Dusty B.

First of all, as others have mentioned, the ambiance here is first class. We started with drinks in the bar and the bartender was very friendly and attentive. We then moved to the "tea house" for our meal. The tea house is surrounded by water gardens and is done very well. Super comfortable, stylish and intimate. Except for a young busboy who was trying to rush us(payback for my earlier days in the business), the service was really excellent. Our server was knowledgeable and very warm. He made good suggestions and kept the sake and beer coming. However, while the food (both sushi and cooked meals) were prepared well, they all tasted rather unremarkable. Yes, the fish was fresh. And yes, it was presented in an appetizing fashion. But, I have definitely had better sushi. And, one of my favorite dishes, black cod with miso, was just average.
(3)
Cecca M.

I highly recommend doing the teppanyaki. For your choice of meat, filet mignon is the BEST. I wasn't so thrilled about the stir fry vegetables... perhaps something more green? It does come with a really good salad. Regardless, the filet mignion was amazing! I had it with garlic rice. The food was delicious but what I was even more impressed with was the service. There is clearly a team work here. Everyone is super polite and friendly. The busser was very quick. Our waitress MJ was fantastic. It is not a ocean view but still a very nice atmosphere. I will definitely be back for more filet mignon!
(5)
Jonathon R.

The girlfriend and I are both huge sushi fans, and so we decided to come here for our anniversary dinner since we were already staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. We ordered the Rolls Royce roll, Green Sand beach roll, Lava tube roll, and Volcanic eruption roll. The customer service was mediocre. We had a reservation for 7:30 pm and arrived promptly, however it still took us 30 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated it took forever for the waiter to to make it to our table. By the time he arrived we had decided on both drinks and dinner. Once he took our order he came back 5 minutes later to ask us to repeat it. The wait for the food was a little long, but not too bad. However once we finished our meal, we could not seem to get his attention to bring us the check. We waited so long I had to go up to the hostesses and ask them to just take my card and pay there. My girlfriend and I both eat quite a bit of sushi and felt the quality of the food was great. The fish not only tasted EXTREMELY fresh, but the rolls had a great combination of flavors and textures. Our favorite was the Volcanic Eruption roll which employed just enough spice to not over power the flavor of the fish. As the saying goes, you eat first with your eyes and let me tell you, our eyes were not disappointed. The rolls were quite beautifully garnished. The prices were over the top, however it is located inside the resort so that's to be expected. The restaurant itself also had quite a beautiful interior as well as being surrounded by lush Japanese garden, including a koi pond. If you're looking to save a few bucks on dinner try heading over to a restaurant at King's or Queen's court. d.
(3)
Kristy S.

We had a delicious meal, contrary to what other reviewers have said...and as many if you know, I am one picky b---h! We each had the scallop Teppanyaki, which comes with onions, mushrooms and zucchini (would have referred more 'shrooms and zuccs, and less oil and onions!), rice (we did the garlic fried for a small upcharge) and a generous amount of scallops. Too much oil used on the veggies, but otherwise delish! Of course, you get the table-side "show" from the "chef"...which can be fun if you are into that sort of thing. We also shared a spider roll (tasty) and each had an order of yellowtail (wild, fresh). Was it expensive - yes. You are in Waikoloa, in an overpriced resort...it is par for the course. Service is so-so on the speed, but all are very friendly, from the time you walk in the door, until the time you leave. If you are cool with that - go for it!
(3)
NandK O.

Nice looking place, clean cute japanese tea house. Good things end there. The resort has a clever plan of handing out wrist bands to the kids for each restaurant you eat at, collect enough bands and you win a cup of ice cream. Take my advice spring for the ice cream and skip the wrist bands. After we were seated I asked what items were local and fresh. None. All the fish is imported frozen from the main land. Aren't we on an island? The waiter responded that it was cheaper to import the fish. You wouldn't know it from the prices. My wife and I ate here with our 2 kids (split 1 kids meal) and I dropped over $150.00. The fish was horrible, I was hungry so I ate it but ran to my room to brush my teeth to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. Yuck.
(1)
Josh B.

I really enjoy dining here when staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. Nice sake list, very friendly staff (even if one waiter couldn't tell ika from uni). Good sushi, great miso butterfish, great atmosphere. Only knock is I wish the sushi menu was a bit more extensive, but really this is a nice spot for dinner either for sushi or teppanyaki. Ok with kids too! They really made it easy with our family and the manager even held our 8 month old and played with the kids so my wife could eat!
(4)
Chris M.

Ouch! Staying at the Hilton first time, excited to eat good sushi in Hawaii, came to Imari. First bad sign: sat at sushi bar, old, dated, dirty looking, dark, old outdated equipment staring us in the face. Still thinking, OK, we're in Hawaii,fish comes straight off the boats, still gonna be good. Ordered a couple rolls as an opener and some Agedashi tofu, which I expected first. Rolls came about 25 minutes later, spider tasted OK, other specialty roll tasted wrong. Should have been a clue. Agedashi showed up 20 minutes later, flavorless and cold on the inside, not how I've had it in the past. Didn't eat it, paid the bill, went up to the room and was sick for the next four days, including a very bad spell that evening. Called hotel to report this, was forced to go through lengthy security procedures and stay on them to pursue resolution. They did eventually refund the bill amount, which was the least they could do, but I appreciate it. I told them they need to gut the kitchen/sushi bar area and start over. Stay away until they upgrade this facility, which should start about 5 years ago!!!
(1)
Shannon E.

My husband and I try to have dinner here whenever we vacation in Waikoloa - partially for sentimental reasons but also just because we like it. I just read some of the negative reviews and I get why they gave Imari negative reviews (assuming that what they said actually happened that way). However, I personally have only had good experiences there. We were there over 4th of July weekend and brought our friends to try it. First of all I waa going to be really sad cause at first it looked like we weren't going to be able to eat there this trip since we had plans on Thursday and Saturday (they are normally closed Fridays and Sundays). I decided to call the hotel just to verify and was told that because it was a holiday weekend, they were going to open on Friday....yippee!! So I immediately made a reservation for teppanyaki. We got there right at our res time, but were told that the table wasn't ready yet. No problem, we were on vacation - so we had a drink in the bar area (which by the way I love because it'so cozy). After about 15 or 20 minutes, the hostess came in to check on us, apologize because the party at our table still hadn't left, and offered to take care of our first round of drinks. When we were escorted to our table 5 minutes later, the staff was very gracious and kept apologizing for the wait. Like I said, I can understand some of the negative reviews. We, however, had a great experience. Our servers spoke perfect English, were attentive and got our orders right. The chef also spoke well, was personable, and cooked everything perfectly. I should also note that my husband is a very picky eater and does not eat sushi, but he will eat the Imari Roll...I'm just saying. Now, with respect to the price. YES, it is expensive. YES, you are eating dinner at a RESORT IN HAWAII. If you think things are cheap at resorts in Hawaii (and just in general), then you haven't done your research. If you're a Hawaii resident make sure you show your ID for the kama'aina discount...any little bit helps. Thanks for another great dinner Imari. We will definitely be back!
(4)
Victoria C.

I came here against my better judgement (resort restaurant? They have you hostage. No need to make it passable), and tried to convince myself that maybe because the prices are ridiculously high, they might have good sashimi? And I'm in Hawaii so how can it be not good? What I got was thick-cut, chewy, partly stringy, tasted either partially defrosted or at least not freshest, overall underwhelming. I realized I would need some time away from sashimi altogether after this experience to try to remove the memory from my mind. Drinks are watery. Then the bill came and that made the experience even sadder.
(1)
Dallas C.

I don't write reviews but as I lay in bed trying to get the taste of what I can only assume was conveyor sushi out of my mouth, i feel sad for people who think this might be quality. Saying nothing of the price, this is a meal I would be in no hurry to repeat. We had three specially rolls and couldn't even finish them. Being from Portland, we don't leave unfinished sushi but today we called it quits with neither wanting to finish all of our $30 rolls. Maybe they have better food in steaks but I wanted sushi and got the equivalent of roller food.
(1)
Kelsi C.

Located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village, this Japanese restaurant is served teppanyaki style. Sushi is also served, along with other Japanese delicacies. For one thing, the restaurant from the outside looks absolutely gorgeous. Inside, it's still pretty, but it's very dark and the lighting leaves something to be desired. We came at around sunset for dinner, and we could barely see what was infront of us. Also, the teppanyaki chef who served us didn't really speak English well, so he wasn't able to help us. We got the steak, which is served to you teppanyaki style. It wasn't cooked the way we wanted it (we wanted medium well, we got medium rare). Also, we were served SO MANY ONIONS. There were more onions than there was meat. The food also takes forever to get out to you, which isn't good, especially for a restaurant where well, cooking time isn't factored into the ETA. Our server also didn't speak English well, and it was HARD to communicate with her. She even started getting frustrated with us for not being able to speak to her properly. Well, SORRY! I understand this is a Japanese restaurant, but please hire people who can speak decent English! As for the dessert, it was nicely plated. I got the chocolate lava cake which was SO sweet and decadent. I could feel my teeth rot as I ate it. I actually ended up eating more of the fruit the dessert was garnished with. The price is horrendous. For the quality of food and service, our bill was ridiculously high. You're probably charged for the ambience. However, if you're willing to make a drive (as this the Waikoloa IS in the middle of nowhere) to another Japanese restaurant, then you should do so. This place isn't worth it for anything more than taking a pretty picture.
(2)
Carol S.

Please know that the menu which is posted on their website is not the same menu you will get at the restaurant. Our food was mediocre. The location is isolated and depressing. The drinks are overpriced, but the service was good. That's the best I can say about Imari.
(2)
Ravi K.

Had dinner here with my wife last night, as we're staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. I must say that the Hilton does their best to keep you on the property with plenty of [over-priced] restaurants. My wife ordered the vegetarian teppan meal, and I ordered the rib-eye. The food was decent, and the meat was pretty tender and cooked well, albeit that I probably received a plate full of rib-eye. Additionally, the garlic fried rice could have used some fried egg and some veggies. After a couple drinks, our bill was close to $160, which seems a bit excessive given that my wife had veggies and tofu. I wasn't blown away with the flavors and quality of the food, and all in all, probably wouldn't eat here again. We just felt like teppan, it was the closest restaurant to our hotel room, and we had a 2.5 hour window while my mother in law watched our kids :-)) Don't go here with small children. Otherwise, you'll still pay $45-50 per meal for them too.
(3)
Pearl N.

It's just mediocre. My husband and I came here on our honeymoon, service is great but food is nothing special. We had to send back his steak 2x before we just accepted it, rolls were decent but again nothing special. Considering the prices and food it's not somewhere we'd visit again.
(2)
Jonathan A.

It's really disappointing that Imari has gone downhill so much over the years. We used to love coming here when we stayed at the Hilton and now it seems more like a factory to separate you from your money and get you out the door. The teppan chef was all about business and not fun, waitress barely smiled, and the bartender acted like it was a huge burden to serve us even though we were the only four people in the bar. Food was decent but not good enough to justify $100 per person by a mile. All told, we had two regular meals, two kid meals, and three drinks. $320. For that kind of money, you should be impressed and I was not. I recommend re-training the entire staff.
(2)
Oscar A.

Good food but way too expensive for sushi. Granted you are in a Hilton Hawaii resort. But they gouge the heck out of you. Dinner for 2 with 2 drinks $250. Also service not the friendliest
(3)
Bill W.

While we stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort we dined at all of the available restaurants. Imari's food was adequate however the service was abominable. On multiple occasions I had to ask our waitress (I Mitsuko) what the issue was. Every course seemed to take forever,,, and we both like to "dine". Politely sounding my frustration, one of the managers did stop by and offered two complinentary drinks. Perhaps it was simply an off night, but it did ensure that we did not visit Imari again,, nor would I revisit in the future.
(2)
Tiffany A.

Such a fabulous dining experience! Service was excellent, food was fabulous and a good time was had by all. Loved the garlic rice, the NY Strip and the Lobster...I want to go back just to eat there! Even my kids loved the food and cleaned their plates. Also, the resort is beautiful and worth going to just to see.
(5)
Michael S.

Such a disappointment! I love Japanese teppan restaurants. From the moment we got there nothing went right! We had a large party of 11 (5 adults and 6 children) and made reservations for 8:30p. When I called to make reservations, they failed to ask if I wanted teppan or regular dining. They assumed we wanted regular dining, so, we had to wait. With no luck in getting a table, they gave us the option of ordering from the teppan menu (which was cool). But that's as cool as it got! The food wasn't good at all and way overpriced! At most Japanese teppan restaurants, I would normally pay about $50 for a combo of filet mignon + lobster. Not this place... $80 for the combo here. Just the filet mignon was $55. And if you wanted fried rice instead of steamed rice, and another $5. The server was nice. But the food wasn't worth talking about. I ordered a medium rare filet... It was medium at best. The vegetables were soggy, and the fried rice was mediocre. And after all of that, you'd think that they would have given us a discount or something complimentary for making us wait with restless children and half decent overpriced food??? Not a care in the world. I will never go back.
(1)
Janice W.

Ambiance: very nice entrance with a feeling you are going to a pretty authentic Japanese restaurant. When you enter the dining area where you are greeted by the hostess. The lighting in the dining area looks like it could use a change as it made the decor in the room look a bit dated but loved how the windows were open to the resort lush gardens and lagoon although it comes with a price of the potential mosquito bite or two. No air conditioner so it can get warm but hubby stayed cool with lava flows flowing in. This restaurant has two sections to choose: 1) teppanyaki where you sit in a U shape around a grill and have your food cooked for you, or 2) tables to order variety of Japanese dishes (including appetizers, udon and ramen noodle soups, and main courses like butterfish), sushi, sashimi and rolls. Food: It was our first night and wanted something light yet yummy on the Hilton resort property so we went with option 2. Japanese main dishes are like the fancy Japanese places I go to where everything is ala carte including the rice and miso soup. We opted for the rolls which were very good! We enjoyed the seafood rolls like the green sand, rainbow, and lava tube rolls and actually ordered a second round since they were so tasty and fish was fresh. They were pretty good sized with 6-8 pieces. The only roll with beef was just ok. Prices are what I would expect to pay at a hotel Japanese restaurant. The rolls we ordered started at $17. On the other hand, the ramen and udon noodle soup bowls start in the $20s and found that to be a bit too pricey even with pork belly. We didn't try the Japanese dishes but saw the scallop dish go by and it looked pretty tasty and would try it if we came back. I enjoyed this experience a lot better than Sansei's in the nearby mall but that was a few years ago...all I remember is being very disappointed with the food there and thinking it wasn't cheap either and nothing compared to the Sansei's in Honolulu. Service: pretty good overall. We were running behind and the boat ride over takes time but there were available seats and were seated promptly. Ice cold water was served as soon we sat at our table which I thought was awesome. We ordered (complimentary) hot green tea also which tasted just ok for a nice place and refills were a bit slow but my family also drinks a lot of tea and got 3 refills. Rolls came out a lot faster than the sushi restaurants we go to so pretty happy we got our food quickly. Kid friendly: yes, very accommodating to my infant comfort-wise and also had these cool chopsticks pre-made for kids. Kids menu offered and saw a couple go by but didn't order off the kids meal ourselves since my kid passed out as soon as we got seated. It is a bit pricey but it does come with rice and the main dish so a better deal than ordering ala cart off the menu Overall: Based on the reviews, I was worried to eat here and glad we did. We enjoyed our dinner and would be back if I get a Japanese fix during my stay at the Hilton Waikoloa.
(4)
Mike H.

On a recommendation from a friend we were looking forward to Imari. Luckily they had a resort wear dress code so we ventured onward. We were greeted by the staff with warm smiles and friendly attitudes. I started to like Imari right off the get go. We opted for Ala Cart rather than Teppanyaki dining. They offer a decent alcohol list and a nice selection of various Japanese style food. The food is fresh and the taste, amazing! We were really happy with our experience of Amari.
(5)
Ashley P.

We decided to give this place a try after reading moderate reviews. We chose to dine in the family style a la carte section. We dined on a Wednesday and had reservations at 5:30, which is when it opens. We arrived a few minutes early, and a grabbed a drink at the bar which opens at 5 while we waited on our table. The bartender was very nice and informative. He told us a little about the restaurant and what was best on the menu. We were seated right at 5:30 and were promptly greeted by our waiter. We began with the Crab and Waimea Corn and Crab Croquette. This appetizer is a MUST; it was the creamiest crab cake I've ever had. We could have eaten another order of them. For my meal, I order the Scallop Dynamite Roll and a 1 piece of the BBQ Eel Sushi. Both were phenomenal!!! The Eel was so good we decided to order another 3 piece roll. This is where my advice comes in about arriving early. By this time the place was packed, and it probably took 30 minutes to get that 3 piece roll. We were lucky to sit by the sushi bar and got to watch the guy rolling the sushi which was very impressive. He was the only one, however, so I could see things getting backed up in the kitchen. I would advise going early for a fantastic experience!
(4)
Zia R.

My husband and I ate here a week ago, because my brother got us a condo at The Hilton for a night as our wedding gift. We loved it so much!!! My brother told The Hilton receptionist that we were on our second honeymoon, and somehow the restaurant staff knew and brought us a huge, delicious icecream dessert!! It was sooo yummy, and the presentation was lovely. We ordered chicken teriyaki and shared it, it was perfect. Unlimited rice, complimentary hot tea and great service. We will be back:)
(5)
Robin S.

I really liked Imari... it is very tasty if slightly overpriced Teppanyaki. I had the scallops and NY steak and it was very good. (Although I can't BELIEVE it is $5 extra for fried rice vs. white or brown rice. Come on...) The drinks were great and the bar area is nice and cozy with a very friendly, fun bartender. I had unagi and my husband had salmon sushi and both were good. It's overpriced but it is the only place for Teppanyaki so it is to be expected. I definitely recommend this place, but bring your wallet.
(4)
John S.

Awesome experience. Bryan our waiter - you're the best. My wife and 6 year old son dined in the private tea house. Ask for it. Best kept secret at the Hilton. Sashimi and tempura were both amazing. But the service is the reason I'm giving it 5 stars. Highlight of our trip and the unique dining experience of a lifetime. Thank you!
(5)
Tom C.

Even though not many choices for teppan style restaurants near Waikoloa, this is a good one. Great atmosphere, with a fish pond and different rooms. If you can get it, there is a private room sitting by itself in the fish pond. The teppan tables are spaced nicely apart (about 8-10 seats per table), with regular dining tables surrounding the teppan. The teppan is fairly standard, but the experience is good. Kids love the onion volcano with steam and fire. Nice selection of Japanese whiskeys and sakes. Overall, this and KPC are our favorite restauants in the Hilton.
(4)
Shawnee L.

Imari is located at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. You have the option of taking the boat or tram to the restaurant. How accommodating is that! The teppanyaki dinner at Imari was delicious! We ordered the sashimi sampler, fresh slices of fish presented very delicately with salmon, ahi, yellow fin tuna and calamari. It's always good to see the chef prepare the food in front of you. We had the rib eye, shrimp and chicken and the scallops and NY steak. All so tasty! The apple sake here is so smooth it hardly tastes like sake! Sad to say, after our meal there was no room for dessert. This is a great place for large groups or an intimate setting. The staff were so accommodating from start to end. They will validate your parking as well. I highly recommend dining at Imari's. Just a quick reminder they are only open a few days of the week. Enjoy!
(5)
Daniel C.

This was the absolute worst tappenyaki food I have ever had. Bland, overly friendly because they knew they were peddling shit and took delight in watching patrons choke it down. The cube of tofu tasted like a dish sponge left In the toilet for a week, but bland The steak was akin to dog food not expensive but the dog food a poor family would feed their dog. The sushi was edible after submerging it in an ocean of soy sauce. The chef had a personality like an indentured servant I've seen a more lively performance from a coma victim. I used to think Paris Hilton was the worst thing to come out of the Hilton family but this restaurant takes the crown. This place is a tragedy in the same way as Pearl Harbor was to the United States.
(1)
Tertiary D.

First of all this place is overpriced. Second- Nothing is fresh except for the tuna according to waitress. The lava tube is best on menu. The volcano roll okay. The waitress very pushy and misleading. The udon were too starchy. Overall I would never go back. Average. Lastly the water boy clearing the table is aggressive. He cleared as fast as we finished. I just wanted to eat my food and the sign of a mediocre restaurant trains staff to clear after people eat not during.
(2)
Geneva S.

We were visiting Hawaii & wanted to try a Japanese Teppan Steakhouse since the Hawaiian culture is heavily Japanese. I assumed the show would be more then other local steakhouses here in Ca. I was wrong. The service & food were cooked well. However, our chef did not to perform any tricks. I had two kids in my party who was expecting a show.
(3)
David L.

Decent sushi and cooked meals on par with Beni Hana but triple the price. Moreover, one has to walk 10 minutes from the main Hilton lobby or take a walking speed Disney type train that takes 10+ minutes after valet parking into an insanely busy valet lot.
(2)
Kenton W.

Teppanyaki is the way to go. Although they tried to cram 10 people on a table meant for 8, thankfully 2 either cancelled or didn't show up so we were able to spread out a bit. My husband and I both had the NY Steak and lobster. The food was pricey, but very very tasty. Opt for the garlic fried rice! It was amazing. The chef prepared everything perfectly! Our server was very attentive and extremely nice and helpful. Overall a great experience!
(4)
Andrew V.

If I could give this place zero stars I would. My wife and I went to get sushi there last week, and showed up a little early for an 8:30pm reservation. Despite the place being empty, we were told to wait until a table was ready. Twenty minutes later, we are brought to a table in the corner of the restaurant, and left their by the hostess. About 15 minutes later, our waiter comes over and gives us menus and asks us what we would like. Having not seen the menu yet, we ask for a couple minutes to think it over. Our waiter NEVER came back. After about 30 minutes of waiting, a lady comes by asking if we would like any cocktails from the bar. We said "no thanks, but if you see our waiter, we would like to order dinner." She replied that she could take our order, so I ordered the chicken katsu, and my wife ordered a sushi roll. The lady disappears, and our waiter never comes by our table. We see the staff cleaning tables, and packing things up but nobody comes over to us. Nearly 40 minutes later, I am able to flag someone down and ask them what the heck happened to our dinner. He ran back to the kitchen and the manager, our original waiter and a hostess come out to tell us that our dinner order was never submitted to the kitchen. They scrambled to make us something and offered us free drinks. They finally bring out my chicken katsu and since the sushi staff had already put their stuff away, they offered my wife pork dumplings, which she doesn't eat. We tell them thanks but no thanks, and start to leave and they chased us down saying they will fix it for us. So they go back in the kitchen and bring out a box of sushi rolls, still not even close to what my wife ordered. This was the first time we've ever been forgotten about at a restaurant, and as we finally were leaving more than an hour and half after first arriving, our waiter said "we are closed on saturday, but open again on sunday. Come back again and we'll try to do better." No thanks.
(1)
Sarah W.

Not the best. My husband loves Japanese steakhouses benihana style, so I couldn't wait to take him here on our honeymoon. We have a favorite Japanese restaurant back home, and I figured Imari would be better considering the high volume of Japanese people in Hawaii and at the resort. It was quite the contrary. My husband ordered the steak and shrimp, I ordered the chicken and shrimp. We received literally four pieces of shrimp each and a slight handful of chicken and steak. My husband's steak was overcooked and fatty. For $150 for the two of us, I was expecting a lot more food! Plus, our chef was VERY BORING. He did a couple of tricks, but dropped his tools so many times he gave up for the rest of the dinner. BORING. We left still very hungry. The next night we ate at Ruth's Chris at Mauna Lani, a shopping center nearby. For $100 we had salads, two 8 oz. filets, and dessert. Trust me, we were full. Definitely the right price for the meal! I understand resorts tend to charge high prices, but I've never been to such a boring place with such little food. Save your time and money and go somewhere else (Ruth's Chris if you're looking for a nicer option and want to be full!).
(2)
Marivic L.

If you're in the Waikoloa resort complex and don't feel like leaving for dinner, hit up the Hilton for some teppanyaki. Make sure you make reservations because this place was really packed when we were there. The space is very nice with a relatively small bar area. The chef, while friendly, didn't do all the kewl tricks I'm used to, BUT the steak was tastier than it is at a typical teppanyaki place. My chicken was cooked perfectly as well. Good service, good food, and we had friendly people at our table. 'Twas a good night.
(3)
Dieter G.

The service was very good, friendly and helpful. The food also was excellent (I had the sashimi dinner) but they could have added a few more prices for the price. I can highly recommend the place.
(4)
Lora C.

Looking for another option that offered some more vegetables, we came to Imari. Service was very attentive without being intrusive, setting was of course lovely being in the Hilton Waikoloa, and the dishes we ordered were tasty and expected. The Hubs had a bento and I chose the salmon. Both were good, standard on the expectation level. They offer a hibachi option, which having a plethora of these at home, chose to pass. They also offer sushi, which I am sure being this close to the sea and being the Hilton, is above par for sushi. The few pieces of sashimi we had were again, expected and acceptable.
(3)
Sarah C.

My family looked at reviews for Imari having already made reservations for tappenyaki. Not thrilled about the previous reviews, we decided to go anyway. Our dinner ended up being fantastic! Our chef, Prens, and waiter, Alfredo, were excellent. Service was timely, the food was delightful, and the environment was gorgeous! I would definitely go to Imari again!
(4)
Angela C.

Don't waste your time here. The service and food are TERRIBLE! Even an offer of free drinks and appetizers to make up for our horrible service experience wasn't enough to get us to come back. And that is saying something, because I love free drinks and apps!
(1)
Mike O.

Very dark Japanese restaurant located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village. This place serve teppanyaki and sit down dinners. Watch the Teppanyaki chef's, they dont seem to be as enthusiastic or entertaining as say tanaka of tokyo. We decided on traditional dinner We had the bento, which included: Soba (which was gross) Sashimi 3 ahi 3 hamachi (which was ok) Small tsukemono sides (which I didnt eat) Six slices of steak over garlic rice (really good) Tempura 2shrimp 1fish 1eggplant 1zucchini (Excellent) ice cream dessert $45/pp with 15% kama'aina discount $38 This is a whole lot of food for the price, unfortunately the food is only so-so. Service was good and attentive.
(3)
Conner W.

The steak was great, the service was poor! Deanna, our server was rude, ignorant, and forgot about our requests for over a half an hour! Drinks only were filled after asking two or three times! The server spilled miso soup on other customers. If you go here request not to have Deanna serve you or you will have a poor experience! In the end the manager, Dean, was a very nice guy and help us sort out our issues.
(1)
Mike B.

Last night we celebrated my 60th birthday at Imari. The food and service were exceptional. Many thanks to Jeanne, Hilton food and beverage manager, for making this occasion so special. Our party of 7 + 1 baby were lead to the private Tea Room and the evening kept getting better throughout the dinner. The rib eye with a ginger dipping sauce was awesome. After dinner Jeanne came in with a beautiful and very tasty cake that was sufficient for all 7 of us. The prices were very reasonable and certainly no worse than a nice Japanese restaurant anywhere in the bay area. For a special occasion or just good food Imari is a great choice.
(5)
Kevin S.

We liked this place. Yes it was pricey, but it's on the resort property and we expected that. What we didn't expect was to be rushed through dinner and no matter how we asked, the waitress just wouldn't slow down. When reserving your table, make sure they know whether or not you want the teppan yake; they sat us there and didn't understand when we wanted to move. The edamame was undercooked. The spider roll was good. The tempura was good and lite tasting. The furikake mongchong was very flavorful with a very nice mix of stir fry vegetables. I would go back, but only if I were on the resort property.
(3)
Justin N.

My wife and I were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa and wanted to have a nice dinner our last night in town. We looked at the offerings on the resort, and thought we would try Imari, as it seemed there were a fair number of Japanese people staying at the hotel, so I would hope that the restaurant would be god in order to suit those customers. Boy was I wrong. We sat at the sushi bar, and when I looked at some of the fish behind the counter, it looked kind of "meh". "Well," I thought, "maybe the local fish will be better as it will be fresh." We ordered the local mahi sashimi. We got the fish quickly, but when I tasted it, "bleh!" It tasted like refrigerator. You know, that taste when something has been sitting in a refrigerator for so long, or incorrectly that it begins to taste like an amalgamation of everything that is in that fridge? Yeah, that taste. Needless to say, one bite was enough. Needless to say, we asked for the check and left. "Why the 2 stars?" you ask, continuing "It sounds like maybe 1 star, or the impossible, but much needed, 0 stars." Well, when it was clear we didn't like the food, the restaurant manager came over, 0'd our bill (this I would have expected) and offered to comp us dinner there if we had another item. When we refused, she asked if there was anything else she could do, and when we again refused, she still tracked back where the reservation was made from and sent chocolate covered strawberries to our room. How you respond to a problem says a lot, and those actions spoke volumes. All of that said, after we had dinner at an "off campus" ramen noodle shop, through most of the next day, my tongue had that nasty "bad fish metallic" aftertaste, which was an unpleasant reminder of the night before.
(2)
Rena B.

i thought we had reservations for teppanyaki but thru open table it was only a la carte which is a totally different menu food was good, the benihanas in waikiki was better
(3)
Lindsay C.

Fantastic!! We were on a mini vacation at Hilton Waikoloa and both wanted Japanese food. We called and made Reservations at Imari - the Japanese steak house on site. The place itself is adorable... They have a small bar as you enter, a sushi bar area, and then. Main dining room where they offer teppanyaki or regular tables where you can order off the menu. We ordered the MJ Roll to start ... O M G IT WAS YUM!!! Next we ordered two Teppanyaki choices to share of course. Tony with steak and me with shrimp. Our water glasses never got below the half way point before being quickly refilled. Service was awesome. If your expecting a big entertaining show this isn't the spot but the chefs were very nice and damn good at the grill. To finish the night off we decided to go all out and try the molten chocolate cake... Unfortunately it didn't show up with ice cream which is the only way i know how to enjoy dessert... The only fault so far. As we were paying our check we saw another choc cake go buy with a pretty scoop of ice cream. Womp womp. Delicious must try meal if you are staying in Waikoloa - both sushi and Teppanyaki. Now I am hungry.
(4)
Debbie M.

Day two and another mediocre meal at the Hilton... what is up with this place? Long day enjoying the island and we came back to the resort to eat. Asked the staff if we needed a reservation for teppanyaki - I was told no it's mid week you won't wait even 30 mins...so we showered and headed down to Imari. They were right no reservations needed, but a 2 hour wait for 2...way too long for us between a busy day & time change I needed food, so we opted for a traditional Japanese dinner which was supposed to be a 10 minute wait....I say supposed to because as we waited in the bar 3 more couples came in (also without reservations) and were seated before us. Coincidentally they were all visiting from Japan. Do you want to hear about the bar? The dÃ©cor is ok, one bartender, who when I asked her what was her specialty, told me she could make anything on the menu...most bartenders make something well & want to brag about it...so after the awful Mai Tai the night before at this resort I did a simple rum & coke. The bar had all the bottle crates sitting off to the side making it look untidy & the fridge for the wine looked like what you grab a coke from at 7-11 was so thick with dirt on the bottom, I kept thinking why don't the wipe that down...I know I am being petty here, but if I can see it & it's dirty, what does this place look like where I cannot see it? A point to ponder. Forty minutes later we got our seats & then the wait began....after 10 minutes some one showed up & was a bit abrupt, good thing we knew what we wanted to order. We ordered the angry shrimp for an appetizer and it arrived quickly and with a nicely seasoned edamame both were wonderful!!! Hubby decided he wanted sushi- surly a restaurant that caters to a huge Japanese clientele and is on the ocean will have great sushi.... right? Wrong!!! The choices looked a bit boring, but surely they must be good even if they are basic....wrong!!! The sushi took forever, and when it came it was already falling apart and the two sushi rolls were the smallest rolls I have ever seen anywhere. To grasp it with chopsticks made matters worse (yes I can operate a pair of chopstick with the best of them) and the taste was blah! The service was so bad even getting a water glass refilled was impossible. The one star is for the appetizers and dÃ©cor...but I would not recommend this place to anyone. 2 drinks, 2 extra small sushi rolls (4 pieces per roll), 1 order of angry shrimp (4 shrimp) and edamame and tip over $100....ridiculous even in paradise!
(1)
Dora H.

If you're a veteran sushi eater, this place is not for you. My husband and I came here for dinner last night. Service was attentive, which is why it gets 2 stars from me. Sashimi platter of 15 pieces was unremarkable. No different than from my local sushi place that doesn't charge for the miso soup that comes with it back home. The atmosphere is like a sushi restaurant at Disney World. This place is probably best for families wanting to do the teppanyaki dining option, which is just a nicer way to say "hibachi." Otherwise, save your money.
(2)
Tiffany V.

If you want some sushi, you can go to the market at Queen's Marketplace and get some in there. Don't come here. The hibachi is ok. Kinda pricy.
(2)
Heidi S.

Setting was beautiful, felt private as we were seated with practically no one around us and a pretty view of the pond. Service was okay, but the food very mediocre. Not worth it in my opinion.
(2)
Rosa B.

Built to look like a traditional tea house, this place offers a sushi bar, a teppanyaki style experience, or regular table dining. Since we ended up arriving for a late meal due to the time difference between California and Hawaii, we could not partake in the teppanyaki fun and Husband doesn't do sushi so... Everything on the menu looked really good so I decided to go for the Omakase Bento which ended up being a 3-course meal and had variety. Since I didn't realize just how much food the Omakase Bento would end up being, I also got a side order of abalone nigiri (something I don't often see and have never eaten) and the seared ahi tuna appetizer which was a special that night. Husband got edamame to munch on, one of the few vegetables he will eat. My first course arrived - zaru soba, a few slices of sashimi and a bit of other stuff - seaweed, tofu, edamame and a crab mixture with a sweet sauce. The soba noodles were perfectly cooked, retaining a bit of firmness without being hard. The sashimi was fantastic...beautiful fresh cuts of fresh tuna and hamachi (yellowtail). The crab mixture was delicious. I think the black stuff in the foil cup was a type of seaweed and the green stuff down on the bottom was another type of seaweed salad, both yummy. The seared tuna arrived and oh my goodness! I've had "seared" ahi before where the fish was just shy of being fully cooked. This was not the case with Imari's version. The fish looked like it had been gently touched by flame and had a wonderful peppery crust that made each bite burst with flavor and gave it a kick. It did mask the ahi a little bit, though. I convinced the husband to try a little bite and even he liked it! Shocking, considering he doesn't like raw/rare and cold meat. This dish was the best one of the meal. The abalone nigiri was delivered, beautifully plated. I wasn't sure what to expect so I was caught off guard by the crunchiness of it. But it was delicious, delicate in flavor. For my "main course", I got a piece of grilled Hawaiian Opa with a sweet potato-taro mash, asparagus spear and tempura. The fish flaked easily and had a nice light flavor. I enjoyed the mash but the asparagus was tough. The tempura was lightly battered, crispy and was not heavy with oil. They also brought out rice and a little dish with daikon and other pickled vegetables. My husband had ordered a steak which was served with mashed potatoes and shiitake mushrooms (which he quickly off-loaded onto my plate). The bite of beef I got to try was flavorful, tender and moist despite being well done (I'm a medium-rare/medium type of gal...). To end the meal, the Omakase Bento comes with a choice of ice cream flavor. I opted for green tea. I was expecting a small bowl with a single scoop but ended up with a bowl containing 3 scoops and crisp fan-shaped wafers. The smooth and creamy ice cream had really good green tea flavor. Sadly, I was so stuffed that I couldn't finish off this dessert and ended up leaving half of it. I tried... If you ever find yourself in the Waikoloa area, I highly recommend stopping in at Imari for dinner. It's a lovely dining experience. The food is top-notch and the service impeccable. Prices are high but, then again, this is a fine dining restaurant on resort grounds... I thought the Omakase bento was the best quantity and quality for the cost.
(5)
Kristine D.

You can't help but notice Imari, the teppan-style restaurant in the Hilton Waikoloa. Surrounded by waters housing lilly pads and koi fish, the place beckons to you as you walk by. The ambiance here is amazing. From the bar to the table, the atmosphere is first class and the service terrific. Imari has a kids menu. The main menu the usual assortment of foods you'd expect from a teppan style eatery but also offers sushi. While it's possible to reserve the private little tea house next to main restaurant for more intimate dining, when you're traveling with your children, as we were, they want the action that comes from the cook making onion volcanos and catching chicken in his pocket. All-in-all, a fun and pricey experience for the entire family.
(4)
Krystal L.

We read that it's a good idea to make reservations, so we booked ours early in the week for one of the last nights of our honeymoon. The atmosphere is nice, but the good stuff ends there. This place isn't worth it. Our waitress was slow and terribly forgetful...and it wasn't even busy!!! The sushi wasn't great either. Also, they ran out of some sushi, I've never ever had that happen to me EVER at a sushi place, no matter how busy they are!! If you're staying at the Hilton in Waikoloa and you want sushi/ japanese...try Sansei down at queens marketplace is much better and cheaper!!! I guess they're overpriced since they're in the Hilton. Either way, not worth the time or money.
(1)
Cin O.

To start with, after dining at Imari, I spent the night in the bathroom as the Miso soup made me sick. I was the only one in my group to eat the Miso soup and the only one to become sick. We complained to the Hilton the next day but they seemed less than interested and did nothing about it. The chef was not a showman as was expected of this type of restaurant, and left all grizzle and fat on my NY sirloin to boot, which when eating with chopsticks is difficult to gracefully remove yourself. In fact everyone in our party who ordered red meat had the same fat and grizzle complaint. I do not recommend Imari at the Hilton Waikoloa.
(1)
Greta Y.

Restaurant is located in the Hilton hotel and has a Japanese garden type setting. You need to make a reservation if you have teppanyaki (and specifically make for teppanyaki) and they need the entire group to be there (if the people sharing your table aren't there yet, you'll have to wait). We had the teppanyaki for four adults, and the child ordered off the menu. I ordered the rib eye which was fantastic. My brother and father had the filet mignon which was also very good. We did not try the sushi so cannot comment. Mom had the grilled fish which was very fresh. The food was wonderful, at least for teppanyaki (I know it's a horrid thing to do to a steak). The Mizo soup was pretty good and served at the right temperature. I had the garlic fried rice which is not the typical fried rice but was very good. I'm not a big vegetable person but they were cooked so perfectly I wound up cleaning my plate. My son ordered the udon noodles off the menu, and they were very accommodating, serving them plain instead of with the veggies, and with a side of white rice-- he loves udon but likes it plain so we were happy they were able to accommodate him. In teppanyaki, the cooks prepared the food right in front of you. The reviewers are right when they say the show isn't like at Benihana. A benihana meal takes about an hour to get your food and they do a lot of tricks like the choo choo train and volcano. We got the volcano (which my son loved) but not a whole lot else. You still get a show, but not as elaborate as Benihana. But I have to say the food was much better than Benihana and there were no complaints. My son ate free. A few negatives. We ordered 2 bottles of wine but they were out of stock and didn't have what we wanted until we got to our 3rd choice. The manager came out to apologize, which was a nice touch, though they could have offered a discount on our third more expensive choice to make up for it. There are mosquitos in the area due to the water in the Japanese gardens, but it's not a swarm. The meal was very expensive (almost $300 for 4 adults, 1 child with alcohol) but we felt is was totally worth it, particularly since we were doing a resort day at the hotel and didn't want to leave. Like all teppanyaki, you will share your table/grill with strangers, so it's not for people who want to be left alone. Our dinner companions were fortunately charming.
(3)
David H.

While staying at the Hilton Waikoloa, we decided to have one nice dinner at the hotel. We chose Imari, because we both love Japanese food. We got reservations for the regular seating and when we got there, were seated promptly. Our waitress was fairly new there but she was friendly and if we had a question she wasn't sure of, she went to the back and got the answers for us. I ordered tamago sushi and my wife ordered hamachi sashimi to start. Both were delicious. The sashimi was five pieces for $18, which was a lot considering she used to get ten pieces for $10 back at our favorite California sushi bar but it is a hotel resort setting so the price was understandable. We also got miso soup, tsukemono and otoshi to start. All delicious as well. For my entree I ordered the scallops, coated with panko and pan-fried on a bed of veggies and warm soba noodles. It had a nice buttery sauce too, yum! My wife got the miso butterfish and it was delicious as well. We were stuffed so no dessert for us. We left satisfied and the bill wasn't too bad with our kama`aina discount and two $10 Hilton Honors food vouchers.
(4)
Tamaki I.

Had our last dinner here with the fam while staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. The interior has a Japanese feel to it, with the front portion of the floor dedicated to teppanyaki (which we didn't have, but it smelled great! Quality is probably way better than that of Benihanas). The washoku appetizers were really delicious and my favorite ended up being deep fried oysters (kakifurai) with wasabi mayo. As to the rolls and sushi, they were mediocre. Maybe it was because we went on a busy Thursday night, but the rice was way too over cooked to be used for sushi, which was such a downer! Especially after great appetizers!! The sashimi just melted in your mouth, which made me feel a bit better and went really well with the house hot sake. As for dessert, I would suggest the chocolate lava cake! It comes with a la mode with vanilla ice cream that had bits of candied ginger in it! It was a good counterbalance to the richness of the ice cream and complemented the cake well. The chocolate wasn't too sweet (which I'm a fan of) and there was a perfect ratio of melted chocolate filling to chocolate cake! Comparable with the Godiva hot chocolate cake served at Morton's Steakhouse. All in all, a good dining experience except for the wait staff was a bit overwhelmed and understaffed once things got a bit crowded.
(4)
Sean O.

Located inside the massive Hilton. First thing's first. Imari is extremely expensive. I guess you are paying for a the "show" of the chef's preparation, but the mains are between $35-49. The appetizer we shared was $18. So be prepared. That being said, the atmosphere and the whole experience are a great time. The food is good and the chef's prep is fun to watch. Portions are reasonable considering the price. It was fun to do something different while on vacation.
(4)
Dave K.

Beautiful setting, moderately good food, and fairly pricey. Be sure to reserve for either Teppanyaki or a regular table -- they have both (and you wouldn't want to get the wrong one). We had teppanyaki. The service was OK. The food was good, but not outstanding. The teppanyaki chef was a little boring. And no one can touch Benihana's when it comes to fried rice. Price-wise the all-in teppanyaki meals cost approximately $45 to $55. Definitely a fun place to go with the family when you're staying at the Hilton. I'm not sure I'd make the trip here otherwise.
(3)
Lily F.

The atmosphere here is amazing. We stayed at the Hilton as well. But- the food price and quality is a joke!! You could easily spend over $100 like we did, and feel completely unsatisfied with the food you had and still be hungry. My husband and I ordered some sashimi and a few pieces of sushi. Almost all of it was not locally caught. The only local one was the abalone and it was hard and tough, I only ate it because it cost so much. Honestly, there are other places outside of the resort that are still close by and better. We were really tired one day so we went here but I wish we would have done the short drive to Sansei and had dinner there.
(2)
Kyle F.

This was out last meal on the island, we left the closing conference dinner early, and my dad and sister told us this place was fun and had good food (they at there a year ago), so I had some good expectations of this place. The location of the restaurant was pretty cool, surrounded by a koi pond and you weave in and out of little bridges and streams to get to your table. It has a nice authentic japanese feel to it, and then you have the teppan dining, which is always a good time haha. The only pain about this place is that it is in a giant monstrosity of a hotel and you need to take a tram to get here. (you can walk but its a fair distance). For our starters we got one of the MJ rolls (shrimp tempura and cucumber inside and spicy tuna outside), garlic shrimp, and an order of salmon nigiri. The MJ roll was decent but it was missing a sauce or something on top of the roll, and the spicy crab that was on top almost looked old and may not have ben the freshest. As for the salmon, it was pretty good and the garlic shrimp was just missing more flavor. so that apps overall where kind of bland and lacking flavor big time. Then for our main course all four of us got the sukiyaki dinner (wagyu beef, japanese vegetables, sukiyaki sauce tempura or sashimi, steamed rice, tsukemono, and choice of ice cream). My dad and sister got tuna sashimi, which was a whole lot fresher than the salmon or the MJ roll and I got the tempura, and in my book anything fried in panko tastes pretty damn good haha. The only bummer was they 2 veggies they gave you with the shrimp were green pepper, and zucchini and also a piece of fish...not even some sweet hawaiin onion! The deal with the sukiyaki is bring you out a single burner and a big pot they put on it and then you pretty much throw all the food into the pot with the sukiyaki liquid and let it all cook and simmer together. It was a fun idea, but honesty again, like the apps, the flavor really was lacking here. The best part of the meal was the desert, they have great ice cream. That place was ok, I won't go here again, and the sukiyaki was a cool idea but the food really had no flavor and its suuuper expensive (the sukiyaki was 55 a person)
(3)
Judy S.

The setting for this Japanese restaurant at the Hilton Waikoloa resort is lovely. The food is strictly below average (worse than most take-out Japanese restaurants here in Southern California) and the service is sub-par. We ate in the dining room, so I can't attest to the service at the teppan table, but the menu selection was uninteresting and the quality of the food was disappointing. I understand from friends that the nearby Sansei Sushi at the Queen's Marketplace is superior. I wish I listened.
(2)
Julia F.

The restaurant's setting is beautiful. Imari is surrounded by koi ponds and shoji screens with a large copper vent hood above the teppan-yaki. I've never eaten their teppan-yaki, but the sushi is very good. The only warning is that they tend to put mayonnaise into the mix of their rolled sushi, so don't forget to ask your server to hold the mayo! The staff is friendly, and the service is good. It's also just fun to walk through the hotel to get to the Imari!
(4)
Cris W.

The best tempura shrimp I have experienced.
(4)
Jojo W.

I have to agree with several of the other reviews. The ambience of this place is amazing and the service was very friendly and attentive. The food on the other hand is average, not the best or the worst sushi I have ever had. I did visit this restaurant a few years ago ate more classic cuisine and found it to be better than the sushi. If you go, try to reserve the Tea House private table outside next to the serene koi pond - it was fantastic! At the very least, this place deserves a drop into the bar for a drink!! Kung Pai!!
(3)
Elly G.

If you are staying at the Hilton Resort, I would suggest this since the rest are more expensive. There's really not one restaurant that stands out. At Imari, I like the buttermilk fish dish. Its very good. I had it with soba noodles rather than rice. The teppanyaki is quite popular among large families. Their sushi is ok. Their sukiyaki is 55 dollars per person. Servers were friendly and nice.
(3)
Adam A.

My first really bad Yelp review. The fish wasn't fresh at all, the flavors left a LOT to be desired, and we were eaten alive by mosquitos the whole time due to the open air atmosphere right next to a stagnant pond. YUCK.
(1)
Jon N.

...was ok...one of those places you eat once and never talk about...wasn't good...wasn't bad...don't think I'll come back...overpriced!
(2)
Lisa M.

At first we were disappointed as we missed being able to have the teppanyaki but we were not disappointed with our meal. I had the house salad which was good size and the ginger dressing oh so tasty, also the miso soup was good. I finished off with a sushi roll which was perfect. My husband had the special which was grilled fish with a spicy cream sauce drizzles in top and the best fried rice and stir fried veggies he's ever had. The waitress was so nice and efficient, she even brought us a special molten chocolate cake complimentary to celebrate our anniversary ;). To say the least we were quite pleased
(4)
Chase M.

Great food and service. YUM
(5)
Billy K.

I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED. I mean.... the place was so nice. I felt like I was transformed into Japan in a Japanese restaurant. It was lovely with the surrounding water lilies and the atmosphere was very beautiful. I can't say the same for the service and the lackluster food. The service was sooo slow. I guess our waiter was busy taking a crap or something because she was as slow as a snail. Our food took forever to come out despite the fact that it wasn't even crowded at all. After waiting for the food.. It came out and it was.... well maybe not terrible.. It just wasn't good. The prices were decently steep and the food did not live up to it. We ordered tempura appetizer, then some scallops, fish, and steak. I expected so much considering the atmosphere and location but what a huge let down.
(2)
Gaye G.

I took my husband here for his birthday. I had heard this was the best Japanese food on the Island - if this is true then I hate to see what else the Island has to offer. My husband loves teppanyaki but this was no where close to what we have had in other restaurants. The cook barely took note of anyone at the table, no attempt was made to include the guests in the preparation of the meal. Our food was mostly tasteless. I had scallops which were not sweet as most fresh scallops are. The vegetables were mostly onion with the bean sprouts cooked way after everything else. I ordered a oyster appetizer that was dry and flavorless. In the entire meal the only thing that had any flavor was the dipping sauce. One glass of sake, one appetizer, two teppanyaki and one desert served with little ambiance cost over $100.00. We won't be back.
(2)
Geo T.

Slow service. Big prices. Seem to have only one chef. We had the teppan meal. The steak and lobster was great. The sauces were best of breed. Service got better as the crowd thinned. Their sake was overpriced but certainly good enough.
(3)
Mimi D.

This Japanese restaurant is set in the middle of koi and lilly pond. The ambiance is chic, the servers wear kimonos and they will charge you $17 for 4 teeny pieces of raw fish. It's good, but this isn't Nobu. This place is good if you don't mind shelling out a ton of cash for very little food. The presentation is cute, but once again it's not Nobu or Katsuya or any other fancy LA place. It just happens to be the only Japanese place in this hotel. They can charge you a ton since you will be too lazy to leave this place to get food after sightseeing all day. It's not bad, but it makes you want to go to the supermarket across the street for the packaged sushi to fill you up.
(2)
Brian S.

The venue is wonderful but the service is really lacking. Food is decent but not what you would expect for the price or location. Just ok and over priced. I would not go here again.
(3)
Zia R.

My husband and I ate here a week ago, because my brother got us a condo at The Hilton for a night as our wedding gift. We loved it so much!!! My brother told The Hilton receptionist that we were on our second honeymoon, and somehow the restaurant staff knew and brought us a huge, delicious icecream dessert!! It was sooo yummy, and the presentation was lovely. We ordered chicken teriyaki and shared it, it was perfect. Unlimited rice, complimentary hot tea and great service. We will be back:)
(5)
Robin S.

I really liked Imari... it is very tasty if slightly overpriced Teppanyaki. I had the scallops and NY steak and it was very good. (Although I can't BELIEVE it is $5 extra for fried rice vs. white or brown rice. Come on...) The drinks were great and the bar area is nice and cozy with a very friendly, fun bartender. I had unagi and my husband had salmon sushi and both were good. It's overpriced but it is the only place for Teppanyaki so it is to be expected. I definitely recommend this place, but bring your wallet.
(4)
Tom C.

Even though not many choices for teppan style restaurants near Waikoloa, this is a good one. Great atmosphere, with a fish pond and different rooms. If you can get it, there is a private room sitting by itself in the fish pond. The teppan tables are spaced nicely apart (about 8-10 seats per table), with regular dining tables surrounding the teppan. The teppan is fairly standard, but the experience is good. Kids love the onion volcano with steam and fire. Nice selection of Japanese whiskeys and sakes. Overall, this and KPC are our favorite restauants in the Hilton.
(4)
Shawnee L.

Imari is located at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. You have the option of taking the boat or tram to the restaurant. How accommodating is that! The teppanyaki dinner at Imari was delicious! We ordered the sashimi sampler, fresh slices of fish presented very delicately with salmon, ahi, yellow fin tuna and calamari. It's always good to see the chef prepare the food in front of you. We had the rib eye, shrimp and chicken and the scallops and NY steak. All so tasty! The apple sake here is so smooth it hardly tastes like sake! Sad to say, after our meal there was no room for dessert. This is a great place for large groups or an intimate setting. The staff were so accommodating from start to end. They will validate your parking as well. I highly recommend dining at Imari's. Just a quick reminder they are only open a few days of the week. Enjoy!
(5)
Jonathon R.

The girlfriend and I are both huge sushi fans, and so we decided to come here for our anniversary dinner since we were already staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. We ordered the Rolls Royce roll, Green Sand beach roll, Lava tube roll, and Volcanic eruption roll. The customer service was mediocre. We had a reservation for 7:30 pm and arrived promptly, however it still took us 30 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated it took forever for the waiter to to make it to our table. By the time he arrived we had decided on both drinks and dinner. Once he took our order he came back 5 minutes later to ask us to repeat it. The wait for the food was a little long, but not too bad. However once we finished our meal, we could not seem to get his attention to bring us the check. We waited so long I had to go up to the hostesses and ask them to just take my card and pay there. My girlfriend and I both eat quite a bit of sushi and felt the quality of the food was great. The fish not only tasted EXTREMELY fresh, but the rolls had a great combination of flavors and textures. Our favorite was the Volcanic Eruption roll which employed just enough spice to not over power the flavor of the fish. As the saying goes, you eat first with your eyes and let me tell you, our eyes were not disappointed. The rolls were quite beautifully garnished. The prices were over the top, however it is located inside the resort so that's to be expected. The restaurant itself also had quite a beautiful interior as well as being surrounded by lush Japanese garden, including a koi pond. If you're looking to save a few bucks on dinner try heading over to a restaurant at King's or Queen's court. d.
(3)
Lora C.

Looking for another option that offered some more vegetables, we came to Imari. Service was very attentive without being intrusive, setting was of course lovely being in the Hilton Waikoloa, and the dishes we ordered were tasty and expected. The Hubs had a bento and I chose the salmon. Both were good, standard on the expectation level. They offer a hibachi option, which having a plethora of these at home, chose to pass. They also offer sushi, which I am sure being this close to the sea and being the Hilton, is above par for sushi. The few pieces of sashimi we had were again, expected and acceptable.
(3)
Dieter G.

The service was very good, friendly and helpful. The food also was excellent (I had the sashimi dinner) but they could have added a few more prices for the price. I can highly recommend the place.
(4)
Sarah C.

My family looked at reviews for Imari having already made reservations for tappenyaki. Not thrilled about the previous reviews, we decided to go anyway. Our dinner ended up being fantastic! Our chef, Prens, and waiter, Alfredo, were excellent. Service was timely, the food was delightful, and the environment was gorgeous! I would definitely go to Imari again!
(4)
Angela C.

Don't waste your time here. The service and food are TERRIBLE! Even an offer of free drinks and appetizers to make up for our horrible service experience wasn't enough to get us to come back. And that is saying something, because I love free drinks and apps!
(1)
Mike O.

Very dark Japanese restaurant located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village. This place serve teppanyaki and sit down dinners. Watch the Teppanyaki chef's, they dont seem to be as enthusiastic or entertaining as say tanaka of tokyo. We decided on traditional dinner We had the bento, which included: Soba (which was gross) Sashimi 3 ahi 3 hamachi (which was ok) Small tsukemono sides (which I didnt eat) Six slices of steak over garlic rice (really good) Tempura 2shrimp 1fish 1eggplant 1zucchini (Excellent) ice cream dessert $45/pp with 15% kama'aina discount $38 This is a whole lot of food for the price, unfortunately the food is only so-so. Service was good and attentive.
(3)
Conner W.

The steak was great, the service was poor! Deanna, our server was rude, ignorant, and forgot about our requests for over a half an hour! Drinks only were filled after asking two or three times! The server spilled miso soup on other customers. If you go here request not to have Deanna serve you or you will have a poor experience! In the end the manager, Dean, was a very nice guy and help us sort out our issues.
(1)
Jojo W.

I have to agree with several of the other reviews. The ambience of this place is amazing and the service was very friendly and attentive. The food on the other hand is average, not the best or the worst sushi I have ever had. I did visit this restaurant a few years ago ate more classic cuisine and found it to be better than the sushi. If you go, try to reserve the Tea House private table outside next to the serene koi pond - it was fantastic! At the very least, this place deserves a drop into the bar for a drink!! Kung Pai!!
(3)
Rosa B.

Built to look like a traditional tea house, this place offers a sushi bar, a teppanyaki style experience, or regular table dining. Since we ended up arriving for a late meal due to the time difference between California and Hawaii, we could not partake in the teppanyaki fun and Husband doesn't do sushi so... Everything on the menu looked really good so I decided to go for the Omakase Bento which ended up being a 3-course meal and had variety. Since I didn't realize just how much food the Omakase Bento would end up being, I also got a side order of abalone nigiri (something I don't often see and have never eaten) and the seared ahi tuna appetizer which was a special that night. Husband got edamame to munch on, one of the few vegetables he will eat. My first course arrived - zaru soba, a few slices of sashimi and a bit of other stuff - seaweed, tofu, edamame and a crab mixture with a sweet sauce. The soba noodles were perfectly cooked, retaining a bit of firmness without being hard. The sashimi was fantastic...beautiful fresh cuts of fresh tuna and hamachi (yellowtail). The crab mixture was delicious. I think the black stuff in the foil cup was a type of seaweed and the green stuff down on the bottom was another type of seaweed salad, both yummy. The seared tuna arrived and oh my goodness! I've had "seared" ahi before where the fish was just shy of being fully cooked. This was not the case with Imari's version. The fish looked like it had been gently touched by flame and had a wonderful peppery crust that made each bite burst with flavor and gave it a kick. It did mask the ahi a little bit, though. I convinced the husband to try a little bite and even he liked it! Shocking, considering he doesn't like raw/rare and cold meat. This dish was the best one of the meal. The abalone nigiri was delivered, beautifully plated. I wasn't sure what to expect so I was caught off guard by the crunchiness of it. But it was delicious, delicate in flavor. For my "main course", I got a piece of grilled Hawaiian Opa with a sweet potato-taro mash, asparagus spear and tempura. The fish flaked easily and had a nice light flavor. I enjoyed the mash but the asparagus was tough. The tempura was lightly battered, crispy and was not heavy with oil. They also brought out rice and a little dish with daikon and other pickled vegetables. My husband had ordered a steak which was served with mashed potatoes and shiitake mushrooms (which he quickly off-loaded onto my plate). The bite of beef I got to try was flavorful, tender and moist despite being well done (I'm a medium-rare/medium type of gal...). To end the meal, the Omakase Bento comes with a choice of ice cream flavor. I opted for green tea. I was expecting a small bowl with a single scoop but ended up with a bowl containing 3 scoops and crisp fan-shaped wafers. The smooth and creamy ice cream had really good green tea flavor. Sadly, I was so stuffed that I couldn't finish off this dessert and ended up leaving half of it. I tried... If you ever find yourself in the Waikoloa area, I highly recommend stopping in at Imari for dinner. It's a lovely dining experience. The food is top-notch and the service impeccable. Prices are high but, then again, this is a fine dining restaurant on resort grounds... I thought the Omakase bento was the best quantity and quality for the cost.
(5)
Shannon E.

My husband and I try to have dinner here whenever we vacation in Waikoloa - partially for sentimental reasons but also just because we like it. I just read some of the negative reviews and I get why they gave Imari negative reviews (assuming that what they said actually happened that way). However, I personally have only had good experiences there. We were there over 4th of July weekend and brought our friends to try it. First of all I waa going to be really sad cause at first it looked like we weren't going to be able to eat there this trip since we had plans on Thursday and Saturday (they are normally closed Fridays and Sundays). I decided to call the hotel just to verify and was told that because it was a holiday weekend, they were going to open on Friday....yippee!! So I immediately made a reservation for teppanyaki. We got there right at our res time, but were told that the table wasn't ready yet. No problem, we were on vacation - so we had a drink in the bar area (which by the way I love because it'so cozy). After about 15 or 20 minutes, the hostess came in to check on us, apologize because the party at our table still hadn't left, and offered to take care of our first round of drinks. When we were escorted to our table 5 minutes later, the staff was very gracious and kept apologizing for the wait. Like I said, I can understand some of the negative reviews. We, however, had a great experience. Our servers spoke perfect English, were attentive and got our orders right. The chef also spoke well, was personable, and cooked everything perfectly. I should also note that my husband is a very picky eater and does not eat sushi, but he will eat the Imari Roll...I'm just saying. Now, with respect to the price. YES, it is expensive. YES, you are eating dinner at a RESORT IN HAWAII. If you think things are cheap at resorts in Hawaii (and just in general), then you haven't done your research. If you're a Hawaii resident make sure you show your ID for the kama'aina discount...any little bit helps. Thanks for another great dinner Imari. We will definitely be back!
(4)
Victoria C.

I came here against my better judgement (resort restaurant? They have you hostage. No need to make it passable), and tried to convince myself that maybe because the prices are ridiculously high, they might have good sashimi? And I'm in Hawaii so how can it be not good? What I got was thick-cut, chewy, partly stringy, tasted either partially defrosted or at least not freshest, overall underwhelming. I realized I would need some time away from sashimi altogether after this experience to try to remove the memory from my mind. Drinks are watery. Then the bill came and that made the experience even sadder.
(1)
Dallas C.

I don't write reviews but as I lay in bed trying to get the taste of what I can only assume was conveyor sushi out of my mouth, i feel sad for people who think this might be quality. Saying nothing of the price, this is a meal I would be in no hurry to repeat. We had three specially rolls and couldn't even finish them. Being from Portland, we don't leave unfinished sushi but today we called it quits with neither wanting to finish all of our $30 rolls. Maybe they have better food in steaks but I wanted sushi and got the equivalent of roller food.
(1)
Kyle F.

This was out last meal on the island, we left the closing conference dinner early, and my dad and sister told us this place was fun and had good food (they at there a year ago), so I had some good expectations of this place. The location of the restaurant was pretty cool, surrounded by a koi pond and you weave in and out of little bridges and streams to get to your table. It has a nice authentic japanese feel to it, and then you have the teppan dining, which is always a good time haha. The only pain about this place is that it is in a giant monstrosity of a hotel and you need to take a tram to get here. (you can walk but its a fair distance). For our starters we got one of the MJ rolls (shrimp tempura and cucumber inside and spicy tuna outside), garlic shrimp, and an order of salmon nigiri. The MJ roll was decent but it was missing a sauce or something on top of the roll, and the spicy crab that was on top almost looked old and may not have ben the freshest. As for the salmon, it was pretty good and the garlic shrimp was just missing more flavor. so that apps overall where kind of bland and lacking flavor big time. Then for our main course all four of us got the sukiyaki dinner (wagyu beef, japanese vegetables, sukiyaki sauce tempura or sashimi, steamed rice, tsukemono, and choice of ice cream). My dad and sister got tuna sashimi, which was a whole lot fresher than the salmon or the MJ roll and I got the tempura, and in my book anything fried in panko tastes pretty damn good haha. The only bummer was they 2 veggies they gave you with the shrimp were green pepper, and zucchini and also a piece of fish...not even some sweet hawaiin onion! The deal with the sukiyaki is bring you out a single burner and a big pot they put on it and then you pretty much throw all the food into the pot with the sukiyaki liquid and let it all cook and simmer together. It was a fun idea, but honesty again, like the apps, the flavor really was lacking here. The best part of the meal was the desert, they have great ice cream. That place was ok, I won't go here again, and the sukiyaki was a cool idea but the food really had no flavor and its suuuper expensive (the sukiyaki was 55 a person)
(3)
Judy S.

The setting for this Japanese restaurant at the Hilton Waikoloa resort is lovely. The food is strictly below average (worse than most take-out Japanese restaurants here in Southern California) and the service is sub-par. We ate in the dining room, so I can't attest to the service at the teppan table, but the menu selection was uninteresting and the quality of the food was disappointing. I understand from friends that the nearby Sansei Sushi at the Queen's Marketplace is superior. I wish I listened.
(2)
Julia F.

The restaurant's setting is beautiful. Imari is surrounded by koi ponds and shoji screens with a large copper vent hood above the teppan-yaki. I've never eaten their teppan-yaki, but the sushi is very good. The only warning is that they tend to put mayonnaise into the mix of their rolled sushi, so don't forget to ask your server to hold the mayo! The staff is friendly, and the service is good. It's also just fun to walk through the hotel to get to the Imari!
(4)
Cris W.

The best tempura shrimp I have experienced.
(4)
Kelsi C.

Located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village, this Japanese restaurant is served teppanyaki style. Sushi is also served, along with other Japanese delicacies. For one thing, the restaurant from the outside looks absolutely gorgeous. Inside, it's still pretty, but it's very dark and the lighting leaves something to be desired. We came at around sunset for dinner, and we could barely see what was infront of us. Also, the teppanyaki chef who served us didn't really speak English well, so he wasn't able to help us. We got the steak, which is served to you teppanyaki style. It wasn't cooked the way we wanted it (we wanted medium well, we got medium rare). Also, we were served SO MANY ONIONS. There were more onions than there was meat. The food also takes forever to get out to you, which isn't good, especially for a restaurant where well, cooking time isn't factored into the ETA. Our server also didn't speak English well, and it was HARD to communicate with her. She even started getting frustrated with us for not being able to speak to her properly. Well, SORRY! I understand this is a Japanese restaurant, but please hire people who can speak decent English! As for the dessert, it was nicely plated. I got the chocolate lava cake which was SO sweet and decadent. I could feel my teeth rot as I ate it. I actually ended up eating more of the fruit the dessert was garnished with. The price is horrendous. For the quality of food and service, our bill was ridiculously high. You're probably charged for the ambience. However, if you're willing to make a drive (as this the Waikoloa IS in the middle of nowhere) to another Japanese restaurant, then you should do so. This place isn't worth it for anything more than taking a pretty picture.
(2)
Carol S.

Please know that the menu which is posted on their website is not the same menu you will get at the restaurant. Our food was mediocre. The location is isolated and depressing. The drinks are overpriced, but the service was good. That's the best I can say about Imari.
(2)
Ravi K.

Had dinner here with my wife last night, as we're staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. I must say that the Hilton does their best to keep you on the property with plenty of [over-priced] restaurants. My wife ordered the vegetarian teppan meal, and I ordered the rib-eye. The food was decent, and the meat was pretty tender and cooked well, albeit that I probably received a plate full of rib-eye. Additionally, the garlic fried rice could have used some fried egg and some veggies. After a couple drinks, our bill was close to $160, which seems a bit excessive given that my wife had veggies and tofu. I wasn't blown away with the flavors and quality of the food, and all in all, probably wouldn't eat here again. We just felt like teppan, it was the closest restaurant to our hotel room, and we had a 2.5 hour window while my mother in law watched our kids :-)) Don't go here with small children. Otherwise, you'll still pay $45-50 per meal for them too.
(3)
Tiffany A.

Such a fabulous dining experience! Service was excellent, food was fabulous and a good time was had by all. Loved the garlic rice, the NY Strip and the Lobster...I want to go back just to eat there! Even my kids loved the food and cleaned their plates. Also, the resort is beautiful and worth going to just to see.
(5)
Michael S.

Such a disappointment! I love Japanese teppan restaurants. From the moment we got there nothing went right! We had a large party of 11 (5 adults and 6 children) and made reservations for 8:30p. When I called to make reservations, they failed to ask if I wanted teppan or regular dining. They assumed we wanted regular dining, so, we had to wait. With no luck in getting a table, they gave us the option of ordering from the teppan menu (which was cool). But that's as cool as it got! The food wasn't good at all and way overpriced! At most Japanese teppan restaurants, I would normally pay about $50 for a combo of filet mignon + lobster. Not this place... $80 for the combo here. Just the filet mignon was $55. And if you wanted fried rice instead of steamed rice, and another $5. The server was nice. But the food wasn't worth talking about. I ordered a medium rare filet... It was medium at best. The vegetables were soggy, and the fried rice was mediocre. And after all of that, you'd think that they would have given us a discount or something complimentary for making us wait with restless children and half decent overpriced food??? Not a care in the world. I will never go back.
(1)
Janice W.

Ambiance: very nice entrance with a feeling you are going to a pretty authentic Japanese restaurant. When you enter the dining area where you are greeted by the hostess. The lighting in the dining area looks like it could use a change as it made the decor in the room look a bit dated but loved how the windows were open to the resort lush gardens and lagoon although it comes with a price of the potential mosquito bite or two. No air conditioner so it can get warm but hubby stayed cool with lava flows flowing in. This restaurant has two sections to choose: 1) teppanyaki where you sit in a U shape around a grill and have your food cooked for you, or 2) tables to order variety of Japanese dishes (including appetizers, udon and ramen noodle soups, and main courses like butterfish), sushi, sashimi and rolls. Food: It was our first night and wanted something light yet yummy on the Hilton resort property so we went with option 2. Japanese main dishes are like the fancy Japanese places I go to where everything is ala carte including the rice and miso soup. We opted for the rolls which were very good! We enjoyed the seafood rolls like the green sand, rainbow, and lava tube rolls and actually ordered a second round since they were so tasty and fish was fresh. They were pretty good sized with 6-8 pieces. The only roll with beef was just ok. Prices are what I would expect to pay at a hotel Japanese restaurant. The rolls we ordered started at $17. On the other hand, the ramen and udon noodle soup bowls start in the $20s and found that to be a bit too pricey even with pork belly. We didn't try the Japanese dishes but saw the scallop dish go by and it looked pretty tasty and would try it if we came back. I enjoyed this experience a lot better than Sansei's in the nearby mall but that was a few years ago...all I remember is being very disappointed with the food there and thinking it wasn't cheap either and nothing compared to the Sansei's in Honolulu. Service: pretty good overall. We were running behind and the boat ride over takes time but there were available seats and were seated promptly. Ice cold water was served as soon we sat at our table which I thought was awesome. We ordered (complimentary) hot green tea also which tasted just ok for a nice place and refills were a bit slow but my family also drinks a lot of tea and got 3 refills. Rolls came out a lot faster than the sushi restaurants we go to so pretty happy we got our food quickly. Kid friendly: yes, very accommodating to my infant comfort-wise and also had these cool chopsticks pre-made for kids. Kids menu offered and saw a couple go by but didn't order off the kids meal ourselves since my kid passed out as soon as we got seated. It is a bit pricey but it does come with rice and the main dish so a better deal than ordering ala cart off the menu Overall: Based on the reviews, I was worried to eat here and glad we did. We enjoyed our dinner and would be back if I get a Japanese fix during my stay at the Hilton Waikoloa.
(4)
Mike H.

On a recommendation from a friend we were looking forward to Imari. Luckily they had a resort wear dress code so we ventured onward. We were greeted by the staff with warm smiles and friendly attitudes. I started to like Imari right off the get go. We opted for Ala Cart rather than Teppanyaki dining. They offer a decent alcohol list and a nice selection of various Japanese style food. The food is fresh and the taste, amazing! We were really happy with our experience of Amari.
(5)
Mike B.

Last night we celebrated my 60th birthday at Imari. The food and service were exceptional. Many thanks to Jeanne, Hilton food and beverage manager, for making this occasion so special. Our party of 7 + 1 baby were lead to the private Tea Room and the evening kept getting better throughout the dinner. The rib eye with a ginger dipping sauce was awesome. After dinner Jeanne came in with a beautiful and very tasty cake that was sufficient for all 7 of us. The prices were very reasonable and certainly no worse than a nice Japanese restaurant anywhere in the bay area. For a special occasion or just good food Imari is a great choice.
(5)
Rena B.

i thought we had reservations for teppanyaki but thru open table it was only a la carte which is a totally different menu food was good, the benihanas in waikiki was better
(3)
Kevin S.

We liked this place. Yes it was pricey, but it's on the resort property and we expected that. What we didn't expect was to be rushed through dinner and no matter how we asked, the waitress just wouldn't slow down. When reserving your table, make sure they know whether or not you want the teppan yake; they sat us there and didn't understand when we wanted to move. The edamame was undercooked. The spider roll was good. The tempura was good and lite tasting. The furikake mongchong was very flavorful with a very nice mix of stir fry vegetables. I would go back, but only if I were on the resort property.
(3)
Tamaki I.

Had our last dinner here with the fam while staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. The interior has a Japanese feel to it, with the front portion of the floor dedicated to teppanyaki (which we didn't have, but it smelled great! Quality is probably way better than that of Benihanas). The washoku appetizers were really delicious and my favorite ended up being deep fried oysters (kakifurai) with wasabi mayo. As to the rolls and sushi, they were mediocre. Maybe it was because we went on a busy Thursday night, but the rice was way too over cooked to be used for sushi, which was such a downer! Especially after great appetizers!! The sashimi just melted in your mouth, which made me feel a bit better and went really well with the house hot sake. As for dessert, I would suggest the chocolate lava cake! It comes with a la mode with vanilla ice cream that had bits of candied ginger in it! It was a good counterbalance to the richness of the ice cream and complemented the cake well. The chocolate wasn't too sweet (which I'm a fan of) and there was a perfect ratio of melted chocolate filling to chocolate cake! Comparable with the Godiva hot chocolate cake served at Morton's Steakhouse. All in all, a good dining experience except for the wait staff was a bit overwhelmed and understaffed once things got a bit crowded.
(4)
Sean O.

Located inside the massive Hilton. First thing's first. Imari is extremely expensive. I guess you are paying for a the "show" of the chef's preparation, but the mains are between $35-49. The appetizer we shared was $18. So be prepared. That being said, the atmosphere and the whole experience are a great time. The food is good and the chef's prep is fun to watch. Portions are reasonable considering the price. It was fun to do something different while on vacation.
(4)
Ashley P.

We decided to give this place a try after reading moderate reviews. We chose to dine in the family style a la carte section. We dined on a Wednesday and had reservations at 5:30, which is when it opens. We arrived a few minutes early, and a grabbed a drink at the bar which opens at 5 while we waited on our table. The bartender was very nice and informative. He told us a little about the restaurant and what was best on the menu. We were seated right at 5:30 and were promptly greeted by our waiter. We began with the Crab and Waimea Corn and Crab Croquette. This appetizer is a MUST; it was the creamiest crab cake I've ever had. We could have eaten another order of them. For my meal, I order the Scallop Dynamite Roll and a 1 piece of the BBQ Eel Sushi. Both were phenomenal!!! The Eel was so good we decided to order another 3 piece roll. This is where my advice comes in about arriving early. By this time the place was packed, and it probably took 30 minutes to get that 3 piece roll. We were lucky to sit by the sushi bar and got to watch the guy rolling the sushi which was very impressive. He was the only one, however, so I could see things getting backed up in the kitchen. I would advise going early for a fantastic experience!
(4)
Zia R.

My husband and I ate here a week ago, because my brother got us a condo at The Hilton for a night as our wedding gift. We loved it so much!!! My brother told The Hilton receptionist that we were on our second honeymoon, and somehow the restaurant staff knew and brought us a huge, delicious icecream dessert!! It was sooo yummy, and the presentation was lovely. We ordered chicken teriyaki and shared it, it was perfect. Unlimited rice, complimentary hot tea and great service. We will be back:)
(5)
Robin S.

I really liked Imari... it is very tasty if slightly overpriced Teppanyaki. I had the scallops and NY steak and it was very good. (Although I can't BELIEVE it is $5 extra for fried rice vs. white or brown rice. Come on...) The drinks were great and the bar area is nice and cozy with a very friendly, fun bartender. I had unagi and my husband had salmon sushi and both were good. It's overpriced but it is the only place for Teppanyaki so it is to be expected. I definitely recommend this place, but bring your wallet.
(4)
John S.

Awesome experience. Bryan our waiter - you're the best. My wife and 6 year old son dined in the private tea house. Ask for it. Best kept secret at the Hilton. Sashimi and tempura were both amazing. But the service is the reason I'm giving it 5 stars. Highlight of our trip and the unique dining experience of a lifetime. Thank you!
(5)
Tom C.

Even though not many choices for teppan style restaurants near Waikoloa, this is a good one. Great atmosphere, with a fish pond and different rooms. If you can get it, there is a private room sitting by itself in the fish pond. The teppan tables are spaced nicely apart (about 8-10 seats per table), with regular dining tables surrounding the teppan. The teppan is fairly standard, but the experience is good. Kids love the onion volcano with steam and fire. Nice selection of Japanese whiskeys and sakes. Overall, this and KPC are our favorite restauants in the Hilton.
(4)
Shawnee L.

Imari is located at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. You have the option of taking the boat or tram to the restaurant. How accommodating is that! The teppanyaki dinner at Imari was delicious! We ordered the sashimi sampler, fresh slices of fish presented very delicately with salmon, ahi, yellow fin tuna and calamari. It's always good to see the chef prepare the food in front of you. We had the rib eye, shrimp and chicken and the scallops and NY steak. All so tasty! The apple sake here is so smooth it hardly tastes like sake! Sad to say, after our meal there was no room for dessert. This is a great place for large groups or an intimate setting. The staff were so accommodating from start to end. They will validate your parking as well. I highly recommend dining at Imari's. Just a quick reminder they are only open a few days of the week. Enjoy!
(5)
Daniel C.

This was the absolute worst tappenyaki food I have ever had. Bland, overly friendly because they knew they were peddling shit and took delight in watching patrons choke it down. The cube of tofu tasted like a dish sponge left In the toilet for a week, but bland The steak was akin to dog food not expensive but the dog food a poor family would feed their dog. The sushi was edible after submerging it in an ocean of soy sauce. The chef had a personality like an indentured servant I've seen a more lively performance from a coma victim. I used to think Paris Hilton was the worst thing to come out of the Hilton family but this restaurant takes the crown. This place is a tragedy in the same way as Pearl Harbor was to the United States.
(1)
Tertiary D.

First of all this place is overpriced. Second- Nothing is fresh except for the tuna according to waitress. The lava tube is best on menu. The volcano roll okay. The waitress very pushy and misleading. The udon were too starchy. Overall I would never go back. Average. Lastly the water boy clearing the table is aggressive. He cleared as fast as we finished. I just wanted to eat my food and the sign of a mediocre restaurant trains staff to clear after people eat not during.
(2)
Geneva S.

We were visiting Hawaii & wanted to try a Japanese Teppan Steakhouse since the Hawaiian culture is heavily Japanese. I assumed the show would be more then other local steakhouses here in Ca. I was wrong. The service & food were cooked well. However, our chef did not to perform any tricks. I had two kids in my party who was expecting a show.
(3)
David L.

Decent sushi and cooked meals on par with Beni Hana but triple the price. Moreover, one has to walk 10 minutes from the main Hilton lobby or take a walking speed Disney type train that takes 10+ minutes after valet parking into an insanely busy valet lot.
(2)
Kenton W.

Teppanyaki is the way to go. Although they tried to cram 10 people on a table meant for 8, thankfully 2 either cancelled or didn't show up so we were able to spread out a bit. My husband and I both had the NY Steak and lobster. The food was pricey, but very very tasty. Opt for the garlic fried rice! It was amazing. The chef prepared everything perfectly! Our server was very attentive and extremely nice and helpful. Overall a great experience!
(4)
Andrew V.

If I could give this place zero stars I would. My wife and I went to get sushi there last week, and showed up a little early for an 8:30pm reservation. Despite the place being empty, we were told to wait until a table was ready. Twenty minutes later, we are brought to a table in the corner of the restaurant, and left their by the hostess. About 15 minutes later, our waiter comes over and gives us menus and asks us what we would like. Having not seen the menu yet, we ask for a couple minutes to think it over. Our waiter NEVER came back. After about 30 minutes of waiting, a lady comes by asking if we would like any cocktails from the bar. We said "no thanks, but if you see our waiter, we would like to order dinner." She replied that she could take our order, so I ordered the chicken katsu, and my wife ordered a sushi roll. The lady disappears, and our waiter never comes by our table. We see the staff cleaning tables, and packing things up but nobody comes over to us. Nearly 40 minutes later, I am able to flag someone down and ask them what the heck happened to our dinner. He ran back to the kitchen and the manager, our original waiter and a hostess come out to tell us that our dinner order was never submitted to the kitchen. They scrambled to make us something and offered us free drinks. They finally bring out my chicken katsu and since the sushi staff had already put their stuff away, they offered my wife pork dumplings, which she doesn't eat. We tell them thanks but no thanks, and start to leave and they chased us down saying they will fix it for us. So they go back in the kitchen and bring out a box of sushi rolls, still not even close to what my wife ordered. This was the first time we've ever been forgotten about at a restaurant, and as we finally were leaving more than an hour and half after first arriving, our waiter said "we are closed on saturday, but open again on sunday. Come back again and we'll try to do better." No thanks.
(1)
Sarah W.

Not the best. My husband loves Japanese steakhouses benihana style, so I couldn't wait to take him here on our honeymoon. We have a favorite Japanese restaurant back home, and I figured Imari would be better considering the high volume of Japanese people in Hawaii and at the resort. It was quite the contrary. My husband ordered the steak and shrimp, I ordered the chicken and shrimp. We received literally four pieces of shrimp each and a slight handful of chicken and steak. My husband's steak was overcooked and fatty. For $150 for the two of us, I was expecting a lot more food! Plus, our chef was VERY BORING. He did a couple of tricks, but dropped his tools so many times he gave up for the rest of the dinner. BORING. We left still very hungry. The next night we ate at Ruth's Chris at Mauna Lani, a shopping center nearby. For $100 we had salads, two 8 oz. filets, and dessert. Trust me, we were full. Definitely the right price for the meal! I understand resorts tend to charge high prices, but I've never been to such a boring place with such little food. Save your time and money and go somewhere else (Ruth's Chris if you're looking for a nicer option and want to be full!).
(2)
Marivic L.

If you're in the Waikoloa resort complex and don't feel like leaving for dinner, hit up the Hilton for some teppanyaki. Make sure you make reservations because this place was really packed when we were there. The space is very nice with a relatively small bar area. The chef, while friendly, didn't do all the kewl tricks I'm used to, BUT the steak was tastier than it is at a typical teppanyaki place. My chicken was cooked perfectly as well. Good service, good food, and we had friendly people at our table. 'Twas a good night.
(3)
Justin N.

My wife and I were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa and wanted to have a nice dinner our last night in town. We looked at the offerings on the resort, and thought we would try Imari, as it seemed there were a fair number of Japanese people staying at the hotel, so I would hope that the restaurant would be god in order to suit those customers. Boy was I wrong. We sat at the sushi bar, and when I looked at some of the fish behind the counter, it looked kind of "meh". "Well," I thought, "maybe the local fish will be better as it will be fresh." We ordered the local mahi sashimi. We got the fish quickly, but when I tasted it, "bleh!" It tasted like refrigerator. You know, that taste when something has been sitting in a refrigerator for so long, or incorrectly that it begins to taste like an amalgamation of everything that is in that fridge? Yeah, that taste. Needless to say, one bite was enough. Needless to say, we asked for the check and left. "Why the 2 stars?" you ask, continuing "It sounds like maybe 1 star, or the impossible, but much needed, 0 stars." Well, when it was clear we didn't like the food, the restaurant manager came over, 0'd our bill (this I would have expected) and offered to comp us dinner there if we had another item. When we refused, she asked if there was anything else she could do, and when we again refused, she still tracked back where the reservation was made from and sent chocolate covered strawberries to our room. How you respond to a problem says a lot, and those actions spoke volumes. All of that said, after we had dinner at an "off campus" ramen noodle shop, through most of the next day, my tongue had that nasty "bad fish metallic" aftertaste, which was an unpleasant reminder of the night before.
(2)
Mike B.

Last night we celebrated my 60th birthday at Imari. The food and service were exceptional. Many thanks to Jeanne, Hilton food and beverage manager, for making this occasion so special. Our party of 7 + 1 baby were lead to the private Tea Room and the evening kept getting better throughout the dinner. The rib eye with a ginger dipping sauce was awesome. After dinner Jeanne came in with a beautiful and very tasty cake that was sufficient for all 7 of us. The prices were very reasonable and certainly no worse than a nice Japanese restaurant anywhere in the bay area. For a special occasion or just good food Imari is a great choice.
(5)
Rena B.

i thought we had reservations for teppanyaki but thru open table it was only a la carte which is a totally different menu food was good, the benihanas in waikiki was better
(3)
Kevin S.

We liked this place. Yes it was pricey, but it's on the resort property and we expected that. What we didn't expect was to be rushed through dinner and no matter how we asked, the waitress just wouldn't slow down. When reserving your table, make sure they know whether or not you want the teppan yake; they sat us there and didn't understand when we wanted to move. The edamame was undercooked. The spider roll was good. The tempura was good and lite tasting. The furikake mongchong was very flavorful with a very nice mix of stir fry vegetables. I would go back, but only if I were on the resort property.
(3)
Debbie M.

Day two and another mediocre meal at the Hilton... what is up with this place? Long day enjoying the island and we came back to the resort to eat. Asked the staff if we needed a reservation for teppanyaki - I was told no it's mid week you won't wait even 30 mins...so we showered and headed down to Imari. They were right no reservations needed, but a 2 hour wait for 2...way too long for us between a busy day & time change I needed food, so we opted for a traditional Japanese dinner which was supposed to be a 10 minute wait....I say supposed to because as we waited in the bar 3 more couples came in (also without reservations) and were seated before us. Coincidentally they were all visiting from Japan. Do you want to hear about the bar? The dÃ©cor is ok, one bartender, who when I asked her what was her specialty, told me she could make anything on the menu...most bartenders make something well & want to brag about it...so after the awful Mai Tai the night before at this resort I did a simple rum & coke. The bar had all the bottle crates sitting off to the side making it look untidy & the fridge for the wine looked like what you grab a coke from at 7-11 was so thick with dirt on the bottom, I kept thinking why don't the wipe that down...I know I am being petty here, but if I can see it & it's dirty, what does this place look like where I cannot see it? A point to ponder. Forty minutes later we got our seats & then the wait began....after 10 minutes some one showed up & was a bit abrupt, good thing we knew what we wanted to order. We ordered the angry shrimp for an appetizer and it arrived quickly and with a nicely seasoned edamame both were wonderful!!! Hubby decided he wanted sushi- surly a restaurant that caters to a huge Japanese clientele and is on the ocean will have great sushi.... right? Wrong!!! The choices looked a bit boring, but surely they must be good even if they are basic....wrong!!! The sushi took forever, and when it came it was already falling apart and the two sushi rolls were the smallest rolls I have ever seen anywhere. To grasp it with chopsticks made matters worse (yes I can operate a pair of chopstick with the best of them) and the taste was blah! The service was so bad even getting a water glass refilled was impossible. The one star is for the appetizers and dÃ©cor...but I would not recommend this place to anyone. 2 drinks, 2 extra small sushi rolls (4 pieces per roll), 1 order of angry shrimp (4 shrimp) and edamame and tip over $100....ridiculous even in paradise!
(1)
Dora H.

If you're a veteran sushi eater, this place is not for you. My husband and I came here for dinner last night. Service was attentive, which is why it gets 2 stars from me. Sashimi platter of 15 pieces was unremarkable. No different than from my local sushi place that doesn't charge for the miso soup that comes with it back home. The atmosphere is like a sushi restaurant at Disney World. This place is probably best for families wanting to do the teppanyaki dining option, which is just a nicer way to say "hibachi." Otherwise, save your money.
(2)
Tiffany V.

If you want some sushi, you can go to the market at Queen's Marketplace and get some in there. Don't come here. The hibachi is ok. Kinda pricy.
(2)
Heidi S.

Setting was beautiful, felt private as we were seated with practically no one around us and a pretty view of the pond. Service was okay, but the food very mediocre. Not worth it in my opinion.
(2)
Lindsay C.

Fantastic!! We were on a mini vacation at Hilton Waikoloa and both wanted Japanese food. We called and made Reservations at Imari - the Japanese steak house on site. The place itself is adorable... They have a small bar as you enter, a sushi bar area, and then. Main dining room where they offer teppanyaki or regular tables where you can order off the menu. We ordered the MJ Roll to start ... O M G IT WAS YUM!!! Next we ordered two Teppanyaki choices to share of course. Tony with steak and me with shrimp. Our water glasses never got below the half way point before being quickly refilled. Service was awesome. If your expecting a big entertaining show this isn't the spot but the chefs were very nice and damn good at the grill. To finish the night off we decided to go all out and try the molten chocolate cake... Unfortunately it didn't show up with ice cream which is the only way i know how to enjoy dessert... The only fault so far. As we were paying our check we saw another choc cake go buy with a pretty scoop of ice cream. Womp womp. Delicious must try meal if you are staying in Waikoloa - both sushi and Teppanyaki. Now I am hungry.
(4)
NandK O.

Nice looking place, clean cute japanese tea house. Good things end there. The resort has a clever plan of handing out wrist bands to the kids for each restaurant you eat at, collect enough bands and you win a cup of ice cream. Take my advice spring for the ice cream and skip the wrist bands. After we were seated I asked what items were local and fresh. None. All the fish is imported frozen from the main land. Aren't we on an island? The waiter responded that it was cheaper to import the fish. You wouldn't know it from the prices. My wife and I ate here with our 2 kids (split 1 kids meal) and I dropped over $150.00. The fish was horrible, I was hungry so I ate it but ran to my room to brush my teeth to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. Yuck.
(1)
Josh B.

I really enjoy dining here when staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. Nice sake list, very friendly staff (even if one waiter couldn't tell ika from uni). Good sushi, great miso butterfish, great atmosphere. Only knock is I wish the sushi menu was a bit more extensive, but really this is a nice spot for dinner either for sushi or teppanyaki. Ok with kids too! They really made it easy with our family and the manager even held our 8 month old and played with the kids so my wife could eat!
(4)
Chris M.

Ouch! Staying at the Hilton first time, excited to eat good sushi in Hawaii, came to Imari. First bad sign: sat at sushi bar, old, dated, dirty looking, dark, old outdated equipment staring us in the face. Still thinking, OK, we're in Hawaii,fish comes straight off the boats, still gonna be good. Ordered a couple rolls as an opener and some Agedashi tofu, which I expected first. Rolls came about 25 minutes later, spider tasted OK, other specialty roll tasted wrong. Should have been a clue. Agedashi showed up 20 minutes later, flavorless and cold on the inside, not how I've had it in the past. Didn't eat it, paid the bill, went up to the room and was sick for the next four days, including a very bad spell that evening. Called hotel to report this, was forced to go through lengthy security procedures and stay on them to pursue resolution. They did eventually refund the bill amount, which was the least they could do, but I appreciate it. I told them they need to gut the kitchen/sushi bar area and start over. Stay away until they upgrade this facility, which should start about 5 years ago!!!
(1)
Pearl N.

It's just mediocre. My husband and I came here on our honeymoon, service is great but food is nothing special. We had to send back his steak 2x before we just accepted it, rolls were decent but again nothing special. Considering the prices and food it's not somewhere we'd visit again.
(2)
Cecca M.

I highly recommend doing the teppanyaki. For your choice of meat, filet mignon is the BEST. I wasn't so thrilled about the stir fry vegetables... perhaps something more green? It does come with a really good salad. Regardless, the filet mignion was amazing! I had it with garlic rice. The food was delicious but what I was even more impressed with was the service. There is clearly a team work here. Everyone is super polite and friendly. The busser was very quick. Our waitress MJ was fantastic. It is not a ocean view but still a very nice atmosphere. I will definitely be back for more filet mignon!
(5)
Nicole T.

The only reason this restaurant is even receiving a star, is for the service. Came here for my birthday dinner since we were staying at the Hilton. Prices are ridiculously high for the portion size of their ala carte menu. I ordered the marinated beef skewers. Nothing great as far as taste. Served on a tiny plate with 3 skewers with 3 small pieces of beef on each skewer laying on a bed of chopped cabbage. Majority of my family ordered the chicken katsu. Once again, taste was alright and some pieces even burnt. I'd say it was one piece of chicken breaded, fried, cut into half inch pieces and served on a bed of chopped cabbage. And don't forget, it's an ala carte menu so you have to order rice separately. Those meals were about $15.00 each plus $4.00 for a small bowl of white rice, or $6.00 for fried rice. Sorry no pictures, obviously these meals were not worthy of any photo opts for social media. We originally wanted a reservation for teppanyaki but I'm glad we stuck with ala carte. Prices for teppanyaki looks over priced. Sitting and watching the other guests at the teppanyaki tables, it didn't look like anyone enjoyed themselves. From my past experiences at places like Tanaka of Tokyo...the chefs do great tricks. Don't look forward to seeing any of that here, you'll be disappointed.
(1)
Kristy S.

We had a delicious meal, contrary to what other reviewers have said...and as many if you know, I am one picky b---h! We each had the scallop Teppanyaki, which comes with onions, mushrooms and zucchini (would have referred more 'shrooms and zuccs, and less oil and onions!), rice (we did the garlic fried for a small upcharge) and a generous amount of scallops. Too much oil used on the veggies, but otherwise delish! Of course, you get the table-side "show" from the "chef"...which can be fun if you are into that sort of thing. We also shared a spider roll (tasty) and each had an order of yellowtail (wild, fresh). Was it expensive - yes. You are in Waikoloa, in an overpriced resort...it is par for the course. Service is so-so on the speed, but all are very friendly, from the time you walk in the door, until the time you leave. If you are cool with that - go for it!
(3)
Jonathan A.

It's really disappointing that Imari has gone downhill so much over the years. We used to love coming here when we stayed at the Hilton and now it seems more like a factory to separate you from your money and get you out the door. The teppan chef was all about business and not fun, waitress barely smiled, and the bartender acted like it was a huge burden to serve us even though we were the only four people in the bar. Food was decent but not good enough to justify $100 per person by a mile. All told, we had two regular meals, two kid meals, and three drinks. $320. For that kind of money, you should be impressed and I was not. I recommend re-training the entire staff.
(2)
Oscar A.

Good food but way too expensive for sushi. Granted you are in a Hilton Hawaii resort. But they gouge the heck out of you. Dinner for 2 with 2 drinks $250. Also service not the friendliest
(3)
Daniel C.

This was the absolute worst tappenyaki food I have ever had. Bland, overly friendly because they knew they were peddling shit and took delight in watching patrons choke it down. The cube of tofu tasted like a dish sponge left In the toilet for a week, but bland The steak was akin to dog food not expensive but the dog food a poor family would feed their dog. The sushi was edible after submerging it in an ocean of soy sauce. The chef had a personality like an indentured servant I've seen a more lively performance from a coma victim. I used to think Paris Hilton was the worst thing to come out of the Hilton family but this restaurant takes the crown. This place is a tragedy in the same way as Pearl Harbor was to the United States.
(1)
Bill W.

While we stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort we dined at all of the available restaurants. Imari's food was adequate however the service was abominable. On multiple occasions I had to ask our waitress (I Mitsuko) what the issue was. Every course seemed to take forever,,, and we both like to "dine". Politely sounding my frustration, one of the managers did stop by and offered two complinentary drinks. Perhaps it was simply an off night, but it did ensure that we did not visit Imari again,, nor would I revisit in the future.
(2)
Tiffany A.

Such a fabulous dining experience! Service was excellent, food was fabulous and a good time was had by all. Loved the garlic rice, the NY Strip and the Lobster...I want to go back just to eat there! Even my kids loved the food and cleaned their plates. Also, the resort is beautiful and worth going to just to see.
(5)
John S.

Awesome experience. Bryan our waiter - you're the best. My wife and 6 year old son dined in the private tea house. Ask for it. Best kept secret at the Hilton. Sashimi and tempura were both amazing. But the service is the reason I'm giving it 5 stars. Highlight of our trip and the unique dining experience of a lifetime. Thank you!
(5)
Janice W.

Ambiance: very nice entrance with a feeling you are going to a pretty authentic Japanese restaurant. When you enter the dining area where you are greeted by the hostess. The lighting in the dining area looks like it could use a change as it made the decor in the room look a bit dated but loved how the windows were open to the resort lush gardens and lagoon although it comes with a price of the potential mosquito bite or two. No air conditioner so it can get warm but hubby stayed cool with lava flows flowing in. This restaurant has two sections to choose: 1) teppanyaki where you sit in a U shape around a grill and have your food cooked for you, or 2) tables to order variety of Japanese dishes (including appetizers, udon and ramen noodle soups, and main courses like butterfish), sushi, sashimi and rolls. Food: It was our first night and wanted something light yet yummy on the Hilton resort property so we went with option 2. Japanese main dishes are like the fancy Japanese places I go to where everything is ala carte including the rice and miso soup. We opted for the rolls which were very good! We enjoyed the seafood rolls like the green sand, rainbow, and lava tube rolls and actually ordered a second round since they were so tasty and fish was fresh. They were pretty good sized with 6-8 pieces. The only roll with beef was just ok. Prices are what I would expect to pay at a hotel Japanese restaurant. The rolls we ordered started at $17. On the other hand, the ramen and udon noodle soup bowls start in the $20s and found that to be a bit too pricey even with pork belly. We didn't try the Japanese dishes but saw the scallop dish go by and it looked pretty tasty and would try it if we came back. I enjoyed this experience a lot better than Sansei's in the nearby mall but that was a few years ago...all I remember is being very disappointed with the food there and thinking it wasn't cheap either and nothing compared to the Sansei's in Honolulu. Service: pretty good overall. We were running behind and the boat ride over takes time but there were available seats and were seated promptly. Ice cold water was served as soon we sat at our table which I thought was awesome. We ordered (complimentary) hot green tea also which tasted just ok for a nice place and refills were a bit slow but my family also drinks a lot of tea and got 3 refills. Rolls came out a lot faster than the sushi restaurants we go to so pretty happy we got our food quickly. Kid friendly: yes, very accommodating to my infant comfort-wise and also had these cool chopsticks pre-made for kids. Kids menu offered and saw a couple go by but didn't order off the kids meal ourselves since my kid passed out as soon as we got seated. It is a bit pricey but it does come with rice and the main dish so a better deal than ordering ala cart off the menu Overall: Based on the reviews, I was worried to eat here and glad we did. We enjoyed our dinner and would be back if I get a Japanese fix during my stay at the Hilton Waikoloa.
(4)
Mike H.

On a recommendation from a friend we were looking forward to Imari. Luckily they had a resort wear dress code so we ventured onward. We were greeted by the staff with warm smiles and friendly attitudes. I started to like Imari right off the get go. We opted for Ala Cart rather than Teppanyaki dining. They offer a decent alcohol list and a nice selection of various Japanese style food. The food is fresh and the taste, amazing! We were really happy with our experience of Amari.
(5)
Tertiary D.

First of all this place is overpriced. Second- Nothing is fresh except for the tuna according to waitress. The lava tube is best on menu. The volcano roll okay. The waitress very pushy and misleading. The udon were too starchy. Overall I would never go back. Average. Lastly the water boy clearing the table is aggressive. He cleared as fast as we finished. I just wanted to eat my food and the sign of a mediocre restaurant trains staff to clear after people eat not during.
(2)
Geneva S.

We were visiting Hawaii & wanted to try a Japanese Teppan Steakhouse since the Hawaiian culture is heavily Japanese. I assumed the show would be more then other local steakhouses here in Ca. I was wrong. The service & food were cooked well. However, our chef did not to perform any tricks. I had two kids in my party who was expecting a show.
(3)
Krystal L.

We read that it's a good idea to make reservations, so we booked ours early in the week for one of the last nights of our honeymoon. The atmosphere is nice, but the good stuff ends there. This place isn't worth it. Our waitress was slow and terribly forgetful...and it wasn't even busy!!! The sushi wasn't great either. Also, they ran out of some sushi, I've never ever had that happen to me EVER at a sushi place, no matter how busy they are!! If you're staying at the Hilton in Waikoloa and you want sushi/ japanese...try Sansei down at queens marketplace is much better and cheaper!!! I guess they're overpriced since they're in the Hilton. Either way, not worth the time or money.
(1)
Dieter G.

The service was very good, friendly and helpful. The food also was excellent (I had the sashimi dinner) but they could have added a few more prices for the price. I can highly recommend the place.
(4)
Lora C.

Looking for another option that offered some more vegetables, we came to Imari. Service was very attentive without being intrusive, setting was of course lovely being in the Hilton Waikoloa, and the dishes we ordered were tasty and expected. The Hubs had a bento and I chose the salmon. Both were good, standard on the expectation level. They offer a hibachi option, which having a plethora of these at home, chose to pass. They also offer sushi, which I am sure being this close to the sea and being the Hilton, is above par for sushi. The few pieces of sashimi we had were again, expected and acceptable.
(3)
Sarah C.

My family looked at reviews for Imari having already made reservations for tappenyaki. Not thrilled about the previous reviews, we decided to go anyway. Our dinner ended up being fantastic! Our chef, Prens, and waiter, Alfredo, were excellent. Service was timely, the food was delightful, and the environment was gorgeous! I would definitely go to Imari again!
(4)
Angela C.

Don't waste your time here. The service and food are TERRIBLE! Even an offer of free drinks and appetizers to make up for our horrible service experience wasn't enough to get us to come back. And that is saying something, because I love free drinks and apps!
(1)
Mike O.

Very dark Japanese restaurant located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village. This place serve teppanyaki and sit down dinners. Watch the Teppanyaki chef's, they dont seem to be as enthusiastic or entertaining as say tanaka of tokyo. We decided on traditional dinner We had the bento, which included: Soba (which was gross) Sashimi 3 ahi 3 hamachi (which was ok) Small tsukemono sides (which I didnt eat) Six slices of steak over garlic rice (really good) Tempura 2shrimp 1fish 1eggplant 1zucchini (Excellent) ice cream dessert $45/pp with 15% kama'aina discount $38 This is a whole lot of food for the price, unfortunately the food is only so-so. Service was good and attentive.
(3)
Conner W.

The steak was great, the service was poor! Deanna, our server was rude, ignorant, and forgot about our requests for over a half an hour! Drinks only were filled after asking two or three times! The server spilled miso soup on other customers. If you go here request not to have Deanna serve you or you will have a poor experience! In the end the manager, Dean, was a very nice guy and help us sort out our issues.
(1)
Lindsay C.

Fantastic!! We were on a mini vacation at Hilton Waikoloa and both wanted Japanese food. We called and made Reservations at Imari - the Japanese steak house on site. The place itself is adorable... They have a small bar as you enter, a sushi bar area, and then. Main dining room where they offer teppanyaki or regular tables where you can order off the menu. We ordered the MJ Roll to start ... O M G IT WAS YUM!!! Next we ordered two Teppanyaki choices to share of course. Tony with steak and me with shrimp. Our water glasses never got below the half way point before being quickly refilled. Service was awesome. If your expecting a big entertaining show this isn't the spot but the chefs were very nice and damn good at the grill. To finish the night off we decided to go all out and try the molten chocolate cake... Unfortunately it didn't show up with ice cream which is the only way i know how to enjoy dessert... The only fault so far. As we were paying our check we saw another choc cake go buy with a pretty scoop of ice cream. Womp womp. Delicious must try meal if you are staying in Waikoloa - both sushi and Teppanyaki. Now I am hungry.
(4)
NandK O.

Nice looking place, clean cute japanese tea house. Good things end there. The resort has a clever plan of handing out wrist bands to the kids for each restaurant you eat at, collect enough bands and you win a cup of ice cream. Take my advice spring for the ice cream and skip the wrist bands. After we were seated I asked what items were local and fresh. None. All the fish is imported frozen from the main land. Aren't we on an island? The waiter responded that it was cheaper to import the fish. You wouldn't know it from the prices. My wife and I ate here with our 2 kids (split 1 kids meal) and I dropped over $150.00. The fish was horrible, I was hungry so I ate it but ran to my room to brush my teeth to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. Yuck.
(1)
Josh B.

I really enjoy dining here when staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. Nice sake list, very friendly staff (even if one waiter couldn't tell ika from uni). Good sushi, great miso butterfish, great atmosphere. Only knock is I wish the sushi menu was a bit more extensive, but really this is a nice spot for dinner either for sushi or teppanyaki. Ok with kids too! They really made it easy with our family and the manager even held our 8 month old and played with the kids so my wife could eat!
(4)
Chris M.

Ouch! Staying at the Hilton first time, excited to eat good sushi in Hawaii, came to Imari. First bad sign: sat at sushi bar, old, dated, dirty looking, dark, old outdated equipment staring us in the face. Still thinking, OK, we're in Hawaii,fish comes straight off the boats, still gonna be good. Ordered a couple rolls as an opener and some Agedashi tofu, which I expected first. Rolls came about 25 minutes later, spider tasted OK, other specialty roll tasted wrong. Should have been a clue. Agedashi showed up 20 minutes later, flavorless and cold on the inside, not how I've had it in the past. Didn't eat it, paid the bill, went up to the room and was sick for the next four days, including a very bad spell that evening. Called hotel to report this, was forced to go through lengthy security procedures and stay on them to pursue resolution. They did eventually refund the bill amount, which was the least they could do, but I appreciate it. I told them they need to gut the kitchen/sushi bar area and start over. Stay away until they upgrade this facility, which should start about 5 years ago!!!
(1)
Rosa B.

Built to look like a traditional tea house, this place offers a sushi bar, a teppanyaki style experience, or regular table dining. Since we ended up arriving for a late meal due to the time difference between California and Hawaii, we could not partake in the teppanyaki fun and Husband doesn't do sushi so... Everything on the menu looked really good so I decided to go for the Omakase Bento which ended up being a 3-course meal and had variety. Since I didn't realize just how much food the Omakase Bento would end up being, I also got a side order of abalone nigiri (something I don't often see and have never eaten) and the seared ahi tuna appetizer which was a special that night. Husband got edamame to munch on, one of the few vegetables he will eat. My first course arrived - zaru soba, a few slices of sashimi and a bit of other stuff - seaweed, tofu, edamame and a crab mixture with a sweet sauce. The soba noodles were perfectly cooked, retaining a bit of firmness without being hard. The sashimi was fantastic...beautiful fresh cuts of fresh tuna and hamachi (yellowtail). The crab mixture was delicious. I think the black stuff in the foil cup was a type of seaweed and the green stuff down on the bottom was another type of seaweed salad, both yummy. The seared tuna arrived and oh my goodness! I've had "seared" ahi before where the fish was just shy of being fully cooked. This was not the case with Imari's version. The fish looked like it had been gently touched by flame and had a wonderful peppery crust that made each bite burst with flavor and gave it a kick. It did mask the ahi a little bit, though. I convinced the husband to try a little bite and even he liked it! Shocking, considering he doesn't like raw/rare and cold meat. This dish was the best one of the meal. The abalone nigiri was delivered, beautifully plated. I wasn't sure what to expect so I was caught off guard by the crunchiness of it. But it was delicious, delicate in flavor. For my "main course", I got a piece of grilled Hawaiian Opa with a sweet potato-taro mash, asparagus spear and tempura. The fish flaked easily and had a nice light flavor. I enjoyed the mash but the asparagus was tough. The tempura was lightly battered, crispy and was not heavy with oil. They also brought out rice and a little dish with daikon and other pickled vegetables. My husband had ordered a steak which was served with mashed potatoes and shiitake mushrooms (which he quickly off-loaded onto my plate). The bite of beef I got to try was flavorful, tender and moist despite being well done (I'm a medium-rare/medium type of gal...). To end the meal, the Omakase Bento comes with a choice of ice cream flavor. I opted for green tea. I was expecting a small bowl with a single scoop but ended up with a bowl containing 3 scoops and crisp fan-shaped wafers. The smooth and creamy ice cream had really good green tea flavor. Sadly, I was so stuffed that I couldn't finish off this dessert and ended up leaving half of it. I tried... If you ever find yourself in the Waikoloa area, I highly recommend stopping in at Imari for dinner. It's a lovely dining experience. The food is top-notch and the service impeccable. Prices are high but, then again, this is a fine dining restaurant on resort grounds... I thought the Omakase bento was the best quantity and quality for the cost.
(5)
David L.

Decent sushi and cooked meals on par with Beni Hana but triple the price. Moreover, one has to walk 10 minutes from the main Hilton lobby or take a walking speed Disney type train that takes 10+ minutes after valet parking into an insanely busy valet lot.
(2)
Andrew V.

If I could give this place zero stars I would. My wife and I went to get sushi there last week, and showed up a little early for an 8:30pm reservation. Despite the place being empty, we were told to wait until a table was ready. Twenty minutes later, we are brought to a table in the corner of the restaurant, and left their by the hostess. About 15 minutes later, our waiter comes over and gives us menus and asks us what we would like. Having not seen the menu yet, we ask for a couple minutes to think it over. Our waiter NEVER came back. After about 30 minutes of waiting, a lady comes by asking if we would like any cocktails from the bar. We said "no thanks, but if you see our waiter, we would like to order dinner." She replied that she could take our order, so I ordered the chicken katsu, and my wife ordered a sushi roll. The lady disappears, and our waiter never comes by our table. We see the staff cleaning tables, and packing things up but nobody comes over to us. Nearly 40 minutes later, I am able to flag someone down and ask them what the heck happened to our dinner. He ran back to the kitchen and the manager, our original waiter and a hostess come out to tell us that our dinner order was never submitted to the kitchen. They scrambled to make us something and offered us free drinks. They finally bring out my chicken katsu and since the sushi staff had already put their stuff away, they offered my wife pork dumplings, which she doesn't eat. We tell them thanks but no thanks, and start to leave and they chased us down saying they will fix it for us. So they go back in the kitchen and bring out a box of sushi rolls, still not even close to what my wife ordered. This was the first time we've ever been forgotten about at a restaurant, and as we finally were leaving more than an hour and half after first arriving, our waiter said "we are closed on saturday, but open again on sunday. Come back again and we'll try to do better." No thanks.
(1)
Sarah W.

Not the best. My husband loves Japanese steakhouses benihana style, so I couldn't wait to take him here on our honeymoon. We have a favorite Japanese restaurant back home, and I figured Imari would be better considering the high volume of Japanese people in Hawaii and at the resort. It was quite the contrary. My husband ordered the steak and shrimp, I ordered the chicken and shrimp. We received literally four pieces of shrimp each and a slight handful of chicken and steak. My husband's steak was overcooked and fatty. For $150 for the two of us, I was expecting a lot more food! Plus, our chef was VERY BORING. He did a couple of tricks, but dropped his tools so many times he gave up for the rest of the dinner. BORING. We left still very hungry. The next night we ate at Ruth's Chris at Mauna Lani, a shopping center nearby. For $100 we had salads, two 8 oz. filets, and dessert. Trust me, we were full. Definitely the right price for the meal! I understand resorts tend to charge high prices, but I've never been to such a boring place with such little food. Save your time and money and go somewhere else (Ruth's Chris if you're looking for a nicer option and want to be full!).
(2)
Marivic L.

If you're in the Waikoloa resort complex and don't feel like leaving for dinner, hit up the Hilton for some teppanyaki. Make sure you make reservations because this place was really packed when we were there. The space is very nice with a relatively small bar area. The chef, while friendly, didn't do all the kewl tricks I'm used to, BUT the steak was tastier than it is at a typical teppanyaki place. My chicken was cooked perfectly as well. Good service, good food, and we had friendly people at our table. 'Twas a good night.
(3)
Kenton W.

Teppanyaki is the way to go. Although they tried to cram 10 people on a table meant for 8, thankfully 2 either cancelled or didn't show up so we were able to spread out a bit. My husband and I both had the NY Steak and lobster. The food was pricey, but very very tasty. Opt for the garlic fried rice! It was amazing. The chef prepared everything perfectly! Our server was very attentive and extremely nice and helpful. Overall a great experience!
(4)
Dusty B.

First of all, as others have mentioned, the ambiance here is first class. We started with drinks in the bar and the bartender was very friendly and attentive. We then moved to the "tea house" for our meal. The tea house is surrounded by water gardens and is done very well. Super comfortable, stylish and intimate. Except for a young busboy who was trying to rush us(payback for my earlier days in the business), the service was really excellent. Our server was knowledgeable and very warm. He made good suggestions and kept the sake and beer coming. However, while the food (both sushi and cooked meals) were prepared well, they all tasted rather unremarkable. Yes, the fish was fresh. And yes, it was presented in an appetizing fashion. But, I have definitely had better sushi. And, one of my favorite dishes, black cod with miso, was just average.
(3)
Kristine D.

You can't help but notice Imari, the teppan-style restaurant in the Hilton Waikoloa. Surrounded by waters housing lilly pads and koi fish, the place beckons to you as you walk by. The ambiance here is amazing. From the bar to the table, the atmosphere is first class and the service terrific. Imari has a kids menu. The main menu the usual assortment of foods you'd expect from a teppan style eatery but also offers sushi. While it's possible to reserve the private little tea house next to main restaurant for more intimate dining, when you're traveling with your children, as we were, they want the action that comes from the cook making onion volcanos and catching chicken in his pocket. All-in-all, a fun and pricey experience for the entire family.
(4)
Krystal L.

We read that it's a good idea to make reservations, so we booked ours early in the week for one of the last nights of our honeymoon. The atmosphere is nice, but the good stuff ends there. This place isn't worth it. Our waitress was slow and terribly forgetful...and it wasn't even busy!!! The sushi wasn't great either. Also, they ran out of some sushi, I've never ever had that happen to me EVER at a sushi place, no matter how busy they are!! If you're staying at the Hilton in Waikoloa and you want sushi/ japanese...try Sansei down at queens marketplace is much better and cheaper!!! I guess they're overpriced since they're in the Hilton. Either way, not worth the time or money.
(1)
Cin O.

To start with, after dining at Imari, I spent the night in the bathroom as the Miso soup made me sick. I was the only one in my group to eat the Miso soup and the only one to become sick. We complained to the Hilton the next day but they seemed less than interested and did nothing about it. The chef was not a showman as was expected of this type of restaurant, and left all grizzle and fat on my NY sirloin to boot, which when eating with chopsticks is difficult to gracefully remove yourself. In fact everyone in our party who ordered red meat had the same fat and grizzle complaint. I do not recommend Imari at the Hilton Waikoloa.
(1)
Cin O.

To start with, after dining at Imari, I spent the night in the bathroom as the Miso soup made me sick. I was the only one in my group to eat the Miso soup and the only one to become sick. We complained to the Hilton the next day but they seemed less than interested and did nothing about it. The chef was not a showman as was expected of this type of restaurant, and left all grizzle and fat on my NY sirloin to boot, which when eating with chopsticks is difficult to gracefully remove yourself. In fact everyone in our party who ordered red meat had the same fat and grizzle complaint. I do not recommend Imari at the Hilton Waikoloa.
(1)
Brian S.

The venue is wonderful but the service is really lacking. Food is decent but not what you would expect for the price or location. Just ok and over priced. I would not go here again.
(3)
Mimi D.

This Japanese restaurant is set in the middle of koi and lilly pond. The ambiance is chic, the servers wear kimonos and they will charge you $17 for 4 teeny pieces of raw fish. It's good, but this isn't Nobu. This place is good if you don't mind shelling out a ton of cash for very little food. The presentation is cute, but once again it's not Nobu or Katsuya or any other fancy LA place. It just happens to be the only Japanese place in this hotel. They can charge you a ton since you will be too lazy to leave this place to get food after sightseeing all day. It's not bad, but it makes you want to go to the supermarket across the street for the packaged sushi to fill you up.
(2)
Geo T.

Slow service. Big prices. Seem to have only one chef. We had the teppan meal. The steak and lobster was great. The sauces were best of breed. Service got better as the crowd thinned. Their sake was overpriced but certainly good enough.
(3)
Heidi S.

Setting was beautiful, felt private as we were seated with practically no one around us and a pretty view of the pond. Service was okay, but the food very mediocre. Not worth it in my opinion.
(2)
Michael S.

Such a disappointment! I love Japanese teppan restaurants. From the moment we got there nothing went right! We had a large party of 11 (5 adults and 6 children) and made reservations for 8:30p. When I called to make reservations, they failed to ask if I wanted teppan or regular dining. They assumed we wanted regular dining, so, we had to wait. With no luck in getting a table, they gave us the option of ordering from the teppan menu (which was cool). But that's as cool as it got! The food wasn't good at all and way overpriced! At most Japanese teppan restaurants, I would normally pay about $50 for a combo of filet mignon + lobster. Not this place... $80 for the combo here. Just the filet mignon was $55. And if you wanted fried rice instead of steamed rice, and another $5. The server was nice. But the food wasn't worth talking about. I ordered a medium rare filet... It was medium at best. The vegetables were soggy, and the fried rice was mediocre. And after all of that, you'd think that they would have given us a discount or something complimentary for making us wait with restless children and half decent overpriced food??? Not a care in the world. I will never go back.
(1)
Ashley P.

We decided to give this place a try after reading moderate reviews. We chose to dine in the family style a la carte section. We dined on a Wednesday and had reservations at 5:30, which is when it opens. We arrived a few minutes early, and a grabbed a drink at the bar which opens at 5 while we waited on our table. The bartender was very nice and informative. He told us a little about the restaurant and what was best on the menu. We were seated right at 5:30 and were promptly greeted by our waiter. We began with the Crab and Waimea Corn and Crab Croquette. This appetizer is a MUST; it was the creamiest crab cake I've ever had. We could have eaten another order of them. For my meal, I order the Scallop Dynamite Roll and a 1 piece of the BBQ Eel Sushi. Both were phenomenal!!! The Eel was so good we decided to order another 3 piece roll. This is where my advice comes in about arriving early. By this time the place was packed, and it probably took 30 minutes to get that 3 piece roll. We were lucky to sit by the sushi bar and got to watch the guy rolling the sushi which was very impressive. He was the only one, however, so I could see things getting backed up in the kitchen. I would advise going early for a fantastic experience!
(4)
Justin N.

My wife and I were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa and wanted to have a nice dinner our last night in town. We looked at the offerings on the resort, and thought we would try Imari, as it seemed there were a fair number of Japanese people staying at the hotel, so I would hope that the restaurant would be god in order to suit those customers. Boy was I wrong. We sat at the sushi bar, and when I looked at some of the fish behind the counter, it looked kind of "meh". "Well," I thought, "maybe the local fish will be better as it will be fresh." We ordered the local mahi sashimi. We got the fish quickly, but when I tasted it, "bleh!" It tasted like refrigerator. You know, that taste when something has been sitting in a refrigerator for so long, or incorrectly that it begins to taste like an amalgamation of everything that is in that fridge? Yeah, that taste. Needless to say, one bite was enough. Needless to say, we asked for the check and left. "Why the 2 stars?" you ask, continuing "It sounds like maybe 1 star, or the impossible, but much needed, 0 stars." Well, when it was clear we didn't like the food, the restaurant manager came over, 0'd our bill (this I would have expected) and offered to comp us dinner there if we had another item. When we refused, she asked if there was anything else she could do, and when we again refused, she still tracked back where the reservation was made from and sent chocolate covered strawberries to our room. How you respond to a problem says a lot, and those actions spoke volumes. All of that said, after we had dinner at an "off campus" ramen noodle shop, through most of the next day, my tongue had that nasty "bad fish metallic" aftertaste, which was an unpleasant reminder of the night before.
(2)
Debbie M.

Day two and another mediocre meal at the Hilton... what is up with this place? Long day enjoying the island and we came back to the resort to eat. Asked the staff if we needed a reservation for teppanyaki - I was told no it's mid week you won't wait even 30 mins...so we showered and headed down to Imari. They were right no reservations needed, but a 2 hour wait for 2...way too long for us between a busy day & time change I needed food, so we opted for a traditional Japanese dinner which was supposed to be a 10 minute wait....I say supposed to because as we waited in the bar 3 more couples came in (also without reservations) and were seated before us. Coincidentally they were all visiting from Japan. Do you want to hear about the bar? The dÃ©cor is ok, one bartender, who when I asked her what was her specialty, told me she could make anything on the menu...most bartenders make something well & want to brag about it...so after the awful Mai Tai the night before at this resort I did a simple rum & coke. The bar had all the bottle crates sitting off to the side making it look untidy & the fridge for the wine looked like what you grab a coke from at 7-11 was so thick with dirt on the bottom, I kept thinking why don't the wipe that down...I know I am being petty here, but if I can see it & it's dirty, what does this place look like where I cannot see it? A point to ponder. Forty minutes later we got our seats & then the wait began....after 10 minutes some one showed up & was a bit abrupt, good thing we knew what we wanted to order. We ordered the angry shrimp for an appetizer and it arrived quickly and with a nicely seasoned edamame both were wonderful!!! Hubby decided he wanted sushi- surly a restaurant that caters to a huge Japanese clientele and is on the ocean will have great sushi.... right? Wrong!!! The choices looked a bit boring, but surely they must be good even if they are basic....wrong!!! The sushi took forever, and when it came it was already falling apart and the two sushi rolls were the smallest rolls I have ever seen anywhere. To grasp it with chopsticks made matters worse (yes I can operate a pair of chopstick with the best of them) and the taste was blah! The service was so bad even getting a water glass refilled was impossible. The one star is for the appetizers and dÃ©cor...but I would not recommend this place to anyone. 2 drinks, 2 extra small sushi rolls (4 pieces per roll), 1 order of angry shrimp (4 shrimp) and edamame and tip over $100....ridiculous even in paradise!
(1)
Greta Y.

Restaurant is located in the Hilton hotel and has a Japanese garden type setting. You need to make a reservation if you have teppanyaki (and specifically make for teppanyaki) and they need the entire group to be there (if the people sharing your table aren't there yet, you'll have to wait). We had the teppanyaki for four adults, and the child ordered off the menu. I ordered the rib eye which was fantastic. My brother and father had the filet mignon which was also very good. We did not try the sushi so cannot comment. Mom had the grilled fish which was very fresh. The food was wonderful, at least for teppanyaki (I know it's a horrid thing to do to a steak). The Mizo soup was pretty good and served at the right temperature. I had the garlic fried rice which is not the typical fried rice but was very good. I'm not a big vegetable person but they were cooked so perfectly I wound up cleaning my plate. My son ordered the udon noodles off the menu, and they were very accommodating, serving them plain instead of with the veggies, and with a side of white rice-- he loves udon but likes it plain so we were happy they were able to accommodate him. In teppanyaki, the cooks prepared the food right in front of you. The reviewers are right when they say the show isn't like at Benihana. A benihana meal takes about an hour to get your food and they do a lot of tricks like the choo choo train and volcano. We got the volcano (which my son loved) but not a whole lot else. You still get a show, but not as elaborate as Benihana. But I have to say the food was much better than Benihana and there were no complaints. My son ate free. A few negatives. We ordered 2 bottles of wine but they were out of stock and didn't have what we wanted until we got to our 3rd choice. The manager came out to apologize, which was a nice touch, though they could have offered a discount on our third more expensive choice to make up for it. There are mosquitos in the area due to the water in the Japanese gardens, but it's not a swarm. The meal was very expensive (almost $300 for 4 adults, 1 child with alcohol) but we felt is was totally worth it, particularly since we were doing a resort day at the hotel and didn't want to leave. Like all teppanyaki, you will share your table/grill with strangers, so it's not for people who want to be left alone. Our dinner companions were fortunately charming.
(3)
David H.

While staying at the Hilton Waikoloa, we decided to have one nice dinner at the hotel. We chose Imari, because we both love Japanese food. We got reservations for the regular seating and when we got there, were seated promptly. Our waitress was fairly new there but she was friendly and if we had a question she wasn't sure of, she went to the back and got the answers for us. I ordered tamago sushi and my wife ordered hamachi sashimi to start. Both were delicious. The sashimi was five pieces for $18, which was a lot considering she used to get ten pieces for $10 back at our favorite California sushi bar but it is a hotel resort setting so the price was understandable. We also got miso soup, tsukemono and otoshi to start. All delicious as well. For my entree I ordered the scallops, coated with panko and pan-fried on a bed of veggies and warm soba noodles. It had a nice buttery sauce too, yum! My wife got the miso butterfish and it was delicious as well. We were stuffed so no dessert for us. We left satisfied and the bill wasn't too bad with our kama`aina discount and two $10 Hilton Honors food vouchers.
(4)
Tamaki I.

Had our last dinner here with the fam while staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. The interior has a Japanese feel to it, with the front portion of the floor dedicated to teppanyaki (which we didn't have, but it smelled great! Quality is probably way better than that of Benihanas). The washoku appetizers were really delicious and my favorite ended up being deep fried oysters (kakifurai) with wasabi mayo. As to the rolls and sushi, they were mediocre. Maybe it was because we went on a busy Thursday night, but the rice was way too over cooked to be used for sushi, which was such a downer! Especially after great appetizers!! The sashimi just melted in your mouth, which made me feel a bit better and went really well with the house hot sake. As for dessert, I would suggest the chocolate lava cake! It comes with a la mode with vanilla ice cream that had bits of candied ginger in it! It was a good counterbalance to the richness of the ice cream and complemented the cake well. The chocolate wasn't too sweet (which I'm a fan of) and there was a perfect ratio of melted chocolate filling to chocolate cake! Comparable with the Godiva hot chocolate cake served at Morton's Steakhouse. All in all, a good dining experience except for the wait staff was a bit overwhelmed and understaffed once things got a bit crowded.
(4)
Sean O.

Located inside the massive Hilton. First thing's first. Imari is extremely expensive. I guess you are paying for a the "show" of the chef's preparation, but the mains are between $35-49. The appetizer we shared was $18. So be prepared. That being said, the atmosphere and the whole experience are a great time. The food is good and the chef's prep is fun to watch. Portions are reasonable considering the price. It was fun to do something different while on vacation.
(4)
Dave K.

Beautiful setting, moderately good food, and fairly pricey. Be sure to reserve for either Teppanyaki or a regular table -- they have both (and you wouldn't want to get the wrong one). We had teppanyaki. The service was OK. The food was good, but not outstanding. The teppanyaki chef was a little boring. And no one can touch Benihana's when it comes to fried rice. Price-wise the all-in teppanyaki meals cost approximately $45 to $55. Definitely a fun place to go with the family when you're staying at the Hilton. I'm not sure I'd make the trip here otherwise.
(3)
Lily F.

The atmosphere here is amazing. We stayed at the Hilton as well. But- the food price and quality is a joke!! You could easily spend over $100 like we did, and feel completely unsatisfied with the food you had and still be hungry. My husband and I ordered some sashimi and a few pieces of sushi. Almost all of it was not locally caught. The only local one was the abalone and it was hard and tough, I only ate it because it cost so much. Honestly, there are other places outside of the resort that are still close by and better. We were really tired one day so we went here but I wish we would have done the short drive to Sansei and had dinner there.
(2)
Kyle F.

This was out last meal on the island, we left the closing conference dinner early, and my dad and sister told us this place was fun and had good food (they at there a year ago), so I had some good expectations of this place. The location of the restaurant was pretty cool, surrounded by a koi pond and you weave in and out of little bridges and streams to get to your table. It has a nice authentic japanese feel to it, and then you have the teppan dining, which is always a good time haha. The only pain about this place is that it is in a giant monstrosity of a hotel and you need to take a tram to get here. (you can walk but its a fair distance). For our starters we got one of the MJ rolls (shrimp tempura and cucumber inside and spicy tuna outside), garlic shrimp, and an order of salmon nigiri. The MJ roll was decent but it was missing a sauce or something on top of the roll, and the spicy crab that was on top almost looked old and may not have ben the freshest. As for the salmon, it was pretty good and the garlic shrimp was just missing more flavor. so that apps overall where kind of bland and lacking flavor big time. Then for our main course all four of us got the sukiyaki dinner (wagyu beef, japanese vegetables, sukiyaki sauce tempura or sashimi, steamed rice, tsukemono, and choice of ice cream). My dad and sister got tuna sashimi, which was a whole lot fresher than the salmon or the MJ roll and I got the tempura, and in my book anything fried in panko tastes pretty damn good haha. The only bummer was they 2 veggies they gave you with the shrimp were green pepper, and zucchini and also a piece of fish...not even some sweet hawaiin onion! The deal with the sukiyaki is bring you out a single burner and a big pot they put on it and then you pretty much throw all the food into the pot with the sukiyaki liquid and let it all cook and simmer together. It was a fun idea, but honesty again, like the apps, the flavor really was lacking here. The best part of the meal was the desert, they have great ice cream. That place was ok, I won't go here again, and the sukiyaki was a cool idea but the food really had no flavor and its suuuper expensive (the sukiyaki was 55 a person)
(3)
Judy S.

The setting for this Japanese restaurant at the Hilton Waikoloa resort is lovely. The food is strictly below average (worse than most take-out Japanese restaurants here in Southern California) and the service is sub-par. We ate in the dining room, so I can't attest to the service at the teppan table, but the menu selection was uninteresting and the quality of the food was disappointing. I understand from friends that the nearby Sansei Sushi at the Queen's Marketplace is superior. I wish I listened.
(2)
Julia F.

The restaurant's setting is beautiful. Imari is surrounded by koi ponds and shoji screens with a large copper vent hood above the teppan-yaki. I've never eaten their teppan-yaki, but the sushi is very good. The only warning is that they tend to put mayonnaise into the mix of their rolled sushi, so don't forget to ask your server to hold the mayo! The staff is friendly, and the service is good. It's also just fun to walk through the hotel to get to the Imari!
(4)
Cris W.

The best tempura shrimp I have experienced.
(4)
Elly G.

If you are staying at the Hilton Resort, I would suggest this since the rest are more expensive. There's really not one restaurant that stands out. At Imari, I like the buttermilk fish dish. Its very good. I had it with soba noodles rather than rice. The teppanyaki is quite popular among large families. Their sushi is ok. Their sukiyaki is 55 dollars per person. Servers were friendly and nice.
(3)
Adam A.

My first really bad Yelp review. The fish wasn't fresh at all, the flavors left a LOT to be desired, and we were eaten alive by mosquitos the whole time due to the open air atmosphere right next to a stagnant pond. YUCK.
(1)
Jon N.

...was ok...one of those places you eat once and never talk about...wasn't good...wasn't bad...don't think I'll come back...overpriced!
(2)
Lisa M.

At first we were disappointed as we missed being able to have the teppanyaki but we were not disappointed with our meal. I had the house salad which was good size and the ginger dressing oh so tasty, also the miso soup was good. I finished off with a sushi roll which was perfect. My husband had the special which was grilled fish with a spicy cream sauce drizzles in top and the best fried rice and stir fried veggies he's ever had. The waitress was so nice and efficient, she even brought us a special molten chocolate cake complimentary to celebrate our anniversary ;). To say the least we were quite pleased
(4)
Chase M.

Great food and service. YUM
(5)
Billy K.

I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED. I mean.... the place was so nice. I felt like I was transformed into Japan in a Japanese restaurant. It was lovely with the surrounding water lilies and the atmosphere was very beautiful. I can't say the same for the service and the lackluster food. The service was sooo slow. I guess our waiter was busy taking a crap or something because she was as slow as a snail. Our food took forever to come out despite the fact that it wasn't even crowded at all. After waiting for the food.. It came out and it was.... well maybe not terrible.. It just wasn't good. The prices were decently steep and the food did not live up to it. We ordered tempura appetizer, then some scallops, fish, and steak. I expected so much considering the atmosphere and location but what a huge let down.
(2)
Gaye G.

I took my husband here for his birthday. I had heard this was the best Japanese food on the Island - if this is true then I hate to see what else the Island has to offer. My husband loves teppanyaki but this was no where close to what we have had in other restaurants. The cook barely took note of anyone at the table, no attempt was made to include the guests in the preparation of the meal. Our food was mostly tasteless. I had scallops which were not sweet as most fresh scallops are. The vegetables were mostly onion with the bean sprouts cooked way after everything else. I ordered a oyster appetizer that was dry and flavorless. In the entire meal the only thing that had any flavor was the dipping sauce. One glass of sake, one appetizer, two teppanyaki and one desert served with little ambiance cost over $100.00. We won't be back.
(2)
Lily F.

The atmosphere here is amazing. We stayed at the Hilton as well. But- the food price and quality is a joke!! You could easily spend over $100 like we did, and feel completely unsatisfied with the food you had and still be hungry. My husband and I ordered some sashimi and a few pieces of sushi. Almost all of it was not locally caught. The only local one was the abalone and it was hard and tough, I only ate it because it cost so much. Honestly, there are other places outside of the resort that are still close by and better. We were really tired one day so we went here but I wish we would have done the short drive to Sansei and had dinner there.
(2)
Dave K.

Beautiful setting, moderately good food, and fairly pricey. Be sure to reserve for either Teppanyaki or a regular table -- they have both (and you wouldn't want to get the wrong one). We had teppanyaki. The service was OK. The food was good, but not outstanding. The teppanyaki chef was a little boring. And no one can touch Benihana's when it comes to fried rice. Price-wise the all-in teppanyaki meals cost approximately $45 to $55. Definitely a fun place to go with the family when you're staying at the Hilton. I'm not sure I'd make the trip here otherwise.
(3)
Greta Y.

Restaurant is located in the Hilton hotel and has a Japanese garden type setting. You need to make a reservation if you have teppanyaki (and specifically make for teppanyaki) and they need the entire group to be there (if the people sharing your table aren't there yet, you'll have to wait). We had the teppanyaki for four adults, and the child ordered off the menu. I ordered the rib eye which was fantastic. My brother and father had the filet mignon which was also very good. We did not try the sushi so cannot comment. Mom had the grilled fish which was very fresh. The food was wonderful, at least for teppanyaki (I know it's a horrid thing to do to a steak). The Mizo soup was pretty good and served at the right temperature. I had the garlic fried rice which is not the typical fried rice but was very good. I'm not a big vegetable person but they were cooked so perfectly I wound up cleaning my plate. My son ordered the udon noodles off the menu, and they were very accommodating, serving them plain instead of with the veggies, and with a side of white rice-- he loves udon but likes it plain so we were happy they were able to accommodate him. In teppanyaki, the cooks prepared the food right in front of you. The reviewers are right when they say the show isn't like at Benihana. A benihana meal takes about an hour to get your food and they do a lot of tricks like the choo choo train and volcano. We got the volcano (which my son loved) but not a whole lot else. You still get a show, but not as elaborate as Benihana. But I have to say the food was much better than Benihana and there were no complaints. My son ate free. A few negatives. We ordered 2 bottles of wine but they were out of stock and didn't have what we wanted until we got to our 3rd choice. The manager came out to apologize, which was a nice touch, though they could have offered a discount on our third more expensive choice to make up for it. There are mosquitos in the area due to the water in the Japanese gardens, but it's not a swarm. The meal was very expensive (almost $300 for 4 adults, 1 child with alcohol) but we felt is was totally worth it, particularly since we were doing a resort day at the hotel and didn't want to leave. Like all teppanyaki, you will share your table/grill with strangers, so it's not for people who want to be left alone. Our dinner companions were fortunately charming.
(3)
David H.

While staying at the Hilton Waikoloa, we decided to have one nice dinner at the hotel. We chose Imari, because we both love Japanese food. We got reservations for the regular seating and when we got there, were seated promptly. Our waitress was fairly new there but she was friendly and if we had a question she wasn't sure of, she went to the back and got the answers for us. I ordered tamago sushi and my wife ordered hamachi sashimi to start. Both were delicious. The sashimi was five pieces for $18, which was a lot considering she used to get ten pieces for $10 back at our favorite California sushi bar but it is a hotel resort setting so the price was understandable. We also got miso soup, tsukemono and otoshi to start. All delicious as well. For my entree I ordered the scallops, coated with panko and pan-fried on a bed of veggies and warm soba noodles. It had a nice buttery sauce too, yum! My wife got the miso butterfish and it was delicious as well. We were stuffed so no dessert for us. We left satisfied and the bill wasn't too bad with our kama`aina discount and two $10 Hilton Honors food vouchers.
(4)
Jojo W.

I have to agree with several of the other reviews. The ambience of this place is amazing and the service was very friendly and attentive. The food on the other hand is average, not the best or the worst sushi I have ever had. I did visit this restaurant a few years ago ate more classic cuisine and found it to be better than the sushi. If you go, try to reserve the Tea House private table outside next to the serene koi pond - it was fantastic! At the very least, this place deserves a drop into the bar for a drink!! Kung Pai!!
(3)
Elly G.

If you are staying at the Hilton Resort, I would suggest this since the rest are more expensive. There's really not one restaurant that stands out. At Imari, I like the buttermilk fish dish. Its very good. I had it with soba noodles rather than rice. The teppanyaki is quite popular among large families. Their sushi is ok. Their sukiyaki is 55 dollars per person. Servers were friendly and nice.
(3)
Dora H.

If you're a veteran sushi eater, this place is not for you. My husband and I came here for dinner last night. Service was attentive, which is why it gets 2 stars from me. Sashimi platter of 15 pieces was unremarkable. No different than from my local sushi place that doesn't charge for the miso soup that comes with it back home. The atmosphere is like a sushi restaurant at Disney World. This place is probably best for families wanting to do the teppanyaki dining option, which is just a nicer way to say "hibachi." Otherwise, save your money.
(2)
Tiffany V.

If you want some sushi, you can go to the market at Queen's Marketplace and get some in there. Don't come here. The hibachi is ok. Kinda pricy.
(2)
Dusty B.

First of all, as others have mentioned, the ambiance here is first class. We started with drinks in the bar and the bartender was very friendly and attentive. We then moved to the "tea house" for our meal. The tea house is surrounded by water gardens and is done very well. Super comfortable, stylish and intimate. Except for a young busboy who was trying to rush us(payback for my earlier days in the business), the service was really excellent. Our server was knowledgeable and very warm. He made good suggestions and kept the sake and beer coming. However, while the food (both sushi and cooked meals) were prepared well, they all tasted rather unremarkable. Yes, the fish was fresh. And yes, it was presented in an appetizing fashion. But, I have definitely had better sushi. And, one of my favorite dishes, black cod with miso, was just average.
(3)
Kristine D.

You can't help but notice Imari, the teppan-style restaurant in the Hilton Waikoloa. Surrounded by waters housing lilly pads and koi fish, the place beckons to you as you walk by. The ambiance here is amazing. From the bar to the table, the atmosphere is first class and the service terrific. Imari has a kids menu. The main menu the usual assortment of foods you'd expect from a teppan style eatery but also offers sushi. While it's possible to reserve the private little tea house next to main restaurant for more intimate dining, when you're traveling with your children, as we were, they want the action that comes from the cook making onion volcanos and catching chicken in his pocket. All-in-all, a fun and pricey experience for the entire family.
(4)
Oscar A.

Good food but way too expensive for sushi. Granted you are in a Hilton Hawaii resort. But they gouge the heck out of you. Dinner for 2 with 2 drinks $250. Also service not the friendliest
(3)
Jon N.

...was ok...one of those places you eat once and never talk about...wasn't good...wasn't bad...don't think I'll come back...overpriced!
(2)
Bill W.

While we stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort we dined at all of the available restaurants. Imari's food was adequate however the service was abominable. On multiple occasions I had to ask our waitress (I Mitsuko) what the issue was. Every course seemed to take forever,,, and we both like to "dine". Politely sounding my frustration, one of the managers did stop by and offered two complinentary drinks. Perhaps it was simply an off night, but it did ensure that we did not visit Imari again,, nor would I revisit in the future.
(2)
Lisa M.

At first we were disappointed as we missed being able to have the teppanyaki but we were not disappointed with our meal. I had the house salad which was good size and the ginger dressing oh so tasty, also the miso soup was good. I finished off with a sushi roll which was perfect. My husband had the special which was grilled fish with a spicy cream sauce drizzles in top and the best fried rice and stir fried veggies he's ever had. The waitress was so nice and efficient, she even brought us a special molten chocolate cake complimentary to celebrate our anniversary ;). To say the least we were quite pleased
(4)
Chase M.

Great food and service. YUM
(5)
Cecca M.

I highly recommend doing the teppanyaki. For your choice of meat, filet mignon is the BEST. I wasn't so thrilled about the stir fry vegetables... perhaps something more green? It does come with a really good salad. Regardless, the filet mignion was amazing! I had it with garlic rice. The food was delicious but what I was even more impressed with was the service. There is clearly a team work here. Everyone is super polite and friendly. The busser was very quick. Our waitress MJ was fantastic. It is not a ocean view but still a very nice atmosphere. I will definitely be back for more filet mignon!
(5)
Shannon E.

My husband and I try to have dinner here whenever we vacation in Waikoloa - partially for sentimental reasons but also just because we like it. I just read some of the negative reviews and I get why they gave Imari negative reviews (assuming that what they said actually happened that way). However, I personally have only had good experiences there. We were there over 4th of July weekend and brought our friends to try it. First of all I waa going to be really sad cause at first it looked like we weren't going to be able to eat there this trip since we had plans on Thursday and Saturday (they are normally closed Fridays and Sundays). I decided to call the hotel just to verify and was told that because it was a holiday weekend, they were going to open on Friday....yippee!! So I immediately made a reservation for teppanyaki. We got there right at our res time, but were told that the table wasn't ready yet. No problem, we were on vacation - so we had a drink in the bar area (which by the way I love because it'so cozy). After about 15 or 20 minutes, the hostess came in to check on us, apologize because the party at our table still hadn't left, and offered to take care of our first round of drinks. When we were escorted to our table 5 minutes later, the staff was very gracious and kept apologizing for the wait. Like I said, I can understand some of the negative reviews. We, however, had a great experience. Our servers spoke perfect English, were attentive and got our orders right. The chef also spoke well, was personable, and cooked everything perfectly. I should also note that my husband is a very picky eater and does not eat sushi, but he will eat the Imari Roll...I'm just saying. Now, with respect to the price. YES, it is expensive. YES, you are eating dinner at a RESORT IN HAWAII. If you think things are cheap at resorts in Hawaii (and just in general), then you haven't done your research. If you're a Hawaii resident make sure you show your ID for the kama'aina discount...any little bit helps. Thanks for another great dinner Imari. We will definitely be back!
(4)
Victoria C.

I came here against my better judgement (resort restaurant? They have you hostage. No need to make it passable), and tried to convince myself that maybe because the prices are ridiculously high, they might have good sashimi? And I'm in Hawaii so how can it be not good? What I got was thick-cut, chewy, partly stringy, tasted either partially defrosted or at least not freshest, overall underwhelming. I realized I would need some time away from sashimi altogether after this experience to try to remove the memory from my mind. Drinks are watery. Then the bill came and that made the experience even sadder.
(1)
Dallas C.

I don't write reviews but as I lay in bed trying to get the taste of what I can only assume was conveyor sushi out of my mouth, i feel sad for people who think this might be quality. Saying nothing of the price, this is a meal I would be in no hurry to repeat. We had three specially rolls and couldn't even finish them. Being from Portland, we don't leave unfinished sushi but today we called it quits with neither wanting to finish all of our $30 rolls. Maybe they have better food in steaks but I wanted sushi and got the equivalent of roller food.
(1)
Kelsi C.

Located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village, this Japanese restaurant is served teppanyaki style. Sushi is also served, along with other Japanese delicacies. For one thing, the restaurant from the outside looks absolutely gorgeous. Inside, it's still pretty, but it's very dark and the lighting leaves something to be desired. We came at around sunset for dinner, and we could barely see what was infront of us. Also, the teppanyaki chef who served us didn't really speak English well, so he wasn't able to help us. We got the steak, which is served to you teppanyaki style. It wasn't cooked the way we wanted it (we wanted medium well, we got medium rare). Also, we were served SO MANY ONIONS. There were more onions than there was meat. The food also takes forever to get out to you, which isn't good, especially for a restaurant where well, cooking time isn't factored into the ETA. Our server also didn't speak English well, and it was HARD to communicate with her. She even started getting frustrated with us for not being able to speak to her properly. Well, SORRY! I understand this is a Japanese restaurant, but please hire people who can speak decent English! As for the dessert, it was nicely plated. I got the chocolate lava cake which was SO sweet and decadent. I could feel my teeth rot as I ate it. I actually ended up eating more of the fruit the dessert was garnished with. The price is horrendous. For the quality of food and service, our bill was ridiculously high. You're probably charged for the ambience. However, if you're willing to make a drive (as this the Waikoloa IS in the middle of nowhere) to another Japanese restaurant, then you should do so. This place isn't worth it for anything more than taking a pretty picture.
(2)
Carol S.

Please know that the menu which is posted on their website is not the same menu you will get at the restaurant. Our food was mediocre. The location is isolated and depressing. The drinks are overpriced, but the service was good. That's the best I can say about Imari.
(2)
Ravi K.

Had dinner here with my wife last night, as we're staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. I must say that the Hilton does their best to keep you on the property with plenty of [over-priced] restaurants. My wife ordered the vegetarian teppan meal, and I ordered the rib-eye. The food was decent, and the meat was pretty tender and cooked well, albeit that I probably received a plate full of rib-eye. Additionally, the garlic fried rice could have used some fried egg and some veggies. After a couple drinks, our bill was close to $160, which seems a bit excessive given that my wife had veggies and tofu. I wasn't blown away with the flavors and quality of the food, and all in all, probably wouldn't eat here again. We just felt like teppan, it was the closest restaurant to our hotel room, and we had a 2.5 hour window while my mother in law watched our kids :-)) Don't go here with small children. Otherwise, you'll still pay $45-50 per meal for them too.
(3)
Pearl N.

It's just mediocre. My husband and I came here on our honeymoon, service is great but food is nothing special. We had to send back his steak 2x before we just accepted it, rolls were decent but again nothing special. Considering the prices and food it's not somewhere we'd visit again.
(2)
Jonathon R.

The girlfriend and I are both huge sushi fans, and so we decided to come here for our anniversary dinner since we were already staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. We ordered the Rolls Royce roll, Green Sand beach roll, Lava tube roll, and Volcanic eruption roll. The customer service was mediocre. We had a reservation for 7:30 pm and arrived promptly, however it still took us 30 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated it took forever for the waiter to to make it to our table. By the time he arrived we had decided on both drinks and dinner. Once he took our order he came back 5 minutes later to ask us to repeat it. The wait for the food was a little long, but not too bad. However once we finished our meal, we could not seem to get his attention to bring us the check. We waited so long I had to go up to the hostesses and ask them to just take my card and pay there. My girlfriend and I both eat quite a bit of sushi and felt the quality of the food was great. The fish not only tasted EXTREMELY fresh, but the rolls had a great combination of flavors and textures. Our favorite was the Volcanic Eruption roll which employed just enough spice to not over power the flavor of the fish. As the saying goes, you eat first with your eyes and let me tell you, our eyes were not disappointed. The rolls were quite beautifully garnished. The prices were over the top, however it is located inside the resort so that's to be expected. The restaurant itself also had quite a beautiful interior as well as being surrounded by lush Japanese garden, including a koi pond. If you're looking to save a few bucks on dinner try heading over to a restaurant at King's or Queen's court. d.
(3)
Kristy S.

We had a delicious meal, contrary to what other reviewers have said...and as many if you know, I am one picky b---h! We each had the scallop Teppanyaki, which comes with onions, mushrooms and zucchini (would have referred more 'shrooms and zuccs, and less oil and onions!), rice (we did the garlic fried for a small upcharge) and a generous amount of scallops. Too much oil used on the veggies, but otherwise delish! Of course, you get the table-side "show" from the "chef"...which can be fun if you are into that sort of thing. We also shared a spider roll (tasty) and each had an order of yellowtail (wild, fresh). Was it expensive - yes. You are in Waikoloa, in an overpriced resort...it is par for the course. Service is so-so on the speed, but all are very friendly, from the time you walk in the door, until the time you leave. If you are cool with that - go for it!
(3)
Jonathan A.

It's really disappointing that Imari has gone downhill so much over the years. We used to love coming here when we stayed at the Hilton and now it seems more like a factory to separate you from your money and get you out the door. The teppan chef was all about business and not fun, waitress barely smiled, and the bartender acted like it was a huge burden to serve us even though we were the only four people in the bar. Food was decent but not good enough to justify $100 per person by a mile. All told, we had two regular meals, two kid meals, and three drinks. $320. For that kind of money, you should be impressed and I was not. I recommend re-training the entire staff.
(2)
Adam A.

My first really bad Yelp review. The fish wasn't fresh at all, the flavors left a LOT to be desired, and we were eaten alive by mosquitos the whole time due to the open air atmosphere right next to a stagnant pond. YUCK.
(1)
Billy K.

I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED. I mean.... the place was so nice. I felt like I was transformed into Japan in a Japanese restaurant. It was lovely with the surrounding water lilies and the atmosphere was very beautiful. I can't say the same for the service and the lackluster food. The service was sooo slow. I guess our waiter was busy taking a crap or something because she was as slow as a snail. Our food took forever to come out despite the fact that it wasn't even crowded at all. After waiting for the food.. It came out and it was.... well maybe not terrible.. It just wasn't good. The prices were decently steep and the food did not live up to it. We ordered tempura appetizer, then some scallops, fish, and steak. I expected so much considering the atmosphere and location but what a huge let down.
(2)
Gaye G.

I took my husband here for his birthday. I had heard this was the best Japanese food on the Island - if this is true then I hate to see what else the Island has to offer. My husband loves teppanyaki but this was no where close to what we have had in other restaurants. The cook barely took note of anyone at the table, no attempt was made to include the guests in the preparation of the meal. Our food was mostly tasteless. I had scallops which were not sweet as most fresh scallops are. The vegetables were mostly onion with the bean sprouts cooked way after everything else. I ordered a oyster appetizer that was dry and flavorless. In the entire meal the only thing that had any flavor was the dipping sauce. One glass of sake, one appetizer, two teppanyaki and one desert served with little ambiance cost over $100.00. We won't be back.
(2)
Geo T.

Slow service. Big prices. Seem to have only one chef. We had the teppan meal. The steak and lobster was great. The sauces were best of breed. Service got better as the crowd thinned. Their sake was overpriced but certainly good enough.
(3)
Mimi D.

This Japanese restaurant is set in the middle of koi and lilly pond. The ambiance is chic, the servers wear kimonos and they will charge you $17 for 4 teeny pieces of raw fish. It's good, but this isn't Nobu. This place is good if you don't mind shelling out a ton of cash for very little food. The presentation is cute, but once again it's not Nobu or Katsuya or any other fancy LA place. It just happens to be the only Japanese place in this hotel. They can charge you a ton since you will be too lazy to leave this place to get food after sightseeing all day. It's not bad, but it makes you want to go to the supermarket across the street for the packaged sushi to fill you up.
(2)
Brian S.

The venue is wonderful but the service is really lacking. Food is decent but not what you would expect for the price or location. Just ok and over priced. I would not go here again.
(3)

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Address : 425 Waikoloa Beach Dr
Waikoloa, HI, 96738
Phone (808) 886-1234
Website https://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/dining/imari
Click To Get Directions

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 : Valet, Validated
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Touristy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Imari

425 Waikoloa Beach Dr, Waikoloa, HI, 96738

Imari Menu

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