Japanese • $$$
“Arrived with a reservation at 18:00 when it opens. Reservations are recommended as the restaurant may be filled with customers lining up when you arrive. The whole store is lively, the customer service is efficient, and the atmosphere alone makes you feel like THE Japan. You can see some of the food being prepared from behind the counter, but it seems like each person is in charge of it, and each dish is beautiful in a good way, probably because the staff are working hard at it. Even when it's crowded, the service is stable. I think you can get an idea of the taste by looking at the photos posted by the reviewers, so I will omit it. When I look at the photos, I tend to forget that this place is Owafu. Not Japan. Very cost-effective and delicious. Thank you for the treat.Reserved a table for the 6:00 PM opening. Given the possibility of the place filling up with customers already in line upon arrival, making a reservation is highly recommended. The entire atmosphere inside exudes energy, and the staff's efficient service gives off that unmistakable Japanese vibe. The kitchen is somewhat visible behind the counter, and each staff member seems dedicated to their assigned tasks, resulting in beautifully presented dishes that reflect their commitment. Despite the bustling crowd, the service remains consistently reliable. I'll refrain from commenting on the taste, as you can gauge that by looking at everyone's posted photos. Looking at those images, it's easy to forget – this is not in Japan; it's in Oahu. Exceptionally cost-effective and delicious! Thank you for the wonderful meal.“
“This was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Truly mind-blowing. My partner and I got four rolls plus a couple other things. Each was SO GOOD and unique. They have a nice variety of options, all strictly vegan but I'm sure non-vegans should enjoy equally. Service was prompt and very attentive. Extremely highly recommended. Wish I could go back!Vegetarian options: All vegan!“
“I'm a recent transplant to the Ala Moana/Ena area so the first thing I did was scout the neighborhood for food options. Luckily, the likes of Aloha Kitchen, Sunny's, and Food Pantry are just steps away.Even better, whenever the craving for Japanese food hits, Chiba-ken is literally 200 steps away ? I've been here about 10x now and it's always a great experience.The food is good but I like the service and the vibe even better. Unlike a lot of restaurants, there doesn't seem to be a server assigned to your table/section - anyone that walks by is constantly checking on you. I've had up to four different people taking my orders and serving the food but there's never been a mix-up.And because it's so close to Waikiki, it looks like it's a mix of locals and tourists. In the late evening/night, it's always packed with people looking for good food and a good time. The pics aren't the best but some of the things I ordered on my last visit.Pro Tip: It tends to get busy here so if you know when you're planning to visit, reservations are the way to go.“
“Referred by a friend, recommended to wait in line by 4:30pm without a reservation, hoping to be lucky to get seated for 2 in a weekday. Saw workers going in for work and owner took the sign and bench out for us to sit before 5pm (when they open) and let us in prior to 5pm.Sat at the bar, friendly workers and chefs, recommend us their favorite fishes. We order lots of variety of food and the food either meets our expectations (hamachi, toro, shrimp, scollap) or exceeded our expectations (tamago, tofu jelly, chawanmushi, Shimaaji, Kinmedai, clam in sake broth)!Thought it would be over $250 but turns out to be a little under $200! Definitely back next time in Hawaii!“
“For lunch, I had a loin cutlet set meal and a seafood cutlet.Thickly sliced loin meat is slowly fried until tender. Both the shredded cabbage and white rice are delicious.The soft shell crab cutlet has a luxurious taste that cannot be found in Japan.The service was reliable and it was a relaxing dining room.I will go again.“
“That garlic salmon roll was on point and amazing! All the food was yummy as usual. The Truffle Edamame was super ono! It was my boyfriend's first time there n he was blown away by everything! My 4 year old loved his California Roll and Chicken Karaage. The food came out at a good pace considering how busy it was. The dessert was yummy as usual. The only thing we didn't like was how expensive a lot of things were. I feel like the price we paid (over $300 with tip) was a bit much. Overall a nice experience for my boyfriend n 4 year old and much needed family QT time!“
“Ate here on a Wed night at the bar. The bar tender is such a vibe setter and instantly made us feel comfortable and welcome. His recommendations for drinks and food made this one of our top and most well-rounded meals of a 10 day visit. Will come back every time. Highly recommend!“
“Perhaps because it's a Japanese owner, it had a Hawaiian taste, but it was very delicious with the seasoning that Japanese people like.The customer service was great with a smile, and I had a great time with my family.I'm also happy that happy hour is long until 6:30 ♪It may be difficult to find as it is on the 3rd floor of the building, but it is worth a visit.“
“All the dishes are delicious, but there is a big difference in cost performance.It's a good combination of Japanese and Hawaiian cooking, so I think Westerners will also appreciate it.It is no longer BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle), so if you bring your own bottle, you will have to pay a corkage fee.“
“Tasty & authentic Japanese izakaya tucked into a small alleyway. It's a cozy and unassuming restaurant that does a lot of delicious traditional Japanese izakaya dishes really well. We ordered the agedashi tofu, okonomiyaki, chicken yakitori skewers, pan fried udon, and fried chicken. Every dish was super tasty! They all came out one at a time so we had time to enjoy each one. My favorites were probably the fried chicken and the okonomiyaki. Service was attentive and friendly. Definitely stop by if you're looking for yummy izakaya food!“
“Had a wonderful experiences! Got served by a supper sweet and nice Japanese lady. The food is amazing…feels like eating food in Japan.Food and drink review as below:.Shrimp Dumplings and Gyu Suji Oden have interesting taste. 7/10.Tonpeiyaki is the best egg ever! Fluffy and soft taste, has thin slices pork in between, sweet and creamy sauce on top. 10:10.Salmon sashimi tastes so good so fresh as a live salmon. Best tasting sashimi compared to those Japanese restaurants in the mall area. 10/10.Choya Green Tea Ume also has an interesting taste. 6/10.Got a free soda ume by mistake but turn out pretty good tastings! Probably Japanese soda. 8/10Lovely restaurants, sweet services, amazing food. Affordable, so much worth the prices. Totally recommended this place, open late until 1am. Must try yourself“
“nd a half year old restaurant is worth trying! They also have a few parking spots in front of their entrance area but street parking was easy to find as well.After the initial appetizers, the omakase consisted of 7 dishes plus their popular motsunabe for about $64 per person. If you are a pescatarian or vegetarian they will make special accommodations as well. Personally I think the motsunabe here is better than Rinka's :)Our table's fav were the bacon wrapped mochi's and the chicken meatballs. I wished they had bonjiri too. (Forgot to ask if they had but next time)We had - chicken wings, heart, thighs, chicken meatballs, bacon wrapped quail eggs, and bacon wrapped mochi, and US Wagyu beef skewers.Tip for next time - make your reservations for your next dinner when you are there already!“
“I love Yakitori and hard to find a good place. I used to go there often when I was in Hawaii, because of the great price! And the food was good!Now I took my bf there (we live is Seattle), and he loved it so so much lol. But to me the price was way higher than I remembered, and the tsukune(my favorite) was way too overcooked. Cheese one was so good!We would still go back since he loved it? but I’d ask to make a new one when my tsukune is dried up again “
“My first time here. The food was delicious. The service did slow a bit when it got packed inside and it definitely did after 7pm on a week night. The only issue at this location is the parking. There are multiple signs in the lot that say 20 min parking and 1 hr parking. Best to street park. Update: I went back again last night and the food was salty overall. I wasn't as impressed. The food delivery was faster but it was less crowded inside.“
“Delicious food and excellent service with an unpretentious and family-friendly weeknight atmosphere. Parking can be a little challenging, but definitely worth a trip. The sushi is very good, but I think the real draw is the cooked menu - the beef udon is a particular standout.Kid-friendliness: High-chairs available, toddler friendly glassware offered“
Izakaya • $$
“Good izakaya! Lively atmosphere with tons of Carps merch and memorabilia on the wall. Service is pretty fast and attentive. We tried the gyoza, fries, karaage chicken, skewer set, tempura set, and okonomiyaki. Everything was delicious. I would definitely go again, especially for the karaage and skewers. A bit pricy, but not more so than the typical izakaya in Honolulu.“
“Our local friend told us to come here for their chicken wings, so we did. Their salt & pepper chicken wings were served piping hot and super fresh. It's served in 3 or 10 pieces - it's a MUST!Another item I was pretty surprised with the deliciousness is the Motsu Nabe (beef intestine hot pot) with Wahu Dashi broth, that serves 3 people easily, but we did add extra motsu, cabbage and chives. This was our meal finisher, and it was perfection. Everything we ordered (see pics I posted) was so bomb, and authentic Japanese cuisine.The staff were all Japanese, which was good to see, and the service was impeccable, as expected at a Japanese restaurant like this. We stayed for hours and never felt rushed, and they made sure to check in on us with water/beverages. I LOVE this place!Lastly, there is very minimal onsite parking, and you'll most likely have to park on the street, down the street towards McDonalds - pretty easy street parking.“
“Phenomenal. I hadn’t ate there in a couple years. It was solid before and now it’s amazing. Party of 13, amazing food. Chicken, soup dumplings, larb, all on point. We got the 9 course meal. - every course was delicious. Highly recommend this place. Only negative is the parking, everything else is awesome.“
“This Japanese restaurant in Honolulu is truly one of the best! The grilled oyster is a standout, a perfect blend of creaminess and freshness. The uni rice is a delight, with a unique texture that enhances the experience. While the beef tongue has a slight sourness, it's the best in its own way. The ice cream is decent but nothing extraordinary. If you plan to visit, don't miss out on the heavenly goodness of the grilled oyster – a must-try!“
“This was an accidental find. We were actually a walk-in to dine next door at the tonkatsu spot but after over an hour wait and some research into this sushi spot that appeared more and more enticing from the pictures as we grew more and more hungry, the ambiance and the pictures of the salmon skin/silken tofu salad and hamachi truffle sashimi. Let me just tell you when I say we were so incredibly pleased with our experienced. The service is attentive and kind by every staff member there, and the ambiance is reminiscent of the traditional Japanese sushi restaurant.Do yourself a favor and visit Tokkuri-Tei. Order the eggplant miso, the miso seaweed soup, the moriawase, the miso butterfish roll, and absolutely positively the salmon skin salad and the hamachi truffle sashimi. I'll be dreaming about this place until we visit again. Oh and the iced oolong tea was delicious too. One thing I noticed is that the nigiri did not have a speck of wasabi under the fish like a traditional sushi spot would. The oolong tea also did not have free refills. Regardless, we were still happy with our experience and would definitely recommend you all to visit.PARKING:Covered parking lot, $3 for the day“
“Loved it! A super relaxing atmosphere with a kind and attentive staff. The service was definitely a highlight. Loved having Sapporo on tap,The food was pretty good I had the fried okra and ramen. Both super simple plates, I would describe it as more classic than innovative, but nothing wrong with that!“
“Great place for excellent sushi, sashimi, and Japanese food. Everything in the pictures was extremely amazing. They even have Asahi on draft. I would highly suggest this place if you like Japanese food.The only complaint I may have is the sound travels very easy, and the people are very loud. But if you’re having an Asahi, who cares.“
Izakaya • $$
“It wasn't that busy and I felt like we waited to get service. We wanted to order more but passed to move on. I gave 5 stars because I've been here before. Food is delicious. Service is good. Atmosphere is decent. I like the style and location but the view is of the street. It's easier to get in for an early dinner.“
“Was looking for a place close to hotel for dinner and found this place. It is located in the Aloha shopping center which made it a little challenging to find. Unassuming entrance, but the food was great. Got the Tanaka spicy with house hot sake.“
“Best meal we had while on the island. It feels like you’re in Japan when you walk in the door. The drinks were amazing, and everything that hit the table was perfect. Get the Taco Rice and Miso Butter Fish!! Will come here every time we’re in Oahu.“
“Second time here in the past 2 weeks. My son loves this place and said it's better than his former favorite Gomatei. I ordered the Tanaka Spicy with level 3. The bowl comes with piping hot soup and perfectly cooked noodles. Level 3 is perfect for me, spicy but enjoyable. The broth is smooth and goes perfectly with the chashu and noodles. Their truffle fries are excellent too! We had to reorder more as the kids devoured them. I'd also add on some gyoza and chicken karaage. Both had a nice crunch with great flavor. Definitely our new ramen spot.“