The food was great. At first, we were put off . We got there a little early than our reservation. There online website says they're open at 4:30 and their door sign says 5 PM.. we asked to wait outside because it was raining and we had a 96 year-old aunt with a walker. We were told to wait outside.. disappointed . The lady should be careful, she was a little rude. If we didn't have an elder with us, we would have left. Our waiter Lei made all the difference. He was attentive. He was very helpful with the menu and we really enjoyed our food choices. This is a little hidden gem. Lei saved our experience.
Jill H.
Very fresh King Salmon sashimi; homemade tofu with Hokkaido uni melted in my mouth; and the entrees of Seabass Misoyaki and Vegetable Tempura were light and tasty. We opted not to order drinks, but made up for it with the sake infused homemade ice cream with raisins and sake creme brûlée which were absolutely heavenly. I was initially concerned about the service as we were told to wait outside (it was raining and one person in our party was disabled with a walker) We were told they opened at 5 pm but Yelp listed 4:30 pm for Sunday hours (we arrived early at 4:40 pm for our 5:00 pm rez). Lei made up for it with his wonderful suggestions and friendly personality. We will be back!
Madi W.
Loved this place! It was absolutely amazing. The price was right and the food was delicious!!! The omakase chirashi for the price was unbelievable. Can't wait to go back!! We had a reservation for 6 PM and it was empty, but filled up fast. It was super quiet when we got there and did become a little bit louder but it's a tiny little restaurant.
Lance S.
This quaint little place is a great spot to come for some really good sushi. Came here with some friends and everything was fantastic. Because this is a small place, the parking was sufficient and conveniently located right outside the restaurant. The service was great. They serve omakase here, but this time we just tried many of their other dishes. We all left very full and satisfied. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough room for dessert...but maybe next time. Come check this place out...you won't be disappointed.
Ann N.
Everything is excellent from service to food. Reservations are a must. Small dining area.
Nadia F.
Matsuri is my favorite place in this entire world. Everything about it is perfect. It's neatly hidden, has plenty of parking, and lots of seating spaces. When you want to visit, make sure to make a reservation in Open Table, as they fill up quickly. Their ambiance is very nice, and you'll be greeted by a warm smiles. Their service is excellent, and their food... well, it's incredible. Everything is so fresh, so well made, served beautifully and quickly. As this is a family owned restaurant, you can all the perks in their excellent treatment of the customers, freshness of food, and overall great experience. I love to come here every chance I get. Today we ordered fresh oysters (this is the only place I'll eat them), tuna tartare, 2 sushi rolls, kabocha pumpkin, and some drinks. Everything was amazing, as usual. Since they fill up quickly, I always recommend giving them a call or making a reservation on open table. Enjoy!
Craig S.
Delicious! Some of the best sushi and sashimi in Honolulu. Highly recommended. Dinners only. Go during the middle of the week.
beatrice j.
Great service and a cute local place with good ambience. Highly recommend the Dynamite roll and the hamachi ponzu, will definitely be coming back soon
Leah
I have been to many japanese restaurants, i love sashimi a lot. However, the sashimi here gave me very bad food poisoning. I have to call ambulance 2 hours later after dinning here. Worst valentine’s day ever…
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
EdieT
Overall our dinner was very good. One disappointment was with the Hamachi Kama, which I will order if offered. I requested the large but the portion was small compared to many other restaurants we've had it at. They also slice the collar in a way that cuts through what my family and I call “the tube” where fatty goodness resides. Every other dish we ordered was yummy and portion was good. Service was little slow with the Sushi sets but probably due to only having 1 sushi chef?
Reservations are a must at this somewhat hidden and tiny Izakaya. We saw many locals dining there and enjoyed everything we ordered. Standouts - kinpira gobo, tempura, Misoyaki butterfish and the California roll.
I daydream about this restaurant sometimes, lol. Because it is a special place, I only ever want to go when I can fully enjoy it. This evening was one of those days and it did not disappoint. I love the size and atmosphere here. Our food was wonderful and service excellent. We also tried the sake crème brûlée, excellent as well.
steve j.
Matsuri is a fantastic izakaya and when we went I think we were the only mainlanders. Great local joint with good food. We had a hitch on the service side. The waitress forgot to put in our food order and we waited an hour before I asked what was up. She forgot to put the order in! She was so nice and apologetic I couldn't be mad albeit a little frustrated. They gave us some nice sake on the house and all was well! The food was really good. Menu is a nice mix of cooked and raw items. The night we were there they had live hairy crab from Hokkaido! One of my favorites is their TANUKI OBORO SALAD which is an amazing array of textures and freshness. They top it with some of their homemade tofu that is delicious! We didn't have a bad dish. Go here. You will enjoy it.
Jamie L.
The food is SO GOOD; it's a shame that the service is so bad. Our food came out quickly, but the servers don't bother checking in on you. We constantly needed to get their attention and even then it felt like we were bothering them for service.
MWPS
First time dining here and we were impressed with food, drinks, and service. Sushi was perfect. Agedashi tofu was excellent as was crab salad. The wagyu steak was a treat. The staff was very helpful in providing recommendations, especially for sake. The Asahi draft beer poured into a unique pilsner- style glass was delicious! This Izakaya will be on our list of favs!
The food was great. At first, we were put off . We got there a little early than our reservation. There online website says they're open at 4:30 and their door sign says 5 PM.. we asked to wait outside because it was raining and we had a 96 year-old aunt with a walker. We were told to wait outside.. disappointed . The lady should be careful, she was a little rude. If we didn't have an elder with us, we would have left. Our waiter Lei made all the difference. He was attentive. He was very helpful with the menu and we really enjoyed our food choices. This is a little hidden gem. Lei saved our experience.
Very fresh King Salmon sashimi; homemade tofu with Hokkaido uni melted in my mouth; and the entrees of Seabass Misoyaki and Vegetable Tempura were light and tasty. We opted not to order drinks, but made up for it with the sake infused homemade ice cream with raisins and sake creme brûlée which were absolutely heavenly. I was initially concerned about the service as we were told to wait outside (it was raining and one person in our party was disabled with a walker) We were told they opened at 5 pm but Yelp listed 4:30 pm for Sunday hours (we arrived early at 4:40 pm for our 5:00 pm rez). Lei made up for it with his wonderful suggestions and friendly personality. We will be back!
Loved this place! It was absolutely amazing. The price was right and the food was delicious!!! The omakase chirashi for the price was unbelievable. Can't wait to go back!! We had a reservation for 6 PM and it was empty, but filled up fast. It was super quiet when we got there and did become a little bit louder but it's a tiny little restaurant.
This quaint little place is a great spot to come for some really good sushi. Came here with some friends and everything was fantastic. Because this is a small place, the parking was sufficient and conveniently located right outside the restaurant. The service was great. They serve omakase here, but this time we just tried many of their other dishes. We all left very full and satisfied. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough room for dessert...but maybe next time. Come check this place out...you won't be disappointed.
Everything is excellent from service to food. Reservations are a must. Small dining area.
Matsuri is my favorite place in this entire world. Everything about it is perfect. It's neatly hidden, has plenty of parking, and lots of seating spaces. When you want to visit, make sure to make a reservation in Open Table, as they fill up quickly. Their ambiance is very nice, and you'll be greeted by a warm smiles. Their service is excellent, and their food... well, it's incredible. Everything is so fresh, so well made, served beautifully and quickly. As this is a family owned restaurant, you can all the perks in their excellent treatment of the customers, freshness of food, and overall great experience. I love to come here every chance I get. Today we ordered fresh oysters (this is the only place I'll eat them), tuna tartare, 2 sushi rolls, kabocha pumpkin, and some drinks. Everything was amazing, as usual. Since they fill up quickly, I always recommend giving them a call or making a reservation on open table. Enjoy!
Delicious! Some of the best sushi and sashimi in Honolulu. Highly recommended. Dinners only. Go during the middle of the week.
Great service and a cute local place with good ambience. Highly recommend the Dynamite roll and the hamachi ponzu, will definitely be coming back soon
I have been to many japanese restaurants, i love sashimi a lot. However, the sashimi here gave me very bad food poisoning. I have to call ambulance 2 hours later after dinning here. Worst valentine’s day ever…
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Overall our dinner was very good. One disappointment was with the Hamachi Kama, which I will order if offered. I requested the large but the portion was small compared to many other restaurants we've had it at. They also slice the collar in a way that cuts through what my family and I call “the tube” where fatty goodness resides. Every other dish we ordered was yummy and portion was good. Service was little slow with the Sushi sets but probably due to only having 1 sushi chef?
Restaurantji Recommends
Reservations are a must at this somewhat hidden and tiny Izakaya. We saw many locals dining there and enjoyed everything we ordered. Standouts - kinpira gobo, tempura, Misoyaki butterfish and the California roll.
I daydream about this restaurant sometimes, lol. Because it is a special place, I only ever want to go when I can fully enjoy it. This evening was one of those days and it did not disappoint. I love the size and atmosphere here. Our food was wonderful and service excellent. We also tried the sake crème brûlée, excellent as well.
Matsuri is a fantastic izakaya and when we went I think we were the only mainlanders. Great local joint with good food. We had a hitch on the service side. The waitress forgot to put in our food order and we waited an hour before I asked what was up. She forgot to put the order in! She was so nice and apologetic I couldn't be mad albeit a little frustrated. They gave us some nice sake on the house and all was well! The food was really good. Menu is a nice mix of cooked and raw items. The night we were there they had live hairy crab from Hokkaido! One of my favorites is their TANUKI OBORO SALAD which is an amazing array of textures and freshness. They top it with some of their homemade tofu that is delicious! We didn't have a bad dish. Go here. You will enjoy it.
The food is SO GOOD; it's a shame that the service is so bad. Our food came out quickly, but the servers don't bother checking in on you. We constantly needed to get their attention and even then it felt like we were bothering them for service.
First time dining here and we were impressed with food, drinks, and service. Sushi was perfect. Agedashi tofu was excellent as was crab salad. The wagyu steak was a treat. The staff was very helpful in providing recommendations, especially for sake. The Asahi draft beer poured into a unique pilsner- style glass was delicious! This Izakaya will be on our list of favs!