We stopped here on our way back from spending a day at Volcanoes National Park. This restaurant, though informal, offers a high level of creative cuisine.

We arrived dressed in our hiking gear, but this was not a problem. We ordered appetizers and entrees, but not desserts. Our starters were quite nice- a well-made aji poke and a caesar salad with very fresh greens. Then our main courses arrived. We had a braised lamb shank which was fall-off-the-bone tender but very nicely carmelized on the outside. We also had a shrimp dish that included a capellini accompaniment incorporating arugula and boar sausage, an unusual but tasty combination.

We would certainly return here if our travels bring us to Hilo again.

... as the reviews. It was lunchtime, a weekday and even at 1:00, the place was packed. I was psyched for a great meal given the stellar reviews here and in Fodor's. Service was warm and friendly but not attentive but then again, the place was very busy and the waitstaff was hustling. Those of us at the bar waited forever to get a menu and then another forever to order. The barbeque pork sandwich with cheese was no better than okay. On the other hand, the Asian slaw salad was tasty. Given what I read here, I should have selected something different because they're all raving and I'm not.

Despite its unassuming appearance, this is a fabulous restaurant - even the kids menu had impressive dishes on it. Definitely worth shlepping to the random parking lot to find it.

We he enjoyed a tremendous meal today. Located in a strip mall, this cafe is an unexpected gem!! The menu has just enough options. I ordered the beef carpaccio (which I order any time I see it on a menu) and a Caesar salad; my companion, the salmon sandwich. The beef carpaccio came with horseradish cream - this cream was frothy and to die for. The presentation of each of our dishes, as well as the dishes I saw others being served was phenomenal. Even regulars showed up for lunch; always a good sign.

The only reason I have 4 stars instead of five was because I noticed that a regular customer was served more quickly than other guests; his ticket skipped the queue, and, while the staff were very professional, they seemed to need someone to bus tables. Due to their own inefficiency in turning over tables, they could not get new patrons seated.

That being said, I would return in a heart beat.