4. Restaurants

Monstera

The Shops at Mauna Lani,68-1330 Mauna Lani Dr, Ste 111, Kohala Coast, HI, 96743
  • (808) 887-2711
  • Store is closed

Monstera Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Kohala Coast for healthy meals suggestion.

CanoeHouse ( 68-1400 Mauna Lani Dr )
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel ( 68-1400 Mauna Lani Dr )

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  • Lulu L.

    good sushi, great service, pleasant environment. definitely worth a visit !

    (3)

  • Peggy H.

    My experience at Monstera was excellent! We sampled about 8 different dishes, each better than the one before. The fish is fresh, fresh, fresh. Opakapaka fabulous. Tuna tatami fantastic. Liked the option of the kobacha squash, one of my favorite vegs. The waiter was friendly and knowledgable. My only negative was the shrimp and abaca do salad was a tad sweet for my taste.

    (5)

  • Jim R.

    Just had an incredible meal at Monstera. Better than any sushi we've had in SF. Better than Nobu in NY. We didn't go in with high expectations and we were blown away. Btw, the chef is the real Norio. The Fairmont is just using his name. He has nothing to do with the restaurant at the hotel.

    (5)

  • Betsy C.

    Opened on 2/2010, this restaurant is a brand new addition to "The Shops at Mauna Lani." The owner is the original chef (Chef Norio himself!) from Fairmont Orchid's "Norio's Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar", so we were quite excited to see how it is. Though Chef Norio was not there when we visited, we did get to try a few of his signature dishes. Food Ordered: 1) Sushi Dinner w/Soup - hamachi, amaebi, maguro rolls and salmon w/ a bowl of miso soup. It was good but nothing out of the ordinary. 2) Nigiri plate - hamachi, kampachi, cho toro. My husband was not that impressed with his own selection. He felt that the fish prepared were a little too warm for his taste. Kampachi was especially less than satisfactory when it's warm. 3) Fried Moi - It was a recommendation from the staff and one of its Chef Norio's signature dishes. The fish tasted fresh though I probably was not quite in the mood for something deep fried. The vegetables was savory and it went well with the fish. Being the Asian I am, I really wanted some rice to go with it, but I didn't feel like ordering extra. As I peered over to other people's tables, I thought their dinner plates looked a bit more enticing than ours. Perhaps we should've been more adventurous and tried out the different sushi rolls and sizzling plate dishes. Alas, I will have to go back again to give 'em a try. Overall, I thought the service was very friendly and helpful. Our waitress really made an effort to introduce dishes that she thought we would like and was also very enthusiastic about recommending beverages. It's always somewhat promising to see native Japanese people having a good time at a Japanese restaurant. And we did see a few. Despite our average-tasting food choices this time around, I insist on the four star because the service, the ambiance, the crowd, and the surprisingly reasonable pricing will bring me back again.

    (4)

  • Robert H.

    Simply fantastic. Good value and well done food. Try the chicken teriyaki or the NY Strip with teriyaki glaze. Order the ice cream for dessert. Tropical Dreams ice cream is a local fav. Loved this place.

    (5)

  • Steve D.

    Good food but uneven service. The couple that arrived 15 minutes after we did (and had finally been given menus) got their food and finished before our food arrived. I think we must have arrived after a big crowd had left, because some poor guy was waving his credit card around trying to get his bill paid the first ten minutes we were there. Why four stars then? The food was excellent and the service was friendly and eventually attentive. It is Hawaii so it helps to adjust to Hawaii time. We had Yaki soba, udon and curry katsu for entrees plus toro to split. Tempura bananas and a fruit, ice cream and mini coconut concoction.

    (4)

  • Tanya I.

    Excellent food! Service was great .We sat at the sushi bar and had a great time talking to Chef Norio and Chef Sam. The atmosphere was modern and simple and drink selection was awesome.

    (5)

  • Thomas H.

    Service and food were excellent. Probably one of the best tempuras we've had anywhere. Addendum: I originally had 5 stars, but removed one b/c of either a mistake or unethical practice. In my 20 years of using my credit card, this has happened only one other time. I ALWAYS round the total to the nearest dollar and leave the tip line blank. So I know my total dining charges should NEVER have any decimals. When I checked my CC bill upon return, I noticed this was not the case with this place. Like I said, it was either a genuine mistake or they did it on purpose, but it was less than a dollar so I'm not gonna go thru the trouble of calling them and correct it, but I wanted to note that in the review.

    (4)

  • Amy M.

    We ate here twice during our vacation to the Big Island with one five-star experience and one one-star experience. Both times we ordered sushi and both times the fish was fresh and delicious. We also had good service the first time around. Prices are premium, so I expect nothing but good service and delicious food. The second time we came for dinner we were served by a woman named Kehau. We were already seated when we watched a small group arrive, obviously they were friends of Kehau because they hugged and kissed when they arrived. They were promptly seated and got their food and drinks well in advance of us. When Kehau came to take our order my husband asked if he could have Chirashi Sushi. It wasn't on the menu, but sometimes the chef will make it for you if you ask. She flat out refused saying the sushi bar is full. She didn't offer to ask the sushi chef (His name is Nori I believe) if he would be willing to do it. Since when is it the servers decision? When his fish was served, there was no wasabi on the plate! Also, we ordered edamame and they were very tough to remove from the pods indicating they were a little past their prime. Based on our second experience, we would probably not return. Lucky for them, they get a lot of one time tourist traffic and they can afford inconsistency.

    (3)

  • M B.

    We had a great dinner for all four in the family. Small plates, sushi and steak was had to everyone's satisfaction. Service was attentive and accurate. They were very accommodating about the way I like my food prepared, and offered to customize any dish to my liking! The Chu Toro was excellent! The signature dessert was outstanding, fresh fruit, homemade caramel and roasted baby coconuts! I highly recommend this establishment, I will return soon!

    (5)

  • brian m.

    Called to make reservations we were told none were needed. When we showed up they said there was a 20 minute wait, and we should have made reservations. We said we tried to and then a manager came out and told us when we called we tried to make reservation for 2 not 5. Complete lie we never said how many people we bringing to the restaurant, the conversation never got that far. Very bad costumer service right at the door. Instead of telling someone something that's untrue just APOLOGIZE FOR THE WAIT.

    (1)

  • Lauren M.

    Chef Norio is an amazing Japanese chef! His sauces are the best! You need to know what to order... Potstickers which are made from scratch, tuna tataki and tempura are the best!

    (5)

  • Kathy Z.

    First, I didn't feel like the menu was that interesting, and the food was overpriced (1 ikura nigiri for $4.25?! when the Fairmont's Norio was 2 nigiri for &7, really?). I would have rated the food was 3, but the service was really a 0.5. More than 0 because we did end up with food in the end, but less than 1 because it was a tough journey getting there. We actually ended up getting to-go over, and here's why: we arrive at the restaurant at 7 without a reservation. The wait was 1.5 hours, even for sushi bar. okay, that's alright (my bad for not making a reservation). So, we decide that we'll just get take out. Then the hostess drops the bomb that it would take 45 mins to 1 hour to make raw fish! *wtf* (excuse my french). So okay, whatever, we didn't have any other options. We told the hostess to call us when the food is ready (she asked us for our number when she told the order). We come back in 30 minutes because frankly there's nothing to do in the little complex, and low and behold our food has been sitting there waiting for us! What if we had not come back early? Our raw fish would be sitting out, not chilled.... *sigh* bad service makes me cringe.

    (1)

  • Tyler L.

    The fish was incredible, but how could it not be? We sat at the bar and had a great night chatting with the chefs, we had a variety of sashimi, some rolls, a couple of house specialties, and some made up roll type thing to finish us off. Most expensive sushi I've ever eaten and I do not skimp when it comes to sushi.

    (5)

  • Eric P.

    You know why they call it the Chuck Norris roll? Bc it kicks ass. For real though, I hate Chuck Norris jokes, I think CN is a crazy moron and I don't care for him. I didn't think I would like the Chuck Norris Roll but I did. Everything I ordered here was worth the high prices. If you're staying at MLB and want a nice sushi dinner give Monstera a shot.

    (5)

  • Joan T.

    Very meh. Our edamame was good, but over salted. We did not try the sushi. We had noodled dishes that were bland at best. The reviews looked a bit up and down, but were hungry and gave it a go. So very so-so.

    (2)

  • Shelby H.

    The sushi here was fantastic!! My husband and I got the pork katsu, 69 roll, california roll, yaki soba, and caramel monstera. All were just beyond exceptional. The chef really knew his art, and the waiter was very knowledgable and helpful with the menu. There are really no words to describe the exceptional service and food at this place; one can only experience it for oneself.

    (5)

  • Konrad R.

    This was a nice surprise for us. We were hungry and in a hurry but still wanted quality. We had three meals and two appetizers and liked every one. Curry over rice was delicious and I'm a little particular since this is one of my comfort dishes. Zaru soba was fresh and tasty. Oyaku donburi was decent. Poke was good. Fresh. Gyoza was very good. Home made, steamed but crisp on bottom, lots of ginger. Even though there was only one waiter the wait was short and the service was good. We would go back.

    (4)

  • david s.

    Best Sushi on the Big Island.....well, it's the best I've ever had. Great service, fresh innovative dishes. Yummmm!

    (5)

  • Hi D.

    Always great, we come here every trip to the Big Island. The dragon roll is excellent, chicken teriyaki and tempura a favorite for us and the sake cocktails are a must try. The tuna tataki is amazing and well worth the trip for this dish alone. This place is typically busy, so reservations are a good idea. The food and service are always great. We will definitely be back - again.

    (5)

  • Greg E.

    We really enjoyed everything about Monstera. We tried it on a recommendation from an employee at the Fairmont Orchid. Service was great and we went with our server's idea to let Chef Norio "take us for a ride". A great ride it was.... And there is a new Tequila bar downstairs for post-sushi fun.

    (5)

  • Food L.

    We wanted Japanese so we decided to try this place out. However, we never got to taste the food so I'm only able to rate this place on service. When we got to the restaurant we were told there would be a 30min wait so instead we asked if we could just do take out. The hostess said she needed to ask the kitchen if that was ok. I thought how weird for her to say that when they offer take out. She comes back a few minutes later and says, "I'm sorry the kitchen is so backed up right now they can't accept take outs." I immediately say, "why would you have a take out menu if we can't order from it?" Ofcourse the hostess has no reply. What kind of restaurant would turn away business especially when it's take out? We could of waited 30min for a table but we couldn't wait for take out? I wonder who the hostess asked because the owner should fire that person for causing lost of business. You'll never see us there again.

    (1)

  • matt s.

    If you like mid-grade fish with a lot of sauce on it in a personality-free mall, this is your spot. Servers didn't seem to know much about sushi, and the price was way too high. I'd hold out for a smaller joint that focuses on fresh fish and doesn't exist primarily to scalp people with low standards who are marooned on a pricey resort. Too bad--I was hoping for terrific sushi on the Big Island, and didn't find it.

    (2)

  • Tatil S.

    Pricey, par for the course in this area, but the food is delicious. They serve sushi Japanese style, after the main course. Poke was very good, even though it came in a very small bowl, while tempura and unagi was quite light. We also tried their coconuts cocktail, covering both a drink and a dessert. It was fun and sweet, though alcohol was heavier than I expected. Ambiance was nice and service was attentive, friendly and polite. Check it out if you are into Japanese food.

    (5)

  • Bryan L.

    We were a little bit skeptical about Monstera having already eaten at one of the restaurants in the complex that got very good reviews, only to be somewhat disappointed. To be clear, our goal with restaurants in Hawaii is plain and simple: find hiqh quality ingredients, well prepared at prices this side of extortion. We have all the opportunities for fine dining we need in the SF Bay area, so we are not trying to duplicate those in Hawaii, but rather are looking for mostly ethnic and seafood, well-prepared. In a nutshell, this place is the real deal. The sushi was very fresh and well-presented, the hot soba noodle dish was fantastic, and the tuna tatake with ponzu was the perfect way to start it all off. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, even though she had two very large parties and a few other tables to tend. Top that off with some solid beers on tap and in bottle, and you've got a great meal. Great food, good value, honest service, friendly environment, no view, no lounge music. We have canceled our reservations at the Orchid tonight and are going back with our teenagers.

    (4)

  • Michael Z.

    As we continue our annual trip to the Big Island, we dined last evening at Monstera. This is the restaurant of Chef Norio, who ran the eponymous sushi bar over at the Fairmont Orchid for years..so along with another couple we decided to give it a try. Overall it was very good, the fish was excellent, but the only reason not to give Monstera 5 stars was the indifferent service.

    (4)

  • Norm F.

    Very good sushi and sashimi. Service was excellent. Price is a little on the high side, but worth the money.

    (4)

  • Mihir M.

    Great service by Kehau and Kalei. We got solid vegetarian options: miso soup, tofu agedashi, vegi roll, kimchee, & veg tempura. The service was outstanding, friendly & warm. We sat outside. The prices were decent as well. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Keromi K.

    The service here is better than the food, not that the food was bad. It was just not very exciting. I tried the Chuck Norris roll and it was good, just not great. I do appreciate the kids meals they had, even if the chicken tenders were just Mickey Mouse nuggets from Costco. It was pretty dead during lunchtime, as was the rest of the mall. Maybe dinner is a better bet.

    (3)

  • Christian S.

    There aren't a ton of restaurants near the Fairmont and we were just walking around the shopping center looking for something to eat. We were likely going to do Ruth Chris' just because it's a known commodity at least, but we were checking out the menu of Monstera when one of the patrons came down the stairs and recommended it, so we decided to give it a shot. I'm really happy we did. I had the Poke small plate and an order of the Toro sashimi. I wasn't super hungry so this was enough for me. Both were fantastic. My wife had some sort of cold noodle salad and she was also very happy with the selection. My 5 year old daughter had plenty to choose from on the kids menu and the portions were huge for her. She was happy with the udon noodles, fresh fruit and white rice. Service was phenomenal. Our waiter was attentive and made suggestions after asking us a few questions about what we like and don't like. We'll be going back for dinner there again tomorrow night we liked it so much.

    (4)

  • Alice D.

    While on a family vacation in Hawaii we decided to treat ourselves to a nice sushi dinner on our last night before heading home. So we consulted yelp and were led to Monstera. We were greeted warmly at the door and seated immediately and honestly that was the best part of this restaurant. We sat down and the waitress came over and it all went downhill from there. She was friendly enough but just didn't seem all there. She took our drink orders and without a doubt forgot two of the six drinks ordered. After requesting for our drinks, it took a total of 20 minutes before my sister in law got her green tea. While on this vacation we realized that service at restaurants were generally slower than in NYC but this place was just plain ridiculous. My mom and niece were done with their meals before the rest of us even got our sashimi and sushi orders. The food is raw for crying outloud. All the food came out with huge waits in between each other. My brother even found a fish bone in one of his toro slices and after informing the waitress her reaction was "oh" and walked away, not even an apology. We felt like the money we spent on this restaurant was wasted and it sure left a sour taste for our last dinner in Hawaii. The sad part is the food was good and the fish fresh but it just wasn't worth it to have to deal with such horrible service. You're better off spending the same amount of money at a restaurant on your resort and being treated like a paying customer should.

    (2)

  • Bruce G.

    This place is ridiculous! The fish was as fresh as can be. The beers were good selection. The wine was the prices you would pay in Napa. I was so impressed. We sat at the bar and I will try everything. This was as fresh and as good as anyplace I have been to in Japan. We had ALOT of food and beers. I bought the chefs beer at the end of the night too. When we walked out....$115 plus tip. This is the same price I pay when 2 of us go out in San Francisco. I can't say enough. As a matter of fact I am waiting for my wife to get ready. We going there again tonight!

    (5)

  • Ellen P.

    We decided to have dinner at Monstera at the last minute tonight. We were able to get a reservation by phone immediately. We ordered a number of small plates, and absolutely everything was delicious. I had the edamame, and the seafood papaya, which was luscious. My dinner companions had the gyoza, the seafood udon, tempura, the fried tofu and the sugar peas. We tasted all around, and found that everything was really good. If our time in Hawaii were not short, I'm sure we'd be eating a second time at Monster. A special mention to our young server. She was relatively new to the job, but her upbeat energy and cheery disposition were fun to experience.She was as cute as she could be, and you could tell that she enjoys working at Monster. Overall a true 5 star experience on the Big Island.

    (5)

  • Jen J.

    The sushi was delicious. My two year old had a PB&J sushi roll, and it was yummy. Husband had the Mai Tai and said it was one of the best he ever had. Topped it off withe the banana tempura dessert! Mmmmm.

    (4)

  • Bobby F.

    Great place to eat excellent sushi and more. I also had the Hamachi Kama, which was fantastic. Great service and a nice ambiance. Thank you Chef Norio. Oishi katta desu.

    (5)

  • David G.

    FYI for those choosing between this and the orchid. If u aren't staying St the fairmont, there is definitely a full star for the atmosphere at the fairmont- but for the food- the chef IS the norio who left the fairmont and started monstera and he runs and is at the sushi bar- the food is top notch and the maitai is the best I've had in hi after 10 trips or so - from an sf foodie sushi fan. 10+ mai tai

    (5)

  • Moocher Y.

    Monstera, here we go. I walked into the upstairs restaurant happy and hopeful that this new Mauna Lani Shops restaurant would be delicious, reasonable, and fun. I ordered the beef short-ribs dish and someone else in my party had a mai tai. Apparently the mai tai was good - be warned, this is the last nice thing I'm going to say about Monstera. Oh, that and the decor was casual fun, though the 80s music was a bit of a mismatch. When ordering the kalbi-style short-ribs, which I think were about $17 or so (hard to remember since they don't have their menu online), I was then asked whether I wanted to order some rice. I'm surprised that something so cheap yet integral as rice was a "side order" but I ordered some brown rice nonetheless. Eventually the food came, wrong rice of course, so we got that fixed. I also had to ask if they'd served me the right dish because it looked nothing like short-ribs. Then we (sadly) tasted the food. The short-ribs were actually chunks of flank steak that admittedly had a nice flavor, but were very tough. At the end of the meal, the server took the plate and I commented that the short-ribs looked and tasted like flank steak, not short-ribs, and suddenly I had not one but two servers exclaiming at me that "we don't even have flank steak here! that's not flank steak! it's short-ribs!!!" It was an onslaught of denials. Very weird. They were aggressive enough in their denials that I uncharacteristically said, albeit calmly, "alright, I'll just post online about it." Side note: someone else in my party had a noodle salad with like a shrimp and vegetable on top of it that was apparently delicious. It was really just a noodle dish, though. Note, Kalbi style is delicious but because it's a soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, citrus marinade, people sometimes think they can use tough meat. I was hoping it was good quality meat (short-rib) with one of my favorite styles (kalbi), and it wasn't. The best kalbi-style I've found on the island is up in Waimea, #11, in the restaurant in the back of the mini shopping center with a McDonald's in the middle. It's better priced, too. CONCLUSIONS Food: mediocre Service: aggressive

    (1)

  • Ann K.

    You can eat outside on the deck and enjoy the sunset or eat inside. The service is friendly and helpful. Given that the best sushi chef on the island was reputed to work here, I was disappointed with the limited vegetarian sushi options: avocado or cucumber sushi which is pretty much what I can get at the supermarket. The tempura udon option was very good. The tempura seemed a little greasier than usual. The udon noodles were great but I felt like I was eating out of Strega Nona's pasta pot--the noodles were never ending! If you are not vegetarian, I imagine the options are plentiful for you, so my rating is for only those vegetarian items.

    (3)

  • Ron D.

    Great food but we happened to get a scattered server who kept us from giving a 5-star rating.

    (4)

  • Rose O.

    Hamachi coma was the best out of 5 dishes we ordered everything else was average. Our server was a delight very friendly and attentive.

    (3)

  • Eric G.

    Good. Not great.

    (4)

  • Fred M.

    More of a 3 star, but the service made it 4. The servings are small (including the sashimi slices), the menu requires a waiter to describe the items (no roll descriptions, etc.) and, most annoying of all, the nigiri sushi is sold by 1 piece or 3 pieces, which is odd. That's the extent of my complaining, which pales somewhat when compared to the knowledge of our waiter, his recommendations (which never geared us towards the most expensive items ... the true test), and the quality of the food. We ate light, shared a Japanese rice beer (recommended by the waiter and a wonderful find!) and the bill was $70. Be prepared, but enjoy!

    (4)

  • Pat G.

    We spent 2 weeks in Hawaii including 3 days in Honolulu and the rest on the Big Island. We ate in many fine restaurants, but Monstera was by far the best we experienced. One in our party NEVER eats seafood or fish, much less anything with a spice beyond salt and pepper. By the end of the meal, he had eaten the tuna tataki, tempura shrimp and devoured the udon noodles. We were in shock! The service mirrored the cuisine! This is a must visit for those visiting the Big Island!

    (5)

  • M. Odette D.

    The sushi was mediocre and pricey (6 pcs. of very small sashimi for $20 for example). The service was okay. What I didn't like was the disposable utensils. It just didn't match the price point that they charged for their food. Better to buy sushi from Foodland downstairs and eat it at your condo.

    (2)

  • Wendy K.

    I had heard great things about this restaurant so my expectations were really high. To be far, our group had limited sushi since my husband and I are both vegan and the kids eat the standard sushi (so we didn't try the signature rolls). The best dish was the agadashi tofu which was tasty; everything else was okay (rather uninspired). The service was uneven (we had to remind the waiter we were still waiting on a main course which was forgotten) so overall, this was a one time deal.

    (2)

  • Yan K.

    The best restaurant in the Big Island. Went twice, fresh sushi. Toro and Uni sushi is must try. Maybe slightly lack at ambience but to great food, good service everytime we were there.

    (5)

  • Julia SD A.

    Service, though friendly, was disorganized. California rolls were not true California rolls; at $9.50, I expected crab and not bits of crab in a mix in my roll. The shrimp and vegetable bake in papaya was not described well and wasn't even fulfilling as a "main" entree. I had to search for the little pieces of shrimp, despite the name of the recipe. Totally OVERPRICED for the quality.

    (1)

  • Holly N.

    My favorite dish here are the Tuna Tataki, Salmon Skin hand roll, Calamari salad and Miso Butterfish. It's a bit pricy for the amount of food you are getting but it's worth it.

    (4)

  • Anne T.

    Similar atomespher as Sansei at the Queens Market Place. Food was excellent but a bit pricy. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. If you are looking for a good Japanese Fusion restuarant in a resort area, this is a good choice.

    (4)

  • Cathy L.

    I'm giving this place 3 1/2 stars. It's hard to be amazing with this type of food in Hawaii, because it's everywhere!. I thought the portions were on the smaller side. My kids' meals off the kids menu was good, they had the udon but very small. Service was also on the slow side. The decor was lovely, although the location on the 2nd floor of a mall was not the ideal place.

    (3)

  • Lani L.

    Food was absolutely delicious! Price is right, atmosphere great, and the staff makes it a fun place to go:)

    (5)

  • Lady T.

    I asked for a specific waitress...kehau rocks. Didn't get her. Okay maybe I can let that slide. She did check on me afterall even if I was in someone else's section. But then the service I did have sucked. Sara sucked. I ordered one thing...just one and asked that as soon as it comes to take my order. She didn't. In fact she never asked me. My child spilled my water just after she put it down and she didn't even flinch as she stood there. I literally had to ask for napkins...then she'd ask if everything was alright and as I lift my menu to order she walks away. She never takes the pile of wet napkins and crumpled kids menu. Oh but Charlie sure did and what a delight that young lad was. He tended to my mess. He offered to get my waitress and was just kind. Very kind. Sara however took a while to come and by the time she did I was over it. The place is lovely. The food is good. But Sara ruined it. I felt like it was a waste of a drive.

    (2)

  • Amber R.

    Friends who go to Japan often tell me that this is not only the best sushi place on the island but it's best sushi place in all of HI. Monstera serves the best sushi I've ever had - better than anything I've ever had on the mainland. And the service is excellent. The only other restaurant worth going to on the Big Island is Merriman's in Waimea

    (5)

  • Mary D.

    Hands down, the best ahi sashimi I have ever had. Everything else was excellent, too.

    (5)

  • Jordan O.

    This is a great place, nice atmosphere and great food, everything we ate was delicious, highly recommend this, I'd say its a step above Sanseis which is THE sushi restaurant even better then the food was the service, when u go here ask for RANDY! He was probably the best waiter I've ever had. PERIOD. He was knowledgable about the menu and when I asked about food items he described them perfectly, he was funny and he knew how to be attentive with out being in the way, not once did I feel like I was waiting around for someone to service us, my girl had to stop me from giving to big of a tip, all around great experiance, a lil pricey but that's to be expected.

    (5)

  • Sarah S.

    Sit at the sushi bar, let Norio take care of you, accept the fact that first-rate sushi isn't cheap, and you will go away very happy. It's a great place to try something (like uni) that you might be scared of at other places.

    (5)

  • p v.

    Horrible! Some of our food was mediocre and that was the best part of the dinner. Service was slow and they spilled a bowl of soy sauce on my wife. No apology or anything to make up for it. Kids chicken tasted like chalk, again no offer to make up for it. Unless it is the only place open, go somewhere else.

    (1)

  • Kat Q.

    THE BEST RESTAURANT ON THE BIG ISLAND!! The food was so good here that I returned from the restaurant to set up a yelp account and write this review, literally, because the food was THAT good. We tried Roy's for dinner the night before and Merriman's for lunch that afternoon. Both were good but definitely do not compare to Monstera's. My newly engaged fiance and I were thinking of going to Norio's until we read on yelp that Norio left the Fairmont Orchid restaurant a few months ago to start Monstera. We sat at the bar and received recommendations from Norio himself. Here was our menu: Seafood Papaya - Orgasmic! One of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted! Tuna Tataki - Amazing! The tuna was so fresh and perfectly seared and seasoned. I've tried some great tuna tataki but this definitely topped my list. Rock shrimp and Avocado Salad - Delicious! It tasted like a catalina/thousand island dressing but chef said it was ume dressing. Baked scallop - Amazing! very flavorful and cooked to perfection Miso Butterfish - Really delicious but the fish itself is a bit too fatty for me. Sugar snap peas - I loved these but my fiance wasn't too impressed compared to the other dishes, but it was so flavorful Sashimi dinner - My fiance ate this dish and thought the fish was very fresh. He also had the uni and ikura and said those were really good as well. Caramel Monstera dessert - Amazing! It's similar to bananas foster, but with caramel and more fruits. We were absolutely stuffed but everything we tried was so delicious that we just kept ordering more. Our bill was $145, with two cocktails and 3 house sakes, which we felt was reasonable for the amount of food we ate. If you are looking for a cheaper meal, just order from the small plates (and the baked scallops) and you can eat a delicious meal for a fraction of the price. I wish we weren't leaving Hawaii tomorrow or else I would return again to try every entree on the menu.

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    Great meal for adults and kids staff was great food better four year old just asked if we can go back tonight.

    (5)

  • David V.

    Wonderful food and good service. What more can you ask for. Kids even enjoyed trying new dishes. We did not order much sushi as I normally would have. Not because of the food choices or quality but because of the bottle of wine I brought in. It was our last night and I was down to Pinot Noir, so I stuck with medium rich foods and away from too much spice. The gyoza and butterfish fit the bill perfectly. The 'signature tuna dish' - Tuna Tatari? - is great as well. Will definitely return next time we are back in Waikoloa area.

    (5)

  • Four X.

    First of all we had to wait 12 minutes for a table for 8 and the restaurant was only 30% filled. Why??? Couldn't figure out why it would take so long to put 2 available tables together and then put out paper napkins and cheap wooden chopsticks? Drinks were ordered first and each drink came out one at a time at a slow pace. Of course this delayed our server in taking our orders. Drinks by the way were good. Our server Robert with scraggly dreadlocks maybe shouldn't be a food server. Appearance was a turnoff for most in our party because he was too hairy. Finally got our order in? For some reason every single item ordered came out one at a time over too long of a period of time. The last order came out 45 minutes after the first item was served and at that point everyone in the party except the person who got served last had finished their meal. We even inquired a couple of times and was told it takes a long time to make chicken teriyaki! What B.S. and totally unacceptable. As far as the food goes the nigiri sushi is small for the price and the quality was good. The big plate meal food quality and taste is at best mediocre. The cabbage side dish is terrible to taste and a cheap side dish. I don' t understand the 4 star rating. This place is not that good!

    (1)

  • Kelly F.

    If I had more time here, I'd have another meal to try the rest of their stuff- sashimi, rolls, noodles, etc Norio was such a nice guy. Everything we had was delicious. Japanese & Korean flare (Norio's wife is Korean) - Tuna Tataki: I can understand why this is his signature dish. I'd recommend anyone order this over other sashimi dishes if you had to pick one - short ribs with white rice and cabbage - sounds simple but it was so delicious with the sauce they used. Having that with white rice was heavenly - side of homemade kimchee by Norio's wife - Toro hand roll and green onions- great choice we made as our last bite - Mojito (their version with sochu, mint, club soda and Lilikoi ). More refreshing and light than a typical Mojito

    (5)

  • Tommy D.

    Maybe my expectations were way too high because this was recommended by some locals. I thought the restaurant was actually in a hotel but it was actually in the shopping center. Our family got dressed up for nothing. It's definitely a place where you can wear shorts and a t-shirt. All the sashimi and sushi we had was okay but not out of the ordinary. One dish that stood out was the broiled papaya with seafood that was actually outstanding. The overall service was slow even though it was only 3/4 full. They even comped my last dish because it was so late. There are many better places....

    (3)

  • Kenton W.

    The good: our server was very attentive and extremely nice and our food was very tasty. The ambience is modern and clean. The not so good: we had to wait about 5-10 minutes for the hostess to figure out what table we were at, even though we had reservations. Things move sluggishly even though everyone seems to be running around. I think they need to smooth out their processes or something because it's strange to me when we ask for something, like soy sauce, we see that person walk past our table a few times before it arrives at our table. Also the sizzling platter was definitely not sizzling and they were out of coffee. The food was tasty, like I said, just a little over priced. With some small improvements, this restaurant has the potential to be awesome.

    (3)

  • Joe P.

    The very best sushi using the freshest ingredients . You cannot go wrong here You will not be disappointed and the staff is very friendly and helpful.prices are reasonable. Pick anything with tuna.

    (5)

  • Cris W.

    We were ignored by our assigned waiter for 25 min until we finally asked if we'd be waited upon. Apparently, the table of five drunk Japanese men were a higher priority. We finally received service, though subpar. The food was mediocre, at best. The sushi was nothing to write home to mom about.

    (1)

  • Traci T.

    02.14.15 My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine's dinner after our initial plans at another restaurant fell through because they didn't take reservations (or so we thought) and were fully booked. Luckily, Monstera had openings and we jumped at the chance. We set a reservation for 8:30 (which was two hours away), but decided to just get there earlier and see if they would just take us in. Luckily, they were able to squeeze the two of us in at about 7:00. Very accommodating! Our server (Cyrus) was extremely friendly and attentive. We ordered the Chuck Norris roll to start (as recommended on Yelp). It was terrific! Ahi, avocado, and crab all rolled up into a tempura like roll with an amazing sauce...yum! The ahi in this roll was hefty, which made it heavier than most sushi rolls. I would definitely order it again, though. I ordered the calamari salad. The calamari was crunchy just the way I like it! The salad was deliciously tossed in a yummy dressing. Nothing too overpowering. My boyfriend ordered the short ribs sizzling plate. He said it was okay, but kind of wished he had ordered the udon instead. We also ordered the rainbow roll. It was okay. It didn't have as much of a variety of items on top as most places do. I didn't see salmon (there was a teeny tiny sliver that I think was salmon), unagi, or even avocado on top. I enjoyed my visit here. I think they could improve on the variety of sushi rolls, but what we did order was pretty good.

    (4)

  • Diane A.

    We were staying at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and were tired of the dining options at Kings and Queens Shops. So I went on Yelp and found this gem of a restaurant. I made a last minute reservation on Open Table and we headed over. It was super dark on the road to the Mauna Lani Resort. My iPhone GPS signal wasn't great and we passed the restaurant and ended up at the hotel. Tip - if you see the Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Monstera is right by it, upstairs. When we got there, they hadn't received our Open Table reservation, but luckily another couple was just leaving. We were ushered to our seats and greeted by our server, Cyrus. The decor in Monstera was very modern, which leant to the fusion-y menu and vibe in this restaurant. My boo asked Cyrus about his favorite things on the menu. Cyrus immediately recommended the tuna tataki and the Chuck Norris Roll. We weren't super hungry, so we ordered those items plus a bowl of ramen and a salad. It was all very delicious, but the tuna tataki stood out the most. It was very fresh that it was almost buttery. It's a small portion but huge on taste. The Chuck Norris roll was also terrific. It is more expensive than most Japanese restaurants, but I think you're getting quality over quantity here. Cyrus was very attentive and friendly without hovering. I would definitely recommend this place and look forward to going again the next time we're on the Big Island.

    (5)

  • Jeannette M.

    LOVED! A must stop when you are visiting the island. We were so glad that we ventured off property (away from our hotel) to check this little gem out. We had a great meal, delicious sushi and nice service. Much to my dismay, my son ordered a PB&J roll. Sounded horrible to me, but he loved it! Can't wait to go back next time we visit the Big Island!

    (5)

  • Lisa B.

    Great sushi and great service at decent prices. Stay away from the resorts and reward yourself with an unpretentious, good meal. We enjoyed two rolls. Their tuna was crisp and sweet, while the salmon melted away in your mouth. The veggie tempura features an interesting and rewarding twist -- pumpkin! A great idea that gives the perfect mix of spicy, salty, and sweet!

    (4)

  • Carolyn G.

    One of the best meals we've had on the island. The steak was better than traditional steak houses.

    (5)

  • Franco D.

    When we arrived, we were greeted with smiles and a friendly attitude and the atmosphere had a pretty cool local, yet classy vibe even though it was in a touristy area. Our server, Robert, was awesome and his recommendations were right on target. Probably one of the best servers we have ever had. He even made the kids feel comfortable and got a few laughs and smiles out of them. Robert recommended the butterfish and DAMN, probably the best butterfish I've had. Definitely recommend to everyone coming here to order the butterfish! We also had the calamari, pork kimchee sizzling plate, spicy hamachi, spicy tuna, volcano and the California rolls. The tuna was so fresh and it should be, since we are in Hawaii and the California roll had real fresh crab. Every dish we had was great and overall, I can't wait to come back next time we visit the Big Island.

    (5)

  • LuLu M.

    Loved my two dining experiences at Monstera! Has everything you are looking for: great ambience, great servers (shout out to Malia!), super fresh sushi (Uni is like buttah!), and creative dishes like Seafood Papaya and Avocado and Shrimp Salad. My fave above all? The whole fish Crispy Opakapa! Ate it all by myself and pictured here....

    (5)

  • Magun S.

    Not impressed at all. Overpriced joke for sushi rolls that were made so sloppy, they fell apart when picked up. The actual fish was good but I expected the presentation to be excellent for the prices. My husband and I ordered the chef's sashimi appetizer, a spicy Hamachi roll, a spicy tuna roll, miso soup and edemame. We ended up ordering the kalbi ribs also. Our server was not very attentive, we had to ask for drink refills. I would not recommend this restaurant if you're looking for good sushi. I guess I'm kind of snobby when it comes to sushi, but you would be too if you'd eaten sushi in Tsukiji, Japan. The ambiance of the restaurant is okay, the decor is nice. I'd suggest finding a different place to enjoy sushi. There's a place down the road called, the Seafood Bar that serves amazing poke and their happy hour prices can't be beat!

    (2)

  • Wendy S.

    Ok, this place is on the pricier side, but I think it's because of the quality of the ingredients they use. No doubt is the fish/seafood fresh, but I also feel that they are getting away with charging more because they are located in Waikoloa. We ordered the yaki udon which was tasty. The tuna tataki and chu toro sashimi were fresh and we ordered norio's original 69 roll which was filled with dungeoness crab meat and topped with unagi. Roughly it averaged about $20 per dish. Yes! pricy for the amount of food we got. Overall I would've given this place 3.5 stars, but here is a breakdown of my star rating: 4 stars for food 4 stars for service 3 stars for price

    (4)

  • Kelli M.

    The food was delicious. A little overpriced to me though. Furthermore, the udon was great, so was the sushi, but I wouldn't recommend the seafood papaya. (For many reasons. :/) the waiters and waitresses were very nice and kind, but I will say that the service was pretty slow. Great location!

    (4)

  • Henry L.

    Get the Korean food not the Japanese food. Sushi was warm, beer was warm, saki was warm.

    (2)

  • Jonathan A.

    Some of the best sushi I've ever had. 2nd time being here and I was just as pleased as the first time. Tuna tataki, volcano roll, tempura roll, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Five stars in its own right but an added plus was they lost our reservation and the place was extremely busy but they still found a way to get us in right away. Great food and great customer service.

    (5)

  • Won C.

    Very good quality fish - we ordered Sake / Unagi Sushi and Uni Sashimi - all were fresh. Sushi wasn't thick cut as we are used to in CA but it was good. We also had Tempura udon, although seems pricey $22 the soup was good came with two large shrimp tempura and vegetables.

    (4)

  • Mark F.

    My buddy (Mark G., check his review) came here a while back with a large party and said it was the "best meal he ever had". With that kind of recommendation I had to try it. He too was here with a party of 20. Although the food was really good I never managed to take a single picture as it was trickling out so slowly that anytime a plate hit the table we all tore into it like a pack of ravenous piranhas. We asked the chef to "feed us" so with some suggestions from us he did the rest. Timing was really my only complaint, once the entire restaurant cleared out they were able to focus on us and we got slammed with some tasty treats. Although I'm a fish lover we had a couple carnivores with us so that's what we told our server and it was on. Slowly we started to see some edamame come out, a fried calamari salad, and some tasty sashimi plates. The big bang at the end was some tender skirt steaks served on a sizzling platter with grilled cabbage and onions and some huge sashimi platters with a great assortment of really fresh fish. They were really cool about our huge party being late and getting wasted and being really loud so I give them huge props for that. This place is across the Pacific from my home so doubtful I'll be back any time soon but I would recommend them if you're on the big Island.

    (4)

  • Glen S.

    O2 = Overrated and OverPriced!! Monstera was recommended by the people at our hotel (Mauna Kea) and we were very disappointed in the food. We tried the poke roll ($17.50), which was just an ordinary ahi roll (5 pieces), not very good. Also ordered the Tempura small dish (17.50), and the Tempura udon (22.50). All in all, we paid $58.50 for two people, no drinks. No drinks because I wanted to get the heck out of there because I was pissed at all the rave reviews, but to me, nothing but being overrated. Being a Japanese American, I know my japanese food. You cannot fool us! My recommendation: Don't eat here. It is resort priced food.

    (1)

  • Hunter P.

    Monstera restaurant had very delicious foods on the menu. I would definitely recommend the Chuck Norris roll and the butter fish. It was very hard to get to one customer considering how many people were at the restaurant. That still didn't matter as much because the food was outstanding. I would definitely recommend eating there. Keep up the good work Monstera!!!!

    (5)

  • Sylvia C.

    My husband and I were very disappointed with this restaurant, especially after reading all the positive reviews raving about it. Due to my dietary restriction, we only ordered calamari salad, monk fish, roll 69 and salmon skin roll. The first three items were not too bad (not extraordinary), but salmon skin in the salmon skin roll was burned! Our hippie looking servant was too busy chatting with other customers that he seemed to have forgotten about us. He only appeared to be more attentive when we asked for the check. This was probably the noisiest Japanese restaurant I'd ever been to. At the end of the meal, we just could not wait to leave.

    (2)

  • Wing-Hon N.

    My wife and I were out on one of our eatery searches on the Kona coast. We had been (lazily) dining at all of MKBH's dining options and finally decided it was time to venture out to places we hadn't been. We also wanted something on the healthier side. Sushi seems to be an appropriate option. Monstera seemed to be a favorite of reviewers on Yelp. So we gave it a go. Since we did not have a reservation, we sat at the sushi bar. The greeters, waitress and sushi chef / owner were all friendly and accommodating. All seemed to be transplants who are learning the aloha spirit. Nice job! We don't typically do this, but we let them choose our foods for us. Tuna tataki, Miso butterfish and samplings of sashimi and sushi. All were delicious; although I could use much less sauce (marinade) on the tataki (just a personal preference against heavy handed sodium and sauces on fusion cuisine). I was a bit surprised by this since the chef/owner is Japanese. Upon learning that he practiced at a high end resort on Maui, it clued me in. I personally think that the charm of Japanese cuisine is the subtlety in flavors which allows the freshness of the ingredients to be the quintessential part of the meal. Unfortunately, this is not the first or will no doubt be the last time I will experience such an oversight. I think chefs have the duty to educate his clients on their culinary exploits and safeguard the essence of the culinary art at the table. As some have mentioned, a bit pricey but the quality is there and it is the Kona coast. I think we will likely come back on a future visit. Aloha!

    (4)

  • Kasandra W.

    The attitude of the staff is horrible. When we got there for our reservation, we were told to sit in the small waiting area for a few minutes. What happened after was truly appalling. Two Japanese men with an obvious language barrier arrived, and the hostess all but shouted at them. A waitress came out and informed her that the busser had walked out on them...to which the already pissy hostess shouted "great! Just great...well, he lasted 6 days. Which is 3 days longer than the last one! I guess I'll just go bus so we can sit people". Talk about unprofessional. I get that it sucks, but way to make customers feel uncomfortable. This was supposed to be a special date night and that whole incident set a HORRIBLE mood for the evening. We ordered the tempura roll. Nothing special, I can get that here in California. The volcano roll was really good. The sauce is great. However, the star of the show was the poke roll. I highly recommend it. This place is way overpriced for their unprofessional staff and "okay" food. I won't be eating here again when I return to the island.

    (2)

  • Luke S.

    Hands down some of the BEST sushi I have ever experienced. They have the best Hamachi on the planet! The customer service is amazing and overall quality of the food is some of the best! I highly recommend to sit at the sushi bar when Chef Brandon is working! He is amazing and very friendly! Overall he made our experience great and the food is to die for! I absolutely love this place!

    (4)

  • Darien R.

    Stumbled on to Monstera on a shopping trip. We took a break from our hotel. Our hotel restaurants were great, but after a few rotations through all 4 restaurants, we were ready for something different. Not too impressed with the walk-up and point of entry to Monstera. Kinda weird setup on the second floor. You step out of the elevator and there's this skinny outside corridor with a reception desk set up. A few nondescript overflow tables set up behind the desk. A bit of confusion going on with the hostess at the desk, and a few families waiting on chairs along the walls of this narrow hallway. Can't describe the experience well, but it felt unprofessional and awkward somehow. Waited 20 minutes *with* a reservation. Finally got in, and got seated and started ordering up: BEEF CABBAGE GYOZA - Crispy and delicious but where was the beef?? Would order again but I wouldn't put BEEF in the name of this dish. TUNA TATAKI W/GARLIC SAUCE - I knew immediately I would order this dish when I saw pictures of it on Yelp. It was very good. Not off the chart but I would probably order this again. We ordered an assortment of nigiri sushi: TUNA, SHIROMI, SALMON, HAMACHI, CHUTORO, AMAEBI (Sweet Shrimp), and SCALLOPS. All of these were of good, fresh quality. I especially liked the tuna. Our waiter was great, super good at steering us toward the best dishes on the menu. All in all, I liked this place. My daughter wanted to come back the next night. I'm a fan.

    (4)

  • Tiffany T.

    First let's start with the good stuffs. Special of that night was fried whole Moi with Japanese sweet and sour sauce and it was super tasty! We ate the whole thing and yup including the bones! It was that good. The Garlic New York steak was another highlight. Sushi was good but I had better. I had the same server every time I dined here and he is friendly, took great care of us and we definitely enjoyed his service. The bad: It was a Friday night and they were busy as always. As we wait in line to The host, there was an older Japanese couples in front of us but they didn't had reservation and the host had some challenge communicating to them due to language barrier, which is understandable but what I don't understand is that the why the hostess had to raise her voice like scolding them? The Japanese couple prolly didn't understand but not deaf! By raising the voice won't make them understand! They definitely had some double booked that night or they were not very good at seating people cuz the 2 hostess were almost like blaming each other about who, where to seat their customers! By the time they greet us, I was actually a bit scared. The 2nd hostess brought us to the table and there was water on the seat, so I asked her to wipe it for us and when I looked at her, her eyes were just burst with fire and looked piss and made me feel I did something wrong! She just grabbed a towel, wiped it and then gave us the menu. The whole time, didn't make eye contact or say a word to us.

    (3)

  • Brad B.

    Back within a year and still an amazing experience. Thanks Chef Norio for the wonderful baked papaya starter. Could be one of the best things I have ever had. Kauai Prawns were very tasty and the quality and freshness is still second to none. Will gladly return for another meal the next time we are on the Big Island. Oh and keep on pumping out that yaki soba. Thanks again for an excellent dinner.

    (5)

  • Mel J.

    Monstera has pricey sushi but it's fresh and fairly tasty. We had the volcano roll for $14.50 and the tuna tataki for $19.25. Portions are a little small for the price. I was feeling noodley, so we added the Yaki soba for $18.50, which was tasty, but also pricey. We enjoyed sitting at the friendly sushi bar, where we chatted with the 2 couples sitting near us, one from Montreal. When you stay on the Kohala coast, you are a captive audience in a tourist area. We got the free shuttle from the Mauna Lani to Monstera. I also ordered a veggie wrap at the sushi bar, but the seaweed was too course, so I couldn't finish it. It was hard to bite. I had 2 glasses of a very good California Chardonnay for $8 from the menu. The special drinks of the day were more expensive, so do ask the price if they offer you the "special" drinks! That's why I ordered the wine from the menu instead. I recommend Monstera for those who need a tasty option in the Kohala coast area. This is a touristy area and you won't find any bargains, but we did have a fun evening! However, we did have better sushi & sashimi elsewhere on the Big Island for less money.

    (3)

  • Cheri S.

    The BEST sushi and SAKE selection EVER!! A couple girlfriends and I were having dinner here. First of all, It was a bit of a wait; but we didnt mind because we had the load of stories to catch up on. We were seated about 6 minutes after. So again, not a big deal. ROBERT was our waiter, and let me tell you.....he sure was knowledgeable, friendly, and told us some very good recommendations on the menu. This guy was great. Ive had some ok sake, but he suggested the NANBU BIJIN TOKUBETSU JUNMAI aka "the BUTTERFLY bottle". smooth, crisp, and tasty..... To accompany this beautiful selection, we had a wide spread of Tuna tatami, uni, shrimp tempura, and unagi. and whos to say we cant have dessert?? We had this tasty ala mode but was ridiculously ono! Robert was so great. We all loved his service! In addition to such a great night, we met NORIO. Hes such a great man and I thank him a lot for opening such a great restaurant. As concierges, will MOST DEFINITELY RECOMMEND & be back. Mahalo Nui!

    (5)

  • Ella A.

    While the service here was attentive and the waitress was a doll, the food here was sad. The chuck norris roll that everyone freaks out about is poor and mediocre at best. I ate the noodle dish with vegetables which was just a sticky bowl of hot mess. It was bland, tasteless, and had seen better days.

    (2)

  • Dinsmore T.

    The miso butterfish is to die for! Hands down one of the top three fish dishes I have ever had! My wife loved the Monstera Mai Tai & the Korean sweet and spicy chicken. Ask for Robert, he's an amazing server who will make you feel welcome and take care of you like you were old friends!

    (5)

  • Cyn Q.

    Chuck Norris and volcano rolls were top notch, as was the tuna special. At $9.50 the snap pea appetizer was way over priced. Fairly pricey. Not a lot of food for the hefty check.

    (3)

  • Mendy H.

    Food was "Meh"; especially for the price paid it definitely failed to meet my expectations... Ordered the sweet and spicy fried chicken as starter and it tasted like orange chicken but way heavier - did not like it. The fish was mediocre and didn't "wow" us at all. You could easily have lots of better bets with this money spent elsewhere; just drive further down like 20 mins.

    (2)

  • Lindsay Y.

    We visited Monstera with a group of 7. We enjoyed the freshness of the rolls, and really everything we ate was yummy. The service was very good and efficient. Unfortunately they're not open for lunch, which we were disappointed about, but it did make for a nice dinner. The Gyoza app was tasty, and my husband enjoyed the Volcano Roll and Rainbow Roll.

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    Maybe Monstera had an off night. It's tough to be sure. My wife and I started with the potstickers, which were tasty, but kind of crunchy. The main course was the Spider Roll, which was *super*-tightly packed, and dry, and very bland. Happily, we'd also ordered the teriyaki chicken, which was *awesome.* Really tasty, juicy chicken on a hot skillet. We followed that with an order of tofu agadashi, which was delicious as well. The service was excellent, the restaurant pleasant and welcoming. But we'll explore some other restaurant the next time we're on the Big Island.

    (3)

  • Stef M.

    Tuna tataki. Real wasabi. Chuck Norris roll. Shiso mojito. These are all must-tries. Despite the hostess giving me a Japanese menu TWO times (sorry, I'm not that advanced in the art of sushi. YET.) our server was really nice. Awesome food, fresh fish and actually a really cool space considering its location tucked into the shops at Mauna Lani. Norio himself used to work at the Fairmont Orchid (you may have seen Norio's in Yelp/web searches) but he's no longer there - for some reason they're still calling it Norio's, but Norio opened Monstera and you can see him behind the bar here making really, really great sushi! Oh, they have the most excellent local ice cream available for dessert: Tropical Dreams, in Kona coffee, adzuki bean, green tea and vanilla! It's seriously the best ice cream I've ever had.

    (5)

  • Jess S.

    Honestly for the price you're going to pay for pretty okay seafood and sushi, you might as well go next door to Ruth Chris. Our waiter was nice at least, but towards the end of the night when there was nobody there it kind of took forever to get our credit card after we paid. Also when we first got there, despite it looking super empty inside, because we didn't have reservations we got this kind of dirty look and a 'well wait here' attitude. The food was okay... But my family is used to really great sushi and Japanese food in general, and this place was only alright. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't really that great. It's really really... upscale touristy? Definitely not worth the price we paid. We didn't even get alcohol. I did like the agedashi tofu, but that's hard to screw up. We also got the yakiudon; do yourself a favor and don't get this dish. The sauce was ridiculously weak and it was just overall disappointing. I'd maybe try the yakisoba instead next time. Or rather, next time I'd just go to Ruth Chris's.

    (3)

  • Shawnee L.

    Had dinner with good friends...their first time at Monstera. Just the 4 of us but we needed more table space for the dishes we ordered. Enjoyed the tuna tataki (thinly sliced ahi with ponzu), calamari salad (fried calamari with garlic dressing), seafood papaya (shrimp, scallops, asparagus and mushrooms all baked in a ripe papaya); and agadashi tofu as our appetizers. Our main course we shared the short ribs, monstera chicken, pork stir fried kimchee and the yaki soba. Every dish had its own flavor. We liked that the kalbi was not over cooked and the meat was very flavorful and soft. For dessert we had the caramel monstera and our favorite the banana tempura. Thank you Monstera. Another meal enjoyed with good friends and good food. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    We tried this place out after we read the reviews. LOVE! We went during the week and it was nice and peaceful. Hid away on the 2nd floor, the ambience is great. Our server was very nice and helpful. My husband has sushi rolls and they were all delish! (I snuck a bite of each) I had the miso soup and Yaki Soba. Everything was wonderful and we totally would love to go back.

    (5)

  • Ariana S.

    We had a private event that we booked Monstera for last Friday night. Several days earlier, Kalei, the wonderful manager there, offered the ENTIRE space of their sister restaurant The Blue Room Restaurant downstairs for our party of about 40 people. They promised us the same prix fixe sushi menu that we had planned for originally. We started out with cocktails and edamame in the indoor part of the restaurant, then moved out to their great patio outside for our dinner. The food was amazing, and just kept coming!! What a delicious array of salad, potstickers, sushi and main dishes! Hardly anyone had room for dessert. I just want to say Kalei and her entire wait staff were fantastic -- friendly, professional & so helpful! We had a wonderful experience! Thank you so much!

    (5)

  • Karen V.

    This place rocks. You have to have the seared ahi! The best thing about this place was the music....the cure, pearl jam...loved it!

    (5)

  • Samantha S.

    Checking in was a rude experience, she took someone else before us knowing I was standing in front of her. Food was great and filling though and the service was alright for what the restaurant was like.

    (3)

  • Jasper S.

    Forgettable flawed sushi and really poor service. After reading the reviews, I was looking forward to eating at this restaurant. Unfortunately, the poor service really hurt the experience. We sat outside because the place was so busy. It was a nice night tonight, and we welcomed the chance to sit out. Our server seemed friendly enough at first - but was clearly put out that he had to work our table. He told us about the appetizer special - but not the special rolls. (He listed several specials - including an "SLS" roll to the couple who were seated next to us). I ordered a drink (the house Mai Tai) and he did not offer to bring me another. (I would have bought one). We asked for a fork for our daughter. And had to ask a second time. He did not ask us about dessert - we would have bought at least one - probably two. The food was, for the most part, okay. We ordered the Edamame, Tempura Udon (the soup and tempura were fine), the Norio's Original 69 Roll (drenched in the sweet sauce), Rainbow Roll (I'll get to this), and the Poke Roll (the best of the three). The Norio's Original 69 Roll was, quite frankly, boring. A California roll with eel and way way too much sauce. It would have been good with 1/2 the sauce. The Rainbow Roll had some beautiful pieces of fish on it - and some disappointing shrimp. When I bit into the last piece of the roll, the one with the biggest piece of shrimp laid across, I hit something hard - and had to spit it out. This really killed the meal for me. You'll never think back on this as a wonderful meal. You'll just remember the poor service and flawed sushi.

    (1)

  • Gary Y.

    Showed up at 9 for dinner. We were greeted at the door and were told they were closed. We looked at the website and they list closing time at 10. They said "That online thing is wrong"

    (1)

  • John C.

    This is by far... the best... restaurant... for... tuna sushi... ever. 'Nuff said. Udon was pretty good, ambiance was amazing, and the waiters were very informative. I mean... that's all I can say cause it was so god damn good.

    (5)

  • Erich B.

    Wonderful sushi and noodles. Good variety of sushi rolls and soba dishes. Much better than the sushi rocks place we were at 2 nights ago. To combat island prices a bit we order some rotated pumpkin and Japanese pickles. Both good only 5 dollars. We also had the Korean bbq chicken as an appetizer. Excellent! We had the volcano roll and California roll and a spicy tuna roll. All wonderful. We even splurged for the fresh wasabi ($3) which was so good. Be careful this stuff was very strong! We also had the yaki soba which is fried soba noodles with veggies. So delicious. Overall this place is much better than the fairmont O Japanese place. Our bill for the above was 93 for the 2 of us but we were both stuffed and had some soba to take home. Best sushi place on the east side of the island IMO.

    (5)

  • Kevin N.

    It's time to wrap up my stay on the Big Island and Monstera has been (by far) my favorite eatery here. Here's why: I've been to many sushi places in throughout California and O'ahu, but Monstera has been my ultimate favorite because: --great food for an excellent deal and upscale bites --friendly and warm-welcoming staff' --exquisite atmosphere --menu creation is uniquely and brilliantly prepared --FREE WIFI :D --restrooms are well-maintained and clean My thoughts of the dishes I've tried here: Korean sweet & spicy chicken: I can't eat spicy foods, but this reminds me of a better quality of orange chicken. It's not spicy at all. It's really flavorful and easy to eat; great for all ages. Miso soup: it's light and not overly salty, but have a balance between the broth, seaweed, and silken tofu Tuna Tataki: I normally try to avoid eating raw foods because they tend to have a funky aftertaste, I get a really bad stomach ache, have an awful foul smell, or odd texture -- not this dish. The ginger ponzu makes the tuna stands out with it's acidic and lower sodium soy sauce which makes this dish a must-try. Monstera Chicken: it's the same as the Korean sweet & spicy chicken, but just the fried version (without the sweet & spicy sauce on it). It's a hearty meal when the chicken is stacked to the top while sharing stir-fry veggies on the other half. Tofu steak: Two long silken tofu lightly pan-fired pieces in ginger soy sauce. The smell is lovely and it's not overly sauced either. I wish they served organic tofu, however. *Note: Monstera Chicken & Tofu Steak come with a choice of white or brown rice imported from Japan - Their rice has a nice fragrance to it similar to jasmine rice, but isn't sticky. Yaki Soba -- think of stir-fried egg noodles mixed with vegetables and a generous amount of shrimp in a special sauce. It's a balanced meal and good choice for children too! Norio's 69 Roll: It is worth your money. I love how the unagi tastes along the dungeness snow crab and usage of locally harvested Hawaiian avocado. You can tell this roll is made with care and love. Spicy Tuna Roll: a tuna roll classic, it has a tad bit of spicy, but your children will be fine with it as well. I believe it comes with 8 pieces which is a pretty good deal. baked scallop rolls (2): the most gourmet scallop rolls I've ever tasted! The baked scallop melts in your mouth while being able to taste the non-oceany taste of normal seared scallops at most restaurants. tempura rolls (8): presented beautifully and softly edible tempura shrimp (with tail-on). A great choice for those who adore tempura shrimp and want a traditional twist to it. volcano roll (4-5): a combination of both tempura and spicy tuna rolls; a choice for the best of both worlds or to try it out (I do wish for more though). The spicy aioli isn't spicy isn't at all and pairs well with the sweet kochujang sauce. hot tea: you get a big teapot for $3 -- that's a steal for a green matcha tea :) soda: $3 with refills, may come with a red cherry :O Desserts: I haven't been able to order desserts because I order way too much food here. I will one day come back and try it... after I try everything on their menu...

    (5)

  • Grace F.

    We had the opportunity to dine at Norrio's and Monstera this vacation. Norrio's was meh and mostly uninspired. Monstera was a fantastic journey of great food. We each started with the Miso soup and then split the Chuck Norris roll. The Miso was delicious; Chuck Norris roll was just meh. For our main we split a roll and then each had fat tuna belly sushi and a piece of tamago. The roll was fresh, simple and yummy. The sushi was beautifully presented and equally fresh. We would totally visit monstera again!

    (4)

  • Karen C.

    Favorite restaurant all week! This place is amazing and so is chef Norio-san. We sat at the bar and were lucky enough to have Chef Norio there that night. We told him what we were interested in trying and he provided us a sampler of fish and some of his favorite "must have" dishes. We ate mostly sushi & sashimi and it was amazing. Buttery and cut perfectly, no need for tons of soy sauce. Specifically we loved the scallop sushi = LOVE. We started with the Tuna Tataki - it was very good, highly recommend. Volcano roll - the tempura was SOO light and crunchy - I would definitely also order the tempura next time after this. Sugar snap peas in a sauce that made me want to clean the plate. Great sushi and amazingly fresh. You will not be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Martin C.

    We had been looking forward to dinner all day and weren't disappointed. My niece ordered the pork Katsu. She was quite happy with that. The owner sent over a plate of sushimi that was very tasty. We ordered the edamame for starters. Crisp and hot and lightly salted. Sis in Law ordered the fried pumpkin and I got the spicy Tuna hand roll. Great flavors all the way around. My brother ordered the butter fish with a miso marinade and I had the 69 roll (California roll w/Unagi in top). We all shared everything and had a great time. The deserts were phenomenal.

    (4)

  • Lauren L.

    Friendly people here. Gave us a table although it was outside (but we had not made reservations on one of their busiest nights). The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD GOODNESS! Fresh, fresh, fresh. Go here. It's on the second level of this shopping mall.

    (4)

  • Julia F.

    I had dismissed Monstera when I first visited in 2010 because the service was so remarkably terrible. A more recent visit has caused me to amend my review. I am so glad that I gave Monstera a second chance! The sushi was delicious, made with very fresh fish and well seasoned rice. However, it is notable that the carryout policy is piss poor. If the restaurant has too many reservations, they will arbitrarily decline to fulfill carryout orders. When I spoke to the hostess on the telephone, she informed me that they were full on reservations, so they must deny their previous statement that they could fulfill a carryout order placed before half of our party was to go to the airport. When I expressed that I also needed to make a reservation, the hostess admitted that they could indeed take a reservation, but she still stated that they did not wish to take a carryout order. It was really obnoxious, and the deceit was irritating (grocery store sushi had to be obtained for those going to the airport). But otherwise, my experience was good. Very good food, somewhat sub-par service (especially from the hostess station!), and crowded. Restrooms are located on the same floor, next to the elevator.

    (4)

  • Jackie C.

    Delicious sushi, a great atmosphere and great service. We had the tuna tataki, spicy hamachi roll, volcano roll and yaki udon. Everything was so yummy, we left stuffed! Our only complaint was that it's kind of pricey.

    (5)

  • Scott S.

    Great for family dining. Will return on next trip to the Big Island.

    (4)

  • E C.

    I'd probably give Monstera 3.5 stars. We went on a Sunday night and made last minute reservations thru Open Table. It was busy but there were still a few open tables around us. The waitress and other staff were all nice, BUT they seemed very new or poorly trained. Our waitress seemed rather frantic and busy. She stopped by our table before we ordered and was like I promise you're next on my list and ran off like a chicken with her head cut off. We barely saw her after we ordered and had a different person serve us. We started off with the Seaweed Salad and Calamari Salad. The Seaweed Salad was bad and really sour! I've never had a restaurant mess up Seaweed Salad before so that's pretty bad. The Calamari Salad made up for it though - it was delicious. It was the best dish we ordered. My companions had the Teriyaki Chicken and Monstera Chicken. They both enjoyed their dishes. I had the Norio's Original 69 Roll. The roll was okay although it was poorly rolled. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great, something I would expect from a Midwestern sushi place but actually worse than I've had back home. The server who brought out our dishes, although nice was pretty clueless. When he brought out our Calamari Salad he also tried giving us a Mixed Salad which we didn't order. Later on when he brought out the Chicken dishes, he said they had just made a new batch of rice and would bring that out when it was ready. Why are you bringing out the main dish without the rice and waiting for it to get cold? During our meal the same server brought out another seaweed salad for us but we had already had ours! We told him that wasn't for us. The Good: Calamari salad Teriyaki Chicken Monstera Chicken The Bad: Seaweed Salad Norio's Original 69 Roll Inexperienced Clueless Service

    (3)

  • Eric J.

    Very awesome place. It was smaller than what we thought, but i guess that didn't really matter. We sat at the sushi bar with the chef. He made us a bunch of different things to try from his menu and then some stuff off the menu. The chu torro was great and he made some fatty salmon sashimi that wasn't on the menu. Everything is crazy fresh and we weren't disappointed with anything. Must try right by the Mauna Lani

    (5)

  • Mike A.

    Very good sushi, excellent sushi chef. On the pricey side, but some of the best sushi we have had on the island.

    (4)

  • Janis A.

    This was some of the most interesting and delicious food I have ever tasted! Kind of hard to find because it's upstairs at the shops at Mauna Lani -- we stumbled on it accidentally. Believe me, it's worth the search! I had the chilled noodles with tempura and it was unbelievably tasty. They have everything from sushi to sizzling plates to noodles to steak. Do not deprive yourself of this wonderful culinary treat!

    (5)

  • Valerie Y.

    Excellent place to have quality food and service!! We will definitely be back!! Butterfish and unagi was awesome. Tataki was savory!

    (5)

  • Dan B.

    After eating at hotel restaurants for a few nights, my wife and I were in the mood for branching out...and for Japanese. Our kids were game too, so we made ressies at Monstera, in the local outdoor mall down the road. We were seated outside, and though I prefer outside to inside, the mall atmosphere was a bit of a downer, at least for me. The twilight sky was nice though. Unfortunately the service was slow and not very informative. We couldn't help but notice how young the hostess and waitstaff were. To our eyes they looked to be barely drinking age, if that. After inspecting the menu, my wife was disappointed due to the lack of Donburi on the dinner menu. She was craving Oyako Don in the worst way. We noticed they offered this on the lunch menu, but when we asked our waitress if we could get Donburi, she didn't know what this was, and made it clear she was new. She also showed no interest following up on our request. My wife decided to go with the flow, and she chose something else. As for the food - Here's a quick breakdown: -- Agedashi Tofu: Nicely done. -- Hamachi nigiri: fresh, tasty, small -- Short ribs sizzle plate: (my meal) good and fairly tender -- Chicken nuggets (off keiki menu): My youngest thought they were OK -- Teriyaki chicken: The Wife thought hers was just OK (and was still feeling bitter about the donburi) -- Udon: My oldest daughter (the carb freak) liked hers just fine Based on my meal alone, probably 4 stars. But for the overall family experience and poor service, I'll have to drop it down a notch.

    (3)

  • Mark O.

    Great experience! Ordered a chuck Norris roll and a Norio's original up at the sushi bar along with the calamari salad and were blown away. Add a sushi chef that is fun to chill with and it made for a perfect meal.

    (5)

  • Mark M.

    A good place with the right expectations. I mistakenly expected fine dining when I saw $$$ and four stars. It's a relatively small restaurant with a small sushi bar and small cocktail bar. It really feels more like a bar than a restaurant with a casual atmosphere. The 80's music seemed totally out of place. We ordered Shochu cocktails, tuna tataki, eel nigiri and seafood papaya with the tuna dish being the highlight of the night.

    (3)

  • P K.

    Wonderful creative Sushi and Cocktails...great service and a pretty good value in as much as most of the Big Island eateries are pretty pricey...we had fun, great food and will go back again next visit!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Had dinner there last night and it was great... The sushi was very fresh although the toro (fatty tuna) didn't really look or taste like the toro I'm used to (wasn't as rich). The highlights of the night were the following: miso butterfish, tuna tataki, and baked scallops. These are the "must have" dishes that were so awesomely good. We also had the monstera poke, chuck norris roll, tempura roll, ahi nigiri, hamachi nigiri, toro nigiri, and a rainbow roll. Again, no faults with these at all. Overall this meal may have been the best dinner of this trip although we're planning on hitting Merrimans before we head home.

    (4)

  • Brian T.

    Although the food was acceptable, albeit a bit salty and sweet on the sauces, the attitude was the killer for our party of two, tonight, Sunday, 02 March 2013. We called and made a reservation for 7pm. We arrived at 7:17 pm and indicated that we had a reservation and gave our name. The three (yes three) hostesses all looked down and then back up, declaring in a very scolding and condescending set of remarks that our reservation was for 7pm and that it would simply be impossible to accommodate us. After some conferring and looks of "oh, I don't know what we can do .... oh dear oh dear oh dear...," they finally relented and took us to a table in the restaurant. Guess what? There were five (yes, 5!) empty tables after we were seated at the 6th empty table. Even so, they wanted to put as right next to the front door (probably for our being such terrible awful and disrespecting ... PAYING customers). During our dinner, we looked around at this "fancy and super selective and so hard to get into and restrictive restaurant." NOT!!! There were no table cloths. The decor is almost Jack in the Box plastic, and most of the patrons were wearing shorts at dinner, or jeans, sunglasses in their hair, Many of the customers were not "well-healed" super-affluent people but just run of the mill families with kids and grandparents. So why did the three hostesses exhibit such atrocious and arrogant attitudes? We will never know. We kept a running tally of the empty tables between 7:17 pm, when we arrived, and 8:06 pm, when we left. There were always at least 5 empty tables and sometimes there were 6 or 7. Just as we were leaving, two of hostesses were seen heading down the stairs. Clearly it was a VERY BUSY night and we were just SOOOOOOOOOOOOO lucky to be seated ....... We both agreed that we would never return. Good luck to others who must pass before the Chiron Hostesses, gatekeepers to the Monstera world of attitude arrogance hell.

    (1)

  • Tiffany C.

    My dad and I went there without a reservation on a Sunday night and managed to get seats at the bar after waiting about 5 minutes. It's a really nice location and the place seems quite classy. Inside was fairly dim, but sitting at the bar we got to talk to the chefs. I must say it's a bit pricey, but fish was fresh and rolls were delicious. I especially appreciate how they serve the edamame sprinkles with sea salt and served on a warm plate. Sitting at the bar is quite the treat as we get to see everything the chefs make. One table ordered a PB&J roll which is exactly what is sounds. Seemed kind of bizarre, but hey, that's what a kid ordered!

    (4)

  • Diane C.

    Happy to report that the food still yummy! I noticed that the prices were high - maybe they were last time and I didn't notice, but ouch, it hurt my wallet.

    (5)

  • Lori C.

    Had dinner here last night on my last night (having had some really excellent food on this trip. The food at Monstera was flawless! I'm not a huge fan of Japanese food, sushi in particular, but this place was fantastic. My friend and I shared two small plates: the miso butterfish and the baked papaya stuffed with shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, and asparagus. O...M...G!! These two dishes alone put this meal into the too 10 best meals I've ever had; we couldn't even find the right words to describe how delicious they were: mouth-wateringly delicious! I had the strip steak teriyaki and my friend ordered a couple of sushi rolls; we both loved our main courses. Two people, a lot of food, and a couple of drinks with a 20% tip came to $140. Totally worth it!

    (5)

  • Traci S.

    We were looking forward to trying Monstera based upon the outstanding recent reviews and the recommendation of this other couple we met here on the Big Island. Based on the reviews, we agree that the food is outstanding! The service on the other hand is not very good unless the hostesses serve you, and based on the other reviews, if Chef Nori serves you, too. We were seated around 6:30pm and ten to 7:00pm we were only served water but never asked if we needed anything else yet multiple servers passed by us and clearly we each had a menu in our hands demonstrating we had not ordered. By close to 7pm, we had to flag down a hostess to ask if we could order. We then placed an order and the designated server did not stop by until after the order was placed only to tell us the order was being cooked in the kitchen, no apology, no introduction, no discussion of the specials or anything hospitable. We could understand this type of service if it was a fast food place or extremely busy, but with 12 tables and 5-6 servers, would consider this unacceptable. I do note that each dish was brought out timely and we were asked how each dish tasted. After the dinner, though, again servers passed by us but no one asked us if we were interested in dessert and after awhile, flagged down a server to ask for the check. At that point we wanted out of the restaurant and left a partial tip to acknowledge some of the service but was clearly disappointed by the service despite the noted number of servers. For a high end restaurant, the service is unacceptable. At the very least, the server could introduce himself, say "hi" and at least acknowledge your presence prior to ordering and during the evening. This is especially the case when you see him hugging other patrons who appear to be "regulars" and requested by other patrons to also place their orders. Overall, the focus on hospitality and service is not acceptable. The food is outstanding but we won't be returning because of the lack of attention to service and valuing us as a customer. Overall I noted that Monstera has 4 stars out of 172 reviews, I think the remaining star that is missing would likely be to the lack of restaurant hospitality and service. For a Japanese restaurant this is especially disappointing as culturally this is one of the most important values. I only wish we were served by Chef Nori so he could have made up for the lack of service by one of his servers in particular who displayed hospitality to others yet clearly did not demonstrate such to ourselves because we aren't "regular" patrons. We recommend the food only. Thank you!

    (3)

  • Suzanne W.

    We were on the Big Island for only a few nights but we ate here twice! Once you get past the location (upstairs, in a shopping center), you will like the interior. The waitstaff know their stuff and the food is amazing.

    (5)

  • T T.

    Fresh fish! Sushi rice seasoned perfectly. Ratio or rice to sushi is great. The rolls were good, would love to have a little more variation. We only ate sushi...however really enjoyed it and visited twice during our two week stay. Will definitely come back next time we are on the Big Island.

    (4)

  • Candi C.

    Monstera was a very fast sushi place, but the sushi itself was really ordinary. We found the service fast and attentive at lunch and the Italian sodas were quite good. But the food was just ok. We had yellowtail, salmon and tuna, all were passable. We also got a California roll which was very avocado-heavy, pleasing my husband and but too unbalanced for me so I left the rest to him. Expensive for lunch.

    (2)

  • Derek A.

    We arrived early for our reservations but had to wait 30 minutes past the reservation time. It wasn't because the place was very busy, there were many people who were sat before us that arrived after us. We asked the hostess multiple times how long we would have to wait and she didn't do anything. It wasn't until another server came by to sit a couple that arrived much later than us did we complain to her and were we seated. I'm not really sure what the hostess' job is. They atoned for the very shaky start with a free round of drinks. I wasn't in the mood for alcohol so I just ordered a water but my girlfriend ordered a mix drink. The mixed drink didn't show up until much after we had received our meals and had to remind the waiter... In fact, there was a tray of drinks that the bartender poured sitting on the bar for at least 8-10 minutes. The udon noodles were pretty good although the sushi rolls were poorly rolled (rice falling out) and very small (especially for the price). And they don't offer any veggie rolls on the menu. The waiter was very nice and the owner seemed nice and attentive but this restaurant is definitely benefitting from being in a prime location. You can find better priced, better prepared food almost anywhere there is ocean but because the only other restaurants in Mauna Lani are even more expensive than Monstera, it is actually an OK deal for dinner. Even though it didn't work out so well for me, make a reservation online or by phone if you plan on going.

    (2)

  • Jackie G.

    Being in that area, you're limited on places to eat. Needless to say, we went here twice during our stay. The first time we had sushi which was decent. The 2nd time we went, we decided to explore the menu beyond sushi. My husband got yaki udon which was delicious. I got tempura udon which was on par with what I've had in Japan. Both entrees are a lot of food but unfortunately the tempura udon does not travel well for takeout!

    (4)

  • Rachel D.

    The food was good, but it's pricey. My husband is a sushi-aholic and was happy with the quality of fish. We loved the shrimp tempura roll with fresh crab. We also enjoyed the pork katsu.

    (4)

  • Ann W.

    The service was wonderful. Ate at the sushi bar and had Chef Nori decide on what we should have. Was by far the best sushi I have ever had and some very unique rolls. Would recommend it to anyone. Need to go back and try the noodle dishes next time

    (5)

  • Acasia H.

    Woops, I came here over a month ago. Doesnt matter, still writing this review! One of the yummiest sushi dinners Ive had! Their menu had a good spread of Japanese foods and my boyfriend and I had the Tuna tataki, agedashi tofu, kabocha, rainbow roll, uni sushi and something else, I cant remember. The tuna tataki was good, but I didnt think it was any more amazing than regular sashimi (I just love all kinds of ahi). Everything else was very good. My boyfriend and I love tofu and kabocha, its hard to screw that up...gosh were easy to please. ANYWAYS, its good. Trust me.

    (4)

  • Kelli H.

    We sat outside which was really nice. Upon arrival they were very friendly. They were dead inside though, which was a tad weird. Everything we ordered was good, but nothing really great. I really wanted to be impressed by Hawaiian sushi, but I honestly have had much better back home in California. Nothing was very exciting or seemed extremely fresh. I'm pretty sure our server only had us for a table and she messed up our order twice. I had to tell her twice what beer I wanted, and then she brought out the wrong roll. It wasn't really a big deal or anything, but just not the best service. If I were back in the area, I'd try it again since the area is lacking other sushi joints.

    (3)

  • Joe P.

    Wow, so disappointed. After an amazing meal here a year ago, we were looking forward to returning. What happened to this place? First some service issues: My son tried to order the PB&J roll but the waiter flat out wouldn't let him, saying "uhhh, that really isn't very good." Huh? Why's it on the (only-4-items-so-they-had-better-ALL-be-good) kids menu then? My son ordered it anyway, but it came out a full 15 MINUTES after his sister's udon, and his food was the LAST out of all our plates. Think that went over well with him? And there was absolutely zero explanation or apology from the waiter. Second, the food quality has suffered. My wife, a vegetarian, who raved about last year's baked tofu steak, ordered it again this year. She found it watery and bland this time. It was unseasoned, flavored mostly from the bitter tofu water, which had not been properly drained, and almost not at all from the marinade. I liked my baked scallop roll. Some flavor and heat there. Only thing in the whole night I would ever order again. The waiter steered me away from the 69 or the rainbow roll, suggested that "those are okay, but do you like spicy rolls? (I do, sometimes) ...Then you've gotta try the Volcano roll." OK, I gave it a try. So, are you kidding me? Cute presentation, the shrimp tempura and hot sauces made to look like an erupting volcano...but no flavor!! It came out not very spicy at all (I had to add soy sauce just to season it) and the tempura shrimp was cool and a little soggy. From the water's odd sales job, I'd almost suspect this was premade or an extra from a screw up at another table, and they wanted to unload it on someone. That seems unforgivable for a high end sushi place. Even if it wasn't, the service and the quality was unforgivable anyway. Overall two stars, for the good scallop roll, and my daughters Udon, which she enjoyed. We dined here first night of our vacation because we were planning to return again near the end. I think we'll skip that visit...and skip Monstera completely next year.

    (2)

  • Frank S.

    For a good location the price is relatively high, food is good but not great. the tuna tataki is nice and the chef special sashimi of the day is nice too. the eel and sea urchin is just so-so. service is good. a nice place to go.

    (4)

  • Dave A.

    Absolutely amazing!!! The head chef hooked us up. Real authentic sushi and sashimi. Visited here on my vacation, now its hard to try the local places (trappers) as they can't even match the quality.

    (5)

  • Laurie G.

    4 1/2 stars. Fab food. Mall-ish location. Sushi bar seating very social and gawk-worthy.

    (4)

  • Evelyn N.

    We really liked Monstera, and came here twice on our current stay, and twice in our last stay in 2011. Delicious! I am vegan and they had lots of options. Kabocha pumpkin, seaweed salad, tofu steak, YUM! I certainly wasn't going home hungry. My husband and family loved the chuck norris roll (quote my brother - best role he ever had), volcano roll, 69 roll. The sunomo salad was insane, a huge piece of octopus in there. They also especially liked the tuna, but thought all the fish quality was amazing. I thought the prices were fair, and the location was nice and casual. It was an interesting menu and memorable. Be sure to get a drink with Shoshu! I've dined at a number of Japanese restaurants but never noticed this alcohol before, it's quite tasty!

    (4)

  • Tosha D.

    Food was tasty and service was good. Atmosphere was lacking. I think more of a good lunch spot than for dinner. We were expecting a nicer place for dinner when this was recommended by the concierge at our hotel.

    (3)

  • Rotation R.

    Excellent and Authentic with great chef's additions to common dishes and some totally unique dishes as well. Sushi is excellent. we left full and very happy

    (5)

  • Josh B.

    Food is pretty good but nothing special. The problem is the noise. The restaurant serves mixed drinks and has very little that dampens the noise. We had to leave early because of the drunken noise.

    (2)

  • The Food G.

    Boyfriend and I ate here because it was the closest sushi joint to the mauna lani. We took the resort's shuttle over at 8:45 only to be told by the hostess that they are closed. We asked her what time does the place close and she replied 9:15. After asking her to go check on this suspicious closing time, she came back and advised us that we can come in. Wth? Sat at the bar and spoke to the chef norio who did not seem that friendly. Fish was definitely fresh, but nothing more to add. The bill for 2 was $103. Sorry but for $100 plus we could have had an amazing sushi meal in CA. This was really meh.

    (2)

  • Marcia S.

    Great dinner last night at Monstera. After 27 years of visiting Kona, it's fun to find a new favorite place. I will definitely add this to my " go to " list!

    (5)

  • Adam F.

    Had a great experience here the other night. The sushi was fresh and made perfectly. Not too much sauce and no fishy taste. I would recommend the Tuna Tataki for an app and the Spicy Tuna Roll. The dessert, Tempura Banana, was out of this world.

    (5)

  • Ramon R.

    Tuna Tataki! Holy cow this plate is good! Will def come back just for this plate on future visit to the big Island. Wife had the udon noodle veggie tempura meal, which was also delicious. Staff was friendly and helpful, and Mai thai from the bar was one of the best ive had in all of hawaii.

    (5)

  • Kourtney G.

    My husband and I went here while on our honeymoon. We wanted to like it, but it was just average food and service. It was also highly overpriced for what is served. We won't be returning.

    (2)

  • Julie L.

    I use Yelp all the time and have never written a review (I know, slap my hand), but I had to do it for Monstera. I had dinner there with a friend last night (after making a reservation through Open Table) and had an awesome experience. Sit at the sushi bar if you can, half the fun was getting to watch and chat with Chefs Norio and Sam, who were very attentive and entertaining. Drinks: You have been warned - they don't skimp on the alcohol, the drinks are STRONG (stronger than any other restaurant I visited during my weeklong trip)! I had the Monstera Tropical Itch, my friend had the Suffering Bastard. We both liked our respective choices. Food: The tuna tataki is spectacular, as is the hamachi kama. I also had the Chuck Norris roll, which was good, but not as great as the previous two dishes. My friend had the spicy tuna with crunchies roll (one of the specials of the day), and the tempura roll. She said both were good. For dessert I had the caramel monstera, and my friend had the tempura banana. We both enjoyed them. My two cents: spend more on food, then split a dessert! The fish is what really shines here. And don't be afraid to ask what you should order. We didn't originally order the tuna tataki, but did so on Chef Norio's recommendation. He didn't steer us wrong!

    (4)

  • Vince D.

    Nice atmosphere - we sat inside. The sushi specials were delicious. Excellent sushi/sashimi. The sashimi pricing threw me off because it's a little different than any sushi restaurant I've visited. Basically the sashimi order is six slices of sashimi. And boy was it good! I would definitely go again and recommend it. Quality and good service.

    (4)

  • Gordon D.

    Outstanding is every way. I had the best fatty tuna I've ever had, a whole grilled fish was stunningly fresh and delicious, I could go on. You'll spend some money here and it is well worth it. We've been back twice in four days and will finish our holiday here to make it three.

    (4)

  • Jesse And Lara M.

    Are you kidding??? Best sushi ever. We were scared it might be kind of generic since its in the shopping center, we were so wrong! Tasty local catches, Sam the sous chef was incredible, I can't rave enough about this place! Can't wait to return next year.

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    The sushi here is amazing. Kids meals were great as well. Unfortunately I can only give it 3 stars because the service was not good. They seemed overwhelmed and it did not seem like they were overly busy. I wish I could recommend this restaurant because the food was outstanding, but because the service was so spotty I would not return.

    (3)

  • Sue L.

    WOW! We loved this place. We eat a lot of sushi and come from a city with tons of excellent sushi restaurants so it was a nice surprise to eat here. My husband and I shared the Norio 69 roll and the Poke roll -so fresh and tasty. Sometimes the sushi rolls all taste the same no matter what ingredients are in there. I also had a piece of hamachi which melted in your mouth. And we shared the bibimbap salad -delicious and creative. If you choose to eat at the one restaurant -this is your place!

    (5)

  • Hilary D.

    The best sushi I have ever had! Amazing. Make reservation ahead of time - limited seating.

    (5)

  • Dana R.

    I've had lunch and dinner here and both were excellent. The service was good each time. For dinner last night we started off with the outstandingly fresh tuna tataki. The slab of tuna is only very lightly seared and then sliced thinly. It's served in a nice ponzu sauce over a mound of clear extremely thin noodles, sprouts and onions and has a well-balanced garlic aioli drizzled (not too much) on top, along with tobiko (flying fish roe -- not too salty and adds a nice pop). My mother, who doesn't eat sushi, loved the velvety texture of the fish (a much better experience than the stale yellowtail she tried at my urging at Monsoon in Bellevue, which ended up making her sick). We also started with the Chuck Norris Roll. I would say this roll is far from the best I've ever had -- it has a nice tempura crunch (although they serve it on a dish with a chili ponzu sauce on the bottom so very quickly the roll loses its crunch (I would much prefer the ponzu sauce on the side). Also, the crab didn't taste all that fresh and was, unfortunately, the predominant flavor in the roll. The piece of avocado was very small and you couldn't really taste the tuna. It wasn't bad, but not great ... I'd pass on this one. I had the tempura -- delightfully light panko fried in Rice Bran Oil which minimizes the greasiness. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, as were the asparagus stalks, onion slices, and kabocha squash. My only issue with this dish was that they needed to do a better job of trimming the skin off the kabocha squash -- both pieces had a thin, yet unpleasantly tough, layer off skin left (which I then had to spit out). My husband had the sizzling chicken plate with a sesame and garlic sauce. The boneless chicken pieces were perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The sauce had a delicate sweetness to it, It came with sauteed cabbage, onions and carrots, and brown (or white) rice. He really enjoyed it. My mother had the Seafood Papaya. One-half of a papaya stuffed with diced scallops, diced shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms baked in a creamy sauce. She loved it! For lunch the previous day, I had the sizzling boneless beef short ribs (off the dinner menu). Slices of what looked like hangar steak marinated in a Kalbi sauce (flavorful but not too sweet with good ginger highlights). Without evening asking, they prepared the meat to a perfect medium-rare. It comes with the same cabbage and rice that my husband's chicken dinner dish came with. I asked for some chili sauce and was given my choice of sesame chili oil, a sambal, or a mix of oyster sauce and sambal (no Sriracha). I chose the latter and blended into my brown rice -- wow, was that good. I would order this again in a heartbeat. For dinner, my husband and I tried the Italian blend of pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc ... not great, but certainly drinkable. The atmosphere is just so-so; it's located in a strip mall. I think they could do much more with the outdoor space to make it more inviting for those sitting outside or inside (the restaurant is fronted with floor to ceiling glass doors/windows so you look out into the sterile outdoor seating area. Despite the atmosphere, I will likely go back on this trip to try the sashimi.

    (4)

  • Greg G.

    dined here on 8-2 We happened by this place after viewing the Tommy Bahamas restaurant and deciding that we did not want to spend 100 bucks a head for dinner that looked average at best. So, I was initially a little put off because they had too seat us outside since we did not have a reservation and the wind was blowing about 30-35 MPH. However, I was hungry and glad that we acquiesced. The service was great and we had enough glassware and cutlery on the table to hold down all of the napkins and menus so we could figure out what to order with out things being blown down into the shopping area below. The range of rolls that we tried were excellent and fresh. The tempura was excellent although a bit sparse in quantity (only two of each item). The Yaki-soba and udon was excellent and tasted very authentic which very nice amounts of ginger and smoky flavor for the meat that was used in each dish. Once again the portions were small and it was quite evident when there was just not enough for our party to have a decent sized taste of each dish(they strongly recommend eating family style). That is about the only negative thing I can offer. I would think that adding a few more noodles (which are pretty inexpensive) to their noodle dishes would be nice. However, the rolls were fairly portioned and this meal was really enjoyable, in spite of the wind. A word of advice, order water and ask for silverware. You'll need it if you sit outside because it is really windy and you will lose your napkins and menus. All totaled we spent about 200 for 5 people with only one adult beverage and two desserts so it is a little pricey and not the best place for younger children who might not appreciate all of the offerings.

    (4)

  • Shawn G.

    This is a great restaurant in a Mauna Lani. It has a nice mix of authentic Japanese dishes mixed with popular rolls and "Americanized" japanese food. The authentic food was great. I recommend the Hamachi Kama, Yaki Soba, and the Kobachi. The crispy fresh whole fish is delicious. The sashimi and sushi were very fresh. The wait staff was excellent. For being in a strip mall in the middle of Hawaii, I was pleasantly surprised. A great meal.

    (5)

  • K R.

    I ordered a few of their sushi rolls, and they were all off the hook. The Chuck Norris Roll, The Volcano Roll and the Scallop Roll. They were all inventive, fresh, flavorful and beautifully presented. I'm in California and do eat a lot of sushi-- this was some of the best I've ever had. And for a couple dollars extra, they'll give you REAL wasabi!! It has a natural sweetness to it that completely enhances the fish. I'm spoiled now. What a wonderful treat. They have a nice wine list (for a Japanese restaurant) and many unique cocktails which I did not try, but looked like fun. As far as the service, that too was fantastic and their guests are made to feel welcomed. If I'd stayed on the island longer, I would have made a second visit, no doubt. I'm in love with this place. Oh, and they played some fun 80's tunes quietly in the background. Good vibe. If you skip dessert at the restaurant, head next door to Foodland Farms for some amazing mochi ice cream to-go! Perfect ending to a lovely sushi splurge.

    (5)

  • Kevin C.

    Since we were staying at the Mauna Lani Resort, our nearby dinner options were limited. You pretty much have a choice of the Mauna Lani Resort, the nearby resorts like the Fairmont Orchid, or the shopping center located within the Mauna Lani Resort area. Monstera came highly recommended from the hotel concierge, staying that "everyone that goes there has a good experience." I wouldn't say the experience was bad, but it was nothing exceptional. Coming from San Francisco, my expectations for sushi are fairly high. When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly staff and seated at the sushi bar (always my preference at a sushi restaurant). Now, onto the actual meal... To elaborate on more specifics of our experience: * We ordered a few appetizers, such as the edamame and picked vegetables - good, but nothing special * We had the following items in our group, with feedback in parathesis: - Chirashi (some of the fish seemed fresh, whereas others was mediocre quality. Portion size was medium) - Uni (semi-fresh, but I guess that's our error considering most Uni comes from California) - Ikura (semi-fresh) - Tempura Vegetables (delicious, but I don't expect many Japanese places to screw this up) - Spicy Tuna roll (boring, not much spice to it and the tuna did not seem fresh at all. It was almost too "chopped up" making the consistency a little weird) - Teriyaki Chicken (a mix of chicken meat - thigh and breast. I think it's preferred to have all breast, so this was a little disappointing) - Lots of Sapporo (always a good time, and it was very reasonably priced) Overall, an "ok" experience, but I would not highly recommend. The menu has a variety of food, and as much as I always crave sushi and want fresh fish, I noticed that there Udon noodles and other noodle dishes looked fantastic. I almost think it's a crime to visit a Japanese or Sushi restaurant and not order sushi, but those noodles looked damn good!

    (3)

  • Eli M.

    When we first arrived at the restaurant, a very welcoming hostess brought us to our table that we had made a reservation for. It was on the balcony of a second story building, and had a very nice, mellow ambiance. We sat down and quickly decided on what we wanted to eat. My sisters ordered sushi, and I decided on the teriyaki chicken. After an average amount of waiting, and conversing with the very talkative waitress, our food came. My sisters very much enjoyed their sushi, and my chicken was delicious. It was very hot when it first came, so I had to wait a while before digging in to the tasty dish. I usually only write bad reviews, but I was very impressed with this restaurant. My whole experience at this restaurant was 4.5 stars.

    (5)

  • Patrick D.

    Great sushi, service, and relaxed ambience. We asked for the chef to serve us omakase style which was terrific. They brought out a wide range of sushi, sashimi, and other foods for us to sample. Will be back soon.

    (4)

  • Bill P.

    Monstera is an amazing little gem! The sushi is simply awesome. The service is excellent!

    (5)

  • Alejandro S.

    Exceptional food! Robert was a amazing server with very very good knowledge of the food here! I highly recommend it here

    (5)

  • Jenn Q.

    Went here for lunch one day. Spent some $$$ but it was completely worth it. The service was exceptional!! Our server was really top notch, I wish I could multiply him and take him to every restaurant I go to! We ordered the seaweed salads (wish they were bigger, so delicious) and then Baked Scallop Sushi Spicy Tuna Negitoro Roll and last but certainly not the least, the Norio's Original 69 Roll which was a last minute order because we asked our server about what was in the 69 roll. He convinced us, and it was by far the best roll. All of their rice is imported from Japan along with their tempura oil. Which by the way, they change out every day and I have to say you can taste a difference in the tempura. The batter is light, crispy, and not oily. YUM YUM YUM Finished off lunch with some hot green tea and I left more than satisfied. I find myself craving it. Our sushi place in town is good...but not this good. If you are a sushi lover, GO HERE

    (5)

  • Glenn C.

    Ate here with my Son and his family. Since they eat sushi often than I, I asked them to suggest a value...hence the score. The spicy tuna sushi was great, as ways the stuffed papaya. Other dishes received mixed reviews. They handled a special request frm our 7-year old very successfully.

    (3)

  • Mary B.

    I would come back here. Had sushi here while on the Big Island, it was fresh and delicious. Rainbow roll is excellent. Our server was also great, he recommended some dishes and they were all very good. 4 stars because their wine selection was limited and I had two glasses of two different types of white wine and I did not like either of them. Sauvignon Blanc Mason, California and the Pinot Gris/Sauvignon Blanc Bertani, Italy.

    (4)

  • HELEN K.

    If you are staying at the Mauna Lani Resort Area (including the Fairmont) this is a nice option for Japanese Food. It is located in the Mauna Lani shopping area, there is no view to speak of, but the restaurant staff is friendly, service is good, and the food is good. We ordered the Tuna Tataki Appetizer, the fish was fresh and the seasonings were quite good. We also ordered the "Korean Style" Fried chicken, and it was also nicely flavored and crispy. We ordered the Vanilla Ice Cream with fresh fruit and housemade Caramel, and it was pretty good as well. If you are accustomed to really good Japanese food, I can't tell you this is the best restaurant I've had, but the food was good (not great), and the service was friendly.

    (3)

  • Sherry O.

    The ahi tataki is awesome! Had to get a second order after finishing the first!

    (5)

  • Ellen L.

    We eat here twice and both times it was great Portions are not huge which is not a minus for us , and the quality and taste are great and that is the main point Everything was very fresh and delicious The dish with seafood in backed papaya was really good along with monk fish dish and feat belly tuna Recommending this place for sure Being from NY the price is reasonable Enjoy

    (5)

  • Terel B.

    I was excited to try Monstera, if not for the great Yelp reviews and recommendations by our friends, then simply for the cool name. I half wondered if Godzilla-costumed servers would be delivering our food. Whether or not the name sounds like a sushi joint, it's decidedly so. We enjoyed a California roll (made with real dungeness crab meat, but we wished it had cucumber with the avocado), the butterfish (if you like Sansei's version of this dish, Alaskan Black Cod soaked in mirin, miso, soy sauce, sugar, and sake for several days and then pan-seared, you'll like this one), the Korean fried chicken, the garlic and chile sautéed sugar snap peas, a spicy tuna roll, a chilled Japanese noodle salad with chicken, and a side tsukemono (mixed Japanese pickles). The food was all very good, but nothing knocked us over. Butterfish (this dish is actually made with a fish called "sablefish," which lives at great depths in Alaskan waters, but Japanese restaurants typically call it "butterfish," "miso butterfish," or "black cod kasuzuke") is good just about anywhere you get it. It was nice to have real crab in the Cali roll. One of the best dishes was also the simplest--those sautéed sugar snap peas were wonderfully crisp and flavorful and had a bright green color to them. The noodle salad was so-so. Probably wouldn't order again but nice for a change. Spicy tuna roll was just that--a spicy tuna roll. The Korean chicken was fair at best. It sounded outstanding on the menu, but when delivered, it resembled orange chicken from Panda Express or Mr. Chau's. The only problem was it wasn't as good as Mr. Chau's, let alone Panda Express! They have 3 kinds of beer on tap--Sapporo and two local brews. You can also get real, fresh-grated wasabi (which is far more mild than traditional wasabi) for $3; kind of novel and worth doing if you've never tried it. The service was average. We waited longer than usual for visits by our server, but simple requests were overly generously honored ("Can we get some more ginger, please?" apparently means "can you bring me a half pound of ginger?" "Can we get a small bit of the spicy aioli to dip our rolls in?" returned a cereal bowl full of sriracha mayo!). Lastly, we felt the restaurant was a bit overpriced. Although everything seems expensive in Hawaii, food of this quality can be had for at least 30% less elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Mike Z.

    What can I say? I REALLY wanted to love this place. Went there with my partner and we were hoping for some great food. The restaurant itself is a bit dated as far as the decor goes, but then again most restaurants in Hawaii are that way. So let's get down to business. We ordered the snow peas as an appetizer. They were fairly good as far as snow peas go. The sauce was on the spicy side and quite flavorful. So far so good right? I ordered the Udon noodles and my parter ordered the rainbow roll and spicy tuna campache. He thought both rolls were your typical 3 star sushi. Not really fresh, not a lot of fish, not really great presentation. My noodles were ok. Not great not bad just Meh. Just not worth the prices they are asking. I will say, they server up a VERY strong Mai Tai. It was quite delish but then that's not what I came for. The service was adequate. Our server was nice and was fairly attentive. The High: Strong Mai Tais and ok service The Low: Just so so sushi at high prices. We've had better and suspect you wil have had better too. Chances we'll be back: Maybe! Only if they have a happy hour where the dishes are discounted at least 25% and the Mai Tails are on special!

    (3)

  • Yesenia R.

    This place is amazing impressed!! Best service since we've been here!! Robert our server was amazing!!!

    (5)

  • Jessica A.

    We had dinner at Monstera tonight and had a fantastic meal. Since we're living it up on vacation, we started with pina coladas and an order of spicy tuna rolls. The drinks were delicious, not too sweet as some blended drinks can be, and the tuna rolls were the perfect size, a bite of heaven. For the entree we shared the shrimp and vegetable tempura udon and the short ribs sizzle platter. I'm so happy we shared, I couldn't have lived without either! I shook some of the spicy seasoning on the udon noodles and it gave the dish the right amount of kick. A nice (and customized) touch. If you're in the area, and looking for sushi or noodles, do NOT miss Monstera.

    (5)

  • Paul K.

    Excellent food, ambiance, and service. The restaurant itself has a sushi bar and individual dining tables. The waitress started off by explaining that they were a Japanese lounge style restaurant. She took our drink orders first and brought that out relatively quickly. We had the house sake, asahi beer, and a soju mojito. The soju mojito was very refreshing. We ordered the ahi tataki, chuck Norris roll, garlic peas, oyster shooter, sashimi platter, and a special roll w/ cracklings on it. The ahi tataki is a must get. Seared and served on a bed of shaved daikon in a ponzu sauce. The first bite seemed to melt in my mouth as the flavors danced with my tastebuds. The chuck norris roll was okay. The oyster shooter was a duo. One was Korean style and the other served with a ponzu sauce. I would've rather had two of the ponzu sauce shooters. The peas were also just okay. The sashimi platter consisted of salmon, ahi, and hamachi pieces. The were all really good quality. I personally love hamachi and this didn't disappoint. My take on the experience was positive. If you're okay with spending $60+ per person on a delicious meal that will leave you satisfied, but not full then I'd recommend Monstera.

    (5)

  • Taty S.

    Went here for dinner while staying at Waikoloa on a recommendation from a friend and have to say its a must! Great recommendations from the waiter, amazing special and the freshest fish - highly recommend all around.

    (5)

  • Bruce H.

    Tried them in April on our last trip to the Island for a quick lunch. First off, the service was great! The waiter was polite, attentive, and did a good job walking us through the menu. We ordered a special sushi roll, a hot appetizer, and some noodles to share. The hot and spicy chicken appetizer was awesome. The sushi roll was very, very tasty - a spicy "volcano" tuna roll. My wife's noodles were excellent. I wish their menu was more descriptive about what each sushi roll was - it's hard to just have the Waiter explain each roll.

    (4)

  • julie t.

    We sat outside and enjoyed great service by Sarah and very good sushi! We loved the tuna tatami and their volcano roll! Very fresh! I will definitely come back here.

    (5)

  • IQuack D.

    Monstera is a good choice for Asian dining if you're staying at the Fairmont Orchid or other nearby resort. We ate at Monstera twice during our one week visit to the Big Island. Monstera's food and service were excellent on both occasions. Be sure to make a reservation. The staff here is exceptionally friendly and efficient and you'll feel welcome there. We tried several Japanese rolls listed on the menu. The Rainbow Roll was very good as were others, but be sure to ask if the Volcano Roll special is available because the Volcano Roll is especially good: 5 large pieces including one in the center with a shrimp tail sticking out to simulate the eruption (clever, huh?) and a savory red sauce around the plate to suggest lava. Would be a good idea to put the Volcano Roll on the menu as a regular item because it's so delicious. There are plate dinners in addition to the rolls. We each ordered the Short Ribs which was not what we expected (shredded beef that falls off the bone). Short ribs here are more like chunks of London Broil or flank steak and served with veggies on the side. It was very good--in my opinion better than short rib meat would have been. In my opinion, the total experience at Monstera rates 5 stars. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Ji J.

    Went here twice during my stay. Their udon was decent. sushi rolls were okay. some of their sashimi was decent. My favorite was the Korean dishes. Spicy pork w/ Kimchi, Tuna sashimi bibimboo (mixed rice, vegetable w/ korean chilli sauce), Korean spicy fried chicken, fried dumpling, hamachi kama and side order of kimchi was delicious. Found out the owner's wife is Korean. No wonder some of the Korean dishes were great! Also, haven't tried myself, but fried whole snappers looked really good (only on a special day menu)

    (4)

  • sideshow b.

    We arrived late for lunch, only ones in house yet they made us feel right at home! Super service, great miso, average edamame, and above average roll (dragon) and nigiri. Super cold Asahi on draft completed the meal. Thanks Monstera!

    (4)

  • Scott D.

    This is a good sushi restaurant if your looking for the the Hawaiian atmosphere. It on the Second floor of an upscale stripmall which also has a Tommy Bahama and a Ruth Chris steakhouse. The sushi was fresh, the cuts of fish were appropriate to the amount of rice and the roles were tasty. Only thing that I found interesting, was they offered us outdoor seating, and my experience in Hawaii has always been when they offer you outdoor seating, it comes with a nice view. This however was not the case, it was overlooking the shopping center and everybody going into and leaving the restaurant would walk right by us. We asked to be reseated in the restaurant and they accommodated us. Nice restaurant if I was back at home but when in Hawaii, I like more than a strip mall atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Toni E.

    Very good tuna tataki. The sugar peas, Chuck Norris roll and Monstera roll were also wonderful. There is live entertainment every Tues and Thurs night in the center as well. I would definitely go back!

    (4)

  • Callie F.

    This place is a hit! My mom and I came here after it was recommended by the concierge at the nearby fairmont hotel, what a great recommendation! The food was excellent!

    (5)

  • D B.

    We sat at the bar and enjoyed the service of the two funniest men on the Island. The food was delicious and I appreciated how kind everyone was. The food was small in portion but very filling.

    (5)

  • Russ M.

    Tuna Tataki, Miso Butterfish and amazing roles make this a must visit . Great service too from Kela. Highly recommend .

    (5)

  • Jen R.

    We went there after our photographer said they are better than Sansei in Waikoloa. I found that to be absolutely not true. Their food portions were way too tiny for how much they were charging. I ordered the poke off the meal menu, thinking I will be okay with the portions. The waiter knew that was my dinner based on that being the only thing I ordered. Well he failed to tell me that this is ultimately the size of a small appetizer but I paid something like $15 or $18 for it. My husband ordered a teriyaki chicken plate once we realized their food was very very very expensive. Well, that was also tiny. He had something like three strips of thumb-sized chicken, some sauteed cabbage and some other veggies, and a small bowl of rice, which he ended up sharing with me. There is nothing that annoys me more than expensive food with ridiculously tiny portions. I don't mind paying the money but you at least have to make it worth it for me. I'm also not sure why it was happening but the table next to us was getting so much better service than we were. They were probably in their 50s or so and we are a young couple in our early 20s so maybe that was the issue but it seemed like a manager or someone went over there and asked how they were doing, then the person turned around, saw us, then walked to a different table on the other side of us and asked how they were doing. Uhm.... Excuse me? What? I'm not good enough for your managers to spend their precious time saying hello? The table next to us also kept having their plates delivered by other people while we waited a long time for our server to bring ours. We did not leave as happy customers.

    (2)

  • Stephen C.

    We sat at the sushi bar end enjoyed an excellent selection of sushi and sashimi. The conversation with the chefs was enjoyable. The service was warm and attentive. Steve

    (5)

  • Whitney B.

    Excellent sushi and good selection of rolls. Nice Korean influences in the food (such as the stir fried pork with kimchi, which was very good). Definitely worth visiting, even if the ambiance is a bit strip-mall like.

    (4)

  • F S.

    We feel that Monstera has the best SUSHI and Japanese food on the Big Island. Chef Norio is behind the counter serving up the freshest catches. Wes, his business partner makes sure that the rest of the food and service is the best. We are fans!

    (5)

  • Joe H.

    We were staying at Mauna Lani Bay resort so it was a close option for dinner. The hotel offered a shuttle to the shops so we didn't have to drive. We arrived around 5:30 and the place was pretty empty. It did fill up more as the evening progressed. We ordered izakaya style. Put in orders for a couple of items which came out of the kitchen in the order they were finished much like tapas. The tempura was perfect and right from the oil as it should be. After finishing up our first set of plates, we put in for a second wave of sushi which was also very good. There is no view at all. It's a place to eat in a tourist enclave. However, the quality is good and service was pleasant.

    (4)

  • Ramsey K.

    Really enjoyed our night out sitting at the counter. Highly recommended. My wife had the sushi and I had the Yaki Udon hot noodle dish. Both fantastic.

    (5)

  • Kimo S.

    During our honeymoon at the Fairmont this restaurant blew us away, not only is this where Norio currently resides (don't be fooled into thinking he is at Norio's) but he is such an awesome chef & owner. We had such an amazing dinner here that we came back for lunch two days later, we couldn't stop talking about how great the meal was. The Chuck Norris roll is pretty famous but I must give it a shout-out since we had it twice during our visits here. The spicy tuna & spicy hamachi were also stellar, well worth having seconds too. We stuck to their sushi and seafood dishes and determined that if Mama's Fish House in Maui is the place we want to eat on Maui, this will be our go-to restaurant every-time we are in Kona. Norio was a blast to talk to, he even made a special spicy ahi donburi for me that I asked if he could do when we came in for lunch. Delicious! He made us feel welcomed, cared for and created unique sushi dishes for us to try when we asked him to "surprise us!". In the end, putting your faith in the owner and sushi chef is the best way to go here.

    (5)

  • Tom C.

    Had steak there which was probably my mistake. Kids enjoyed their meals.

    (3)

  • Kevin C.

    We made a reservation for 7:30, but found a small crowd waiting when we arrived. We were not actually seated until 8:05, when we were lead to one of several empty tables. We then waited another 10 minutes before a waiter noticed us. Unlike Derek A., we got only an apology for the wait: the waiter said they were doing the best they could. The food when it came was tasty enough and the prices were not out of line for the area. But don't bother going at 7:30, with or without a reservation.

    (2)

  • Jacqueline S.

    Order the eel here. Best I've ever had and I love sushi. We went here for my mom's birthday during a recent trip to Hawaii upon a foodie friend's suggestion. We loved it so much we returned the following night. The sushi menu is short but everything is fresh and flavorful. The waitstaff is friendly and happy to answer questions or offer suggestions. The place does get a bit loud on weekends as there are few soft surfaces to absorb the noise. If you eat here you're in for a treat!

    (5)

  • Meaghan H.

    Some of the best sushi I have ever had (I am one picky sushi lady)! We ate her on the third day of our trip and had to come back again! The sugar pea appetizer will make even the carnivores want to devour their veggies! I also loved the shrip tempura appetizer which is a pretty easy dish to find but they had some great Hawaiin veggies in there, it wasn't too greasy and the dipping sauce was perfection! I am a noodle lover so we orderd the Udon soba and Yaki Soba for the table. To be honest, there were rgood but I would say the sushi outshines them competely! Sometimes the best noodles are just simple, a tad greasy and from a streat cart so I think you could spend your money more wisely and go for the sushi. Don't forget to add a Mai Tai to that! I saw everyones recommendations and was not dissapointed! I am by no means a Mai Tai connoisseur because I think they are too sweet and I am opposed to anything with sour in it but this was simply fresh juices and the right combination of booze! Watch out, though, it does pack quite the boozy punch! This place is a must if you are looking for a nice dinner in the area!

    (5)

  • Carlie C.

    Monstera is one of the tastiest restaurants that I have ever been to! I wish that we had time to go back more than once. Our server was very nice and attentive, and had great suggestions in regards to the menu. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual. The drinks were tasty... and I haven't even gotten to the food part yet! The food is absolutely fantastic. The Chuck Norris roll is out of this world and just might be the best sushi roll I have ever had. For the entree I chose the calamari salad, which was divine. I have ordered calamari salad at a few restaurants since returning to the mainland, but it's just not the same... they can't compare to Monstera! My husband had a few different sushi rolls, and all of them were delicious. The drinks are priced much more reasonably here than at the resorts. Overall, great food, great service. A must try if you are in the area! Can't be beat!

    (5)

  • Kylie L.

    Honestly, I have experienced better. The service was friendly and helpful but all in all I wasn't really impressed with the meal. Perhaps I am just spoiled with being able to find amazing sushi in California but either way.... I don't think I would come back.

    (2)

  • Holly B.

    Delightful place for fresh sushi. A friend of mine recommended it so my husband and I couldn't wait to go there. The drinks were phenomenal and my husband won at ordering. He got the short ribs and even the vegetables on his plate were delicious. They also have fresh wasabi which is a rare treat.

    (4)

  • Gary L.

    Paid top$$$$ and found a bone in the toro. Cant believe it and didn't even say sorry. The owner should be ashamed.. Other food was good but no service and that incident. Oh hum...

    (2)

  • Jake S.

    Our waitress was wonderful. The fish and sushi were also incredibly fresh, I recommend the poke - melts in your mouth. I was also shocked to see that the California roll was made with real crab!!! Not the fake stuff with the red outside. It was a great meal.

    (5)

  • Wilson K.

    Dear Yelp Journal, I eat a lot of sushi and I mean A LOT. This place has really set up a new standard for other locations. My one true test for a sushi place that wants to have any bragging rights is that their tako sashimi is not bad. Bad is defined by being very rubbery, tasteless, or even gag inducing. Monstera killed it. Their tako sashi was firm, but easily chewable and fresh tasting. No rubbery nastiness, no fighting with it in my teeth, and no drowning it in soy sauce and wasabi to make it palatable. It was PERFECT! This is also only matching in the quality of all the other sashimi I had for that night. Also, on the note of wasabi. They offer REAL wasabi here. Not the green dyed imitation horse radish that you get everywhere else. This is the real stuff, the EXPENSIVE stuff. They offer a generous amount and I found it to be slightly gritty, sweet, and not very spicy. If you're after the kick you're used to from the imitation stuff, then order the imitation stuff. I was thrilled to be able to try it and thought I'd only be able to find it at a super posh restaurant in NY that I have yet to venture to. Overall, this place is really nice. Great ambience, great service, and the cocktails are WAY more affordable than what you get at the neighboring Waikoloa restaurants. The food is also better here. If you're vacationing at Waikoloa, make the trek here to get your sushi fix.

    (4)

  • Deb K.

    Based on the Yelp reviews we tried Monstera. What a fabulous meal! The freshest rainbow roll we have ever tasted! Excellent Tuna Tatataki and our favorite pinot, Meomi. Ask for Robert, he was wonderful! We are going to return before heading back to CA.

    (5)

  • ALEXANDRA L.

    Pros: The staff (yey April), the food (yey sushi and hot chefs), the drinks and casual atmosphere. Cons: mall site/no view, but whatever. The spot: My honey and I love good food, but aren't so in to stuffy environments. Obviously, this can't get too stuffy because it's in a mall. But, it's upstairs, with outdoor seating looking out over the central courtyard. Or, indoor seating. In any case, we went there twice on our trip (at least since it's still not officially over). The grub: The first time, we went the sushi route trying a spicy scallop roll special (oooooh soooooo gooood), a mix of seafood in ponzu, oyster shooters (two flavors), hirame (melt in your mouth), gyoza (8/order, never ever seen that many before), tuna tataki and a spider roll. All were terrific (by Bay Area standards). The second time, we got udon with tempura and a sizzle plate (chicken terriyaki). And, tempura banana for dessert. Scrumptious. The drinks: They have a decent wine list at crazy prices (like grocery store prices). They also have frou frou cocktails, beer on tap, etc. We tried a few, and all were standard or above par. This was a great place to escape the resort feel, & not get dolled up. One of the things I really dug about the place is that they told you things like "the chicken terriyaki is made with dark meat, is that ok?" It's just being aware of things that might surprise people, and just nip it in the bud, so you're happy with what you get.

    (5)

  • Rich J.

    First sushi on the island....great tuna, salmon, and monkfish liver. Everything very fresh and melt-in-your-mouth. kind of hidden in a mall..on the second floor above some store if I remember correctly..but worth searching out for some of the best raw fish on the island.

    (5)

  • Eric C.

    3.5 stars - Service was good, we sat outside and had pretty good attention from the servers. We did get the show going on at the mall outside which was a little distracting at times. Drinks - monstera mai tai was a nice twist on a traditional mai tai (additional passion fruit and other juices added if IIRC). Lava flow was about as expected (though strong). Appetizers - hamachi kama was recommended by the host and it was absolutely delicious. I wanted to lick the bones of this poor yellow tail. Tempura was solid, enjoyed that they gave mushrooms which I don't typically see, along wth broccoli, onion, shrimp, and hmm squash. Entrees - the short ribs were nothing special - a little too much fat and just not as flavorful as I would have preferred. However the Monstera Chicken (sort of high class orange chicken) had great flavor and texture. Dessert - we did the caramel, fruit, ice cream dessert which was a solid dish but I'm not a huge sweets person, so it was a little sweet for me (swimming in caramel).

    (4)

  • Ralph O.

    I came here on vacation with the family. The food was delicious. The wife and I both ordered the cold soba noodles and tempura. The noodles were al dente and the tempura crispy but not greasy. The service was slow at times. It took them awhile for them to get our order and drinks. We also waited a bit too long for our food. The portions are small and expensive.

    (3)

  • Shannon G.

    3 stars for pretty good food. 1 star for the fact that, eventually, most things actually made it to the table. Let's deconstruct this mess: Seaweed salad - 2 kinds in the split dish and we loved both. Spicy tuna roll - very good but not distinguished with any sauce. Spinach side - really good flavor, way too small a serving. Brown rice option - thank you! Short ribs - great flavor! One piece was solid fat. Good sized serving. Edamame - yuck! Dried out, maybe freezer burn? Service was so confused that we just kept laughing at them! At several tables including ours, something was missing or had been requested multiple times, including checks. Eventually the item would be delivered, and then one server named Chelsea would appear with a duplicate of whatever had finally been delivered. She would rush up to a table with the errant item, only to find that it had already been delivered. Our meal came out in reverse order; appetizers followed main course, and nothing of my order was delivered at all before my husband's entire order had already been delivered. Chelsea, albeit a friendly girl, kept assuring us that, whatever we were missing, would show up when it had been prepared. Same day, we hope? A more mature hostess than the very young lady servers seemed to have it together. Too bad she wasn't our server. The servers all loved asking how everything is, and loved assuring us that our food was imminent. That was part of the entertainment - just bring the food, instead of promises, promises! Many Yelpers report overall good experiences here. I think we would give the restaurant a second try but might run for cover if assigned to Chelsea's section. We miss the restaurant that preceded Monstera. No problems back then. What Yelpers report about the terrace is true. We sat outside by choice, and the terrace is . . . tables and chairs. Period.

    (2)

  • Ken M.

    The tempura is a must have. The service was excellent. We'll eat there again.

    (3)

  • Patti M.

    Two wonderful dinners here last month! And I don't even really like Japanese food! I am a vegetarian, and they were so helpful and accommodating. Everything was delicious and our servers Jason and Robert were both great! Looking forward to going again soon!

    (5)

  • Nadine L.

    Really really delicious and fresh sushi. The chef came here from the Fairmont restaurant that bears his name. The yellowtail hamachi was my favorite, along with the spicy scallops handroll. We got a side of the sugar snap peas in garlic sauce and it was amazing. I took a shuttle from the Mauna Lani hotel and it was about a 3 min drive. The Korean chicken and the salmon here is just average though. I would avoid those and get the other stuff. The Hawaiian fish opakapaku (sp?) was too chewy for my taste. However the Monstera Mai Tai was amazing and so was the green tea ice-cream.

    (5)

  • Anne D.

    My husband and I were on the big island for one week and we went here twice. It was delicious! The tuna tataki is a MUST! The original Mai Tai's are fantastic. The servers have great recommendations so I would say to ask for their opinion. Food in Hawaii is generally expensive, but we found this place to be pretty reasonably priced. Not much more to say other than this is a must!

    (4)

  • karl b.

    Excellent! I got the oyster shooters (special), butterfish and tuna tataki.

    (5)

  • Anna T.

    Such a great little sushi place!!! We were on the Big Island in April for our honeymoon, so do forgive me for not remembering what we ate exactly, however I do remember this, our food was delicious!!! Great service, our waitress was very sweet and helpful. Her recommendations were spot on and we really enjoyed ourselves. We cannot wait to have a chance to visit again soon!!!

    (5)

  • Denise C.

    Great food and service, only 4 stars because even for Kona high prices.

    (4)

  • Faery D.

    Don't need to return to this restaurant. We ordered 3 rolls. The nori was soggy on all three; rice was overcooked; the raw fish portions teensy, and did not taste poppingly fresh like one one expect. The colors looked a little fake. I'm picky about eating sushi at a restaurant, and this was probably the worst restaurant sushi I've eaten. Saving grace was the nice sushi chef and waitress. We left, and went to the grocery store to see if we could find some better food. It wasn't any better there either.

    (2)

  • Randy C.

    My wife and I were looking for a good sushi restaurant while we were staying at the Fairmont Orchid. We came across this place and really loved it. The service was excellent and friendly. The food was even better, my wife had the seafood papaya and loved it while I had the Sushi and soup combo and the chef delivered up a roll and a variety of eight pieces of sushi.. Very Good.. Would love to come back and definately recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Sf Momm Y.

    SOMEONE PlEASE FIX this...this town is not "Hawaii" child friendly... A super big plus, for a sushi joint. ordered a bunch of sushi (nigiri) plus the rainbow roll, agedashi tofu, and udon for the lil' one- (it came with rice and a fruit salad, yummy yummy) wonderful sushi. I'll admit that I have hugely high standards for sushi in Hawai'i (most SF sushi is a sad tragedy) and this place was amazing. ambience and branding is cool (the monstera leaf will always remind me of this place) and yes,the music is STRANGE.... one moment: chris isaak crooning "fall in love.... With you....." next moment: "it's raining men, hallelujah it's raining men!!" so weird. they have highchairs and the bathroom outside the hall has a counter to change diapers. and to the lady sitting in the booth with the kate gosselin reverse mullet: I give you HUGE snaps for sporting that hairstyle, 6 months after kate gosselin herself stopped sporting it. For a split second I thought I was going to have a brush with Fame.....

    (5)

  • Jeff S.

    Stayed in Hawaii for 11 days. Only repeated a restaurant visit once and it was Monstera. Amazingly good food and service for the price. Sushi and Sashimi were excellent. We live in the Seattle area and eat a lot of fresh seafood and Monstera is right up there with the best we've had. Service was very good. Atmosphere was good, but that's low on our list, for us it's all about the food and the food is amazing. The most memorable item we ate had to be their homemade caramel, fresh tropical fruit & ice cream dish. It contained these small roasted coconuts called Coquitos. Simply amazing!

    (5)

  • Mary K.

    We went there twice when staying at the Mauna Lani because we liked it that much. Chef Norio was wonderful. The sushi was delicious and fresh. Kids loved the udon soups. Shochu was strong and delicious. Sat at a table the other time and had a knowledgable pleasant waiter. A great place to dine on the Big Island. Pricier but way nicer than Sensei.

    (5)

  • Natalie F.

    All that needs to be said is: the sushi is so fresh you almost expect it to jump off the table and run away :) and our server James was so eager to ensure we had the best experience possible- I wish I were blessed enough to be a local and become a "regular" here!!!

    (5)

  • A F.

    I loved this place. We ordered items to share (two of us) one at a time. Everything was perfect. The waiter suggested small plates that were awesome. The spicy tuna roll was great...as was the butterfish. I hate to say I forgot everything else. The tuna is incredible. I say just let the waiter tell you what to eat. I think the genuine friendliness (not people trained to be nice) was icing on the cake. I was a little worried I'd be awkwardly under dressed (baseball cap) but it wasn't a big deal.

    (5)

  • Paul W.

    Quiet second level sushi restaurant with competent service and quality food. We loved the Chuck Norris roll!

    (3)

  • Amy W.

    The 1st star goes to the cleanliness of the restaurant. The 2nd star goes to the friendly service, mostly our server, Robert. Husband had the Monstera Chicken with brown rice. The battered chicken nuggets resembled the orange chicken from Panda Express. It was served on hot iron plate with cabbage stir fry. The sauce was thin and lacked of taste. I had yellowtail sashimi and not impressed at all. The fish was not fresh compares to other sushi places I visited on this trip so far and the cut was small. Daughter had the Nabiyaki udon and she said my udon tastes better. I don't think I will go back for second.

    (2)

  • Kaulana P.

    Let's just say !!! From the environment to the decor the wait staff and the food this place by far is amazing! We had a wonderful waitress named Kehau who was so helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. We had the lobster special to start off with it was two types a grilled and a tempura with a teriyaki butter sauce. So delicious then we had numerous rolls and all were great but my favorite was the baked scallop.. Then we also tried the Korean style short ribs which were delicious... This place is a must to try!

    (5)

  • Allie M.

    Wow. We are staying on Waikoloa Beach Drive and wanted something close, we were tired after a full day of travel and wanted a quick bite to eat. Went here based on all the positive Yelp! reviews, however, the restaurant wasn't anything great. First off, there were open tables, but when we arrived the hostess demanded our last name to write us down on a list, despite there being open tables (maybe they do this to monitor the flow of customers?) Very odd. We ate at the bar and the bartender was awesome but the food... "Meh." The volcano sushi roll was nothing more than previously frozen ahi tuna that was cooked tempura style. The sauce on it was good but the seaweed it was wrapped in wasn't fresh, in fact we had to eat the sushi pieces in one bite because trying to tear the seaweed apart was impossible. Also, for $15 I would have expected more than five pieces. The yaki udon noodle dish was okay, the ginger was fresh which was a plus, but the dish was overly sauced, making the end of the dish not so good. I am a foodie, I love upscale restaurants and I also love dive bars. However, this manages to just be an overpriced Japanese Applebee's. Take the extra 20-30 minutes and drive down South to Kailua Kona. Stars only for the awesome bartender - she was amazing and talkative. Everything else though..... no

    (2)

  • Janny S.

    Monstera is a Japanese and Izakaya kind of restaurant with sushi, noodles, and some Korean inspired dishes. The atmosphere and decor is hip and spacious with nice hanging bamboo ceiling fixtures. They have a sushi bar in the back area and outdoor lanai seating. It's located in the Shops at Mauna Lani on the 2nd level. We came for dinner with reservations which was easily made on our phone. We started off with the Chuck Norris Roll with tuna, crab and avocado in a crisp tempura roll with sesame chili ponzu sauce. It was fresh and made from quality ingredients, but pricey! $15! We ordered the Soba Salad - chilled soba noodles with shrimp, cucumber, bean sprout, tomato, and egg in a soy dressing. It was mildly spicy but delicious and started off with some rolls. My favorite is the Spicy Hamachi Roll with yellow tail, habanero masago, sesame oil, and a spicy aioli. I love Hamachi, so every time I eat sushi, I always order something with Hamachi in it. We tried the chef's selection Poke Roll and finished our dinner with a hot plate of Yaki Udon noodles because we felt like we needed some more carbs to line our stomachs. The fried udon noodles are stir fried with pork and veggies in spicy sauce. They're okay, but the portion was too small for $19 bucks! The food here is good, but really pricey! We're from San Francisco so we have an awesome amount of sushi joints that are half the price and just as good. This one is definitely a real tourist trap since its smack in the middle of a mall, and we fell prey! Hehe! Whatever, its vacation! That's pretty much what I say to everything expensive while on vacation. The service was great and I enjoyed the ambiance.

    (3)

  • Ned B.

    This is without a doubt the best place for sushi in Hawaii. We have been eating here for years. While there are other sushi places near by, I would only recommend Monstera. Don't be confused by the place at the Orchid named Norio's. Norio is no longer there. The Orchid kept his name when he left to open Monstera.

    (5)

  • Mark G.

    We had our anniversary dinner here with 20 people. Kavana the head waiter presented an awesome meal. We ate like kings. Really we ate like kings. It was the best Japanese food I ever had and I eat Japanese regularly. The presentation was fantastic. The waiters were great. The food was fantastic, the best, fresh, super tasty, hot off the grill. It was fantastic. One of the best meals I have ever had and my guests say the same. I highly recommend this restaurant.

    (5)

  • Eric J.

    Very mediocre. Based on reviews I got the Chuck Norris roll. It was good but nothing special. Definitely overpriced for what you get. I will not go back. Should have gone next door to Ruth's Chris.

    (3)

  • carol b.

    An attractive place in a Disney-esque shopping area, Monstera was a good eatery, but not a great one. Our party all suffered from having eaten at an amazing sushi place in Kona and this one with a lot more hype and higher prices, was no match. Friendly service, but she forgot my husband's dinner completely. And why the miniscule dots of wasabi???

    (3)

  • Malia P.

    Super long wait even with reservations. Small portions for the price you pay. Food was pretty good, just not worth the cost. Most likely will not be back!

    (3)

  • Jerome B.

    The service was spectacular and the food was twice as awesomeness. The garlic NY strip steak just melted in your mouth. The special of the night Lightly Baked Ahi roll was simply amazing. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Cory G.

    Horrible food and worse service, the food was way salty. All the sushi and the main courses came at once when asked about the timing on the food the waiter said "that is how we do it here" Would not recommend and will not be back!

    (1)

  • Wanda A.

    Very flexible with special requests. Great Japanese liquors and good sake. This is the Real Norio's BTW. He is no longer atauna Lani bit since they named the restaurant I guess he can't take his name off? This is a casual place shirts shoes cover ups definitely but clean yourself up before dinner! Often able to walk in. When it first opened, during events at the shops and high season there can be a wait. I don't like that their "hostess" was at entrance to long lanai and sort of acted like a guard. Or a troll under a bridge. I don't think they do that anymore. It is relaxing and go outside your box.

    (4)

  • Natalie B.

    We had dinner here on Valentine's Day. We arrived 1/2 hour early for our reservation and they seated us immediately. The waiter made some excellent suggestions and the food was all outstanding. We ordered the Chuck Norris roll, gyoza and calamari as pupus and they were all exceptional ---the calamari was especially tasty. For dinner we ordered a few pieces of nigiri, spicy hamachi, spicy scallop and the crunchy tuna roll. They were all spectacular! Monstera did not disappoint!

    (5)

  • Stopher W.

    I really wanted to like this place more. It was obviously a local hangout where the staff knows the customers etc. I was however disappointed that the food wasn't better. With the high prices, I also wanted quality and it just wasn't there. The sushi rice was over cooked but the fried fish special was yummy $52. I will give it another try and hope the quality gets better. The best part of the restaurant was the wait staff was friendly and very nice.

    (3)

  • Eugene T.

    AMAZING!!!! Best sushi I ever had. The teriyaki chicken best on the island. Great service too... Leave your resort and come here

    (5)

  • Silvia N.

    Great place! We heard about this place on our third night in Hawaii. I wish we would have found it earlier, since our experience with food in Hawaii had not been great until now. We made a reservation but decided to eat at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was great when asked for recommendations and when asked to create something off the menu with a garlic ponzu sauce. Fish and seafood was very fresh and everything was made to order.

    (5)

  • Jen L.

    We went to this restaurant twice when we were on the Big Island. Big fan of our server with recommendations on dishes. The kalbi steak and new york strip sizzling plates were fantastic. The second time round, I tried the fried chicken and felt some pieces were too dry. My husband had the chicken teriyaki and the flavoring was good. The mango spritzer was pretty amazing too. Absolutely recommend this restaurant for dinner if you are on the Big Island.

    (4)

  • Tertiary D.

    Very nice and fresh. They have a $25 corkage fee plus tax and tip so looking at $35 for bring your own wine. This is a bit high coming from California. Feeling taped on corkage tends to make customers spend less overall and that's documented by wine spectator. They have super tataki and poke and great California roll. Great fresh rice. Everything very fresh and staff vet accommodating. A very good experience and one of the better restaurants on the island.

    (5)

  • Doll F.

    Came here for dinner with my husband. The hostess was attentive and sat us immediately. The waiter greeted us and took drink orders. The wine was VERY well priced--a huge contrast to the cost of the food. I ordered the seaweed salad, the sashimi special and a spicy yellowtail roll. My husband the mixed greens and chicken teriyaki. The sashimi was fresh, but pricey--9 pieces for $24. The seaweed was good, but came in a very small portion. The roll was pathetic--hardly any fish and all rice. I was thoroughly underwhelmed. My husbands salad was nicely sized and tasty. The chicken teriyaki was served with soggy cabbage--not very appetizing. The service was good, but the food was less than impressive. I would not return again without a major change to the menu.

    (3)

  • Walter P.

    Good udon, ahi, tempura, and service. However, the very slow bar, even for wine and beer, causes Norio to lose money on liquor sales (it's easier to not order than to wait so long).

    (3)

  • J R.

    THE BEST sushi on the Big Island, bar none. A must-go place for any sushi lover.

    (5)

  • Gary L.

    This place has probably some the best cocktails and sake selection in the area! They have tasty appetizers, and the sushi/sashimi selection is insane and fresh!! We ordered 3 plates at a time and shared everything. Probably sampled a good selection of the menu...Their fried noodles and udon are a great complement to the raw fishes as well (need some carbs with drinks) Our waiter is friendly and present, with great suggestions of their specialties. For such an unassuming restaurant, the food and service is highly elevated. We had the best time!!

    (5)

  • Laura R.

    It was fully booked but they found us a seat at the sushi bar. We shared the crunchy spicy tuna roll and it was awesome and my mom had the calamari salad and loved it. I wish I was here longer so I could go back. It was really fun sitting at the bar!

    (5)

  • Amy F.

    Excellent food and service for dinner this evening! Jordan, our server and a local, recommended great dishes and some local tid bits. She steered us towards the calamari salad ( light, crispy warm calamari mixed with very fresh greens and a DELISH dressing) and the Tuna Tataki ( beautiful and delicious). Both very good suggestions. We also had the Volcano Roll (great sauces drizzled on top), the Spider roll (good, but typical) and a few other pieces of sushi. All of the food was fresh and tasty. I really appreciated how large the sushi pieces were. We are die hard Sansei fans on Maui, but were staying at the Mauna Lani and wanted something closer. So glad we tried Monstera. Would definitely recommend and return!

    (4)

  • Judson R.

    Fantastic restaurant. Definitely try the tuna tataki. The waiter also recommended the scallops and they were delicious.

    (5)

  • Vince A.

    Came for dinner at 7:30, the waiter, Kawana recommended the tuna tataki. Very tasty and fresh. We ordered the Yaki Udon, volcano roll, spicy tuna with crunchies, fresh wasabi, hamachi sushi, 2 Kirin lights and bottle of nigori sake. Bill came to $100. Not bad for a sushi dinner for 2 with drinks. Everything was awesome. We sat outside which usually means you are forgotten about but this was actually the best service we received all week. Highly recommend this place for sushi. You will no be disappointed. Kawana was the best waiter we had in Hawaii or even that I can remember anywhere. I would have tipped him 100% if I could afford it.

    (5)

  • D M.

    Exceptional sushi. It was so tender and fresh. And the flavors were delicious. This is probably one of the best places on the island to go, especially if you are staying in the resort area not too far from the Mauna Lani. The service was pretty good too.

    (5)

  • Heather V.

    Okay so we were "that table" that came in five minutes before closing- but we were starving and our only other option was Ruth Chris steakhouse and I just didn't feel like spending 300$ for filets I could make at home. Anyway our server whos name I did not catch was attentive and made a single recommendation of the tuna tataki- it was incredible- a beautiful and delicious dish! We had the yakisoba noodles with shrimp- which was good- but I wouldn't order it again only because that tuna app was just so darn tasty. Our rainbow roll was so good we ordered another right away. The udon noodle soup with tempura was nice however slightly greasy, but unless you are really craving noodles just stick with the sushi. The staff were kind and gracious and still made us feel welcome. I would eat here often if I lived here!

    (5)

  • Brian A.

    Disastrous...was sat at a table that was still sticky from last guest. Two servers for the whole restaurant. Waited forever just to get drinks. Ordered tofu steak...supposedly seasoned and came with veggies. Came with cabbage only which was still oily from fried tofu with no flavor. The worst part was the outrageous price. I know this is a resort town, but come on. Do yourself a favor and order room service at your resort (yes it's that bad).

    (1)

  • Lauren R.

    They do not have any veg rolls on the menu, but I requested one which they had no problem with. The kabocha squash is great. I am a squash fiend and was really happy to see this on the menu. The veg roll was pretty typical. Located in the Mauna Lani shops which are literally dead. We didn't have a reservation and were sat with no problem. Service was ok. We had to ask for water refills, but she was friendly enough. The sushi chef is originally from The Fairmont hotel down the road which has some awesome restaurants. Honestly, I'm not the best sushi judge as I can't eat it right now, but get the roasted kabocha squash!

    (3)

  • Four X.

    First of all we had to wait 12 minutes for a table for 8 and the restaurant was only 30% filled. Why??? Couldn't figure out why it would take so long to put 2 available tables together and then put out paper napkins and cheap wooden chopsticks? Drinks were ordered first and each drink came out one at a time at a slow pace. Of course this delayed our server in taking our orders. Drinks by the way were good. Our server Robert with scraggly dreadlocks maybe shouldn't be a food server. Appearance was a turnoff for most in our party because he was too hairy. Finally got our order in? For some reason every single item ordered came out one at a time over too long of a period of time. The last order came out 45 minutes after the first item was served and at that point everyone in the party except the person who got served last had finished their meal. We even inquired a couple of times and was told it takes a long time to make chicken teriyaki! What B.S. and totally unacceptable. As far as the food goes the nigiri sushi is small for the price and the quality was good. The big plate meal food quality and taste is at best mediocre. The cabbage side dish is terrible to taste and a cheap side dish. I don' t understand the 4 star rating. This place is not that good!

    (1)

  • Lindsay Y.

    We visited Monstera with a group of 7. We enjoyed the freshness of the rolls, and really everything we ate was yummy. The service was very good and efficient. Unfortunately they're not open for lunch, which we were disappointed about, but it did make for a nice dinner. The Gyoza app was tasty, and my husband enjoyed the Volcano Roll and Rainbow Roll.

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    Maybe Monstera had an off night. It's tough to be sure. My wife and I started with the potstickers, which were tasty, but kind of crunchy. The main course was the Spider Roll, which was *super*-tightly packed, and dry, and very bland. Happily, we'd also ordered the teriyaki chicken, which was *awesome.* Really tasty, juicy chicken on a hot skillet. We followed that with an order of tofu agadashi, which was delicious as well. The service was excellent, the restaurant pleasant and welcoming. But we'll explore some other restaurant the next time we're on the Big Island.

    (3)

  • Stef M.

    Tuna tataki. Real wasabi. Chuck Norris roll. Shiso mojito. These are all must-tries. Despite the hostess giving me a Japanese menu TWO times (sorry, I'm not that advanced in the art of sushi. YET.) our server was really nice. Awesome food, fresh fish and actually a really cool space considering its location tucked into the shops at Mauna Lani. Norio himself used to work at the Fairmont Orchid (you may have seen Norio's in Yelp/web searches) but he's no longer there - for some reason they're still calling it Norio's, but Norio opened Monstera and you can see him behind the bar here making really, really great sushi! Oh, they have the most excellent local ice cream available for dessert: Tropical Dreams, in Kona coffee, adzuki bean, green tea and vanilla! It's seriously the best ice cream I've ever had.

    (5)

  • Allie M.

    Wow. We are staying on Waikoloa Beach Drive and wanted something close, we were tired after a full day of travel and wanted a quick bite to eat. Went here based on all the positive Yelp! reviews, however, the restaurant wasn't anything great. First off, there were open tables, but when we arrived the hostess demanded our last name to write us down on a list, despite there being open tables (maybe they do this to monitor the flow of customers?) Very odd. We ate at the bar and the bartender was awesome but the food... "Meh." The volcano sushi roll was nothing more than previously frozen ahi tuna that was cooked tempura style. The sauce on it was good but the seaweed it was wrapped in wasn't fresh, in fact we had to eat the sushi pieces in one bite because trying to tear the seaweed apart was impossible. Also, for $15 I would have expected more than five pieces. The yaki udon noodle dish was okay, the ginger was fresh which was a plus, but the dish was overly sauced, making the end of the dish not so good. I am a foodie, I love upscale restaurants and I also love dive bars. However, this manages to just be an overpriced Japanese Applebee's. Take the extra 20-30 minutes and drive down South to Kailua Kona. Stars only for the awesome bartender - she was amazing and talkative. Everything else though..... no

    (2)

  • Kaulana P.

    Let's just say !!! From the environment to the decor the wait staff and the food this place by far is amazing! We had a wonderful waitress named Kehau who was so helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. We had the lobster special to start off with it was two types a grilled and a tempura with a teriyaki butter sauce. So delicious then we had numerous rolls and all were great but my favorite was the baked scallop.. Then we also tried the Korean style short ribs which were delicious... This place is a must to try!

    (5)

  • Janny S.

    Monstera is a Japanese and Izakaya kind of restaurant with sushi, noodles, and some Korean inspired dishes. The atmosphere and decor is hip and spacious with nice hanging bamboo ceiling fixtures. They have a sushi bar in the back area and outdoor lanai seating. It's located in the Shops at Mauna Lani on the 2nd level. We came for dinner with reservations which was easily made on our phone. We started off with the Chuck Norris Roll with tuna, crab and avocado in a crisp tempura roll with sesame chili ponzu sauce. It was fresh and made from quality ingredients, but pricey! $15! We ordered the Soba Salad - chilled soba noodles with shrimp, cucumber, bean sprout, tomato, and egg in a soy dressing. It was mildly spicy but delicious and started off with some rolls. My favorite is the Spicy Hamachi Roll with yellow tail, habanero masago, sesame oil, and a spicy aioli. I love Hamachi, so every time I eat sushi, I always order something with Hamachi in it. We tried the chef's selection Poke Roll and finished our dinner with a hot plate of Yaki Udon noodles because we felt like we needed some more carbs to line our stomachs. The fried udon noodles are stir fried with pork and veggies in spicy sauce. They're okay, but the portion was too small for $19 bucks! The food here is good, but really pricey! We're from San Francisco so we have an awesome amount of sushi joints that are half the price and just as good. This one is definitely a real tourist trap since its smack in the middle of a mall, and we fell prey! Hehe! Whatever, its vacation! That's pretty much what I say to everything expensive while on vacation. The service was great and I enjoyed the ambiance.

    (3)

  • Ned B.

    This is without a doubt the best place for sushi in Hawaii. We have been eating here for years. While there are other sushi places near by, I would only recommend Monstera. Don't be confused by the place at the Orchid named Norio's. Norio is no longer there. The Orchid kept his name when he left to open Monstera.

    (5)

  • Mark G.

    We had our anniversary dinner here with 20 people. Kavana the head waiter presented an awesome meal. We ate like kings. Really we ate like kings. It was the best Japanese food I ever had and I eat Japanese regularly. The presentation was fantastic. The waiters were great. The food was fantastic, the best, fresh, super tasty, hot off the grill. It was fantastic. One of the best meals I have ever had and my guests say the same. I highly recommend this restaurant.

    (5)

  • Eric J.

    Very mediocre. Based on reviews I got the Chuck Norris roll. It was good but nothing special. Definitely overpriced for what you get. I will not go back. Should have gone next door to Ruth's Chris.

    (3)

  • carol b.

    An attractive place in a Disney-esque shopping area, Monstera was a good eatery, but not a great one. Our party all suffered from having eaten at an amazing sushi place in Kona and this one with a lot more hype and higher prices, was no match. Friendly service, but she forgot my husband's dinner completely. And why the miniscule dots of wasabi???

    (3)

  • Malia P.

    Super long wait even with reservations. Small portions for the price you pay. Food was pretty good, just not worth the cost. Most likely will not be back!

    (3)

  • Jerome B.

    The service was spectacular and the food was twice as awesomeness. The garlic NY strip steak just melted in your mouth. The special of the night Lightly Baked Ahi roll was simply amazing. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Cory G.

    Horrible food and worse service, the food was way salty. All the sushi and the main courses came at once when asked about the timing on the food the waiter said "that is how we do it here" Would not recommend and will not be back!

    (1)

  • Wanda A.

    Very flexible with special requests. Great Japanese liquors and good sake. This is the Real Norio's BTW. He is no longer atauna Lani bit since they named the restaurant I guess he can't take his name off? This is a casual place shirts shoes cover ups definitely but clean yourself up before dinner! Often able to walk in. When it first opened, during events at the shops and high season there can be a wait. I don't like that their "hostess" was at entrance to long lanai and sort of acted like a guard. Or a troll under a bridge. I don't think they do that anymore. It is relaxing and go outside your box.

    (4)

  • Natalie B.

    We had dinner here on Valentine's Day. We arrived 1/2 hour early for our reservation and they seated us immediately. The waiter made some excellent suggestions and the food was all outstanding. We ordered the Chuck Norris roll, gyoza and calamari as pupus and they were all exceptional ---the calamari was especially tasty. For dinner we ordered a few pieces of nigiri, spicy hamachi, spicy scallop and the crunchy tuna roll. They were all spectacular! Monstera did not disappoint!

    (5)

  • Stopher W.

    I really wanted to like this place more. It was obviously a local hangout where the staff knows the customers etc. I was however disappointed that the food wasn't better. With the high prices, I also wanted quality and it just wasn't there. The sushi rice was over cooked but the fried fish special was yummy $52. I will give it another try and hope the quality gets better. The best part of the restaurant was the wait staff was friendly and very nice.

    (3)

  • Eugene T.

    AMAZING!!!! Best sushi I ever had. The teriyaki chicken best on the island. Great service too... Leave your resort and come here

    (5)

  • Silvia N.

    Great place! We heard about this place on our third night in Hawaii. I wish we would have found it earlier, since our experience with food in Hawaii had not been great until now. We made a reservation but decided to eat at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was great when asked for recommendations and when asked to create something off the menu with a garlic ponzu sauce. Fish and seafood was very fresh and everything was made to order.

    (5)

  • Jen L.

    We went to this restaurant twice when we were on the Big Island. Big fan of our server with recommendations on dishes. The kalbi steak and new york strip sizzling plates were fantastic. The second time round, I tried the fried chicken and felt some pieces were too dry. My husband had the chicken teriyaki and the flavoring was good. The mango spritzer was pretty amazing too. Absolutely recommend this restaurant for dinner if you are on the Big Island.

    (4)

  • Tertiary D.

    Very nice and fresh. They have a $25 corkage fee plus tax and tip so looking at $35 for bring your own wine. This is a bit high coming from California. Feeling taped on corkage tends to make customers spend less overall and that's documented by wine spectator. They have super tataki and poke and great California roll. Great fresh rice. Everything very fresh and staff vet accommodating. A very good experience and one of the better restaurants on the island.

    (5)

  • Doll F.

    Came here for dinner with my husband. The hostess was attentive and sat us immediately. The waiter greeted us and took drink orders. The wine was VERY well priced--a huge contrast to the cost of the food. I ordered the seaweed salad, the sashimi special and a spicy yellowtail roll. My husband the mixed greens and chicken teriyaki. The sashimi was fresh, but pricey--9 pieces for $24. The seaweed was good, but came in a very small portion. The roll was pathetic--hardly any fish and all rice. I was thoroughly underwhelmed. My husbands salad was nicely sized and tasty. The chicken teriyaki was served with soggy cabbage--not very appetizing. The service was good, but the food was less than impressive. I would not return again without a major change to the menu.

    (3)

  • Walter P.

    Good udon, ahi, tempura, and service. However, the very slow bar, even for wine and beer, causes Norio to lose money on liquor sales (it's easier to not order than to wait so long).

    (3)

  • J R.

    THE BEST sushi on the Big Island, bar none. A must-go place for any sushi lover.

    (5)

  • Gary L.

    This place has probably some the best cocktails and sake selection in the area! They have tasty appetizers, and the sushi/sashimi selection is insane and fresh!! We ordered 3 plates at a time and shared everything. Probably sampled a good selection of the menu...Their fried noodles and udon are a great complement to the raw fishes as well (need some carbs with drinks) Our waiter is friendly and present, with great suggestions of their specialties. For such an unassuming restaurant, the food and service is highly elevated. We had the best time!!

    (5)

  • Laura R.

    It was fully booked but they found us a seat at the sushi bar. We shared the crunchy spicy tuna roll and it was awesome and my mom had the calamari salad and loved it. I wish I was here longer so I could go back. It was really fun sitting at the bar!

    (5)

  • Amy F.

    Excellent food and service for dinner this evening! Jordan, our server and a local, recommended great dishes and some local tid bits. She steered us towards the calamari salad ( light, crispy warm calamari mixed with very fresh greens and a DELISH dressing) and the Tuna Tataki ( beautiful and delicious). Both very good suggestions. We also had the Volcano Roll (great sauces drizzled on top), the Spider roll (good, but typical) and a few other pieces of sushi. All of the food was fresh and tasty. I really appreciated how large the sushi pieces were. We are die hard Sansei fans on Maui, but were staying at the Mauna Lani and wanted something closer. So glad we tried Monstera. Would definitely recommend and return!

    (4)

  • Judson R.

    Fantastic restaurant. Definitely try the tuna tataki. The waiter also recommended the scallops and they were delicious.

    (5)

  • Vince A.

    Came for dinner at 7:30, the waiter, Kawana recommended the tuna tataki. Very tasty and fresh. We ordered the Yaki Udon, volcano roll, spicy tuna with crunchies, fresh wasabi, hamachi sushi, 2 Kirin lights and bottle of nigori sake. Bill came to $100. Not bad for a sushi dinner for 2 with drinks. Everything was awesome. We sat outside which usually means you are forgotten about but this was actually the best service we received all week. Highly recommend this place for sushi. You will no be disappointed. Kawana was the best waiter we had in Hawaii or even that I can remember anywhere. I would have tipped him 100% if I could afford it.

    (5)

  • D M.

    Exceptional sushi. It was so tender and fresh. And the flavors were delicious. This is probably one of the best places on the island to go, especially if you are staying in the resort area not too far from the Mauna Lani. The service was pretty good too.

    (5)

  • Heather V.

    Okay so we were "that table" that came in five minutes before closing- but we were starving and our only other option was Ruth Chris steakhouse and I just didn't feel like spending 300$ for filets I could make at home. Anyway our server whos name I did not catch was attentive and made a single recommendation of the tuna tataki- it was incredible- a beautiful and delicious dish! We had the yakisoba noodles with shrimp- which was good- but I wouldn't order it again only because that tuna app was just so darn tasty. Our rainbow roll was so good we ordered another right away. The udon noodle soup with tempura was nice however slightly greasy, but unless you are really craving noodles just stick with the sushi. The staff were kind and gracious and still made us feel welcome. I would eat here often if I lived here!

    (5)

  • Brian A.

    Disastrous...was sat at a table that was still sticky from last guest. Two servers for the whole restaurant. Waited forever just to get drinks. Ordered tofu steak...supposedly seasoned and came with veggies. Came with cabbage only which was still oily from fried tofu with no flavor. The worst part was the outrageous price. I know this is a resort town, but come on. Do yourself a favor and order room service at your resort (yes it's that bad).

    (1)

  • Lauren R.

    They do not have any veg rolls on the menu, but I requested one which they had no problem with. The kabocha squash is great. I am a squash fiend and was really happy to see this on the menu. The veg roll was pretty typical. Located in the Mauna Lani shops which are literally dead. We didn't have a reservation and were sat with no problem. Service was ok. We had to ask for water refills, but she was friendly enough. The sushi chef is originally from The Fairmont hotel down the road which has some awesome restaurants. Honestly, I'm not the best sushi judge as I can't eat it right now, but get the roasted kabocha squash!

    (3)

  • Jasper S.

    Forgettable flawed sushi and really poor service. After reading the reviews, I was looking forward to eating at this restaurant. Unfortunately, the poor service really hurt the experience. We sat outside because the place was so busy. It was a nice night tonight, and we welcomed the chance to sit out. Our server seemed friendly enough at first - but was clearly put out that he had to work our table. He told us about the appetizer special - but not the special rolls. (He listed several specials - including an "SLS" roll to the couple who were seated next to us). I ordered a drink (the house Mai Tai) and he did not offer to bring me another. (I would have bought one). We asked for a fork for our daughter. And had to ask a second time. He did not ask us about dessert - we would have bought at least one - probably two. The food was, for the most part, okay. We ordered the Edamame, Tempura Udon (the soup and tempura were fine), the Norio's Original 69 Roll (drenched in the sweet sauce), Rainbow Roll (I'll get to this), and the Poke Roll (the best of the three). The Norio's Original 69 Roll was, quite frankly, boring. A California roll with eel and way way too much sauce. It would have been good with 1/2 the sauce. The Rainbow Roll had some beautiful pieces of fish on it - and some disappointing shrimp. When I bit into the last piece of the roll, the one with the biggest piece of shrimp laid across, I hit something hard - and had to spit it out. This really killed the meal for me. You'll never think back on this as a wonderful meal. You'll just remember the poor service and flawed sushi.

    (1)

  • Gary Y.

    Showed up at 9 for dinner. We were greeted at the door and were told they were closed. We looked at the website and they list closing time at 10. They said "That online thing is wrong"

    (1)

  • John C.

    This is by far... the best... restaurant... for... tuna sushi... ever. 'Nuff said. Udon was pretty good, ambiance was amazing, and the waiters were very informative. I mean... that's all I can say cause it was so god damn good.

    (5)

  • Erich B.

    Wonderful sushi and noodles. Good variety of sushi rolls and soba dishes. Much better than the sushi rocks place we were at 2 nights ago. To combat island prices a bit we order some rotated pumpkin and Japanese pickles. Both good only 5 dollars. We also had the Korean bbq chicken as an appetizer. Excellent! We had the volcano roll and California roll and a spicy tuna roll. All wonderful. We even splurged for the fresh wasabi ($3) which was so good. Be careful this stuff was very strong! We also had the yaki soba which is fried soba noodles with veggies. So delicious. Overall this place is much better than the fairmont O Japanese place. Our bill for the above was 93 for the 2 of us but we were both stuffed and had some soba to take home. Best sushi place on the east side of the island IMO.

    (5)

  • Kevin N.

    It's time to wrap up my stay on the Big Island and Monstera has been (by far) my favorite eatery here. Here's why: I've been to many sushi places in throughout California and O'ahu, but Monstera has been my ultimate favorite because: --great food for an excellent deal and upscale bites --friendly and warm-welcoming staff' --exquisite atmosphere --menu creation is uniquely and brilliantly prepared --FREE WIFI :D --restrooms are well-maintained and clean My thoughts of the dishes I've tried here: Korean sweet & spicy chicken: I can't eat spicy foods, but this reminds me of a better quality of orange chicken. It's not spicy at all. It's really flavorful and easy to eat; great for all ages. Miso soup: it's light and not overly salty, but have a balance between the broth, seaweed, and silken tofu Tuna Tataki: I normally try to avoid eating raw foods because they tend to have a funky aftertaste, I get a really bad stomach ache, have an awful foul smell, or odd texture -- not this dish. The ginger ponzu makes the tuna stands out with it's acidic and lower sodium soy sauce which makes this dish a must-try. Monstera Chicken: it's the same as the Korean sweet & spicy chicken, but just the fried version (without the sweet & spicy sauce on it). It's a hearty meal when the chicken is stacked to the top while sharing stir-fry veggies on the other half. Tofu steak: Two long silken tofu lightly pan-fired pieces in ginger soy sauce. The smell is lovely and it's not overly sauced either. I wish they served organic tofu, however. *Note: Monstera Chicken & Tofu Steak come with a choice of white or brown rice imported from Japan - Their rice has a nice fragrance to it similar to jasmine rice, but isn't sticky. Yaki Soba -- think of stir-fried egg noodles mixed with vegetables and a generous amount of shrimp in a special sauce. It's a balanced meal and good choice for children too! Norio's 69 Roll: It is worth your money. I love how the unagi tastes along the dungeness snow crab and usage of locally harvested Hawaiian avocado. You can tell this roll is made with care and love. Spicy Tuna Roll: a tuna roll classic, it has a tad bit of spicy, but your children will be fine with it as well. I believe it comes with 8 pieces which is a pretty good deal. baked scallop rolls (2): the most gourmet scallop rolls I've ever tasted! The baked scallop melts in your mouth while being able to taste the non-oceany taste of normal seared scallops at most restaurants. tempura rolls (8): presented beautifully and softly edible tempura shrimp (with tail-on). A great choice for those who adore tempura shrimp and want a traditional twist to it. volcano roll (4-5): a combination of both tempura and spicy tuna rolls; a choice for the best of both worlds or to try it out (I do wish for more though). The spicy aioli isn't spicy isn't at all and pairs well with the sweet kochujang sauce. hot tea: you get a big teapot for $3 -- that's a steal for a green matcha tea :) soda: $3 with refills, may come with a red cherry :O Desserts: I haven't been able to order desserts because I order way too much food here. I will one day come back and try it... after I try everything on their menu...

    (5)

  • Grace F.

    We had the opportunity to dine at Norrio's and Monstera this vacation. Norrio's was meh and mostly uninspired. Monstera was a fantastic journey of great food. We each started with the Miso soup and then split the Chuck Norris roll. The Miso was delicious; Chuck Norris roll was just meh. For our main we split a roll and then each had fat tuna belly sushi and a piece of tamago. The roll was fresh, simple and yummy. The sushi was beautifully presented and equally fresh. We would totally visit monstera again!

    (4)

  • Karen C.

    Favorite restaurant all week! This place is amazing and so is chef Norio-san. We sat at the bar and were lucky enough to have Chef Norio there that night. We told him what we were interested in trying and he provided us a sampler of fish and some of his favorite "must have" dishes. We ate mostly sushi & sashimi and it was amazing. Buttery and cut perfectly, no need for tons of soy sauce. Specifically we loved the scallop sushi = LOVE. We started with the Tuna Tataki - it was very good, highly recommend. Volcano roll - the tempura was SOO light and crunchy - I would definitely also order the tempura next time after this. Sugar snap peas in a sauce that made me want to clean the plate. Great sushi and amazingly fresh. You will not be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Martin C.

    We had been looking forward to dinner all day and weren't disappointed. My niece ordered the pork Katsu. She was quite happy with that. The owner sent over a plate of sushimi that was very tasty. We ordered the edamame for starters. Crisp and hot and lightly salted. Sis in Law ordered the fried pumpkin and I got the spicy Tuna hand roll. Great flavors all the way around. My brother ordered the butter fish with a miso marinade and I had the 69 roll (California roll w/Unagi in top). We all shared everything and had a great time. The deserts were phenomenal.

    (4)

  • Lauren L.

    Friendly people here. Gave us a table although it was outside (but we had not made reservations on one of their busiest nights). The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD GOODNESS! Fresh, fresh, fresh. Go here. It's on the second level of this shopping mall.

    (4)

  • Julia F.

    I had dismissed Monstera when I first visited in 2010 because the service was so remarkably terrible. A more recent visit has caused me to amend my review. I am so glad that I gave Monstera a second chance! The sushi was delicious, made with very fresh fish and well seasoned rice. However, it is notable that the carryout policy is piss poor. If the restaurant has too many reservations, they will arbitrarily decline to fulfill carryout orders. When I spoke to the hostess on the telephone, she informed me that they were full on reservations, so they must deny their previous statement that they could fulfill a carryout order placed before half of our party was to go to the airport. When I expressed that I also needed to make a reservation, the hostess admitted that they could indeed take a reservation, but she still stated that they did not wish to take a carryout order. It was really obnoxious, and the deceit was irritating (grocery store sushi had to be obtained for those going to the airport). But otherwise, my experience was good. Very good food, somewhat sub-par service (especially from the hostess station!), and crowded. Restrooms are located on the same floor, next to the elevator.

    (4)

  • E C.

    I'd probably give Monstera 3.5 stars. We went on a Sunday night and made last minute reservations thru Open Table. It was busy but there were still a few open tables around us. The waitress and other staff were all nice, BUT they seemed very new or poorly trained. Our waitress seemed rather frantic and busy. She stopped by our table before we ordered and was like I promise you're next on my list and ran off like a chicken with her head cut off. We barely saw her after we ordered and had a different person serve us. We started off with the Seaweed Salad and Calamari Salad. The Seaweed Salad was bad and really sour! I've never had a restaurant mess up Seaweed Salad before so that's pretty bad. The Calamari Salad made up for it though - it was delicious. It was the best dish we ordered. My companions had the Teriyaki Chicken and Monstera Chicken. They both enjoyed their dishes. I had the Norio's Original 69 Roll. The roll was okay although it was poorly rolled. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great, something I would expect from a Midwestern sushi place but actually worse than I've had back home. The server who brought out our dishes, although nice was pretty clueless. When he brought out our Calamari Salad he also tried giving us a Mixed Salad which we didn't order. Later on when he brought out the Chicken dishes, he said they had just made a new batch of rice and would bring that out when it was ready. Why are you bringing out the main dish without the rice and waiting for it to get cold? During our meal the same server brought out another seaweed salad for us but we had already had ours! We told him that wasn't for us. The Good: Calamari salad Teriyaki Chicken Monstera Chicken The Bad: Seaweed Salad Norio's Original 69 Roll Inexperienced Clueless Service

    (3)

  • Eric J.

    Very awesome place. It was smaller than what we thought, but i guess that didn't really matter. We sat at the sushi bar with the chef. He made us a bunch of different things to try from his menu and then some stuff off the menu. The chu torro was great and he made some fatty salmon sashimi that wasn't on the menu. Everything is crazy fresh and we weren't disappointed with anything. Must try right by the Mauna Lani

    (5)

  • Mike A.

    Very good sushi, excellent sushi chef. On the pricey side, but some of the best sushi we have had on the island.

    (4)

  • Dan B.

    After eating at hotel restaurants for a few nights, my wife and I were in the mood for branching out...and for Japanese. Our kids were game too, so we made ressies at Monstera, in the local outdoor mall down the road. We were seated outside, and though I prefer outside to inside, the mall atmosphere was a bit of a downer, at least for me. The twilight sky was nice though. Unfortunately the service was slow and not very informative. We couldn't help but notice how young the hostess and waitstaff were. To our eyes they looked to be barely drinking age, if that. After inspecting the menu, my wife was disappointed due to the lack of Donburi on the dinner menu. She was craving Oyako Don in the worst way. We noticed they offered this on the lunch menu, but when we asked our waitress if we could get Donburi, she didn't know what this was, and made it clear she was new. She also showed no interest following up on our request. My wife decided to go with the flow, and she chose something else. As for the food - Here's a quick breakdown: -- Agedashi Tofu: Nicely done. -- Hamachi nigiri: fresh, tasty, small -- Short ribs sizzle plate: (my meal) good and fairly tender -- Chicken nuggets (off keiki menu): My youngest thought they were OK -- Teriyaki chicken: The Wife thought hers was just OK (and was still feeling bitter about the donburi) -- Udon: My oldest daughter (the carb freak) liked hers just fine Based on my meal alone, probably 4 stars. But for the overall family experience and poor service, I'll have to drop it down a notch.

    (3)

  • Mark O.

    Great experience! Ordered a chuck Norris roll and a Norio's original up at the sushi bar along with the calamari salad and were blown away. Add a sushi chef that is fun to chill with and it made for a perfect meal.

    (5)

  • Mark M.

    A good place with the right expectations. I mistakenly expected fine dining when I saw $$$ and four stars. It's a relatively small restaurant with a small sushi bar and small cocktail bar. It really feels more like a bar than a restaurant with a casual atmosphere. The 80's music seemed totally out of place. We ordered Shochu cocktails, tuna tataki, eel nigiri and seafood papaya with the tuna dish being the highlight of the night.

    (3)

  • P K.

    Wonderful creative Sushi and Cocktails...great service and a pretty good value in as much as most of the Big Island eateries are pretty pricey...we had fun, great food and will go back again next visit!

    (5)

  • Brian T.

    Although the food was acceptable, albeit a bit salty and sweet on the sauces, the attitude was the killer for our party of two, tonight, Sunday, 02 March 2013. We called and made a reservation for 7pm. We arrived at 7:17 pm and indicated that we had a reservation and gave our name. The three (yes three) hostesses all looked down and then back up, declaring in a very scolding and condescending set of remarks that our reservation was for 7pm and that it would simply be impossible to accommodate us. After some conferring and looks of "oh, I don't know what we can do .... oh dear oh dear oh dear...," they finally relented and took us to a table in the restaurant. Guess what? There were five (yes, 5!) empty tables after we were seated at the 6th empty table. Even so, they wanted to put as right next to the front door (probably for our being such terrible awful and disrespecting ... PAYING customers). During our dinner, we looked around at this "fancy and super selective and so hard to get into and restrictive restaurant." NOT!!! There were no table cloths. The decor is almost Jack in the Box plastic, and most of the patrons were wearing shorts at dinner, or jeans, sunglasses in their hair, Many of the customers were not "well-healed" super-affluent people but just run of the mill families with kids and grandparents. So why did the three hostesses exhibit such atrocious and arrogant attitudes? We will never know. We kept a running tally of the empty tables between 7:17 pm, when we arrived, and 8:06 pm, when we left. There were always at least 5 empty tables and sometimes there were 6 or 7. Just as we were leaving, two of hostesses were seen heading down the stairs. Clearly it was a VERY BUSY night and we were just SOOOOOOOOOOOOO lucky to be seated ....... We both agreed that we would never return. Good luck to others who must pass before the Chiron Hostesses, gatekeepers to the Monstera world of attitude arrogance hell.

    (1)

  • Tiffany C.

    My dad and I went there without a reservation on a Sunday night and managed to get seats at the bar after waiting about 5 minutes. It's a really nice location and the place seems quite classy. Inside was fairly dim, but sitting at the bar we got to talk to the chefs. I must say it's a bit pricey, but fish was fresh and rolls were delicious. I especially appreciate how they serve the edamame sprinkles with sea salt and served on a warm plate. Sitting at the bar is quite the treat as we get to see everything the chefs make. One table ordered a PB&J roll which is exactly what is sounds. Seemed kind of bizarre, but hey, that's what a kid ordered!

    (4)

  • Diane C.

    Happy to report that the food still yummy! I noticed that the prices were high - maybe they were last time and I didn't notice, but ouch, it hurt my wallet.

    (5)

  • Kelly F.

    If I had more time here, I'd have another meal to try the rest of their stuff- sashimi, rolls, noodles, etc Norio was such a nice guy. Everything we had was delicious. Japanese & Korean flare (Norio's wife is Korean) - Tuna Tataki: I can understand why this is his signature dish. I'd recommend anyone order this over other sashimi dishes if you had to pick one - short ribs with white rice and cabbage - sounds simple but it was so delicious with the sauce they used. Having that with white rice was heavenly - side of homemade kimchee by Norio's wife - Toro hand roll and green onions- great choice we made as our last bite - Mojito (their version with sochu, mint, club soda and Lilikoi ). More refreshing and light than a typical Mojito

    (5)

  • Tommy D.

    Maybe my expectations were way too high because this was recommended by some locals. I thought the restaurant was actually in a hotel but it was actually in the shopping center. Our family got dressed up for nothing. It's definitely a place where you can wear shorts and a t-shirt. All the sashimi and sushi we had was okay but not out of the ordinary. One dish that stood out was the broiled papaya with seafood that was actually outstanding. The overall service was slow even though it was only 3/4 full. They even comped my last dish because it was so late. There are many better places....

    (3)

  • Kenton W.

    The good: our server was very attentive and extremely nice and our food was very tasty. The ambience is modern and clean. The not so good: we had to wait about 5-10 minutes for the hostess to figure out what table we were at, even though we had reservations. Things move sluggishly even though everyone seems to be running around. I think they need to smooth out their processes or something because it's strange to me when we ask for something, like soy sauce, we see that person walk past our table a few times before it arrives at our table. Also the sizzling platter was definitely not sizzling and they were out of coffee. The food was tasty, like I said, just a little over priced. With some small improvements, this restaurant has the potential to be awesome.

    (3)

  • Joe P.

    The very best sushi using the freshest ingredients . You cannot go wrong here You will not be disappointed and the staff is very friendly and helpful.prices are reasonable. Pick anything with tuna.

    (5)

  • Cris W.

    We were ignored by our assigned waiter for 25 min until we finally asked if we'd be waited upon. Apparently, the table of five drunk Japanese men were a higher priority. We finally received service, though subpar. The food was mediocre, at best. The sushi was nothing to write home to mom about.

    (1)

  • Traci T.

    02.14.15 My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine's dinner after our initial plans at another restaurant fell through because they didn't take reservations (or so we thought) and were fully booked. Luckily, Monstera had openings and we jumped at the chance. We set a reservation for 8:30 (which was two hours away), but decided to just get there earlier and see if they would just take us in. Luckily, they were able to squeeze the two of us in at about 7:00. Very accommodating! Our server (Cyrus) was extremely friendly and attentive. We ordered the Chuck Norris roll to start (as recommended on Yelp). It was terrific! Ahi, avocado, and crab all rolled up into a tempura like roll with an amazing sauce...yum! The ahi in this roll was hefty, which made it heavier than most sushi rolls. I would definitely order it again, though. I ordered the calamari salad. The calamari was crunchy just the way I like it! The salad was deliciously tossed in a yummy dressing. Nothing too overpowering. My boyfriend ordered the short ribs sizzling plate. He said it was okay, but kind of wished he had ordered the udon instead. We also ordered the rainbow roll. It was okay. It didn't have as much of a variety of items on top as most places do. I didn't see salmon (there was a teeny tiny sliver that I think was salmon), unagi, or even avocado on top. I enjoyed my visit here. I think they could improve on the variety of sushi rolls, but what we did order was pretty good.

    (4)

  • Diane A.

    We were staying at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and were tired of the dining options at Kings and Queens Shops. So I went on Yelp and found this gem of a restaurant. I made a last minute reservation on Open Table and we headed over. It was super dark on the road to the Mauna Lani Resort. My iPhone GPS signal wasn't great and we passed the restaurant and ended up at the hotel. Tip - if you see the Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Monstera is right by it, upstairs. When we got there, they hadn't received our Open Table reservation, but luckily another couple was just leaving. We were ushered to our seats and greeted by our server, Cyrus. The decor in Monstera was very modern, which leant to the fusion-y menu and vibe in this restaurant. My boo asked Cyrus about his favorite things on the menu. Cyrus immediately recommended the tuna tataki and the Chuck Norris Roll. We weren't super hungry, so we ordered those items plus a bowl of ramen and a salad. It was all very delicious, but the tuna tataki stood out the most. It was very fresh that it was almost buttery. It's a small portion but huge on taste. The Chuck Norris roll was also terrific. It is more expensive than most Japanese restaurants, but I think you're getting quality over quantity here. Cyrus was very attentive and friendly without hovering. I would definitely recommend this place and look forward to going again the next time we're on the Big Island.

    (5)

  • Jeannette M.

    LOVED! A must stop when you are visiting the island. We were so glad that we ventured off property (away from our hotel) to check this little gem out. We had a great meal, delicious sushi and nice service. Much to my dismay, my son ordered a PB&J roll. Sounded horrible to me, but he loved it! Can't wait to go back next time we visit the Big Island!

    (5)

  • Lisa B.

    Great sushi and great service at decent prices. Stay away from the resorts and reward yourself with an unpretentious, good meal. We enjoyed two rolls. Their tuna was crisp and sweet, while the salmon melted away in your mouth. The veggie tempura features an interesting and rewarding twist -- pumpkin! A great idea that gives the perfect mix of spicy, salty, and sweet!

    (4)

  • Carolyn G.

    One of the best meals we've had on the island. The steak was better than traditional steak houses.

    (5)

  • Franco D.

    When we arrived, we were greeted with smiles and a friendly attitude and the atmosphere had a pretty cool local, yet classy vibe even though it was in a touristy area. Our server, Robert, was awesome and his recommendations were right on target. Probably one of the best servers we have ever had. He even made the kids feel comfortable and got a few laughs and smiles out of them. Robert recommended the butterfish and DAMN, probably the best butterfish I've had. Definitely recommend to everyone coming here to order the butterfish! We also had the calamari, pork kimchee sizzling plate, spicy hamachi, spicy tuna, volcano and the California rolls. The tuna was so fresh and it should be, since we are in Hawaii and the California roll had real fresh crab. Every dish we had was great and overall, I can't wait to come back next time we visit the Big Island.

    (5)

  • LuLu M.

    Loved my two dining experiences at Monstera! Has everything you are looking for: great ambience, great servers (shout out to Malia!), super fresh sushi (Uni is like buttah!), and creative dishes like Seafood Papaya and Avocado and Shrimp Salad. My fave above all? The whole fish Crispy Opakapa! Ate it all by myself and pictured here....

    (5)

  • Magun S.

    Not impressed at all. Overpriced joke for sushi rolls that were made so sloppy, they fell apart when picked up. The actual fish was good but I expected the presentation to be excellent for the prices. My husband and I ordered the chef's sashimi appetizer, a spicy Hamachi roll, a spicy tuna roll, miso soup and edemame. We ended up ordering the kalbi ribs also. Our server was not very attentive, we had to ask for drink refills. I would not recommend this restaurant if you're looking for good sushi. I guess I'm kind of snobby when it comes to sushi, but you would be too if you'd eaten sushi in Tsukiji, Japan. The ambiance of the restaurant is okay, the decor is nice. I'd suggest finding a different place to enjoy sushi. There's a place down the road called, the Seafood Bar that serves amazing poke and their happy hour prices can't be beat!

    (2)

  • Wendy S.

    Ok, this place is on the pricier side, but I think it's because of the quality of the ingredients they use. No doubt is the fish/seafood fresh, but I also feel that they are getting away with charging more because they are located in Waikoloa. We ordered the yaki udon which was tasty. The tuna tataki and chu toro sashimi were fresh and we ordered norio's original 69 roll which was filled with dungeoness crab meat and topped with unagi. Roughly it averaged about $20 per dish. Yes! pricy for the amount of food we got. Overall I would've given this place 3.5 stars, but here is a breakdown of my star rating: 4 stars for food 4 stars for service 3 stars for price

    (4)

  • Kelli M.

    The food was delicious. A little overpriced to me though. Furthermore, the udon was great, so was the sushi, but I wouldn't recommend the seafood papaya. (For many reasons. :/) the waiters and waitresses were very nice and kind, but I will say that the service was pretty slow. Great location!

    (4)

  • Henry L.

    Get the Korean food not the Japanese food. Sushi was warm, beer was warm, saki was warm.

    (2)

  • Jonathan A.

    Some of the best sushi I've ever had. 2nd time being here and I was just as pleased as the first time. Tuna tataki, volcano roll, tempura roll, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Five stars in its own right but an added plus was they lost our reservation and the place was extremely busy but they still found a way to get us in right away. Great food and great customer service.

    (5)

  • Won C.

    Very good quality fish - we ordered Sake / Unagi Sushi and Uni Sashimi - all were fresh. Sushi wasn't thick cut as we are used to in CA but it was good. We also had Tempura udon, although seems pricey $22 the soup was good came with two large shrimp tempura and vegetables.

    (4)

  • Mark F.

    My buddy (Mark G., check his review) came here a while back with a large party and said it was the "best meal he ever had". With that kind of recommendation I had to try it. He too was here with a party of 20. Although the food was really good I never managed to take a single picture as it was trickling out so slowly that anytime a plate hit the table we all tore into it like a pack of ravenous piranhas. We asked the chef to "feed us" so with some suggestions from us he did the rest. Timing was really my only complaint, once the entire restaurant cleared out they were able to focus on us and we got slammed with some tasty treats. Although I'm a fish lover we had a couple carnivores with us so that's what we told our server and it was on. Slowly we started to see some edamame come out, a fried calamari salad, and some tasty sashimi plates. The big bang at the end was some tender skirt steaks served on a sizzling platter with grilled cabbage and onions and some huge sashimi platters with a great assortment of really fresh fish. They were really cool about our huge party being late and getting wasted and being really loud so I give them huge props for that. This place is across the Pacific from my home so doubtful I'll be back any time soon but I would recommend them if you're on the big Island.

    (4)

  • Glen S.

    O2 = Overrated and OverPriced!! Monstera was recommended by the people at our hotel (Mauna Kea) and we were very disappointed in the food. We tried the poke roll ($17.50), which was just an ordinary ahi roll (5 pieces), not very good. Also ordered the Tempura small dish (17.50), and the Tempura udon (22.50). All in all, we paid $58.50 for two people, no drinks. No drinks because I wanted to get the heck out of there because I was pissed at all the rave reviews, but to me, nothing but being overrated. Being a Japanese American, I know my japanese food. You cannot fool us! My recommendation: Don't eat here. It is resort priced food.

    (1)

  • Hunter P.

    Monstera restaurant had very delicious foods on the menu. I would definitely recommend the Chuck Norris roll and the butter fish. It was very hard to get to one customer considering how many people were at the restaurant. That still didn't matter as much because the food was outstanding. I would definitely recommend eating there. Keep up the good work Monstera!!!!

    (5)

  • Sylvia C.

    My husband and I were very disappointed with this restaurant, especially after reading all the positive reviews raving about it. Due to my dietary restriction, we only ordered calamari salad, monk fish, roll 69 and salmon skin roll. The first three items were not too bad (not extraordinary), but salmon skin in the salmon skin roll was burned! Our hippie looking servant was too busy chatting with other customers that he seemed to have forgotten about us. He only appeared to be more attentive when we asked for the check. This was probably the noisiest Japanese restaurant I'd ever been to. At the end of the meal, we just could not wait to leave.

    (2)

  • Wing-Hon N.

    My wife and I were out on one of our eatery searches on the Kona coast. We had been (lazily) dining at all of MKBH's dining options and finally decided it was time to venture out to places we hadn't been. We also wanted something on the healthier side. Sushi seems to be an appropriate option. Monstera seemed to be a favorite of reviewers on Yelp. So we gave it a go. Since we did not have a reservation, we sat at the sushi bar. The greeters, waitress and sushi chef / owner were all friendly and accommodating. All seemed to be transplants who are learning the aloha spirit. Nice job! We don't typically do this, but we let them choose our foods for us. Tuna tataki, Miso butterfish and samplings of sashimi and sushi. All were delicious; although I could use much less sauce (marinade) on the tataki (just a personal preference against heavy handed sodium and sauces on fusion cuisine). I was a bit surprised by this since the chef/owner is Japanese. Upon learning that he practiced at a high end resort on Maui, it clued me in. I personally think that the charm of Japanese cuisine is the subtlety in flavors which allows the freshness of the ingredients to be the quintessential part of the meal. Unfortunately, this is not the first or will no doubt be the last time I will experience such an oversight. I think chefs have the duty to educate his clients on their culinary exploits and safeguard the essence of the culinary art at the table. As some have mentioned, a bit pricey but the quality is there and it is the Kona coast. I think we will likely come back on a future visit. Aloha!

    (4)

  • Kasandra W.

    The attitude of the staff is horrible. When we got there for our reservation, we were told to sit in the small waiting area for a few minutes. What happened after was truly appalling. Two Japanese men with an obvious language barrier arrived, and the hostess all but shouted at them. A waitress came out and informed her that the busser had walked out on them...to which the already pissy hostess shouted "great! Just great...well, he lasted 6 days. Which is 3 days longer than the last one! I guess I'll just go bus so we can sit people". Talk about unprofessional. I get that it sucks, but way to make customers feel uncomfortable. This was supposed to be a special date night and that whole incident set a HORRIBLE mood for the evening. We ordered the tempura roll. Nothing special, I can get that here in California. The volcano roll was really good. The sauce is great. However, the star of the show was the poke roll. I highly recommend it. This place is way overpriced for their unprofessional staff and "okay" food. I won't be eating here again when I return to the island.

    (2)

  • Luke S.

    Hands down some of the BEST sushi I have ever experienced. They have the best Hamachi on the planet! The customer service is amazing and overall quality of the food is some of the best! I highly recommend to sit at the sushi bar when Chef Brandon is working! He is amazing and very friendly! Overall he made our experience great and the food is to die for! I absolutely love this place!

    (4)

  • Darien R.

    Stumbled on to Monstera on a shopping trip. We took a break from our hotel. Our hotel restaurants were great, but after a few rotations through all 4 restaurants, we were ready for something different. Not too impressed with the walk-up and point of entry to Monstera. Kinda weird setup on the second floor. You step out of the elevator and there's this skinny outside corridor with a reception desk set up. A few nondescript overflow tables set up behind the desk. A bit of confusion going on with the hostess at the desk, and a few families waiting on chairs along the walls of this narrow hallway. Can't describe the experience well, but it felt unprofessional and awkward somehow. Waited 20 minutes *with* a reservation. Finally got in, and got seated and started ordering up: BEEF CABBAGE GYOZA - Crispy and delicious but where was the beef?? Would order again but I wouldn't put BEEF in the name of this dish. TUNA TATAKI W/GARLIC SAUCE - I knew immediately I would order this dish when I saw pictures of it on Yelp. It was very good. Not off the chart but I would probably order this again. We ordered an assortment of nigiri sushi: TUNA, SHIROMI, SALMON, HAMACHI, CHUTORO, AMAEBI (Sweet Shrimp), and SCALLOPS. All of these were of good, fresh quality. I especially liked the tuna. Our waiter was great, super good at steering us toward the best dishes on the menu. All in all, I liked this place. My daughter wanted to come back the next night. I'm a fan.

    (4)

  • Tiffany T.

    First let's start with the good stuffs. Special of that night was fried whole Moi with Japanese sweet and sour sauce and it was super tasty! We ate the whole thing and yup including the bones! It was that good. The Garlic New York steak was another highlight. Sushi was good but I had better. I had the same server every time I dined here and he is friendly, took great care of us and we definitely enjoyed his service. The bad: It was a Friday night and they were busy as always. As we wait in line to The host, there was an older Japanese couples in front of us but they didn't had reservation and the host had some challenge communicating to them due to language barrier, which is understandable but what I don't understand is that the why the hostess had to raise her voice like scolding them? The Japanese couple prolly didn't understand but not deaf! By raising the voice won't make them understand! They definitely had some double booked that night or they were not very good at seating people cuz the 2 hostess were almost like blaming each other about who, where to seat their customers! By the time they greet us, I was actually a bit scared. The 2nd hostess brought us to the table and there was water on the seat, so I asked her to wipe it for us and when I looked at her, her eyes were just burst with fire and looked piss and made me feel I did something wrong! She just grabbed a towel, wiped it and then gave us the menu. The whole time, didn't make eye contact or say a word to us.

    (3)

  • Brad B.

    Back within a year and still an amazing experience. Thanks Chef Norio for the wonderful baked papaya starter. Could be one of the best things I have ever had. Kauai Prawns were very tasty and the quality and freshness is still second to none. Will gladly return for another meal the next time we are on the Big Island. Oh and keep on pumping out that yaki soba. Thanks again for an excellent dinner.

    (5)

  • Mel J.

    Monstera has pricey sushi but it's fresh and fairly tasty. We had the volcano roll for $14.50 and the tuna tataki for $19.25. Portions are a little small for the price. I was feeling noodley, so we added the Yaki soba for $18.50, which was tasty, but also pricey. We enjoyed sitting at the friendly sushi bar, where we chatted with the 2 couples sitting near us, one from Montreal. When you stay on the Kohala coast, you are a captive audience in a tourist area. We got the free shuttle from the Mauna Lani to Monstera. I also ordered a veggie wrap at the sushi bar, but the seaweed was too course, so I couldn't finish it. It was hard to bite. I had 2 glasses of a very good California Chardonnay for $8 from the menu. The special drinks of the day were more expensive, so do ask the price if they offer you the "special" drinks! That's why I ordered the wine from the menu instead. I recommend Monstera for those who need a tasty option in the Kohala coast area. This is a touristy area and you won't find any bargains, but we did have a fun evening! However, we did have better sushi & sashimi elsewhere on the Big Island for less money.

    (3)

  • Cheri S.

    The BEST sushi and SAKE selection EVER!! A couple girlfriends and I were having dinner here. First of all, It was a bit of a wait; but we didnt mind because we had the load of stories to catch up on. We were seated about 6 minutes after. So again, not a big deal. ROBERT was our waiter, and let me tell you.....he sure was knowledgeable, friendly, and told us some very good recommendations on the menu. This guy was great. Ive had some ok sake, but he suggested the NANBU BIJIN TOKUBETSU JUNMAI aka "the BUTTERFLY bottle". smooth, crisp, and tasty..... To accompany this beautiful selection, we had a wide spread of Tuna tatami, uni, shrimp tempura, and unagi. and whos to say we cant have dessert?? We had this tasty ala mode but was ridiculously ono! Robert was so great. We all loved his service! In addition to such a great night, we met NORIO. Hes such a great man and I thank him a lot for opening such a great restaurant. As concierges, will MOST DEFINITELY RECOMMEND & be back. Mahalo Nui!

    (5)

  • Ella A.

    While the service here was attentive and the waitress was a doll, the food here was sad. The chuck norris roll that everyone freaks out about is poor and mediocre at best. I ate the noodle dish with vegetables which was just a sticky bowl of hot mess. It was bland, tasteless, and had seen better days.

    (2)

  • Dinsmore T.

    The miso butterfish is to die for! Hands down one of the top three fish dishes I have ever had! My wife loved the Monstera Mai Tai & the Korean sweet and spicy chicken. Ask for Robert, he's an amazing server who will make you feel welcome and take care of you like you were old friends!

    (5)

  • Cyn Q.

    Chuck Norris and volcano rolls were top notch, as was the tuna special. At $9.50 the snap pea appetizer was way over priced. Fairly pricey. Not a lot of food for the hefty check.

    (3)

  • Mendy H.

    Food was "Meh"; especially for the price paid it definitely failed to meet my expectations... Ordered the sweet and spicy fried chicken as starter and it tasted like orange chicken but way heavier - did not like it. The fish was mediocre and didn't "wow" us at all. You could easily have lots of better bets with this money spent elsewhere; just drive further down like 20 mins.

    (2)

  • Wilson K.

    Dear Yelp Journal, I eat a lot of sushi and I mean A LOT. This place has really set up a new standard for other locations. My one true test for a sushi place that wants to have any bragging rights is that their tako sashimi is not bad. Bad is defined by being very rubbery, tasteless, or even gag inducing. Monstera killed it. Their tako sashi was firm, but easily chewable and fresh tasting. No rubbery nastiness, no fighting with it in my teeth, and no drowning it in soy sauce and wasabi to make it palatable. It was PERFECT! This is also only matching in the quality of all the other sashimi I had for that night. Also, on the note of wasabi. They offer REAL wasabi here. Not the green dyed imitation horse radish that you get everywhere else. This is the real stuff, the EXPENSIVE stuff. They offer a generous amount and I found it to be slightly gritty, sweet, and not very spicy. If you're after the kick you're used to from the imitation stuff, then order the imitation stuff. I was thrilled to be able to try it and thought I'd only be able to find it at a super posh restaurant in NY that I have yet to venture to. Overall, this place is really nice. Great ambience, great service, and the cocktails are WAY more affordable than what you get at the neighboring Waikoloa restaurants. The food is also better here. If you're vacationing at Waikoloa, make the trek here to get your sushi fix.

    (4)

  • Deb K.

    Based on the Yelp reviews we tried Monstera. What a fabulous meal! The freshest rainbow roll we have ever tasted! Excellent Tuna Tatataki and our favorite pinot, Meomi. Ask for Robert, he was wonderful! We are going to return before heading back to CA.

    (5)

  • ALEXANDRA L.

    Pros: The staff (yey April), the food (yey sushi and hot chefs), the drinks and casual atmosphere. Cons: mall site/no view, but whatever. The spot: My honey and I love good food, but aren't so in to stuffy environments. Obviously, this can't get too stuffy because it's in a mall. But, it's upstairs, with outdoor seating looking out over the central courtyard. Or, indoor seating. In any case, we went there twice on our trip (at least since it's still not officially over). The grub: The first time, we went the sushi route trying a spicy scallop roll special (oooooh soooooo gooood), a mix of seafood in ponzu, oyster shooters (two flavors), hirame (melt in your mouth), gyoza (8/order, never ever seen that many before), tuna tataki and a spider roll. All were terrific (by Bay Area standards). The second time, we got udon with tempura and a sizzle plate (chicken terriyaki). And, tempura banana for dessert. Scrumptious. The drinks: They have a decent wine list at crazy prices (like grocery store prices). They also have frou frou cocktails, beer on tap, etc. We tried a few, and all were standard or above par. This was a great place to escape the resort feel, & not get dolled up. One of the things I really dug about the place is that they told you things like "the chicken terriyaki is made with dark meat, is that ok?" It's just being aware of things that might surprise people, and just nip it in the bud, so you're happy with what you get.

    (5)

  • Rich J.

    First sushi on the island....great tuna, salmon, and monkfish liver. Everything very fresh and melt-in-your-mouth. kind of hidden in a mall..on the second floor above some store if I remember correctly..but worth searching out for some of the best raw fish on the island.

    (5)

  • Eric C.

    3.5 stars - Service was good, we sat outside and had pretty good attention from the servers. We did get the show going on at the mall outside which was a little distracting at times. Drinks - monstera mai tai was a nice twist on a traditional mai tai (additional passion fruit and other juices added if IIRC). Lava flow was about as expected (though strong). Appetizers - hamachi kama was recommended by the host and it was absolutely delicious. I wanted to lick the bones of this poor yellow tail. Tempura was solid, enjoyed that they gave mushrooms which I don't typically see, along wth broccoli, onion, shrimp, and hmm squash. Entrees - the short ribs were nothing special - a little too much fat and just not as flavorful as I would have preferred. However the Monstera Chicken (sort of high class orange chicken) had great flavor and texture. Dessert - we did the caramel, fruit, ice cream dessert which was a solid dish but I'm not a huge sweets person, so it was a little sweet for me (swimming in caramel).

    (4)

  • Ralph O.

    I came here on vacation with the family. The food was delicious. The wife and I both ordered the cold soba noodles and tempura. The noodles were al dente and the tempura crispy but not greasy. The service was slow at times. It took them awhile for them to get our order and drinks. We also waited a bit too long for our food. The portions are small and expensive.

    (3)

  • Shannon G.

    3 stars for pretty good food. 1 star for the fact that, eventually, most things actually made it to the table. Let's deconstruct this mess: Seaweed salad - 2 kinds in the split dish and we loved both. Spicy tuna roll - very good but not distinguished with any sauce. Spinach side - really good flavor, way too small a serving. Brown rice option - thank you! Short ribs - great flavor! One piece was solid fat. Good sized serving. Edamame - yuck! Dried out, maybe freezer burn? Service was so confused that we just kept laughing at them! At several tables including ours, something was missing or had been requested multiple times, including checks. Eventually the item would be delivered, and then one server named Chelsea would appear with a duplicate of whatever had finally been delivered. She would rush up to a table with the errant item, only to find that it had already been delivered. Our meal came out in reverse order; appetizers followed main course, and nothing of my order was delivered at all before my husband's entire order had already been delivered. Chelsea, albeit a friendly girl, kept assuring us that, whatever we were missing, would show up when it had been prepared. Same day, we hope? A more mature hostess than the very young lady servers seemed to have it together. Too bad she wasn't our server. The servers all loved asking how everything is, and loved assuring us that our food was imminent. That was part of the entertainment - just bring the food, instead of promises, promises! Many Yelpers report overall good experiences here. I think we would give the restaurant a second try but might run for cover if assigned to Chelsea's section. We miss the restaurant that preceded Monstera. No problems back then. What Yelpers report about the terrace is true. We sat outside by choice, and the terrace is . . . tables and chairs. Period.

    (2)

  • Ken M.

    The tempura is a must have. The service was excellent. We'll eat there again.

    (3)

  • Gary L.

    Paid top$$$$ and found a bone in the toro. Cant believe it and didn't even say sorry. The owner should be ashamed.. Other food was good but no service and that incident. Oh hum...

    (2)

  • Jake S.

    Our waitress was wonderful. The fish and sushi were also incredibly fresh, I recommend the poke - melts in your mouth. I was also shocked to see that the California roll was made with real crab!!! Not the fake stuff with the red outside. It was a great meal.

    (5)

  • Jacqueline S.

    Order the eel here. Best I've ever had and I love sushi. We went here for my mom's birthday during a recent trip to Hawaii upon a foodie friend's suggestion. We loved it so much we returned the following night. The sushi menu is short but everything is fresh and flavorful. The waitstaff is friendly and happy to answer questions or offer suggestions. The place does get a bit loud on weekends as there are few soft surfaces to absorb the noise. If you eat here you're in for a treat!

    (5)

  • Patti M.

    Two wonderful dinners here last month! And I don't even really like Japanese food! I am a vegetarian, and they were so helpful and accommodating. Everything was delicious and our servers Jason and Robert were both great! Looking forward to going again soon!

    (5)

  • Nadine L.

    Really really delicious and fresh sushi. The chef came here from the Fairmont restaurant that bears his name. The yellowtail hamachi was my favorite, along with the spicy scallops handroll. We got a side of the sugar snap peas in garlic sauce and it was amazing. I took a shuttle from the Mauna Lani hotel and it was about a 3 min drive. The Korean chicken and the salmon here is just average though. I would avoid those and get the other stuff. The Hawaiian fish opakapaku (sp?) was too chewy for my taste. However the Monstera Mai Tai was amazing and so was the green tea ice-cream.

    (5)

  • Anne D.

    My husband and I were on the big island for one week and we went here twice. It was delicious! The tuna tataki is a MUST! The original Mai Tai's are fantastic. The servers have great recommendations so I would say to ask for their opinion. Food in Hawaii is generally expensive, but we found this place to be pretty reasonably priced. Not much more to say other than this is a must!

    (4)

  • karl b.

    Excellent! I got the oyster shooters (special), butterfish and tuna tataki.

    (5)

  • Anna T.

    Such a great little sushi place!!! We were on the Big Island in April for our honeymoon, so do forgive me for not remembering what we ate exactly, however I do remember this, our food was delicious!!! Great service, our waitress was very sweet and helpful. Her recommendations were spot on and we really enjoyed ourselves. We cannot wait to have a chance to visit again soon!!!

    (5)

  • Denise C.

    Great food and service, only 4 stars because even for Kona high prices.

    (4)

  • Faery D.

    Don't need to return to this restaurant. We ordered 3 rolls. The nori was soggy on all three; rice was overcooked; the raw fish portions teensy, and did not taste poppingly fresh like one one expect. The colors looked a little fake. I'm picky about eating sushi at a restaurant, and this was probably the worst restaurant sushi I've eaten. Saving grace was the nice sushi chef and waitress. We left, and went to the grocery store to see if we could find some better food. It wasn't any better there either.

    (2)

  • Randy C.

    My wife and I were looking for a good sushi restaurant while we were staying at the Fairmont Orchid. We came across this place and really loved it. The service was excellent and friendly. The food was even better, my wife had the seafood papaya and loved it while I had the Sushi and soup combo and the chef delivered up a roll and a variety of eight pieces of sushi.. Very Good.. Would love to come back and definately recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Sf Momm Y.

    SOMEONE PlEASE FIX this...this town is not "Hawaii" child friendly... A super big plus, for a sushi joint. ordered a bunch of sushi (nigiri) plus the rainbow roll, agedashi tofu, and udon for the lil' one- (it came with rice and a fruit salad, yummy yummy) wonderful sushi. I'll admit that I have hugely high standards for sushi in Hawai'i (most SF sushi is a sad tragedy) and this place was amazing. ambience and branding is cool (the monstera leaf will always remind me of this place) and yes,the music is STRANGE.... one moment: chris isaak crooning "fall in love.... With you....." next moment: "it's raining men, hallelujah it's raining men!!" so weird. they have highchairs and the bathroom outside the hall has a counter to change diapers. and to the lady sitting in the booth with the kate gosselin reverse mullet: I give you HUGE snaps for sporting that hairstyle, 6 months after kate gosselin herself stopped sporting it. For a split second I thought I was going to have a brush with Fame.....

    (5)

  • Jeff S.

    Stayed in Hawaii for 11 days. Only repeated a restaurant visit once and it was Monstera. Amazingly good food and service for the price. Sushi and Sashimi were excellent. We live in the Seattle area and eat a lot of fresh seafood and Monstera is right up there with the best we've had. Service was very good. Atmosphere was good, but that's low on our list, for us it's all about the food and the food is amazing. The most memorable item we ate had to be their homemade caramel, fresh tropical fruit & ice cream dish. It contained these small roasted coconuts called Coquitos. Simply amazing!

    (5)

  • Mary K.

    We went there twice when staying at the Mauna Lani because we liked it that much. Chef Norio was wonderful. The sushi was delicious and fresh. Kids loved the udon soups. Shochu was strong and delicious. Sat at a table the other time and had a knowledgable pleasant waiter. A great place to dine on the Big Island. Pricier but way nicer than Sensei.

    (5)

  • Natalie F.

    All that needs to be said is: the sushi is so fresh you almost expect it to jump off the table and run away :) and our server James was so eager to ensure we had the best experience possible- I wish I were blessed enough to be a local and become a "regular" here!!!

    (5)

  • A F.

    I loved this place. We ordered items to share (two of us) one at a time. Everything was perfect. The waiter suggested small plates that were awesome. The spicy tuna roll was great...as was the butterfish. I hate to say I forgot everything else. The tuna is incredible. I say just let the waiter tell you what to eat. I think the genuine friendliness (not people trained to be nice) was icing on the cake. I was a little worried I'd be awkwardly under dressed (baseball cap) but it wasn't a big deal.

    (5)

  • Paul W.

    Quiet second level sushi restaurant with competent service and quality food. We loved the Chuck Norris roll!

    (3)

  • Amy W.

    The 1st star goes to the cleanliness of the restaurant. The 2nd star goes to the friendly service, mostly our server, Robert. Husband had the Monstera Chicken with brown rice. The battered chicken nuggets resembled the orange chicken from Panda Express. It was served on hot iron plate with cabbage stir fry. The sauce was thin and lacked of taste. I had yellowtail sashimi and not impressed at all. The fish was not fresh compares to other sushi places I visited on this trip so far and the cut was small. Daughter had the Nabiyaki udon and she said my udon tastes better. I don't think I will go back for second.

    (2)

  • Peggy H.

    My experience at Monstera was excellent! We sampled about 8 different dishes, each better than the one before. The fish is fresh, fresh, fresh. Opakapaka fabulous. Tuna tatami fantastic. Liked the option of the kobacha squash, one of my favorite vegs. The waiter was friendly and knowledgable. My only negative was the shrimp and abaca do salad was a tad sweet for my taste.

    (5)

  • Jim R.

    Just had an incredible meal at Monstera. Better than any sushi we've had in SF. Better than Nobu in NY. We didn't go in with high expectations and we were blown away. Btw, the chef is the real Norio. The Fairmont is just using his name. He has nothing to do with the restaurant at the hotel.

    (5)

  • Hi D.

    Always great, we come here every trip to the Big Island. The dragon roll is excellent, chicken teriyaki and tempura a favorite for us and the sake cocktails are a must try. The tuna tataki is amazing and well worth the trip for this dish alone. This place is typically busy, so reservations are a good idea. The food and service are always great. We will definitely be back - again.

    (5)

  • Greg E.

    We really enjoyed everything about Monstera. We tried it on a recommendation from an employee at the Fairmont Orchid. Service was great and we went with our server's idea to let Chef Norio "take us for a ride". A great ride it was.... And there is a new Tequila bar downstairs for post-sushi fun.

    (5)

  • Betsy C.

    Opened on 2/2010, this restaurant is a brand new addition to "The Shops at Mauna Lani." The owner is the original chef (Chef Norio himself!) from Fairmont Orchid's "Norio's Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar", so we were quite excited to see how it is. Though Chef Norio was not there when we visited, we did get to try a few of his signature dishes. Food Ordered: 1) Sushi Dinner w/Soup - hamachi, amaebi, maguro rolls and salmon w/ a bowl of miso soup. It was good but nothing out of the ordinary. 2) Nigiri plate - hamachi, kampachi, cho toro. My husband was not that impressed with his own selection. He felt that the fish prepared were a little too warm for his taste. Kampachi was especially less than satisfactory when it's warm. 3) Fried Moi - It was a recommendation from the staff and one of its Chef Norio's signature dishes. The fish tasted fresh though I probably was not quite in the mood for something deep fried. The vegetables was savory and it went well with the fish. Being the Asian I am, I really wanted some rice to go with it, but I didn't feel like ordering extra. As I peered over to other people's tables, I thought their dinner plates looked a bit more enticing than ours. Perhaps we should've been more adventurous and tried out the different sushi rolls and sizzling plate dishes. Alas, I will have to go back again to give 'em a try. Overall, I thought the service was very friendly and helpful. Our waitress really made an effort to introduce dishes that she thought we would like and was also very enthusiastic about recommending beverages. It's always somewhat promising to see native Japanese people having a good time at a Japanese restaurant. And we did see a few. Despite our average-tasting food choices this time around, I insist on the four star because the service, the ambiance, the crowd, and the surprisingly reasonable pricing will bring me back again.

    (4)

  • Robert H.

    Simply fantastic. Good value and well done food. Try the chicken teriyaki or the NY Strip with teriyaki glaze. Order the ice cream for dessert. Tropical Dreams ice cream is a local fav. Loved this place.

    (5)

  • Lulu L.

    good sushi, great service, pleasant environment. definitely worth a visit !

    (3)

  • Steve D.

    Good food but uneven service. The couple that arrived 15 minutes after we did (and had finally been given menus) got their food and finished before our food arrived. I think we must have arrived after a big crowd had left, because some poor guy was waving his credit card around trying to get his bill paid the first ten minutes we were there. Why four stars then? The food was excellent and the service was friendly and eventually attentive. It is Hawaii so it helps to adjust to Hawaii time. We had Yaki soba, udon and curry katsu for entrees plus toro to split. Tempura bananas and a fruit, ice cream and mini coconut concoction.

    (4)

  • Tanya I.

    Excellent food! Service was great .We sat at the sushi bar and had a great time talking to Chef Norio and Chef Sam. The atmosphere was modern and simple and drink selection was awesome.

    (5)

  • Thomas H.

    Service and food were excellent. Probably one of the best tempuras we've had anywhere. Addendum: I originally had 5 stars, but removed one b/c of either a mistake or unethical practice. In my 20 years of using my credit card, this has happened only one other time. I ALWAYS round the total to the nearest dollar and leave the tip line blank. So I know my total dining charges should NEVER have any decimals. When I checked my CC bill upon return, I noticed this was not the case with this place. Like I said, it was either a genuine mistake or they did it on purpose, but it was less than a dollar so I'm not gonna go thru the trouble of calling them and correct it, but I wanted to note that in the review.

    (4)

  • Amy M.

    We ate here twice during our vacation to the Big Island with one five-star experience and one one-star experience. Both times we ordered sushi and both times the fish was fresh and delicious. We also had good service the first time around. Prices are premium, so I expect nothing but good service and delicious food. The second time we came for dinner we were served by a woman named Kehau. We were already seated when we watched a small group arrive, obviously they were friends of Kehau because they hugged and kissed when they arrived. They were promptly seated and got their food and drinks well in advance of us. When Kehau came to take our order my husband asked if he could have Chirashi Sushi. It wasn't on the menu, but sometimes the chef will make it for you if you ask. She flat out refused saying the sushi bar is full. She didn't offer to ask the sushi chef (His name is Nori I believe) if he would be willing to do it. Since when is it the servers decision? When his fish was served, there was no wasabi on the plate! Also, we ordered edamame and they were very tough to remove from the pods indicating they were a little past their prime. Based on our second experience, we would probably not return. Lucky for them, they get a lot of one time tourist traffic and they can afford inconsistency.

    (3)

  • M B.

    We had a great dinner for all four in the family. Small plates, sushi and steak was had to everyone's satisfaction. Service was attentive and accurate. They were very accommodating about the way I like my food prepared, and offered to customize any dish to my liking! The Chu Toro was excellent! The signature dessert was outstanding, fresh fruit, homemade caramel and roasted baby coconuts! I highly recommend this establishment, I will return soon!

    (5)

  • brian m.

    Called to make reservations we were told none were needed. When we showed up they said there was a 20 minute wait, and we should have made reservations. We said we tried to and then a manager came out and told us when we called we tried to make reservation for 2 not 5. Complete lie we never said how many people we bringing to the restaurant, the conversation never got that far. Very bad costumer service right at the door. Instead of telling someone something that's untrue just APOLOGIZE FOR THE WAIT.

    (1)

  • Lauren M.

    Chef Norio is an amazing Japanese chef! His sauces are the best! You need to know what to order... Potstickers which are made from scratch, tuna tataki and tempura are the best!

    (5)

  • Kathy Z.

    First, I didn't feel like the menu was that interesting, and the food was overpriced (1 ikura nigiri for $4.25?! when the Fairmont's Norio was 2 nigiri for &7, really?). I would have rated the food was 3, but the service was really a 0.5. More than 0 because we did end up with food in the end, but less than 1 because it was a tough journey getting there. We actually ended up getting to-go over, and here's why: we arrive at the restaurant at 7 without a reservation. The wait was 1.5 hours, even for sushi bar. okay, that's alright (my bad for not making a reservation). So, we decide that we'll just get take out. Then the hostess drops the bomb that it would take 45 mins to 1 hour to make raw fish! *wtf* (excuse my french). So okay, whatever, we didn't have any other options. We told the hostess to call us when the food is ready (she asked us for our number when she told the order). We come back in 30 minutes because frankly there's nothing to do in the little complex, and low and behold our food has been sitting there waiting for us! What if we had not come back early? Our raw fish would be sitting out, not chilled.... *sigh* bad service makes me cringe.

    (1)

  • Tyler L.

    The fish was incredible, but how could it not be? We sat at the bar and had a great night chatting with the chefs, we had a variety of sashimi, some rolls, a couple of house specialties, and some made up roll type thing to finish us off. Most expensive sushi I've ever eaten and I do not skimp when it comes to sushi.

    (5)

  • Eric P.

    You know why they call it the Chuck Norris roll? Bc it kicks ass. For real though, I hate Chuck Norris jokes, I think CN is a crazy moron and I don't care for him. I didn't think I would like the Chuck Norris Roll but I did. Everything I ordered here was worth the high prices. If you're staying at MLB and want a nice sushi dinner give Monstera a shot.

    (5)

  • Joan T.

    Very meh. Our edamame was good, but over salted. We did not try the sushi. We had noodled dishes that were bland at best. The reviews looked a bit up and down, but were hungry and gave it a go. So very so-so.

    (2)

  • Shelby H.

    The sushi here was fantastic!! My husband and I got the pork katsu, 69 roll, california roll, yaki soba, and caramel monstera. All were just beyond exceptional. The chef really knew his art, and the waiter was very knowledgable and helpful with the menu. There are really no words to describe the exceptional service and food at this place; one can only experience it for oneself.

    (5)

  • Konrad R.

    This was a nice surprise for us. We were hungry and in a hurry but still wanted quality. We had three meals and two appetizers and liked every one. Curry over rice was delicious and I'm a little particular since this is one of my comfort dishes. Zaru soba was fresh and tasty. Oyaku donburi was decent. Poke was good. Fresh. Gyoza was very good. Home made, steamed but crisp on bottom, lots of ginger. Even though there was only one waiter the wait was short and the service was good. We would go back.

    (4)

  • david s.

    Best Sushi on the Big Island.....well, it's the best I've ever had. Great service, fresh innovative dishes. Yummmm!

    (5)

  • Food L.

    We wanted Japanese so we decided to try this place out. However, we never got to taste the food so I'm only able to rate this place on service. When we got to the restaurant we were told there would be a 30min wait so instead we asked if we could just do take out. The hostess said she needed to ask the kitchen if that was ok. I thought how weird for her to say that when they offer take out. She comes back a few minutes later and says, "I'm sorry the kitchen is so backed up right now they can't accept take outs." I immediately say, "why would you have a take out menu if we can't order from it?" Ofcourse the hostess has no reply. What kind of restaurant would turn away business especially when it's take out? We could of waited 30min for a table but we couldn't wait for take out? I wonder who the hostess asked because the owner should fire that person for causing lost of business. You'll never see us there again.

    (1)

  • Bryan L.

    We were a little bit skeptical about Monstera having already eaten at one of the restaurants in the complex that got very good reviews, only to be somewhat disappointed. To be clear, our goal with restaurants in Hawaii is plain and simple: find hiqh quality ingredients, well prepared at prices this side of extortion. We have all the opportunities for fine dining we need in the SF Bay area, so we are not trying to duplicate those in Hawaii, but rather are looking for mostly ethnic and seafood, well-prepared. In a nutshell, this place is the real deal. The sushi was very fresh and well-presented, the hot soba noodle dish was fantastic, and the tuna tatake with ponzu was the perfect way to start it all off. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, even though she had two very large parties and a few other tables to tend. Top that off with some solid beers on tap and in bottle, and you've got a great meal. Great food, good value, honest service, friendly environment, no view, no lounge music. We have canceled our reservations at the Orchid tonight and are going back with our teenagers.

    (4)

  • Michael Z.

    As we continue our annual trip to the Big Island, we dined last evening at Monstera. This is the restaurant of Chef Norio, who ran the eponymous sushi bar over at the Fairmont Orchid for years..so along with another couple we decided to give it a try. Overall it was very good, the fish was excellent, but the only reason not to give Monstera 5 stars was the indifferent service.

    (4)

  • Norm F.

    Very good sushi and sashimi. Service was excellent. Price is a little on the high side, but worth the money.

    (4)

  • Mihir M.

    Great service by Kehau and Kalei. We got solid vegetarian options: miso soup, tofu agedashi, vegi roll, kimchee, & veg tempura. The service was outstanding, friendly & warm. We sat outside. The prices were decent as well. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Keromi K.

    The service here is better than the food, not that the food was bad. It was just not very exciting. I tried the Chuck Norris roll and it was good, just not great. I do appreciate the kids meals they had, even if the chicken tenders were just Mickey Mouse nuggets from Costco. It was pretty dead during lunchtime, as was the rest of the mall. Maybe dinner is a better bet.

    (3)

  • Christian S.

    There aren't a ton of restaurants near the Fairmont and we were just walking around the shopping center looking for something to eat. We were likely going to do Ruth Chris' just because it's a known commodity at least, but we were checking out the menu of Monstera when one of the patrons came down the stairs and recommended it, so we decided to give it a shot. I'm really happy we did. I had the Poke small plate and an order of the Toro sashimi. I wasn't super hungry so this was enough for me. Both were fantastic. My wife had some sort of cold noodle salad and she was also very happy with the selection. My 5 year old daughter had plenty to choose from on the kids menu and the portions were huge for her. She was happy with the udon noodles, fresh fruit and white rice. Service was phenomenal. Our waiter was attentive and made suggestions after asking us a few questions about what we like and don't like. We'll be going back for dinner there again tomorrow night we liked it so much.

    (4)

  • matt s.

    If you like mid-grade fish with a lot of sauce on it in a personality-free mall, this is your spot. Servers didn't seem to know much about sushi, and the price was way too high. I'd hold out for a smaller joint that focuses on fresh fish and doesn't exist primarily to scalp people with low standards who are marooned on a pricey resort. Too bad--I was hoping for terrific sushi on the Big Island, and didn't find it.

    (2)

  • Tatil S.

    Pricey, par for the course in this area, but the food is delicious. They serve sushi Japanese style, after the main course. Poke was very good, even though it came in a very small bowl, while tempura and unagi was quite light. We also tried their coconuts cocktail, covering both a drink and a dessert. It was fun and sweet, though alcohol was heavier than I expected. Ambiance was nice and service was attentive, friendly and polite. Check it out if you are into Japanese food.

    (5)

  • Alice D.

    While on a family vacation in Hawaii we decided to treat ourselves to a nice sushi dinner on our last night before heading home. So we consulted yelp and were led to Monstera. We were greeted warmly at the door and seated immediately and honestly that was the best part of this restaurant. We sat down and the waitress came over and it all went downhill from there. She was friendly enough but just didn't seem all there. She took our drink orders and without a doubt forgot two of the six drinks ordered. After requesting for our drinks, it took a total of 20 minutes before my sister in law got her green tea. While on this vacation we realized that service at restaurants were generally slower than in NYC but this place was just plain ridiculous. My mom and niece were done with their meals before the rest of us even got our sashimi and sushi orders. The food is raw for crying outloud. All the food came out with huge waits in between each other. My brother even found a fish bone in one of his toro slices and after informing the waitress her reaction was "oh" and walked away, not even an apology. We felt like the money we spent on this restaurant was wasted and it sure left a sour taste for our last dinner in Hawaii. The sad part is the food was good and the fish fresh but it just wasn't worth it to have to deal with such horrible service. You're better off spending the same amount of money at a restaurant on your resort and being treated like a paying customer should.

    (2)

  • Bruce G.

    This place is ridiculous! The fish was as fresh as can be. The beers were good selection. The wine was the prices you would pay in Napa. I was so impressed. We sat at the bar and I will try everything. This was as fresh and as good as anyplace I have been to in Japan. We had ALOT of food and beers. I bought the chefs beer at the end of the night too. When we walked out....$115 plus tip. This is the same price I pay when 2 of us go out in San Francisco. I can't say enough. As a matter of fact I am waiting for my wife to get ready. We going there again tonight!

    (5)

  • Ellen P.

    We decided to have dinner at Monstera at the last minute tonight. We were able to get a reservation by phone immediately. We ordered a number of small plates, and absolutely everything was delicious. I had the edamame, and the seafood papaya, which was luscious. My dinner companions had the gyoza, the seafood udon, tempura, the fried tofu and the sugar peas. We tasted all around, and found that everything was really good. If our time in Hawaii were not short, I'm sure we'd be eating a second time at Monster. A special mention to our young server. She was relatively new to the job, but her upbeat energy and cheery disposition were fun to experience.She was as cute as she could be, and you could tell that she enjoys working at Monster. Overall a true 5 star experience on the Big Island.

    (5)

  • Jen J.

    The sushi was delicious. My two year old had a PB&J sushi roll, and it was yummy. Husband had the Mai Tai and said it was one of the best he ever had. Topped it off withe the banana tempura dessert! Mmmmm.

    (4)

  • Bobby F.

    Great place to eat excellent sushi and more. I also had the Hamachi Kama, which was fantastic. Great service and a nice ambiance. Thank you Chef Norio. Oishi katta desu.

    (5)

  • David G.

    FYI for those choosing between this and the orchid. If u aren't staying St the fairmont, there is definitely a full star for the atmosphere at the fairmont- but for the food- the chef IS the norio who left the fairmont and started monstera and he runs and is at the sushi bar- the food is top notch and the maitai is the best I've had in hi after 10 trips or so - from an sf foodie sushi fan. 10+ mai tai

    (5)

  • Fred M.

    More of a 3 star, but the service made it 4. The servings are small (including the sashimi slices), the menu requires a waiter to describe the items (no roll descriptions, etc.) and, most annoying of all, the nigiri sushi is sold by 1 piece or 3 pieces, which is odd. That's the extent of my complaining, which pales somewhat when compared to the knowledge of our waiter, his recommendations (which never geared us towards the most expensive items ... the true test), and the quality of the food. We ate light, shared a Japanese rice beer (recommended by the waiter and a wonderful find!) and the bill was $70. Be prepared, but enjoy!

    (4)

  • Moocher Y.

    Monstera, here we go. I walked into the upstairs restaurant happy and hopeful that this new Mauna Lani Shops restaurant would be delicious, reasonable, and fun. I ordered the beef short-ribs dish and someone else in my party had a mai tai. Apparently the mai tai was good - be warned, this is the last nice thing I'm going to say about Monstera. Oh, that and the decor was casual fun, though the 80s music was a bit of a mismatch. When ordering the kalbi-style short-ribs, which I think were about $17 or so (hard to remember since they don't have their menu online), I was then asked whether I wanted to order some rice. I'm surprised that something so cheap yet integral as rice was a "side order" but I ordered some brown rice nonetheless. Eventually the food came, wrong rice of course, so we got that fixed. I also had to ask if they'd served me the right dish because it looked nothing like short-ribs. Then we (sadly) tasted the food. The short-ribs were actually chunks of flank steak that admittedly had a nice flavor, but were very tough. At the end of the meal, the server took the plate and I commented that the short-ribs looked and tasted like flank steak, not short-ribs, and suddenly I had not one but two servers exclaiming at me that "we don't even have flank steak here! that's not flank steak! it's short-ribs!!!" It was an onslaught of denials. Very weird. They were aggressive enough in their denials that I uncharacteristically said, albeit calmly, "alright, I'll just post online about it." Side note: someone else in my party had a noodle salad with like a shrimp and vegetable on top of it that was apparently delicious. It was really just a noodle dish, though. Note, Kalbi style is delicious but because it's a soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, citrus marinade, people sometimes think they can use tough meat. I was hoping it was good quality meat (short-rib) with one of my favorite styles (kalbi), and it wasn't. The best kalbi-style I've found on the island is up in Waimea, #11, in the restaurant in the back of the mini shopping center with a McDonald's in the middle. It's better priced, too. CONCLUSIONS Food: mediocre Service: aggressive

    (1)

  • Ann K.

    You can eat outside on the deck and enjoy the sunset or eat inside. The service is friendly and helpful. Given that the best sushi chef on the island was reputed to work here, I was disappointed with the limited vegetarian sushi options: avocado or cucumber sushi which is pretty much what I can get at the supermarket. The tempura udon option was very good. The tempura seemed a little greasier than usual. The udon noodles were great but I felt like I was eating out of Strega Nona's pasta pot--the noodles were never ending! If you are not vegetarian, I imagine the options are plentiful for you, so my rating is for only those vegetarian items.

    (3)

  • Ron D.

    Great food but we happened to get a scattered server who kept us from giving a 5-star rating.

    (4)

  • Rose O.

    Hamachi coma was the best out of 5 dishes we ordered everything else was average. Our server was a delight very friendly and attentive.

    (3)

  • Eric G.

    Good. Not great.

    (4)

  • Pat G.

    We spent 2 weeks in Hawaii including 3 days in Honolulu and the rest on the Big Island. We ate in many fine restaurants, but Monstera was by far the best we experienced. One in our party NEVER eats seafood or fish, much less anything with a spice beyond salt and pepper. By the end of the meal, he had eaten the tuna tataki, tempura shrimp and devoured the udon noodles. We were in shock! The service mirrored the cuisine! This is a must visit for those visiting the Big Island!

    (5)

  • M. Odette D.

    The sushi was mediocre and pricey (6 pcs. of very small sashimi for $20 for example). The service was okay. What I didn't like was the disposable utensils. It just didn't match the price point that they charged for their food. Better to buy sushi from Foodland downstairs and eat it at your condo.

    (2)

  • Wendy K.

    I had heard great things about this restaurant so my expectations were really high. To be far, our group had limited sushi since my husband and I are both vegan and the kids eat the standard sushi (so we didn't try the signature rolls). The best dish was the agadashi tofu which was tasty; everything else was okay (rather uninspired). The service was uneven (we had to remind the waiter we were still waiting on a main course which was forgotten) so overall, this was a one time deal.

    (2)

  • Yan K.

    The best restaurant in the Big Island. Went twice, fresh sushi. Toro and Uni sushi is must try. Maybe slightly lack at ambience but to great food, good service everytime we were there.

    (5)

  • Julia SD A.

    Service, though friendly, was disorganized. California rolls were not true California rolls; at $9.50, I expected crab and not bits of crab in a mix in my roll. The shrimp and vegetable bake in papaya was not described well and wasn't even fulfilling as a "main" entree. I had to search for the little pieces of shrimp, despite the name of the recipe. Totally OVERPRICED for the quality.

    (1)

  • Holly N.

    My favorite dish here are the Tuna Tataki, Salmon Skin hand roll, Calamari salad and Miso Butterfish. It's a bit pricy for the amount of food you are getting but it's worth it.

    (4)

  • Anne T.

    Similar atomespher as Sansei at the Queens Market Place. Food was excellent but a bit pricy. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. If you are looking for a good Japanese Fusion restuarant in a resort area, this is a good choice.

    (4)

  • Cathy L.

    I'm giving this place 3 1/2 stars. It's hard to be amazing with this type of food in Hawaii, because it's everywhere!. I thought the portions were on the smaller side. My kids' meals off the kids menu was good, they had the udon but very small. Service was also on the slow side. The decor was lovely, although the location on the 2nd floor of a mall was not the ideal place.

    (3)

  • Lani L.

    Food was absolutely delicious! Price is right, atmosphere great, and the staff makes it a fun place to go:)

    (5)

  • Lady T.

    I asked for a specific waitress...kehau rocks. Didn't get her. Okay maybe I can let that slide. She did check on me afterall even if I was in someone else's section. But then the service I did have sucked. Sara sucked. I ordered one thing...just one and asked that as soon as it comes to take my order. She didn't. In fact she never asked me. My child spilled my water just after she put it down and she didn't even flinch as she stood there. I literally had to ask for napkins...then she'd ask if everything was alright and as I lift my menu to order she walks away. She never takes the pile of wet napkins and crumpled kids menu. Oh but Charlie sure did and what a delight that young lad was. He tended to my mess. He offered to get my waitress and was just kind. Very kind. Sara however took a while to come and by the time she did I was over it. The place is lovely. The food is good. But Sara ruined it. I felt like it was a waste of a drive.

    (2)

  • Amber R.

    Friends who go to Japan often tell me that this is not only the best sushi place on the island but it's best sushi place in all of HI. Monstera serves the best sushi I've ever had - better than anything I've ever had on the mainland. And the service is excellent. The only other restaurant worth going to on the Big Island is Merriman's in Waimea

    (5)

  • Mary D.

    Hands down, the best ahi sashimi I have ever had. Everything else was excellent, too.

    (5)

  • Jordan O.

    This is a great place, nice atmosphere and great food, everything we ate was delicious, highly recommend this, I'd say its a step above Sanseis which is THE sushi restaurant even better then the food was the service, when u go here ask for RANDY! He was probably the best waiter I've ever had. PERIOD. He was knowledgable about the menu and when I asked about food items he described them perfectly, he was funny and he knew how to be attentive with out being in the way, not once did I feel like I was waiting around for someone to service us, my girl had to stop me from giving to big of a tip, all around great experiance, a lil pricey but that's to be expected.

    (5)

  • Sarah S.

    Sit at the sushi bar, let Norio take care of you, accept the fact that first-rate sushi isn't cheap, and you will go away very happy. It's a great place to try something (like uni) that you might be scared of at other places.

    (5)

  • p v.

    Horrible! Some of our food was mediocre and that was the best part of the dinner. Service was slow and they spilled a bowl of soy sauce on my wife. No apology or anything to make up for it. Kids chicken tasted like chalk, again no offer to make up for it. Unless it is the only place open, go somewhere else.

    (1)

  • Kat Q.

    THE BEST RESTAURANT ON THE BIG ISLAND!! The food was so good here that I returned from the restaurant to set up a yelp account and write this review, literally, because the food was THAT good. We tried Roy's for dinner the night before and Merriman's for lunch that afternoon. Both were good but definitely do not compare to Monstera's. My newly engaged fiance and I were thinking of going to Norio's until we read on yelp that Norio left the Fairmont Orchid restaurant a few months ago to start Monstera. We sat at the bar and received recommendations from Norio himself. Here was our menu: Seafood Papaya - Orgasmic! One of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted! Tuna Tataki - Amazing! The tuna was so fresh and perfectly seared and seasoned. I've tried some great tuna tataki but this definitely topped my list. Rock shrimp and Avocado Salad - Delicious! It tasted like a catalina/thousand island dressing but chef said it was ume dressing. Baked scallop - Amazing! very flavorful and cooked to perfection Miso Butterfish - Really delicious but the fish itself is a bit too fatty for me. Sugar snap peas - I loved these but my fiance wasn't too impressed compared to the other dishes, but it was so flavorful Sashimi dinner - My fiance ate this dish and thought the fish was very fresh. He also had the uni and ikura and said those were really good as well. Caramel Monstera dessert - Amazing! It's similar to bananas foster, but with caramel and more fruits. We were absolutely stuffed but everything we tried was so delicious that we just kept ordering more. Our bill was $145, with two cocktails and 3 house sakes, which we felt was reasonable for the amount of food we ate. If you are looking for a cheaper meal, just order from the small plates (and the baked scallops) and you can eat a delicious meal for a fraction of the price. I wish we weren't leaving Hawaii tomorrow or else I would return again to try every entree on the menu.

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    Great meal for adults and kids staff was great food better four year old just asked if we can go back tonight.

    (5)

  • David V.

    Wonderful food and good service. What more can you ask for. Kids even enjoyed trying new dishes. We did not order much sushi as I normally would have. Not because of the food choices or quality but because of the bottle of wine I brought in. It was our last night and I was down to Pinot Noir, so I stuck with medium rich foods and away from too much spice. The gyoza and butterfish fit the bill perfectly. The 'signature tuna dish' - Tuna Tatari? - is great as well. Will definitely return next time we are back in Waikoloa area.

    (5)

  • Jess S.

    Honestly for the price you're going to pay for pretty okay seafood and sushi, you might as well go next door to Ruth Chris. Our waiter was nice at least, but towards the end of the night when there was nobody there it kind of took forever to get our credit card after we paid. Also when we first got there, despite it looking super empty inside, because we didn't have reservations we got this kind of dirty look and a 'well wait here' attitude. The food was okay... But my family is used to really great sushi and Japanese food in general, and this place was only alright. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't really that great. It's really really... upscale touristy? Definitely not worth the price we paid. We didn't even get alcohol. I did like the agedashi tofu, but that's hard to screw up. We also got the yakiudon; do yourself a favor and don't get this dish. The sauce was ridiculously weak and it was just overall disappointing. I'd maybe try the yakisoba instead next time. Or rather, next time I'd just go to Ruth Chris's.

    (3)

  • Shawnee L.

    Had dinner with good friends...their first time at Monstera. Just the 4 of us but we needed more table space for the dishes we ordered. Enjoyed the tuna tataki (thinly sliced ahi with ponzu), calamari salad (fried calamari with garlic dressing), seafood papaya (shrimp, scallops, asparagus and mushrooms all baked in a ripe papaya); and agadashi tofu as our appetizers. Our main course we shared the short ribs, monstera chicken, pork stir fried kimchee and the yaki soba. Every dish had its own flavor. We liked that the kalbi was not over cooked and the meat was very flavorful and soft. For dessert we had the caramel monstera and our favorite the banana tempura. Thank you Monstera. Another meal enjoyed with good friends and good food. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    We tried this place out after we read the reviews. LOVE! We went during the week and it was nice and peaceful. Hid away on the 2nd floor, the ambience is great. Our server was very nice and helpful. My husband has sushi rolls and they were all delish! (I snuck a bite of each) I had the miso soup and Yaki Soba. Everything was wonderful and we totally would love to go back.

    (5)

  • Ariana S.

    We had a private event that we booked Monstera for last Friday night. Several days earlier, Kalei, the wonderful manager there, offered the ENTIRE space of their sister restaurant The Blue Room Restaurant downstairs for our party of about 40 people. They promised us the same prix fixe sushi menu that we had planned for originally. We started out with cocktails and edamame in the indoor part of the restaurant, then moved out to their great patio outside for our dinner. The food was amazing, and just kept coming!! What a delicious array of salad, potstickers, sushi and main dishes! Hardly anyone had room for dessert. I just want to say Kalei and her entire wait staff were fantastic -- friendly, professional & so helpful! We had a wonderful experience! Thank you so much!

    (5)

  • Karen V.

    This place rocks. You have to have the seared ahi! The best thing about this place was the music....the cure, pearl jam...loved it!

    (5)

  • Samantha S.

    Checking in was a rude experience, she took someone else before us knowing I was standing in front of her. Food was great and filling though and the service was alright for what the restaurant was like.

    (3)

  • Lori C.

    Had dinner here last night on my last night (having had some really excellent food on this trip. The food at Monstera was flawless! I'm not a huge fan of Japanese food, sushi in particular, but this place was fantastic. My friend and I shared two small plates: the miso butterfish and the baked papaya stuffed with shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, and asparagus. O...M...G!! These two dishes alone put this meal into the too 10 best meals I've ever had; we couldn't even find the right words to describe how delicious they were: mouth-wateringly delicious! I had the strip steak teriyaki and my friend ordered a couple of sushi rolls; we both loved our main courses. Two people, a lot of food, and a couple of drinks with a 20% tip came to $140. Totally worth it!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Had dinner there last night and it was great... The sushi was very fresh although the toro (fatty tuna) didn't really look or taste like the toro I'm used to (wasn't as rich). The highlights of the night were the following: miso butterfish, tuna tataki, and baked scallops. These are the "must have" dishes that were so awesomely good. We also had the monstera poke, chuck norris roll, tempura roll, ahi nigiri, hamachi nigiri, toro nigiri, and a rainbow roll. Again, no faults with these at all. Overall this meal may have been the best dinner of this trip although we're planning on hitting Merrimans before we head home.

    (4)

  • Janis A.

    This was some of the most interesting and delicious food I have ever tasted! Kind of hard to find because it's upstairs at the shops at Mauna Lani -- we stumbled on it accidentally. Believe me, it's worth the search! I had the chilled noodles with tempura and it was unbelievably tasty. They have everything from sushi to sizzling plates to noodles to steak. Do not deprive yourself of this wonderful culinary treat!

    (5)

  • Valerie Y.

    Excellent place to have quality food and service!! We will definitely be back!! Butterfish and unagi was awesome. Tataki was savory!

    (5)

  • Traci S.

    We were looking forward to trying Monstera based upon the outstanding recent reviews and the recommendation of this other couple we met here on the Big Island. Based on the reviews, we agree that the food is outstanding! The service on the other hand is not very good unless the hostesses serve you, and based on the other reviews, if Chef Nori serves you, too. We were seated around 6:30pm and ten to 7:00pm we were only served water but never asked if we needed anything else yet multiple servers passed by us and clearly we each had a menu in our hands demonstrating we had not ordered. By close to 7pm, we had to flag down a hostess to ask if we could order. We then placed an order and the designated server did not stop by until after the order was placed only to tell us the order was being cooked in the kitchen, no apology, no introduction, no discussion of the specials or anything hospitable. We could understand this type of service if it was a fast food place or extremely busy, but with 12 tables and 5-6 servers, would consider this unacceptable. I do note that each dish was brought out timely and we were asked how each dish tasted. After the dinner, though, again servers passed by us but no one asked us if we were interested in dessert and after awhile, flagged down a server to ask for the check. At that point we wanted out of the restaurant and left a partial tip to acknowledge some of the service but was clearly disappointed by the service despite the noted number of servers. For a high end restaurant, the service is unacceptable. At the very least, the server could introduce himself, say "hi" and at least acknowledge your presence prior to ordering and during the evening. This is especially the case when you see him hugging other patrons who appear to be "regulars" and requested by other patrons to also place their orders. Overall, the focus on hospitality and service is not acceptable. The food is outstanding but we won't be returning because of the lack of attention to service and valuing us as a customer. Overall I noted that Monstera has 4 stars out of 172 reviews, I think the remaining star that is missing would likely be to the lack of restaurant hospitality and service. For a Japanese restaurant this is especially disappointing as culturally this is one of the most important values. I only wish we were served by Chef Nori so he could have made up for the lack of service by one of his servers in particular who displayed hospitality to others yet clearly did not demonstrate such to ourselves because we aren't "regular" patrons. We recommend the food only. Thank you!

    (3)

  • Suzanne W.

    We were on the Big Island for only a few nights but we ate here twice! Once you get past the location (upstairs, in a shopping center), you will like the interior. The waitstaff know their stuff and the food is amazing.

    (5)

  • Jackie C.

    Delicious sushi, a great atmosphere and great service. We had the tuna tataki, spicy hamachi roll, volcano roll and yaki udon. Everything was so yummy, we left stuffed! Our only complaint was that it's kind of pricey.

    (5)

  • Scott S.

    Great for family dining. Will return on next trip to the Big Island.

    (4)

  • Derek A.

    We arrived early for our reservations but had to wait 30 minutes past the reservation time. It wasn't because the place was very busy, there were many people who were sat before us that arrived after us. We asked the hostess multiple times how long we would have to wait and she didn't do anything. It wasn't until another server came by to sit a couple that arrived much later than us did we complain to her and were we seated. I'm not really sure what the hostess' job is. They atoned for the very shaky start with a free round of drinks. I wasn't in the mood for alcohol so I just ordered a water but my girlfriend ordered a mix drink. The mixed drink didn't show up until much after we had received our meals and had to remind the waiter... In fact, there was a tray of drinks that the bartender poured sitting on the bar for at least 8-10 minutes. The udon noodles were pretty good although the sushi rolls were poorly rolled (rice falling out) and very small (especially for the price). And they don't offer any veggie rolls on the menu. The waiter was very nice and the owner seemed nice and attentive but this restaurant is definitely benefitting from being in a prime location. You can find better priced, better prepared food almost anywhere there is ocean but because the only other restaurants in Mauna Lani are even more expensive than Monstera, it is actually an OK deal for dinner. Even though it didn't work out so well for me, make a reservation online or by phone if you plan on going.

    (2)

  • Jackie G.

    Being in that area, you're limited on places to eat. Needless to say, we went here twice during our stay. The first time we had sushi which was decent. The 2nd time we went, we decided to explore the menu beyond sushi. My husband got yaki udon which was delicious. I got tempura udon which was on par with what I've had in Japan. Both entrees are a lot of food but unfortunately the tempura udon does not travel well for takeout!

    (4)

  • Rachel D.

    The food was good, but it's pricey. My husband is a sushi-aholic and was happy with the quality of fish. We loved the shrimp tempura roll with fresh crab. We also enjoyed the pork katsu.

    (4)

  • Ann W.

    The service was wonderful. Ate at the sushi bar and had Chef Nori decide on what we should have. Was by far the best sushi I have ever had and some very unique rolls. Would recommend it to anyone. Need to go back and try the noodle dishes next time

    (5)

  • Acasia H.

    Woops, I came here over a month ago. Doesnt matter, still writing this review! One of the yummiest sushi dinners Ive had! Their menu had a good spread of Japanese foods and my boyfriend and I had the Tuna tataki, agedashi tofu, kabocha, rainbow roll, uni sushi and something else, I cant remember. The tuna tataki was good, but I didnt think it was any more amazing than regular sashimi (I just love all kinds of ahi). Everything else was very good. My boyfriend and I love tofu and kabocha, its hard to screw that up...gosh were easy to please. ANYWAYS, its good. Trust me.

    (4)

  • Kelli H.

    We sat outside which was really nice. Upon arrival they were very friendly. They were dead inside though, which was a tad weird. Everything we ordered was good, but nothing really great. I really wanted to be impressed by Hawaiian sushi, but I honestly have had much better back home in California. Nothing was very exciting or seemed extremely fresh. I'm pretty sure our server only had us for a table and she messed up our order twice. I had to tell her twice what beer I wanted, and then she brought out the wrong roll. It wasn't really a big deal or anything, but just not the best service. If I were back in the area, I'd try it again since the area is lacking other sushi joints.

    (3)

  • Joe P.

    Wow, so disappointed. After an amazing meal here a year ago, we were looking forward to returning. What happened to this place? First some service issues: My son tried to order the PB&J roll but the waiter flat out wouldn't let him, saying "uhhh, that really isn't very good." Huh? Why's it on the (only-4-items-so-they-had-better-ALL-be-good) kids menu then? My son ordered it anyway, but it came out a full 15 MINUTES after his sister's udon, and his food was the LAST out of all our plates. Think that went over well with him? And there was absolutely zero explanation or apology from the waiter. Second, the food quality has suffered. My wife, a vegetarian, who raved about last year's baked tofu steak, ordered it again this year. She found it watery and bland this time. It was unseasoned, flavored mostly from the bitter tofu water, which had not been properly drained, and almost not at all from the marinade. I liked my baked scallop roll. Some flavor and heat there. Only thing in the whole night I would ever order again. The waiter steered me away from the 69 or the rainbow roll, suggested that "those are okay, but do you like spicy rolls? (I do, sometimes) ...Then you've gotta try the Volcano roll." OK, I gave it a try. So, are you kidding me? Cute presentation, the shrimp tempura and hot sauces made to look like an erupting volcano...but no flavor!! It came out not very spicy at all (I had to add soy sauce just to season it) and the tempura shrimp was cool and a little soggy. From the water's odd sales job, I'd almost suspect this was premade or an extra from a screw up at another table, and they wanted to unload it on someone. That seems unforgivable for a high end sushi place. Even if it wasn't, the service and the quality was unforgivable anyway. Overall two stars, for the good scallop roll, and my daughters Udon, which she enjoyed. We dined here first night of our vacation because we were planning to return again near the end. I think we'll skip that visit...and skip Monstera completely next year.

    (2)

  • Frank S.

    For a good location the price is relatively high, food is good but not great. the tuna tataki is nice and the chef special sashimi of the day is nice too. the eel and sea urchin is just so-so. service is good. a nice place to go.

    (4)

  • Dave A.

    Absolutely amazing!!! The head chef hooked us up. Real authentic sushi and sashimi. Visited here on my vacation, now its hard to try the local places (trappers) as they can't even match the quality.

    (5)

  • Laurie G.

    4 1/2 stars. Fab food. Mall-ish location. Sushi bar seating very social and gawk-worthy.

    (4)

  • Evelyn N.

    We really liked Monstera, and came here twice on our current stay, and twice in our last stay in 2011. Delicious! I am vegan and they had lots of options. Kabocha pumpkin, seaweed salad, tofu steak, YUM! I certainly wasn't going home hungry. My husband and family loved the chuck norris roll (quote my brother - best role he ever had), volcano roll, 69 roll. The sunomo salad was insane, a huge piece of octopus in there. They also especially liked the tuna, but thought all the fish quality was amazing. I thought the prices were fair, and the location was nice and casual. It was an interesting menu and memorable. Be sure to get a drink with Shoshu! I've dined at a number of Japanese restaurants but never noticed this alcohol before, it's quite tasty!

    (4)

  • Tosha D.

    Food was tasty and service was good. Atmosphere was lacking. I think more of a good lunch spot than for dinner. We were expecting a nicer place for dinner when this was recommended by the concierge at our hotel.

    (3)

  • Rotation R.

    Excellent and Authentic with great chef's additions to common dishes and some totally unique dishes as well. Sushi is excellent. we left full and very happy

    (5)

  • Josh B.

    Food is pretty good but nothing special. The problem is the noise. The restaurant serves mixed drinks and has very little that dampens the noise. We had to leave early because of the drunken noise.

    (2)

  • The Food G.

    Boyfriend and I ate here because it was the closest sushi joint to the mauna lani. We took the resort's shuttle over at 8:45 only to be told by the hostess that they are closed. We asked her what time does the place close and she replied 9:15. After asking her to go check on this suspicious closing time, she came back and advised us that we can come in. Wth? Sat at the bar and spoke to the chef norio who did not seem that friendly. Fish was definitely fresh, but nothing more to add. The bill for 2 was $103. Sorry but for $100 plus we could have had an amazing sushi meal in CA. This was really meh.

    (2)

  • Marcia S.

    Great dinner last night at Monstera. After 27 years of visiting Kona, it's fun to find a new favorite place. I will definitely add this to my " go to " list!

    (5)

  • Adam F.

    Had a great experience here the other night. The sushi was fresh and made perfectly. Not too much sauce and no fishy taste. I would recommend the Tuna Tataki for an app and the Spicy Tuna Roll. The dessert, Tempura Banana, was out of this world.

    (5)

  • Ramon R.

    Tuna Tataki! Holy cow this plate is good! Will def come back just for this plate on future visit to the big Island. Wife had the udon noodle veggie tempura meal, which was also delicious. Staff was friendly and helpful, and Mai thai from the bar was one of the best ive had in all of hawaii.

    (5)

  • Kourtney G.

    My husband and I went here while on our honeymoon. We wanted to like it, but it was just average food and service. It was also highly overpriced for what is served. We won't be returning.

    (2)

  • Julie L.

    I use Yelp all the time and have never written a review (I know, slap my hand), but I had to do it for Monstera. I had dinner there with a friend last night (after making a reservation through Open Table) and had an awesome experience. Sit at the sushi bar if you can, half the fun was getting to watch and chat with Chefs Norio and Sam, who were very attentive and entertaining. Drinks: You have been warned - they don't skimp on the alcohol, the drinks are STRONG (stronger than any other restaurant I visited during my weeklong trip)! I had the Monstera Tropical Itch, my friend had the Suffering Bastard. We both liked our respective choices. Food: The tuna tataki is spectacular, as is the hamachi kama. I also had the Chuck Norris roll, which was good, but not as great as the previous two dishes. My friend had the spicy tuna with crunchies roll (one of the specials of the day), and the tempura roll. She said both were good. For dessert I had the caramel monstera, and my friend had the tempura banana. We both enjoyed them. My two cents: spend more on food, then split a dessert! The fish is what really shines here. And don't be afraid to ask what you should order. We didn't originally order the tuna tataki, but did so on Chef Norio's recommendation. He didn't steer us wrong!

    (4)

  • Vince D.

    Nice atmosphere - we sat inside. The sushi specials were delicious. Excellent sushi/sashimi. The sashimi pricing threw me off because it's a little different than any sushi restaurant I've visited. Basically the sashimi order is six slices of sashimi. And boy was it good! I would definitely go again and recommend it. Quality and good service.

    (4)

  • Gordon D.

    Outstanding is every way. I had the best fatty tuna I've ever had, a whole grilled fish was stunningly fresh and delicious, I could go on. You'll spend some money here and it is well worth it. We've been back twice in four days and will finish our holiday here to make it three.

    (4)

  • Jesse And Lara M.

    Are you kidding??? Best sushi ever. We were scared it might be kind of generic since its in the shopping center, we were so wrong! Tasty local catches, Sam the sous chef was incredible, I can't rave enough about this place! Can't wait to return next year.

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    The sushi here is amazing. Kids meals were great as well. Unfortunately I can only give it 3 stars because the service was not good. They seemed overwhelmed and it did not seem like they were overly busy. I wish I could recommend this restaurant because the food was outstanding, but because the service was so spotty I would not return.

    (3)

  • Sue L.

    WOW! We loved this place. We eat a lot of sushi and come from a city with tons of excellent sushi restaurants so it was a nice surprise to eat here. My husband and I shared the Norio 69 roll and the Poke roll -so fresh and tasty. Sometimes the sushi rolls all taste the same no matter what ingredients are in there. I also had a piece of hamachi which melted in your mouth. And we shared the bibimbap salad -delicious and creative. If you choose to eat at the one restaurant -this is your place!

    (5)

  • Hilary D.

    The best sushi I have ever had! Amazing. Make reservation ahead of time - limited seating.

    (5)

  • Dana R.

    I've had lunch and dinner here and both were excellent. The service was good each time. For dinner last night we started off with the outstandingly fresh tuna tataki. The slab of tuna is only very lightly seared and then sliced thinly. It's served in a nice ponzu sauce over a mound of clear extremely thin noodles, sprouts and onions and has a well-balanced garlic aioli drizzled (not too much) on top, along with tobiko (flying fish roe -- not too salty and adds a nice pop). My mother, who doesn't eat sushi, loved the velvety texture of the fish (a much better experience than the stale yellowtail she tried at my urging at Monsoon in Bellevue, which ended up making her sick). We also started with the Chuck Norris Roll. I would say this roll is far from the best I've ever had -- it has a nice tempura crunch (although they serve it on a dish with a chili ponzu sauce on the bottom so very quickly the roll loses its crunch (I would much prefer the ponzu sauce on the side). Also, the crab didn't taste all that fresh and was, unfortunately, the predominant flavor in the roll. The piece of avocado was very small and you couldn't really taste the tuna. It wasn't bad, but not great ... I'd pass on this one. I had the tempura -- delightfully light panko fried in Rice Bran Oil which minimizes the greasiness. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, as were the asparagus stalks, onion slices, and kabocha squash. My only issue with this dish was that they needed to do a better job of trimming the skin off the kabocha squash -- both pieces had a thin, yet unpleasantly tough, layer off skin left (which I then had to spit out). My husband had the sizzling chicken plate with a sesame and garlic sauce. The boneless chicken pieces were perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The sauce had a delicate sweetness to it, It came with sauteed cabbage, onions and carrots, and brown (or white) rice. He really enjoyed it. My mother had the Seafood Papaya. One-half of a papaya stuffed with diced scallops, diced shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms baked in a creamy sauce. She loved it! For lunch the previous day, I had the sizzling boneless beef short ribs (off the dinner menu). Slices of what looked like hangar steak marinated in a Kalbi sauce (flavorful but not too sweet with good ginger highlights). Without evening asking, they prepared the meat to a perfect medium-rare. It comes with the same cabbage and rice that my husband's chicken dinner dish came with. I asked for some chili sauce and was given my choice of sesame chili oil, a sambal, or a mix of oyster sauce and sambal (no Sriracha). I chose the latter and blended into my brown rice -- wow, was that good. I would order this again in a heartbeat. For dinner, my husband and I tried the Italian blend of pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc ... not great, but certainly drinkable. The atmosphere is just so-so; it's located in a strip mall. I think they could do much more with the outdoor space to make it more inviting for those sitting outside or inside (the restaurant is fronted with floor to ceiling glass doors/windows so you look out into the sterile outdoor seating area. Despite the atmosphere, I will likely go back on this trip to try the sashimi.

    (4)

  • Greg G.

    dined here on 8-2 We happened by this place after viewing the Tommy Bahamas restaurant and deciding that we did not want to spend 100 bucks a head for dinner that looked average at best. So, I was initially a little put off because they had too seat us outside since we did not have a reservation and the wind was blowing about 30-35 MPH. However, I was hungry and glad that we acquiesced. The service was great and we had enough glassware and cutlery on the table to hold down all of the napkins and menus so we could figure out what to order with out things being blown down into the shopping area below. The range of rolls that we tried were excellent and fresh. The tempura was excellent although a bit sparse in quantity (only two of each item). The Yaki-soba and udon was excellent and tasted very authentic which very nice amounts of ginger and smoky flavor for the meat that was used in each dish. Once again the portions were small and it was quite evident when there was just not enough for our party to have a decent sized taste of each dish(they strongly recommend eating family style). That is about the only negative thing I can offer. I would think that adding a few more noodles (which are pretty inexpensive) to their noodle dishes would be nice. However, the rolls were fairly portioned and this meal was really enjoyable, in spite of the wind. A word of advice, order water and ask for silverware. You'll need it if you sit outside because it is really windy and you will lose your napkins and menus. All totaled we spent about 200 for 5 people with only one adult beverage and two desserts so it is a little pricey and not the best place for younger children who might not appreciate all of the offerings.

    (4)

  • Shawn G.

    This is a great restaurant in a Mauna Lani. It has a nice mix of authentic Japanese dishes mixed with popular rolls and "Americanized" japanese food. The authentic food was great. I recommend the Hamachi Kama, Yaki Soba, and the Kobachi. The crispy fresh whole fish is delicious. The sashimi and sushi were very fresh. The wait staff was excellent. For being in a strip mall in the middle of Hawaii, I was pleasantly surprised. A great meal.

    (5)

  • K R.

    I ordered a few of their sushi rolls, and they were all off the hook. The Chuck Norris Roll, The Volcano Roll and the Scallop Roll. They were all inventive, fresh, flavorful and beautifully presented. I'm in California and do eat a lot of sushi-- this was some of the best I've ever had. And for a couple dollars extra, they'll give you REAL wasabi!! It has a natural sweetness to it that completely enhances the fish. I'm spoiled now. What a wonderful treat. They have a nice wine list (for a Japanese restaurant) and many unique cocktails which I did not try, but looked like fun. As far as the service, that too was fantastic and their guests are made to feel welcomed. If I'd stayed on the island longer, I would have made a second visit, no doubt. I'm in love with this place. Oh, and they played some fun 80's tunes quietly in the background. Good vibe. If you skip dessert at the restaurant, head next door to Foodland Farms for some amazing mochi ice cream to-go! Perfect ending to a lovely sushi splurge.

    (5)

  • Kevin C.

    Since we were staying at the Mauna Lani Resort, our nearby dinner options were limited. You pretty much have a choice of the Mauna Lani Resort, the nearby resorts like the Fairmont Orchid, or the shopping center located within the Mauna Lani Resort area. Monstera came highly recommended from the hotel concierge, staying that "everyone that goes there has a good experience." I wouldn't say the experience was bad, but it was nothing exceptional. Coming from San Francisco, my expectations for sushi are fairly high. When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly staff and seated at the sushi bar (always my preference at a sushi restaurant). Now, onto the actual meal... To elaborate on more specifics of our experience: * We ordered a few appetizers, such as the edamame and picked vegetables - good, but nothing special * We had the following items in our group, with feedback in parathesis: - Chirashi (some of the fish seemed fresh, whereas others was mediocre quality. Portion size was medium) - Uni (semi-fresh, but I guess that's our error considering most Uni comes from California) - Ikura (semi-fresh) - Tempura Vegetables (delicious, but I don't expect many Japanese places to screw this up) - Spicy Tuna roll (boring, not much spice to it and the tuna did not seem fresh at all. It was almost too "chopped up" making the consistency a little weird) - Teriyaki Chicken (a mix of chicken meat - thigh and breast. I think it's preferred to have all breast, so this was a little disappointing) - Lots of Sapporo (always a good time, and it was very reasonably priced) Overall, an "ok" experience, but I would not highly recommend. The menu has a variety of food, and as much as I always crave sushi and want fresh fish, I noticed that there Udon noodles and other noodle dishes looked fantastic. I almost think it's a crime to visit a Japanese or Sushi restaurant and not order sushi, but those noodles looked damn good!

    (3)

  • Eli M.

    When we first arrived at the restaurant, a very welcoming hostess brought us to our table that we had made a reservation for. It was on the balcony of a second story building, and had a very nice, mellow ambiance. We sat down and quickly decided on what we wanted to eat. My sisters ordered sushi, and I decided on the teriyaki chicken. After an average amount of waiting, and conversing with the very talkative waitress, our food came. My sisters very much enjoyed their sushi, and my chicken was delicious. It was very hot when it first came, so I had to wait a while before digging in to the tasty dish. I usually only write bad reviews, but I was very impressed with this restaurant. My whole experience at this restaurant was 4.5 stars.

    (5)

  • Patrick D.

    Great sushi, service, and relaxed ambience. We asked for the chef to serve us omakase style which was terrific. They brought out a wide range of sushi, sashimi, and other foods for us to sample. Will be back soon.

    (4)

  • Bill P.

    Monstera is an amazing little gem! The sushi is simply awesome. The service is excellent!

    (5)

  • Alejandro S.

    Exceptional food! Robert was a amazing server with very very good knowledge of the food here! I highly recommend it here

    (5)

  • Jenn Q.

    Went here for lunch one day. Spent some $$$ but it was completely worth it. The service was exceptional!! Our server was really top notch, I wish I could multiply him and take him to every restaurant I go to! We ordered the seaweed salads (wish they were bigger, so delicious) and then Baked Scallop Sushi Spicy Tuna Negitoro Roll and last but certainly not the least, the Norio's Original 69 Roll which was a last minute order because we asked our server about what was in the 69 roll. He convinced us, and it was by far the best roll. All of their rice is imported from Japan along with their tempura oil. Which by the way, they change out every day and I have to say you can taste a difference in the tempura. The batter is light, crispy, and not oily. YUM YUM YUM Finished off lunch with some hot green tea and I left more than satisfied. I find myself craving it. Our sushi place in town is good...but not this good. If you are a sushi lover, GO HERE

    (5)

  • Glenn C.

    Ate here with my Son and his family. Since they eat sushi often than I, I asked them to suggest a value...hence the score. The spicy tuna sushi was great, as ways the stuffed papaya. Other dishes received mixed reviews. They handled a special request frm our 7-year old very successfully.

    (3)

  • Mary B.

    I would come back here. Had sushi here while on the Big Island, it was fresh and delicious. Rainbow roll is excellent. Our server was also great, he recommended some dishes and they were all very good. 4 stars because their wine selection was limited and I had two glasses of two different types of white wine and I did not like either of them. Sauvignon Blanc Mason, California and the Pinot Gris/Sauvignon Blanc Bertani, Italy.

    (4)

  • HELEN K.

    If you are staying at the Mauna Lani Resort Area (including the Fairmont) this is a nice option for Japanese Food. It is located in the Mauna Lani shopping area, there is no view to speak of, but the restaurant staff is friendly, service is good, and the food is good. We ordered the Tuna Tataki Appetizer, the fish was fresh and the seasonings were quite good. We also ordered the "Korean Style" Fried chicken, and it was also nicely flavored and crispy. We ordered the Vanilla Ice Cream with fresh fruit and housemade Caramel, and it was pretty good as well. If you are accustomed to really good Japanese food, I can't tell you this is the best restaurant I've had, but the food was good (not great), and the service was friendly.

    (3)

  • Sherry O.

    The ahi tataki is awesome! Had to get a second order after finishing the first!

    (5)

  • Ellen L.

    We eat here twice and both times it was great Portions are not huge which is not a minus for us , and the quality and taste are great and that is the main point Everything was very fresh and delicious The dish with seafood in backed papaya was really good along with monk fish dish and feat belly tuna Recommending this place for sure Being from NY the price is reasonable Enjoy

    (5)

  • Terel B.

    I was excited to try Monstera, if not for the great Yelp reviews and recommendations by our friends, then simply for the cool name. I half wondered if Godzilla-costumed servers would be delivering our food. Whether or not the name sounds like a sushi joint, it's decidedly so. We enjoyed a California roll (made with real dungeness crab meat, but we wished it had cucumber with the avocado), the butterfish (if you like Sansei's version of this dish, Alaskan Black Cod soaked in mirin, miso, soy sauce, sugar, and sake for several days and then pan-seared, you'll like this one), the Korean fried chicken, the garlic and chile sautéed sugar snap peas, a spicy tuna roll, a chilled Japanese noodle salad with chicken, and a side tsukemono (mixed Japanese pickles). The food was all very good, but nothing knocked us over. Butterfish (this dish is actually made with a fish called "sablefish," which lives at great depths in Alaskan waters, but Japanese restaurants typically call it "butterfish," "miso butterfish," or "black cod kasuzuke") is good just about anywhere you get it. It was nice to have real crab in the Cali roll. One of the best dishes was also the simplest--those sautéed sugar snap peas were wonderfully crisp and flavorful and had a bright green color to them. The noodle salad was so-so. Probably wouldn't order again but nice for a change. Spicy tuna roll was just that--a spicy tuna roll. The Korean chicken was fair at best. It sounded outstanding on the menu, but when delivered, it resembled orange chicken from Panda Express or Mr. Chau's. The only problem was it wasn't as good as Mr. Chau's, let alone Panda Express! They have 3 kinds of beer on tap--Sapporo and two local brews. You can also get real, fresh-grated wasabi (which is far more mild than traditional wasabi) for $3; kind of novel and worth doing if you've never tried it. The service was average. We waited longer than usual for visits by our server, but simple requests were overly generously honored ("Can we get some more ginger, please?" apparently means "can you bring me a half pound of ginger?" "Can we get a small bit of the spicy aioli to dip our rolls in?" returned a cereal bowl full of sriracha mayo!). Lastly, we felt the restaurant was a bit overpriced. Although everything seems expensive in Hawaii, food of this quality can be had for at least 30% less elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Mike Z.

    What can I say? I REALLY wanted to love this place. Went there with my partner and we were hoping for some great food. The restaurant itself is a bit dated as far as the decor goes, but then again most restaurants in Hawaii are that way. So let's get down to business. We ordered the snow peas as an appetizer. They were fairly good as far as snow peas go. The sauce was on the spicy side and quite flavorful. So far so good right? I ordered the Udon noodles and my parter ordered the rainbow roll and spicy tuna campache. He thought both rolls were your typical 3 star sushi. Not really fresh, not a lot of fish, not really great presentation. My noodles were ok. Not great not bad just Meh. Just not worth the prices they are asking. I will say, they server up a VERY strong Mai Tai. It was quite delish but then that's not what I came for. The service was adequate. Our server was nice and was fairly attentive. The High: Strong Mai Tais and ok service The Low: Just so so sushi at high prices. We've had better and suspect you wil have had better too. Chances we'll be back: Maybe! Only if they have a happy hour where the dishes are discounted at least 25% and the Mai Tails are on special!

    (3)

  • T T.

    Fresh fish! Sushi rice seasoned perfectly. Ratio or rice to sushi is great. The rolls were good, would love to have a little more variation. We only ate sushi...however really enjoyed it and visited twice during our two week stay. Will definitely come back next time we are on the Big Island.

    (4)

  • Candi C.

    Monstera was a very fast sushi place, but the sushi itself was really ordinary. We found the service fast and attentive at lunch and the Italian sodas were quite good. But the food was just ok. We had yellowtail, salmon and tuna, all were passable. We also got a California roll which was very avocado-heavy, pleasing my husband and but too unbalanced for me so I left the rest to him. Expensive for lunch.

    (2)

  • Yesenia R.

    This place is amazing impressed!! Best service since we've been here!! Robert our server was amazing!!!

    (5)

  • Jessica A.

    We had dinner at Monstera tonight and had a fantastic meal. Since we're living it up on vacation, we started with pina coladas and an order of spicy tuna rolls. The drinks were delicious, not too sweet as some blended drinks can be, and the tuna rolls were the perfect size, a bite of heaven. For the entree we shared the shrimp and vegetable tempura udon and the short ribs sizzle platter. I'm so happy we shared, I couldn't have lived without either! I shook some of the spicy seasoning on the udon noodles and it gave the dish the right amount of kick. A nice (and customized) touch. If you're in the area, and looking for sushi or noodles, do NOT miss Monstera.

    (5)

  • Paul K.

    Excellent food, ambiance, and service. The restaurant itself has a sushi bar and individual dining tables. The waitress started off by explaining that they were a Japanese lounge style restaurant. She took our drink orders first and brought that out relatively quickly. We had the house sake, asahi beer, and a soju mojito. The soju mojito was very refreshing. We ordered the ahi tataki, chuck Norris roll, garlic peas, oyster shooter, sashimi platter, and a special roll w/ cracklings on it. The ahi tataki is a must get. Seared and served on a bed of shaved daikon in a ponzu sauce. The first bite seemed to melt in my mouth as the flavors danced with my tastebuds. The chuck norris roll was okay. The oyster shooter was a duo. One was Korean style and the other served with a ponzu sauce. I would've rather had two of the ponzu sauce shooters. The peas were also just okay. The sashimi platter consisted of salmon, ahi, and hamachi pieces. The were all really good quality. I personally love hamachi and this didn't disappoint. My take on the experience was positive. If you're okay with spending $60+ per person on a delicious meal that will leave you satisfied, but not full then I'd recommend Monstera.

    (5)

  • Taty S.

    Went here for dinner while staying at Waikoloa on a recommendation from a friend and have to say its a must! Great recommendations from the waiter, amazing special and the freshest fish - highly recommend all around.

    (5)

  • Bruce H.

    Tried them in April on our last trip to the Island for a quick lunch. First off, the service was great! The waiter was polite, attentive, and did a good job walking us through the menu. We ordered a special sushi roll, a hot appetizer, and some noodles to share. The hot and spicy chicken appetizer was awesome. The sushi roll was very, very tasty - a spicy "volcano" tuna roll. My wife's noodles were excellent. I wish their menu was more descriptive about what each sushi roll was - it's hard to just have the Waiter explain each roll.

    (4)

  • julie t.

    We sat outside and enjoyed great service by Sarah and very good sushi! We loved the tuna tatami and their volcano roll! Very fresh! I will definitely come back here.

    (5)

  • IQuack D.

    Monstera is a good choice for Asian dining if you're staying at the Fairmont Orchid or other nearby resort. We ate at Monstera twice during our one week visit to the Big Island. Monstera's food and service were excellent on both occasions. Be sure to make a reservation. The staff here is exceptionally friendly and efficient and you'll feel welcome there. We tried several Japanese rolls listed on the menu. The Rainbow Roll was very good as were others, but be sure to ask if the Volcano Roll special is available because the Volcano Roll is especially good: 5 large pieces including one in the center with a shrimp tail sticking out to simulate the eruption (clever, huh?) and a savory red sauce around the plate to suggest lava. Would be a good idea to put the Volcano Roll on the menu as a regular item because it's so delicious. There are plate dinners in addition to the rolls. We each ordered the Short Ribs which was not what we expected (shredded beef that falls off the bone). Short ribs here are more like chunks of London Broil or flank steak and served with veggies on the side. It was very good--in my opinion better than short rib meat would have been. In my opinion, the total experience at Monstera rates 5 stars. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Ji J.

    Went here twice during my stay. Their udon was decent. sushi rolls were okay. some of their sashimi was decent. My favorite was the Korean dishes. Spicy pork w/ Kimchi, Tuna sashimi bibimboo (mixed rice, vegetable w/ korean chilli sauce), Korean spicy fried chicken, fried dumpling, hamachi kama and side order of kimchi was delicious. Found out the owner's wife is Korean. No wonder some of the Korean dishes were great! Also, haven't tried myself, but fried whole snappers looked really good (only on a special day menu)

    (4)

  • sideshow b.

    We arrived late for lunch, only ones in house yet they made us feel right at home! Super service, great miso, average edamame, and above average roll (dragon) and nigiri. Super cold Asahi on draft completed the meal. Thanks Monstera!

    (4)

  • Scott D.

    This is a good sushi restaurant if your looking for the the Hawaiian atmosphere. It on the Second floor of an upscale stripmall which also has a Tommy Bahama and a Ruth Chris steakhouse. The sushi was fresh, the cuts of fish were appropriate to the amount of rice and the roles were tasty. Only thing that I found interesting, was they offered us outdoor seating, and my experience in Hawaii has always been when they offer you outdoor seating, it comes with a nice view. This however was not the case, it was overlooking the shopping center and everybody going into and leaving the restaurant would walk right by us. We asked to be reseated in the restaurant and they accommodated us. Nice restaurant if I was back at home but when in Hawaii, I like more than a strip mall atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Toni E.

    Very good tuna tataki. The sugar peas, Chuck Norris roll and Monstera roll were also wonderful. There is live entertainment every Tues and Thurs night in the center as well. I would definitely go back!

    (4)

  • Callie F.

    This place is a hit! My mom and I came here after it was recommended by the concierge at the nearby fairmont hotel, what a great recommendation! The food was excellent!

    (5)

  • D B.

    We sat at the bar and enjoyed the service of the two funniest men on the Island. The food was delicious and I appreciated how kind everyone was. The food was small in portion but very filling.

    (5)

  • Russ M.

    Tuna Tataki, Miso Butterfish and amazing roles make this a must visit . Great service too from Kela. Highly recommend .

    (5)

  • Jen R.

    We went there after our photographer said they are better than Sansei in Waikoloa. I found that to be absolutely not true. Their food portions were way too tiny for how much they were charging. I ordered the poke off the meal menu, thinking I will be okay with the portions. The waiter knew that was my dinner based on that being the only thing I ordered. Well he failed to tell me that this is ultimately the size of a small appetizer but I paid something like $15 or $18 for it. My husband ordered a teriyaki chicken plate once we realized their food was very very very expensive. Well, that was also tiny. He had something like three strips of thumb-sized chicken, some sauteed cabbage and some other veggies, and a small bowl of rice, which he ended up sharing with me. There is nothing that annoys me more than expensive food with ridiculously tiny portions. I don't mind paying the money but you at least have to make it worth it for me. I'm also not sure why it was happening but the table next to us was getting so much better service than we were. They were probably in their 50s or so and we are a young couple in our early 20s so maybe that was the issue but it seemed like a manager or someone went over there and asked how they were doing, then the person turned around, saw us, then walked to a different table on the other side of us and asked how they were doing. Uhm.... Excuse me? What? I'm not good enough for your managers to spend their precious time saying hello? The table next to us also kept having their plates delivered by other people while we waited a long time for our server to bring ours. We did not leave as happy customers.

    (2)

  • Stephen C.

    We sat at the sushi bar end enjoyed an excellent selection of sushi and sashimi. The conversation with the chefs was enjoyable. The service was warm and attentive. Steve

    (5)

  • Whitney B.

    Excellent sushi and good selection of rolls. Nice Korean influences in the food (such as the stir fried pork with kimchi, which was very good). Definitely worth visiting, even if the ambiance is a bit strip-mall like.

    (4)

  • F S.

    We feel that Monstera has the best SUSHI and Japanese food on the Big Island. Chef Norio is behind the counter serving up the freshest catches. Wes, his business partner makes sure that the rest of the food and service is the best. We are fans!

    (5)

  • Joe H.

    We were staying at Mauna Lani Bay resort so it was a close option for dinner. The hotel offered a shuttle to the shops so we didn't have to drive. We arrived around 5:30 and the place was pretty empty. It did fill up more as the evening progressed. We ordered izakaya style. Put in orders for a couple of items which came out of the kitchen in the order they were finished much like tapas. The tempura was perfect and right from the oil as it should be. After finishing up our first set of plates, we put in for a second wave of sushi which was also very good. There is no view at all. It's a place to eat in a tourist enclave. However, the quality is good and service was pleasant.

    (4)

  • Ramsey K.

    Really enjoyed our night out sitting at the counter. Highly recommended. My wife had the sushi and I had the Yaki Udon hot noodle dish. Both fantastic.

    (5)

  • Kimo S.

    During our honeymoon at the Fairmont this restaurant blew us away, not only is this where Norio currently resides (don't be fooled into thinking he is at Norio's) but he is such an awesome chef & owner. We had such an amazing dinner here that we came back for lunch two days later, we couldn't stop talking about how great the meal was. The Chuck Norris roll is pretty famous but I must give it a shout-out since we had it twice during our visits here. The spicy tuna & spicy hamachi were also stellar, well worth having seconds too. We stuck to their sushi and seafood dishes and determined that if Mama's Fish House in Maui is the place we want to eat on Maui, this will be our go-to restaurant every-time we are in Kona. Norio was a blast to talk to, he even made a special spicy ahi donburi for me that I asked if he could do when we came in for lunch. Delicious! He made us feel welcomed, cared for and created unique sushi dishes for us to try when we asked him to "surprise us!". In the end, putting your faith in the owner and sushi chef is the best way to go here.

    (5)

  • Tom C.

    Had steak there which was probably my mistake. Kids enjoyed their meals.

    (3)

  • Kevin C.

    We made a reservation for 7:30, but found a small crowd waiting when we arrived. We were not actually seated until 8:05, when we were lead to one of several empty tables. We then waited another 10 minutes before a waiter noticed us. Unlike Derek A., we got only an apology for the wait: the waiter said they were doing the best they could. The food when it came was tasty enough and the prices were not out of line for the area. But don't bother going at 7:30, with or without a reservation.

    (2)

  • Meaghan H.

    Some of the best sushi I have ever had (I am one picky sushi lady)! We ate her on the third day of our trip and had to come back again! The sugar pea appetizer will make even the carnivores want to devour their veggies! I also loved the shrip tempura appetizer which is a pretty easy dish to find but they had some great Hawaiin veggies in there, it wasn't too greasy and the dipping sauce was perfection! I am a noodle lover so we orderd the Udon soba and Yaki Soba for the table. To be honest, there were rgood but I would say the sushi outshines them competely! Sometimes the best noodles are just simple, a tad greasy and from a streat cart so I think you could spend your money more wisely and go for the sushi. Don't forget to add a Mai Tai to that! I saw everyones recommendations and was not dissapointed! I am by no means a Mai Tai connoisseur because I think they are too sweet and I am opposed to anything with sour in it but this was simply fresh juices and the right combination of booze! Watch out, though, it does pack quite the boozy punch! This place is a must if you are looking for a nice dinner in the area!

    (5)

  • Carlie C.

    Monstera is one of the tastiest restaurants that I have ever been to! I wish that we had time to go back more than once. Our server was very nice and attentive, and had great suggestions in regards to the menu. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual. The drinks were tasty... and I haven't even gotten to the food part yet! The food is absolutely fantastic. The Chuck Norris roll is out of this world and just might be the best sushi roll I have ever had. For the entree I chose the calamari salad, which was divine. I have ordered calamari salad at a few restaurants since returning to the mainland, but it's just not the same... they can't compare to Monstera! My husband had a few different sushi rolls, and all of them were delicious. The drinks are priced much more reasonably here than at the resorts. Overall, great food, great service. A must try if you are in the area! Can't be beat!

    (5)

  • Kylie L.

    Honestly, I have experienced better. The service was friendly and helpful but all in all I wasn't really impressed with the meal. Perhaps I am just spoiled with being able to find amazing sushi in California but either way.... I don't think I would come back.

    (2)

  • Holly B.

    Delightful place for fresh sushi. A friend of mine recommended it so my husband and I couldn't wait to go there. The drinks were phenomenal and my husband won at ordering. He got the short ribs and even the vegetables on his plate were delicious. They also have fresh wasabi which is a rare treat.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :5:30 pm - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Monstera

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