Sushi Paradise

I had an highly anticipated visit to Sushi Paradise with one of my friends. I had heard so many good things about it that I needed to try it for myself. My friend had been there many times, so I took her recommendations, and I was not disappointed.
I made reservations several days in advance, and I arrived about 20 minutes before opening. There was a table reserved, but we were able to move to the bar to watch Chef Watanabe perform his sushi magic. I know people complain about a wait for the food, but I hardly noticed it. I watched the chef make the sushi for the party next to us and our sushi, and I was so fascinated that the wait seemed like nothing. We ordered the Sushi Dinner split for 2, and Chef Watanabe cut all of the sushi in half. We got it with the shrimp tempura roll, and we ordered a spicy scallop roll, in addition to a salmon skin salad (we both had skipped lunch in anticipation of this dinner). We were able to finish everything except some of the miso soup and salad. Everything was fantastic. The shrimp tempura roll was one of the best I’ve had, and the spicy scallop roll was so tasty. Of the rolls that come in the sushi dinner, the unagi was mind-​blowing — seriously, I ate it and wished I had saved it for the last bite of dinner.
Everything was so good, and the chef and hostess were friendly, as were the other parties at the bar, we had fun talking story with them. I am eagerly awaiting the next time I will venture to Kihei for sushi.

Best sushi in Kihei, sometimes take long to eat but is worthy. The best thing to do is seat at the bar.

This was an amazing experience. If you love sushi, this is a great place to go to. It’s small and quaint. There is one Japanese chef, one (Sous Chef?) in the back and one server. This makes for service to be a bit slower, but the fresh fish more than made up for it. The slower service is the only reason I deducted a star.
This place, as is any place on Maui, very expensive. We ordered two eel hand rolls, $ 24 and worth every penny. It was absolutely phenomenal. All the sashimi was cut beautifully and extremely fresh. Take a gander at the pics, they speak for themselves. Rolls are cheaper. Spicy tuna, yellow tail and scallop rolls are $ 10.50, which isn’t too bad.
We called ahead of time to make reservations but every time we were there, people walked in without a reservation and there had been room for them at the bar. I would make a reservation just in case because all of the other well known sushi places fill up very fast. So do it just to guarantee you have a spot.
A very pricy experience that is worth every single penny. If you appreciate fresh seafood, go here. Best sushi experience we’ve ever had.
Side note, the woman hostess, server, waitress can be rough around the edges. If you’re easily offended by her abrupt brashness, then I would recommend you avoid this place. My fiancé and I aren’t easily butt-​hurt by things, so we didn’t mind her attitude. Actually, she warmed up to us and joked around with us the first night and then our second time around she spent more time chatting with us. She’s the only one serving everyone in the place, while also having to take phone calls. She’s a busy gal! And she runs the joint, she keeps the place together. So if you’re gonna be sensitive or you’re PMSing, don’t bother.

It is a small hole in the wall, not to shabby location. The staff is friendly and the locals to love to eat here. The sushi was fresh and tasty. The price for sushi was on point for the location, quality of food and service. The great thing about this eatery is that they offer hot cooked food as well. We must have gotten lucky as we walked right in and grabbed a spot. Those who recommended this spot stated there is usually a wait, but it is worth it.

The best sushi I’ve ever had! Udon soup was so yummy! It’s a small place, but soooo worth it!

I’m not going to comment on the food at all. I feel bad for the sushi chef here, because I wouldn’t want to have to deal with the «hostess» here on a daily basis. And I also think that the «hostess» might kill this business — she did for me.
I put hostess in quotations because the term hostess implies someone who is gracious for your presence and wishes to serve the customer. The «hostess» did not embody these qualities at all. This «hostess» was also the waitress and had such a sour and rude demeanor that after I ordered my drink and one roll, I decided to end my meal with them.
I left hungry a restaurant hungry just so that I didn’t have to deal with the «hostess» anymore.
That bad

ONO according to the Maui revealed guidebook… and they did not disappoint! The sushi dinner was delicious. I’m not usually an ebi fan, but the ebi sushi was literally melt in your mouth amazing, and the rest of the sushi was also delicious as well. We sat at the sushi bar and the Chef and waitress were friendly and we got to see the master at work!

Walked in to get a table and we were told a reservation was needed. I get it and understand about reservation. But it was the way the waitress said it to us. She made us wait a while before she walked over to us with an attitude and asked «what can I do for you?» Uh… what do you mean? If customers walk into a restaurant, they are there to EAT lady! I think customer service training is immediately needed at this place!!!

The food was amazing and yummy. It was pretty pricey but we received large portions. We ordered the salmon skin salad which was huge. Avocado roll, california smelt egg roll, a rainbow roll and salmon and toro nigiri’s. Very fresh tasting yummy sushi. I would give 5 stars but we both got the runs that night and thought it must have been the sushi.

I called and made rsvp for 7pm on the same night. The hostess informed us that food might take an hour. No problem. We were aware of the Unilocal reviews.
Our food came out alot quicker than expected. We were in and out within an hour of placing our orders. Service was friendly and prompt. Food was excellent. It’s the best sushi I’ve ever devoured.

Best salmon on the island that I’ve had. But super overpriced! It’s a really small place ;8 bar seats and 4 tables so defs call ahead. She warned me it would be an hour before I got my food. The sushi chef. you can tell he is passionate for what he does. He’s the only one but he was hustling and kept it clean. The waitress was kind of pish posh and she’s the one who took so long. Sat forever and had to initiate her to get me a drink after 10 min and she forgot my miso. But my sushi came out 5 min after I ordered it.

If you have never been to Japan, you might under estimate this restaurant, as you enter the place. Otherwise one step into the restaurant and you know that it is the right place !
Chef Watanabe is extremely focused and in love with his job. Silent at first which might intimidate some, but soon his warm heart shows. 21 years in Maui 21 years in the same location that tells a lot about the dedication of this man.
Even the lady of the house, that is definitely the opposite of warm as she receives you, after the second visit starts to crack a smile or two.
I personally adore the way Watanabe cuts and portion his fish. There is a detail about the angle of the blade in the final moment of the cut that is a great show of craftsmanship that is noticeable by people who know about sushi.
Best Ankimo ever. Top of the line Uni.
Amazing his sashimi Omakase.
I had Nigiri-​sushi all night and loved every single one of them.
DO NOT GO THERE IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT WAITING FOR YOUR FOOD
It is a traditional Japanese place.

We were warned before going here that even with reservations, the wait for sushi would be very long because there is only one chef making everything. We did not experience that on our trip here. We made reservations for 6:30, and called ahead when we realized we were going to be 5 minutes late. They were very grateful for the heads up since it is a very small place and there are only two people running it.
We ordered edamame, miso soup, and seaweed salad appetizers, followed by a spicy tuna roll, two spicy shrimp rolls, and a couple of pieces of tuna nigiri. Everything was freshly made on the spot as the chef does not believe in pre-​making anything. Everything we had was excellent and we never felt like we had an abnormally long wait. We were out of there in just over an hour.
Overall, I would love to return the next time I’m in the area, as I’m always looking for a good go-​to sushi spot. I would highly recommend making reservations in advance, as it is a very small operation and seems to fill up for dinner.

Food — 4; Service-​2
If you like your sushi served like the soup nazi then this is your place. Seriously excellent nigiri and sashimi and classic rolls. The décor and service need some improvements for the prices they are charging. Honestly I wanted this to be an amazing experience but it just left me frustrated that a place with excellent talent behind the knife lacked any type of care towards their customers. I’d recommend with many warnings.

So, been here at least three times now and the food is still good. This last visit I had the chawan mushi which was delish. As far as the sushi, it was good but the standout was the spicy tuna roll which has mayo mixed into it — that was yummers!
The service was a little spotty, we went without water and tea for a while and then ended up just grabbing the pitcher to refill our glasses (since it was right next to us on the counter). But the waitress was nice enough, at least she didn’t make any remarks about us doing that.
They’re open on Sundays which is a definite plus.

Two words. Awe. Some.
The wait is worth it. Be kind, be friendly, the proprietors pick up on your vibe and will treat you as honored guests. They screen out the douches with the phrase ‘long wait’
So, either enjoy the sushi, or be a douche and get nothing.

This was the best sushi we have had in a while! They are honest about the wait…45 minutes but totally worth it. The lady was very informative and nice. Need reservation.

I was really looking forward to checking this place, based upon the Unilocal reviews. It was not a welcoming experience. 3 tables open (6 tables total +sushi bar). We (group of 4) were told nothing was available. When we asked the wait, she said «a long time» then we will wait «at least 45 minutes for food after that».
Maybe they don’t care because were not local. But not something I would expect from a place rated 4 out of 5 stars on Unilocal

If your looking for 5 star service and a waiter falling all over to please you, this place is NOT it.
If you are a tourist (as I am), and think the island should revolve around you and your family vacation, this place is NOT for you.
BUT, if you are low key party of 1 or 2 who respects the local culture and love AMAZING sushi, this place is DEFINITELY for you!
My husband and I enjoyed a very quiet and delightful meal here. The Chef was a pro, with a great style of sushi.
Yes, it was subtle but clear… locals WILL get served first. But personally, I am not offended. I could only imagine how annoying tourist could be if I was a local.
Probably one of the best meals I had in Maui.

Best sushi on maui! Love this place. Corwyn and I got a set meal and it was to much food for two people. We did our best though.
This is a small place. There’s a total of three people on staff. Cook, waitress, dishwasher. If u want a quick meal, go elsewhere.
Japanese beer and saki selection is great. Food is super fresh.