bowl(deep fried scallops my choice) sweet & tender. I didn’t count how many scallops but quite a few sat on top of rice w/ some type of yummy sauce drizzled on top. I ended up eating my bowl over a couple days and everything was still tasty. I will definitely eat there again. Nice staff person took our order. All takeout. We looked in some of the cute shops while waiting.

This has consistently been the best sushi I've ever had, year after year, since the first time I had it in 2013. Large pieces of fish in or on every roll. Lots of flavor. The fish seems to melt in your mouth. I will say that the rolls aren't the tightest and may fall apart, but the trade-off with flavor and portions is worth it. Even the basic tuna roll has huge pieces of fish and avocado.

This business has new ownership, as of March 2023 I believe. I loved the old Aka Sushi, and I’ve tried this place once since the new ownership took over and I was disappointed. The people who helped me were very friendly, but the food I tried was not good. I ordered one of their chirashi bowls, shrimp tempura, and the pickles. The chirashi bowl was one of the worst I’ve ever had. The rice had an off putting, overwhelming sour flavor to it (I know vinegar is used in sushi rice, so it should be a little sour, but this tasted like it was old or perhaps they just used way too much vinegar), and the raw fish was warm. To be fair, I ordered takeout, so maybe the fish warmed up during the transit time (I live 5 mins away, for context)? I thought the selection of fish was pretty good, but it was not very pleasant to eat it warm. The tempura was ok, but the shrimp was much smaller and the batter was more dense than the shrimp tempura from the old Aka sushi. The pickles were a disappointment compared to the old owner’s pickles. They were just roughly chopped, pickled cucumbers. When ordering pickles from the old Aka sushi, you got several different kinds (I think three or four?) and they were delicious. I feel conflicted comparing the new ownership’s food to the old owner’s food, but at the same time they probably should have changed the name of the business if they were concerned with comparison.

Fabulous food. Reasonably priced. Very nice service. The only downsides, no beer or sake and waiting outside to be let in. That said, will happily return.

This is a super tasty spot in Waimea! I have been here twice and I have to say the food and service is great! It just reopened so the owners are ironing out a couple things but they are nice people. The dishes that they serve are very flavorful. I got the vegetable udon and it was great. I highly recommend it. The last time I went I got the spicy ahi roll and it was superb. It was tasty and fresh tasting. The inside of the restaurant is clean and neat. The ambience is pretty mellow and quiet. If you are in the mood for a great spot check out Aka Sushi!

Had two bowls after new ownership and was absolutely delighted! Tasted fresh and was very beautifully done. Will be back again

This is permanently closed in spite of what Yelp/ Google maps show. CLOSED! A note says something about new ownership and possibly re-opening but...idk.

We had been moving all day and wanted to grab a quick bite. Have done take many times but wanted to sit down and eat. Arrived at 7:10 and they close at 8. We put our names on the sign in sheet behind a 3 some (there were 4 of us). We could see that a table might not open soon but they have seating at a sushi bar and a wall table which we would be happy with. My husband went up to ask if we could just sit at one of those areas since we could see the only available table would go to the 3 some. The woman was incredibly rude and said they weren't serving any more (and it was 7:15), then came out and apologized for the wait to the 3 some and seated them, leaving all the other seats empty. These new owners are rude and not friendly!! Be warned.

Best sushi! I've already been 3 times in the week, I cannot help myself. The staff is amazing and friendly. 10/10 recommend!

There is a new owner for this place but keep the original name. Udons are soooo good!!! Chirashi bowl is very fresh and everything tastes super good! 100% recommended!

Doesn't look like much from the outside, walked in to what looks like a small & quaint family owned restaurant with a mini bar at the opposite end of the restaurant. Greeted by the hostess instantly who sat us down and took our order. FYI you can BYOB Our eats for the evening: Sake & Unagi nigiri Shrimp Tempura Roll; Spicy Tuna Shrimp Tempura Roll; Real Crab Aka Roll Rice: it wasn't sticky enough because it was overcooked. I would have preferred the rice falling apart in my mouth, not as soon as I picked it up. We agreed, we were disappointed at the rice, especially when this restaurant was recommended by a lot of locals in Waimea-Honokaa. Topping: definitely sized to its proper portion, it was perfect and not too much Fish: doesn't smell like the fish market, good sign. It was served fresh, firm, color was inviting & bright to eat. Presentation of the sushi, very nice.. all in all, we did enjoy it but the only downfall was the rice falling apart too quickly. Shouldve used a spoon to eat the sushi, hah fr tho. I'll give it another try when I come back to Waimea because I did enjoy the freshness and firmness of the fish. Especially the spicy tuna... it was excellent.

Food was amazing. Chef knew how to cut fish. Great quality fish. Funky little strip mall! I'm not looking for fancy so this is a regular joint for me.

Love them! Everything is good! Favorite lunch place, usually order to go for lunch at the office. My favorites: Aka Roll, Unagi Bowl and Sashimi Salad.

Truly the best Take out food in Waimea aka Kamuela Town. The shrimp tempura roll is our family go to food- a must for take out only.

Absolutely fabulous place. Great food. Fish flown in from japan. Talented chef and friendly service. Not to be missed.

I wish there was something more to say, usually I go out of my way to write a funny Yelp review but I went with my friend John and we both agree that this was the best sushi on the entire island, possibly in the whole United States. The sushi guy was so friendly and seemed genuinely thrilled to make us our sushi. 5/5 stars for food, price and the thrill of meeting the wonderful owners.

Undoubtedly this is the best sushi I've ever had! (And this spans sushi experiences from Seattle, LA, and NYC at places such as Nobu, Sugarfish, and Nakazawa). This beats them in terms of freshness and quality alone. I had the shrimp tempura role with real crab, and this was the standout. The tempura was fresh made (I've never experienced fresh tempura in a roll actually) and it made such a difference. Best roll I've ever had. I also had the salmon avocado roll, loved how large the salmon chunks were and how tasty they were. Lastly I had their special of the day, Boston Uni (sea urchin) which was so tasty as well. Cannot recommend this place enough, now my #1 favorite sushi spot!!

Went once, tasted okay. Both myself and my friend were sick after eating the sushi - probably won't go back.

THE BEST SUSHI EVER... my mom got me sushi for after school and it was amazing. The portions are the perfect size and the flavors are so good. Highly recommend!

So fresh and delicious. Also still open and they made all the food so fast. The Sashimi bowl was excellent and the salmon was perfect.

Possibly the best Sushi in the Hawaiian Islands yet unassuming by the hole in the wall store space. Located conveniently in the KTA shopping Center in Kamuela (In between Hilo and Kona) on The Big Island of Hawaii. Counter and Table seating. The Owner/ Chef prepares all meal himself and his wife is the server as well as one helper in the kitchen. I had hot tea , Miso soup , a green salad with oriental dressing and a yellow fin tuna / avocado roll. Very delicious and the tab was just over $15. You can spend much less or obviously much more depending on how much you order. You can always take home what you don't finish if that be the case. The service was prompt, professional, polite and the food came quick and fresh. Although it was good I'll probably skip the green salad next time as it didn't go with the rest of my lunch. I highly recommend Aka sushi .

Starving and tired, we wandered into this joint as soon as it opened. However, they were already out of salmon (?), but were nice about it. We ordered a few rolls, and they came out quickly. The rolls themselves were pretty decent, if not very simple. We opted for the tried and true: regular tuna rolls, salmon skin, and something with roe on it (no imitation crab for us). While a little rice heavy, the fish was good quality. Pricing was about on par with other sushi places I've been to all over the country - $4-6 for simple one-fish maki, $8-12 for "special" maki, and $3-5 for two pieces of nigiri.

The best sushi you will ever try!! BY FAR!! This place is amazing. You can taste the freshness in every bite. I ordered the Shrimp Tempera roll, spicy tuna roll, unagi(eel) roll, and California roll. Shrimp Tempera Roll: The tempera batter stands out tremendously, bursting with rich flavors but not so overpowering that you are not able to taste a well seasoned shrimp. Imitation crab, avocado, and unagi sauce bring all the flavors together into a beautiful and very tasty dish. MUST TRY!! 5/5 Spicy Tuna Roll: Right off the bat I could tell this was going to be a winner. There was not even a hint of any fishy flavor. Their ahi taste really fresh and is seasoned/garnished well with green unions. Just the right amount of spiciness. 5/5 Unagi Roll: Melts in your mouth like butter. YUM!! The eel here is wonderful, they warm it and it comes with avocado and sauce on top. If you like eel, you will want to get this roll or the Unagi Bowl( My friends favorite). 5/5 California Roll: Comes with imitation crab and avocado. I recommend asking for a drizzle of spicy mayo( or a side). Roll taste great! 5/5 I am going back again today! :) Their food is so good!

I forgot to check I. While here but our experience was good but not awesome. Although the waitress was kind and working hard and fast there is quite a wait due to so many clients. I ordered the Rainbow sushi and the special California. Hubs ordered the tempura shrimp and tuna/avocado and spicy tuna. The sushi, albeit not spoiled by any means, just didn't have that super fresh taste/feel. There was the "fish taste" albeit slight. We prob wouldn't choose to eat here again but by no means are we suggestion others don't eat here. It is good just not our favorite.

Small sushi bar in the little town of Waimea. The owners are really nice and the menu has a great selection from nigiri, sushi rolls, udon, tempura and salad. The fried salmon skin salad with the Japanese dressing is the total bomb. Salmon skin is so crispy and tasty. For large groups, it's best to call for reservations.

We were just in Japan the month before, and Aka Sushi was on par with some of the spots we hit up there! Sushi...from the most inland spot on the island? Reluctant but tried it one night, and glad we did. The fish was fresh - flavor and texture were perfect. The rolls weren't heavy with rice to make them seem bigger as cheaper sushi restaurants do. The reasonably thin layer of rice around the rolls helped let us taste the ingredients in the rolls, rather than a bunch of rice. No filler here! Considering the quality you get, the price of the dishes was quite the bargain! Great, friendly staff. By far the best sushi I've had on Big Island!

I've been going to Aka Sushi for many many years and they always have incredible sushi! I always order the Aka Roll with ahi and avocado - Perfect and filling! Recommend you order in advance because they are always busy. Best sushi on the island!

Fresh, delicious sushi that is made with great care. Our family loves this place and friends from out of town went three times after discovering it.

My husband was craving Hamachi kama so we drove from Hilo the try it out. Just getting here during their business hours was an obstacle in itself. The Hamachi kama was a decent size. Service was a little slow. There was only one other couple when we got there and they had already put in their order. We may return for the Hamachi kama unless we find a place closer to home that serves it.

I will retaste the real crab hand roll in my dreams. Seriously it was so fresh and good. While the atmosphere isn't fancy, the fish is pretty good. Spicy tuna roll was nice and spicy, just the right size. Spider roll is great if you want a little bit of your roll fried. The green tea ice cream is decadent but you don't need to order more than 1 per 2 people lol! Good thing our dessert stomachs were empty. ;P

Loved it!!! We just spent $60. on dinner.What a deal! Great quality fish and rolls! Three of us with so much sushi that it was impossible to finish. 3 thumbs up!!

Very Disappointed . I had the California roll. No cucumber, imitation crab, and very sloppy roll. I did not mind the lack of friendliness, or the fearful Covid set up however I would have appreciated a heads up that they were out of cucumbers.

This place is a great little sushi place in Waimea. I love anything they make with avocado. A bit pricey if you order too much. Super delicious. Staff is really kind and prompt. They also have really good melon soda.

The girl wanted THAI food so i grabbed my ankles and went to the Thai place next door. But I snuck out and put a to go order in. They asked if i was eating next door. I said why yes. They explained they would deliver the sushi to the thai place next door. I was like really i have never had a restaurant deliver food to another restaurant. They explained that they are friends. So i ordered a fried scallop hand roll, tuna avocado hand roll and spicy tuna hand roll. They were divine. Holly sex in my mouth batman. This was excellent. Little sushi bar in a very quaint town in the Waimea highlands. BTW it was chilly i was not expecting it to be cold out.

Incredible food. Best on the island. Always fresh. Right price. Very high quality food.

I hardly get to eat here because theure closed on my days off......bht finally got to Have dinner there one night, and boyyyyyy...... I enjoyed/loved everyrhing there....... My ohana & I ate "everything" we ordered! The veggie tempura & uni is my favorite! And of course.... who doesn't love sashimi !?!

My hometown sushi spot! I actually used to work with Chef Mo about 10 years ago at Daniel Thiebaut's Restaurant. He quickly grew his name and everyone came in just for his sushi. Glad that him and his wife have had so much success in Waimea and wishing them many more years to come. I found my favorite "The 69 Roll" and now I'll never stray... I can honestly say no other sushi roll from anywhere has ever been as satisfying to me. It's not the most fancy but soooo delish!

Nice Sushi with plenty of fish. Service could use a touch of friendliness. Maybe it was not her day. The selection is great and prices are reasonable.

This couple knows "sushi". Their prices are a little more than the grocery stores (not much) but the quality and authenticity is incomparible. Ebi that has been cooked perfectly in a broth. The himachi truly melts in your mouth. And on. They know quality seafood and make everything on site. Bravo!

Small mom and pop restaurant the best and freshest sushi!! We are so lucky to have them here! the spicy salmon roll is my favorite, no wait-the salmon trio bowl is my favorite, no wait the shrimp tempura is my favorite, The miso soup is awesome too!

Yelp Challenge 365 # 99/365 Authentic sushi in paniolo country? They say seeing is believing. I say taste test! Fresh seafood for sure. Nigiri has a cute pad of rice (short grain, very very good) with a huge slice of frish. Their rolls were cute in size; I think just the right amount for taste of freshness and talent and the opportunity to try other varieties of rolls. Truthfully and if I were reviewing this restaurant on freshness alone, they deserve 5 stars but here's my take on the 1 star demerit 1) they charge for tea (usually a "give" in most sushi bars I've been to) 2) asked for a refill (refills are free) BUT we were told "it will take a few minutes because I have to heat some water.... now what sushi bar operates without hot water? 3) no oshibori (for the price they should have offered it like most authentic sushi places) 4) had to ask for refill on water too (and they weren't busy) Barring points 1-4 the place is great... service is okay and the best? sushi as authentic as you can get in PANIOLO country Yaa Hoo!!

Very fresh and good sushi rolls!!!!!! I was hesitant to enter because of the atmosphere but the atmosphere can be deceiving!! shrimp tempura rolls with avocado, spicy tuna was sooo good. We also had spicy yellow tail rolls and fried squid tentacles. Best shrimp tempura rolls that I had so far!! The shrimp was so tender, plump and not greasy!! Great friendly service!!

Been wanting to try Aka Sushi for some time now. My sister and I went in for dinner last night. The lady working welcomed and sat us quickly. We ordered the sashimi bowl, udon, shrimp tempura roll, garlic shrimp salad and an order of Ebi nigiri. The fish was very fresh and portions were generous. The sashimi bowl came with 4 slices each of hamachi, ahi and salmon plus imitation crab salad. The Ebi nigiri came with 3 shrimp on each rice. I've never seen so much shrimp on one nigiri. The salad was also amazing and had so much shrimp on it. The roll was sliced thin but very tasty. Prices are reasonable, service is quick and friendly, and you may bring in your own alcohol of choice. All in all, we had a great meal and we will definitely return to Aka Sushi. If you are in the Waimea area and they're open, it is a must try!!

Our last visit there, the service was a bit slower than usual, but the couple who own it are always extremely polite, and the food is always excellent! I recommend the salmon skin salad, and the bowls are very good too, but a most def is the sake and hamachi nigiri. Very nice! Pricing is fair (better than fair if you are tired of resort food), and the food is great! Just make sure you call before going up, as they will close when they feel it is appropriate.

I and my wife went this place, we both are completely disappointed. I went there based on the Yelp review and ordered whatever people praised about. We ordered sashimi, tempura udon and spicy tune roll with tempura shrimp. And later we added spicy tune bowl, because the volume of our initial order was not enough for two of us. First sashimi: four pieces for $12, but the portion was so small. It was very fresh. Spicy tune: I am not sure who in the world would say it is spicy. No taste. Tempura shrimp: nice size but does not come with crispy taste. Rice: It is most important part of Japanese cooking, but the rice I had humidity level was too high and the spicy tine bowl was difficult to mix. Overall, I am very disappointed with their meal and people who gave high score unless there has some change after their visit.

Came here on the recommendation of Lonely Planet's big island book and it did not disappoint! Great service and fantastic sushi!

Chef Mo is the real deal. Mo was trained in Japan and ran the sushi bar at Daniel Thiebault's Restaurant before setting out on his own as Aka Sushi. Mo's sushi is fresh and very reasonably priced. Our favorites are the Aka roll, a shrimp tempura roll topped with tuna, and the Spider roll, a deep fried soft shell crab roll. Aka sushi's new home has a nice atmosphere and friendly, attentive service. Aka Sushi is a local favorite and the best (and only) sushi restaurant in Waimea.

I visited this restaurant at lunchtime. Orderd multiple lunch menu. Fish itself was decent fresh but I don't like their mushed rice. And rice for sushi wasn't marinated. Won't visit again.

Love this place! It's super good and has great quality sushi, and it's always fresh. The take out time is a little long, but the wait is always worth it!! I highly recommend the Shrimp Tempura Roll!!

I got the full tempura shrimp sushi order. It came with battered tempura shrimp, avocado substitute for imitation crab, and added cucumber. I also ordered the minimum vegetable tempura order which came with three pieces if vegetables; zucchini, asparagus, and eggplant. Tempura was very very greasy and eating all of the greasy food I got made me a little uneasy. Other than that, I enjoyed eating it. It was also kind of expensive, but considering that's how much sushi restaurants cost it was normal. Probably will only go there once in a while. :)

Wow. This place is amazing. About 15-20 minutes away from Hapuna Prince Hotel in Kamuela where we were staying. Very low key but their fish are super fresh. I believe it's a husband and wife business. The server and cashier is the wife and husband is the chef, I assume. You can tell that they are new to business based off their simple website and look of their business but their service is incredible. It really broke my heart how genuine and sweet they were. They spoke understand and can speak English but I can tell it wasn't their forte. We tried their salmon bowl, yellow tail spicy hand roll and many of their appetizers. Best sushi I've ever had, hands down. Support their business! I know it doesn't look all that great but don't judge a book by its cover. You can tell they are working their tail off to make their business run but trust me, it's worth to visit them! They are always smiling and that's the best attitude you can have. I will visit again when I'm on the big island.

We live in Waimea and visited here for the first time. We placed our order which consisted of a Tempura bowl, Unagi roll, Shrimp Tempura Udon, and real crab roll. The first two items which came out was the ungai roll and what we thought was the crab roll. We began to eat both rolls, which were tasty. The waiter then brought another sushi roll. I asked him what is that, he said the real crab roll that we ordered. I then point to the first roll he brought with crab in it and asked him what that was. He said a Shrimp Tempura roll. I told him we didn't order that a shrimp tempura roll, I ordered a shrimp tempura udon. I explained to him that we started eating the first order because we thought it was the Real crab roll. The waiter said in a very sarcastic tone "I repeated your order. If this tempura roll is not what you ordered, then I'll just take it back." I said we want the udon. He again said "that's why I repeated your order." They eventually brought us a udon. At that point, I asked to speak to the manager. A young lady comes out and I explained to her that it was our first time there, the food is tasty but the waiters attitude was a huge turn off and we may not return as a result of him. I explained the issue and her response was "that's why we repeat the order." I explained to her, that maybe the waiter wrote down the order. She then said the same thing as the waiter, "If this is not what you ordered, then we will take it back. I tried to explain to the manager that its not about who was right or wrong, its about the waiters attitude. I told her this place has good food but we won't be back because of he bad service.

Heres what this place has going for it: cheap prices and variety. Unfortunately, this sushi joint lacked in execution and consistency. We ordered four rolls: spicy tuna, California, real crab, and the shrimp tempura roll with real crab. The spicy tuna was good, no complaints there. The California roll tasted like mayonnaise wrapped in nori. This was by far the worst California roll I've ever had, we couldn't even eat it. The real crab roll was eh... But at least we couldn't taste mayonnaise. The shrimp tempura was soggy and hardly had any shrimp in it. The rolls were poorly executed and lacked innovation. We were disappointed as the reviews looked good. I'd strongly recommend you try somewhere else. Service was good.