Sushi En Fuego, Kona Waterfront Row
We went go holoholo with some friends in Kona… and we ate at Sushi En Fuego, a brand new restaurant on Waterfront Row. This place is so new, they didn’t even have their liquor license yet… which is good news! You can spend more $$ trying the food and drink your own booze! We ended up dragging a cooler filled to the brim with beer. *good times*
Sushi En Fuego translates to “Sushi on Fire” — it’s supposedly a fusion of Latin and Japanese. Most of their offerings are spicy and they have a good variety of sushi and non-sushi items. Ambiance is beautiful here at sunset since many of the tables are on a balcony. Service is also very attentive and fast. Our first dishes were served in under 10 minutes.
Shiro Maguro (albacore) slightly seared ($5.50). Very fresh and wonderfully creamy texture… no fishy flavor. Best news? Huge pieces of fish! There was a light sauce on it and the rice was good texture. Great start.
Spicy Tuna Roll ($6). Very good. Nice brief spicy kick. Bev thought the spiciness was just right — I thought it should be spicier. Avocado made for a good pairing.
“Pollo Lolo” Chicken Skewers w/Mac nut miso sauce ($10). We all loved these. The chicken was nicely charred with a sweet cumin flavor. Accompanying it was a spicy mango salsa (which was excellent) with homemade chips.
Red Dragon Roll ($14). Spicy tuna, cucumber topped with unagi, masago, bonito and eel sauce. This was mouthwatering. I love unagi.
Left: Beef and Reef ($13) – Soft shell crab, daikon sprouts, asparagus topped with seared beef and tataki sauce.
Right: Catepillar Roll ($13) – Unagi, avocado, masago.
I wasn’t able to try either of these. *tear* I’m sure they were good though… how can go wrong??
Salmon Cerviche w/ mango and lime ($12). I only heard from across the table that this was “really good”. *sigh*
Lobster Roll with Tempura Asparagus ($12). Nice balance of lobster and crispy asparagus. They didn’t skimp on the lobster either. Very yummy!
Tempura Spicy Tuna Mushrooms ($11). I never got to try these, but my friends said that it was their “favorite” and “make sure to tell them it was reaaaally good on your blog”. Hahahaa…
Dessert time! Tempura Banana Split ($6) — this was one of their specials. Wow. This one was so delicious! The bananas were fried tempura style and they were really sweet and juicy. The chocolate sauce was very rich. Three scoops of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry). If you only have $6, just get this. The only funky thing was that they fried the cherries tempura style — it made them have a really bitter flavor… but we thought it was funny. Tempura maraschino cherries????
Overall, we all had a great time here at Sushi En Fuego. The food, ambiance, and service was all top notch. Highly recommended!
Sushi En Fuego
(808) 331-2200
Waterfront Row, Kailua Kona
Hours: 11-3 & 5-10 (Tues-Sat), 4-9 (Sun), Closed Mondays
August 16th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Sounds good! We like Shiono for sushi…also in Kona. Why aren’t there any good sushi places in Hilo?
August 17th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Hi James – Nice to have a sparkling new post….. You don’t know the last time I read or heard the words “holo-holo”! Food looks very photogenic!
August 17th, 2007 at 10:37 am
hi james,
wow! awesome fresh fish at great prices! how’s the fish in general over there in hawaii? We have pretty decent deals over here, but good sushi tends to be quite expensive.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Hey James, that meal sounds delicious (even the plates they wouldn’t share with you.) The photos are amazing, especially considering you had to shoot them on location. I’m hoping to be in Kona in a week or two… hopefully I can arrange things to stop by here.
August 17th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
James,
Everything looks good! Next time I’m in Kona, I’m visiting this place.
BTW…nice to see you blogging again! I’m having fun ready everyone’s blogs again. Hopefully, I’ll be inspired to start writing again.
August 20th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Anonymous, I was wondering the same thing. Actually, I heard that Hime Sushi, a new place in Hilo is really good… although I’ve heard some accounts they are not. Nihon is also considered good, but I’ve never tried it there yet.
Kirk, thanks! I gots me a new camera!! Haha.. yeah Holo-Holo! I love saying that word.
henry, fish is great over here… in Hilo, I really like going to Suisan fish market — it’s super fresh there! I need to blog about them soon. mostly poke and raw fish there.
alan, hope you have a great time in Kona… it reminds me so much of Waikiki everytime I go there.
reid, thanks… i’m slowly getting into the food blog spirit again. your last post inspired me to keep going while reading all of the support you have gotten.. i hope that you continue soon
August 22nd, 2007 at 4:19 am
Hey James, long time no read!! Glad to see you’re posting again. Your blog is such a joy and comfort : )
August 24th, 2007 at 11:12 am
whooowee brah….waterfront row has shua come a long way
August 28th, 2007 at 8:05 am
This place rocks, had it the other day, if you live in or are visiting anywhere near the kona area and don’t stop by here your a fool, best sushi and atmosphere ever, a 10 out of 10…absolutley magnificant.
August 28th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Does anyone know their phone number? We are planning a trip to Kona and would like to make reservations.
August 29th, 2007 at 9:30 am
kai, i updated the post with their phone # and hours.
penny, thanks! readers like you make it all worth it
kelly, sorry dey neva have katsu sushi
tom, thanks for posting your experience
October 25th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
We walked by Sushi en Fuego this past weekend and I remembered your review. Unfortunately our timing was off and we weren’t able to stop for a bite. Maybe next time…
November 13th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Just returned and left with mixed feeling.
Negative: For what you pay you shouldn’t get a tiny paper napkin, cloth would make a huge difference. Tables and chairs seem to have come from an old hotel and didn’t keep with the style. The food was good but missed something.
Positive: The food was a interesting mix a Spanish and Japanese cuisine and really worked well. Martini’s were well prepared, Wasabi Martini was “Memorable” and stated by a friend.
In the end I felt that with a few tweaks to the preparation of the food and a major update to the furniture Sushi En fuego will be a Kona fixture for some time….
December 16th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Great site Kurt! We just tried Sushi en Fuego this weekend and loved it. We tried 3 different martinis and highly recommend the Passion-tini (it was a special). We had the Hawaiian Crunch – our favorite and the lobster roll.
One word of warning however, it is advisable to really consider your pupu and main roll pairings because if you start out with something spicy, then you try something mellow like the lobster roll, you can’t taste it.
We love Sushi en Fuego and will return to try some of your recommendations!
December 16th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Oh – one more thing. We tried the place a month after Bill (posted 11.13.07) and there were nice maroon cloth napkins at our table.
January 17th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Sushi En Fuego is awesome. They have the best selection of sushi in town. The proprietors and patrons are super!! My favorite is the Mac Nut Sundae Roll. MMM They are a nice safe place for a late night drink as well! Wish I was there right now.
January 17th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I almost forgot… the hand stuffed blue cheese olives in the martini! Sooo good.
January 29th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Was there last week. Food was great. The view was just as great. Spent an enjoyable afternoon eating, drinking and enjoying the weather. Now back in freezing Wisconsin
February 14th, 2008 at 8:53 am
We visited the place for lunch on February 13, 2008 and left with food poisoning. My wife and daughter are allergic to wheat, and we asked the server before we entered the place if there were menu items that could be prepared wheat-free. The staff assured us they could accomodate special orders.
Turns out the waiter (who was also the bartender) didn’t bother to coordinate with the cook, who put soy sauce containing wheat on our meals. Halfway through the meal, my wife began to feel sick. We triple-checked with the waiter, who had previously assured us on two occasions that there was no wheat on the meal. Upon our insistence, the waiter/bartender begrudgingly checked with the cook, who confirmed there was wheat in our meal.
In addition to the food poisoning, the waiter also forgot our soup order, didn’t bring requested items to the table and didn’t bother to fill our water glasses. His poor service was accentuated by his equally poor attitude. I’d highly discourage anyone from eating at this establishment.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Our experience at Sushi en Fuego was wonderful…It was unfortunate your allergy interferred…As for the service, they were very accomodating to us, they even grilled salmon for my mother!..
The view and comfortable atmosphere were memorable…Truly felt like we were in paradise…We’ve been here 7 days and we couldn’t get enough of their delicious food…My mom, who never had sushi before tried it and went for seconds!..One of the chefs even came to our table to see if everything was alright…Felt like we were at the captain’s table!
As for my obsession for great sushi, I have to confess, we visited Sushi en Fuego 3 times while we were here!!!!
As for my suggestions: try the melt-in-your-mouth tempure spicy tuna mushrooms and mac nut sundae roll…mmmmmm my favorite martini was the “Lulu Bell” mmmmm We highly recommend eating here,
February 18th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I can not express how wonderful of a time i had @ SUSHI EN FUEGO My wife and I could not get enough, the service is magnificant that crew was right on the money the sushi gourmet style nothing less .We cant wait to the next time we visit , it became one of my favorates. Thanks so much to the owners Andy-uncle Mike and of course Dave and Dana
well done!!!!!!! Thanks ……. another Corona please …….
April 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
best place on the island to eat. from the staff to the chefs you couldn’t ask for anything more. the view is amazing and they added on for more outdoor tables. it is a must when you want to go for good food and good times.
May 11th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Sushi and Fuego is not only the absolute best sushi resturant in Kailua Kona but quality the staff is also the most beautiful and friendly.
The food, gorgeous staff and unique environment bring da fire and excitment to a typically boring resturant experience.
Who would have thought latin infused sushimongers would steal my heartaway and always having me coming back for more.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
My husband and spent 10 days on the Big Island, this is the only place we ate twice. Great service and food.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
PLEASE DON’T EVER GO TO HIME IN HILO: I WAS THERE TODAY: PRICY AND DISGUSTING!
August 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am
This is the most lepo and unsanitized place we’ve ever ate at.
Waiter was an ass. Glasses had lipstick on all of them. We Let the waiter know and his response was “SHIT”! I swear he took it in the back and tried to wipe down the glasses instaed of switching it out because we had the same ice!!!! Sushi is SMALL!!!! not worth it! Use your hardworking money and go to Wasabi’s or Fujimama’s PLEASE!
PEOPLE STAY AWAY FROM THIS GROSS LEPO PLACE!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Dine at Sushi en Fuego last night and loved it. You need to have a bit of an adventurous palette, but you wouldn’t be reading a food blog if you didn’t! You’d be eating next door at Bubba Gumps. Anyway, we tried a mixture of tapas and rolls, and everything was outstanding. Go! Sit in the ideal location overlooking the ocean, relax, enjoy.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Sushi? what a shame. I usually don’t write about my experiences in restaurants, however this one really got to me. It’s disgusting! I should have read all your blogs before dining here. Unfortunately I have to agree with all the negative comments. Too bad I could not say anything positive.
I think more so because of the service and due to the fact that our sushi sat on the counter for 15 minutes while my server goofed around with co workers. I ended up serving myself.
August 14th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
kuulei is a retard and does not know what he or she is talking about. best sushi in hawaii.
August 16th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Gerry must have been our waiter.
You don’t even know if Kuulei is a girl or a guy.
Go back to the Mainland…..HAOLE
September 14th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Best restaurant in town. great happy hour and the food it to die for. everyone should try this place out.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Ate there for 5 days we wher in town…best sushi ever…so creatice….telling every one i know…go to Sushi En Fuego…..so friendly and every thing on their menu fit out whole party…Sushi Chef Andy was the best….not a better place to eat in this small town…thank you for a great vacation….can’t wait to be back next year…love you guys…
September 28th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Very creative, just not good. The Wasabi Bloody Mary is hands-down the worst “cocktail” I have ever sampled – couldn’t finish it on a dare. You can get the same views with food you can actually eat many laces in Kona, don’t waste your time here.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
[...] sister and her fiance have a Sushi Martini Bar in Kona Sushi en Fuego Water Front Row KAILUA KONA Big Island Grinds » Sushi En Fuego, Kona Waterfront Row __________________ Nicole "You Won’t Change the World by Saving One Animal..BUT…You [...]
February 27th, 2009 at 3:05 am
The best sushi I ever ate!
March 11th, 2009 at 12:51 am
hay this is dave the owner . we closed today due to helco the big old bad boss we all have have to bow too. i was paing everyday so i could stay open but they said they need more money so they could. well i thank everybody 4 ur business and im happy i could make people so happy. i hope a nother restaurant can pick up the slack for us to make us happy. well aloha and again thank you . love sushi enfuego . ps if helco would use natural resourses it still would rape us we need 2 all find a way to not have to depend on the white man
March 11th, 2009 at 12:52 am
ps sorry im drunk