Karai Crab

This was seafood boil was freaking delicious. I rarely leave a restaurant and think oh my goodness this is so freaking delicious. I love spicy food. My boyfriend can tolerate spicy food and we both really like the ghost pepper level of spice. I mean he was sweating and I was also sweating lol ... but it was tolerable and it was so delicious. We also tried the habanero, which is also delicious. But the ghost pepper flavor was incredibly delicious. Both in the Karai special sauce! Will absolutely be back

We have tons of Vietnamese cajun crab boil places in the Bay Area. So we were excited to try a place in Hawaii. We ordered Dungeness crab and clams in karai special sauce. We also got garlic noodles and cajun spiced popcorn shrimp. Our least favorite was the garlic noodles. I've had a lot of garlic noodles in my lifetime and this had no flavor. The cajun spiced popcorn shrimp was delicious. The crab and clam was good as well. The sauce for the crab and clam was okay to me. It's missing an umami flavor to it.

Saw the reviews and wanted to try this place out. It didn't disappoint! The sauces were great and seafood a hit. Each person gets a bib with gloves...good thing as it's messy. We tried the karai, garlic butter and lemongrass garlic butter sauces. All great with lots of it. If we had anything to do over, it's to order a side of bread to soak up all the sauce goodness. The garlic noodles were chewy with a great garlic butter sauce. The shrimp, colossal combo and lobster were delicious! Such a great find.

My son wanted to eat crab for his birthday, so we decided to go Karai crab again and made reservations on yelp. We last ate at the restaurant 9 years ago before they moved, and they were so good, Trying them again, their service is an excellent 5 stars, but their food is a mix to average to a 3 star:House salad - 3 stars - when we first were served the house salad, the cucumber was waterlogged and tasted spoiled, like it was left in the freezer for a few days then thawed out. The dressing also tasted a bit spoiled, thus a 0 star, but when we asked the waiter if it was supposed to be like this, he immediately replaced it with a new one and apologized. The second salad was a 3 star, but the first salad left a bad taste in our mouths and stomach, and luckily didn't get sick from it.Chicken wings - 5 stars - my son said these chicken wings were better than other chicken wings he tried. Although a little salty, it had a great bold flavor, and cooked just right, crispy skin and tender inside.Colossal sampler - 3 stars - the shrimp and mussles were great, but the crab had little or no meat in it, and inside was also cold. One of the crab legs was super thorny, so it was hard to handle. The Karai sauce was the bomb. I would give the sauce 5 stars. It's half of their full colossal special and came with corn and potato.Seafood pasta - 3 stars - the seafood was ok with the noodles, but maybe it just wasn't my taste, but I did't really care for the sauce because it tasted a little sour to me.My son got a free dessert for his birthday. He said it was really good.Service - 5 stars - they constantly checked if we were ok and replaced the salad with no problem. Very friendly and personable. They also gave 15% off kamaaina discount, so it was less than what I projected, plus a free birthday dessert.Would have been a better deal if we could have gone during Happy Hour, between 5-6p, since certain items were half off, and it's not so dark, but we couldn't make it in time.Parking - they validate if you park in the interstate building in the back, or there are free metered parking right in the front after 6pm. However, the outside is has a homeless walking around and it's barren, so we had to be vigilent of our surroundings both in the parking lot because they could walk in and no guard watching the cars, and no one outside on the street.

Great service and friendly staff Made experience really great.First time here got the garlic noodles! High recommend, I think I could eat two haha.Got snow crab and king crab level one spicy do not go over. You can get side samples and try the hotter ones.They give lots so might want to order one order at a time.I did double order and was stuffed!

We have been going to Karai Crab ever since it was back at Willows. We LOVE them! When Covid shut downs ended, Karai Crab was one of the first places we went (as they started to open back up).When they moved from Willows, they had to shut down for a while, we were crushed!! ;0) since we didn't know if the would reopen, when they did, we came as soon as we could!!We love the Snow Crab, No Mess Shrimp (both with Karai Special flavoring with Cayenne!), Garlic Noodles and our son adds on the Catfish Plate! I'll get the hotter flavor butter sauce on the side!Nice selection of drinks.Service is excellent and very attentive.And, they keep the restaurant very clean! (Even though things can go flying as you eat the crab legs!! Karai Crab was my choice for Father's Day (I had ALL restaurants to choose from!!)They may be a tad more than other crab family style restaurants, but they are 100% worth it!!!

Our recent visit to Karai Crab left us with nothing but rave reviews. Three of us tackled the colossal sampler, opting for the mild spice and garlic butter sauce - a heavenly combination that elevated the seafood boil experience.The Colossal Sampler, designed for 1-2 people, was a true feast! Snow Crab, Dungeness Crab, King Crab leg, Whole Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Red Potato, Corn, and the unique addition of local Kukui brand pineapple-Portuguese Sausage - it was a seafood lover's dream come true.We strategically timed our visit to coincide with the happy hour menu, available Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4 pm to 6 pm. The moules frites stole the show with mussels steamed in a delightful broth of white wine, butter, and shallot, perfectly paired with crispy French fries. Peel & eat shrimp, garlic noodles, chicken skin crisps, sautéed mushrooms, and Karai wings rounded out our happy hour feast.Speaking of the chicken skin crisps - a brilliant creation of deep-fried seasoned chicken skin served with a honey garlic dipping sauce. It was a crispy, flavorful delight that left us wanting more. The garlic noodles, tossed in a homemade garlic butter sauce and adorned with fried garlic chips, parmesan cheese, herbs, and green onions, were equally impressive.Service was top-notch - friendly, efficient, and fast. The clean, brightly lit, and spacious interior added to the overall pleasant dining experience. What impressed us further was the ease of self-validated parking, with clear instructions and a helpful video link available on their website under "Contact Us."Karai Crab has definitely won us over, and we're already planning our next visit. If you're a seafood enthusiast looking for a delightful experience with a variety of flavors and options, Karai Crab is a must-try. The combination of exceptional food, friendly service, and a comfortable atmosphere make it a standout.

Feeling a bit crabby? Then this place is perfect for you. This restaurant is located in the Interstate Building off of King Street. You can either park on the street (depending on the time of day) or elect to pay for parking in the parking structure with validation. If you parked in the structure, you can enter the restaurant in the back area but will need to walk through the restaurant to see the host for a table. Once you are seated, you'll have a hard decision on what to eat because everything just sounds amazing. Here are some of the items I ordered in the past:APPETIZERS:Oyster Shooters: Fresh. Opted for the chili pepper water and ponzu mix which gave that perfect umami spicy flavor.Popcorn Shrimp: crispy on the outside and juicy shrimp on the inside. Though relatively small, this appetizer is evenly coated with the seasoned batter and packs a lot of flavor when paired with freshly squeezed lemon juice and marinara sauce.Clam Dip: Freshly made by the kitchen, this dip also packed a lot of savory flavor. The homemade shrimp chips definitely elevates the dish with the added textureNo Mess Shrimp: Extra juicy with extra flavoring without catching any PEELings (get it PEELings?). ENTREES:Seafood Pasta: Creamy and filling! The seafood itself tasted fresh and was cooked perfectly giving that right amount of crunch. It's a good alternative to select if you're not looking to get your hands dirty.Dungeness crab cluster with Karai special at medium (cayenne): Not for the clean eaters. You might want to take up on the offer for a bib, gloves, and those scissors. The end result is some perfectly cooked sweet juicy crab meat dipped with the perfect sauce. Pairs well with either a glass of white wine or a beer.Snow crab cluster with Karai special at medium (cayenne): Same as above, not for the clean eaters. Though it is not as hard as cracking open the Dungeness crab, this also is cooked perfectly and provides a very savory crab meat pairing quite well with the sauces. I still would take up on the offer for a bib, gloves, and scissors. Service is here is pretty great too! From the beginning to the very end, the staff here are very accommodating and friendly. They were always checking on us to see how we were doing and if we needed anything. Which makes this place worth checking out. Side note though: the last time we came, it was hella packed. According to staff, it has been much busier than pre-covid. Therefore, might want to ask for a reservation or ask to sit at the bar if you can't wait for a table. They do offer happy hour too which is always a plus!

Got take out here for 5ppl worth. spent about $180got some combos, fries, and chicken wings. sauce on the combos were not really compatible with my families palate which is okay, everyone has there own opinion. The biggest thing that really ruined the whole experience is the corn in the combo bags. THEY WERE ROTTEN. took a bite of the corn, it was slimey, smelly, and just plain disgusting. for a place that serves corn daily, you'd think the chef would know when the corn was bad or not. Service was pretty good, and that's the only reason I gave this review a 2 star. would not come back for the food

Karai Crab is closing down 1/31/2025. Garlic noodle had a lot of garlic! Pairs well with the cajun seafood boils. Unfortunately they were out of king crab so ordered dungeness crab combo. Sauce was cajun garlic butter good. Corn is a must.Service was good. Also nice vibes with parking.