Restaurant Miwa

Great tucked away spot for a peaceful and delicious meal. The service was impeccable and so friendly. We had a great meal and at the end of the dinner hot tea was served. Can’t wait to go back!

If you're into Classical Japanese dishes, this place is worth checking out. They offer a variety of traditional options, and we tried the Chirashi Sushi along with a Dinner featuring Fried Fish, Chicken Katsu, and Pork Shogayaki. The food overall was good, with everything tasting fresh. However, our experience was hindered by slow service – we had to wait quite a while for our dishes and any additional requests. On a positive note, the green tea dessert was a tasty end to our meal.

A nice quiet place to eat with family and friends. Excellent service for reasonable prices. I had some kind of coconut cheesecake that was divine. Highly recommend. We got lucky because oxtails were today's special.

Excellent Japanese food. Lunch special for $17.95 (February, 2022) includes choice of 2 protein, rice, miso soup, green tea, salad, seaweed, and cabbage. Most in a bento box. Friendly service. Could be difficult to find but well worth it.

In my opinion, this restaurant holds the Trophy as the place which is truly Bonafide, for my favorite fish: "NITSUKO BUTTERFISH"! It literally melts in your mouth! Place is always clean, and calm ambiance. Leigh was wonderful; Chef behind Sushi bar friendly, and the other customers classy. Mahalo for being in Hilo, Restaurant Miwa owners!

The service is always great and the food is delicious. The fried pork belly is one of my favorites. Definitely recommend.

This restaurant offers a more traditional Japanese meal. I enjoyed every minute, and found that the food was excellent. It was quickly prepared and the server was able to refill our drinks promptly. I definitely reccomend the miso, and if that dosen't satiate your hunger there many different options to enjoy!

I love restaurant Miwa. I always make it a point to head there when I am back in town. Everything on their menu is delicious and their customer service is always on point. I highly recommend!

Sevices and Meals are the best in Japanese cuisine. It's Aloha from the time you get there until you leave. Great variety for prices these days. Highly recommend and appreciation for their business.

Located in the Hilo Shopping Center towards the backside of the building. Lots of parking shared with many other businesses in the center. I had the Special Ox Tali soup which was on the bland side and the vegetables were over cooked and mushy, the oxtail meat was fall off the bone. The niigiri uni and tataki aki was not that good the uni wasn't sweet and fresh and the Ahi lacked the texture. The pork tofu was okay. The service was good and friendly and the restroom was clean, inside decor was nice. You can charge

First time at Miwa. It is one of the best local Japanese restaurants in Hilo. Extremely friendly staff. All the options you would like is familiar with Japanese cuisine. Nice simple decorations and layout. My new favorite when in Hilo.

It's hard to compare their fish to Japan, but I thought their fish was pretty fresh. I'm not sure if it was just flown in, but it was fresh enough for me. The uni was really fresh. I believe Hilo has a lot of uni so I think it's local uni. Their other fish wasn't the freshest I've eaten. The restaurant is clean, but not modern. The service was good. Their coconut pie was delicious!

Cute little restaurant that's a little hidden! Different types of combos, plates, and sushi to choose from. Combo plate also came with miso soup and seaweed.

Came here on a Friday around 6pm. Luckily we made a reservation because the wait was near an hour. Service was really good and they let us know that sushi orders would take a while so get it in early before and cooked items. Sushi order took about 30 minutes to fill and the pieces were fresh (salmon, toro, hamachi). Also got the three item combo which could have come with bigger proportions but the food was good. Service throughout the night was solid. Ambiance is quiet but very busy between 6-7pm then it got empty real quick.

We went recently with a larger party of people -- we like it because it's a nice, quiet atmosphere to enjoy each other's company. I ordered the 2-choice combination plate with chicken katsu and tempura. I love their hijiki that comes with the meal. The chicken katsu was just ok -- pounded thin so it was a little on the drier side. Adding to the dryness, they also forgot to bring out more than one katsu sauce (even after asking twice) so we had to share one sauce dish for two people's chicken katsu. The chicken katsu portion is also verrry small...even smaller than I remember. The tempura is always a favorite of mine and always so light and fried to perfection. I know it's tough in this economy, but I feel like each time I revisit this restaurant the portions are smaller and the prices are higher. We also had a larger party, so it's a little more excusable, but the service could have been better. The waiters did completely forget many of our requests (e.g. never bringing out a second serving of katsu sauce for the second chicken katsu dish, never bringing a soup spoon for a bowl of yosenabe, etc.). Overall, it was a pleasant lunch, but not sure how often I'd return.

We were looking for some comfort food on a Sunday evening and stumbled upon Restaurant Miwa. The service is a little laid back which can be nice but since we were hungry, it was a little frustrating. We ordered the spicy ahi roll, Philadelphia roll, and 2 combo plates. The vegetable tempura was tasty as was the miso soup and pickled cabbage. I was a little disappointed at the size of the sushi rolls. Since they were $12 each, I anticipated them being a little larger. The Philadelphia roll was exactly as I expected, delicious. The spicy ahi wasn't very spicy, as the name had suggested. It may be assumed that another sushi chef may be needed since we over heard our server informing customers that they were not taking any more sushi orders because the chef was backed up The customer service was on point, glasses were constantly filled and hot tea served right on time! Workers were very friendly

Service and food was exceptional, had a business dinner and food was authentic and delicious. Fish selection and preparation of meals was done professionally. Chef came by to our table and I was able to ask him questions on preparation for specific dish he prepared, he was very detailed explaining and was passionate how he prepared the meals. Reservations recommended. Would definitely visit again and indulge in other selection. Keep up the amazing dishes.

Good food, but very pricey. I guess they want to squeeze every last shekel out of you. Don't leave a tip. Just like in Japan!!! Regards Beau Toichi

The best Japanese food in Hilo. Very friendly staff. Never had a bad experience in the 30 plus years I've been coming here. Love this place!

Saba shiiyoyaki 4 Was tasty a hood bite for lunch today Service zzz no complaints Just a quiet place

Even though it's tucked in the back of a simple mall, it's really nice inside and you get the feeling that this is going to be some authentic food. Which it was. I had the spicy tuna roll, which had an unusual flavor because they use chili oil. Really tasty. I also had the chargrilled salmon which was a special of the day. It was slightly crunchy on the outside and so moist on the inside. It was the best fish I had during my time in Hilo. Everyone else in my group really enjoyed their food, which included the oxtail soup and the curry pork if you can't decide the combination, Bento boxes are a great way to go. That's what most of the people in my group had.

Miwa is our go to place in Hilo. Food and drinks quality is always top notch and the workers are always pleasant and accommodating. Whatever should be hot is hot and whatever should be cold is ice cold!!

Friendly family owned restaurant. Always delicious tasty and satisfying my Asian palate 100%. This Gem has served us here in Hilo from the late "80"s, one of the few to have survived due to their hospitality and the nostalgic atmosphere.

Had dinner at this Japanese restaurant located in the Hilo Shopping center. Restaurant Miwa nice small Japanese dinning room with a sushi bar . Prices are reasonable and the taste was good and the portions not too bad. I had their 3 choice Shrimp Tempura, Beef Teriyaki, Chicken Katsu. It came with Miso soup and cabbage. I also ordered their Shrimp Roll a little small compared to most sushi bars . Overall 4 star review next time I'm in Hilo I'll be back . Support local

Average Japanese restaurant in Hilo Shopping Center. Tempura teishoku was pretty generous and breading was thin but crunchy. My daughter really enjoyed her tempura soba too. However, the hamachi kama was a HUGE disappointment. Instead of grilling or broiling a fresh portion, it tasted like they boiled a frozen fish collar. It was bland and chewy on the outside, and still raw on the inside. And they didn't take time to scale the fish, so we spit out some of the parts closer to the skin. Worst part was the price...I know it says market price, but I can't believe that tasteless piece of rubber cost $51! Ridiculous!

I love miwa! Always like coming here when we visit family in Hilo. Food is always so so delicious and staff is so nice

This place has the best ahi belly I have ever had. If you are on the Hilo side I recommend this place. The food is authentic and fresh. Very friendly staff and quiet atmosphere. I would post pictures but I ate everything lol.

Service was great , ordered combo shimp tempura was good but the Teri steak didn't have the Teri taste.

Just had dinner here for my Brother's Birthday (02/05/22)... Great Choice!! They have a nice selection of items for their 3 choice combo dinner. I had the sashimi, tempura and chicken teriyaki. The food was fresh and hot. We also ordered the calamari and 3 item sashimi platter, tuna, salmon and mackerel. Talk about fresh and tender! I love their blueberry cream cheese pie. That's to die for...

Great option if you need a sit-down restaurant during a busy day of errands in downtown Hilo. Solid food. Not the most textured. But juicy and not disappointing. Put it on your places to try for lunch for downtown workers.

Very poor service. I called to at 5pm to ask questions and as I was dining with 5 ppl. They said no need reservations just come. Arrive at 6pm to be told that they not taking anyone because it's reservations only. SMH. I then try to explain that I just spoke to someone( which was the lady talking to me) as she realizes that it's me she starts slamming her shit around. Everyone in our party was feeling uncomfortable watching this elder throw a tantrum. She then roughly say" well I'm short staffed so you would have a long wait anyway!!!! Whoa that was crazy! I have been here before with my kids and wanted to give it another try. Bad idea.

Good atmosphere, quiet and very tasty food! I recommend Miwa's! You won't be disappointed!

For a little while, I thought I'd found a food that had replaced my love for sushi.... alas, it was only tempurary... However, being that I'm back on that sushi train, there are few better places around Hilo that you can go to for sushi than Restaurant Miwa! Restaurant Miwa resides deep in the bowels of Hilo Shopping Center. Well, not that deep, but it is all the way at the end of a hallway, so if at first you don't see its entrance, don't give up! It'll be worth the search. Miwa functions as both a sushi bar and a regular restaurant, where you can get both your favorite rolls, nigiri, etc. on top of a bomb plate of chicken katsu curry. At least, that's my go-to when I'm here. The fish always tastes fresh and I've never been disappointed by the quality of any food served here. Honestly, I wish I'd been able to try more of the menu by now, because so much of it looks good. I will say, it can definitely be a little pricey, but as a once in a while thing when you're getting together with family, it's a really nice place to indulge. And you do typically have to shell out a little for good sushi, so that's kind of to be expected. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Very accommodating when you do come with a larger group, even when you bring folks from out of town who may not understand what everything on the menu is and have a penchant for asking lots of questions... So yeah, good people! If by chance you haven't been able to hit up Miwa in the past and in the future are feeling a hankering for good sushi and Japanese food, give Miwa a shot.

Staff is excellent, food is delicious. My mother and uncle used to go every week, but with COVID we only started recently to go again. Always a special treat!

We came in on a Friday night around 8:15pm for dinner after an evening flight (yes we are local, born and raised here). It took 15min for our server to greet us and bring us water. We put in an order for sushi the first time they came to our table so my nephew could have his food come out first. She grabbed our drinks we ordered and delivered it. We told her we would put in our dinner order after exploring the menu. She came up about 20-30 min after that first encounter and asked if we were ready to put in our dinner order and we said yes. She grabbed her pad and came back but told us, "I'm sorry I didn't realize what time it was but the kitchen is CLOSED!" (keep in mind our sushi still didn't come) Wait what?!!!!! I was a server all through college, you know what time the kitchen closes and if you have a table you go around and do a last call for food before the kitchen closes. I understand if you seat a late table, so even more so you should be aware of what time it is so you can put in their dinner order prior to the kitchen closing. Shame on the head chef/kitchen as well, they should have given a last call warning to their servers. So long story short, we came here for dinner. Ate a few orders of sushi as an appetizer and and now have to find somewhere else for dinner. This is unacceptable for a restaurant establishment and will not be coming here again.

Restaurant Miwa looks like a low key reasonably priced restaurant when you look at the plain exterior shop in a strip mall and when you peruse the menu, but it can get very pricey when you order seafood or sushi marked M/P on the menu. That's what happened to me. There were four of us plus my 3 year old granddaughter on a Sunday evening at 6:45. It wasn't too busy and the service was actually pretty good. The two women ordered the soba tempura combination which they enjoyed. I tasted the tempura and it was hotbed crispy. My son ordered a hamachi Kama and some assorted sushi, both marked at M/P. He said that he wished they had roasted it longer to achieve a crispier skin but he was satisfied with the sushi. I ordered the fried oysters and assorted nigiri sushi. I've had better oysters, these were a little small and and not as moist and juicy as I'd like them to be. We had a total of three beers and the check came out to $245, a little pricey especially when you add a 20% tip on top of that. When I saw the bill the one thing that caught my eye was the $16 kid's tonkatsu. The portion was very small. Don't know if I will be back because I don't think the quality of the food matches the prices.

Ordered shrimp tempura, what a joke they took one shrimp and slid it down the middle and made two shrimps out of that one lol! The shrimps are so skinny looking it looks like my baby finger! This restaurant has definitely shrunk their portions for the price they ask is

The food was delicious, the staff were attentive. My grandpa got a small cut on his elbow and the staff noticed without our telling them and brought over a band-aid for him. I had the combo plate with fried fish, tempura and tonkatsu and finished it all. It was very delicious! I also had their mango sorbet which I enjoyed.

Very local but tourist friendly. Delicious sushi and port katsu. Everything was fresh and delicious! Was a great stop!

Ahi belly was amazing! I just got it charbroiled because I can't eat a lot of oil. I mentioned this to the server & he even had the salad dressing on the side without me asking. Super awesome waiter The service was absolutely fantastic! I can't say enough about our experience. You should definitely try it!

Restaurant Miwa is my favorite Japanese Eatery in the world hands down by a trillion marathons. The place is in a deep corner of legendary and historic Hilo Shopping Center and I consider it the Rodney Dangerfield of Japanese Restaurant worldwide. Been to Restaurant Miwa what seems a trillion times and never got disappointed in this fine cuisine eatery. Worker's are always friendly and professional. Kaaloa's Super J's which is rated 2 on Yelp worldwide, Manny's Mexican Kitchen and Restaurant Miwa are my favorites on the Big Island (island of Hawaii) as well as worldwide.

We lived in Japan for 15 years. Miwa's food is what you would find at a good Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. The sashimi is always fresh, the miso soup and the condiments are very good, as is the Orion beer. And service is excellent.

Food portions are WAY overpriced and appear to be children's size. The old sushi man seems to have a pretty bad stuck up attitude I think he owns the place with his wife who is also obviously not so friendly either hope it never rubs off to their kids. Hey we are paying all of you with our hard earned money!!! What happened to that cheerful friendly other Japanese sushi guy? Heard he opened his own sushi place by reservation only. Last visit the food portions weren't filling especially for the price I paid and quality was mediocre at best. Done with this place there are other Japanese restaurants in Hilo that are friendlier and more appropriately priced.

I'm giving restaurant Miwa 4 starts because of the dinner combo. This is the best deal on their menu. It's very fair in pricing and there is one thing that stands out. They have the best tasting spare ribs in Hilo. It's not too sweet but just right. The shredded kombu is somewhat weird but if you add shoyu to it, it's ok. One funny note.....the 8 oz. wagyu steak special is something that you better be ready to run up the tab. It's $170 so just tell them that you'll take two! Haha. But as with any sushi restaurant, if they have market price on the menu and you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it. Just a tip for you.

Really between 2-3 star, going with 3 based on clean pleasant atmosphere, attentive server. This was our first visit and can sadly say our last. We felt the prices were a bit higher than other similar places therefore expected our meal to impress. To start we ordered one sushi roll ( spicy scallop $9.50) and had been wanting to try Albacore sashimi so we did that too, a whopping $25 for two pieces. For beverages just an ice tea and Coke, $3.50 ea. (NO refills). Our roll comes out and talk about a let-down, I wanted to send it back! Seriously have never seen such I tiny sushi roll in my 25yrs. of eating sushi. I could fit all 6 pieces in my one hand no kidding. It was like a keiki version. I can't really even rate the flavor because the tad bit of filling inside was barely detectable. After that I was afraid for the $25 albacore, sure enough two tiny pieces and the texture was not palatable, rubbery/crunchy. I felt like I was eating something I should've. I'm not saying it wasn't fresh, I'm just shocked at the texture. I'm a lover of all shellfish until I had this. Not necessarily the restaurants fault but it definitely was overpriced for portion. Ok our meals come out, hubby had the fried rice plate w/fish and Katsu $16 I had the lunch combo Tempura and Teriyaki beef &16.50 that came w/rice, couple bites of salad, some kind of seaweed that I've never seen before, didn't care for it and both came w/miso soup. Hubby very pleased with his meal, rice portion good, fish piece on small side, katsu fine. My bento box at first glance all looked like very small portions and then had to ask for Teriyaki sauce, non present? All was good flavor but $16.50 have had better and much larger portion. We had no problem eating our entire meals when typically at least one of us has a to-go box w/leftovers. And then our bill arrives and we reluctantly paid the $90(w/tip) LUNCH bill. Never again. How we got a referral to enjoy sushi there I'm speechless.

Crazy expensive, extremely slow service, mediocre food. I had ramen and a side of tempura for lunch - $28. Really? The ramen noodles were soft and the soup was loaded with greasy vegetables. The tsukemono was an unappetizing brownish color.

I've been to this restaurant a few times and never had any issues. We had lunch here this past Friday. As a result of the rude service, we may not return. We put in our order which included an appetizer and hot tea. The appetizer was just two orders of tofu. We got our tea reasonably quick. We even got our little side dishes that came with our main meal. However, the tofu took quite some time. I waived her over as she was about to walk past our table. I gently asked, "we put in an order for tofu and was wondering how much longer it will be?". Oh boy. The expression and body language said it all, but her reply took the cake. I work in the service industry so I am very mindful of how to approach someone. I work hard to always provide the best service, even through challenging situations. This woman's behavior to a simple and calm inquiry was unacceptable and disgusting. Through the rest of our lunch, she continued to make us feel so uncomfortable, we finished quickly, left, and went somewhere else to enjoy our dessert. I would like to think I'd consider going back one day. Honestly, her attitude was THAT bad, I don't think I'll be returning.

I have a hate and love relationship with this restaurant. I really like this place because it's clean and quiet. But they are very overpriced for the portion and quality of the food. The presentation of the food is also very lacking and it doesn't look right to me. It looks like something I will eat at like cheap fastfood-like japanese bento places, if you know what I mean. They have sashimi and sushi but most of them are market price and its ridiculous. I wanted to get Uni and I don't remember how much it was that day but it was very unreasonable and I just didn't want to waste that much money on 2 pieces of uni sushi. Service is minimal. They do check up on you when theres less customers but when they get busy, they don't really check up on you. I waited forever for them to refill my water cups and it was frustrating. The food itself is just OK. Not extragavant. Something I think I can make at home. Even dinner combination bentos are like whatever. Their bento plate is really old and has lots of scratches and it just makes the whole food cheap and less appetizing. I think I rather eat cheap fast-food than to dine here to eat the food they offer. Other than that its quiet, I don't see any merit in Restaurant Miwa.

Super rude and unpleasant customer service. Definitely not a Japanese restaurant. Definitely wouldn't go back.

Best meal I had on the Big Island. Itzá Jaya menu prepared by Chef Louis in front of you at a Sushi bar. Six patrons at the bar. We had six courses. Started with an amuse bouche of sinónimo. Very tasty. Next was an ahi poke on a bed of crispy sushi rice. Delicious. That was followed by a sous vide egg toast with beluga caviar. I'd never had anything like this but it made so much sense. Great. Next was three pieces of sushi. I can't remember the types of fish but so fresh! Next a delicious pice of steak fro Napa valley. Pan fried to perfection in front of you. Served over a bed of crisp fried veggies A celeriac purée in leek cups, Brussels sprouts and bacon. Finally a moist cake covered with blueberry mousse. There are wine and sake pairings available. I opted for two glasses of sake. My partner had a Kirin. All these for a mere $100 per person.

If I could rate this place 0 stars, I would. Horrible service, cheap quality fish and to top it off, the place looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years. Sakura is a better choice than them.

One of Hilo's Best Japanese Resturant in town with good food, service, and nice atmosphere to enjoy your meal.

Ate the 39$ steak&bangkok shirmp UNI Nigiri 25$ Must say good quality food not quantity Not a fan..will not be back .

My friends and I went to Restaurant Miwa for a birthday celebration. They ordered the combination dinners which they enjoyed. I ordered the "jumbo" stuffed shrimp which I had experienced a few years ago and wanted to have it again. The waiter told me it was now stuffed with imitation crab which I accepted. However, the entree was composed of two small shrimp with a stuffing that had a tinge of sourness. The menu should not read "jumbo" stuffed shrimp if the shrimp are not jumbo size. It was definitely not worth the price of the meal.

Overpriced for what you get. This is an old school restaurant frequented by locals. Food is just ok. Sushi could be a lot better. I think they survive because there's not much choice in Hilo. I wouldn't go back.

Highly recommend making reservations, stood there for a while with nobody acknowledging us just to get told there's nothing for another hour plus. Maybe if staff was a little more friendly would've just let it slide, really sad cuz this was a family favorite and I don't recall making reservations before unless we had a big party... Might give them another chance another time we shall see.

This place is well decorated for the holidays. It really makes you feel like the holidays are here and you can relax during your meal. This place is a little difficult to find because you have to make your way down a little corridor of the mall. You would never know this place unless you were looking specifically for it. Everything feels nice and cozy as you walk it. We were greeted and promptly shown to our seats. This place really makes you feel like you are in a local Japanese place in Hilo. The mood and the decorations really felt more like Christmas than anything I was really impressed with the specials that they had, they all sounded delicious and I wanted to try them all. They have some great combination plates that will allow you to have 3 items to choose from. I think that this is a pretty worth while deal. Some of the pictures show salmon and ahi sashimi, but mine was ahi only. So you might want to be sure to ask what types will come with the order. Our food and appetizers came out really quick and it was well displayed for us. I can see why this is a favorite for many people.