Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai

Went here on a recommendation from a friend. Took us an hour to get food. Table next to us had the same problem and asked to talk to the manager. We sat next to a pole and there was a cockroach climbing the pole. Saw our waiter twice. Didn’t seem to care about our food. Once we got it it was mediocre at best. Had the short rib plate. Meat was good but mashed potatoes were cold and dry. I can’t recommend this place. Not going back.

Pretty view. Poor service, VERY SLOW. Teriyaki beef tasted like rubber and rice was cold. HUGE servings, would rather have less food and better quality. Wouldn’t come again.

We came for dinner and left after the appetizers. We ordered California roll — and it came out as rice wrapped in seaweed (that’s it). I can’t believe the server let that leave the kitchen (picture below). The Calamari was good and the chicken wings which were very dry. Unless you’re coming for a specific reason, I think there are better options.

So, the waiter Arthur is amazing. He’s a great waiter and takes good care of us. The problem is the food quality has gone down a lot in the last year. They took some things off of the happy hour list for one thing. We ordered the appetizer ribs and they came to us cold. We got the plate back and they served me the same ribs that I had taken a bite out of earlier all they did was heat them up. I have never seen such a thing in a restaurant. All they did was reheat the ribs and didn’t even change the plate. We will not be back.

The view was great. The food just ok, rather boring frankly. The drinks, didn’t wow me for the price. The service was good except it took far too long to bring our drinks, especially since it was a small lunch crowd. There are other places on the island to spend my food dollars.

Although it wasn’t as highly rated as other places we decided to try Sam Choy for drinks dinner and sunset. Arthur our waiter was very knowledgeable friendly and helpful. We had their maitais to start. Good drinks. The chicken wings were good but not so special. The rib eye was perfectly cooked and very tender one of the best I have eaten in a while. The flourless chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream was a wonderful compliment to the beautify sunset. Highly recommend for a sunset dinner with spectacular view.

I have been coming here the last few years I’ve visited the Big Island. The food is always great, the staff friendly, and you cannot beat the view of the ocean from the hill where the restaurant sits.
I usually have the ahi poke. The portions are generous. They have a full bar also which offers a selection of just about anything you want.

We read some poor reviews about the food, but took a chance anyway because it was a beautiful day and we wanted to enjoy the lanai view of the ocean. The view was great! The food was OK. Not great, not bad — just OK. I would go back to Sam Choy’s just for the ambience and view.
One downside of the open lanai is «bold» birds resting on a chair back at your table, or actually landing on your table to get some food scraps. One gentleman sitting at a nearby table spent so much time «shoo-​ing» birds away, that he finally gave up, put his napkin over his food, and asked for the bill. So many people are too polite, that they pay the bill even though they barely touch their food (I’m guilty of that myself). I was surprised that the waitress didn’t ask him if something was wrong. I realize that if patrons don’t say something, then the restaurant will continue to do nothing to improve.
I’m not sure what can be done to discourage the birds, but you may want to sit in the interior (still have great views) and avoid being adjacent to the open lanai. The birds didn’t seem to venture too far into the restaurant.

Small portions of mediocre food at incredibly high prices and you will wait forever for it.
I’ve got no problem occasionally paying a high cost for a nice dinner, but if I’m spending $ 30 for a single entrée I expect not to wait over an hour for it (the restaurant was not crowded, no reason for such a delay). And I’d also like more than a small entrees worth of food for that money, or if it’s a small portion it better be GOOD.

Husband and I ate bentos and calimari for lunch. 4 stars because fish was a little dry, and although hubby’s plate had it, my rice was missing furikake. (Waah!) Plate also lacked color– no veggies except for shredded cabbage made me sad. At least mix some red cabbage and carrots in to make it look pretty!
Employees were very friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Nice to be treated like a guest instead of like a burden. Staff were very accomodating, and non-​judgmental when I told them that I had food allergies (most people roll their eyes when I tell them I can’t eat gluten. I’m not a fad dieter; I have celiac!) hostess made sure we were comfortable, and server was very sweet and genuinely nice.
Major points for the view, which is gorgeous. The outside dining area was breezy, which was beautiful. We left feeling very satisfied. Will return.

Fabulousness. Had the poke sushi was amazing. The bartender was super nice and helpful.

Amazing view!
Stunning really, sunset and the coastline is clearly and easily seen throughout the whole restaurant.
The food and drinks were great too. Plenty of beer and wine to quench your thirst. The goat cheese wontons, poke stack and Caesar salad all left an impression on my taste buds.
I highly recommend.
Friendly staff too!

Food here surprisingly good. Get the Kona Orange Duck & Pork Katsu. Tons of subtle citrus flavor and the macadamia nuts make it interesting. The latter is crispy and fresh, just a old favorite done very well.
Parking is plenty, as well as patio and bar space. Great for hosting a pre-​wedding party, which is exactly what our friends did.
Service was excellent, no issues with all the crazy split checks and shared appetizers combinations our waitress had to manage. We got plenty of attention even as a big group.
Their pina colas were disappointing.

Goodness, can’t get much better. The view is off the hook. And we had such warm service! We opted for the wings to share with the sun set. So lovely, might have enjoyed anything with that view. I found the Lanai cocktail too sweet for me. The short rib was fantastic and the seafood mixed plate was perfectly cooked for me. FYI that might be too rare for some.

1. Hilo Bay Café of West Hawaii
2. An amazing horizontal view and good foods
3. Nice deco and TV and such
4. Easy to find
Glasswares don’t look that clean.

Yay for vacation! One morning, I had the opportunity to go to brunch with a few friends so we settled on place that’s pretty new to Kona. It was close to my condo and I was told the food was delicious.
When we got there, the place did not disappoint. The views were breathtaking! You could see all of Keauhou and Kona town. It was a gorgeous day as well, so it just added to the amazing ambiance. The staff was nice and seemed efficient. One thing that was super disappointing was that they just discontinued the brunch buffet the weekend before our arrival and didn’t really announce it. That was a bummer but no worries. Here’s what I had instead:
–Loco Moco: WOW, it was probably the best loco moco I’ve had in a long time! That was due to the rich gravy. This dish started with a best of white rice, add on hamburger patties and over easy eggs and topped with brown gravy. If that’s your sort of thing, then you really need to try it! So flavorful and delicious :)
All in all, the visit was good. I’d certainly come back with friends who want an amazing view and good food.

Reasons to visit Sammy Choys
–if you like strong drinks this is your jam. I had a mai Tai wow this bartender knows what he’s doing. No overpriced drinks here.
— nice view
–really friendly waitress
–local favorites on the menu such as Sai men and Loco moco I ordered bento plate which was a lot of food. I wanted more flavor but knew with the style of food that just wasn’t going to happen. If u go order their fresh fish or fish and chips.
— quick service and left buzzed and full

This resto is def priority #1 when I get to my spot on Ali’i Drive.
Mai Tais and Kona beers, aplenty.
Easy-​going bartender, the ambiance, and the ono apps helped me get into vacay mode.
Once again, a great start to my Aloha getaway.
Mahalo

We used to love Sam Choys and frequent here often for the best poke and their duck entrée. I’m a sucker for Canard/​Duck l’Orange and though this one is not traditional, it used to be my go to on the island when we lived here full time. We loved the way he plated his duck and the fusion style of his orange sauce, the taste was simple and perfect, just like his special ahi poke, which was once truly special, too.
Sadly, upon returning a year later, things are not the same. We did not see the poke we like so we ordered another and it was okay fish with a bland shoyu sauce. The duck was different this time around as well. Not as spectacular. Not close. So much can be said, but all in all, it was still good duck, with the difference of plating and sides, as well as the flavors not transcending the way it used to. The orange sauce was also different, not as tasty. But still yummy.
Next time I’ll try something else to see if they have really changed that much.
As always, the view at sunset is what makes it worth it. And also as always, exceptional service and delicious drinks and champagne. But please, bring back the ahi poke appetizer with all those onions mixing sweetly in it. The one that came on the platter bigger than any other poke pupu on the island. Yeah, that one. Not this tower thing you’ve got going on now. No thanks, just give it to me the old Hawaiian way. Rock salt! Mahalo!

Suggested by our hotel, this was the first restaurant we tried when we arrived to the Big Island. We came in perfect timing, happy hour! However, we went back during regular dinner hours and found out that the happy hour menu was only be a couple $$ cheaper.
Great place for their appetizers, and I wish we went back to try their dinner entrees! Their ribs and wings were too good and we ordered these the second visit. Banging baby back ribs, cooked just right. The chicken wings are very crispy and perfectly cooked, with a soy-​based marinade. I am not a fan of calamari, but my family said that the calamari appe was real good as well.
This was the first place that I tried ahi poke, and I found it to be good and a very interesting salad. But it was a little too much sashimi (raw) fish for me.
Drinks are good, especially their piña colada. They put a good amount of liquor inside their cocktails.
Best thing about this restaurant is their amazing view! I will definitely go back, even if its just for drinks and appetizers, to look at their amazing view and ambiance.