Amazing salad with their homemade in house pickled vegetables in the salad mix plus edible flowers that were so great!! Lots of options and focus on local farmers for fresh fusion dishes. Sorbet was dairy free and delicious as well. Really impressed!!
Went back two days later and got the cauliflower curry. Amazing!! They have several vegetarian and vegan options and are happy to modify as dirt requires!!!
Updated from previous review on 2025-02-24
Connie Wheeler
We eat out often and are longtime Kauai visitors and past residents. This was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had! Stellar cuisine, serene and stylish interior, amazing, friendly and professional front-of-the-house team (thanks Nicole!). So nice to have a chef we remember at another fine dining establishment at the top again here. 1JO2 sits in the corner of a small Kapaa strip mall - seek it out, make a reservation, and you will not be disappointed. We ate here two nights in a row and wished for more! Connie and David Wheeler, Whidbey Island - Washington
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Small Plates, Seared Kona Kampachi, Green Bean Tempura, Local Kampachi Uku Ceviche
Jay Shipley
Amazing food in an intimate atmosphere. The scallop ravioli alone is worth it but everything we had was great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Small Plates, Poached Scallop Ravioli
Justin Amato
Was recommended this place and very disappointed in how salty the food was. It was basically inedible with how much salt was in each dish and very expensive for the area considering Kapa is suppose to be more budget friendly. So many other better food places, I would not recommend. Waiter was nice, but also was pushing for me to order more things which was strange
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Joseph Haas
Phenomenal food, excellent service, fantastic meal. parking lot is a bit small.
JO2 is one to avoid, for sure, unless the kitchen quality improves tremendously! Everything we had this evening was inedible, alas! We even left our boxed leftovers behind. The staff were very apologetic and so kind we tipped regardless. I ordered the Seared Hunan Rack Of Lamb, though the seemingly microwaved rubber meat that arrived was the most lackluster chunks of lukewarm, flavorless gum imaginable. It was very kind of the staff to offer striking it from the check - I appreciated that! A lot of other recent critical feedback here on Google was validated by my experience also. Here's best hopes improvements are on the way!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Neha M
:-/ I really wanted to like jo2. They have a fun inventive menu, but failed on the execution. The primary flavors were grease, and salt. My husband's lamb and my Ono were dry and tough. My grilled octopus was cooked to perfection but over salted, the pesto had no flavor. Korean fried Chicken, needed more grease according to my son, cuz it was too dry. He filled up on the rice. The kids pasta was really nice and moist though. The duck confit salad... I don't know what it was?!! The pork pappradelle dish was flavorless, oversalted and greasy. Like yesterday's refried pasta. The 'rum away' Cocktail had so much ice and so little flavor. I really did want to like jo2. ?
I'm not going to address the lack of air conditioning, the flies or the dried booger on the stained dirty walls.
(They did not charge us for the dishes that we absolutely could not eat and sent back. The staff was very gracious. Our bill for four still ended up being $160 plus 20% tip.)
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Tana Nilchaikovit
Jo 2 Natural cuisine is a place that is as close to "fine dinimg with local cusine. They do a good job and the food dont' become confusion food as we often find in many fusion restaurant. The food is fresh and not too creamy or too rich. It is the place to go for a special meal in Kauai.
.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Ahi Kampachi Tartar j02 Style, Grilled Octopus Mushroom Risotto, Small Plates, Seared Kona Kampachi
Joanne Thompson
The chef is impeccable with the taste and presentation of every dish. All of the ingredients are fresh, colorful and full of flavor. JO2 staff are friendly, attentive and personable. There is a wide array of Pacific Cuisine at its best. We always enjoy ordering several of the savory appetizers to start off our dinning adventure. Highly recommended if you looking for a wonderful dinning experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Abigail Kirkpatrick
Gorgeous and artistic Asian fusion cuisine. We ordered many plates to share: honeycomb salad, scallop ravioli, lobster fettuccine, scallop risotto, and tuna tartare. We paired these with a Sauvignon Blanc. All were delicious!
Food is delicious. It's a 4 because of the price. Very expensive. It's a fun date night experience. We did the early bird dinner so it was a little cheaper. It's obvious they use fresh, high quality ingredients and have interesting flavor combinations. They seem to be hit or miss, most are delicious but a couple were underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
carla paloma
Wonderful dinner. Big portions. 4th time here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carole Zoom
Lovely quiet restaurant with inventive and tasty small plates to share and larger dinner meals. Tempura green beans with a spicy sauce were tender and delicious. Beet salad with greens and herbed goats cheese was filling and balanced. Fried chicken with crispy skin and salty batter, ahi grilled perfectly over noodles. The scallop ravioli was delicate and balanced. Excellent deconstructed banana cream pie dessert. Left feeling pleasantly full, server did an awesome job.
Amazing salad with their homemade in house pickled vegetables in the salad mix plus edible flowers that were so great!! Lots of options and focus on local farmers for fresh fusion dishes. Sorbet was dairy free and delicious as well. Really impressed!! Went back two days later and got the cauliflower curry. Amazing!! They have several vegetarian and vegan options and are happy to modify as dirt requires!!! Updated from previous review on 2025-02-24
We eat out often and are longtime Kauai visitors and past residents. This was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had! Stellar cuisine, serene and stylish interior, amazing, friendly and professional front-of-the-house team (thanks Nicole!). So nice to have a chef we remember at another fine dining establishment at the top again here. 1JO2 sits in the corner of a small Kapaa strip mall - seek it out, make a reservation, and you will not be disappointed. We ate here two nights in a row and wished for more! Connie and David Wheeler, Whidbey Island - Washington
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Small Plates, Seared Kona Kampachi, Green Bean Tempura, Local Kampachi Uku Ceviche
Amazing food in an intimate atmosphere. The scallop ravioli alone is worth it but everything we had was great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Small Plates, Poached Scallop Ravioli
Was recommended this place and very disappointed in how salty the food was. It was basically inedible with how much salt was in each dish and very expensive for the area considering Kapa is suppose to be more budget friendly. So many other better food places, I would not recommend. Waiter was nice, but also was pushing for me to order more things which was strange
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Phenomenal food, excellent service, fantastic meal. parking lot is a bit small.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carrot Ravioli, Grilled Octopus Mushroom Risotto, Beef Cheeks, Slow Braised Beef Cheek, Hamachi Sashimi Ponzu Avocado Mousse
JO2 is one to avoid, for sure, unless the kitchen quality improves tremendously! Everything we had this evening was inedible, alas! We even left our boxed leftovers behind. The staff were very apologetic and so kind we tipped regardless. I ordered the Seared Hunan Rack Of Lamb, though the seemingly microwaved rubber meat that arrived was the most lackluster chunks of lukewarm, flavorless gum imaginable. It was very kind of the staff to offer striking it from the check - I appreciated that! A lot of other recent critical feedback here on Google was validated by my experience also. Here's best hopes improvements are on the way!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
:-/ I really wanted to like jo2. They have a fun inventive menu, but failed on the execution. The primary flavors were grease, and salt. My husband's lamb and my Ono were dry and tough. My grilled octopus was cooked to perfection but over salted, the pesto had no flavor. Korean fried Chicken, needed more grease according to my son, cuz it was too dry. He filled up on the rice. The kids pasta was really nice and moist though. The duck confit salad... I don't know what it was?!! The pork pappradelle dish was flavorless, oversalted and greasy. Like yesterday's refried pasta.
The 'rum away' Cocktail had so much ice and so little flavor.
I really did want to like jo2. ?
I'm not going to address the lack of air conditioning, the flies or the dried booger on the stained dirty walls.
(They did not charge us for the dishes that we absolutely could not eat and sent back. The staff was very gracious. Our bill for four still ended up being $160 plus 20% tip.)
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Jo 2 Natural cuisine is a place that is as close to "fine dinimg with local cusine. They do a good job and the food dont' become confusion food as we often find in many fusion restaurant. The food is fresh and not too creamy or too rich. It is the place to go for a special meal in Kauai.
.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Ahi Kampachi Tartar j02 Style, Grilled Octopus Mushroom Risotto, Small Plates, Seared Kona Kampachi
The chef is impeccable with the taste and presentation of every dish. All of the ingredients are fresh, colorful and full of flavor. JO2 staff are friendly, attentive and personable. There is a wide array of Pacific Cuisine at its best. We always enjoy ordering several of the savory appetizers to start off our dinning adventure. Highly recommended if you looking for a wonderful dinning experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gorgeous and artistic Asian fusion cuisine. We ordered many plates to share: honeycomb salad, scallop ravioli, lobster fettuccine, scallop risotto, and tuna tartare. We paired these with a Sauvignon Blanc. All were delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Absolutely mediocre. Sorry so disappointing
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 5
Food is delicious. It's a 4 because of the price. Very expensive. It's a fun date night experience. We did the early bird dinner so it was a little cheaper. It's obvious they use fresh, high quality ingredients and have interesting flavor combinations. They seem to be hit or miss, most are delicious but a couple were underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Wonderful dinner. Big portions.
4th time here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely quiet restaurant with inventive and tasty small plates to share and larger dinner meals. Tempura green beans with a spicy sauce were tender and delicious. Beet salad with greens and herbed goats cheese was filling and balanced. Fried chicken with crispy skin and salty batter, ahi grilled perfectly over noodles. The scallop ravioli was delicate and balanced. Excellent deconstructed banana cream pie dessert. Left feeling pleasantly full, server did an awesome job.
Wheelchair accessibility: Barrier free entry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallop Ravioli Yuzu Butter Sauce Tobiko, Fried Chicken, Small Plates, Tempura, Salad
Sensational food by a very accomplished chef. Could not have celebrated my birthday in a better place in Kauai.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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