A good friend from Japan and her daughter, who live on Oahu, came to Hilo for a 4 hour visit. We thought we would try a new restaurant on Hilo Bay. We had heard it had changed from the Japanese restaurant that used to be there and wanted to give it a try.
They have some local craft beer on tap and one of the very few places that has Hitachino Nest White Ale on the menu. Congrats for that but I think they should offer the Red Rice Ale instead so customers who want to shell out the coin, can find something truly unique. Nothing wrong with the White Ale but it doesn’t wow like the Red Rice or the Ginger Brew. They list it as White Rice Ale but the rice part is an error.
I started with a Kona Brewery IPA. I wanted to get started with a bang so a nice local on tap with that heavy hoppiness hit the spot. Kona brewery makes beer for kegs and their Kona brew pub on island. The bottled beer comes from one of a few sites on the mainland, so I was interested in a fresh, local on tap experience. I liked it and it was better than the bottled version by far.
I moved to a Guinness on tap for the second beer. There is nothing like a real Guinness with the creamy head on tap. The bottled and canned versions are just not the same. Also it is now made in Canada under license and I really don’t care for that. If it doesn’t pass though the St. James gate on it’s way to me, I will pass.
The best thing to consider when dining out with friends, is a nice atmosphere and you can’t do better than the high vantage point overlooking Hilo Bay. In this picture, the day was unfortunately over cast so the view is not up to it’s usual standard. Nice to watch the sail boats heading out and the fishing boats coming in to Suisan fish market next door.
The menu was very eclectic and had something for everyone. There was roll sushi that was excellent and sliders called, Mauka and Makai. That’s Hawaiian for inland side and ocean side. They were small burgers with grass fed beef for the Mauka and Mahi Mahi for the Ocean side, or Makai.
Nice place, great view from the outside seating and a good drink selection. They carry enough of the local craft beer to place them as a place to go to try out our islands brews. I can highly recommend this spot and it is right next to the Chinese park and main tourist hotels on Hilo Bay. Can’t go wrong with this one and I will be back for sure.
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