Moon And Turtle

Friendly neighborhood spot, fun staff, great food options and yummy cocktails. Even though they were very busy they sat us quickly and they even celebrated a birthday for one of their regulars. Parking can be hard to find, and the area can be a little nervous after dark but highly recommend this place.

Amazing restaurant !! Affordable fancy food in Hilo ! Only been a couple times and I’d definitely go many more. Can’t believe it took me years to try it. The dishes seem to update daily depending on fresh ingredients available at that time. Always something new! Personally I could eat the small dishes all night and pass on the main course lol

They require reservations but was able to accommodate us without one. We picked some porridge based dishes. The mushroom risotto is banging. Get that for sure. The main dish can easily feed 2 people and 3 with one other dish. We picked the market fish. The ginger in our mahi mahi was very overpowering so not as enjoyable but overall good. Overall a different angle on food and very welcome overall if you're looking for something than the usual pupus.

This is my favorite restaurant in Hilo, and also on the island. You will likely need reservations, and they are closed Mondays. Food is excellent and they've never had a dish that I didn't love. They change the menu daily. They don't have a website but you can see the menu ahead of time on Facebook. My husband and I went together and our 3 small plates, one entree, one dessert, 2 cocktails, and two glasses of wine was $150 before tip. This is an ideal place for 4 or 6 people because then you can just order all the small plates and 2 entrees and try everything. Mushroom risotto, Brussels sprouts, sizzling ahi poke, and smoked sashimi are all incredible and often on the menu. We had a mu congee that was a small plate special the night we went (they posted the fish on Instagram so you can see what you're eating!) and it was also delicious. Eating here is really a great experience and it's now the first place I think of when I have something to celebrate or someone is visiting from out of town.

Overall rating: 5 Food: 5. We had the smokey sashimi appetizer and thought they provided a really good amount of tuna for the price $16. The quality of the fish was great too. Soft and not stringy. You could break apart the fish with your tongue. They were sitting in soy sauce and olive oil, so be prepared for some salt. We ordered the market fish (mahi mahi today) for $28 and the Sausage and Clam Campenelle (pasta) for $28. The fish was great but also a bit salty. Umami? The skin was lightly crisped and the meat was tender. The "taro dumplings" were like gnocchi and combined with all of the little extras and the bone sauce, the market fish was the best dish. The campenelle was verrrry salty. Maybe it was a combination of coming out after the sashimi in soy sauce and the mahi mahi... But we drank so many cups of water and could only eat half of the dish. They do provide ample clams though so I wanted to keep enjoying it, but I couldn't continue eating it. Dessert: After all of the salt, I really needed something sweet. Maybe that was the chef's ploy to get everyone to order dessert... They had a vegan chocolate ice cream made with coconut milk and a regular Tahitian vanilla ice cream. They also had a pots de crème (in a jar), which we ordered. It was good; the caramel wasn't too sweet. Drink: 5. We took the bartender's recommendation of the white La Caña Albariño. It was dry and I guess it was fine with the food. Service: 5, after we were seated, the server asked if we have any food allergies or concerns which I really appreciated. All staff members were wearing masks. Atmosphere: 5, the art is interesting and the tables were spaced apart enough that we didn't feel cramped. They also had standing fans between tables. Noise: a bit loud Other notes: reservation highly recommended. They also change the menu items around

The meal and service at Moon and Turtle was great. We made a reservation in advance and ordered virtually everything on the menu. I particularly enjoyed the beef shank campanelle pasta, Smokey sashimi in Kiawe-smoked soy, and the garlic butter ahi belly. I wasn’t taken by the local abalone or the panko-crusted ono, but glad I tried. Definitely one of the better restaurants in the area - and for good reason. Will be back to sample the rotating menu when I come back!