HE’E Restaurant

It’s easy to miss this place. The sign is barely visible. We took a chance on a late lunch here. It was excellent. My son ordered the sukiyaki and love it. My daughter had sashimi and found it fresh and delicious. My wife’s meal was the best — breaded shrimp with a side of chicken teriyaki. For the money, this place is hard to beat.

I ordered the poke bowl and shrimp fried rice, my friend ordered the salmon bento. The fried rice was good, the poke was O K (I ended up cooking it at home, this particular poke tastes better not raw IMO) and the salmon was pretty good too (I just happened to sample my friends dish).
When u look at the website online, they say they’re a Japanese restaurant. However, it seems more local than Japanese. No bathroom in here but the waiter is friendly. Service is good the restaurant is clean

Awesome place, great food ordered the shrimp and vegetable tempera and with teriyaki chicken also comes with fresh sashimi n sides, it was wonderful also friendly & fast service.

First time. I guess it is okay. Says it is a Japanese restaurant but it’s Hawaiian-​style Japanese food. Ordered Katsu but they serve ketchup instead of Tonkatsu sauce which can be purchased next door. Aloha miso soup, not good. Should make their own from stock. Fried rice was really good but was oily instead of fluffy. Nice waitress, very friendly. Service was relatively quick. Was kind of busy so I guess people like it.

First time here for take-​out. Had the pork chops and mixed plate special that had a hash patty, chix drumettes, and fried fish. Everything was pretty standard local comfort food. Nothing stood out and amazed or really disappointed. Will be back.
Pros:
–reasonably priced
–good sized portions
–fast and friendly service
Cons:
–overcooked mushy edamame
–miso soup was too sweet for my liking

The food is incredible! Freshly made, flavorful, and it’s authentic Japanese food! The staff is friendly and courteous. This place was recommended by multiple locals and they were right! I highly recommend He’e! I read the reviews, but most of them were irrelevant and inaccurate. Try it out for yourself!

Was referred here by a local who said it was owned by a long time cook of Teshima’s. Don’t do it!
Take the drive out to the real Teshima’s. This place does not compare!
The service at He’e was excellent, but I can’t say the same for the food quality.
We had Udon; the broth had very little flavor. The saimin tasted EXACTLY like S&S Frozen saimin, and the Mac salad was horrible too. Way too much mayo!
We also had the stir fry, tonkatsu chops, and Miso soup which all were mediocre at best. In my opinion… Go elsewhere!

Food is ALWAYS great here BUT service is a bit spotty based on how busy the restaurant is when u arrive!

Very unhappy on my last visit. Found 3 pieces of hair in my teriyaki in my bento. Very disgusting.

This place is great, fresh local food. The keiki menu is the best, try the fried ahi!

So damn disappointed. My «furkikake ahi» was way over cooked. It was drier than a can of tuna. And my sukiyaki was flavorless. Like cooked noodles and soy sauce. I ordered to go and when I got home, my sides were all wrong. Only plus is that I didn’t wait long for my food. They said 10 minutes and it was done by the time I got there. Don’t think I’ll be back though.

Waitress was very nice:) I had the poke plate with brown rice and edamame, the poke was FRESH and tasty! The edamame needed more seasoning it was a bit plain but otherwise good. Nice place but feels like it could use a little more lighting, there was no lighting and although it was daylight it could’ve used more.

Food is pretty good…
Not as good as when it first opened…
I have never liked the service…
It’s casual dining but the service seems kind of to formal for the fare…
They need to loosen up, I have sometimes went else where just because I was not in the mood to deal with it…

Best poke on the Big Island! We liked it so much, we ate there twice during our most recent trip. It is a great value, huge portions and delicious food. The service is very friendly. The location is a little hidden in a strip center, but it is worth it to spend some extra effort to find it. My daughter also raved about her meal, she declared it the best grilled cheese she has ever eaten.

My husband and I had breakfast here. First I have to say that we are picky eaters. Husband had the Oriental House Special for $ 9.95. It consisted of pan-​fried breaded fish, scrambled eggs, brown rice, miso soup and genmai tea. He enjoyed it.
I had their French Toast for $ 5.50 and the presentation was very nice, but the slices of bread were meager… it didn’t fill me up… but you get what you pay for. Next time I’ll order something more filling. Coffee was good. Service excellent. It opens at 9am for all of you breakfast lovers.

Fabulous, fresh food.
Friendly and prompt service.
It reminded my wife of meals she ate in Japan.
We will be back on our next trip to the island!

This place gets better and better! The service is spot on and the food is amazing for the price you pay. The food is very inexpensive. But the food is soooooo wonderful.
I had the Panko Crusted Ahi. So delicious! Not oily at all. My bf had the fried rice omelet and it was excellent. We also tried the corned beef hash and it was delici

I have strongly mixed feelings about this place. As I have read, this restaurant may have taken the recipes from the infamous Teshima’s in Honalo which has been serving the Kona community since the ‘20s. Teshima’s is by far my go-​to place to eat when I go home to Kona. (See my review).
That being said, the food is right up there with Teshima. (Hence the three stars.) The menu is basically the same thing. There are a few variations. But the basic recipes for sauces and whatnot are clearly the same as Teshima.
The plus side: if you live in town or more North, you can save a trip up mauka to eat the same food as Teshima. However, my heart can’t really take cheating on Teshimas. So I will continue to make the 25 minutes trek from my house. What’s a minor 25 minute drive to support greatness.

Went in for lunch, and had the hamburger with gravy, brown rice, miso. My companions had the okazyu /​sashimi, and stirfry. Everyone was quite pleased with their meals, and that menu posted in photos is accurate. The place was filled on a Saturday afternoon, and I can see why. I’m eager to try some of the other dishes.
Seems like a real nice addition for casual dining in Kailua town. Not much signage, so if you’re from out of town look for Pier 1 imports and KTA Supermarket and it is between them.
Some friends were there and said the pork chops were delicious, and the Poke bowls that we saw go out looked good as well. This is not fancy dining, but the food will bring us back.
As to the chef having worked at Teshima’s, I must wonder why that’s even a topic of discussion; it’s a long drive up mauka, and I rarely get up that way. I really don’t see them as competitors. And after all, don’t chefs move along? Sam Choy worked at a hotel, once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away. Sometimes change is a good thing! I wish them well in this location.

Walked in for the 1^st time today. At 2pm, a few tables were occupied. Service was very quick, friendly, and professional. I was greeted right away. The menu was pretty simple with all the usual local items. I ordered the Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl. How well a place does with their seafood, is an indicator (usually) how good the rest of the menu will be. Fish is tricky, especially Poke. Very generous serving size. It only took 3 – 4 minutes and I was out of there.
It was a little dark when I went in. I’d probably suggest a little better lighting during the day, but other than that the food is awesome. My Poke bowl certainly stands up against a lot of the other Poke items in Kona.
I’ll be back for sure.