Monstera

The food here was very good. I first tried the calamari for an appetizer. It was very crunchy, and cooked in a wonderful sweet sauce. Definitely dip it into the dipping sauce that is provided with the dish. For my entrée, I had the sushi and soup, and I would recommend it. All of the fish on the platter was very tender, and tasted very fresh. All around they had very good food, but my entrée took a little longer to come out then I would have liked it to.

Everything is expensive in Hawaii. This place is no exception. Portions were small but were good and the waitstaff was friendly.

Service was good and attentive. Local IPA beer on tap was quite good. Atmosphere unpleasant with bright lights and loud elevator music.
The quality of the sushi rolls and udon noodle salad was only fair. Chuck Norris roll nothing special, and fish too cooked inside. The specials, which were related without prices until I asked, were super expensive, so we didn’t try them. The waiter brought the bill for an adjacent table «by mistake,» yet wasn’t surprised when we told him it was the wrong bill. Beware.

Sweet and spicy chicken app, short ribs and New York for dinner, everything was delicious.

Had dinner here last night. I had the butterfish to start– very tasty but beware of delicate bones! Husband had gyoza– it was different, a crunchy style, but also tasty.
For dinner he had a few rolls which– one tuna special roll (poke roll) was excellent but the salmon avocado roll wasn’t as good– the salmon was fibrous. I had the sashimi appetizer as my entrée and it was excellent except my tuna pieces were also too fibrous to bite through.
Local beers on tap which we love. Very nice, fast service. We spent $ 100 for two with drinks– decent price for vacation land.

Came with a large party. We had everything from sushi, small plates, sizzling, desserts… the whole works.
Our server was really attentive, and the drinks were good. Overall, the food was good, but I think the hype caused me to expect more. So definitely solid but not the best.

Great service. Thought the food was also very good. Guy behind the sushi bar was young but very friendly

Overpriced average sushi.
Not sure why they charge so much for the quality and size of portions.
Service was good tho.

I expected more for a 4-​star reviewed sushi place but I was disappointed. Norio’s 69 roll was good but sushi was just OK. Chu toro didn’t taste as fresh as it could be although uni was good. Sashimi appetizer in ponzu sauce was on salty side. We had a great server but the food deserved only 3 stars.

We ordered three rolls, fried calamari, and a drink. The ingredients and seafood were fresh and tasted very good. The rolls were a bit too large and poorly shaped. I eventually gave up using chopsticks since some of the pieces required two bites. I expected more in presentation considering the prices. Service and attention was great.

Rounding up to 3.5 stars because the sashimi was great quality.
What bummed me out about this place, especially with the chef’s reputation, was how many cooked items and rolls there were, seemingly how little sushi there was, and, how many questions our server was unable to answer. The place is quite pricey, and portions aren’t much to make up for it. Of course, no one in her right mind wants cheap sushi, but maybe some of the appetizers or «Sizzle Plates» could be a bit larger in size to make up for the other dishes.
Ultimately, we had good tasting/​high priced food in an atmosphere that was both modern-​esque and cafeteria-​like at the same time, had a few mishaps with service being slow, not getting the right dish, and having to wait quite a long time when they sent our meal to someone else, and we walked out not entirely satisfied but ready to go.
Perhaps we’re spoiled by such good and reasonably priced sushi in Los Angeles. Perhaps we expected more from Chef Norio. Perhaps he’s catering to a clientele who aren’t entirely interested in the fish part of sushi, but the crispy/​crunchy/​saucy/​covering up the fish part. Bottom line: this isn’t the place for us. Many people love it, so it could be wonderful for you.

This is a great spot for good drinks and sushi. I got the spider rolls which were very delicious and we shared the gyoza appetizer and they were also very yummy. The lava flow drink I got was frozen Hawaiian deliciousness. My husband got the kimchi pork and he liked it, not as spicy as typical kimchi but still very good. Would recommend to anyone staying in the area or shopping at Mauna Lani.

Sashimi/​nigiri is where it’s at. Probably all I would order when I go back. Maybe the calamari salad too because I love fried ring & tentacle calamari.
Yakisoba and Chuck Norris roll are overrated.
Lemonade was good — not too sweet.
Strawberry soda was good — not as sweet as Diamond Head strawberry soda.
Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo was good for a light flavored sake.
Service was polite and attentive. Drinks took a little while but not to the point where we had to remind the server. Empty plates were cleared quickly. Restaurant and restroom were clean.
They were able to bring out some ice cream and a candle for my daughter’s birthday. Staff didn’t sing happy birthday but I prefer it that way.

Right to the point on Monstera…
Get the sashimi only! It was some of the best quality fish I have ever had. I was disappointed by the other cooked dishes we ordered. Stick to the basics and you wont be disappointed.

There aren’t many hole in the wall places near mauna lani. So settled on a more «formal» place. Nice relaxing environment inside. Food was decent. I’d say 3.5 stars for quality. The 69 roll was very tasty. The raw fish was above average but could be a quite a bit better.
The service was friendly and the drinks tasty.
Prices were super high but that’s to be expected for this location.

Disappointed to be honest… Had been here once before and was blown away, even though I knew he first time this place was pricy but thought come on let’s treat ourselves.
All food ingredients were über fresh, but that’s about it. Sushi rolls were not consistent and very small compared to other sushi places in island. The «house special» opakapaka fish was tastless a rip off. All cocktails were poor.
On a positive, the server was great, as was the tuna tataki. But $ 540 tab for 4 people, I would have preferred to dine elsewhere.

Are here for the first time, and I can already tell that this is going to be one of our favorite sushi/​Japanese restaurants on the island. We had the Norio’s 69 roll, the tempura roll, fish bites, tuna tataki, and hamachi and uni nigiri. Everything hit the spot! The place is really modern as well with black leather booths and table tops. We had great service and awesome food. I also had the lilikoi fruit soda, which was delicious! This was our first time, but definitely not the last! Chef Norio is legit and works behind the sushi bar himself!

Expected a little more from this establishment. Fish was ok fresh. Spinach was a bit watery.
The volcano roll was ok. Tuna Tataki wasn’t impressive but it was ok. Service is nice. Overall disappointing. Had better food going into town where the locals go.

Hotel staff recommendations and Unilocal led us here. Being a ramen fanatic, I searched high and low, only to be disappointed with Kona’s offerings, or lack thereof. While Monstera does serve a tempura udon for $ 23, I really didn’t think the single picture on Unilocal could justify that ridiculous price. I love Japanese food in general, so I thought I’d stray from noodle love and loyalty and try something different. Not unique, just different.
LOCATION:
Second floor of the Shops At Mauna Lani.
ATMOSPHERE:
Once inside, you’ll forget that you’re in a mall. Huge windows line the front. The look is modern with a black ceiling accented with bamboo panels. A small sushi bar is tucked in the corner, the rest of the seating a mix of booths & regular tables. Art work on the wall can be purchased. There are 2 or 3 outdoor tables but it wasn’t the nicest of ambiances as everyone who enters and exits the eatery will be in your space.
MENU:
Sushi, Japanese apps & entrees, noodles.
FOOD:
Gyoza — The menu lacks detailed description, so I was disappointed they were deep fried instead of steamed and seared. Beside that important factor, they had good flavor with a nice, tangy dipping sauce. We had 8 pieces, but I’m not sure if that’s the norm or they customize it to your party’s size (we had 4 people, so 2 each was perfect.)
Calamari — Why do I love ordering calamari when we eat out? First of all, they’re a b**** to fry, but most importantly, I haven’t found any frozen, pre-​seasoned ones in my grocer’s freezer that actually tastes good. Their version is really good; a mix of rings and my favorite tentacles, with a tasty and light batter, and a delish mayo sriracha mixture for dipping. It’s a fairly big portion for an app.
Compliments of the Chef — Chef Norio sent out a fabulous small plate which wasn’t on the menu. It was a tempura stuffed shishito pepper and fish. Holy yum. The shishito pepper wasn’t spicy by any means but had great flavor. Combine that with a flaky white fish, tempura battered then deep fried with a sweet dipping sauce… Ahhmazing!
Mostera Chicken — I’m not sure why this was listed under «sizzle plates» on the menu because it was not snap crackle and popping when it arrived. Regardless, the boneless deep fried pieces were tender and sat on a pool of non-​spicy garlic sesame sauce, contrary to the menu; a mix of sweet & savory. I used the gyoza dipping sauce for a kick. The side of salted cabbage & onions were a bit odd. Good dish nonetheless, with a bowl of rice of course.
The rest of my party enjoyed a few sushi dishes, which I’m not a huge fan of, but they all liked it and didn’t think it was sub-​par or horrible like some reviewers stated.
SERVICE:
We walked in around 8:30pm on a Saturday night without any reservations and got seated immediately. Even though they close at 9pm, we never felt rushed or given attitude hints. Excellent job by our server Kehau, who was very friendly and professional.
OVERALL:
Nice ambiance, a bit pricey, great food and service.

Fantastic meal here. We had the monkfish liver… divine! What a treat. I had agedashi tofu, and several rolls, and nigiri. All fresh and delicious. Very good sushi quality.
We were delighted by the desserts also. The waiter had us at «house made caramel» OMG yes! I don’t think you could go wrong on any desserts.
I would completely be thrilled to eat here again.
Good service, modern enjoyable atmosphere.

Chef Norio, knows sushi…5 stars.