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The Seaside Restaurant & Aqua Farm

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The Seaside Restaurant & Aqua Farm Review

The Nakagawa family has been running this eatery since the early 1920s. The latest son to manage the restaurant has transformed both the menu and the decor, and that, paired with the setting (the restaurant sits on a 30-acre natural brackish water fishpond) makes this one of the most romantic and interesting places to eat in Hilo. You can't get fish fresher than this. Islanders travel great distances for the fried aholehole (young Hawaiian flagtail) and talapia that's raised on the aqua-farm. Other great dishes from the sea include furikake salmon, miso butterfish, and macadamia nut-crusted mahimahi. The Pacific Rim menu includes plenty of selections for landlubbers, too. Arrive before sunset and request a table by the window for a view of the egrets roosting around the fishponds.

    Restaurant Details

  • Credit cards accepted.
  • Closed Mon. No lunch.
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Fodorite Reviews

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    Cheerful Service, Great Food, Relaxed Atmosphere

    Food is really good--their specialty farmed fish is fried aholehole is great--but beware that it is full of small bones.
    Decently priced meals that come with salad (try the papaya seed dressing) and fresh, hot bread. Great value and good wine selection at decent prices for Hawaii.
    Very informal atmosphere (popular with students from the University of Hawaii at Hilo).
    Service staff were very warm and happily helped us even when they were not assigned to our table. When we asked to be moved to another table because we were near the AC vent, we were cheefully relocated without any problems.
    Great if you are looking for a laid back night.

    by Golnarsarge, 5/8/07

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