[This review pertains to Sensai in Kihei during the
10pm-1am Happy Hour w/ Karaoke.]
I’d heard that for some really good, half-price
sushi, Sensai is the way to go. I also heard that you have to line up outside
Sensai’s doors around 9:30pm for the 10pm Happy Hour discount. Fair enough, but
I was also there for some karaoke which is held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
nights, so I made sure I was in line on time so we could get good seats.
Oddly enough, even though my friends and I were one
of the first ones in the door, the hostesses sat us in the very back despite
the fact that we told them we were there for karaoke. Um, okay. But we asked
another waitress what our options were and we wound up taking a seat at the
sushi bar, which is much better for karaoke viewing. That’s when we noticed
that the main dining room was filled with locals/non-haoles while haoles like
us were regulated to the peripherals. I don’t really have a problem with that
but it is something interesting to know going in.
Sitting at the sushi bar does have an advantage in
that you seem to get served faster there. However, the sushi is, how shall we
say this, standard? It’s good insofar that it’s hard to do sushi wrong unless
it’s served warm or simply not fresh. Whether regular ol’ sushi, sashimi, or
tempura styled, all of the sushi was good. Good. Meanwhile, my friend’s
crab-something was neither here nor there while my wife’s Maui style ribs were
of a poor cut of meat (too fatty) and the sauce on it was way too salty. Okay,
so it looks like sushi is their main thing. Also good to know going in.
That aside, as I said we were also there for
karaoke. Problem was is that apparently no one else was. I’ve been to a few
karaoke nights in my time and this was by far the lamest. Perhaps we were there
on an off night? While I know karaoke isn’t as popular as it used to be, still,
doesn’t anyone know how to have fun anymore? What a letdown.
Sensai is a perfectly respectable and cleanly, if uninterestingly,
decored restaurant – hard to find
outside of a resort – and the food sushi is decent enough. It just lacks
a certain…something. Would I go back? Sure, but only for the half-price sushi
and nothing else.
Directions: On South Kihei Road in the Foodland
supermarket plaza across from Kalama Park. Big “Sensai” sign on the street;
can’t miss it if you’re looking for it.
