Lehua Restaurant — Restaurant in Hawaii

My family of 7 came here for dinner including our 2 year old child. The food was good but the service and attention to our table was what really stood out and is why we would come back again.

We made reservations through the phone and notified the staff of our 2 year old, and upon arrival a high chair was pre-staged at our table with some toys (magna-tiles) to immediately occupy our child. They brought a kid’s water cup without us asking and constantly checked in to see if there was anything the little one needed. They brought our child’s food out immediately versus waiting to serve with the appetizers or mains and that was huge for keeping her happy and busy. All that in itself was much appreciated, it can often be intimidating going to nicer restaurants with a child but that was not the case at all and we owe that entirely to the staff that night.

For starters, we ordered fried kalo and a pork appetizer, both of which were well-portioned for our party of 6.

We ordered the smaller option of chuck steak and fried fish of the day for our table, plus the fish and pork special. It was advertised at around 3.5lbs between the steak and fish and it was plenty for our table. The bonchon that came with the fish was delicious, the demi-glace that came with the steak was great as well. The fish was extremely tender and flavorful. The chuck steak was delicious as well.

The live music added to the ambiance and was a nice touch. We were lucky enough to see a diner perform the hula to one of the songs and that capped off a very special night for our family in Hilo.

Lehua has a great thing going on here. The food is great and for us it is a one-of-its-kind in Hilo which is awesome to see. The staff should get plenty of praise for being welcoming to our family, describing all the dishes in detail and making recommendations, and being overall friendly and attentive.

Highly recommend to anyone in Hilo looking for a dinner for...

We first discovered Lehua Restaurant in Hilo after seeing them featured in a Bon Appétit video, and knew we wanted to go there for our anniversary dinner. Their farm-to-table approach shines through in every dish— everything was so fresh, flavorful, and combined traditional Hawaiian flavors with a modern twist in every dish.

We started with the New Zealand green mussels in a sake Asian pesto broth, paired with Kaunamano Farms sausage, which set the tone for the night— rich, savory, and unlike any mussels I’ve had before.

The panko-crusted calamari steak was another standout, paired with tomato poke, sweet chili aioli, and unagi— such a creative twist on a classic.

For our main, we shared the fresh whole Opakapaka, served with watercress and spinach salad plus seasonal banchans (seaweed salad, Korean noodles, and kimchi) which was cooked to perfection. The tagliatelle pasta with roasted zucchini and peppers in a white wine butter sauce was light and the perfect side to have with the fish. And to finish, the kulolo lumpia with Lappert’s Kaua’i Pie ice cream was the perfect balance of crispy, creamy, and sweet while the decadent banana bread with banana ice cream and banana brûlée was an indulgent finale.

The atmosphere was just as perfect, with beautiful live music setting the tone for such a warm, welcoming evening. Our waitress was so kind and attentive, recommending drinks and menu items right away. When I mentioned that I was pregnant, she instantly shifted to thoughtful non-alcoholic options that weren’t even listed on the menu. The sweetest touch was at the end of the night when the entire staff signed a card congratulating Conner and I on our new addition to our family. It was such a heartfelt surprise that made the experience unforgettable.

Between the incredible food, the genuine hospitality, and the special touches, Lehua Restaurant is truly a hidden gem in Hilo. I can’t recommend it...

Looking for good food, excellent friendly service, nice ambiance with live dinner music, and ono margaritas and martinis, we recommend you treat yourself to Lehua, previously known as the Sky cafe at Imiloa. The restaurant was booked for dinner, so my wife and I ate and drank at the bar. Anson was our bartender for the evening. He is personable, friendly, and makes an excellent mango margarita and mango martini. Jimmy who waited and served our food, was very attentive, informative and very personable as well. The overall service was excellent. I ordered the pasta with chicken, and my wife ordered ono that sat on a sweet potato sauce, and topped with a crab salad. Both meals were delicious. Our compliments to the chef. My only recommendation is you work one day of overtime (lol). We are both retired on a fix income, but we try to treat ourselves 2x a month to a fine meal. This evenings meal at Lehua was worth every penny. Thank you for the live entertainment, her sweet nahenahe voice made for a perfect night out. We look forward to patronizing Lehua’s again....