HACHI BY OAO — Restaurant in Maui

tl;dr - don’t think twice and make a reservation here ASAP for the best omakase. You will not be disappointed!

We had one of the most incredible omakase experiences here, and we’ve had omakase around the world, including in Japan and at Michelin-starred spots. This experience was up there with the best. The restaurant is unassuming, in a strip mall, with plenty of parking available. From the moment we walked in, the service was friendly, down-to-earth, and attentive. The inside is cozy, with a few tables up front and some counter seating at the bar. Since it’s BYOB, we brought a bottle of Far Niente Chardonnay, which was promptly placed in an ice bucket. FYI - there’s a store next door that sells beer, wine and sake. You can order a la carte, but we opted to do the omakase, and Chef Misao shared that we would be having over twenty courses. We ended up having 24 courses, including dessert and a palate cleanser, and every single one was spectacular. It’s hard to pick favorites, but some standouts included the cherry-smoked hamachi, the chawanmushi, uni, chutoro hand roll, otoro (topped with caviar and gold leaf), Japanese beef (cooked via sous-vide for 72 hours), and a sublime black sesame ice cream. We were stuffed at the end of service. It is evident that Chef Misao cares deeply about serving high-quality fish - most, if not all, were flown in from Japan, and the preparation was unique and truly enhanced the flavor of the fish. The soy sauce was made in house, and the wasabi was ground fresh from the root. For the amount and quality of food we got, the price was extremely reasonable - $185/pp. We would come back to Maui just to eat here again. It was truly one of the best meals we’ve had. Thank you, Chefs Misao and Buddha, for an incredible...

I love the other restaurants by Oao and was excited to try Hachi.

I tried only two items but loved every bite and the whole experience. I ordered the Kinoko Usuzukuri (Thinly sliced ali'i mushroom confit, crispy shallot, tosazu) and the Wagyu Beef Toro. The Ali’s mushroom appetizer was for the gods with elavated flavors and textures topped with microgreens and a mysterious crunch. I couldn’t get enough of it, really didn’t want to waste any of the decadent sauce left after I devoured the mushrooms, so I mopped the plate with my Beef Toro leaving no trace of food behind. WOW!

Dwayne was my server and he was charming and attentive as usual, He had taken care of me at their other locations and it was nice to see a familiar face.

I dined alone which I don’t recommend as this is a small location but I look forward to coming back with my fiancé for date night very soon!

Mahalo Hachi crew for making it a great...

The cutest, most charming, traditional authentic Japanese sushi restaurant on Maui! The food was amazing! Every bite was melt in your mouth kind of tasty. The menu is impressively curated with an array of unique fish and flavors. They really know how to complement the types of fish and ingredients in each roll.

The space is quaint, atmosphere is intimate and reminds me of the small sushi spots in Japan. Staff were super friendly upon entering and the owner even came to our table to explain the types of fish and how they were prepared. We had the blue fin maki, red dragon maki, and chili machi trout maki rolls. They were ALL fantastic!

Definitely recommend this spot for a date night or just to satisfy your sushi craving. As locals, this just might be the spot we’re going to visit...