Kawamoto Store - Hilo, Hawaii

Julie R.

Stop here for breakfast and try the different foods. The food was amazing and the staff were very helpful when helping to pick out what we wanted. A full box and 2 juices was only about $17 so worth the price! The photo here shows how excited we were to dig in and not capture all the food! There isn't places to sit and eat but we found a nice park to enjoy it at.

David B.

This is one of a kind and original downtown Hilo. Great local food by the piece. Tempura shrimp, Ono two different ways, Korean chicken etc And get there early before it's gone. You can't go wrong with anything on that counter and the staff is super friendly. There is a reason they have been in business so long.

Hannah G.

Came at 8:30 am on a Tuesday and it was mostly locals. Busy but we were called in 2 minutes to order. The service was friendly and helpful as we asked questions on the cases many delicious looking items!

Maki sushi, mahi mahi tempura, nori chicken, long rice were our standouts!

Ben R.

A very unique restaurant serving bento boxes, seemingly popular with locals and tourists alike. You may have to wait a while yo get your food, but it will definitely be worth it. Once you get to the front of the line, you select what you want in your box from a display case filled with different types of chicken and fish, noodles, sushi, spam musubi, and much more. Everything we had was excellent, and we tried a wide variety of their offerings. The prices were also surprisingly affordable given Hawaii standards and the high quality. Seems like a lot of locals call orders in for pickup, so you can try that if you want to save time, although I preferred the experience of seeing the options before ordering. Either way, you can’t go wrong with Kawamoto’s!

Richard F.

Quick Summary
Nice little gem in Hilo, when you want to get your fried food fix. Can call ahead to skip on the line, but the line moves pretty quickly. The staff are very friendly and patient. My favorites are their tempura, particularly their fish.

Food- 5 stars
Really solid batter on their tempura. Would highly recommend their tempura'd fish. Definitely balance it out with some pickles and musubi, but the highlight was the tempura fish

Service- 5 stars
The staff are very friendly and patient. They were awesome

Bottom Line
Good and fast tempura with excellent service. It's street parking only, but people come and go quickly.

Zoram G.

I went in to buy Korean Fried Chicken based on a recommendation and was told to go early because they sell out early, I arrived at 11:00 AM. I was cautious and ordered five pieces, when I got to the car I ate one and immediately got out of my car to get more. I returned and the entire tray was gone, they were sold out. The Korean Fried Chicken is downright amazing, great crunchy texture, well flavored, and the chicken is well cooked while remaining juicy and not dry. The food and service are 5 out of 5, the atmosphere is a 3, they are not aiming for atmosphere, they deliver on food and service. I will have to try their cookies and other items on my next visit. I saw people buying boxes of them. I will go back and will definitely go multiple times when visiting Hilo. I only leave reviews when the food is fantastic and this definitely was.

Craig C.

Great local place for an impromptu custom bento. Line was a few feet out the door so had to wait about 20 minutes for order to be taken. When you get up to the case a patient employee will take down your order then go fill your order and meet you at the register to pay. Don’t worry you’ll have plenty of time once you get inside to ogle at all the food options they have in the case. Everything tasted great and satisfied the craving. Don’t forget to order at least a serving or two of long rice, nishime (stewed root veggies), mac salad. They had a Portuguese pickle on the white board for $6. Great rice vinegar based pickle option that helped cut through the fried options.

Nathan K.

Ok…I remember always loving the food here for as long as I can remember growing up on Hawaii Island. Maki sushi, shrimp tempura, nori chicken, fried chicken, mahimahi and shoyu pork hit the spot on a recent visit. Plus the Pie Crust Manju and Ranger Cookies are #brokedamout too! An absolute must stop if you’re in Hilo. Old school grinds made with love. You can taste it in every bite. 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼