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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value

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CUISINES
Japanese, Asian
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Dinner
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meals, features
Reviews (249)
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162
48
15
10
4
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveller rating
162
48
15
10
4
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All reviews ramen noodles brussel sprouts pork belly green curry papaya salad dan dan ahi fire pit asian food sister restaurant chocolate sauce bar acuda last night great dinner make reservations mai tai
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Reviewed 4 days ago via mobile

We arrived just ahead of our reservation and were promptly sat. It is clear they have this whole thing timed to get you in and out quickly but not pressured per se. Where else can you get Ahi Ramen? It was delicious. Certainly a place...to visit while on the north shore.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

All was excellent and so was the service, but make a reservation. We got lucky since a couple did not show for there's and we got seated at the table that was reserved for them. Place was full but food and drinks arrived promptly. The...place is partially open air with a roof for protection from the rain showers. Was a nice to place to take a date or have a nice date night with the wife. Last thought is remember eating out is getting very expensive.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 24 September 2023 via mobile

The food was ok, not the best ramen we’ve had. The server was nice. They did charge an extra ‘tax’ for health insurance. When asked, the server said that they had to. Only time I’ve seen it for two weeks on the islands. I don’t...think that is true. Dishonesty bothers me, won’t be eating here again.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 9 August 2023

I wasn't a big fan of this place. Staff was kinda rude. We got there shortly before opening. They had two lines ... one for reservations, one for walk ins. We didn't have a reservation, and were about 3 places deep in the walk-in line....When they opened, people with reservations were seated first (not a problem). They then started seating walk in guests. The two groups in front of us got tables. They then seated us at a narrow counter that had stools with no backs. The stools immediately next to us at the counter had backs on them. Group behind us in the walk-in line (another party of 2) were seated at a table. My back was hurting from walking all day, so I swapped my chair (without a back) for the one immediately next to me (with a back). Other than not having a back, the chairs were identical. Hostess immediately came over and told me, "You can't swap the chairs, you need to switch them back" and walked away. Didn't ask if we were ok with where we were seated, or if we wanted to be moved, even though there are several open tables. Just "you can't switch the chairs" and walk away. Food was good, but the portion seemed small for the price. Can't say I had a bad meal, and the view was amazing, but the hostess' attitude, failure to see a customer wasn't happy with where they were seated, and the small portions wouldn't see me return, or recommend it to others. We were told it was the hottest new restaurant on the island, and their attitude just seemed very indifferent ... like they think they don't need your business.More

Date of visit: September 2022
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Reviewed 23 June 2023

Awesome place to dine and service was top notch, but if you don't want to pay $20 for a salad, that's as big as a man's fist and taste like coleslaw, then I would be particular about what you order. My husband actually had to...go home and eat after dining here and he spent north of $100 for just 2 meals, salad and 1 cocktail. The menu items are tough to understand. Be careful. Also, a teeny tiny matai was $20, not worth it at all. My daughter had a magnificent Ramen. It was worth every penny. Good luck.More

Date of visit: June 2023
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Reviewed 14 June 2023

A great dinner for our last night in Kauai! Beautiful views, delicious drinks and outstanding food. Reservations are a must! The restaurant was full the entire time we were there. I would have given it 5 stars but the people who sit at the "bar"...kind of block the view of people sitting at the tables.More

Date of visit: June 2023
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Reviewed 9 June 2023

After lots of sticker shock and too many mediocre dinner experiences for outrageous prices, we happened upon Ama after a long day of hiking and snorkeling. We had to wait an hour, but the waiting area out back has some of the best scenery, if...not THE best of any waiting area we've waited in, around a nice fire pit nonetheless. Then the food hit the spot. The Ahi Ramen was delicious. Kids split a Chicken Ramen - Oyakpdon Ramen - minus the mushrooms - which they loved. My wife fully enjoyed her Chicken Satay bowl - very nice lemon grass flavor. and we all split an order of the Bao Buns - which are very different then usual, and very tasty if you like pork belly. The prices were high, but very good in comparison to what other sit down restaurants in the area charge for entrees. The views and ambiance are outstanding. Highly recommend. Be prepared for a wait. But great place to walk around and view shops and art as well.More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 31 May 2023 via mobile

What a beautiful setting! The food was top notch and the service was great. We loved the pork belly bao buns & brussel sprouts for entree. We then had the satay bowl for mains and the chicken was cooked perfectly, delicious flavours. The mains aren’t...huge so getting an entree was worth it, plus we got to try a few different things.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed 21 May 2023 via mobile

A beautiful restaurant with an amazing view . The brussel sprouts and papaya salad were nice starters. The cocktails were very good. The green curry veggie ramen with spicy miso and ono add-on were spectacular. The broth was amazing. Wife enjoyed chicken donburi. Peanut butter...coconut pie to finish was also very good. Service was spotty as the waitress was often nowhere to be found. Drinks from the bar did come out very quickly.More

Date of visit: May 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 21 April 2023

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).More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 11 April 2023 via mobile

Had dinner here and it was so good!! Got seated outside which was nice but might not be in the rain. All the food was delicious and staff were super friendly! Definitely recommend!

Date of visit: November 2022
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Reviewed 8 April 2023 via mobile

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.More

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed 2 March 2023 via mobile

Excellent service food and location. All the dishes we tried were fresh and delicious staff. Very friendly and helpful.

Date of visit: February 2023
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Reviewed 26 February 2023 via mobile

Restaurant is open-aired and gorgeous. Service was fast, almost too fast. We were out in under an hour, including drinks, appetizers, ramen and dessert! Jacob was awesome - his recommendations were all excellent and they offered to split a main ramen order up for our...kiddos before serving. Would definitely come back and make the drive to Hanalei.More

Date of visit: February 2023
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Reviewed 9 February 2023

Great location but very disappointing food. We don’t know why people rave about this restaurant. Tasty sprout dish, but the Ramen and curry dishes both tasted like dishwater. We couldn’t eat them. The service was good but the food….not so much.

Date of visit: February 2023
Helpful?1  
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.
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AMA RESTAURANT, Hanalei - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Ama Restaurant

Ama Restaurant is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4