Hukilau

This is a great food spot with plenty of seating. They also have a bar with delicious cocktail options. I recommend the garlic chicken as it was very tasty and something I would get again. It was fried well so that it has a crunch but it wasn’t hard, and the sauce was sweet and savory and wasn’t overpowering. Portions are a good size too. I was able to have the lunch and have some leftovers for later. I had the lava flow as my drink and it was quite good and def had some alcohol in it. Size was great as well. They have seating in the front and a larger eating area in the back. They close after lunch (2pm) then reopen for dinner service (5pm). I went here with a group of 8 and there was a 30 min wait only because it seemed like there was a soccer team that came here for lunch. Otherwise I think we would’ve gotten seated rather quickly. Parking is only street parking and could be hard to find depending what day and time you go. I went here Saturday 1pm and got parking a block over. The service here was excellent and the waiters were attentive and made sure we were taken care of. We were also able to split the bill 7 ways which was awesome. Vibes are very relaxed and chill. Music wasn’t so loud when we’re eating and bathrooms were clean. I would definitely come back here for the garlic chicken and to try new food!

This place is a hidden gem. We don't often eat in San Jose, but this one you can NOT miss!! They have authentic Hawaiian food. It reminded me of being back in Hawaii. It looks small on the outside, but it's pretty big on the inside. When you enter the first room, it has a typical bar and seating area. They have a bigger room in the back for parties or just additional seating area. When we went, they had a party going on in the front and the back. I think it was a bday party, they were definitely having fun. We decided to place our order to go. We ordered: 1. Hukilau pupu platter - spam musubi, garlic wings, and fried shrimp. The spam musubi was your standard that we all know. Nothing special. Garlic wings were ok, I kinda felt like it had the adobo kind of taste to it. The fried shrimp was tasty and huge. 2. Hukilau ribeye steak (medium)- Cooked perfectly and is well seasoned. It was a thick slice and so juicy. Rice was perfectly cooked, and the mac salad was smacking. 3. Da Hawaiian Luau plate - You can never go wrong with the classic pork lau lau, kalua pork, and an added bonus lomi lomi salmon. The portion was massive but delicious. I had ordered all rice, and we still managed to run out of rice. 4. Loco moco - huge burger patties but were well seasoned. It was moist and flavorful. Next time, I'm going to ask for extra gravy. For that extra smothering comfort food goodness. Iykyk. 5. Hukilau fried rice - very rare, do you go to a Hawaiian restaurant, and they serve fried rice. We had to try, and it was amazing. They had huge chunks of Portuguese sausage and lots of aloha. This could definitely be a meal on its own. 6. Fried Saimin - The noodles were good, but the dish was salty, IMO. I'm not sure if it's from the Portuguese sausage and spam or what. This was one dish I would skip next time. 7. Mac salad - I ordered extra, and it was definitely worth it. 8. " Big Island Candies" Macadamia Nut Brownie Sundae - I was looking forward to this, but I guess with my huge order, it was missed. 9. Hukilau Tea - This is tasty and refreshing, definitely a creeper. You gotta take it easy with this one. 10. Hukilau punch - This was a little sweet for me but good. I like that it was blue. This was a lot of food for two people, but I had to create my little sampler so I know what to get next time and what to avoid. Surprisingly, the food was still amazing the next day. Even the rice is rare. It was still soft and wasn't hard the next day like other places. The drinks were amazing. The people who helped me showed a lot of aloha and made me feel so welcome. Even if they were busy with the party, they took the time to answer my questions. My order was cooked fresh and was ready in no time. I can't wait to come back soon. Hopefully, try the dessert as well... It was hard to double-check my order with the massive heavy-duty bag I was handed and with the crowd... I figured everything was there.

They have the nicest poke servings, especially the appetizers that they have. Their fried rice and noodles were good, including fries are the crispy and tasty ones! Service is very neat and attentive. It’s definitely a small restaurant but it’s cozy, despite it being kind of dark but I am wondering if its to set a mood. Overall, this was my want-to-go places and I’m glad to try it out! I forgot to mention, their poke chips are the BEST!! *chef’s kiss*

Wonderful experience here. Got a poke bowl and my partner got the Loco Moco, both of which were delicious and reasonably priced. The food came out quick, and our server Corey was so friendly and on it!

Fantastic food, fantastic service, and an atmosphere that left a little to be desired. The building was easily missable, and the dimly entryway made it seem like it was closed. However, the food and service more than made up for an underwhelming dining area. The waiter was very knowledgeable and gave his own personal recommendations as well as popular choices for things to try - so that we would get the most bang for our buck. We all shared the Hukilau Pupu Platter, and we chose the popcorn chicken, fried shrimp, and Portuguese sausage. We also added some Spam Musubi. By far, the popcorn chicken was the best appetizer that we tried! For my entree, I chose the (grilled) Mahi Mahi plate, and it was delicious! I have also added pictures of what my family ordered: the combo plate with chicken and teriyaki beef, the Hukilau Fried Rice, the Loco Moco, and the Poke Bowl with Ahi Tuna. I highly recommend checking this place out!

I ordered their Loco Moco combo where you could choose two meats - I chose loco moco and grilled chicken. It came with rice, gravy, and macaroni salad on the side. My boyfriend ordered the chicken katsu and we shared a Spam musubi. The prices were reasonable and the portion of food was huge, it left us feeling full and satisfied. I liked the decor of the restaurant and the food was quick to arrive. When I asked the waitress questions about some food on the menu, though, she looked unsure.

I love Hawaiian food and I have been craving it lately. My cousins @jedijoey10 @hello_xtine invited their friend @alesandnails and Mr to enjoy a meal at @hukilau_sanjose. We got the Kalua Pork Cheese Fries to share, it was so yummy! The pork was seasoned perfectly and the fries were extra crispy. I want to say the twice fried it. We all got our own entrée, Hukilau Poke Dinner, Loco Moco with beef patties, Aloha Chicken Adobo, and Spicy Fish Tacos. The food portions were huge and generous! Every thing was tasty and authentic. They also has a Hawaiian Tiki Bar special on drinks for Happy Hour for 50% off. The drinks were strong and sweet, which were really good. Definitely coming back here for more food. 📍Hukilau on Jackson St. in Japantown of San Jose, CA. 🌺🎴 @hukilau_sanjose

Came here on a busy Sunday afternoon during Japanese cherry blossom festival, so there was a 30 minute after ordering to receive our food. Beef teriyaki was well seasoned, although the chicken was seared too much. The only suggestion would be to offer some side veggies for a balanced meal.

I've ordered takeout from Hukilau about three times now, but I still have yet to dine in. Located in Japantown, parking can be a bit tricky, especially during rush hours. I usually call ahead to place my order, and by the time I arrive, the food is ready for pickup. It's super convenient, and since I live only half a mile away & it's a quick six-minute drive, it's become a go-to dinner spot. We always get the garlic chicken, along with one or two entrée plates, which comes with a side of mac salad and rice. I've tried substituting fried rice for an extra charge ($2.50) before, but I didn't find it worth it. However, I really like the mac salad on the side. The chicken katsu is definitely a favorite, while the short ribs, though thick, could use a bit more flavor. Overall, I enjoy the food and will definitely keep ordering from here when I'm too lazy to cook.

Came to check out hukilau because me and my husband were craving some good poke in San Jose. It took some time for them to acknowledge us as we walked in and it felt like we were standing at the counter for 5 minutes until anyone even said anything to us. We ordered to go. Spicy salmon and shoyu ahi poke were both lacking in flavour. The ahi had a slight fishy taste to it but it felt like both poke were not seasoned enough. The spicy salmon was honestly not spicy at all, fish quality wasn't bad but it just felt like everything was lacking. Both the salmon and the ahi came out to 16$ each for what seemed like 1/2 lb. Kahlua pork quesadilla was good! However because of how juicy the meat is it made the tortilla soggy really quickly. Maybe not a good Togo dish. If you specifically want poke, I recommend aloha express across the street which had much better poke.

Went during Obon. Took a while to get our order out and even longer to get our food. That being said the food is always hits the spot. A SJ staple.

Everything was just alright here. The restaurant itself has kind of a "wet/damp" smell that threw me off. All the food was semi cold, even the chicken and edamame. I liked the spam musubi, and generally love Mac salad but it had a LOT of mayo and filled me up super fast.

I'm not sure why this place has less than 4 stars, I honestly really enjoyed the food here! The staff are super friendly and accommodating both for dine in AND take out! The vibes are what you'd expect in a family style restaurant. Portions are HUGE so definitely come hungry or ready to share! I LOVED the loco moco, probably my favorite dish here!

Clam ramen was buttery and very miso-y. Was disappointed in the lack of veggies, was just noodles, clams (HUGE and tough) and green onions for $20. The beef patty loco moco was well received and the sauce was great with the rice, still not enough veggies. We got seated right away and the waiters were really nice. It came out to be $50 after taxes and tip. Inside smelled funky but it was nice seeing all the Hawaiian motifs.

The Spicy Salmon Poke Dinner was quite good here. It had a great sauce, and the onions were a nice add. The rice and macaroni salad were a good add. The Spam Musubi was also a nice add. The service was fast and responsive. And the ambiance was appropriately themed.

This place is amazing and if you haven't been, you need to get over and check it out ASAP. We went on a mission to try as much as possible, so we ordered a mixed 2 poke appetizer, spam musubis, Hukilau fried rice with egg, Kalua pork cheese quesadilla, and a Combo plate with loco moco and chicken katsu. Everything was great and portions were large. Prices were very reasonable for what we got. With all of that + tax and tip, we got out of there for under $100, and had loads of leftovers - 3 almost full boxes to be exact. While everything was pretty damn good, my personal favorites were the Kalua pork cheese quesadilla (a mind blowing quesadilla experience tbh) and the poke. I'd absolutely get these again, but I'd also get everything else again. Metered street parking is available in the area, I had to circle and park a little further away, but the area is nice and and it was fun to walk by the other shops and restaurants.

3.5 stars, rounded up I came with a couple coworkers on Friday for lunch. We arrived a little before noon and lucked out with street metered parking across the street from the restaurant. This is located in Japantown. I ordered the Poke Dinner with Ahi, Tako, and Salmon ($23) and I enjoyed my meal. Authentic Hawaiian poke. However, my only critique is that it only comes with one scoop of Mac salad and only one scoop of rice.. Other than that, service (I think our server's name was Santo) was friendly and the restaurant was clean.

Wow - this place was phenomenal! I'm not sure if I got lucky on a week night but there were lots of parking options just a quick walk away. This place is fairly small and is mostly no frills. They have a ton of fruity, tiki-style cocktails to choose from. There isn't a ton of seating available but it wasn't busy. I got a poke combo plate with rice, masubi, and Mac salad and it was absolutely phenomenal! It hit the spot and was plenty of food. This place was highly underrated and a great find!

I stopped by for the first time around lunchtime on a Sunday. It was tough to choose what to order because the menu has so many options. Two of us ended up splitting a spam musubi ($4) and a Hawaiian luau plate ($21). This was actually a lot of food for two people and could probably be easily split between three people. Sometimes the way a restaurant prepares their rice could make or break your dining experience. The rice at Hukilau was cooked perfectly and helped make both the spam musubi and luau plate shine! Each grain was cooked thoroughly but still had a nice chew. The rice soaked up the teriyaki sauce in the musubi and acted as a great accompaniment to the various meats in the luau plate. I enjoyed every part of the luau plate but my favorite was the lomi lomi salmon. It was a simple dish but so refreshing to eat! The mac salad was soft and creamy, the kalua pork was savory and tender, and the pork lau lau was earthy and fatty in the best possible way. The servers were kind and attentive. I could see how this place could have a completely different vibe at night, but for the daytime it is an excellent spot for lunch!

#taste - 5/5 #portion size - 4/5 #service - n/a #value - 4/5 #recommendation(s) - get the garlic popcorn chicken! Really flavorful and decent portion size. #tip - parking can be limited due to street parking so consider doing takeout. #like - in addition to the popcorn chicken, I also enjoyed the short ribs. The size is good and the meat is tender. #dislike - not a dislike of the food but I felt the portion of the mac salad was small so I wish the entrees would come with bigger servings. #suggestion - the fried rice could be more flavorful

One of my favorite places to come! Prices are reasonable & food is ALWAYS so tasteful. My new favorite dish is the garlic chicken. The chicken is so crispy & the garlic sauce is so flavorful. Most places don't have a good Mac salad, but Hukilau's Mac is one that doesn't disappoint. Portion sizes are big & I always leave with leftovers.

This place is a hidden gem. We don't often eat in San Jose, but this one you can NOT miss!! They have authentic Hawaiian food. It reminded me of being back in Hawaii. It looks small on the outside, but it's pretty big on the inside. When you enter the first room, it has a typical bar and seating area. They have a bigger room in the back for parties or just additional seating area. When we went, they had a party going on in the front and the back. I think it was a bday party, they were definitely having fun. We decided to place our order to go. We ordered: 1. Hukilau pupu platter - spam musubi, garlic wings, and fried shrimp. The spam musubi was your standard that we all know. Nothing special. Garlic wings were ok, I kinda felt like it had the adobo kind of taste to it. The fried shrimp was tasty and huge. 2. Hukilau ribeye steak (medium)- Cooked perfectly and is well seasoned. It was a thick slice and so juicy. Rice was perfectly cooked, and the mac salad was smacking. 3. Da Hawaiian Luau plate - You can never go wrong with the classic pork lau lau, kalua pork, and an added bonus lomi lomi salmon. The portion was massive but delicious. I had ordered all rice, and we still managed to run out of rice. 4. Loco moco - huge burger patties but were well seasoned. It was moist and flavorful. Next time, I'm going to ask for extra gravy. For that extra smothering comfort food goodness. Iykyk. 5. Hukilau fried rice - very rare, do you go to a Hawaiian restaurant, and they serve fried rice. We had to try, and it was amazing. They had huge chunks of Portuguese sausage and lots of aloha. This could definitely be a meal on its own. 6. Fried Saimin - The noodles were good, but the dish was salty, IMO. I'm not sure if it's from the Portuguese sausage and spam or what. This was one dish I would skip next time. 7. Mac salad - I ordered extra, and it was definitely worth it. 8. " Big Island Candies" Macadamia Nut Brownie Sundae - I was looking forward to this, but I guess with my huge order, it was missed. 9. Hukilau Tea - This is tasty and refreshing, definitely a creeper. You gotta take it easy with this one. 10. Hukilau punch - This was a little sweet for me but good. I like that it was blue. This was a lot of food for two people, but I had to create my little sampler so I know what to get next time and what to avoid. Surprisingly, the food was still amazing the next day. Even the rice is rare. It was still soft and wasn't hard the next day like other places. The drinks were amazing. The people who helped me showed a lot of aloha and made me feel so welcome. Even if they were busy with the party, they took the time to answer my questions. My order was cooked fresh and was ready in no time. I can't wait to come back soon. Hopefully, try the dessert as well... It was hard to double-check my order with the massive heavy-duty bag I was handed and with the crowd... I figured everything was there.

I swear u did a review for them already, but if you're in Jtown, you have to get lunch or dinner here! Their food is delicious and has a refreshing taste and speedy service with the amazing community aspect.... As well as that cool relaxing Aloha vibe! I loved their mahi-mahi sandwich which is fresh and has no MSG in it! Hee. Perfect for me and my annoying food allergies! Hee

First impression was nothing special but the food speaks for itself. Interesting layout as most of the seating is in the very back and the front of the restaurant is the bar. Did not expect this place to have a full cocktail menu but they do. We didn't get any drinks but they sounded delicious and had such fun names. I will definitely come back to try! You can judge a Hawaiian place very well based off their Mac salad and I thought it was good but needed a little something. Kalua cabbage had a good ratio of cabbage to pork, not too salty. Garlic chicken was well sauced, good flavor. Katsu chicken was perfectly breaded. Overall satisfied and would return.

I came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was great! We were seated right away and there are QR codes at each of the tables for the menu. I ordered the Loco Moco with Burger Patties because I really enjoyed trying it when I went to Hawaii. The food was ready in about 8-10 minutes and it looked really yummy (and it most definitely was!). The staff were super nice and brought us water and asked us periodically how the meal was going. I'll definitely be coming back here again to try their other items!

Came here again this past weekend & really enjoyed myself. The food was great, service was amazing & they kept the drinks coming. Loved the atmosphere- it's been years since I've been back but it felt nice to come back to a familiar spot after so many years & still enjoy it. We had the poke & garlic chicken, yum!

I used to get food here often in high school but I don't remember it being this bad. Not only is everything crazy expensive but it also tastes bad. It makes me so sad because I was feeling nostalgic. The poke is sooooo overly salted... are they trying to hide something? I usually complain about everything being bland because I love my sodium, but dang, their poke is even too much for me. The loco moco party was dry and unseasoned. And then the egg made me so sad. I expected a runny overeasy egg but I got a cold over medium egg. The sesame chicken in my combo plate was the only thing I actually liked from our meal which cost over $100. The spam musubi has the smallest slice of spam I've ever seen from a Hawaiian spot. It's obvious they don't slice across the long ways of the spam can. They slice a small sliver from the side lol. Cheap and didn't even taste good. The kalua pork fries may have been my least favorite item. I used to always get this back in the day so I was beyond disappointed. The fries were cold and soggy and the meat was dry and stringy. There was no sauce or seasoning. Just cold solidified cheese. Couldn't have done a drizzle of spicy mayo or something? It was so dry it was hard to swallow. So sad that this was my first time visiting in many years and 100% my last time!

I must say for the food Portion and taste, I give it two thumbs up. Super delicious and grrst value for the price per plate. Service: Our initial waitress was so so as I kept trying to get her attention, unsuccessful but the second person who did help me was very friendly and asked if we needed anything else.

The waitress was amazinggggg with her service and recommendations of food (Loco Moko) If she sees this my insta is @isaaccvasquezz

The layout of this restaurant is kinda funky, but the food is anything but! When you walk in, staff is friendly and greets you immediately. We were able to also get seated really quickly in the back room. We ordered the mahi mahi, garlic chicken, and poke appetizer. Everything was really tasty and I'm glad the fish was not overcooked. Staff was also attentive and made sure we always had water on deck. A great place to grab a bite in Japantown!

Still good, but wasn't as pleased with the food this time. The Loco moco was good but the adobo chicken was dry. Kalua pork needed cabbage to listen it up too. Shirt rib and chicken katsu were great. Service is always good here; super friendly.

Oh my stars! This place is fantastic tried the chicken katsu first time, just ordered moco loco and musubi's! Everything I've ordered is fantastic. Pretty rad food. The spam is crispy a bit and sliced in half on the musubi's. The pineapple tea is so freaking fresh! Felt like that scene in brides maid's with the drink. definitely my new favorite place! This place is magical!

A taste of Hawaii at home. Had spam musubi and the mixed plates. Excellent food, and honestly if you miss island food this is one of the few non fast food (L&L type) places to hit up.

The only dine for Hawaiian food in the South Bay. Pretty authentic if I do say so myself. Big portions. I do love myself a good Hawaiian take out, but this place is nice if you ever wanted to have a sit down and service. Even better located in Japan Town so you have other places to explore afterwards or for some delicious shaved ice just next door. They definitely extended room from last time I went. Friendly service but they also kinda rush you out. Immediately we were handed our check but it wasn't even busy. We were fully done, but just decided to scurry off after haha. But I do enjoy it !

First timer here at Hukilau! I originally requested for the shrimp and oyster plate but unfortunately they were out of oysters so i opted for all shrimp... I also requested to get 2 macs and 1 rice instead of the reverse (2 rice 1 mac) because I loveeee mac! The workers here were super accomodating about the dish which was nice. As for the seating, we were a table of 6, sitting in the back of the restaurant. The front of the restaurant looks like a bar area. The drinks do look good from this place but will have to try another time! The shrimp was cooked to perfection. The red sauce that it came with was just okay in my opinion, a little too tangy. Did go well with the shrimp. Overall would like to visit again and get a combo of loco moco and a chicken katsu! Great prices and service.

A friend and I were out in Japantown and stopped in here for a drink and appetizer before dinner at Sushi Maru. We each got a lychee martini (they have plain flavor and guava also) and we loved them! Since it was a weekend evening, they had a special grill setup outside which smelled amazingly good. We resisted the urge since we were about to have dinner - but I did get the most delicious rice ball which was simple but so good. I don't recall too much about the staff working that evening, but I remember them as being friendly!

I have only door dashed this restaurant. That was still very good. Lychee Martini - 2/5 nothing great about it Coconut Martini - 4/5 very great! Combo plate: Mac Salad - 5/5 amazing! FAR better than other places Garlic Chicken - 4/5 Could have more sauce, but great bite sizes and flavor Fried Mahi Mahi - 1/5 skip this. No flavor. Fried Rice - 2/5 I should have kept with the regular rice I came in at 12:30 and did not get my food until 1:30. Tables came and went. My server was super nice and let me know what happened. For a kitchen mix up, I was offered a free drink. One star off for the prices. $14 a martini is a bit expensive.

I've been wanting to try Hukilau for a while and I loved the vibes here. The interior is nicely decorated and is pretty spacious. it was busy on a Saturday afternoon, but we were promptly seated. My friend and I shared a combo plate and Kalua pork cheese fries. The loco moco was delicious and the chicken katsu was crispy. The grilled salmon was cooked perfectly and was still very juicy. One thing that threw me off was the noodles that came with it; I would have preferred a full plate of rice, but nevertheless, the proteins were great. The Kalua pork fries were okay, but my friend suggested that we add salsa to it, and that really elevated the fries. I wouldn't have liked it as much without the salsa. Service was average; we received our food within a reasonable amount of time. My friend and I couldn't even finish the dishes, so we brought the rest home as an extra meal! I love the generous portions and would definitely come back with friends.

Always a pleasure coming to the Huke! We've been coming here for over 20 years now and it never disappoints. It's so much a part of Japantown's community that we make every effort coming here, whether for lunch or taking our friends here for dinner. EVERYTHING here tastes good. My go to dishes include the sesame chicken, the adobo chicken is perfectly cooked where the meat falls off the bone. Their Loco Moco is hearty and from time to time I get the poke bowl with masubi on the side. Perfect place for large parties and the service is fast!

We've been coming to Hukilau for years. I remember when they first opened up and they were the only place to get good quality, fresh poke. They still are! Back then, it was tuna, tofu, and occasionally salmon. Spam Musubi: A grilled slice of teriyaki glazed spam wrapped with rice and nori. Simply heaven! All Entrees: Served with mac salad & 2 scoops of white rice (Add $2.50 for fried rice). The mac salad is creamy and delicious. Sesame Chicken: Tender morsels of chicken thighs lightly battered and fried, then tossed in their special teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds. This is my go-to dish. Once I tried it, I was hooked. Loco Moco (Burger patties, Chicken katsu, Beef teriyaki, Spam, or Kalua pork): Your choice of meat layered on a bed of steamed rice, topped with two fried eggs and covered with delicious brown gravy. Usually, I just get the beef patties. It's a hearty dish and good if you have a big appetite. Kalua Cabbage: A large portion of Hawaiian-style slow-roasted pork, stir-fried with cabbage. Good, smoky, and savory. The cabbage helps absorb some of the saltiness of the pork. The service is friendly, helpful, and attentive.

I was craving Hawaiian food, and this place didn't disappoint! It feels like the big brother version of Ono and L&L. I ordered the luau plate, which came with pork lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, kalua pork, rice, and mac salad. I really enjoyed the flavor of the pork lau lau wrapped in leaves, although the pork itself was a bit tough. I wished there was more salmon in the lomi lomi salmon--it's like a salmon salsa. However, the kalua pork was wonderfully smoky and tender! The mac salad was super dense and creamy. Overall, it's a great dish to try if you want a little bit of everything.

First time here and we had a really nice experience! As you walk in you have the option to sit in the front or back of the restaurant and we opted for the front table tops for a nice dinner night. Customer service is really attentive and they check on you regularly as well as the awesome bartender in the front. Food wise, we got the short rib and sesame chicken combo with fried shrimp and fried oysters. The fried shrimp and oysters come with both rice and Mac salad! The fried shrimp and fried oysters were just breaded and fried and it was kind of plain but the tartar sauce really helps. Sesame chicken and buffalo wings were decent, didn't blow my mind but wasn't bad at all either and I'd probably get the wings again for sure. The BEST part was the garlic fries and short ribs! I can't express how delicious those short ribs were and that's the item we'll be coming back for. Drinks are also a nice touch and I enjoyed them alongside the meal. The drinks are very pricey so that'll run up your bill if you get a few drinks but I will say, 1 drink is already worth it because it's a decent amount of alcohol! Overall I loved the vibes here with the music and service and I'm excited to come back and try other items in the menu real soon!

Ordered to go. Service was very quick and they very kindly gave us an extra order of spam musubi. Portions were very big and food tasted really good. The meat was so tender and flavorful. Would definitely come here again!

One of the better Hawaiian places in the area with very reasonable pricing. I'm a big fan of the fried shrimp and the pork chops and tend to order them often, as well as the loco moco

We went to Nikkei Matsuri in SJ, Japantown over the weekend (4/23/23). For lunch, it was my time going to Hukilai and I was very satisfied with the generous portions and awesome service. I have missed good Hawaiian food since I went to Hawaii last year. This did not disappoint and just solid overall because of the freshness and good flavors. Their mai tai is nice and refreshing when it's hot out. The service was awesome too. I had the combo plate with loco moco and chicken katsu.

$15 Bottomless Mimosas on Sundays! Looking for the perfect chill spot with great food and even better vibes? This place has it all. The servers are super attentive, and the music transported me straight back home. Growing up in Hawaii but being from the Bay Area, it gave me all the feels. Found this gem on Instagram, and let me tell you it's a 10/10. Let's make this spot poppin'! Don't miss out! The service made it 10x better. Thank you!!!!

So ono! Food hits the spot after being away from the islands! Staff is friendly. Chill vibez inside. So glad I finally got to eat here!

Every Japanese restaurant I wanted to try within walking distance was closed on a Sunday so we just walked down Jackson Street in Japantown and randomly stumbled upon Hukilau, which serves Hawaiian food with a Japanese influence. The customer service was good. Interior is simple and dated. Tried their poke bowls. The fish was fresh but sauce was slightly salty since it was soy based. The portions were perfect.

The place is a nice, small intimate environment. Felt very traditional. The service was pretty quick and we got food in a jiffy. The loco moco made my heart jump. It was so good I could not stop eating. I have had such horrible experiences with loco moco and this place redeemed it.

Service and staff were incredible. Great for large party! They handled our 20 people without an error Food was good.

Love the home-y Hawaiian feel. Like eating a meal at aunties house. Everything we ordered was so tasty! The kids loved their loco moco and spam musubis. We got the combo plate with katsu and chicken. Everything was delicious and we'll definitely be coming back! Everyone was very friendly. Service was pretty quick also.

I had an excellent experience with their catering food and service. I ordered party trays over email and got prompt responses. We picked up the food at the agreed upon time. What we ordered: half size Kalua Pork, half size Chicken Katy's, half size macaroni salad, full size fried rice and 12 musubi cut into 3rds. We received so many great comments at the party with people enjoying the food. The choices we made was more than enough for 20 adults and 10 kids. It would probably have fed 30 adults no problem. I would definitely recommend them for your next event.

My boyfriend found Hukilau on Yelp and we spontaneously decided to go since we were both craving Hawaiian food. It's located in Japantown so parking is limited to metered street parking. I believe parking is free after 6pm on weekdays and all day Sunday. As soon as we got in, we were seated quickly. For a Friday night, it wasn't very busy. They have a large seating area in the back and a bar area in the front of the restaurant. The food and service was great and things came out the kitchen fast. The portion sizes were a lot bigger than I had expected. We had ordered: - Spam Musubi (3/5): This was a decent spam musubi. Definitely what I had expected it to taste like, but I wasn't blown away. - Combo - Chicken Katsu & Short Ribs (4.5/5): The combos do come with 1 scoop of Mac salad and 2 scoops of rice. The mac salad hit the spot! So delicious and creamy and definitely wanted more. They gave not 1 slice but 2 slices of short ribs along with some noodles. It was so soft and chewy. Just melts in your mouth. The chicken katsu was also really good! Very crispy but I wasn't too big of a fan of the sauce they served with it. - Combo: Loco Moco and Ginger Fried Chicken: I tried a piece of my boyfriend's ginger fried chicken and highly recommend getting it! The waitress had recommended it and she was right! It was super crunchy and flavorful. - Hawaiian Burrito (4.5/5) : Loaded with Kalua Pork & was so big, the size of my forearm. They did not skimp out on the Kalua pork. Easily shareable between 2 people if you don't eat a lot. There were so many things on the menu that sounded delicious and I was definitely eating with my eyes and my stomach. Can't wait to try the Kalua pork nachos next time!

$22 for cabbage, rice and mac? This has been our go-to restaurant when we crave Hawaiian food, but as their prices keep going up and quality going down, we do not think we will be coming back or recommending it anymore.

This place is a hidden gem. Though we don't usually dine in San Jose, this spot is a must-visit! Their authentic Hawaiian food took me right back to Hawaii.

Let's just say that the food was something that makes me want to come back to. The chicken Katsu & ribeye Steak gave my taste buds a whole different experience leaving me with joy.

Great place if you're craving comfort food and some drinks. Location: This restaurant is located in SJ Japan town. If you park on the main street, it's meter parking. But you can potentially find some free parking on the side streets. They have plenty of indoor seating and they always play Hawaiian music in the background. Food: I am personally, a big fan of Portuguese sausage, mostly because it's a childhood memory, so I am a big fan of their Portuguese sausage fried rice. I also like to get a fried egg on top with a side of more Portuguese sausage. Their loco moco is also pretty good. I will say most of their food is fast food tasting rather than a restaurant. Service: The service here is great and the food comes out fast. Overall, Hukilau is a great pick-me-up food. And one of the only places I know where you can get Portuguese sausage.