This place used to be stellar, then it was closed for awhile, and then it came back with new staff. The food got extremely greasy. The singapore noodles used to be sooooooo flavorful. The crab rangoon used to be perfect, now it's cooked too long, all brown and hard. The people running it are super nice, but the recipes seem to have changed....tried to get tofu to replace some meat in a dish and even asking for extra that we'd pay for, there were 8 little cubes. We're so sad, this used to be our go to place every single weekend. The previous Roasted Duck was just to die for.
Luke K
Orange chicken is the best I've ever had, the friend rice is great, and the musibi selection is amazing. A must go if you're in the area. 10/10
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Orange Chicken
Stephen R
This is a new place, about 1 year old. A highlight is the delightful waiter/cashier who is smiles, positive vibes, and sets a nice ambiance. The place seems to be built in an old filling station building, but the dining area is new, bright, airy and sparkling clean - 6 tables I believe. The menu list is enormous. The formula (from several samples) is a very generous portion of a protein, such as pieces of fried chicken, or fish, served in a styrofoam basket (a lot of business is takeout) with several large scoops of white rice and/or macaroni salad. Neither of us could finish our servings. I found it a little disconcerting that the meal was so simple, they don't seem to have things that are more complex such as sauces. Don't look for subtlety, just what is says, good quality and tasty. I advise ordering several items and sharing them rather than several orders of the same thing. Now for the fine print. There is one unisex restroom. To get there, you go out the front door and around right into an unremodeled garage area which looks somewhat threatening compared to the restaurant interior. There is a minimal size toilet "room". The good new is, it is in excellent condition and very clean. There is no sink in the toilet room. Going out from the toilet you turn right for another 10 feet to find an industrial style sink, perfectly fine with soap. I did not find a way to dry my hands, but maybe I missed it. If you are going to be offended by the toilet option, best go elsewhere. My rating is for the food, not the washroom. (One more point - "barbecued" here seems to mean cooked over a fire, but does not mean barbecue sauce.)
Aubrey O
the best orange chicken! also recommend the teriyaki beef and the honey walnut shrimp!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Orange Chicken
Ajaa T.
Great food. Best mac n salad I've had on this side of the island hands down! Very nice and friendly staff. We ordered salt and pepper pork and masubi. Both were tasty!
Rosemary R.
Really good shrimp fried rice for when you're feeling lazy about cooking a familyDinner, always a hit with the keikis
Dan Hickman
The food was fantastic. We had the rainbow meal for our family. For 45.00 bucks this place had the best bang for the buck and quality of any dinner or lunch place that we have eaten at. We do a 2 week Hawaii trip every year and have been to various islands.
Almost no flavor in everything that I tried EXCEPT their cheeseburger. It's the only thing I got that I liked. I used to have to come here to get lunch because it was the only thing in walking distance that didn't have a long wait. The last straw was when we came here and my bf had a caterpillar in one of the bok choy leaves in his saimin. GROSS
ming
Very good fried chicken legs, there is no second place
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Casey Swann
(Back story, please skip if you just want recs): My husband and I are staying at the Hilton resort at Waikoloa beach. Now, it’s amazing, don’t get me wrong, but we bought a 12” pizza and a mediocre pasta for $90+ last night. Plus, we’re not really resort people and both grad students (the only way we could stay here was a very generous gift from my father in law), so we decided we needed to travel away from the resort to get some type of Asian-Hawaiian food (because weirdly there is not one Asian eatery at this hotel).Food: This place came highly recommended, but my god were we blown away. We LOVE any type of East Asian cuisine, and this did not disappoint. We ordered a ton to just eat for the next few days: Mahi mahi misubi; seafood combo with chicken katsu; crab Rangoon; house fried rice; Singapore noodles; and Aloha Sai mein. The protein is unbelievably tender and well-seasoned in all the dishes. This was genuinely the best fried rice and Singapore noodles I’ve ever had. Crab Rangoon was really good and less sweet than crab rangoon I’ve had on the mainland. Aloha Sai mein broth had the flavor of wonton soup with amazing bbq chicken. (Sai mein is kind of like ramen.) The misubi is DELICIOUS and quite filling. We got 4, but that was probably overkill. Prices were very reasonable given the amount of food you get!Service: first of all, the nicest people run this place. We ordered our food in two batches (first to eat there and second to take back to the hotel). Both came out very quickly, and the woman at the counter brought both out to us at our picnic table, explained everything we got, and made sure we had a secure handle on the very heavy bag of takeout.Ambiance: Low-key and down-to-earth (pretty much the opposite of resort life). It is not fancy by any means, but it’s comfortable, and there are tables outside and under cover.10/10 would recommend if you want to get off the beaten, touristy, over-priced path of the west side of the big island.Parking: Not super busy when we went, but we easily found a spot
With being a student at Kohala High School and being right next door Rainbow Cafe is the place. Right after school, most of us students love going to Rainbows and go for the great grindz. At Rainbows, they offer a variety of food like Chinese, Hawaiian, Vietnamese, and mostly food locals like. They prices are great which they range from 5 to 20 dollars per plate. Rainbows also offers catering with price ranges of 40 to 120 dollars for small, medium, and large pans.Parking: With Kohala being small, it offers a small parking but it does work out
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Chicken, BBQ Chicken Burger, Crab Rangoon, Burger Combo, Orange Chicken, Seafood, Kalua Pork Mini Size Order, Mix Bar B Q Meats, Crispy Ginger Chicken
Casey S.
(Back story, please skip if you just want recs): My husband and I are staying at the Hilton resort at Waikoloa beach. Now, it's amazing, don't get me wrong, but we bought a 12" pizza and a mediocre pasta for $90+ last night. Plus, we're not really resort people and both grad students (the only way we could stay here was a very generous gift from my father in law), so we decided we needed to travel away from the resort to get some type of Asian-Hawaiian food (because weirdly there is not one Asian eatery at this hotel).Food: This place came highly recommended, but my god were we blown away. We LOVE any type of East Asian cuisine, and this did not disappoint. We ordered a ton to just eat for the next few days: Mahi mahi misubi; seafood combo with chicken katsu; crab Rangoon; house fried rice; Singapore noodles; and Aloha Sai mein. The protein is unbelievably tender and well-seasoned in all the dishes. This was genuinely the best fried rice and Singapore noodles I've ever had. Crab Rangoon was really good and less sweet than crab rangoon I've had on the mainland. Aloha Sai mein broth had the flavor of wonton soup with amazing bbq chicken. (Sai mein is kind of like ramen.) The misubi is DELICIOUS and quite filling. We got 4, but that was probably overkill. Prices were very reasonable given the amount of food you get!Service: first of all, the nicest people run this place. We ordered our food in two batches (first to eat there and second to take back to the hotel). Both came out very quickly, and the woman at the counter brought both out to us at our picnic table, explained everything we got, and made sure we had a secure handle on the very heavy bag of takeout.Ambiance: Low-key and down-to-earth (pretty much the opposite of resort life). It is not fancy by any means, but it's comfortable, and there are tables outside and under cover. 10/10 would recommend if you want to get off the beaten, touristy, over-priced path of the west side of the big island.
Mark L.
Large selection of yummy Chinese food! Friendly and fast! Happy to have on the island!
Tom M
Small unpretentious clean place, it was a grocery store converted to a takeout/sit-down restaurant. If you're in search of a swanky restaurant, then keep moving. If you're looking for decent seafood and Asian fare, then this is the place. Prices are very reasonable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Susan Crotty
Underwhelmed- thought we’d try the Hawaiian traditional loco moco. I think it is likely way better than what they served as everything felt warmed up. Not super clean. We sat outside and it was subpar. I’d skip it next time and try really anywhere else.
This place used to be stellar, then it was closed for awhile, and then it came back with new staff. The food got extremely greasy. The singapore noodles used to be sooooooo flavorful. The crab rangoon used to be perfect, now it's cooked too long, all brown and hard. The people running it are super nice, but the recipes seem to have changed....tried to get tofu to replace some meat in a dish and even asking for extra that we'd pay for, there were 8 little cubes. We're so sad, this used to be our go to place every single weekend. The previous Roasted Duck was just to die for.
Orange chicken is the best I've ever had, the friend rice is great, and the musibi selection is amazing. A must go if you're in the area. 10/10
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Orange Chicken
This is a new place, about 1 year old. A highlight is the delightful waiter/cashier who is smiles, positive vibes, and sets a nice ambiance. The place seems to be built in an old filling station building, but the dining area is new, bright, airy and sparkling clean - 6 tables I believe. The menu list is enormous. The formula (from several samples) is a very generous portion of a protein, such as pieces of fried chicken, or fish, served in a styrofoam basket (a lot of business is takeout) with several large scoops of white rice and/or macaroni salad. Neither of us could finish our servings. I found it a little disconcerting that the meal was so simple, they don't seem to have things that are more complex such as sauces. Don't look for subtlety, just what is says, good quality and tasty. I advise ordering several items and sharing them rather than several orders of the same thing. Now for the fine print. There is one unisex restroom. To get there, you go out the front door and around right into an unremodeled garage area which looks somewhat threatening compared to the restaurant interior. There is a minimal size toilet "room". The good new is, it is in excellent condition and very clean. There is no sink in the toilet room. Going out from the toilet you turn right for another 10 feet to find an industrial style sink, perfectly fine with soap. I did not find a way to dry my hands, but maybe I missed it. If you are going to be offended by the toilet option, best go elsewhere. My rating is for the food, not the washroom. (One more point - "barbecued" here seems to mean cooked over a fire, but does not mean barbecue sauce.)
the best orange chicken! also recommend the teriyaki beef and the honey walnut shrimp!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Orange Chicken
Great food. Best mac n salad I've had on this side of the island hands down! Very nice and friendly staff. We ordered salt and pepper pork and masubi. Both were tasty!
Really good shrimp fried rice for when you're feeling lazy about cooking a familyDinner, always a hit with the keikis
The food was fantastic. We had the rainbow meal for our family. For 45.00 bucks this place had the best bang for the buck and quality of any dinner or lunch place that we have eaten at. We do a 2 week Hawaii trip every year and have been to various islands.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu, Orange Chicken, BBQ
Almost no flavor in everything that I tried EXCEPT their cheeseburger. It's the only thing I got that I liked. I used to have to come here to get lunch because it was the only thing in walking distance that didn't have a long wait. The last straw was when we came here and my bf had a caterpillar in one of the bok choy leaves in his saimin. GROSS
Very good fried chicken legs, there is no second place
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
(Back story, please skip if you just want recs): My husband and I are staying at the Hilton resort at Waikoloa beach. Now, it’s amazing, don’t get me wrong, but we bought a 12” pizza and a mediocre pasta for $90+ last night. Plus, we’re not really resort people and both grad students (the only way we could stay here was a very generous gift from my father in law), so we decided we needed to travel away from the resort to get some type of Asian-Hawaiian food (because weirdly there is not one Asian eatery at this hotel).Food: This place came highly recommended, but my god were we blown away. We LOVE any type of East Asian cuisine, and this did not disappoint. We ordered a ton to just eat for the next few days: Mahi mahi misubi; seafood combo with chicken katsu; crab Rangoon; house fried rice; Singapore noodles; and Aloha Sai mein. The protein is unbelievably tender and well-seasoned in all the dishes. This was genuinely the best fried rice and Singapore noodles I’ve ever had. Crab Rangoon was really good and less sweet than crab rangoon I’ve had on the mainland. Aloha Sai mein broth had the flavor of wonton soup with amazing bbq chicken. (Sai mein is kind of like ramen.) The misubi is DELICIOUS and quite filling. We got 4, but that was probably overkill. Prices were very reasonable given the amount of food you get!Service: first of all, the nicest people run this place. We ordered our food in two batches (first to eat there and second to take back to the hotel). Both came out very quickly, and the woman at the counter brought both out to us at our picnic table, explained everything we got, and made sure we had a secure handle on the very heavy bag of takeout.Ambiance: Low-key and down-to-earth (pretty much the opposite of resort life). It is not fancy by any means, but it’s comfortable, and there are tables outside and under cover.10/10 would recommend if you want to get off the beaten, touristy, over-priced path of the west side of the big island.Parking: Not super busy when we went, but we easily found a spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood, BBQ
Restaurantji Recommends
With being a student at Kohala High School and being right next door Rainbow Cafe is the place. Right after school, most of us students love going to Rainbows and go for the great grindz. At Rainbows, they offer a variety of food like Chinese, Hawaiian, Vietnamese, and mostly food locals like. They prices are great which they range from 5 to 20 dollars per plate. Rainbows also offers catering with price ranges of 40 to 120 dollars for small, medium, and large pans.Parking: With Kohala being small, it offers a small parking but it does work out
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Chicken, BBQ Chicken Burger, Crab Rangoon, Burger Combo, Orange Chicken, Seafood, Kalua Pork Mini Size Order, Mix Bar B Q Meats, Crispy Ginger Chicken
(Back story, please skip if you just want recs): My husband and I are staying at the Hilton resort at Waikoloa beach. Now, it's amazing, don't get me wrong, but we bought a 12" pizza and a mediocre pasta for $90+ last night. Plus, we're not really resort people and both grad students (the only way we could stay here was a very generous gift from my father in law), so we decided we needed to travel away from the resort to get some type of Asian-Hawaiian food (because weirdly there is not one Asian eatery at this hotel).Food: This place came highly recommended, but my god were we blown away. We LOVE any type of East Asian cuisine, and this did not disappoint. We ordered a ton to just eat for the next few days: Mahi mahi misubi; seafood combo with chicken katsu; crab Rangoon; house fried rice; Singapore noodles; and Aloha Sai mein. The protein is unbelievably tender and well-seasoned in all the dishes. This was genuinely the best fried rice and Singapore noodles I've ever had. Crab Rangoon was really good and less sweet than crab rangoon I've had on the mainland. Aloha Sai mein broth had the flavor of wonton soup with amazing bbq chicken. (Sai mein is kind of like ramen.) The misubi is DELICIOUS and quite filling. We got 4, but that was probably overkill. Prices were very reasonable given the amount of food you get!Service: first of all, the nicest people run this place. We ordered our food in two batches (first to eat there and second to take back to the hotel). Both came out very quickly, and the woman at the counter brought both out to us at our picnic table, explained everything we got, and made sure we had a secure handle on the very heavy bag of takeout.Ambiance: Low-key and down-to-earth (pretty much the opposite of resort life). It is not fancy by any means, but it's comfortable, and there are tables outside and under cover. 10/10 would recommend if you want to get off the beaten, touristy, over-priced path of the west side of the big island.
Large selection of yummy Chinese food! Friendly and fast! Happy to have on the island!
Small unpretentious clean place, it was a grocery store converted to a takeout/sit-down restaurant. If you're in search of a swanky restaurant, then keep moving. If you're looking for decent seafood and Asian fare, then this is the place. Prices are very reasonable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Underwhelmed- thought we’d try the Hawaiian traditional loco moco. I think it is likely way better than what they served as everything felt warmed up. Not super clean. We sat outside and it was subpar. I’d skip it next time and try really anywhere else.