Kojima's Sushi and Japanese cuisine — Restaurant in Maui

One of my friends wanted to try Kojima's, so up the hill we went.

ATMOSPHERE: Kojima's is located in the Pukalani Square, a small strip mall, on the first level. I can see parking being a problem during the day since they share the parking lot with other businesses, but is plentiful at night. It's a tiny, no-frills, open-air space with a few tables and small sushi bar seating inside, and a couple tables outside, though no views. They're open for lunch, then close for a bit, then re-open for dinner. We arrived early, around 6pm on a Friday night, and easily got indoor seats. The place filled up but never to the point of a line. It got a little toasty inside with the addition of more bodies and no climate control.

MENU: A mix of Americanized and traditional Japanese apps, sushi, entrees, and desserts.

BYOB: There are rules though. NO soft drinks, bottled water, personal containers, flasks, or hard liquor are allowed. Beer, wine, and sake are okay.

FOOD: Ika Tempura Thinly sliced steaks of fairly tender squid were done in a tasty homemade batter and deep-fried perfectly. A traditional tempura dipping sauce was to the side. Small portion but good enough for 2 to share.

Baked Oysters This was on the specials menu board. 3 good-sized oysters were baked with a mayo-oyster sauce topping. I am not an oyster fan, but this was delish! The oyster wasn't as slimy as I had imagined. The combination of the natural juices and toppings married well. Highly recommended!

Mirugai Dynamite I didn't realize that this was on the specials menu board as well, selling for a whopping $15.95, as I was fixated on the Dynamite listed on their everyday menu for $12. When ordering, the server asked if I wanted clams or scallops inside, not informing me of the price difference, so I opted for the clams because you can get it with scallops anywhere. I had no idea what a "mirugai" was, thinking it was "clam" in Japanese. After going home and Googling it, I was shocked! I've seen those suckers in the supermarket as a child, thinking what the hell is that? It's a big clam shell with an elephant trunk-like arm sticking out of it that can in no way be tucked in lol. Yuck. If I had known what it was at the time, I wouldn't have ordered it. Suffice to say, it was very good, and didn't taste any different from regular clams. Oddly, they added in some ginger which zinged my tastebuds, along with the usual zucchini, onions, and fresh mushrooms. It's covered with mayo, drizzled with oyster sauce, baked searing hot, then crowned with a spoonful of tobiko. I'd recommend sticking with the plain Dynamite with scallops and save some dollars.

Tempura Udon Got udon? I will try it! From the pictures, it didn't look like the broth had much flavor to it being so transparent, but the reviews were mostly positive, so what they hey... I'll form my own opinion! I asked for the tempura to be separated because all the pics show them served in the broth getting soggy, but apparently they're now served separate, so no need to ask. The broth had a deliciously subtle bonito flavor, yet not fishy at all. The udon were cooked perfectly chewy. The chopped green onions gave the broth added depth. The tempura were all freshly battered, nothing frozen, and included 2 shrimp, some fresh green beans, a slice of pumpkin, and eggplant which I do not eat. My only gripe is that there was no dipping sauce for the tempura. I could've asked for some now that I think about it, but I used the udon broth instead. Fair portion size for the price.

SERVICE: Our main female server was patient, friendly and professional. They work as a team, and the other two ladies were just as good. Food service was very quick as they're staffed very well for such a small place.

OVERALL: A tad pricey, good food, the only Japanese restaurant in all of Upcountry (Haliimaile, Makawao,...

Bad service can really hinder what might otherwise be decent food. I mean we were getting takeout but the waitress who wandered by as we had come inside to see what the specials were and watch the chefs preparing the food was so incredibly rude... I don't know if I'd ever want to go back there. And most restaurants which are at half capacity and have seats will immediately offer you a glass of water while you're waiting for your takeout but instead this woman asked us rudely to step outside even though we had never been there and wanted to see their fresh fish which is standard in a sushi restaurant. The guy taking our order did not improve things also didn't offer us a seat or a glass of water while we were waiting or try to make suggestions on the menu when we explained that it was our first such a bizarre choice when there are other competitive businesses around and it's no longer the pandemic so there's no reason to be pushy especially since we were super polite and curious. The broth for the udon was basically watered down tempura sauce unless they made a mistake which is a further reflection on their attention to detail...super unimpressed and I don't think I would go there again and you should fire whatever waitress is working there last night for...

Let’s give them a break. I’m from Oahu but now live in Japan for over 14 years. You can say that I am a little biased because I live in the motherland of Japanese food. Unfortunately I can’t give any good marks for this restaurant as it has failed to win my approval due to the food quality and taste and from beginning to end the customer service was unsatisfactory. But this experience has made me realize how much the Japanese food establishments in Japan really take pride in the food and service they give. I guess that’s why I still live there. Basic dish like oyakudon wasn’t even offered there which was disappointing. Such a simple dish, rice with Katsu on top and then topped with slightly runny scrambled egg covering the whole dish. If you ever have this especially in Japan it’s quite good and filling. Also doesn’t break the bank. Sorry but I will pass on this restaurant and I can’t even recommend it to my Japanese friends because they would likely feel that there is something...