Fumi's Kitchen

If you find yourself in Kailua-Kona craving a bowl of hot, comforting, slurp-worthy noodles, let me save you the trouble of searching—Fumi’s Kitchen is the spot. It’s the kind of local gem where you walk in, take one deep breath of that rich broth in the air, and immediately know you made the right choice. Let’s talk about the saimen first. The broth is light yet flavorful, packed with that umami goodness that makes you wonder if the chef secretly has a cauldron in the back. The noodles? Springy, chewy, and soaking up all that delicious broth like they were born for this. Add in the classic toppings—green onions, kamaboko (fish cake), char siu—and you’ve got a bowl of Hawaiian perfection. And then there’s the udon. Thick, bouncy udon noodles swimming in a deep, rich broth that somehow feels both hearty and light at the same time. The atmosphere is casual, the service is warm, and the food makes you want to move to the islands permanently.

Amazing tempura fries so delicious! We wished we had ordered more! Staff was really friendly. It really seemed like most of the people in there were locals. It’s behind the strip where most of the shops are and it doesn’t have a big sign outside. We almost passed by it. Good amount of food for the price. We all left full. It was cool inside with multiple fans going and an ac unit. Good mix of island food and American food. Full bar. Very clean and nice bathroom available for customers. The women’s is inside, the men’s is outside and you’ll have to ask a staff member for the door code.

In a town full of tourist food, Fumi's kitchen is the opposite - healthy, clean, wholesome meals can be found here for the tired tourist and locals alike. I realllllly enjoyed the chicken dish.

It is a family-run restaurant. It was a bit difficult as the lady who was serving us did not speak English. Mostly it was just showing her the menu and sign language. She was polite and friendly We wanted to try some Japanese food. We ordered tempura, teriyaki eel. We truly enjoyed the food. Could have been good if we had some knowledge about the food.

Went in & had lunch. Place was quiet_cozy_clean n spacious. The server was super friendly. We got to sit ourselves, we picked a booth seating. The menu was simple and clear. Ice tea and Stella Artois was choice of drink. Ordered, pork chop shrimp tempura tray. Yumm E. Miso soup and all the fixings. Also on the mop session_ Fried Ahi_ Shrimp tempura, also an Awêsomê meal. Dessert was the Chantilly cake with vanilla ice cream. Go and try, however, if a lite eater, try the A la Carte menu its quite pricey if you eat lite.

Very mediocre food. Tried to stick to something simple, but got super oily noodles. Some BBQ undertones. We had a reservation elsewhere and the place was suddenly closed. If you don’t ever eat Asian food, maybe fine, but very blah.

We called about a month out for a reservation for 40people and they said no problem. At the restaurant, took our kids orders first then the adults and considering we nearly took over their restaurant, things went very smoothly. Everyone enjoyed the pupus and entrees and the prices were reasonable. The staff was very accommodating and nice. Highly recommend supporting this small business!

Incredible service! We didn’t know what to order, our waitress suggested the clams and the surf and turf. She was so right! 10,000 stars for this amazing place!!

If you find yourself in Kailua-Kona craving a bowl of hot, comforting, slurp-worthy noodles, let me save you the trouble of searching--Fumi's Kitchen is the spot. It's the kind of local gem where you walk in, take one deep breath of that rich broth in the air, and immediately know you made the right choice. Let's talk about the saimen first. The broth is light yet flavorful, packed with that umami goodness that makes you wonder if the chef secretly has a cauldron in the back. The noodles? Springy, chewy, and soaking up all that delicious broth like they were born for this. Add in the classic toppings--green onions, kamaboko (fish cake), char siu--and you've got a bowl of Hawaiian perfection. And then there's the udon. Thick, bouncy udon noodles swimming in a deep, rich broth that somehow feels both hearty and light at the same time. The atmosphere is casual, the service is warm, and the food makes you want to move to the islands permanently.

Outstanding teriyaki! My husband got a teriyaki skewer, a yakitori skewer, and tempura fries. All tender and delicious, and made a good portion. I had the teriyaki plate and all the small sides were tasty companions to beef that melts in your mouth.

Absolutely love Fumi's. By far one of my favorite restaurants on Big Island and definitely the best Japanese/Korean/local grinds spot in Kona. Chef Ron is a legend and so full of aloha. Big mahalos for all you do for the community

Wow, I hadn't realized my first review is 10 years old! Time for an update: Fumi's is still serving excellent food. I had the tempura/pork chop combo and it was excellent; the pork chop lean and tender and everything tasted great. My wife had tempura and don buri and loved it. It was uncrowded on a Saturday at 6 pm which surprised me, but it is April and the whole parking situation downtown has a lot of locals avoiding downtown. I think a lot of people don't know that parking in the lot there is free! My only complaint was I wish that my ice cold Cliff IPA had been in a bottle, not a can. Totally changes the taste. Minor detail and I almost deducted a star because of it. Our server Aloha was a sweetheart and our meal came out quickly. We'll definitely be back soon. Mahalo.

3.5 stars for our to-go order. We felt like eating at our AirBnB, so we called up Fumi's and placed an order. We ordered two different noodle dishes (I forget what they were). Their parking lot had plenty of room for a fast and easy pickup. Mine was pretty good, while the wife's was fairly blah. Each of them was quite big and filling (we thought it was going to be too much for us, but to our surprise we each ate nearly all of ours). Back on the mainland we've definitely had better, and we've definitely had worse. The type of place I could take or leave.

Stopped in at Fumi's Restaurant. I believe the owner is the son or grandson of Teshima's Restaurant. So the menu has similarities. Lot's of free parking in back. The restaurant looks more of a bar type style with tables inside and a beautiful outdoor seating. We ordered a variety of food. We had the Panko Crusted Pork Chop and Shrimp Tempura, Chicken Yakitori and Shrimp Tempura, Mahimahi Sandwich, Pork Sukiyaki and Shrimp Tempura, Teshima Bento, and some other items. Very easy review to sum up. Everyone loved what they ordered and said the taste was superb. My Sukiyaki was cooked perfectly with the right texture and semi sweet soy taste. The Shrimp was big and tasty and the tempura sauce was excellent. Service was incredible even when the restaurant were getting full. We had a great experience there and looking forward for my next visit.

Couldn't love this place more. Cute little spot with very good service and a menu with lots of options. I had the Shiso Clams served with toast points $22 and my honey had the teriyaki ribeye $40 and added a lobster tail for $12..... both were delicious and we would order again. This is a reasonably priced restaurant in a sea of expensive Hawaiian restaurants..... check it out!

Amazing!! I had the Panko Pork Chops with rice and shrimp tempura! So delicious. This place is super cuter and welcoming. Everyone is so sweet and made sure all of their customers were happy and taken care of. Loved hearing all of the customers laughing and enjoying themselves at the bar and others while having dinner. Definitely a must go to in Kona!

FOOD IS #AKSHEN !! First time here. Recommend by my Family that lives in Kona. Parking is FREE in the open lot behind the Restaurant. We found out they are related to another one of our Favorite Restaurants in Kealakekua (Teshima's) So glad we could support the same Family. We were seated on a long table as we had 10 people. The server took our beverage order as we looked over the menu. We ordered a bunch of items and ate Family Style. Everything was delicious but my favorite was the Creamy Clams! The Kaua'i Shrimp Scampi was delicious too. The Oysters were very Fresh and served with a Ponzu Sauce. Their Yakisoba had all kinds of Goodies in it. Some of our group ordered the Pork Chops that is quit popular. One guy order Kim Chee Soup and enjoyed it. We went there twice while we were visiting. Food is Awesome! We had the best service from Nicole and Booboo. Mahalo for a wonderful experience both nights. We'll definitely be back again!!

Another place that thankfully doesn't have a long wait time in downtown Kona. Was greeted nicely when I walked in + sanitized + seated really quickly. The server was really nice when she came by but the service did feel a little slow/ we did have a hard time waving her down sometimes even though it wasn't that busy. Beef sukiyaki: The beef was tough it, was pretty hard to chew through it -- 3/5 Nabeyaki udon: Pretty underwhelming from what I'm used to. Didn't really contain an assortment of seafood as Nabeyaki udon traditionally does-- 3/5 Yakiudon chicken: this was pretty salty I definitely was reaching for my water while eating this but was still a pretty hefty portion size which I liked & I was starving Overall an ok dining experience. Nothing to wow at but I would come here if I was hungry and didn't want to wait at other places.

One of the few things open past 9 pm on this side of town, but keep in mind that their menu options are pretty limited after 9 pm. We ended up here because the first dinner we had was not particularly filling, and because it was open much later than everything around it. We were not disappointed. We ordered the Chicken Yakitori bowl off the post-9 pm menu, and it was a little bit on the pricier end. However, when we got the food, it was piping hot and absolutely delicious. The meat was well grilled and seasoned, and although the portion size itself was rather small, I thought it tasted super yummy, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It would also be nice if they did serve the items in a sturdier container, as the paper bowl and foil combination that the food was served in was really hard to carry (got really hot).

My family of 5 ate here during the week. Every thing we ordered had great taste but the service from the ladies was the best! They were attentive and kind. We had a range of the menu, from the combination plate, bento box, salmon, and clams. We would have gone back for another dinner, but wanted to try other local eateries. I'll always recommend to eat off the main tourist areas.

My udon came out way overcooked and immediately I was able to taste the chemical smell from likely the tap water in the broth. It was way overpriced ~$16 for udon with a few pieces of cabbage and one egg. My husband ordered sukiyaki. It didn't look nor did it taste like it. It was heavily seasoned beef with pieces of carrot and clear noodles. No tofu or green vegetables or the raw egg sauce like how it's known. Again way overpriced at $21 for poorly cooked dish. I should've know not to go into eat when they were advertising $44 prime rib dinner as their special. That doesn't sound like something a Japanese restaurant would do... I didn't see anyone order around us. service was mediocre.

I'm honestly sad that I have to do this, but tonight was absolutely TERRIBLE. We come to Fumi's often as it's always great food, great service, and a great time. So this review is not about Fumi's entirely but i'm not sure we'll ever be back. Samantha, our waiter, should not be employed there. She lacks decent costumer service and that says a lot! She rolled eyes, gave attitude, had no enthusiasm when interacting and "didn't care" ; her words, about it all when confronted. & "neither do they" (her bosses), she also stated. Mind you all of this happened in front of Mama San. Besides all of that, she was on her phone most of the time & obviously did not want to be there. If you don't like your job, quit and find something else.

Nice local spot for some good food. Appears to be off the radar for the tourist. Good Hawaiian style food at a good price. Is a bar like setting. Service came with a smile.

All meals tasted like teriyaki sauce. Kinda run down in side. Looks like it is more of an after hours dive bar.

Tried Fumi's as we were hungry and looking for something to eat at 10pm which around this area food options are very limited. As we entered Fumi's, we weren't recognized until a few minutes where they let us know they only had their limited late night bowls (9pm-12pm). Honestly, I didn't expect much since I saw the other customers eating in silence. We ordered all 4 menu items on their limited menu: chicken yakitori, beef teri, pork chop and ono bowl. For 6 bowls, the total came out to be $90 which was too expensive given the portion size and quality of meat. We did take out and the meals came in paper bowls wrapped in foil. We were disappointed as the bowl consisted of mainly rice and there were only a few pieces of meat. The ono bowl literally had two almost bite sized fish. All in all, due to the poor service and high prices, I would not come back. I would recommend saving your money and time going somewhere else.

I'm kind of picky when it comes to choosing a dinner restaurant so since I can't afford to go out to eat I usually go to Fumi's Kitchen. Why you may ask? It's simple, I love the menu and the tempura is to die for from the shrimp to the fries I can't get enough. If you just want a burger and fries they got it. If you want ramen they got that to, oyaku don, ribeye steak, and steamed crab it's on the menu. My favorite appetizers are the grilled miso eggplant and the steamed clams with the yummiest sauce ever. So if you're in Kona and can't find a place to have dinner I highly recommend Fumi's.

If you love Japanese food...this is the place to go, I highly recommend!! We love going here for family dinners and private parties. I enjoy their vegetable & shrimp tempura! Here is my last visit for Chicken Yakitori and tempura....It is nearby Outback Steakhouse or a close walk from Gypsy gelato for dessert .

Service: Good! Food: Good! Price: Overpriced Portions: served in small portions Atmosphere: great music playing while eating, service was great, food was definitely good but the price does NOT match the food portion. It didnt stop us from having a good time tho. Hopefully the price or portions will be adjusted in the future. Dinner is from 6 to 9pm, after 9pm is karaoke! Bartenders are great! They have good heavy hands lol We enjoyed our time here! Its a small chill place so I wouldn't know how it be if it was packed but so far its a mellow place to enjoy dinner and have a little karaoke session after 9pm.

Friendly and attentive service. Very clean restrooms. Food was nothing spectacular, but has that home-cooked meal taste.

Fumis has great outdoor seating and nice meal options. Staff is friendly, and our server was very engaged with my nephew who's in a phase of saying "mahalo" to everyone...all the time. They offer a little bit of everything for a good balance

Good food, good location, nice atmosphere. My Yakiudon was delish with miso and pickled veggies. If we return to Kona we will definitely eat at FK again.

3.5/5 We ended up here as they were the only ones open late at night after coming back from our drive from the summit. Food was good, service was really great but it is quite pricey.

My wife ordered the udon with pork, which we both tasted. Nothing to write home about. Really...the noodles can't compete with those at any one of dozens of other restaurants in town. I made a HUGE mistake of ordering the sweet and sour pork....I just had a hankering for what I used to have in China when I lived there. Wow...was I ever disgusted: the pork was way too fatty - huge layers of fat - for that dish, and was soft, with no crispiness whatsoever. But, the main issue I have is with the sauce. Whatever it was, it's not sweet and sour sauce. I could only eat about half of the dish before pushing it away. The server came and got it and apologized, and when it was time for the bill, said I was getting a discount because of my dislike of the food. They discounted the bill a little more than five dollars. So, not only was the food mediocre (the udon with pork) or much worse (the 'sweet and sour' pork), the restaurant management is cheap, too. I didn't ask for a discount, and would've paid the full price. But, five dollars? That's adding insult to injury. My recommendation? Run, run away.

Thanks Ron my bento and sashimi that I had the other night was as always. Amazing!!!! Mahalo from the bottom of my heart

Fumi's is a great place for local Asian food and highly recommend it! Lots of choices of Japanese and Korean options that are so good!

Probably the most disappointing dining experience I've had in a decade. The food was terrible and the service even worse. The fish burger made McDonalds Fish o Filet seem luxurious in comparison. The fish was maybe 1.5 ounces (maybe half or a third of the patty size of Filet o Fish) and bland. There was absolutely no sauce it was the driest burger I've had in my life. We also politely asked the waitress to check in on our food after 45 mins and she gave us extreme attitude about "oh if you just would have given me two minutes, your food would be here. In fact, we accidentally gave your food to the table next to you thirty seconds ago." First of all, I don't think that it's ridiculous to check in on your food 45 mins later. Second, how on earth are they going to remake my food in 2 minutes?! Will never be back and if you want to remain in an aloha state of mind, stay away! Oh and by the way, the table next to us with a different server said they had "a bad experience to say the least". They refused to bring the guy a soup spoon and to use a teaspoon because they were too busy and were adamant that they ordered a fish burger.

So we knew it was a tourist trap, but even that didn't prepare us for the poor level of service in this place. The saimin was tasty, but, it took 45 minutes to arrive. The waitress scoffed at me when I asked her about it, and when it did arrive they neglected to provide me a spoon to eat it with. It was the sort of experience where asking for more water seems like a chore to the waitress. This was the lowlight of our trip. I really wish that it was better because it is in a great location.

We were in Kona and were craving local food one night and decided on Fumi's Kitchen. Made reservations but we didn't need it, the restaurant was half full at 6:30 but eventually filled up later. I have to understand that being from Oahu I have to be more patient when dining on the other islands, things move slower. My server was the also bartender so when the bar got busier we were neglected for a while. My wife and I had a beer then waited for our order. She had the saimin with a BBQ stick, it came with it, and I, on the recommendation of our server/bartender, ordered the crispy pork chops. There were no condiments on the table and she didn't ask what condiments we needed so my pork chops arrived with no ketchup, or katsu sauce or shoyu. Us locals need something to make the pork wet. It was a little dry but still good. My wife liked her saimin but thought her BBQ stick was too sweet. It was a generous stick and I had no problem finishing it. I would probably return for another meal here. We signaled our server/bartender, who was at the bar tending to the customers, that we would like the check. She nodded and 15 minutes later we asked the other server fore our check. Like I said, life is slower on the outer islands, have patience.

Great sushi spot! The prices were great and the sushi was fresh. It's a quaint and quiet place, great for a date night.

Found this restaurant on Yelp while visiting the big island. Upon arrival we noticed that this establishment was well liked by the locals because all tables inside had been reserved. All the food we ordered (ie chicken yakitori plate, grilled ahi plate, saimin and yakitori skewers) was very flavorful and had good portions. We had Cat as our waitress and she was very friendly and attentive. We missed out on having the green tea cheesecake, which Cat mentioned was made specially by the owner of the restaurant. Overall a positive dining experience.

This was a random place for us. First of all servers were extremely friendly and accommodating. Unfortunately the food was not good and expensive. I don't mind paying but I have to enjoy the food. I was actually surprised how bland the the food were

this place is a bit tucked away in the overall plaza but it's such a gem. quiet calm ambiance, extremely friendly server. food was delicious and alcohol was dangerously good. definitely would visit again!

SAVE your TIME and MONEY and eat somewhere else. Food took 1 HOUR to get served. Our appetizers came with our entree. First entree served and we still didn't have cutlery. They forgot our toss salad completely. The PRICES are horrendous for what you get. Its a shame they are even affiliated with Teshima's. All this is happening while Ron, the owner, is sitting there at a table enjoying himself with a big group. Dude, your restaurant is in shambles. Get up and help your cooks. Food should not take that long to be served. Especially saimin, which was the last thing to come out. Never eating here again!

When the area's other restaurants had a long wait, we were grateful that Fumi's had a table available for us. Our server was VERY nice as well. We were happy that outside tables were an option since the inside had a funny smell and funky vibe. As for the food, it was hit or miss. Like the other reviewers noted, the food is overpriced for what you get. I did enjoy the beef teri sandwich I ordered, but I didn't appreciate that I was charged $2 more for it than was listed on the menu. Another item that we ordered was also upcharged $2. $4 isn't enough to complain about, but it certainly isn't a great business practice.

If you're looking for a hot meal after 10pm, look no further! After a late evening in the mountains we were nervous we'd have to go to bed hungry in quiet Kona, but Fumi's came to our rescue. A great late night variety, staff was friendly, and they've got karaoke if you're feeling funky!

We'll prepared food Traditional Japanese food Quality Chef is very meticulous Fantastic job Definitely will visit over & over again

Man... never again. The delicious food served here does not justify the nonsense that happened in the restaurant. We waited an hour to get food with zero check ups. I understand when things happen in a restaurant and you're short handed but if you're using that as the excuse at least get in the kitchen and help or check up on the customers sitting there waiting for the food. The waitress we had must have been new because she messed up the other waitresses order and dropped food at the wrong table. She also didn't bring me hot sauce til I was basically finished with my meal.... like what a time to remember. Everyone has their bad days but we all won't be returning. They also claimed to run out of edamame so we never got any but the table who sat 10 minutes AFTER us received some. So we had to be without because OUR waitress forgot. Last dinner on Kona was a disaster.

Another saimin craving. Definitely better than Zippy's, but not as good as Tanaka Saimin on Nimitz Hwy., Palace Saimin in Kalihi, or Hamura's on Kauai. The dashi could have been developed longer to bring out more umami. Nonetheless, was one ono saimin. Convenient choice and worth the price if I have the same craving and don't want to travel too far from home. What sealed the deal for me for the entire meal was the yakitori. I am still contemplating the price, but don't want to grumble because it was flavorful, juicy, and had enough texture that I ordered a second portion. I am optimistic that this review will turn into five stars after a night of karaoke. Chef Ow definitely has something great going on here and I am looking forward to updating this review. Fumi's also had a decently priced surf and turf option on the menu, but I didn't feel boujee enough to spend that kind of money. The service was great, but the place needs a little brightening up. Perhaps get rid of the carpet?

It was the first time here and the food and service was really excellent. The pork chop and shrimp tempura was really good...and also the yaki tori stick. I should have gotten a few of those to go for a snack.

The worst service is ignoring your customers at the door. I walked in and waited 5 minutes and still was not recognized. I asked to be served and I was told that they were not taking anymore orders. Wtf. Why dont you tell me that when You met eye contact with me 10 times before while I stood here patiently. Mind blowing the type of service this place has.

We sat for 30 minutes and never got our drink order or food order taken. We walked across the way and went to raised in a wok.

Waited for 30 minutes to be seated and all we got was sorry we'll have to clean a table before you can eat. And while there were clearly many tables that were clean already we waited for another 10 minutes and all of the staff just sat and cleaned cups and talked. We left after waiting for too long and never even saw the food. Btw staff were wearing masks under their chins.

Got table right away, great service, food prepared quickly, generous serving size, food above average but not outstanding. Overall solid and would visit again sometime.

Meh! Food is nothing special at all and the service is terrible. No eye contact or checking in on us. No thanks!

Incredible food, great service. Indoor or outdoor dining was nice rain or shine. A definite stop on our next visit to Kona.

Had a nice cold Stella Artois. We ordered the Tempura fries to start I ordered the pork chops and shrimp tempura. All those extra side dishes comesnwith was awesome. Daughter ordered Grilled Ahi. She enjoyes every bit. Then she ordered the MudPie. O yummers. The server was kind and knowledgeable about the menu.

Expensive pricing for small portions and mediocre food. A glass of POG with half of it being ice was $8. That's a pretty big ripoff. Good service for the most part and the ambiance was good.