Akmal Indian Food

Absolutely Adore Akmals.
Granted there are very few Indian restaurants on the Big Island of Hawaii, you still never want to choose bad Indian. Ever. So just don’t expect anything fancy and definitely go here.
Straight to the FOOD: I’ve tried the Samosas, regular and the samosa plate with chicken and lamb. Very good and fresh. The plates are topped off with a mound of fresh veggies similar to a Mexican tostada, which does the trick for me. Along with the chick peas swimming in a truly delicious sauce. That’s where the kick comes in.
I find that every chef has their own samosa and I rarely meet one I don’t like. I love the samosa plates here. Also the mini samosas and appetizers are fantastic.
The owner uses a lot of fresh veggies that she seems to like to include on her plates.
Lassis are spot on. Lighter than I’m used to, but I liked that.
Naan bread is made fresh and comes out hot. No complaints.
LAMB VINDALOO — HOT
If you love Indian food, if you love lamb and if you love vindaloo, try this one and see what I mean when I describe her technique as fresh and light. She does it justice, hot; and she’ll even whip up a milder one if you ask.
My favorite vindaloo tastes worlds different but the tangy vinegar I crave is clearly there in Akmals and that’s what you really need to know.
Nice pieces of lamb and chicken that taste right.
Nothing I’ve had was bland.
Spice level is decent and mild for my heavy taste. It will catch up to you, but it’s a slower progression than most I’ve tried which was really neat. The spice level doesn’t just rape you.
In general everything is made excellent and fresh tasting. Clean and on the lighter side for Indian and Pakistani food, with refreshing after tastes. However if you are accustomed to heavy spiced authentic Indian cuisine from other regions, Akmals may taste different to you.
Her region of cuisine is Punjabi and she follows through nicely and authentically with a modern twist. Note that home cooked vs restaurant Punjab cooking significantly varies, and this is by all means a mom and pop style. Punjabi cuisine love and are known for their meat creations and biryani and the chef delivers well done options for you. Try her biryani – rice dishes if you’re scared.
There are vegetarian options as well. And a vegan samosa option.
Note for locals that the small restaurant is in the downstairs of the Kress Building where Connections School currently is, so they only open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Enter off of Bayfront.
Ambience: located downtown, tucked into a nice space of seven four tops. Bland décor besides architecture. Open doors of the theatre entrance lets in ample light during the day. At night lighting is dim and cozy. Great place to read a little after your meal or do some extensive paperwork which they kindly let me do during this lunch visit.
Service: friendly and lax. Good servers and great chef. Well deserved 4.3 stars.

Akmal’s changed location to Kamehameha Hwy two years ago! Akmal’s is located inside another building, but it is worth looking for. I haven’t eaten a meal here, but they have delicious lassi and others have told me the food is good. Their lassi is also available at Abundant Life, KTA, and Island Naturals.

My friend and I were planning on eating at the Thai place next to this place, but there was a line and this menu looked interesting.
The location is quite odd, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if this was even a restaurant. It’s located in the Kress theater in downtown and they use folding chairs and tables to seat guests.
As you can imagine, I was not expecting too much. There is only one lady cooking (and one waitress), so everything took a long time. If you are willing to wait, it is totally worth it.
I ordered the sabjii curry with brown rice. It is an orange colored curry with chicken breast. The flavors and spices were spot on! Honestly I wish the portions were bigger, because I could have eaten maybe twice that amount. It was really good!
We also ordered the garlic naan. Once again I wish you got more bread for the price, but it was delicious. Went nicely with the curry and would definitely order it again next time.
Overall, I was very pleased. Did not know there was any Indian food in Hilo, so I’m happy that I found a good Indian restaurant whenever I’m craving it.
There was also some live music that night, which I enjoyed. Will be back!

O.M.G…this restaurant has the most delicious Indian cuisine! You MUST try the Sabji Chicken… or the Samosa… or the Vindaloo… or anything else for that matter! You will be greeted with a friendly warm smile by the operator/​owner. She greets you, seats you, cooks your food, and waits on you hand and foot. She is amazing! BUT, since it is operated by one person, do not expect fast food. The rice she serves is so delicious and she explained that she cooks it with cardamom seeds which gives it an amazing flavor. The lassi is excellent and she told us that they sell their lassi in local stores and at the Farmer’s Market. Try the mango Lassi… my favorite! I have to add, my husband doesn’t eat much in the way of ethnic foods, but he loves this restaurant! My kids love it, too. I can’t say enough how delicious the food is!
BTW, we go to the one in the Connections Public Charter school. Is there another location as well?

I am a vegetarian so the only thing I eat here is the Samosa Plate. When I feel like eating light, this is where I go. The owner is very sweet and the food is modest but good. I take people there and they always like it. You must like Indian food, however.

I go to church right down the street at St. Joseph and pass this restaurant every week. I finally decided to stop by for lunch one day because I’m always looking for a good Indian place to get my chicken korma fix!
This restaurant is TINY. About 6 tables of 1 – 2 seats. It is operated by ONE person. She is the chef, greeter, and waitress. Therefore, the wait can be a little long. Still, the food is fresh and delicious. I ordered a samosa (veggie and potato filled dough that’s fried), and chicken korma with rice. Though the curry was on the watery side, it was YUMMY! I will definitely come back to try some of the other curries that are promised to be thicker.
Stop by, too, if you need to satisfy your Indian food palate.

We arrived to find no patrons and several tables had yet to have been cleared of leftover food. We wondered if this was done to give the appearance that people actually eat here.
We tried the lentils and samosas. Lentils were just lentils, nothing special. Kind of a small bowl for 8 or 9 bucks. Samosas were decent but could’ve been larger servings.
Probably wouldn’t come back.

Tried the lamb vindaloo; it was extremely spicy (as I was warned) and pretty tasty. Portion appeared small but was just enough to be filling. Samosas were good too. Service was friendly. Plan on paying cash. Will probably come here again.

The food is okay, but… there’s no naan! :(

Visiting Hilo for coule days and found Akmal on Unilocal while searching for Thai restaurants; we were early @ 5pm and were the only patrons. Food taste for everything we had was very good and portion sizes were perfect, not typical American super-​sized. We had the Mini Samosa platter, Murgh Channa (Chicken and Chick Pea Curry), and Lamb Palak (Lamb and Spinach); we were steered away from the Vindaloo as is was very spicy.
Akmal is a small establishment off the beaten path, furnishings are sparse with a menu to match: vegetarian, chicken, and lamb options, with your basic Basmati rice but none of the typical Indian options such as Tikka Masala or even naan. Very limited drink selections (few lassi choices) and no beer or wine. Reasonable prices but cash only.
If we lived in the area Akmal would be an occasional return visit, good but not great

We didn’t like it.
We both agreed that the filling inside the Samosas was good, but that the crust tasted like pie dough. The Vindaloo with vinegar tasted similar to Buffalo Chicken. I don’t like Buffalo Chicken, but if you do you might enjoy this way of making Vindaloo Curry.
The location is nice. Plants in pots outside. Child’s drawings on the walls.
The owner, cook, waitress is very nice and service is prompt.

SATISFACTION!!! Unique. Original. Delicious. Off the beat’n path. Affordable. Ohhh, the lilikoi lassi!!!

The food here is soothing to my soul… and very nutritious for my body. Tastes like home cooked food. The sauces are delicious. Fast service. This is where I go whenever I’m in Hilo. Closes between 3 and 5 p.m.

Near St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Lyman Museum, there is plenty of on-​street parking. A small eatery with perhaps 5 tables, the menu has enough items without being overwhelming and the owner is a very friendly woman of Pakistani background who speaks German. She’ll give good recommendations and we enjoy the murgh channa, chicken vindaloo, chicken curry (a bit mild), and alu panak (I believe: spinach and potato), as well as samosas and liliko’i lassi that was split between my companion and me.
Prices are good, with a filling dish about $ 12. Decoration is sparse but casual. For good food and chit-​chat with the friendly owner, it’s a delightful place!

After spending 6 months making homemade Indian food, I found Akmal! Thank goodness! I always get the samosa plate and my boyfriend gets the chicken vindaloo. He loves how hot it is. It’s fresh and delish!

We were there for lunch yesterday. Nice place. Small, only 5 tables. Moderate variety in their menu. Has all the necessary items for a decent meal. I had the Combo Plate #2 — Two samosas cover with a curry chicken and lettuce and julienned cukes. The combe plate come with sweet lahsi, a nice touch. My wife had a lamb curry in spinach. Again very nice.
Don’t expect big city Indian food, this is Hilo. Any Indian food is welcomed!
I would go there again.

Akmal deserves more than one review! The new location on Haili Street is nice, just a few tables inside and outside. I always get the samosa plate… very tasty. If you are expecting «real» Indian food, you will probably be disappointed. But I still love it. It is nice to get a break from all the Thai places in Hilo (which there are some good ones, don’t get me wrong).

Akmal opened earlier this year but it is the same restaurant which used to be at 14 W. Kawailani, incidentally. (Akmal closed at that location in 2008, and it stayed in business as a vendor at Hilo Farmer’s Market.)
Akmal has the distinction of being the only Indian restaurant on the Big Island, and concentrates on Punjabi food. The menu is limited but well-​done, with lamb and chicken dishes, and vegan ones, including daal. Some dishes are moderately expensive because they come with basmati rice, but samosas are less than $ 2.
Akmal is cash-​only, and emphasizes takeout, though there is some seating. Parking is limited (streetside parking only) but within walking distance of the Lyman Museum and historical churches.
A bonus: You can rent Bollywood DVDs there for a week for a dollar apiece.
2010 update: The Bollywood DVDs have not been available for a long time, because borrowers were losing them. Too bad, because one could get movies unavailable elsewhere in Hilo. On a brighter note, Akmal’s now sells miniature samosas for a dollar apiece, but you have to order a minimum of ten at least a day in advance.

The ladies at the Lyman Museum told us about Akmal, across the street. It was yummy: lots of veg options. My friend and I opted for the Samosa Plate, mine veg and hers with chicken and sweet lassi. It was served Punjabi style, which I had never had before, and I really liked it: the samosas had peas and tiny bits of potatoes inside, and atop them were garbanzo beans in a very light (non creamy) curry sauce. All of this was topped with shredded cucumbers and bits of tomato, and a sprinkling of cayenne. Service was fast, but plan on paying cash. They are open 11am to 8pm, and are also at the Hilo Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday. You can dine in, take out, or cater.

What a find in Hilo!!! I was actually searching for the Subway sandwich (which is right next door). got out of my car and was ecstatic at seeing this place! Obviously ate here and not at Subway! The food is great. Freshly made. I ate Samosas, and a veggie plate sort of thingy. Everything was good. The owner was actually cooking… good to see that.
Couldnt come back since I was staying in Kona and just drove to Hilo for a day. Definitely a place to go for vegetarians or Indian food lovers.
The restroom is outside… they have one restroom for that little strip. So, you need to ask for keys from the restaurant owner.