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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Queen's Market Place, Ste 801
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Came for dinner on our last night on the Big Island. Great sushi spot! Made rezzies but came earlier on our way back from Kona and they accommodated us. We ordered:
Sweet Asparagus Tempura Spears with tentsuyu dipping sauce - Good
Sansei's Ramen Noodles - Good
with Roast Pork in homemade Dashi, topped with a traditional Tempura Shrimp
Japanese Calamari Salad - OK
Calamari fritti tossed in spicy kochujang vinaigrette served over Kula greens in a crispy won ton basket
Sashimi Trio - FRESH
Hawaiian ahi, yellowtail tuna and fresh salmon sashimi
Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Sushi Roll - MUST TRY
Sashimi grade Hawaiian ahi, arugula and spinach wrapped into a sushi roll, panko-crusted, flash-fried and served with Sansei's mild soy wasabi butter sauce
Yaki-maki Sushi Roll - YUM!
California roll wrapped with smoked salmon and baked with Sansei's Special Dynamite Sauce
Service was good and staff were attentive. Good to see locals in this place as well.
Total bill was $90 inc tip. Sure its pricey for sushi, but this is Hawaii. I'd still come back.
Yum! We had a group dinner here prior to the wedding. The sushi was fresh - but they also had four-legged options for the meat eaters! I have to personally recommend the foie gras nori (so worth the $$$) and the butter fish - it was like buttah!
Service was great despite our large group. Overall, a treat!
As mentioned by others, they do have happy hour - enjoy 50% Sunday and Monday; and 25% off other days. Note that they open at 5:30 and your order must be in by 6pm. Lines are heavy so be there no later than 5pm. Also watch our for the asterisks - those menu items are not part of the happy hour (i.e. my foie gras is not discounted - boo).
We went for the happy half hour they have at this location on a Saturday night. Line up at 5pm, to get seated at 5:30pm, then get majority of your order in by 6PM.
Sunday and Monday it's 50% off, and Tuesday through Saturday it's 25%.
Service: Quick, polite, and was happy to make recommendations.
Ambiance: Open view sushi kitchen, standard Asian restaurant feel
Food: Fantastic, the freshest sushi I have ever had (I haven't been to Tokyo yet). Aside from the sushi, we ordered a noodle dish, shrimp cake and lots of tempura.
What we ordered (for 7 people) and it was a bit too much, probably could have cut 2.
Sansei's Asian Shrimp Cake (app portion)
Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Sushi Roll
Japanese Calamari Salad
Sweet Onion Tempura Rings
Shrimp Tempura
Matsuhisa Style Miso Butterfish
Sansei's Seafood Pasta (entree portion)
Traditional Japanese Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura (entree portion)
Kapalua "Butterfry" Roll
Shrimp Tempura Roll
Bagel Roll
California Roll
Spicy Tuna Roll
We landed at the Kona airport around 8pm. I already knew from reading my guidebook that lots of things wouldn't be open by the time we got to the hotel and checked in...
Our hotel turned out to be next to the Queen's Marketplace plaza, and across from the King's marketplace where we saw high end stores, Roys, a market, and Macaroni Grill?
After we checked in we took off to try to find something open for dinner, avoiding Macaroni Grill if possible...nothing wrong with it, but we were in Hawaii so that wasn't really on the list of must try spots.
We found Sansei open at the end of the plaza. Saved! We went to the Maui location a couple of years ago so we were familiar with the place. It was about 9:30pm so when we walked in, the hostess mentioned that if we waited 30 mins we could do the Late Night Happy Hour 50% off menu. Cool!
We grabbed a couple of drinks at the bar and waited it out for a short while. When the time came...the bartender handed us a menu and we started ordering up.
We tried the Ahi Poke, the nigiri sushi plate, salmon skin hand roll, and spicy tuna cut roll. Everything was tasty and enjoyable. The bartender was really helpful and service was great.
This was a great way to get the Hawaii trip rolling.
This would have received an extra star or two but they slammed the bill with a 17% gratuity for TWO of us!
"Because it's Happy Hour" WHAT? Really?!
You get 25% off if you get in and order in the first 30 minutes of the restaurant being opened. But then, because of that they automatically charge you and extra 17%!!! I'm getting mad about it just writing this review. Errrr.... I kinda expect the auto-gratuity with parties of 6 or more but for two people, who ordered 6 rolls and iced tea? This leaves me still searching for a good sushi spot on the island. This does not encourage return customers.
I was very excited to have a Sansei finally open here, having eaten there on Oahu and Maui, but the Big Island one lacks a lot in ambiance, and the food is nowhere near as good as the other versions. When we were first sat, we were placed right under an air conditioning vent going full blast, and a light so bright, I thought the Hawaii police force was going to interrogate me as I dined. Very bright and frosty cold are not a good dining combo. The entire dining room is bright, actually. It's surprising to me, considering that they built this place from scratch, that this is the vibe they were going for. Everyone I know who goes there says this. Why so bright, DK?
Onto the food, some of it was good, some of it was downright awful. I love sushi and have eaten at some of the best places in the entire world. It is not like me to let any sushi go to waste, but there were some items that just didn't work, like their BLT roll, which was incredibly dry. The sushi was standard issue, pretty mediocre. Had I ordered bit by bit, I would not have tried so much the food. I would have called it a day after several items.
I didn't hate it, but I found it just okay. I definitely would not drive from Kona to go there again, especially when we have Kenichi's and Sushi Kazu so close. If you're in the neighborhood and want sushi, go here. I just wouldn't go out of my way to dine here.
Nothing to complain about here ... it's your solid standard Americanized/Hawaiianized Japanese fare. It's a bit overpriced for what you get (quality wise, not quantity). I liked the "69" roll. My dad's fish was a bit dry. Bustling atmosphere with plenty of families...conversation was a little hard.
Service was good. I'd come back.
My husband and I were there just last night (02Jul09) and had a wonderful time. The place was packed, and we squeezed ourselves in at the sushi bar (my one quibble - it WAS a squeeze!).
Normally we go crazy and order a whole plate of sushi, but we were in a dilemma with all the different choices, and ended up ordering only a hamachi kama, a Kohala Crunch roll, and some agedashi tofu while we considered. Boy, I'm glad!
Servings were plentiful, and those three items (well, my Beloved also had a bowl of steamed rice) were sufficient to stuff us to the gills! I love hama-kamas, and this one was served with ponzu sauce and a light salad. The ponzu was delicious with the fish - I'm used to a simple squeeze of lemon and grated daikon - and the fish itself was tender and moist with a lovely, crunchy skin.
Agedashi tofu is such a homey, simple dish that there's not a lot you can do to it except make it fresh and well - and Sansei came through! The sauce was just right, the tofu was fried perfectly, and all they "added" was a garnish of cress and shredded daikon, carrots and beets. I love agedashi tofu, and this is definitely deliciously done!
I saved the best for last: the Kohala Crunch roll. A huge roll, and well worth the $15 tag, considering it was, effectively, a full entree. The menu description said it was coated with rice crackers, so I expected some sort of crumb coating, but instead they were tiny pearls of CRUNCH which echoed the more delicate crunch of the deep fried asparagus inside the roll. The cilantro-and-something-else sauce over it was DIVINE!, and the spicy tuna and radish sprouts that were in with the asparagus added the perfect flavor punch. This is the first time I've ever gone to a sushi restaurant and not even touched the soy sauce - it was that perfect right from the start!
Many have mentioned the 50% discount they give at certain hours, but I should mention that I don't believe it's on the WHOLE menu; there are certain special items that keep the full price. Nonetheless, if you choose to go during those hours, you will have plenty of choices to make from a well-prepared and varied menu.
I should also note that Sansei is not *just* sushi; they have a full menu with steak, chicken, duck, fish, shrimp, etc. (even vegetarian options!), so everyone who goes will find something to their taste.
Usually when I go for sushi, I want something straightforward and incredibly fresh (which Sansei definitely has), but the fusion element to Sansei's menu brings fresh delight to a favorite food genre... and I wonder if I can get my husband to spoil me there again before we leave?
After all, there's so much more on the menu that I'm dying to try! ;-)
We did not go for Happy Hour. Perhaps I would have been more pleased.
We got Edamame, Agedashi tofu, Miso butterfish, spicy tuna roll, and Paia Maki. The only thing that was decent was the spicy tuna roll - fish seemed fresh and sauce was tasty.
Complaints:
Edamame. Really, how do you screw this up? At worst, take frozen edamame out of bag, steam/boil, salt, serve. It came cold and practically raw. I asked them to microwave it which made it slightly more palatable but still pretty sad.
Paia Maki roll fell apart pathetically when barely touched with chopsticks. Really nigiri and makizushi comes down to rice. It doesn't take much effort to get fresh fish, especially in Hawaii (one would think anyway, see comments re: butterfish below). A roll should never, ever disintegrate like that. If it does, it means the chef screwed up the rice to rice vinegar ratio that day or let it dry out.
Miso butterfish sauce was rich to the point of being inedible hiding less than fresh butterfish.
Agedashi tofu looked appealing enough but was a flavorless, gelatinous mass inside. The Mirin-Soy Dashi was delicious but not good enough to save it.
The service was very good and the place's only saving grace was that upon seeing our barely touched butterfish and agedashi, our server removed then from the bill.
Nonetheless, doesn't begin to compare with Northern California or even some of the sushi places in Boston. Expected much more from Hawaii.
Came here after seeing an ad from those tourist magazines, they have the Happy Hour Monday special from 5-6pm, this restaurant did not disappoint, the sushi was the freshest we found on the Kona side of the big Island, You gotta try the fresh Hawaiian Tuna Carpaccio, Miso butterfish, and Kenny G roll.
If you like Nigiri - definately go with Shiromi (White Fish), its one of the freshest tasting I've ever tried.
You should arrive early as the line starts forming 20 mins prior, you'll eventually get in, but better to get there early to get your order in first.
Make sure to save room for dessert - this was our favorite part of the meal, we had both the Tempura Ice Cream and Apple Tart - both were excellent!
It's no surprise why they've won so many awards and accolades!
My daughter is crazazy about the Panko Crusted Ahi Sushi Roll. Gets it every time we go. I have to get the Kenny G (a better name would be good) - it's a tataki made with hamachi - really cold, fresh and delicious. We've been several times, never been disappointed and we'll go back again. Oh the truffle ramen... can't remember the name but, while it's fairly salty, the flavor is tremendous!! My only gripe that keeps me from giving it 5 stars? The seating is uncomfortable! Otherwise highly recommended and fun! Oh, try to get there for the early bird discount - makes it much tastier when you pay even less!
The wife and I arrived on Easter Sunday at 5PM, honestly not sure if the place was open. What a surprise when we found out that not only were they open, but it was half-priced sushi and seafood night. The place was half full by 5:30 and almost capacity by 6. The interior is nothing special, but it is comfortable and all-in-all a good choice.
They offer an $80 Omakase that looked quite good including a couple of Yelper's recommendations. It was not eligible for the half-price discount, so we skipped it.
So we ordered ala carte. We got the Yelper recommended Miso Butterfish appetizer. That was tremendous. The chunks of fish melted in your mouth. The sauce was sweet but light. Definitely recommended. Next up was the Sansei Special Roll. This is spicy crab in cilantro speckled rice, covered with a sweet Thai spicy sauce. What a taste combination this is. The cilantro and Thai sauce were perfect together. The spicy crab meat was not overpowering, but the heat was noticeable. We also ordered fresh salmon. This was just about as good as any I've had in the Pacific Northwest. It was so good that we got an extra order to cap the evening. The scallop and masago with quail egg were both very good too. The weak link was some flower named item that contained both tuna and yellowtail wrapped in the form of a bowl. Both pieces of fish were not good.
Having liked the place so much and having somehow missed finding the Seafood Bar in Waimea, we popped in on a Wednesday night. The $17 Blue Fin Toro Nigiri was tasty, but nothing beats the fresh salmon. The tobiko was especially good this evening. We skipped the more expensive Asahis this time for the $4 special Kona Longboard Lager drafts. Can't say it was the tasty decision, but it was in the Island spirit. Service was 5-stars.
The service was excellent, very attentive and helpful.
In the end, with the half price discount, the meal, w/tip came to just less than $70. $19 of that was a couple of tall Asahis. Note that the discount is only 25% on Tues - Fri and only from 5:30 to 6:00 and given the short window for the discount, I'd recommend getting a reservation for 5:30. Two lines form out front, one with reservations, one without. The line "with" gets in first. I called and made a reservation at 5:20 while standing outside the restaurant so I could get in the "with" line.
This place was a gem suggested to us by our resort bartender. We came only for the karaoke, but found Japanese food so good that even my stringent standards were blown away.
The food was so fresh, and subtle, and flavorful that the group I was travelling with came back to eat three times in two days. I highly recommend the D.K.'s Crab Ramen with Asian Truffle Broth, the Matsuhisa Style Miso Butterfish, and their Rainbow Roll. They have a wonderful deal on Sunday nights for happy hour, where almost everything on the menu is 50% off. I think our group saved $60 on that, managing to stuff ourselves to the brim.
Our server that first night, Ben, was very attentive, and had a great sense of humor. He wasn't our server the 2nd night, but he recognized us and came by to help when he could.
This place was so fantastic! Rumor is they might be opening a location in Seattle. If that happens, I'll be there a few times a week.
Visit: Late dinner, 10 pm
Roses:
+ GREAT discounts. 50% off menu after 10 pm on Thursdays.
+ Delicious, fresh sushi.
+ Food presentation.
+ Surrounded by stores, should you find yourself having to wait.
+ Several seating options: booth, table, sushi bar.
Thorns:
- Pricey. Definitely go during a discount time to get bang for buck.
Nigiri sushi was beyond disaster. As soon as I picked up, the rice fell apart. It's obvious that the sushi chef there was not trained properly and the restaurant is not targeting a picky Japanese guy like me. Fish quality was ok though.
If you like to eat sushi, go to the sushi section at the ABC store located in the other end of the mall. Their sushi is made fresh by a Japanese guy and much much much much better. I'd rather take out their sushi and eat on the beach.
I was in a bit of a predicament while trying to rate this place. I felt like the food was about 3.5 stars, but the service was more like 2 stars. So overall it's not quite a 3, but since yelp doesn't let you rate fractions of stars, a 3 it is.
Let's start with the good stuff though. The food was very good for the most part.We ordered the tasting menu for two, which had an excellent variety of dishes. The sushi rolls were unique and very tasty. The panko crusted ahi roll, sansei special roll, and mango crab salad handroll were all very good. The calamari salad is also really good, but I would have liked more greens. The miso butterfish was my favorite. The fish was cooked perfectly and was very flavorful. The shrimp cake and lobster/crab ravioli were delicious as well. My sister ordered the ramen which was good, but I could order ramen that's just as good but half the price.
Now, the service was something else. I'm not sure if they were short handed or what, but our waiter was really not all there. The place is pretty huge, maybe they just couldn't keep up. Throughout our meal, our waiter lagged to bring us certain things and forgot about others. When we would ask what happened to stuff he was bringing, he just brushed it off and reassured it was on it's way, instead of just admitting he forgot and apologizing. He must have realized something was wrong at some point, because he brought our table a complimentary cheesecake, which sadly ended up being pretty bad. Oh well... we ate it nonetheless.
Overall, good food, iffy service. Can't decide whether I'd return to this location based off this experience. Maybe I'll try a different location next time.
I thought that a seafood joint on an island would be more impressive than this. The saving grace was that we ordered the prix fixe menu for two and the value was good-- a lot of their most popular dishes included, but to be honest, I can't remember much of anything that I ate.
Let's take their calamari dish for example-- it came with fried calamari on top of a whole lot of greens with some sauce. I was an English major and I am aware of many laudatory adjectives, but the aforementioned dish doesn't warrant any. I also remember thinking that the seafood wasn't that fresh or that well cooked. Could this have anything to do with the new fishing regulations surrounding the Hawaiian islands?
This is the kind of place I might take a date if I were a 15-year-old boy feigning sophistication.
I can't say enough about this place. It was the best meal we had on the island by far. The sushi was inventive, well made and sooo tasty. Our server was fantastic and attentive.
I can't eat tuna (weird food intolerance) and there were still plenty of yummy choices for me. They even get bonus points for offering gluten free Tamari for those allergic to wheat (soy sauce.)
The ambiance is nothing special but the food makes up for it. Get there EARLY and get 25% off most menu items. On Sunday I hear its a full 50% off but since most sushi o-FISH-ionados wouldn't touch fish on a Sunday or Monday, going any other time is a safer bet.
I went nuts for the 69 roll - damn I could go for one right now!
Good, fresh sushi.
With reservations, we rolled in around 7:45pm on a Saturday night. The place was packed with locals and tourists alike. It's always nice to see the locals eating in the same restaurant.
Everything we tried was good, and service was efficient. I can't remember the names of the different items we had, but the standout dishes were the Moi rolls and Miso glazed Butterfish.
The Moi rolls were these wonderful tasty pieces of Sashimi wrapped around a few slivers of gobo. They were also spiked with some habanero heat....very nice! The Butterfish was my favorite. Just the right amount of sweetness (not too much) glazed on four little nuggets. I could have ordered another round.
We walked by a few nights later and the dining room looked half empty. If you go on the weekends, I'd recommend reservations but they're likely unnecessary on the weekdays.
My boss who frequently comes to Hawaii told me that I should definitely try Sansei. Luckily, Sansei was very close to my hotel at the Marriott. Sansei I guess is sort of popular in the islands, they have locations in Maui and on Oahu besides the Big Island. We were quickly seated and the food came out fast. I liked the agedashi as it was light and they had ginger and carrots on the top. The seaweed salad was also good. They use a different type of breading for their tempura which was more doughy. We ordered to panko ahi rolls - soo delicious and worth coming back. The butter sauce was incredible and the flash frying on the outside didn't disturb the ahi, which was still raw on the inside. The Sansei Sunset was also a very refreshing drink.
Please note that the 5 stars I am giving only applies to the fact that this place is really as good as it gets, on the big island. My fiancee and I went there on a Sunday, we walked around the shopping center and just missed the line. We got right in just to hear that they were offering 50% off most items. SCORE! The only downfall is how much they normally charge for sushi. $16.95 for a roll!?! That is absurd and is a blatant overcharge. I won't get into the price, since we got 50% off and the sushi was fish-tastic!
When we eat Japanese food, we never order teriyakis or tempuras. We always eat fish, it's the most important factor in judging a restaurant. This place serves your food as it becomes ready. Also, order your fish stat, because they run out of certain things quickly. I tried ordering the sea urchin maki and they were all out, it had only been an hour since they opened.
We ordered the Butterfry, Spicy Hamachi, Yaki-Maki, Negi-Hama, and Scallop Rolls, as well as a sashimi trio appetizer. We ate it all, too, between the two of us. If we have to drive 1.25 hours for supreme sushi, we are eating as much as we can. I pride myself on gluttony! Sansei's sushi was so delicious we had no choice other than to eat it all anyways. The fish was indeed fresh. The Butterfry roll is slightly fried and it was perfect, they didn't completely cook the fish inside, it was the perfect temperature, and the outside wasn't hard. I'm normally not into fusiony places either, but this place does do a little bit of fusion and they do it damn well. I don't know why there isn't one of these restaurants near Hilo.
The sake wasn't overpriced, which was a relief. It is a nice restaurant but their motto is casual dress, casual food. I definitely recommend this to anyone on the island who wants good sushi. Before we found this place, our favorite was Sushi Shiono in Kona. They're number 2 now. Oh, one more thing, Sansei has an extensive selection of wine. It's odd for a sushi restaurant to have that, but they do. I really wanted to try some of their wines but I gotta do sake with sushi. It's like white on rice, it's the only thing that works for me.
If you're in the mood for sushi on the Big Island, go here. Sansei is a laid back sushi restaurant, very family friendly, and with some of the best fish I've had in a long time.
For starters, the Edamame and Seaweed Salad were deliciously fresh, and seasoned ever-so lightly. But of course, it's the sushi that really excels, and honestly I can't find fault with any of the pieces we tried. The Mango Crab Roll was fantastic, as was the Sansei Special Roll. Do not miss out on the Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Roll, either, a truly unique taste. Oh, and the Matsuhisa Style Miso Butterfish, my goodness!
Have some fun exploring the menu, pair it with a frothy Longboard Lager, man I wish I could be there right now.
We were here during our honeymoon and were very lucky to have this restaurant near our hotel. You need to try the restaurant sampler which features small portions of the restaurant's signature dishes. It turned out to be the best dining experience for us during our whole trip to Hawaii. They also have early bird specials for 25-50% of sushi and entrees, but it gets really crowded fast, so arrive early! We saw this restaurant in Waikiki and Maui as well.
I am giving Sansei five stars not because the food is as good as it gets, but merely because I had a great dinner experience, mainly for two reasons: 1) I got to enjoy a good meal with my mom and 2) the hostess was probably the cutest girl I've seen on this trip to the Big Island. I know the two don't make for an ideal scenario, but I made the best of it, drinking lots of green tea and making frequent trips to the bathroom by the front entrance so I can smile awkwardly at her. Hawaiian girl with colored contacts and a flower in your right ear (that means you're single right?) - if you're reading this, holler!
Anyway, on to the food! Out of all the restaurants we tried on the Big Island, Sansei by far came with the most recommendations, local and otherwise. Plus I had a monster workout right before dinner and had built up a huge appetite, so the conditions were right to get our grub on. After asking our server for some sushi recommendations, we went with the shrimp dynamite (appetizer), salmon sashimi (my favorite!), o-toro nigiri (one of the daily specials), spider roll (I always try this at every new Japanese restaurant I visit), panko crusted ahi sashimi roll and the yaki-maki roll.
Again, this wasn't mind-blowing sushi, but I would say it is the best sit-down meal at a non-grub restaurant I enjoyed on the Big Island. The custom-made sauces for each roll were all very tangy or zesty, and I only used my soy sauce and wasabi for the sashimi and nigiri - even then, I dipped very sparingly because the fish was all super fresh. Breaking it down:
Dynamite shrimp: if you like honey glazed walnut shrimp at your local Americanized Chinese restaurant, you'll like this even better.
Spider roll: nothing particularly special about the roll itself - spider crab leg was fresh, batter was good and the rice was good as expected of Japanese short grain. The roll was served on a bed of tangy sauce with chilis and a hint of either mango or apricot, and it really topped off the dish!
Yaki-maki roll: California roll (with real crab, thank goodness) wrapped in smoked salmon and baked with special ponzu sauce. Again, the sauce was super delicious, very similar to the sauces used on seared fish or baked scallop rolls. I would have preferred the salmon to be raw instead of baked, but the quality of fish was so good that even baked the salmon was still super tender.
Ahi sashimi roll: this was pretty interesting; sashimi grade ahi tuna wrapped with spinach, rice and seaweed, covered in panko and then flash fried. I really enjoyed the mini battle of textures in my mouth, but again the sauce really brought the runners home.
Salmon sashimi: I have unfairly high standards for salmon sashimi, so to say that I enjoyed this dish means a lot, even though it wasn't the best I've ever had. The fish was very fresh, and the slices were cut so that pieces ALMOST melted in my mouth. Almost, but not quite. But at 6 pieces for $10, definitely worth it.
O-toro nigiri: I'm not picky but I know what I like, and fatty tuna is one of the few fish I enjoy as much as good salmon. THIS DISH HIT HOME. Upon entering your mouth, the Japanese imported o-toro immediately melts like butter, leaving you to enjoy its rich taste with the sprinkling of green onions upon a bed of vinegar treated Japanese rice and a little bit of wasabi. If this is on the specials menu, please do yourself a favor and order it.
Green tea ice cream: not excessively sweet, very rich and a great way to top off a great meal.
Great ambiance, one of the few crowded restaurants we visited on our trip, cute friendly staff, and good food at a reasonable price (most sushi orders were around the $15 range - we didn't check out the drink prices though). If you're on the Kona side of the Big Island, GO GET IT. Cute hostess girl please send me a message or something.
a must when you visit the Big Island and also Maui...
sushi is to die for, but my fave is the ahi tuna...
the wine selection is very good
but watch out, a glass of chalk hill chard (I hate chardonnay) is over $20/glass...
Ordered for Dinner:
Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Sushi Roll $11
Sashimi grade Hawaiian ahi, arugula and spinach wrapped into a sushi roll, panko-crusted, flash-fried and served with Sansei's mild soy wasabi butter sauce
Macadamia Nut Crusted Pork Tenderloin $25
On garlic mashed potatoes with Asparagus and covered in Hollandaise sauce. Shiitake Mushrooms in cabernet demi-glaze.
Tempura Fried Macadamia Nut Ice Cream $9
Vanilla ice cream wrapped with buttery pound cake, rolled in roasted macadamia nuts, flash-fried and served with chocolate and caramel sauces
Again, I'm not a Sushi enthusiast but this is my favorite restaurant in Hawaii. The Ahi Sashimi Sushi rolls were excellent. The rolls were deep red and flash fried, it melted in your mouth. I ate everything on my plate when I received the Pork Tenderloin, cleaned it up nicely. The dessert was ok to good. I had higher expectations...I'll probably order the Creme Bruelee next time. This is a MUST for Sushi lovers. If you are in Maui, Oahu, or the big island (Waikoloa in Hawaii), you need to go here for dinner one evening. The service we received was excellent. It is definitely worth the trip.
Creative rolls, fresh fish (try the ahi poke), and the 1/2 priced late night special can't be beat. Ambiance is either empty or packed (karaoke nights). Definitely one of the more lively spots in Waikoloa.
I've been to the other 2 Sanseis on Maui, and this one is the same. Very fresh fish. In fact, I think fresher than Sushi Kazu and Sushi Shiono in Kailua-Kona. The Sushi rice was just okay.
You can't beat the Special pricing if you are there between 5:30 when they open and 6 pm. But you may get "day-old" fish, you never know. Personally, I've had good luck and bad when coming to other Sanseis before 6 pm, so I don't do it any more. If you get a "fried" roll, try to order only one kind, they start to taste the same after a while.
Service was great, and parking is ample.
We finally ventured into Sansei's on our last night on the Big Island. What a surprise and great experience. We got to sit at the sushi bar and our sushi chef was very nice and professional.
The sushi and sashimi were better than average. Our misoyaki butterfish was absolutely delicious (much better than Roy's) and to die for. My wife's hamachi was fresh and super delicious.
Overall, really good experience and better yet, excellent food. Avoid Roy's and eat here instead.
The prices seem reasonable, but the portions will break your budget. The four of us shared the Japanese Calamari Salad $10, Matsuhisa Style Miso Butterfish $11, Kapalua "Butterfry" Roll - $13, Sansei Style Ahi Poke - $13, and more. The Kapalua "Butterfry" Roll was my favorite. The fish tasted like butter and melted in your mouth. In general, the fish was really fresh and tender with no fishy smell. The only dish I wasn't really fond of was the calamari because it tasted like krispy orange chicken.
At 6PM on a Thursday, the restaurant was very quiet. However, our reservation was booked 1 month ahead.
The Food: Delish and unique sushi rolls!
I visited twice in 10 days and some of my friends even went there 3 times.
We had a variety of starters, rolls, etc. Everything was excellent! Following are some of the must haves, although I don't think you'll go wrong with anything:
Japanese Calamari Salad- It was soooo good. The fried calamari was very tasty..it had a tangy, almost buffalo-wing sauce on top. It's actually a spicy kochujang vinaigrette.
Sansei's Shrimp Dynamite- It was, well, DYNAMITE
Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Sushi Roll- A definite must taste
Seared Foie Gras Nigiri Sushi
The decor is fine...who cares if it's not the best layout, as long as the food is delish and, being the sushi snob that I am, it was!
This is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Hawaii, located in Waikoloa on Hawaii's Big Island- Queen's Shops... it's better than Roy's which is across the street at King's Shops. Although I love the chocolate souffle at Roy's...YUM.
They have great meal deals after 10pm and karaoke nights too. Fun!
The service was fine! However, you have to keep in mind that you're on Hawaii...not New York City. So things are done at a slower place and you really should take it down a couple of notches. I recommend that unless you have a plane to catch, slow down and soak in the Aloha spirit....sip a cold sake, and enjoy the food and leisurely pace of the Islands.
Delicious food!
My family and I went to Sansei and loved the sushi. It was creative and it tasted great. I ordered some steak thing (it was an entree) and it was one of the best steak things that I've ever tasted! There was this great sauce around it and the steak was on mashed potatoes with this delicate carrot and string beans, covered in sauteed mushrooms. Sounds totally great...and it was...it's just that the portions were SOO tiny! I could have sworn that they gave me a 4 oz. steak...thing. My dad ordered the duck, which I tasted. That was great too, but again the portions were really tiny! The prices were jacked all the way up there for such a little amount of food. ($32 for a 4-5 oz. steak thing?! I don't think so!) I wouldnt really call it gourmet; Sansei is too casual to be called gourmet. Great atmosphere, though service could have been better. The waitresses were not very friendly and ours actually seemed angry when she was taking our orders! If you're staying in Waikoloa you should go though...there aren't too many other good places out there besides Roy's and Macaroni Grill.
We came here on Monday at 5pm, and we really lucked out! Turns out that Sansei does a happy hour thing where the majority of the week, from 5p-6pm, you get 25% off the menu, with the exception of drinks and certain "special" items (expensive) like lobster. However, on Sunday and Monday, you get FIFTY PERCENT off! HALF! Wow. So, we got sunomono for $2, which was very cool and fresh. We also tried out their award winning panko crusted ahi tuna roll ($6.50), which was deep fried. I always steer clear of deep fried rolls, but this one got an award, so we tried it. It was not greasy, and fresh tasting with the extra spinach inside, and the ahi tuna was not cooked at all, so the roll was probably flash fried. We also tried out their award winning mango crab roll ($5.50) which was fresh tasting and I enjoyed. We got the butterfish ($6.50) which was melt in your mouth delicious, and it haunts me to this day....I want more! We also tried out a takah roll ($6) which was tasty, not memorable. The portions are not huge, but the presentation was nice. The already added 17% gratuity was based off of pre-discounted price, so the grand total was $36.64, which was tremendously less than what I was planning to pay at a fancy Asian fusion-ish Sushi restaurant in this part of Hawaii. (This area is resort central, and you've got all your fancy pants restaurants up here.) I probably wouldn't pay full price, because I'm not that rich, which is why we didn't go back. However, I found the food to be delicious and a real treat.
Good Service but to yget in on othe 25% off or 505 off specials you have to line up really early. The sushi is good, but becaues the prices are already inflated, at 25% off you are still paying more than mainland prices. Welcome to Hawaii,. That said, the sushi we had was very good, fish was fresh, good presention. Our only complaint was that the amount of fish on the sushi was really small.
come for the first hour and save 25% off!
some items like foie gras sushi not discountable but nearly everything else.
good flavor, texture, and fresh fish.
creative menu in addition to the sushi items.
while on the Big Island make a stop here.
decor: my gf and expected this place to be nicer looking, especially with its location. it was a bit odd and the furniture selection was on the economical side.
service: the hostesses was a bit lost. she took forever to seat people even though there were plenty of tables open. after waiting for about 15 min, she was finally able to take our name. she then looked around for two minutes, crossed off our name and finally sat us (she did this with other parties in front of us). wtf?? out waitress was not very attentive, a bit slow, and forgot one of our orders.
food: it was ok. not good but not bad either. the sushi chefs looked really young (early 20's) and not japanese or even asian. if i'd seen that when i first walked in, i probably would have left.
that said, i rather just have some sushi and japanese bowls at the island gourmet market in the same center. better food and cheaper.
Having been to the Sansei Seafood on Maui in Kapalua, we were eager to try the Sansei on the Big Island. Unfortunately, this was a huge mistake. Sansei is located in the shops in Waikoloa and is really easy to find. There is ample parking and they take reservations. That's where my review should end because if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say it, right? Well, here goes. We had reservations for 4 persons and showed up about 10 minutes early. Despite the fact that there were about 10 empty tables, we were asked to wait. Since there really wasn't any place to wait, we stood around the hostess station. Once we were seated and given menus, we were deserted by the staff. We were in the middle of the restaurant so it wasn't as if they couldn't see us. When the server finally showed up, our friends ordered the prix fixe menu as the 5 course meal seemed pretty close to what they had been looking at on the regular menu. My husband and I ordered a few sushi rolls and one main entree. We were appalled when the server came out a while later and literally threw the friends' first course on the table in front of them with no explanation. We didn't get our first roll for another 15 minutes, about the same time the friends' 2nd course came out. Having ordered the same roll as our friends' third course, we were a little concerned that we were eating their food because the server then delivered ALL of the friends' remaining courses as well as three rolls for us. No explanation, even when asked. And the food? In a word, inedible. Every "roll" was about 4 pieces (not what we had experienced in Maui), had more "salad" on the plate than anything else, and everything seemed to have been deep or flash fried (not in the menu description). The main entree was cold, the sushi was warm. YUCK!!!! We were so disappointed, we actually mentioned it to the server and she just nodded then dropped off the bill for a ridiculous sum considering we had no alcohol and barely any food. I would never go back.
Waikoloa, HI
Category: Grocery
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