Puka Puka (Hawaiian for lots of holes, or little hole) Kitchen by far beats a lot of places around Hilo for both character, hospitality and amazing flavors! It's very humble, having only 3 tables and a window counter long enough for 3 small people or...More

Ahi Don and garlic rice was wonderful and the place is fun. Great value, lots of food for the price. Staff was very helpful and friendly

This super-friendly, unpretentious and tiny cafe was interesting because it serves locally inspired food. I ordered the lunch special, about $9 for chicken katsu, salad and a strange curry rice. The chicken was greasy and overbreaded. The rice was so full of turmeric and/or curry...More

I left nothing on my plate but the utensils. Had the stewed lamb with garlic rice and salad. After 15 days on a cruise, and 3 days in 3 French Polynesian Islands with no local.food or restaurants, I was so happy to find Puka Puka....More

We found this place on Trip Advisor. The repeated kudos were spot on! Go here! After driving across The Big Island from Kona side, we were quite hungry and looking for excellent food. Puka Puka was the ultimate! Our food was authentic Hawaiian, fresh, clean...More

We had been to the Puka Puka Kitchen for lunch on afternoon when we were visiting Hilo. We had ordered the Ahi Don plate which came with Garlic Rice, Salad and the Ahi Fish fries. The food was freshly made. Garlic rice was very tasty....More

1 -Yes, this is 'hole in the wall', ok, some of the best food can be found in such establishments. - no problem 2 - tiny place, 4-5 tables and window seats - no problem 3 - very "tired" and a bit grubby looking -...More

Not very many tables but it was worth the wait. Waitress vey nice. Food was excellent. Everyone happy including 17 year old picky eater.

Honestly - I was a bit skeptical when I walked in because the decor was a bit - meh. It's definitely a hole in the wall. Then I reminded myself that these places are usually pretty good. Glad I followed my instincts to stay. The...More

This is a tiny little local spot so please don't be detoured by the small size. The food here is so delicious! The rice is the best we have so far anywhere in Hawaii and the lamb was also exceptionally good. I thanked the chef....More