Great atmosphere and service was excellent. Only challenge is the food at the coat per plate. Ad vegan options go, the curry and udon noodles were good but very light on the tofu and veggies. While it was good, with all the other vegan options around it's not a destination vegan food spot. However, it will do if you're with diners who are not vegan.Vegetarian options: Ask for vegan/vegetarian menu
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Kirsten Thompson
We were very excited to come and experience the fairmont standard in Maui. We are fairmont gold frequenters and always have incredible experiences when we stay with the fairmont. Although we were not guests of the hotel this time around we knew we had to try the Plantation style restaurant Kō on our visit to the island. We drove around an hour to come to the restaurant for 4pm as this was the opening time listed on Google. When we arrived we were told they only offered happy hour seating at this time which was not specified anywhere in their advertising. Because we had a young child with us this became very challenging as all that could be offered to us why high table bar seating. We made it work but with little to no ability to actually enjoy ourselves as we had to make sure he didn’t fall off the elivated bench the whole time until they would move us to lower seating 30 mins later! I ordered a Mai tai which was by far the worst I’ve had on the entire island over the 5 separate times I’ve visited over the years, honestly it was dark rum poured over boxed juice with absolutely nothing to make it special…not very fairmont at all. My husband and I ordered some appies while we waited to pass the time…thank god we got happy hour prices because the food quality was so basic I would have been even more dissatisfied to have paid twice the cost at regular dinner hours. The crispy lavender shrimp was okay to taste but just deep fried shrimp smothered in sauce with an additional bowl of unnecessary sauce on the side. The fries I ordered for my son…which I specified came smothered in garnish and sauces which was not clear on the menu. Though they weren’t bad I had to undress each individual fry to make it more kid friendly and would have truly appreciated being informed they would have the spicy aioli all over them when I asked for them for my 2 year old! I’m going to be straight forward about our dinner entrees. I ordered the flank steak for somewhere around 57$ American. It was not even the size of a deck of cards. I weigh all my food at home so I can assure you this was very likely 4oz of one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can get. My husband got a fresh catch and although the portion was better the dish was so basic with very little flavour besides an extreme amount of garlic. We came here so excited and truly hoping for the best meal of our trip. After spending 275$ for 2 adults and a 2 year old we left extremely underwhelmed and dissatisfied. Our drive home was filled with chats about how we’ve had better food at shopping centre food courts a 1/10 of the cost. Truly disappointing and hope they figure out how to meet the fairmont standard soon! Our server Brandon was attentive and great at his job. We didn’t make it known to any manager of our disappointment because there was just no point. We knew the food was what it was and waiting for meals to be remade when you are already struggling to keep a toddler distracted in a place that had no space for him was hard enough. We would likely not return to this restaurant ever again unless some very big changes were made to the kitchen. I would also like to specify this is the second Google review I have ever written for a restaurant in my life…because I have 20 years experience in the food and beverage industry myself, I understand the ins and outs of fine dining extensively and know what the basic standard is for an establishment claiming to offer fine dining. This place just did not tick any of the boxes and was certainly not worth the money AT ALL!
Avoid Happy Hour. Clearly Fairmont’s Ko Restaurant has forgotten the hallmarks of a Happy Hour. You will still get the promise of the “savings portion” Happy Hours are known for. However, Ko seems to take the position that if you choose to avail yourself of the offered savings (and I note our bill for a couple of drinks and a few appetizers was still US$140) during Ko’s version of Happy Hour (which is literally one hour between 4-5 pm) you will not get the perks of other restaurant goers willing to pay full fare following Happy Hour. Namely, you will be relegated to sub par seating - a dark back wall deep in the restaurant with high top tables or around the bar staring at a big screen tv. Ko Happy Hour patrons are prohibited from sitting in the nicer, and notably completely empty, other areas of the restaurant offering views and small glimpses of light. I suggest the Fairmont get back to the Happy Hour basics and create an hour that is memorable and brings customers back again and again as opposed to making Happy Hour patrons feel less welcome. This reviewer got the sense that the Ko felt it was doing Happy Hour patrons a favour. Food and table service were great but atmosphere severely lacking. Not a very “happy” one hour in my view. Suggest the Ko be removed from all “Best Happy Hours in Maui” lists going forward.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Schneider1956
We were there for a birthday dinner. The staff went out of their way to make it a happy one. The Manager checked on us and the food was wonderful. We will certainly go back again. I will suggest Ko to all my friends and family.
JonasK
Always 5 star food and service! Ryan is one of 3 servers we sit with regularly and he is always attentive and prompt. By far the best app's on Island - we always get the honey lavender shrimp, sushi, coconut curry with coconut rice on the side. This time we also enjoyed the Octopus which was also delicious. Ribeye is always stellar and we add on the Sweet potato Mash because it's silky and ono. Our only request is to bring back the coconut rice - it's soo good! Brent is a stellar Manager and he always makes you feel right at home!
ulike2dine
We had a lovely meal. The shrimp appetizer was delicious!! Highly recommend the drink -- Its Kula Upcountry. Hope I remembered the name of the drink correctly. It was delicious and very refreshing.
Very nice server but there were ants all over table, and while the ingredients seemed very fresh the dishes were somewhat bland and too sweet. Disappointed by the lobster tempura which came with mayo, super salty soy, and sweet chili sauce. Not a good substitute at all for the traditional dipping sauce. Decor felt a little dated and tacky. Won't eat here again
OliviaSimeonoglou
Celebrated my 30th birthday here and it was fantastic! They wished me a happy birthday on arrival, and when we sat, and also comped our espressos (as we did not order dessert). The tako appetizer should not be missed, we both thought it was the best part of the meal. My husband got the Hawaiian red snapper special, and I had the rib eye, both were very good.
WalterG
The young lady who served us was outstanding! She was knowledgeable about the food and exceptionally nice. The restaurant was lucky to have hired her. The food was great and we extend our compliments to the chef and the entire staff.
Maui4now
Beautiful evening. Everyone was nice. Food was good as usual. It did take a long time for the main course to come. In fairness, we got there just after sunset and it was a full house. I really liked my cosmo and the shrimp tempura with pineapple chili sauce. My husband enjoyed the oushi sushi and the snapper. The coffee toffee ice cream was delicious.
Seated in a remote corner with a reservation. Apps were good but fish special was a huge blob of grayish fish on the plate. Totally unappetizing. Cocktail was not good. Server took both away nearly untouched and did not inquire why. $300 dinner and a huge mistake and waste.
JimH
Biggest disappointment was they had a $100 corkage fee. No comparable wines on their limited menu. Paid $35 at Nick's the following night. Lobster tempura was very good. Other items just okay.
The food was good, service ok, ambience meh. For the prices they charge would like some wow factor. Catch of the day with lemongrass and coconut broth was bland but fish done perfectly. I have had better for less..
Samira Naraghi
Ko is absolutely incredible and one of my favorite restaurants in Maui. The food is amazing and high quality. My only request is to get the lavender honey shrimp back on the entree options with a larger portion! It’s SO good. We loved the venison, perfectly tender and flavorful. The papaya roots salad was uniquely flavored and delicious. Lumpia was delicious and the fish was perfection. Zebeddi and Roland provided impeccable, genuinely friendly service. They are an asset to the team. We’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karenm
Morgan was our server and was wonderful. She made you feel that we were her only guest. Inquiring on our visit and such. Very personable. The food was fantastic. Temperature was perfect.
Great atmosphere and service was excellent. Only challenge is the food at the coat per plate. Ad vegan options go, the curry and udon noodles were good but very light on the tofu and veggies. While it was good, with all the other vegan options around it's not a destination vegan food spot. However, it will do if you're with diners who are not vegan.Vegetarian options: Ask for vegan/vegetarian menu
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
We were very excited to come and experience the fairmont standard in Maui. We are fairmont gold frequenters and always have incredible experiences when we stay with the fairmont. Although we were not guests of the hotel this time around we knew we had to try the Plantation style restaurant Kō on our visit to the island. We drove around an hour to come to the restaurant for 4pm as this was the opening time listed on Google. When we arrived we were told they only offered happy hour seating at this time which was not specified anywhere in their advertising. Because we had a young child with us this became very challenging as all that could be offered to us why high table bar seating. We made it work but with little to no ability to actually enjoy ourselves as we had to make sure he didn’t fall off the elivated bench the whole time until they would move us to lower seating 30 mins later! I ordered a Mai tai which was by far the worst I’ve had on the entire island over the 5 separate times I’ve visited over the years, honestly it was dark rum poured over boxed juice with absolutely nothing to make it special…not very fairmont at all. My husband and I ordered some appies while we waited to pass the time…thank god we got happy hour prices because the food quality was so basic I would have been even more dissatisfied to have paid twice the cost at regular dinner hours. The crispy lavender shrimp was okay to taste but just deep fried shrimp smothered in sauce with an additional bowl of unnecessary sauce on the side. The fries I ordered for my son…which I specified came smothered in garnish and sauces which was not clear on the menu. Though they weren’t bad I had to undress each individual fry to make it more kid friendly and would have truly appreciated being informed they would have the spicy aioli all over them when I asked for them for my 2 year old! I’m going to be straight forward about our dinner entrees. I ordered the flank steak for somewhere around 57$ American. It was not even the size of a deck of cards. I weigh all my food at home so I can assure you this was very likely 4oz of one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can get. My husband got a fresh catch and although the portion was better the dish was so basic with very little flavour besides an extreme amount of garlic. We came here so excited and truly hoping for the best meal of our trip. After spending 275$ for 2 adults and a 2 year old we left extremely underwhelmed and dissatisfied. Our drive home was filled with chats about how we’ve had better food at shopping centre food courts a 1/10 of the cost. Truly disappointing and hope they figure out how to meet the fairmont standard soon! Our server Brandon was attentive and great at his job. We didn’t make it known to any manager of our disappointment because there was just no point. We knew the food was what it was and waiting for meals to be remade when you are already struggling to keep a toddler distracted in a place that had no space for him was hard enough. We would likely not return to this restaurant ever again unless some very big changes were made to the kitchen. I would also like to specify this is the second Google review I have ever written for a restaurant in my life…because I have 20 years experience in the food and beverage industry myself, I understand the ins and outs of fine dining extensively and know what the basic standard is for an establishment claiming to offer fine dining. This place just did not tick any of the boxes and was certainly not worth the money AT ALL!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Ginger Soy Flat Iron Kobe Wednesday, Fresh Catch, Lemongrass Coconut Broth, Lavender Honey Crispy Shrimp
Avoid Happy Hour. Clearly Fairmont’s Ko Restaurant has forgotten the hallmarks of a Happy Hour. You will still get the promise of the “savings portion” Happy Hours are known for. However, Ko seems to take the position that if you choose to avail yourself of the offered savings (and I note our bill for a couple of drinks and a few appetizers was still US$140) during Ko’s version of Happy Hour (which is literally one hour between 4-5 pm) you will not get the perks of other restaurant goers willing to pay full fare following Happy Hour. Namely, you will be relegated to sub par seating - a dark back wall deep in the restaurant with high top tables or around the bar staring at a big screen tv. Ko Happy Hour patrons are prohibited from sitting in the nicer, and notably completely empty, other areas of the restaurant offering views and small glimpses of light. I suggest the Fairmont get back to the Happy Hour basics and create an hour that is memorable and brings customers back again and again as opposed to making Happy Hour patrons feel less welcome. This reviewer got the sense that the Ko felt it was doing Happy Hour patrons a favour. Food and table service were great but atmosphere severely lacking. Not a very “happy” one hour in my view. Suggest the Ko be removed from all “Best Happy Hours in Maui” lists going forward.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
We were there for a birthday dinner. The staff went out of their way to make it a happy one. The Manager checked on us and the food was wonderful. We will certainly go back again. I will suggest Ko to all my friends and family.
Always 5 star food and service! Ryan is one of 3 servers we sit with regularly and he is always attentive and prompt. By far the best app's on Island - we always get the honey lavender shrimp, sushi, coconut curry with coconut rice on the side. This time we also enjoyed the Octopus which was also delicious. Ribeye is always stellar and we add on the Sweet potato Mash because it's silky and ono. Our only request is to bring back the coconut rice - it's soo good! Brent is a stellar Manager and he always makes you feel right at home!
We had a lovely meal. The shrimp appetizer was delicious!! Highly recommend the drink -- Its Kula Upcountry. Hope I remembered the name of the drink correctly. It was delicious and very refreshing.
Very nice server but there were ants all over table, and while the ingredients seemed very fresh the dishes were somewhat bland and too sweet. Disappointed by the lobster tempura which came with mayo, super salty soy, and sweet chili sauce. Not a good substitute at all for the traditional dipping sauce. Decor felt a little dated and tacky. Won't eat here again
Celebrated my 30th birthday here and it was fantastic! They wished me a happy birthday on arrival, and when we sat, and also comped our espressos (as we did not order dessert). The tako appetizer should not be missed, we both thought it was the best part of the meal. My husband got the Hawaiian red snapper special, and I had the rib eye, both were very good.
The young lady who served us was outstanding! She was knowledgeable about the food and exceptionally nice. The restaurant was lucky to have hired her. The food was great and we extend our compliments to the chef and the entire staff.
Beautiful evening. Everyone was nice. Food was good as usual. It did take a long time for the main course to come. In fairness, we got there just after sunset and it was a full house. I really liked my cosmo and the shrimp tempura with pineapple chili sauce. My husband enjoyed the oushi sushi and the snapper. The coffee toffee ice cream was delicious.
Restaurantji Recommends
Seated in a remote corner with a reservation. Apps were good but fish special was a huge blob of grayish fish on the plate. Totally unappetizing. Cocktail was not good. Server took both away nearly untouched and did not inquire why. $300 dinner and a huge mistake and waste.
Biggest disappointment was they had a $100 corkage fee. No comparable wines on their limited menu. Paid $35 at Nick's the following night. Lobster tempura was very good. Other items just okay.
The food was good, service ok, ambience meh. For the prices they charge would like some wow factor. Catch of the day with lemongrass and coconut broth was bland but fish done perfectly. I have had better for less..
Ko is absolutely incredible and one of my favorite restaurants in Maui. The food is amazing and high quality. My only request is to get the lavender honey shrimp back on the entree options with a larger portion! It’s SO good. We loved the venison, perfectly tender and flavorful. The papaya roots salad was uniquely flavored and delicious. Lumpia was delicious and the fish was perfection. Zebeddi and Roland provided impeccable, genuinely friendly service. They are an asset to the team. We’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Morgan was our server and was wonderful. She made you feel that we were her only guest. Inquiring on our visit and such. Very personable. The food was fantastic. Temperature was perfect.