Sansei Restaurant & Sushi Bar

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cutebirdie

Joined 7 years ago

Sushi Lovers Pay Attention!. Very popular restaurant, but excellent food. If you go there before 6 p.m, they will give you 25% off, otherwise, the prices are pretty high. They had a visual on their dining table showing a certain type of sushi. Both my daughter and myself decided to order it. In the visual, it showed 3 very tasty looking crab rolls, but when our order came, we both got 2 small rolls. How deceiving. I did not complain since we had the 25% discount, but customers beware! Always ask how many pieces you get when ordering sushi. It varies from restaurant to restaurant.

This same restaurant chain on Oahu was much fancier and the portions were larger--or so they may have seemed compared to their two small crab rolls for $10.00.

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Rcpadg

Joined 4 years ago

Some really great best sushi. The location is out of the way, but very cozy. The staff was welcoming and our waitress was very helpful when giving the specials and updates on what’s good today. They offer quite a nice selection of Sake and other drinks to choose from. The Sansei Style Ahi Poke was wonderful. The variety of sushi, both maki and nigiri were well executed and very fresh. The several special rolls were very nice and well worth considering. The only detractors were the rather tight space around the tables and pace at which the food arrive. Since we ordered from the appetizers and the sushi list our food came out in a rather haphazard fashion. So, some of our party were actually almost done before the rest received their order, fortunately we share! Which brings me back to the food and the over all experience; it’s well worth the trip up the coast and I highly recommend it.

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foodluva13

Joined 4 years ago

Really Good Sushi. Yum. The fish was great. The only problem was the wait. I was stuck outside in the rain for over 2 hours until i was finally seated.

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Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

Classy yet casual, Sansei features traditional sushi as well as Japanese fusion cuisine created by Chef D.K. Kodama.. In Short
Visitors to Sansei can choose between sleek wooden tables or the fast-paced sushi bar, where expert chefs churn out specialty rolls such as the panko crusted ahi roll or the Kapalua butterfly roll (salmon, crab, shiromi, and vegetables). Other signature items include Asian shrimp cake, mango and crab salad roll, foie gras nigiri, and crab ramen with truffle broth. Friendly waiters are happy to suggest selections from a well-chosen sake list to complement the meal. Desserts such as Kula persimmon crème brulee often feature local fruits.

Doesn't Recommend

brdave

Joined 8 years ago

Great food, but forget the rest. The concierge at the Ritz Carlton raved about this place. We tried it out mainly because it was in easy walking distance from the lobby.

When we arrived, it was crowded, but the hostess told us it would only be 15-20 minutes. We moved to the bar, where there were only 3-4 other people. Both bartenders were uninterested in us, and it took a while to actually get served. I ordered a Crown & 7. The drink I received was 95% 7 Up with a splash of Crown Royal. One of the weakest drinks I've ever had.

True to her word, the hostess seated us in about 15 minutes. The restaurant was loud, and we were jammed in fairly close to other tables. It appeared that the building was originally another restaurant. When it became Sansei, they whipped up some Japanese art. It all looked thrown together.

The food was outstanding. I enjoyed everything, but the Lobster & Blue Crab Ravioli was excellent. An amazing mix of flavors.

Unfortunately, the service was horrible. We asked the waiter to explain what Udon noodles were. He responded, "They're round." Our food came out randomly: I got soup, the other person got a salad. I got an appetizer, the other person got soup. When we questioned the order of the dishes, the waiter replied, "I can bring your next plate, but it will be raw." There was no "playfulness" about it- he was just plain rude.

The food was great, but with so many great places to choose from in Maui, why would you ever submit to a place like this?

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prach

Joined 8 years ago

So fresh. Went to Sansei during our stay @ Kapalua Bay. Superb sushi experience as the tuna, yellowtail, and salmon seemingly melted in your mouth. Their specialty rolls are also quite tasty and offer a more adventurous experience with the different ingredients offered. I recommend sitting at the sushi bar where you and your date/friends can have your sushi made to order and served to you quickly. Not the most romantic place, but we weren't looking for that when we went to Sansei. Just wanted some dang good sushi.

We went back for Karaoke night which was surprisingly a lot of fun.

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tropo

Joined 10 years ago

Tropo. Excellent selections. Don't just order one main course, but 5 or 6 small plates to share. Mix cuisines, but save room for the to die for apple tart with ice cream and out of this world caramel sauce.

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RCKapalua

Joined 10 years ago

Seafood at its best. The sushi is out of this world! The place is not very fancy but you do have an excellent variety of fresh seafood to choose from. If you are into drinking sake, this is the place for you.