It’s only fitting that such an elegant venue as the Maui Prince Hotel should have a first-rate Japanese restaurant, and in Hakone, it certainly does. Hakone offers a fine dining experience with quiet elegance, proper service and notable sushi.
Designed with Zen spareness—blond woods, lots of white, generously spaced tables and a beautifully laid-out sushi bar—Hakone is quietly handsome, yet casual enough for comfort.
Hakone’s interior is very lively and bright, featuring more contemporary Japanese designs. The wood furnishings in the restaurant give a very warm feeling, which is very inviting for the hungry patron. The interior design combined with the great view of the Ala Wai boat harbor, and more importantly the view of the sunset, make for a nice setting.
The service is topnotch—you barely have to wiggle your eyebrow and someone will be refilling your water, or bringing you a hot towel. The sushi is fresh and well-prepared and the cooked dishes live up to the quality of the raw ones. Tempura comes to the table crisp and greaseless, cooked to a turn.
The ostrich katsu is served with a sweet-and-sour sauce and the hirame usuzukuri, thinly sliced halibut with ponzu sauce, is delicate yet flavorful. We also enjoy the kaiseki dinner, which comes in three varieties: seven courses, nine courses or a sushi version.
You can have a complete nabemono dinner cooked tableside for a minimum of two. Monday nights, there’s a Japanese buffet only featuring 25 specially-prepared delicacies.
Hakone
5400 Makena Alanui
Maui Prince Hotel
Kihei, HI 96753
808-875-5888
{ 0 comments… add one now }