As usual the food and service was wonderful. My review is about a circumstance that happened at the Ala Moana restaurant last night towards the end of our dinner. The Host at the front door was done for the evening and went home. No one at the Restaurant was paying attention to the entry. My young niece, who is a minor, was in the ladies room. A female maybe in her 20's that was obviously behaving very stranger (I could tell she was tweaking) walks thru the restaurant and in to the ladies room. She corners my niece and would not let her out of the ladies room and was talking nonsense about how it smelled like cheese. Finally my niece go the courage to push past the drugged out girl and exited to our table. She was clearly upset and crying. I walked up to some staff towards the front and they were totally unaware someone walked in through their restaurant and was acting erratic. This is when the drugged out girl exited and left without incident.
Jacqueline Phillips
I normally order a veal dish but our server told us they've had a problem getting veal so that was disappointing. Everyone else (5 others) was totally happy with their food. One of my daughters and I split a Caesars salad and it was excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
L T.
My parents love Assaggio and requested we hold their anniversary dinner there. We'd had better experiences in the past, but this felt like the staff forgot the restaurant was open and weren't ready. They had the bright overhead cleaning lights and loud music on, maybe what they used when setting up? We couldn't find a light switch and it took a while before they turned down the lights and music The lead server was excellent and all the staff were nice but if felt like a lot of them were new and not taught yet. Thankfully, our family is low-maintenance, and they enjoyed, but it was noisy as a corner chop suey house. A couple of days after the party, my cousin sent me a screenshot of an article showing Ala Moana Assaggio got a Yellow Placard from the Department of Health. Maybe it was an off day, and my parents still rave about Assaggio.
Amber L.
The best Italian Restaurant in Hawaii, if you want great food and a great atmosphere then this is the place to eat.
Joyce L.
I haven't been to Assaggio's in a long time. My friend and I decided to dine here on a Saturday for dinner. It was definitely a slow night. I reserved a table by calling them. No online or Open Table booking is available. I got the small portion clam with white sauce pasta and my friend got the fish of the day with veggies with caper sauce. Both were good with generous portion. The house sour dough like bread was dense but good. It was one of those experience where there were more staff than diners so we were quickly served and kind of felt rushed out of there even though it wasn't busy. Even though this place has been here forever, everything seemed organized and clean. This maybe a good place if you have a big group.
Virginia S.
Food is excellent and our server, Dottie, was terrific. The ambience is nice. Parking at Ala Moana Shopping Center is easy IF it's not around the holidays. I had the chicken and shrimp basil with angel hair pasta. I would definitely go back there.
Nicole Wang
Visited twice. Food was just okay. So many foods taste way too light even tho they look quite delicious. Pasta, linguine always seem to missing sth while the cannolli is very disappointing, crust not crispy and inside no aroma, very unusual cannolli . The liquor and expresso inside the tiramisu is relatively too plain. The mozzarella, balsamic of the Carpresse salad taste no aroma at all...The bread before meal is way too casual, not even with standard quality.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
M T.
The service was fine as well as the atmosphere. But the food was not good. My pasta was undercooked and my shrimp was overcooked and dry. The Caesar salad was not prepped at the table as the menu suggested and was over dressed without the anchovies. I barely ate any food except the dinner rolls which were good.
Sharon P.
Dined here for the first time although I live within 2 blocks and am always eating out. I don't know why I have avoided it for so long, but after friends of ours endorsed it saying that it was good Italian and perhaps the best Italian on the island the family decided to give it a go. I thought the place would be jammed on a Friday for lunch around noon, but it was wide open and we were seated immediately. We asked to move one table over so that the aisle seat was further out of the walkway. The banquette that we were seated at against the wall was comfy but too low so we must have looked like toddlers at the grown up table when the food came. We had all the usual suspects that we are known to eat at Italian restaurants, Chicken Marsala, Veal Piccata and Chicken Parm. All were good, but I think I liked the Marsala the best as the sauce was very balanced and with a squeeze of a borrowed lemon the tart was able to freshen up the richness of the Marsala wine sauce. Chicken was crispy but not dry and the pasta was al dente. Of course the hot bread and butter was the best thing. I seldom eat bread, but I could have had a second helping easily and overheard the table next to us asking for another basket of bread. Their unsalted butter is excellent as well. Was very satisfied with the entire experience, the table, the servers, the food, the timing and the price was reasonable for the ambiance, service and food quality. Will we return? Yes--can't wait and will be back in a few days and can't wait. I want to try the Caesar Salad as that is a huge favorite of mine.
Kara O.
Terrible. They don't know what is real Italian is. First time in my life I saw the clams without shells in the Vongole!!
I'll admit, I was a bit nervous to eat here again (I got sick last April, when I dined here for the first time,) but boy am I glad that I gave this restaurant another chance. Made a reservation for 3 people at 12:30, and was able to be seated as soon as we arrived. Right from the get go, the service was excellent--host asked if we wanted to wait to be seated since we arrived early, but we were all starving so of course we didn't want any delays lol. Once seated, it didn't take long for our water glasses to be filled and their famous bread and butter to be brought out. We really tried our best to not eat all the bread, but we couldn't help ourselves. We ordered 2 small veal alla piccata, a small chicken marsala, tartufo, and tiramisu. Everything was absolutely delicious. I learned from the last time not to get the fettuccine alfredo, which honestly didn't taste that great. The veal had some tough areas, but overall the meat was quite tender and delicious. I think my favorite main entree was the chicken marsala--chicken was nice and crispy and the sauce was amazing. This wasn't my main dish, but I was able to snag a bite. Sharing is caring. My experience this time was so much better than last April, regarding food and service. Our server was clearly very professional and the other staff members who helped drop off our food and remove our empty plates from the table were all very friendly and courteous. I will definitely be returning for lunch. Highly recommend to anyone in the Ala Moana area.
Jackie K.
An early birthday lunch for my daughter brought us here. It's been years since we last ate at the Assaggio Ristorante located in the Ala Moana Shopping Center. We had reservations and we were seated right away. Our server was very nice and courteous. He gave us time to review the menu and informed us of the daily specials. Hot fresh bread was served with butter. Our glasses of water and ice tea were refilled without our asking. Used dishes were cleared and replaced. The restaurant atmosphere was elegant and simple. Colorful art pieces are displayed throughout the restaurant. The lunch crowd filled the place. Our order was taken and served timely. Our choices: Special of the day: Chicken and Bay Shrimp Del Verde. 4 out of 5 stars. Very tasty and flavorful. Calamari Legs. 4 out of 5 stars. Not oily tasting. Tender to chew and coating was crisp. Served hot with a tartar sauce. Rigatoni Allá Ricotta-Choice of rigatoni tossed with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce with Italian sausage. Very large serving size. Leftovers of sausage. 4 out of 5 stars. Our server provided a birthday treat of the mud ice cream pie that my daughter enjoyed. 5 out of 5 stars. We tried the spumoni ice cream. The spumoni ice cream was interesting in flavor, with bits of fruit and nuts. 3 out of 5 stars.
Richard H.
Assagios at Ala Moana is a great to place to enjoy a nice meal at reasonable prices. There is a wide selection of pasta dishes that would satisfy one's taste. If you lake to have a nice ceaser salad with your meal this place has it with table side preparation. Ask for Jason or Tina's tables to serve you when you go there as their service and ceaser preparation is great. The restaurant is always presentable for their guests as they have adequate staffing to clear tables and set up for the next guest to to be catered to Great location and adequate parking for patrons
T C
Good tasting food, the restaurant was packed for a reason…and forgot to mention the service was great also…
Nadishka Boo
I love eating at assagio, their potatoes is to die for.
As usual the food and service was wonderful. My review is about a circumstance that happened at the Ala Moana restaurant last night towards the end of our dinner. The Host at the front door was done for the evening and went home. No one at the Restaurant was paying attention to the entry. My young niece, who is a minor, was in the ladies room. A female maybe in her 20's that was obviously behaving very stranger (I could tell she was tweaking) walks thru the restaurant and in to the ladies room. She corners my niece and would not let her out of the ladies room and was talking nonsense about how it smelled like cheese. Finally my niece go the courage to push past the drugged out girl and exited to our table. She was clearly upset and crying. I walked up to some staff towards the front and they were totally unaware someone walked in through their restaurant and was acting erratic. This is when the drugged out girl exited and left without incident.
I normally order a veal dish but our server told us they've had a problem getting veal so that was disappointing. Everyone else (5 others) was totally happy with their food. One of my daughters and I split a Caesars salad and it was excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
My parents love Assaggio and requested we hold their anniversary dinner there. We'd had better experiences in the past, but this felt like the staff forgot the restaurant was open and weren't ready. They had the bright overhead cleaning lights and loud music on, maybe what they used when setting up? We couldn't find a light switch and it took a while before they turned down the lights and music The lead server was excellent and all the staff were nice but if felt like a lot of them were new and not taught yet. Thankfully, our family is low-maintenance, and they enjoyed, but it was noisy as a corner chop suey house. A couple of days after the party, my cousin sent me a screenshot of an article showing Ala Moana Assaggio got a Yellow Placard from the Department of Health. Maybe it was an off day, and my parents still rave about Assaggio.
The best Italian Restaurant in Hawaii, if you want great food and a great atmosphere then this is the place to eat.
I haven't been to Assaggio's in a long time. My friend and I decided to dine here on a Saturday for dinner. It was definitely a slow night. I reserved a table by calling them. No online or Open Table booking is available. I got the small portion clam with white sauce pasta and my friend got the fish of the day with veggies with caper sauce. Both were good with generous portion. The house sour dough like bread was dense but good. It was one of those experience where there were more staff than diners so we were quickly served and kind of felt rushed out of there even though it wasn't busy. Even though this place has been here forever, everything seemed organized and clean. This maybe a good place if you have a big group.
Food is excellent and our server, Dottie, was terrific. The ambience is nice. Parking at Ala Moana Shopping Center is easy IF it's not around the holidays. I had the chicken and shrimp basil with angel hair pasta. I would definitely go back there.
Visited twice. Food was just okay. So many foods taste way too light even tho they look quite delicious. Pasta, linguine always seem to missing sth while the cannolli is very disappointing, crust not crispy and inside no aroma, very unusual cannolli . The liquor and expresso inside the tiramisu is relatively too plain. The mozzarella, balsamic of the Carpresse salad taste no aroma at all...The bread before meal is way too casual, not even with standard quality.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
The service was fine as well as the atmosphere. But the food was not good. My pasta was undercooked and my shrimp was overcooked and dry. The Caesar salad was not prepped at the table as the menu suggested and was over dressed without the anchovies. I barely ate any food except the dinner rolls which were good.
Dined here for the first time although I live within 2 blocks and am always eating out. I don't know why I have avoided it for so long, but after friends of ours endorsed it saying that it was good Italian and perhaps the best Italian on the island the family decided to give it a go. I thought the place would be jammed on a Friday for lunch around noon, but it was wide open and we were seated immediately. We asked to move one table over so that the aisle seat was further out of the walkway. The banquette that we were seated at against the wall was comfy but too low so we must have looked like toddlers at the grown up table when the food came. We had all the usual suspects that we are known to eat at Italian restaurants, Chicken Marsala, Veal Piccata and Chicken Parm. All were good, but I think I liked the Marsala the best as the sauce was very balanced and with a squeeze of a borrowed lemon the tart was able to freshen up the richness of the Marsala wine sauce. Chicken was crispy but not dry and the pasta was al dente. Of course the hot bread and butter was the best thing. I seldom eat bread, but I could have had a second helping easily and overheard the table next to us asking for another basket of bread. Their unsalted butter is excellent as well. Was very satisfied with the entire experience, the table, the servers, the food, the timing and the price was reasonable for the ambiance, service and food quality. Will we return? Yes--can't wait and will be back in a few days and can't wait. I want to try the Caesar Salad as that is a huge favorite of mine.
Terrible. They don't know what is real Italian is. First time in my life I saw the clams without shells in the Vongole!!
Restaurantji Recommends
I'll admit, I was a bit nervous to eat here again (I got sick last April, when I dined here for the first time,) but boy am I glad that I gave this restaurant another chance. Made a reservation for 3 people at 12:30, and was able to be seated as soon as we arrived. Right from the get go, the service was excellent--host asked if we wanted to wait to be seated since we arrived early, but we were all starving so of course we didn't want any delays lol. Once seated, it didn't take long for our water glasses to be filled and their famous bread and butter to be brought out. We really tried our best to not eat all the bread, but we couldn't help ourselves. We ordered 2 small veal alla piccata, a small chicken marsala, tartufo, and tiramisu. Everything was absolutely delicious. I learned from the last time not to get the fettuccine alfredo, which honestly didn't taste that great. The veal had some tough areas, but overall the meat was quite tender and delicious. I think my favorite main entree was the chicken marsala--chicken was nice and crispy and the sauce was amazing. This wasn't my main dish, but I was able to snag a bite. Sharing is caring. My experience this time was so much better than last April, regarding food and service. Our server was clearly very professional and the other staff members who helped drop off our food and remove our empty plates from the table were all very friendly and courteous. I will definitely be returning for lunch. Highly recommend to anyone in the Ala Moana area.
An early birthday lunch for my daughter brought us here. It's been years since we last ate at the Assaggio Ristorante located in the Ala Moana Shopping Center. We had reservations and we were seated right away. Our server was very nice and courteous. He gave us time to review the menu and informed us of the daily specials. Hot fresh bread was served with butter. Our glasses of water and ice tea were refilled without our asking. Used dishes were cleared and replaced. The restaurant atmosphere was elegant and simple. Colorful art pieces are displayed throughout the restaurant. The lunch crowd filled the place. Our order was taken and served timely. Our choices: Special of the day: Chicken and Bay Shrimp Del Verde. 4 out of 5 stars. Very tasty and flavorful. Calamari Legs. 4 out of 5 stars. Not oily tasting. Tender to chew and coating was crisp. Served hot with a tartar sauce. Rigatoni Allá Ricotta-Choice of rigatoni tossed with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce with Italian sausage. Very large serving size. Leftovers of sausage. 4 out of 5 stars. Our server provided a birthday treat of the mud ice cream pie that my daughter enjoyed. 5 out of 5 stars. We tried the spumoni ice cream. The spumoni ice cream was interesting in flavor, with bits of fruit and nuts. 3 out of 5 stars.
Assagios at Ala Moana is a great to place to enjoy a nice meal at reasonable prices. There is a wide selection of pasta dishes that would satisfy one's taste. If you lake to have a nice ceaser salad with your meal this place has it with table side preparation. Ask for Jason or Tina's tables to serve you when you go there as their service and ceaser preparation is great. The restaurant is always presentable for their guests as they have adequate staffing to clear tables and set up for the next guest to to be catered to Great location and adequate parking for patrons
Good tasting food, the restaurant was packed for a reason…and forgot to mention the service was great also…
I love eating at assagio, their potatoes is to die for.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3