Ama Restaurant

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268 reviews

#2 of 18 Restaurants in Hanalei₹₹ - ₹₹₹, Asian, Vegetarian friendly

+1 808-826-7081+ Add website

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Hours

Tue

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Wed

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Thu

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Fri

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Sat

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

268 reviews

#2 of 18 Restaurants in Hanalei

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

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CUISINES

Asian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner

features

Location and contact

55261 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, Kauai, HI 96714

+1 808-826-7081

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Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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CUISINES

Asian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner

FEATURES

Outdoor Seating, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service

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4.5

268 reviews

Excellent

181

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Average

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grlgrdgate

California1589 contributions

Worth the Wait!

Mar 2020 • couples

We never wait for restaurants if reservations are not possible. When we arrived around 5:45 one evening, they said that the wait would be between an hour and 15-30 minutes, I was ready to walk, but my husband wanted to wait. Thank goodness we did! We truly loved Ama! The appetizers we enjoyed were the fish skewer and the Burmese salad. Definitely order both! For dinner, my husband loved his ahi ramen, and they were kind enough to make me a noodle dish with peanut sauce and fish because I am a pescatarian and allergic to mushrooms. It was incredible! For dessert we gobbled up their homemade donuts and were thrilled with their strong cappuccinos. Service was phenomenal, and my only complaint is that they don't take reservations. The woman who greeted and seated us was really warm and welcoming. We loved this place and will definitely be back!

Written 1 March 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

activechica

Portland528 contributions

Worth the Wait

Feb 2020 • couples

There are no reservations, so if you want to be seated quickly, suggest arriving when they open or be open to sitting at one of the bar stools. In addition to the reasonably-priced and delicious noodles and carpaccio, we loved the outdoor but covered garden-like setting. Cocktails and wine are nearly as expensive as the noodles. We will definitely return.

Written 29 February 2020

KD0608

New Jersey153 contributions

Unique food in a beautiful setting

Jan 2020 • family

We are big fans of unique food experiences, so Ama was a great new choice for us. We had a group of seven and wanted to eat around seven. There are no reservations so we were there at opening (5pm) and as it worked out the bigger tables filled and we had to wait until seven for the tables to open. Perfect timing! The setting is gorgeous. Huge mountains and a beautiful sky. The entire restaurant is out door and covered. The large party tables have thatched umbrellas and sit in the garden. The food is very unique. I didn’t fully realize that the menu is 8 appetizers and then mains of ramen. The appetizers were great. There was something for everyone even though we didn’t all agree on which were the best. We tried all of them except the salad. I thought the bai buns were the best. Others loved the poke and the hamachi. The BBQ beef was also great. The ramen bowls are very unique, their homemade pork broth is thick and rich. I split one bc they are pretty large. Service was good but a little slow. Getting seated took a bit of patience as they are pretty popular. But it was worth it. Overall, I think the food was good but the scenery and location are amazing. I would definitely go back, especially as a couple. If you are a party of two I would recommend going at opening and sitting at the bar facing the mountains for a beautiful during sunset. Sharing three or four appetizers would be perfect.

Written 1 January 2020

Rick-Rozzi

San Antonio529 contributions

Spring Break Visit

Mar 2020 • none

Spending 5 days in Kauai seeing the sites, dining and shopping. We were staying in Lihue, while some friends of ours were staying up north near Hanalei. WE came up to spend the day with them and let them pick the restaurant for the night . Our friends daughter is a connoisseur of dining and likes to try different cuisines. The location, terrific views and ambiance of the restaurant were great. We were able to get a table before the crowds arrived and quickly ordered some wine and appetizers to start. Kind of relied on our friends daughter to make some suggestions and help explain some of the ingredients. Service was excellent and even though the restaurant was getting crowded, we never felt rushed . Most of my dining companions enjoyed their main meal. Both my buddy and my wife had a spicy dish, which they loved, and actually said that it was very spicy. I loved the appetizers and was ok with my main dish, but so glad I tried something different

Written 22 March 2020

PaddingtonLeigh

San Antonio46 contributions

Tasty change of pace

Dec 2019 • family

We are a family of four, two adults and two older teenaged boys, and we all enjoyed this restaurant. The ramen noodles were a nice change from seafood everywhere and the open air atmosphere was really nice. Our server was fantastic - wish I could remember her name! They don’t take reservations at this time but it is worth the wait. You can go into the other shops in the area, walk along the river or get a drink at their bar while waiting. The donuts for dessert are really tasty!

Written 14 January 2020

Karyn W

Kansas City1645 contributions

Good ramen at a busy restaurant

Mar 2020 • couples

This place got good reviews and was near our hotel so we went. They don’t take reservations so you just get in line and wait for a table. We got seats along a long thin table for about 10 when 2 spots opened up. Our server was great and upbeat. Our drink cups stayed filled and dishes were cleared quickly. My husband and I shared an appetizer that was delicious. Then I got a tofu green curry bowl and my husband got a more traditional ramen. While we both liked our meals they weren’t amazing. I did not finish the broth which sometimes I do. One thing we did like was that we saw a couple cats wandering around. They didn’t come up to us, but they were cute. The area has some shops nearby if you want to explore some, plus a little park with signs and displays about the history of Kauai worth checking out.

Written 29 February 2020

TatsuToshi2020

Santa Clara15 contributions

Everything but food

Apr 2021 • family

Everything was wonderful except food. If you are a ramen connoisseur, I don't recommend this place at all. My son loves ramen, so I took him there. Because the rating of the restaurant was so high that we were very excited to try Hawaiian ramen. We got there before 6pm without a reservation and it was already crowded. But the front staff squeezed us in with time limit of one hour. Ambience was excellent! The view was amazing! Staff were nice and accommodating. Unfortunately, the food was not good in our opinion. We have quite a few good ramen restaurants back in our area. Ama's ramen broth was flavorless and almost tasteless. Their noodle didn't match well with their broth style. I ordered Dan Dan Mazemen and it was missing something important so tasted bland and boring. We ordered Bao Buns because many people said it's a must item. It could have been good if the sauce was not that strong. I think their cha siu flavor is so weak that they have to use strong sauce to conceal it. I assume they use the same cha siu for their cha siu ramen which my son ordered. He described it as the most tasteless cha siu ever. We ordered the homemade doughnuts as well. We liked the ice cream part, but doughnuts were mediocre. Over-fried and crunchy.

Written 17 April 2021

Jon D

1 contribution

Nice view but buy the noodles at Big Save across the street

Aug 2022 • none

Arrived with a reservation that they couldn't find. We had made the reservation 8 months in advance. We showed the hostess the confirmation received from them the day or so before by phone and we were escorted to the bar seating. Seating had a fabulous view of the mountains which was the highlight. One bowl of noodles and one of rice, each with chicken thigh, two beers for $70. I don't recall ever leaving an establishment in the area feeling taken advantage of until this in over 20 years visiting the island.

Written 20 August 2022

taylor

Kauai1 contribution

Good food and server, bad manager

Nov 2021 • family

Incredible experience, great food, great server, BUT terrible manager. Honestly the server couldn’t have been better, neither could the food. But the manager despite a a major meal felt the need to urge us out of the restaurant when we couldn’t have eaten faster. We’ve been going here since it opened and would love to rate the restaurant top notch if it weren’t for the sour taste the manager left. Hope they solve it.

Written 27 November 2021

NatheM

21 contributions

Great Ramen and great service !

Jan 2020 • couples

Had dinner here tonight, great atmosphere, good service which is kind of hard to find in Kauai. Excellent meals !! We had Chicken Kraage Ramen and Veggie Ramen, the veggie ramen comes in a veggie broth. Both dishes had ample portions along with four different types of spices to add. The noodles were simply amazing and delicious. Definitely go back there on our next trip. Our sever was excellent. Highly recommended!! Pls keep in mind to dress well and be covered as there are lots of mosquitoes also waiting to feast on you.

Written 3 January 2020

Marc S

Oakland3 contributions

A Dining Gem in Hanalei

Apr 2023 • friends

A top choice destination restaurant in beautiful Hanalei. My family of four (two children in twenties) enjoyed a lovely evening at AMA. The restaurant is situated outside under a glass atrium, facing the mountain, an absolutely beautiful open-air setting. Food was an eclectic but somewhat limited blend of Asian themed offerings, entrees emphasizing ramen and donburi. For my vegan son, the restaurant adapted a vegetarian ramen. My wife had a Salmon donburi, and I chose the green chili chicken donburi. My daughter also had the vegetarian ramen, adapted to vegan. We started with a papaya salad for the table. We arrived at 7:00 and had very original, delicious cocktails while we waited 45 minutes for a table to open. In a nutshell: pros: food, drink, ambience. cons: cost (it's pricey, especially the cocktails ($18) - but nearly everything in Hawaii is). wait (but that's a testament to how good it is. Get a reservation if you can).

Written 21 April 2023

caitrine c

Washington DC54 contributions

Wonderful Food, Service, and View

Mar 2020 • couples

This restaurant has it all. The moment I stumbled on it I wanted to eat here for the view alone. It is a very pretty place. In the distance were three waterfalls and the diningroom is an open porch with comfortable seating and this terrific view. Our waitress, Brianna, took our order. She was friendly and helpful and made us feel that we had chosen the right place for dinner. We had spent several days looking for food that wasn’t fried bar food. Our food came promptly and was really delicious. We have never eaten in a ramen restaurant before (we remember ramen noodles from college) and this was our first. From our experience here it won’t be our last.

Written 1 March 2020

eksq

Newport156 contributions

Great food great view!

Mar 2020 • couples

I love everything about this place. The view sitting at the mountain facing counter was epic! We shared some Brussel sprouts to start and then we each had ramen bowls. The green curry was a delicious vegetarian dish with enough noodles for me to have for lunch the following day. My husband didn’t end up with any leftovers....

Written 12 March 2020

Karen B

Overland Park49 contributions

Noodle broth of your dreams

Apr 2021 • none

Delicious noodles in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere. The dishes with the bone broth were amazing. The grilled ono over rice with miso glaze we also tasty. Hard to get a table here - reservations are required. Only hiccup was that the people who had our table before us would not pay the bill and leave and instead of giving us another table we had to wait until they left to be seated.

Written 30 April 2021

Geoff S

5 contributions

Beautiful setting, bland food

Apr 2023 • family

Beautiful setting, food presentation was nice, but the food is very bland and very expensive. I should have listened to the other reviews. Maybe AMA used to be better? I can get over the cost ($260 for 5 entrees, one round of drinks, and a tip), but not the lack of flavor. We love Ramen, but there are multiple places back home for us in Chicago which are far better for 1/3 the cost. Each of us got a different dish, and everyone was unimpressed. I got the spicy noodles and while the flavor was ok (still somewhat bland) there was ZERO heat to it. The broth was plain. We had a better meal at Kalypso across the street for 3/4 the cost.