Hukilau Lanai

To be honest I wasn’t too impressed with this restaurant, despite all the rave reviews. I was looking forward to coming here on our last night in Kauai and based on the menu it looked really yummy. However, I wasn’t blown away by anything and I was hoping for more local flavour. I found more authentic foods at some of the smaller establishments in the area.
We came early for the Tasting Menu $ 32 without wine. It started with a cold gazpacho tomato soup with sorbet on top. Good but better if it wasn’t cold and windy today. The veggie tart was nice. The main fish was a little dry (the same fish and portion served on the kids menu). It was on top of rice and soy sauce veggies. Wasn’t mind blowing. Next the lamb rage pasta. Pasta was over cooked and soft. Taste was okay but I’ve had better. The vanilla crème brûlée was just that. Overall I didn’t find anything special about the two mains and dessert.
Husband got the mushroom meatloaf. Two slices smothered in a salty gravy with mashed potatoes. The gravy seemed to over power any taste of the meatloaf.
This is not to say the a La carte menu isn’t good. I actually didn’t look and which I had. Maybe there were other choices there that are more unique that what I had tonight.
I have no idea how one person can finish all this food. Maybe because I’m from Canada and I’m used to smaller portions but this is basically 2 appetizers, 2 mains and a dessert which I wished I could have shared with my husband. He got a main course which came with a soup which 2 people could have shared as well. And for my 10 month old daughter we got a kids fish for her with veggies and came with pineapple to start and ice cream to finish for $ 13. She only ate half. Overall we spent $ 70 which kills my wallet since on our last day and over stuffed tummies I don’t know where all this take home food goes. Such a waste but might just go in the garbage ;(
the service was excellent here. The waitress was attentive. And food came out in a timely manner (but I don’t recommend the tasting menu if you’re tight on time or say, your small child needs to get to bed). When we were cold she even some how found a sweatshirt for me to wear. Couldn’t have asked for more from her.

I try not to give out too many 5 stars but this place hit it out of the park. Stiff drinks at reasonable prices and every dish we ate was awesome and original. I’ll be back because I wasn’t able to try the candied Ahi. It’s a little pricy but it’s worth it!

Delicious dinner by candle light on a romantic get away. The salad and lamb were excellent. We had a wonderful server who checked back often. Very cozy atmosphere.

Good food, good atmosphere. Vannghi took such good care of us. She knew the vibe at the table and accentuated it. We had such a great time!

Kauai restaurants, especially in the North and East are a mixed bag. They are either über expensive without much imagination (excellent grilled fish, rice and decorative vegetable all for
around $ 37 huh? Want a salad? Add $ 14) or informal and a bit too off my beaten culinary path – one poke too many. That’s why Hukilau Lanai is absolutely amazing. Great creative cooking at a so reasonable price. Even the wine and drinks were affordable. If you get there between 5 PM and 5:45 PM they have a FIVE course tasting menu for $ 32 and they are not little bites either:
tomato pineapple gazpacho, vegetable tart, ono w/​coconut sauce, lamb w/​handmade pasta and a lovely vanilla crème brûlée to finish. My husband had a mixed seafood grill with a green curry sauce that came with any salad or soup on the menu $ 32. He chose a fish chowder layered with the flavor of chorizo. So so good. The service was lovely but they are a busy, busy place so it can take a while. Don’t show up without a reservation. Atmosphere is casual but island beautiful. Enjoy.

1,000 times yes. So delicious. So great. I could eat fish from here for the rest of my life.

Hard to complain. Woderful menu, if you go early ask for the tasting menu. Samantha was really great and super helpful. I recommend seating outside on the lanai as the inside is more banquette style décor. My only complaint was the bread. Not that I need bread but the beurre blanc sauce that came with the clams deserved a better vehicle to mop up the remainder. If you arrive on the early side, ask for the tasting menu with wine. Clearly a reason to show before 6:30

The first thing i do when i landed in kauai was to reserve a table here. I reserved a table for night time around 9pm. I showed up early like at 8pm and asked if i can get a earlier table. They were all booked up, so we sat at the sofa and chilled without netflix. We started to doze off cuz it was too comfy by the lobby. Next thing i know is an angel waitress walking up and say hey i got a table so you don’t have to wait.
We were sat up by the stage. It was quite dark but it was romantic. There was a country singer who sang for use throughout our dinner. We ordered the mixed grilled plate. The angel waitress said there is a split plate charge for 5 bucks and we get our own plate, so we took that suggestion. Basically they split the mixed plate into 2 plates and i believe the mixed plate grill came with a bowl of lobster bisque. I also order an additional lobster bisque on the side. I also ordered a mango black tea to go with my meal. The bill came out to under $ 60, for 2 which was fabulous!
Before the food same we were given the cheesy bread which was great with the lobster bisque soup. The lobster bisque was creamy and rich in every spoonful. When the bowl of soup got low we used the bread to wipe the bowl clean. We even had seconds on the cheesy bread.
Lots of mango black tea refills in between as well. It was unsweetened which is perfect! Add lots of lemon to make it extra zesty!
Mixed grilled plate
It came with sword fish and shrimp skewer. The fish was cooked to perfection and the sauce on it was creamy. It was a thai creamy sauce that came with the fish. The main focus is the sauce because without that, the plate would of been boring. We each got our own plate which came with rice and veggies and one piece of sword fish and one shrimp skewer. The split i charge is worth it if your not too hungry and just want a little bite as well.
Service it was on point. The waitress did a good job on bringing everything quick to the table. She was attentive, nice, and friendly.
Overall i like the food. Ambiance is nice and quiet and romantic. I wish there was a bit more light because the food porn pics came out awful and you know i like to make my foodporn fabulous! Um there isn’t much of a view where i was sitting at near the window. But it was breezy that night so it was a bit chilly. I do like the country singer because it was entertaining though out the dinner. A well deserve 4 star. Mahalo for reading! Happy Unilocaling!

Showed up on Tuesday, 45 mins after opening without a reservation. We were told our wait would be 5 – 10 mins, was more like 15 – 20 but we were entertained by people watching. A cocktail waitress also came around to take orders. We probably showed up just in time-​def recommend a reservation.
My mom had the mahi mahi, which was very good. I had the mixed grill was fantastic-​2 local fish and a shrimp skewer. The Thai coconut sauce was super yummy and complimented the seafood well. I also had the island orchid martini, vanilla bean and macadamia nut-​YUM. Arugula salad was tasty, great flavor-​definitely add the goat cheese.
Great service… wish I could remember the waiters name (brown hair, beard) who was a great waiter, made awesome recommendations and very friendly. Would return for sure.

My fiancé and I decided to give this restaurant a try due to all the great Unilocal reviews. We are happy we did our Server Hina deserves 10 stars she was out standing! We sampled the sweet potato ravioli and lobster wonton both were good my favorite was the ravioli.
I had the lobster bisque and arugula salad both very good.
My guy had the prime rib which was done to perfection
I had the fish sampler which was superb
I finished my dinner with the homemade dragon fruit sorbet it was light and refreshing

A little overhyped but good to try once. Then come back for the ahi poke nachos.
The staff is very friendly and super accommodating. Our 2 year old decided it would be a good idea to throw a tantrum in the middle of their lounge so after we all dealt with that we were able to order.
We had:
Ahi poke nachos– YUMMMM
Candied Ahi– pretty good-​a lot of Cajun type spices
Mixed Grill– ok, needed more flavor.
Live music in the lounge.

My boyfriend and I had dinner here while vacationing in Kauai. We thought this place was good, not great. It’s good if you are looking for a nice place to have dinner, although be warned it is located within a resort/​timeshare place.
We each had fish dishes and the fish was fresh and well prepared but I wouldn’t say that it was amazing.
We had a local charcuterie plate as an appetizer and I will say that everything on it was amazing, that may have been my favorite part of the meal.
The drinks were ok but expensive. We arrived early for our reservation and decided to get drinks while we waited, the service while we waited was not good at all, took nearly 15 minutes if not longer for us to get 1 drink. Although once we were seated the service was much much better.

My boyfriend and I celebrated our last night on Kaua’i at the Hukilau! He and I arrived at Hukilau 15 minutes in advance prior to our reserved time and was seated in 10 minutes! While waiting, there was a seating area for those waiting and we were able to look over the menu. We were seated inside, which was perfect because we had breeze that wasn’t too cold. (You can also request where you want to be seated.) He and I were greeted by our server, Aaron, who has amaaazing service! He was open to communicating without making us feel like we were a bother. And were able to answer any questions we had and some history behind the dishes’ names.
Anywho, we made our decision to go with the famous Ahi Poke Nachos which was delicious! While waiting, they sent over some bread that’s baked in their bakery! The ahi was so smooth and fresh (a must-​try)! My boyfriend had the surf-​n-​turf and I had the crown royale medallions in medium rare (forgot the name; too good to remember lol). We finished it off with some crème brûlée and their famous «lava» cake.
Overall, I highly recommend this place. Everything was perfect! The ambience, people, FOOD!!! We left with filled tummies and taste buds spoiled from the delicious dinner we had. I would definitely come back to this place when I visit again.
Tip: Make reservations in advance! I wanted to eat here during our anniversary dinner but it was too late! Anyhow, we got to make reservations the night before we leave so that’s okay. :)

Hukilau Lanai is everything.
10 stars — 100 stars — 1 million stars! Hands down the place to be for exotic flavors and TRUE farm to table freshness. Everything is house made with love and innovation. No short cuts. Just phenomenal food and delightfully surprising combinations.
Visited the Hukilau Lanai for two dinners on our latest visit to Kaua’i. Aaron took care of us the first night. The second night Aaron was expediting and still popped in to help take good care of us. Aaron is hands down the best server. Aaron has earned his accolades and it should be known how precise, well spoken and classy he is in everything he does.
The details:
Make a reservation.
No matter what — get the lobster bisque.
Must eat the ahi «nachos» appetizer. Best rendition on the island.
Try the tasting menu. It’s fabulous and filling.
TIP: tasting menu is only available from 5 – 5:45pm. Five courses for $ 32. With the wine pairing its $ 50. Tasting menu changes often.
Our tasting came with:
Island Gazpacho with Koloa rum pineapple sorbet. A pristine palate cleanser. Packed an astute, airy punch to begin our meal. Hearty and flavorful. Not watery in the slightest.
Kaua’i Vegetable Tart with tomato bacon jam. Absolutely exquisite. The tart was moist and flaky. Just came out of the oven. Vegetables had a meaty texture. And the savory tomato bacon jam set the entire dish off. Truly memorable.
The fresh catch of the day: Ono with sesame rice, miso vinaigrette and local pickled vegetables. Delicious artwork on a plate. Supple rice with seared Ono, gently sauced and topped with crisp veg. Perfection!
Ni’ihau lamb. Let’s stop and just bask in what we are about to experience. As Aaron so graciously explained this lamb dish is the epitome of organic farm to table freshness.
What is Ni’ihau and why is it special?
Ni’ihau is the «forbidden island». Through the Haukilau family connections they are able to obtain organic, free range lamb which they treat with the best of care before they turn it into one of the ultimate meals you will ever encounter in your life.
The Ni’ihau lamb is braised overnight for two days, soaking up its own rich flavors and mouthwatering juices until it reaches its peak tenderness. The well seasoned lamb becomes a tantalizing ragu and is thoughtfully tossed in house made fusilli pasta and topped with a splash of pecorino cheese. My mouth is watering reliving this dish.
It is my understanding that someone works overnight to adequately stir and maintain the quality of the lamb during the braising process. This factor, along with the speciality of Ni’ihau would prove difficult to have this item as a staple on their menu. Which is why it only appears on their tasting menu.
The fifth and final course is a choice between a vanilla bean Crème brûlée or duo of artisan cheeses. We had both. The Crème brûlée was executed well and not overly sweet. The artisan cheese duo was high quality, hard to find cheeses that were exceptional. Cheeses were served on a proper board with organic honeycomb and macadamia nuts. Splendiferous!
We also highly enjoyed the ahi steak platter and Kaua’i surf and turf. The portion of ahi tuna was huge — as big as my hand! It was accompanied by a corn pudding purée, red skin potato mashers, a delicate splash of truffle oil and a parmesan tuile. Exemplary!
The Kaua’i surf and turf special was the ultimate pairing. The filet could have easily been considered a cake steak due to its size. The Kaua’i free range organic beef was tender, juicy and well prepared. The surf was a seared escolar, one would only have on a special occasion. The fish was succulent and fatty in a good way. Similar to swordfish but silkier. Both proteins laid above a bed of yukon gold mashers. The filet was tastefully decorated in a bordelaise sauce as was the escolar in a garlic butter sauce. Superlative!
Many terrific options on the menu. If unsure what to order go with their special of the day. It’s always a solid choice.
The quality of the food and service is insurmountable. This restaurant prides itself on being exceptional at their craft. They utilize organic ingredients every way possible. Service is streamlined to be effortlessly effective. Hukilau is an upscale standard that’s hard to beat. The atmosphere is enchanting while maintaining a level of relaxed sophistication. Marvelous.

A really good restaurant on a time share place… who would have known.
I am not going to say these are cutting edge dishes, but they are tasty and generously portioned for the price and location. The menu has pupus, fish with various sauces, and the standard steak and pasta. I wish the selection of pupus was a bit better. The seasonal dishes were not very seasonal, as they were fall/​winter dishes in the summer time.
Good cocktail menu.
Service was a bit cold to start, but then warmed up as the night passed.

Everyone is right. This is one of the best (if not the only one) restaurant in Kauai, HI. It is located on the north side of town and I believe it is part of a hotel/​resort. We got seated with an beautiful outdoor view (I specifically requested for one at reservation). I could hear the ocean not too far away from the restaurant and watching the palm trees blowing through the wind… listening to the birds singing while enjoying my meal.
My friend ordered a 5 course meals that is approximately $ 32. It includes Lobster soup, veggie tarts, mahi mahi, lamb with homemade pasta and goat cheese with home grown honey (unfiltered). Although I am not a fan of goat meat or cheese, everything else is delicious. As for me, I ordered steam calm, grilled Mahi Mahi and finish up with their famous mango pie as dessert. There is zero sand in my steam clam and the soup was sweet and delicious. Mahi mahi is a bit dry because its grilled. Overall I still like it. The dessert that is made with mango was to die for. Even though we were full, we cleaned the whole thing up. I didn’t know warm mango could taste this good.
Our server was friendly and very organized with when to bring our our meals. He was attentive and always hang around silently to make sure we have everything we need. If you plan on eating here, you might want to schedule for an appointment ahead of time. You can call them or reserve a table via Open Table.

Cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough! Wish I could give it 6 stars. We booked our reservation online, which made me a little nervous, but we waited for about 2 minutes before being seated even though the place was booked out.
Our server, Andrew, was attentive but not to the point of annoyance. We ordered the lobster & goat cheese wonton — they were really tasty. My wife ordered the grilled ahi which was prepared perfectly and had a nice sauce over it. I had the «Wally’s Steak Crown Royal» tenderloin medallions. It was the most tender beef I’ve ever had. I was literally able to cut it worth my fork. It had an amazing flavor. We finished the meal off with the vanilla bean crème Brule which was really good as well.
But what made this meal so memorable was the customer service. Friendly, helpful staff from start to finish. My wife is allergic to avocado and we told the waiter this when we first arrived. Three different people brought us food during the evening. Each time a dish was brought we were assured that there was no avocado in the food, whether it was normally prepare with avocado or not. It was our 20^th wedding anniversary, which my wife had included as part of the online registration (we never actually mentioned it to anyone.) With our crème Brule, we were also given a chocolate «card» wishing is a happy anniversary. We also received 2 truffles in s little gift box as well (complete with a bow on top!)
The seating on the patio was a great environment. Prices were comparable to other nice meals on Kauai. Our time at Hukilau Lanai was one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had. Make sure you don’t miss this great dining venue.

Decided to check out this place based on the reviews — to be brief, it was very good but not quite great.
We went with a big group of 6 and a toddler. The service was wonderful — our server was really accommodating and friendly and helpful. I went with the tasting menu (gazpacho, veggie tart, mahi, lamb ragu, crème brûlée) and was happy with the gazpacho but not over the moon with the other food. I was definitely pining over some of the other entrees. The wine pairings were a good value, I enjoyed them with each course.
Above all, The dessert was suuuuper good. Definitely a yummy highlight to end the meal!

This is our first time dinning at this restaurant while visiting the island.
While checking on Unilocal,I found this restaurant and was able to get a reservation at 5:30pm on a Wednesday night. We arrived early and got seated right way with a beach view table.
We opted out the tasting menu and ordered from the main menu.
Food: mixed grill, 2 island grilled fish and grilled shrimps on a sugarcane skewer. It came on a bed of orzo pasta. The presentation of the entrée was excellent. This meal was the best meal I had since I arrived on the island. The taste is just right and the fish was not overlooked. ⁵⁄₅ stars
Pasta of the day. It was made from hand-​made fresh pasta with sausage and veggies. It was done perfectly. Very good! ⁵⁄₅ stars
My son had the kid’s meal: meat loaf with french fries. He is a picky eater but he finished the entire entrée so it must be good. The meal also came with a small size of ice cream. It is a great deal for $ 10.
Dessert: we got the chocolate lava cake. Make sure you ordered ahead. It takes 20 mins to bake. It was very good. The cake was moist and not too sweet. It also came with a size of vanilla ice-​cream. $ 10 is a little pricey but it was worth it.
Service was excellent. Our waitress was super nice and attentive. She was knowledgeable about the
menu. She explained what the was on the entrees when she brought out the food. ⁵⁄₅ stars
I forgot my credit card and she was nice enough to come after us to return it.
Parking: plenty of free parking around the hotel.
Tip: there is a nice beach right in front of the restaurant. I would recommend to check out the beach after dinner.

Hukilau Lanai was located near our hotel, so we decided to give this place a try. We attempted to make a reservation over the phone but they didn’t have a table at our requested time. Instead, we walked over and took a seat at the bar.
The server brought over some complimentary bread, which tasted great. It was some tomato-​herb-​cheese crusted bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We definitely enjoyed it.
We ordered the lobster and goat cheese wontons for an appetizer. They were not as amazing as one of the other Unilocal reviews mentioned. They tasted more like what you’d expect from crab rangoons at other restaurants. Lots of cheese on the inside, with small pieces of protein. I didn’t think it was worth it.
We also ordered the mahi mahi and the Hakilau mixed grill, which included a shrimp skewer, two types of fish, and orzo pasta. The shrimp and pasta were tasty. I don’t recall which fish I tried, but I only liked one of the two. The mahi mahi was really good — fresh and flaky. We didn’t have room for dessert.