Izakaya Restaurants in Honolulu, HI

“Authentic Japanese food! It was great to be able to have it while vacationing in Hawaii. Brought back so many memories of living in Japan!“

“We just landed a few hours ago for our first trip to Hawaii and after a long day of travel, we walked around for a while somewhat overwhelmed by all the options nearby. After a few failed attempts at finding what we were looking for - a somewhat unassuming place where we could sit down, read a menu with authentic flavors, get a drink or two from a wide selection of local favorites - we thankfully found the genius lounge, just a short walk away!

Huge drink menu, amazing Asian inspired meals, great monthly specials, and staff that were very attentive. We'll definitely be comparing all of our future meals to this one. Highly recommend.“

“From the warm greeting everyone receives when walking through the door to the attentive and super friendly service, this place is amazing! The sushi was outstanding… hands down the best sushi I’ve ever had! The texture, taste and presentation was top notch. Wish there was a location on the east coast!“

“Came here for an omakase experience and it was fantastic! It’s a BYOB spot, so a great pro-tip is to grab some sake beforehand at the nearby Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors Waialae.

The meal was incredible—besides amazing chicken dishes, they also served charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef. The grand finale was the motsunabe (beef offal hot pot), and right before finishing, they asked if we wanted to add noodles or rice to the broth. We left completely full and satisfied!

The chef was working hard managing multiple tables at once right in front of the hot charcoal grill, truly hardworking and much respect to him. Despite the busy pace, the overall dining atmosphere was warm and lively, and yes, guests even share a cheers with the chef! Highly recommend.“

“Can’t go wrong with any of the katsu options here my family and I sampled all of them and it’s just so delicious! Portions are big and you can get infinite rice and cabbage. Such an awesome little spot I would love to keep coming back to.“

“Food is ALWAYS delicious and the staff is so kind and attentive! Katsu-san creates the most beautiful sashimi platters and omakase sushi!“

“Celebrated our engagement here... been here a few times since living here and even after leaving and the vibes and food here are always excellent! We sat at the sushi bar this time which I think made the experience more fun since it basically felt like an omakase style meal despite us also ordering a la carte. We're more into the casual but excellent fish quality vibe anyway... thanks jeff and to the staff for being welcoming!“

“海外でこのぐらいの味を出せれば最高なんじゃないかな“

“Very good and great staff.“

“Nice atmosphere and tasty food 🍱“

“food was very good will definitely come back“

“best ramen ever. You wont regret it.“

“A surprising delightful GEM!!! I've have sashimi at many places and the Taisho here was great... I h a d something g I never have before.. red snapper but with a special spicy wasbi... but I dont think he said it waa wasabi but it was straight from Japan... anyway. Again, another off the strip place where you are not paying an arm and a leg for FANTASTIC sushi. Fresh friendly, fast (i was ther early) inhear it c an get packed. I recommend you try it first... then try the ones on the strip for 3 times the price... if youre ok paying for bougie and a bougie experience, i get it... and thats cool, me too, but NOT all the time
If you to give your wallet a break but jot sacrific le on the quality of food... they Chiba-Ken. Arigato Taisho, oishii desu!!!“

“everything is handmade, the ingredients are fresh and high quality, staff are friendly. this place is so unique and a great date spot!♡“

“I had a great experience at Genius Lounge in Waikiki! The Japanese and Hawaiian food was delicious, and the service was fast and friendly. Everyone was welcoming, and the atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. We really enjoyed being around such nice people. Definitely a great spot to check out if you're in Waikiki!“

“Surprisingly good ..down this short ally it’s located in the back.. Very mysterious“

“Vandaag geweest met een vriendin We werden geholpen door bas Wat een aanwinst En het brood carpaccio ...heerlijk“

“While on vacation I was wanting to listen to some Jazz. When I looked it up on the Internet it gave me the name of Heart Moon. I got dressed and went. This was a cozy place tucked away. I ordered food and the Chef made me some shrimp that was fantastic. Thanks Chef. The band was GREAT. I enjoyed myself so well. I plan to return. I told a few friends about this hidden Gem and they too have made plans to attend.“

“Great cozy Japanese izakaya at McCully Street Shopping Centre. The food menu was good and had a variety.

Drinks menu were good too. Overall, service was friendly and the servers would help make recommendations for food and drinks. Worth a visit if one has hunger pangs at night as it closes at 1am.“

“Heard from friends on Oahu it is the best on the island“

“Friendly service and very tasty dishes.“

“The handwritten menu is how you know you're going to have a good time.

Good, small izakaya-style restaurant. Fairly low-key and relaxed. Given that it's not a large space I'd say look into reservations, or get there early and there may be a time constraint.

Good, diverse menu of izakaya fare, including a very respectable fish list for sushi and sashimi. I really appreciate seeing a diverse selection of some harder-to-find stuff. Nicely prepared. I could definitely see myself making a return stop before my trip is over!

Worth checking out.“

“Izakaya Naru is one of my most favorite Izakaya! The authentic Okinawan and Japanese dishes are amazing! And all staffs are super friendly! Also, the Koubashicha-wari, the Phiten Mulberry Leaf Tea mixed with Shochu, is THE Drink! Cannot stop drinking it knowing getting healthier 😁👍 Izakaya Naru is highly recommended!“