As other reviewers mentioned, their reservation system is frustrating to say the least. If you become a regular, however, reservations are not as big of an issue. Unfortunately, the service remains lackluster at best and ambience feels like you’re sitting in a storage room full of stacked boxes inside of a tiny dining room if you can even call it that. This was our 4th or 5th visit and I will never return for the following reasons. First, we ordered the black cod which was undercooked and reeked of sake. I told the server of the issue which surprisingly but clearly upset the owner chef. He stopped preparing food (he does everything himself from sushi to cooked food at the sushi bar) and defended himself by saying it is marinated in sake but all of it has been evaporated during cooking (on his countertop electric grill). I said it did not and that I’ve ordered the dish multiple times over the years and never tasted alcohol. My kids were the ones to tell me to taste it because they tasted “chemical”. Instead of apologizing and replacing the dish, he started arguing by telling me nobody in the past has ever complained and I was the first and only one. I asked him to taste it himself but by then, he was too offended and decided to ignore me instead. I was very polite about it even when met with the condescending attitude from the owner. He simply said he won’t charge for the dish without even looking at me. In such a small restaurant, all the patrons stopped eating and stared at us to witness the drama - he wasn’t exactly quiet about it either. By this time, we had waited over an hour for our food which leads to my second complaint. The way this restaurant operates is even more annoying than their reservation system. They serve the customers in the order of entry at 6pm when they open. So even if you made reservations well in advance, you’re out of luck if you’re the last one to enter the door at 6pm. I was right on time, but the parking lot is very small with limited space so we happened to be the last party to enter the restaurant. We sat there for an hour watching everyone being served from appetizers, entrees and dessert until it was finally our turn, only to be served undercooked fish soaked in sake. The owner seemed to have no issues with my young teenagers consuming alcohol. I was starting to feel annoyed at this point. The third issue and icing on the cake to our dining experience was a near trip to the emergency room. When we finally started eating our Omakaze sushi after well over an hour of being seated, my wife started choking and turned to look at me with huge eyes. I knew something was very wrong. She told me she swallowed a fish bone and it got stuck in her throat. She rushed out of the restaurant and started coughing violently trying to get the bone out. After multiple attempts, she was able to cough it out somehow. The thick and sharp fish bone was about an inch long which came from a red snapper. I showed the bone to the server who showed it to the owner chef. He looked surprised, apologized and said he won’t charge for one Omakaze. If I was the owner or manager, with all the issues we had that evening, I would have comped the entire meal. Not that that’s what I was looking for, that’s what I would have expected at the least. I will definitely not be returning. Their service is mediocre at best and the sushi isn’t even that fresh in my opinion. My family and I eat sushi 2-3 times a week and have been over many years so I have a pretty good understanding of great, good and bad sushi. Sushi at Koiso is not bad but not that good either. The price definitely does not justify the food, service or the ambience. My new favourite sushi restaurant on Maui is Komo at the Four Seasons. They are more expensive but their authentic Japanese dining experience coupled with fresh sushi, excellent ambience and unbelievable service more than justifies the higher price point.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Laura Weisensee
I always plan in advance for my reservations to eat here when we visit. I made my reservation on June 1st for tonight. They turned us away saying they did not have us in the book. Make sure you get the name of the person who booked. They did call us tonight because of a cancelation. Hopefully it will be registered this time.
Stephanie Allen
If you’re lucky enough to get a reservation you’re in for a a lifetime experience. My husband and I are experienced sushi eaters from SF and we’re absolutely blown away. Just call and go, you won’t regret it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maxim Gall
One of the best ebi i ever tried Place is overpriced for the concept but still good and worth visiting
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Matt H
Incredibly rude staff. You call to make a reservation and they say you don’t they don’t take reservations. You show up without a reservation and they say they’re booked out for reservations for at least one month. I don’t know if they’re racist and that’s why they turned me away or if they’re just generally rude, or they are disorganized. However, after spending an hour calling and trying to get in, it’s very frustrating. They say on their website that they do take away, but when you ask them if they do take away, they don’t. They have zero people in the restaurant, but insist that if you don’t look a certain way they won’t take you.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
James Davis
This is the BEST sushi place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
destination360
This place is ridiculously complicated to get a table. You're supposed to call the first day of the month between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. for a table the next month. when you do call it will be busy, then when it finally rings it will ring forever and you'll get to some weird message that does nothing. After like 20 attempts I gave up.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dan Affeldt
Was not allowed to select specific fish. Did not eat fish we were not familiar with. Not enough soy sauce. Not a good fit for our taste
Food: 2
Service: 5
Andy Shears
Short version: Best sushi I’ve ever had. You need a reservation about a month in advance. They are only open 5-9p. You can call a day in advance for to-go, $100 minimum. Do not expect a seat if you walk in without a rez.
Long version: Since this place doesn’t work like a typical restaurant, I’ll explain. They do 2 seatings per night, 6p and 7:30p. There are only 14 seats, so they require a reservation at least a month in advance. If you’re only on Maui a short time, you can call to see if there are any cancellations, or you can order to-go. For carry out, call a day in advance for pickup between 5-5:30p the next day (or another day).
There are only 2 people working (other than chef), so they may not pick up the phone right away. Try again or call later if they don’t answer during business hours.
If you’re not used to Japanese sushi, take a look at the pictures of the menu (on Google) and translate the menu before you go. Or, just order the Chef’s choice nigiri. The menu does change a bit based on availability, so it may be slightly different when you arrive, but you’ll have a better idea of what they have/what you want.
Small app and small fruit plate included with dinner. They have beer, wine, and sake available.
Service was outstanding, food was amazing. Totally worth the month+ wait. We’re already making our next reservation.
We ordered the sashimi combo, yuzu tai, blue fin oh toro, opakapaka, king salmon, unagi, and unagi roll, with a half bottle of sake. That was plenty of food for two at $175 minus tip. (salmon and unagi not pictured)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Selection of Sashimi, Tai Red Snapper, Roll
A brilliant "hole in the wall", completely authentic sushi bar with stunningly fresh fish made by the master Hiro-san from Japan (I know that's redundant, but it's intended for emphasis!). The sushi literally melts in your mouth. I didn't have to chew. The service is brilliant, the sushi to die for, and the ambiance unpretentious and authentic. Call early because they fill up quickly!!! 🤤🤤🤤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zach
Wow this place was incredible. Not sure how we’ll be able to eat sushi back home. Incredible chef and experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Louise Valentine
An excellent place for no fooling around sushi. Only 14 seats, you MUST have a reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley Correa
Fresh, simple, high quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jovi Bui
Loved this place! I made a reservation a month in advance and it was definitely worth waiting for. The ladies and the chef were very nice and welcoming. Much larger portions than what I had expected. I only regret not ordering more!
1 word. Awesome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As other reviewers mentioned, their reservation system is frustrating to say the least. If you become a regular, however, reservations are not as big of an issue. Unfortunately, the service remains lackluster at best and ambience feels like you’re sitting in a storage room full of stacked boxes inside of a tiny dining room if you can even call it that. This was our 4th or 5th visit and I will never return for the following reasons. First, we ordered the black cod which was undercooked and reeked of sake. I told the server of the issue which surprisingly but clearly upset the owner chef. He stopped preparing food (he does everything himself from sushi to cooked food at the sushi bar) and defended himself by saying it is marinated in sake but all of it has been evaporated during cooking (on his countertop electric grill). I said it did not and that I’ve ordered the dish multiple times over the years and never tasted alcohol. My kids were the ones to tell me to taste it because they tasted “chemical”. Instead of apologizing and replacing the dish, he started arguing by telling me nobody in the past has ever complained and I was the first and only one. I asked him to taste it himself but by then, he was too offended and decided to ignore me instead. I was very polite about it even when met with the condescending attitude from the owner. He simply said he won’t charge for the dish without even looking at me. In such a small restaurant, all the patrons stopped eating and stared at us to witness the drama - he wasn’t exactly quiet about it either. By this time, we had waited over an hour for our food which leads to my second complaint. The way this restaurant operates is even more annoying than their reservation system. They serve the customers in the order of entry at 6pm when they open. So even if you made reservations well in advance, you’re out of luck if you’re the last one to enter the door at 6pm. I was right on time, but the parking lot is very small with limited space so we happened to be the last party to enter the restaurant. We sat there for an hour watching everyone being served from appetizers, entrees and dessert until it was finally our turn, only to be served undercooked fish soaked in sake. The owner seemed to have no issues with my young teenagers consuming alcohol. I was starting to feel annoyed at this point. The third issue and icing on the cake to our dining experience was a near trip to the emergency room. When we finally started eating our Omakaze sushi after well over an hour of being seated, my wife started choking and turned to look at me with huge eyes. I knew something was very wrong. She told me she swallowed a fish bone and it got stuck in her throat. She rushed out of the restaurant and started coughing violently trying to get the bone out. After multiple attempts, she was able to cough it out somehow. The thick and sharp fish bone was about an inch long which came from a red snapper. I showed the bone to the server who showed it to the owner chef. He looked surprised, apologized and said he won’t charge for one Omakaze. If I was the owner or manager, with all the issues we had that evening, I would have comped the entire meal. Not that that’s what I was looking for, that’s what I would have expected at the least. I will definitely not be returning. Their service is mediocre at best and the sushi isn’t even that fresh in my opinion. My family and I eat sushi 2-3 times a week and have been over many years so I have a pretty good understanding of great, good and bad sushi. Sushi at Koiso is not bad but not that good either. The price definitely does not justify the food, service or the ambience. My new favourite sushi restaurant on Maui is Komo at the Four Seasons. They are more expensive but their authentic Japanese dining experience coupled with fresh sushi, excellent ambience and unbelievable service more than justifies the higher price point.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
I always plan in advance for my reservations to eat here when we visit. I made my reservation on June 1st for tonight. They turned us away saying they did not have us in the book. Make sure you get the name of the person who booked. They did call us tonight because of a cancelation. Hopefully it will be registered this time.
If you’re lucky enough to get a reservation you’re in for a a lifetime experience. My husband and I are experienced sushi eaters from SF and we’re absolutely blown away. Just call and go, you won’t regret it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best ebi i ever tried
Place is overpriced for the concept but still good and worth visiting
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Incredibly rude staff. You call to make a reservation and they say you don’t they don’t take reservations. You show up without a reservation and they say they’re booked out for reservations for at least one month. I don’t know if they’re racist and that’s why they turned me away or if they’re just generally rude, or they are disorganized. However, after spending an hour calling and trying to get in, it’s very frustrating. They say on their website that they do take away, but when you ask them if they do take away, they don’t. They have zero people in the restaurant, but insist that if you don’t look a certain way they won’t take you.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This is the BEST sushi place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is ridiculously complicated to get a table. You're supposed to call the first day of the month between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. for a table the next month. when you do call it will be busy, then when it finally rings it will ring forever and you'll get to some weird message that does nothing. After like 20 attempts I gave up.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Was not allowed to select specific fish. Did not eat fish we were not familiar with. Not enough soy sauce. Not a good fit for our taste
Food: 2
Service: 5
Short version:
Best sushi I’ve ever had. You need a reservation about a month in advance. They are only open 5-9p. You can call a day in advance for to-go, $100 minimum. Do not expect a seat if you walk in without a rez.
Long version:
Since this place doesn’t work like a typical restaurant, I’ll explain. They do 2 seatings per night, 6p and 7:30p. There are only 14 seats, so they require a reservation at least a month in advance. If you’re only on Maui a short time, you can call to see if there are any cancellations, or you can order to-go. For carry out, call a day in advance for pickup between 5-5:30p the next day (or another day).
There are only 2 people working (other than chef), so they may not pick up the phone right away. Try again or call later if they don’t answer during business hours.
If you’re not used to Japanese sushi, take a look at the pictures of the menu (on Google) and translate the menu before you go. Or, just order the Chef’s choice nigiri. The menu does change a bit based on availability, so it may be slightly different when you arrive, but you’ll have a better idea of what they have/what you want.
Small app and small fruit plate included with dinner. They have beer, wine, and sake available.
Service was outstanding, food was amazing. Totally worth the month+ wait. We’re already making our next reservation.
We ordered the sashimi combo, yuzu tai, blue fin oh toro, opakapaka, king salmon, unagi, and unagi roll, with a half bottle of sake. That was plenty of food for two at $175 minus tip. (salmon and unagi not pictured)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Selection of Sashimi, Tai Red Snapper, Roll
Restaurantji Recommends
A brilliant "hole in the wall", completely authentic sushi bar with stunningly fresh fish made by the master Hiro-san from Japan (I know that's redundant, but it's intended for emphasis!). The sushi literally melts in your mouth. I didn't have to chew. The service is brilliant, the sushi to die for, and the ambiance unpretentious and authentic. Call early because they fill up quickly!!! 🤤🤤🤤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow this place was incredible. Not sure how we’ll be able to eat sushi back home. Incredible chef and experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
An excellent place for no fooling around sushi. Only 14 seats, you MUST have a reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fresh, simple, high quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved this place! I made a reservation a month in advance and it was definitely worth waiting for. The ladies and the chef were very nice and welcoming. Much larger portions than what I had expected. I only regret not ordering more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase - Chef’S Choice
Loading...