Nobody in restaurant but still waited 30 minutes for food. No explanation from servers or updates from kitchen.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Chadwick
Food is amazing, staff is super chill. Try a little of everything trust me, the flavors are unique and well crafted. I'm getting hungry writing this!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Frank Marino
Wow. Great place for good food and drinks. Live entertainment started at 5pm on a Thursday. Happy hour special before 5pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sticky Ribs, Lilikoi Lava Cake, Clams in Broth with Fries
JenN
We had a small baby shower lunch with 6 people on a Friday afternoon and it was lovely! The food was great and the staff were excellent; so welcoming and helpful. It was the perfect atmosphere. Thank you!
Marine M.
Great service! Dessert is why we were here. You don't want to miss them. The only downside maybe the burger. I tasted a little goat cheese flavor in the beef burger.
Charli R.
i'm so disappointed. this restaurant was awesome and the food was fantastic for the first couple years. Started to become very inconsistent about a year ago and have had some real hit-and-miss experiences (burned pizza, fries that were almost black from old oil, etc). Got a refund both times from the restaurant. This time though was really awful, the shortrib was tough and smelled bad enough I couldn't eat it. The fried onions smelled like fish (maybe the oil?). Third strike here so we won't be coming back. Unfortunate!
Jessica L.
Visiting from Maui. We just went to AYCE Hot pot and wanted to get dessert elsewhere. This review is for the dessert and service. mahiao table had me at the lilikoi lava cake with the photos they had of this amazing dessert! It is by far the best dessert I've ever had! It's not the best photo as I didn't want my hubby to eat all the dessert while I took a photo All the components of this dish worked so well together. I loved the Caramelized okoshi! If you're a Lilikoi lover you must get this!
Marianna F.
Darn, forgot to snap a photo of my plate but had to leave a review still because it was so good. We come here all the time, especially for happy hour when they have live music to set an incredible ambiance after a long day. I just HAD TO HAD TO rave about their loco moco!!! It's braised short rib for the win that's so tender and fall apart good it will have you at "hello" when it hits the table. Their gravy is something else too, definitely made from the drippings because the whole dish is so cohesive. Their whole menu is great, but my brunch hit is with that loco moco!
Harvey S.
Early evening dinner with my wife and sister began with the fresh oysters. Presentation and accouterments were on point! My sister savored the Maika'i Bowl, which was akin to local kine bouillabaisse which had shrimp, Manila clams, New Zealand mussels and the catch of the day ; swordfish, in light broth studded with fresh cherry tomatoes; btw side garlic rice comes with it. My wife dove into her mochiko-crusted ahi belly with a small green salad and garlic rice! Yum-o... I decided to just enjoy their luscious Manila clams with the Texas toast points and order the appetizer Scallion Bread. I was not to be disappointed. Who can say, "No", to dessert. Bring on their decadent Roady Road Pie along with piece de resistance, Lilikoi Lava cake with a glass of prosecco valdobbiadene-cogneliano. Our experience that evening was one of the most memorable one in awhile. For a restaurant that is inside of a grocery store. I'd call it a "hidden gem "!
Jakexclamation Point J.
Well. A bit more than a year has passed since our last visit to Hawaii. For over a year I was hoping that Mahiai would survive Covid and the vagaries of people's palates and be here upon our return. Guess what! It's still here and going strong. We brought three of our kids and were able to sample a bunch more dishes than the, at this point, world's best tuna burger. Such as blistered shisido peppers, sticky ribs, anykine crunch salad, spicy garlic noodles, which sure looked garlicky and sported a soft boiled egg to boot! Lauren ordered the confit chicken which looked like it was prepared by an Iron Chef. (Am I allowed to say that?) The place has the same spartan ambiance and we had incredible service from Christian. Not the same Christian as last year! And we had the most incredible live music from Dylan. It was a great way to celebrate Ari's arrival.
Mahi'ai, located within Foodland Farms at the Kamakani Ali'i Mall. An Oasis in a very busy market. Great food prepared with an attention to detail with that “umami “ taste that'll make you come back for more. Good for lunch or dinner and breakfast on the weekends.
Marc C.
Super nice spot outside of Town! The menu variety is great. Good for kids and the market is fantastic... Got the sliders for the little one which was Ono, short rib moco loco, and seafood bowl... Definitely would be back. Worth making reservations.
ChloeR
We had an absolutely amazing time. We had amazing service and the food was fresh and delicious. I couldn't get enough love that we were supporting local and love that this is my favorite neighborhood restaurant.
Makoa's M.
I came on a Saturday night and they had a local artist playing Hawaiian music. It was awesome entertainment as she was a very good musician. However, I found the noise level to be too loud for the area. Our server had difficulty hearing us when we were ordering, and I really couldn't have a conversation With my husband because the music was too loud. Same music, lower decibel level would have been perfect. We tried the Ahi belly and the mushroom pizza along with the crunch salad. The portions were a little on the smaller side but average plate plate lunch size and prices. They had a nice variety of craft and bottled beers, the next time we come we may try some of their cocktails. Overall a great experience, and would definitely recommend and come again to try some of their other items. Reservations were easily available and I would recommend it as it looks like it can get busy there.
timj
Our table was open so we sat immediately. But they took a while to come take a drink order and even forgot to bring my water I had to ask again.foor was good.ans service from them on was good.
Nobody in restaurant but still waited 30 minutes for food. No explanation from servers or updates from kitchen.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Food is amazing, staff is super chill. Try a little of everything trust me, the flavors are unique and well crafted. I'm getting hungry writing this!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow. Great place for good food and drinks. Live entertainment started at 5pm on a Thursday. Happy hour special before 5pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sticky Ribs, Lilikoi Lava Cake, Clams in Broth with Fries
We had a small baby shower lunch with 6 people on a Friday afternoon and it was lovely! The food was great and the staff were excellent; so welcoming and helpful. It was the perfect atmosphere. Thank you!
Great service! Dessert is why we were here. You don't want to miss them. The only downside maybe the burger. I tasted a little goat cheese flavor in the beef burger.
i'm so disappointed. this restaurant was awesome and the food was fantastic for the first couple years. Started to become very inconsistent about a year ago and have had some real hit-and-miss experiences (burned pizza, fries that were almost black from old oil, etc). Got a refund both times from the restaurant. This time though was really awful, the shortrib was tough and smelled bad enough I couldn't eat it. The fried onions smelled like fish (maybe the oil?). Third strike here so we won't be coming back. Unfortunate!
Visiting from Maui. We just went to AYCE Hot pot and wanted to get dessert elsewhere. This review is for the dessert and service. mahiao table had me at the lilikoi lava cake with the photos they had of this amazing dessert! It is by far the best dessert I've ever had! It's not the best photo as I didn't want my hubby to eat all the dessert while I took a photo All the components of this dish worked so well together. I loved the Caramelized okoshi! If you're a Lilikoi lover you must get this!
Darn, forgot to snap a photo of my plate but had to leave a review still because it was so good. We come here all the time, especially for happy hour when they have live music to set an incredible ambiance after a long day. I just HAD TO HAD TO rave about their loco moco!!! It's braised short rib for the win that's so tender and fall apart good it will have you at "hello" when it hits the table. Their gravy is something else too, definitely made from the drippings because the whole dish is so cohesive. Their whole menu is great, but my brunch hit is with that loco moco!
Early evening dinner with my wife and sister began with the fresh oysters. Presentation and accouterments were on point! My sister savored the Maika'i Bowl, which was akin to local kine bouillabaisse which had shrimp, Manila clams, New Zealand mussels and the catch of the day ; swordfish, in light broth studded with fresh cherry tomatoes; btw side garlic rice comes with it. My wife dove into her mochiko-crusted ahi belly with a small green salad and garlic rice! Yum-o... I decided to just enjoy their luscious Manila clams with the Texas toast points and order the appetizer Scallion Bread. I was not to be disappointed. Who can say, "No", to dessert. Bring on their decadent Roady Road Pie along with piece de resistance, Lilikoi Lava cake with a glass of prosecco valdobbiadene-cogneliano. Our experience that evening was one of the most memorable one in awhile. For a restaurant that is inside of a grocery store. I'd call it a "hidden gem "!
Well. A bit more than a year has passed since our last visit to Hawaii. For over a year I was hoping that Mahiai would survive Covid and the vagaries of people's palates and be here upon our return. Guess what! It's still here and going strong. We brought three of our kids and were able to sample a bunch more dishes than the, at this point, world's best tuna burger. Such as blistered shisido peppers, sticky ribs, anykine crunch salad, spicy garlic noodles, which sure looked garlicky and sported a soft boiled egg to boot! Lauren ordered the confit chicken which looked like it was prepared by an Iron Chef. (Am I allowed to say that?) The place has the same spartan ambiance and we had incredible service from Christian. Not the same Christian as last year! And we had the most incredible live music from Dylan. It was a great way to celebrate Ari's arrival.
Restaurantji Recommends
Mahi'ai, located within Foodland Farms at the Kamakani Ali'i Mall. An Oasis in a very busy market. Great food prepared with an attention to detail with that “umami “ taste that'll make you come back for more. Good for lunch or dinner and breakfast on the weekends.
Super nice spot outside of Town! The menu variety is great. Good for kids and the market is fantastic... Got the sliders for the little one which was Ono, short rib moco loco, and seafood bowl... Definitely would be back. Worth making reservations.
We had an absolutely amazing time. We had amazing service and the food was fresh and delicious. I couldn't get enough love that we were supporting local and love that this is my favorite neighborhood restaurant.
I came on a Saturday night and they had a local artist playing Hawaiian music. It was awesome entertainment as she was a very good musician. However, I found the noise level to be too loud for the area. Our server had difficulty hearing us when we were ordering, and I really couldn't have a conversation With my husband because the music was too loud. Same music, lower decibel level would have been perfect. We tried the Ahi belly and the mushroom pizza along with the crunch salad. The portions were a little on the smaller side but average plate plate lunch size and prices. They had a nice variety of craft and bottled beers, the next time we come we may try some of their cocktails. Overall a great experience, and would definitely recommend and come again to try some of their other items. Reservations were easily available and I would recommend it as it looks like it can get busy there.
Our table was open so we sat immediately. But they took a while to come take a drink order and even forgot to bring my water I had to ask again.foor was good.ans service from them on was good.