Dragon Kitchen Brown Rice Sushi

Hidden gem! Article mentioned this is a top 100 Sushi joint in the country — and I totally believe it! Best sushi place! Owners were super sweet and kind! Would come here many more times!! Kids loved the sushi! No frills in and out location.

My spicy ahi and avocado roll was winnahs. I had no idea the sushi was made with brown rice. The name flew over my head lol. I would recommend try it out if you are cruising around downtown hilo.

Perfectly mediocre. It wasn't great, it wasn't terrible. The restaurant is located inside the "food court". It's kind of a dumpy location, which I don't necessarily mind. Some of the best food I've had are in questionable locations. I got a small ahi and a small salmon roll. They said it would be a 20 min wait, which surprised me a little, considering the few patrons. It ended up being about 10-15 min. The rolls were very meh. I've had worse, and I've definitely had better. They were about $5 each, which is about all they're worth. While in the area, I also got a poke bowl from a little "LLC" around the corner. The poke bowl there was amazing.

Another great hole in the wall. The sushi and nigiri was all super fresh and prepared quickly for me and my wife today. The owners are extremely kind. Support another great local food spot and give them tons of love!

I love the owners, they're always so incredibly sweet, and they serve delicious food. I think the prices are very fair. They hand make each roll and I love eating here. They have plenty of veggies options!

Seriously the best sushi! It’s a bit of a hole in the wall, but don’t let that deter you. I got the sushi combo B, and it was amazing. We spent all of that night and the next day thinking about this sushi, and drove back to Hilo from Kona just to eat here again. Definitely worth it!

There wasn’t much for seating but the sushi was so yummy! The prices were unbeatable! In Colorado this tray would have costed us twice as much. Loved it definitely will go back.

Stopped in here for lunch, it's part of a 6 stall mini food court style building. Cannot beat the prices at this place. Between $2 and $4 for a basic 8 piece roll, up to $7 for the most expensive "special" roll, and $2 to $3 for a hand roll. All the sushi is made with brown rice and the fish to rice ratio is great for the price. If you're trying to grab the most high end fancy sushi dining experience this is not what you're looking for, but if you've got 20-30 minutes for a quick inexpensive sushi lunch this place is on point. Would definitely eat here again.

First ate here in 2012, it's still good in 2025! The sesame seeds on outside of the rolls was a nice additional flavor. Fresh natural ginger and strong shoyu is appreciated!!! Place closes at 3pm. Glad I was in town early today. Can't wait to return!

Wow what a wonderful hidden gem. You would never think that this little place would have some of the best sushi I tried on the island. Love that it's ran by just husband and wife. You can tell they love what they do. So many options and such fair prices for the quality. I had their spicy tuna poke and shrimp tempura roll. Really nice combo and portions. I would definitely come back next time I visit the big island!

Came past this place over a dozen times, Walked through. Never tried but I am happy I did. I had the cold soba noodles, the tekka maki , and cali roll. All server up quickly and with a smile on the faces of people making the food. Definitely going back to try more on the limited menu.

Been awhile since I came here but had to come back after reading they made the nations top 100 sushi spots! Super nice "mom and pop shop" located in downtown Hilo. Tucked away right next to the busy farmer's market. Parking: is always a bit of a struggle, especially on the weekends, but its well worth it. Drive around the block a few times and you should get lucky. If not there is a free big lot accross the street closer to the ocean side. You just have to cross the protected highway. Located in the back of a suite with other food shops. Food: They are unique in that they use brown rice as their starch for their sushi. Very straight forward, fresh, natural flavors. Going back I tried the warabi (a local wild fern). It was very good! A very mild flavor but an extremely unique firm but soft texture. My other favorite is any dish with shrimp. I absoultely love that their shrimp is sort of steamed vs fried. They also have shrimp tempura as an option if you personally prefer that. They offer straight forward rolls, nigiri, handrolls and bowls. Service: The worker's/owner's are very kind people. They make everything to order so please be patient. As a suggestion, just put your order in and hop next door to the market while they are preparing it. Side note: find the stall with the fresh coconut milk drink, perfect accompaniment! One small hitch is that I wish they offered the poke on the side because it looks so good in the poke bowl, but they couldn't make that accomodation. I would have been happy to pay at market price. Other than that they are great.

Excellent food! Get the Tempura Shrimp roll, cold soba salad, or the poke bowl! All handmade by owners. Great food and vibes.

Congratulations on being the only sushiya rated in the top 100 nationally on the Big Island in Yelp! You both deserve the honors. https://www.yelp.com/article/top-100-sushi-spots-2024

The food came out at an efficient rate despite ordering a lot. The quality and taste were definitely worth the time to find this place. While the food might not fill you, it won't empty your wallet either.

Closed sign when I got there, said open in website. Spent 20 minutes parking and still no lunch. This totally bites. Or it would of of of have gotten fed.

The sushi was really really good, the store is conveniently located in a food court with tables, and we got our food quickly after ordering!

Been coming here for years and it's the best sushi around! Nice people too! I wish they had a full -scale restaurant.

Great service and we called to place an order for pick up right before 3pm when they closed and they accommodated. I wish I could have tried the poke. I'd go back and try more things on the menu.

It's okay that it's tiny and cheaper ($13) than others but probably not for everyone.. you might still be hungry after this. The quality was good.

Found this gem of a sushi joint last month on our family trip to the big island. I have had sushi all over the world, worked in Japan, and had some of the finest sushi on the planet. This sushi blew my mind and ranks amongst the best I have ever had. My family was just as blown away and they have eaten a lot of good sushi. True traditional Japanese brown rice sushi from Hirosh and his wonderful wife. If you are in Hilo and want to get the best sushi on the island look no further. Prices were great. Don't come for the ambience, come for the pure sushi experience. Understated but world class. You can thank me later.

Decent food, good price, clean kitchen polite service! Come here after farmers market.

Seriously the best spicy tuna top I've ever had. Highly recommend anyone giving this place a try. The sushi chef is also a delight! Although the joint is located in a little food court, do not underestimate the quality.

every time im in hilo i make sure to visit here! they are always so nice! the food never disappoints! got the shimp tempura roll and soba salad, perfect for a sunny beach picnic.

Poke was nothing to rave about. I gave it 4 stars because the pricing is fair and the people are nice.

Food was five stars for sure Ambiance was like 4 - clean , has restroom, This was a great place to grab lunch - very fresh fish, yummy rolls Service was fast

Always a great meal here. Not really a place to relax at or eat in, but order and bring to the park or home. Awesome sushi, always delicious, not an extensive menu but just enough to enjoy. Tip: order early as they will close early if they run out! Strictly a lunch time only place, closes early at 3 pm.

Delicious sushi, fast and friendly service annnddd unbeatable price! Had the combo a, salmon roll and everything taste fresh.

Delicious and healthy sushi made with brown rice located in Hilo town near the Hilo Farmers Market. Prices are reasonable. Inside dining tables 6 ft apart are available. Had the inside Ahi Avocado roll and a couple of their specialty hand rolls.

This authentic Japanese owned sushi stand in a small food court right across from the beach has such great sushi, all served with brown rice. Nigiri, poke bowls, rolls all made with top quality sashimi that glistens and melts in your mouth. Don't miss this stop if you're visiting the Hilo area and farmers market.

Don't be dissuaded by the slightly dilapidated appearance! This place is DELICIOUS! Will definitely come back for more. The fish is very fresh and delicious. My fiancé and I were fighting about who was eating more. Definitely make a stop while in Hilo, even if only for an appetizer. :)

-Located in small food center -Grilled Salmon Avocado rolls were very dry and lacked flavor -Shrimp Tempura rolls were decent, but not out of the ordinary -Friend really enjoyed her hand roll! -Overall, quick service (tables nearby to sit and eat); decent sushi but would not go out of my way to eat here

Small shop with amazing quality and made by kind people. MUST HAVE!! The fish is very soft and fresh, good wasabi too.

Delicious, well priced, authentic mom and pop. Service is fast, the ambiance might not be for everyone but worked for me and there's an atm machine inside !

Wow !!! This was some of the best sushi I have ever eaten. The hand rolls were melt in your mouth good. The service was fantastic. It's all made to order so give yourself some time and enjoy this amazing food. Aloha

Fresh, low-priced sushi made by a chef in front of you, served in a small food court environment. Kind of fun. I wanted raw ahi prepared by a sushi chef, not some guy out of a cooler on the back of his van, roadside. Or some supermarket employee just hired last week. Okay? And so I came here for some delicious poke, ahi rolls, etc. It was inexpensive for the island, and the fish tasted so fresh and delicious. I think it was like $4.25 for 6 small tuna rolls. So I would aim for about 3 small rolls for a meal, or about $13. The poke bowls are small but filled with a lot of quality tuna. At $10, a bargain. My wife said it was surprisingly filling. I also ordered their $3 shitake mushroom roll, which I loved. Nothing fancy. If you are down at the farmer's market, keep this in mind. I personally think the best way to do this is to pick up take out, as the food comes ready to go with packets of soy and sticks, so I would get it and then drive to the falls and eat your sushi there, or go across the street to the water, or drive a few minutes to one of the waterside parks. Cheap fresh sushi that won't get you sick is priceless with those views!

Brown rice sushi? Weird flex, but okay. All joking aside, this place is delightful, awesome, and just terribly terribly wonderful. The food is extremely cheap compared to other sushi/fish places, even on the island, and it's amazing to see the 1-2 sushis chefs work on your order after you order. They clearly know what they're doing and it's awesome to see them work so passionately on your food. Everything is amazing but I love love loved the spicy ahi small rolls.

This is it! Authentic Japanese sushi made from an actual Japanese sushi chef! If you're looking for a good, fresh, and affordable sushi then look no further! I've been coming here for years and the quality have never change. My personal fav will have to be the salmon skin roll and the shrimp tempura roll!

Such a great hidden gem! Really nice owners serving delicious, fresh fish. Give it a try!

Most people would pass this place up after looking at the appearance, but I'm a strong believer of "don't judge a book on its cover". I've always been a fan on, "hidden gems" or "hole-in-the-wall" places. Found one in Hilo, Hawaii. So fresh! Dragon Kitchen 4.5/5 on Yelp with 181 reviews.

Best poke I've ever had!! The man who I believe is the owner was very kind and very hygienic, was wearing a mask, sanitized the card reader and all equipment between each customer, and gave us hand sanitizer after giving us our food. We watched him make our Poke fresh, and it was a great price for the amazing quality (~$10). I will definitely be coming back.

I love supporting little mom and pop stores and this is no exception. Their entire business is so pure I LOVE coming here. Food: ALWAYS spot on. All the ingredients are fresh and made right in front of you (behind their counter). So consistent and they take your requests into consideration since everything is made right there and then. My favorite is the shrimp tempura roll which I love with their fresh wasabi. Atmosphere: It's a like a hole in the wall place next to a bunch of other little food vendors. Kinda food court vibes but not sure if 4 food places could count as a food court. Basic Japanese decoration but very nice and clean. Service: Fast and friendly, my two favorite things when it comes to food. They are so authentic, I am fascinated when they write my order in Japanese.

Nice takeout sushi restaurant in downtown Hilo. Be sure to get there early, they actually run out of food by 3 pm (posted closing time is 4pm)

Great sushi, very affordable prices and such fresh fishes. The salad was also fantastic. Recommended!

Great spot for a food court style lunch in Hilo. We ordered a LOT of food including the ahi bowls, hand rolls and regular sushi rolls, and everything was yummy!

Amazingly tasty! This is one of the best sushi places I've been to and you can't beat the price. My favorite was the shrimp tempura was my favorite.

Ordered Philly roll, spicy tuna roll, shrimp roll, and California roll - They were all excellent. They also were very clean and followed CDC guidelines. Only recommendation I have is if they can change their plastic packaging to paper to reduce plastic waste.

Really low prices and high quality brown rice sushi! The seating area is small, but clean. It had high chairs, which was a good surprise. There's no ac so don't come here to cool down while you eat. It's cash only!!

Tucked away but worth finding! Much less expensive than other nearby poke options and just as tasty!

Located in a building with 4 or 5 other food vendors. It's a simple strait forward set up, the Sushi chef and a woman taking orders. I see mostly locals hitting this up for lunch, it;s super fast and really fresh. Everything is made to order and even when there3 were 2 or 3 people in front of me the food was ready in just a few minutes. There are tables in the food court style area where you can sit down, the ambiance is nothing special at all. It's clean but it's not a sit down restaurant. The sushi is all inexpensive, a really good deal by my standards compared to what I usually pay in San Francisco. I really like the simplicity. He uses brown rice for everything and it is delicious. This is a great place to stop and pick up some sushi on the way to Rainbow Falls or any place you can have a picnic. We had 2 rolls, some sashimi and 3 hand rolls. It came to less than $25. You really can't beat the value and the freshness that this guy has to offer.

Tiny little place to get great sushi located inside a food court in Hilo. There is street parking on the outside. The place is located inside the food court so it's hard to find from the outside. This place is CASH ONLY! And make sure to give a nice tip to the chef. When we went, he was the lone man working the register and making the delicious sushi. He was so nice and helpful! The rolls are very affordable (most under $5 per roll). There is a small, but good selection of rolls, nigiri and hand rolls. We tried the ahi and salmon nigiri; tempura roll; ahi and avocado roll; philly roll; salmon avo roll; a philly hand roll; and a salmon avo hand roll. The fish was super fresh and the brown rice worked well with the fish. They also offer poke bowls. Make sure to go for delicious rolls and support the small shop. You will leave feeling very happy!

Family owned very good FRESH hand rolled outside sushi rolls. They were very friendly. Don't judge a book by its cover go in and try them out!

Thank you yelpers! We were guided by your reviews and this is probably the best meal we've had in Hawaii. Price is excellent and food was excellent. First time I've had brown rice sushi and it was very good...I had the soba salad with peanut sauce which was the most expensive thing on the menu $7...I also had a spicy tuna hand roll and a spicy tuna brown rice roll. The wife had veggie sushi roll and we shared the soba salad. $20 including tip was awesome! Must go!

Excellent sushi and ahi poke bowl. In a great location near the water. Quick and friendly service. Great place!

I can't believe there is anyone who would rate this place anything less than 5 stars! The ambiance is questionable, but the sushi itself is mind-blowing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ok, it is worth all the hype! ! We had a Ahi Philadelphia roll, spicy cucumber roll, ahi avacado roll, and a California roll. The suishi chef uses brown rice which normally would cost more but here is how the rolls are made. Flavor was great on all the rolls, Philadelphia roll was full of flavor and followed by a slight buttery taste because of the cream cheese. The spicy cucumber roll had just enough spice but not to much to overpower the ahi. The ahi avacado had a wonderful fresh avacado flavor with a huge piece of ahi. Finally, the California roll was average for California rolls but with brown rice, elevating the flavor. The shop is very small and the chef made all the rolls as we waited he was fast and very friendly. There is plenty of parking in the front of the resteraunt. Facilities are a community style for many shops and weren't the best, but that is not the resteraunts fault when many patrons from different places.

This sushi spot is a GEM!! Fresh fish, amazing handrolls, brown rice sushi and suuper cheap prices. Run by gracious local owners.