Isana Restaurant
Isana is a good Korean restaurant featuring yakiniku style barbecue,which you cook yourself on the tabletop. A sushi bar isset off to the side, and their late night half-price specials packin the locals. Service is generally friendly, but can be brusque,dismissive, and disarmingly honest (we’ve been told bluntlynot to order something because it’s not a good dish). The expansive space holds many large barbecue tables, and there’s karaoke late atnight. Quite a trip.
We recommend the sushi, especially the spicy scallop dynamite, whichlightly dresses tender, well-seared scallops with the spicy Japanese mayonnaise(we also like the shrimp version). The uni is usually very good, also.The rolls are fresh but somewhat unimaginative — the soft shell crab roll,for instance, comes with (surprise!) crab … and not much else.
For Korean barbecue we especially recommend the kalbi meat marinatedin soy and the spicy pork loin. The banchan, or side dishes, that accompanythe barbecue include a creamy, very egg-y potato salad, pickled daikon,steamed broccoli, and fiery kim chee, among others.
A minimum of twodishes is required for the barbecue, which pushes the bill up significantly ifthere are just two of you. Portions are generous, so if you split between fourpeople, it’s a much better deal. Prices will seem high to those who knowthe cuisine, but it’s the only tabletop Korean on Maui.
Address: 515 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, South Maui
Location: Across from Sugar Beach
Meals: Lunch,
DinnerHours: Daily 11am-10pm; Sushi bar is open until 12am
Parking: Lot
Phone: 808-874-5700
Website: www.isanarestaurant.net