This casual eatery specializing in Hawaiian & Japanese BBQ food also offers sushi & bubble tea.
At a glance
#144 of 148 Japanese restaurants in New York #39 of 42 Asian fusion restaurants in New YorkLocalGuideWorld score: 3.85
Rating breakdown
-
5 ★48%
-
4 ★22%
-
3 ★9%
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2 ★7%
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1 ★14%
Quick facts
- What is the rating of Makana?
- Makana is rated 3.8 out of 5 based on 262 reviews.
- How does Makana rank in New York?
- Makana is #144 of 148 Japanese restaurants in New York by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
- Where is Makana located?
- 161 W 106th St, New York, NY 10025 — 6.1 km from the center of New York.
- How can I contact Makana?
- Phone: (212) 678-4569 · Website: makananyc.com
I've actually made better Loko moko in my own kitchen. The macaroni salad was authentic as well as the musabi.
I would give Makhana a 3.5. We had the lunch specials: Loco moco and the Kalua.
The Kalua was moist and delicious. The Loco moco wasn’t too unique and ok. The Kalua was the better of the two dishes. A little of the rice on the bottom was hard which affected the rating.
We also had a coconut and taro bubble tea. The coconut was good and better than the taro. The bubbles however were undercooked and a bit chewy.
I would come back again to try the garlic shrimp and poke as Makana does have dishes that aren’t easily found in NYC.
The Kalua was moist and delicious. The Loco moco wasn’t too unique and ok. The Kalua was the better of the two dishes. A little of the rice on the bottom was hard which affected the rating.
We also had a coconut and taro bubble tea. The coconut was good and better than the taro. The bubbles however were undercooked and a bit chewy.
I would come back again to try the garlic shrimp and poke as Makana does have dishes that aren’t easily found in NYC.
I had the Makana combo of short ribs & bbq pork. Let me tell you it was f ING amazing!!! Tad and just a tad bit sweet on the rib and pork but other than its crispy got a little burntness to it that I like. The Spam Masubi was also amazing. Tacos are killer!!
Poke is great, I didn’t see that much other Hawaiian food though. Service was good too. There’s only a couple of tables so plan ahead if your idea is to dine in. Price is fair and food was was prepared fairly quickly.
I like the ambience of this place. It’s humble, the natural light is nice, and the mural of Makana is quite tasteful.
What was not tasteful, however, was the food. I ordered their loco moco. When I first got it, I was confused as to why there wasn’t gravy on the dish. Then, I opened up the burger patty and saw that it was still raw inside, but charred on the outside. I didn’t want to keep on eating it, so I asked the waitress if me and my friend could get another one that was cooked (we ordered the same thing). She saw the mistake and took the initiative to correct it with the kitchen.
When she returned the dishes to the kitchen, I heard one of the kitchen staff blatantly say “this is fine, they don’t know what they’re talking about”. My friends and I were seated by the kitchen door, and to hear that was quite disappointing, because I know what raw meat looks like.
A few minutes later, the new loco moco dishes came out. Everything was over cooked, and it simply was not a good dish. At least they added the gravy. As someone who’s eaten many a loco moco in the past, this is not an authentic representation of it.
The fish tacos and spam musubi were fine. However, it was missing seasoning and acidity, crucial elements that make up Hawaiian cuisine.
I would not recommend eating here. The quality of the food needs improvement, and the price simply does not reflect it.
What was not tasteful, however, was the food. I ordered their loco moco. When I first got it, I was confused as to why there wasn’t gravy on the dish. Then, I opened up the burger patty and saw that it was still raw inside, but charred on the outside. I didn’t want to keep on eating it, so I asked the waitress if me and my friend could get another one that was cooked (we ordered the same thing). She saw the mistake and took the initiative to correct it with the kitchen.
When she returned the dishes to the kitchen, I heard one of the kitchen staff blatantly say “this is fine, they don’t know what they’re talking about”. My friends and I were seated by the kitchen door, and to hear that was quite disappointing, because I know what raw meat looks like.
A few minutes later, the new loco moco dishes came out. Everything was over cooked, and it simply was not a good dish. At least they added the gravy. As someone who’s eaten many a loco moco in the past, this is not an authentic representation of it.
The fish tacos and spam musubi were fine. However, it was missing seasoning and acidity, crucial elements that make up Hawaiian cuisine.
I would not recommend eating here. The quality of the food needs improvement, and the price simply does not reflect it.
Pleasant little Hawaiian restaurant, lots of plants make for a warm interior. It’s small but I think they do mostly takeout business.
I used to stop here for takeout while my dad was in occupational therapy up the street. My memory of those meals is that they were better than my recent lunch. We had the loco moco, very tasty. My huli chicken was kinda overcooked, dry and not as scrumptious as I remembered, still pretty tasty though. I’ll give it another try.
Side note, you guys are using a lot of plastic. Please do better. I know it’s difficult but it bothered us to see so much plastic waste. Mahalo!
I used to stop here for takeout while my dad was in occupational therapy up the street. My memory of those meals is that they were better than my recent lunch. We had the loco moco, very tasty. My huli chicken was kinda overcooked, dry and not as scrumptious as I remembered, still pretty tasty though. I’ll give it another try.
Side note, you guys are using a lot of plastic. Please do better. I know it’s difficult but it bothered us to see so much plastic waste. Mahalo!
Delicious poke’s. Both tuna and salmon were super fresh, rice was on point and sides were great. The portion is perfect for lunch and the place is cozy. We’ve also tried the pineapple tea and it was a great refreshing pairing. Pokes are around 15$ and definitely worth it!
The food was good, though a little dry for my tastes. Get one of the barbecue chicken dishes. The sweet teas are excellent. If you want Hawaiian food in NYC, this isn't a bad option.
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