IZAKAYA SHIONO KONA

Fantastic Japanese spot right in Kona — busy, but absolutely worth it. The menu is pretty extensive and honestly I need to go back to try more. The sushi coming out of the kitchen looked incredible, but I just didn’t have room this time. I had the oyster shooters, mini ramen, and the chicken katsu don — all were amazing. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. You can tell they take pride in every dish. They also have an extensive sake selection, which is a huge plus if you’re into pairing your meal with something special. Definitely make a reservation. I went later in the evening and waited a while, but again — totally worth it. Can’t wait to return!

Food 5/5 - Ordered chirashi sushi bowl and 5 kinds sashimi. Fish for both was high quality and very fresh, as the texture was soft with no hints of being frozen. The wasabi definitely stings up the nose, so be mindful of how much you use. Miso soup was nice and hot. Service 3/5 - It was Christmas eve during our visit and it was very packed. The sushi bar seemed to have sent our order to another table, as our sashimi plate came out in 5 minutes, while we had to flag our server asking about our chirashi bowl after waiting about 20 minutes. Our server was apologetic for the inconvenience. Atmosphere 3/5 - Interior is average, as there’s nothing visually to capture your attention span while waiting for your meal. Overall - Had a pleasant experience and would visit again.

We have already been here a year ago and we’re not disappointed again. The restaurant gets busy, there is a line even before they open. We’ve ordered a variety of appetizers, and some main dishes such as yellowtail and Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen. All the dishes were really tasty, some portions could have been a little bit bigger but the quality was great. Service was always attentive and did a great job. Would always come back

One of the few places that you can try Butterfish, which is like Chilean seabass or cod, but flakier. The oysters were fresh and dressed with green onion, masago fish eggs, and ponzu. The salmon skin salad had nice crunchy salmon skin. There’s plenty of free parking, a lot in the back as well as street parking. Pro tip: if you planning to spend at least $100, then go to the nearby Costco to get their gift card and save $$ ($100 GC for $80).

Absolutely incredible food! So glad we stopped in. We got here right when it opened, glad we did because it’s very obviously a hot spot! I’ll be thinking about that ramen for awhile!