Mugen Waikiki

As someone who regularly dines at Michelin-starred and Forbes Five-Star restaurants, I found this experience to be truly outstanding. Easily one of the highlights of my time in Hawaii-I'm already looking forward to coming here when I return to Hawaii 😍

What an experience, from the food paring to each & every individual wine for each meal. So thoughtfully considered. The lamb for the meal course & then the macha for dessert was out standing. The one that took it was the caviar & champagne to start. So thoughtful put together, the wait staff was so knowledgeable & helpful. Truly a great experience all round.

We had a good experience overall at Mugen. For appetizers, the Kona kampachi was very fresh with a light yuzu foam that felt clean and balanced. The scallop was perfectly seared with subtle seasoning, and the oyster was tender with a unique spice aroma. For the Kai course, I highly recommend the lobster. It was incredibly tender and perfectly cooked, easily the highlight. The fish was good but not as memorable. For Aina, the lamb was better than the beef. The beef was slightly dry and the sauce felt a bit heavy. Desserts (chocolate and sakura) were just okay. If you want something lighter, the sorbet might be a better choice.

Genuinely exquisite locally sourced, highly conscious, organic, curated, and truly heartfelt dining experience. It is very rare that a restaurant experience is so delightful I’m left with the feeling that it might inspire me to visit the area where I just dined again with a strong part of that draw being the restaurant. This is how original, surprising, delicious, and engaging the food I had at Mugen was. The wine paired tasting menu sparkled with all sorts of local selections clearly chosen with deep care and reverence for the Hawaiian islands. The first course of poke and caviar on cassava was the most enjoyable seafood dish I’ve had in my trip to Hawaii. For the second course, I let my waiter talk me into trying the local beats paired with local cheeses, and I don’t particularly like beats. It was amazing. Do not miss this dish and if you think you don’t like beats, try this! The wine pairings with both also shined. A Wagyu carpaccio with potatoes was surprisingly subtle as a third course for something with flavors so strong. I added on an A5 Wagyu sushi, which honestly did not connect for me, but the rest of this meal was so incredible I didn’t mind at all. The lobster dish with risotto was extraordinary as a 5th course, and the French chardonnay that paired with it was fantastic. I chose the Molokai local venison for the meat portion of the menu, knowing I don’t particularly like venison, but up for an adventure, and found that the way it paired with fois gras and a bold red wine was also highly enjoyable. Finally, the chocolate dessert was visually engaging, and also beautifully paired. The service was warm, the food, delightful, and the total experience genuinely exquisite. Truly, a five star experience. This is a Michelin quality restaurant in a place that Michelin does not do ratings and from what I experienced, it is not a one star Michelin restaurant. Truly an awesome dining experience. Could not recommend more highly. Hope you enjoy!

Everything was absolutely perfect! From the ambiance to the food and service, everything is so meticulously prepared and executed to make this a very memorable dining experience. The food is perfectly prepared, and the flavors and textures are so well balanced. Service is what you would expect from a fine dining establishment. The staff are welcoming and well versed in their offerings, providing recommendations on how to best eat and enjoy each dish. They have an extensive wine collection and offer several cocktails. I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a memorable experience with great food in a beutiful location. This is a great place for a special occasion romantic date night, or just a wonderful dining experience and night out. Will definitely be returning!

One of the best meals in my life. From start to finish the experience, food, service, presentation and pacing are curated to perfection. The two small downsides are that there is no view and the list of wines by the glass is modest. However, to make up for the view, every course is served on a different plate from a different prefecture of Japan and each one is beautiful and fascinating.

We were lucky to have Eduardo as our server for Afternoon Tea as well as for dinner! He helped us make great menu choices and EVERYTHING was spectacular!!! I love that there are many options to customize your own dinner menu. All the offerings sounded good, looked beautiful and were absolutely delicious! Douglas recommended some great wines that went very well with our meal selections. I appreciated that Chef Colin Sato came out to chat with us and shared information about upcoming events. Can't wait to revisit!