OBAKE

1112 Smith St, Honolulu
(808) 583-3092

Recent Reviews

Casey A.

Impromptu St Patty's Day stop in. Thought we had to go inside, but the outdoor area was a a surprisingly awesome place to sit and have good conversations with our bartender. the food was great and specialty cocktails were on point!

Giselle S.

The walls! The walls are alive! Love it. It works. The music is a vibe. The staff is a vibe. The hand roll I ordered was foodgasmic. If I wasn't trying to kill time for dinner at another restaurant, I could've eaten 15 of these. My apologies as I do not remember what I ordered. This was 2 months ago in January. I have a pic if you can tell what it is by looking. The drinks were so decorative and nostalgic! The white bunny candy was part of the drink. Y'all know what it is. Look at pic. Cute right?

Andy F.

Thank you to fellow Yelper, Karen C., for the very helpful two-star review. Lower rated reviews are usually the most honest ones! If not for the review, I'd for sure be an (O)baka-baka-baka. An easy way to have an enjoyable experience is to not order the same thing as the lower rated reviews. Luckily, it wasn't offered anymore. Obaka is a hand roll sushi bar, which seems to be a start of a trend now (along with inari bombs). It's located at the old Ethiopian Love Restaurant spot along Smith St, near Hotel St. It's open only 5pm-midnight Tuesday-Thursday, and till 2am Friday and Saturday. It also offers Yatai (Yakitori) in the courtyard only on Thursdays from 6pm till midnight and till 2am Friday and Saturdays. Use to have a Matcha Bar, but not currently. Walk ins only, no reservations. No parking, of course besides meters, private lots, and garages. Obake doesn't look very inviting when you look in with the black colored ceilings, graffiti art on the wall, and an old telephone booth. It kind of looks like you're outside in the back alleys of Chinatown, but cleaner of course. Like an urban art vibe. It's bar seating only. A cocktail or a glass of dark liqueur seems fitting for this kind of setting. The Letter From Yokosuka is not bad. I was hoping for more toasted rice and hojicha flavors to come out more since they're listed first, but I got more Jim Bean and Yuzu. It was a nice looking drink with the dried osmanthus leaves stuck to the side of the glass, but am I supposed lick that or move all of in myself? I didn't a bit of both. Not a bad drink. Just needed more hojicha flavor. We went with the Specialty Hand Roll Set (4). The first was the Obake Roll, which was chef's choice of fish with black tobikko, ponzu, yuzu kosho, and negi. It was a whitefish in the roll. I didn't quite catch the proper name. This was good. The black tobikko had a nice umami taste from the soy infusion. There could've been more yuzu kocho for more punch. There are also appetizers available (just 3 options). The Obake Soup arrived. This was quite fishy (in a good way) and umami with the dashi and wakame. Next was the Nanban Potato. Oh, this was goood. Not sure about the $10 price tag, but this was good! Crispy skin, soft and fluffy inside. The nanban sauce was tasty and creamy. Not sure where this "tofu remoulade" comes in, or if it's just a fancy way of saying tartar sauce with spices on top, but still good! The next hand roll was "Ho, Hayn". This was the best roll out of the set. We had order another one! Nice pieces of Kona kanpachi that was fresh and full of flavor. Definitely taste like traditional Hawaiian style poke, and the chili peppa watah really took it to another level. Added more flavor with a nice little sour and spice kick. Next was the King Thing. This was very good. The freshness of the king salmon was apparent. There were a lot of things going on this one, and they all worked. The fresh, grassy dill, sweet and spicy red onion, bright and tangy capers and lemon, savory truffle oil, aromatic zaatar, and herbaceous micro cilantro, which I surprisingly found very good (I'm not a fan of cilantro). Had to order another one these! Lastly was the Summer Toro. This was decent. More subtle flavors than the previous ones. A nice mix of spicy negi toro with sweet strawberry, and a nice texture from the bubu Arare that resembled as if I was eating a strawberry. The rice for the hand rolls were prepared well, and at a good temperature. The nori though? As a Yelper, my phone always eats first! So here lies the issue. The first couple of rolls, we took a bit of time for photos. Yes, the nori got soft and hard to cleanly chew through. Next rolls we ate quicker, and the rolls we ordered again, we just ate it right away (no photos). The experience was better because the nori was a bit more crispy, but not quite enough. Another roll we had was the Honey Kukui Nut Shrimp. A nice warm roll to balance out all the cold rolls. The shrimp was fried well with a nic

Jeffrey T.

My friends raves about this place so came to check it out. No reservations, first come first served. Cute & trendy ambiance and great place for dates. Street parking or the municipal lot on Nuuanu and Beretania. Classic hand rolls and signature combinations they create. Fun cocktails. I'd recommend ordering your rolls one at a time and enjoying them before ordering the next. The temperature of rice & topping plus texture of the nori is best enjoyed right away. Plus rolls are made to order while taking little time to assemble so you aren't waiting long. I had 6 different rolls. They were all delicious. Ala cart or there are suggested combinations. Get the soup. Shishito peppers are a nice snack in between rolls. They have a grilled yakitori items if you eat outside. I'll want to try that next time.

Isla C.

Review of the cocktail bar/skewer section. Amazing chef doing the skewers, so amazing to hear how he has crafted his own menu and how wonderfully he executes it all. The tako was cooked perfectly and we were so lucky to get the last mushroom!! Hoping to come back when they have a night with live music as well, overall just such an amazing space with a wonderfully friendly staff, creative drinks and an overall positive experience in the whole space.

Shannon P.

Me and my wife were really excited to try Obake and the outdoor Yakitori. That's where the excitement ended. Maybe I am getting g old but the hipster Chinatown place is getting a little old for me. Huge speaker directly behind me pumping music so me and my wife could not talk or hear the server when they described the roll. Now on the hand rolls... the nori was definitely fresh from the package because it had absorbed moisture and was extremely hard to bite. After watching I see they take out of a little box. Suggest keeping the nori airtight to get rid of this huge problem. We might be a little old school but the speciality hand rolls were just a little over the top and flavors were not appealing and I had a fish bone in mine as well. After having hand rolls we went outside to the Yakitori place run by the same bar. All the meat was super tender but we have had lots of Yakitori (grilled meat on a stick) and the sauce flavor tasted like it came commercially prepared from a bottle with a bad aftertaste. The sauce is really easy to make homemade and suggest trying to do so.

Drew R.

This might be the best hand roll I've had in recent history. The fish was amazing and the nori was so crispy. The specialty rolls were very creative, and the drinks were great!

Julie N.

Amazing find in Chinatown!! Obake is a nice hand roll and yakitori bar with Asian-inspired cocktails. My favorite cocktail is the "oolong, how do you do". The oolong tea flavor was very apparent, and what impressed me was how each sip maintained its oolong flavor. There is also a slice of lemon which helps mask the bitter alcohol flavor. Would 1000% order this one again. I also tried several skewers (pork belly, mushroom, and chicken) as well as the obake crudo which was yellowtail today. The skewers were all cooked and made to order and had a nice smokey flavor to them. The obake crudo was my favorite of the night. The fish was so fresh, and it had an amazing yuzu, ponzu sauce that complemented it very well. The hojicha creme brûlée was okay. Didn't really taste the hojicha flavor. I then went inside and tried the " letter from yokosuka" cocktail. I much prefer the oolong compared to this cocktail, since the alcohol taste was more apparent in this drink, and I didn't really taste any of the genmaicha or hojicha flavors. Overall though, this is a very solid place in Honolulu. The staff are extremely attentive and friendly. We had some staff that went up to us to ask us what we thought of the menu so it shows how much the staff cares. Apparently this place was inspired from Kazunori in LA. I didn't get a chance to try the hand rolls tonight, but I definitely hope to try it next time! Highly recommend stopping by this place!

Sonia T.

With its blend of cocktails and hand roll sushi, Obake promised something different, and we were eager to see what it had to offer. Located in Chinatown in the former Ethiopian Love Space, Obake focuses on dry-aged seafood. While this is a walk-in only, first come, first served, no reservations bar, we lucked out with available seating at the sushi counter. To kick off our hand roll adventure, we indulged in the Naban Potato appetizer--a medley of crispy, fluffy smashed potatoes paired with a tofu rémoulade. We then started with the Lunar New Year Specialty Hand Roll Set featuring three hand rolls with bold flavors and vibrant ingredients. The Cold Ginger Kajiki, with its minced ginger, scallion oil, tobiko, and fried garlic, was a refreshing burst of flavor that awakened the senses. Next up, the Honey Kukui Nut Shrimp hand roll dazzled with its panko-fried shrimp, honeyed kukui nut sesame mayo, and a hint of tsuyu, creating a harmonious balance of sweet and savory notes. Finally was the Obake Roll, a signature creation at Obake, comprised of a selection of chef's choice fish, adorned with black tobiko, and enhanced by the tantalizing flavors of Obake ponzu and yuzu kosho. Following the hand roll set, we wanted to try a few more hand rolls on the menu. We savored the King Thing hand roll, brimming with the richness of king salmon, capers, red onion, dill, and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil and za'atar. This was one of my favorites of the night! The Summer Toro hand roll was a spicy negi toro, ogo, sesame, and unexpected hint of strawberry, while the "Ho, Hayn!" hand roll captured the essence of the islands with its Kona kanpachi poke, ogo, kukui nut, sesame, and negi, perfectly complemented by a side of Hawaiian chili peppa watah. As for the cocktails, I tried the Iron Fist -- a masterful blend of Knob Creek Rye Whiskey, Noto ginseng and chrysanthemum syrup, bitters, and smoked with alfalfa hay. The presentation was as impressive as the flavor, a testament to the artistry of Obake's mixologists. We rounded off our culinary journey with the Hojicha Crème Brûlée, a decadent finale that left us lingering over every spoonful, savoring the delicate balance of flavors. Throughout our dining experience, the service was impeccable--attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about delivering an exceptional experience. Parking is available at the municipal or private paid lots in the area or on the street. Whether you're a connoisseur of cocktails or a lover of hand roll sushi, Obake is an experience not to be missed.

Hasan A.

From the moment my wife and I arrived, we were greeted graciously. First by the security at the main entrance, then by the bartender and the chef who was responsible for making the hand rolls. My first order was the uni hand roll called the "ya, you." It was fresh and delicious, and I also ordered their craft drink called the "Stiletto," which was boozy and complex... Dare I say a perfect mix. I went on to order 2 of the "King Thing" rolls. They were balanced, flavorful, and delicious. We ate them exactly how the chef made them, with no need for any soy or Wasabi enhancements. Super good!! To our delight, the restaurant also had a yakitori bar on the patio portion of the establishment out back. The manager perfectly/seamlessly transitioned us to the patio staff by whom we were seated immediately and promptly took our order. The patio space was beautifully lit and had dope music playing at the perfect volume. We ordered the chicken thigh, chicken skin, meatballs, and grilled octopus. I wanted the chicken heart and gizzard, but by the time we got there, at nearly midnight, they had sold out ( which told us they must be good!). All of the selections I got were fantastic. We will definitely come earlier next time for the hearts and gizzards. The grilled octopus and chicken skin were my favorites tonight. The chicken thigh was very juicy and flavorful, but to be honest, I was pretty full by then. If eaten on an emptier stomach, I would most likely love them even more, lol. They will be my first selection when I come back next time. Overall, Obake could do no wrong tonight. The bathrooms were clean, well-lit, and properly maintained. I can honestly say I found no flaws in the experience I had tonight other than me waiting too long to show up and missing the hearts and gizzards, lol. I highly recommend this spot. Best Chinatown late-night eats!! A must try!!

Selina W.

I love Chinatown in Honolulu and its so wonderful to see such a great addition to the community and area. Amazing food and cocktail programs by innovative, experimental creatives. Interior looks great and is a fresh take on a cocktail bar. Love the art everywhere!! There is an amazing area in the back end open on weekends with yakitori. Service is always stellar and everyone seems excited and motivated. Cannot wait to come back and see what other goodies they think up!

Tasi R.

The girl working was so sweet! The ambiance was cool. Parking is nearby. My matcha was sooo good, I'll be back for sure.

ludmila santos

I had the set of 4 special rolls ($35) which were good, the King Thing and Obake roll were my favorites, but I think it was expensive. I also had the Pilet-O-Pish which was amazing. Overall it was a good experience but not sure if I’ll be back because of the high prices.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Serena L.

Great service! Long wait times. Small skewers, cute atmosphere! Definitely just go for drinks and the ambiance.

Jillian r.

I don't know our servers name but he was absolutely incredible. He went above and beyond to chat with us and make us feel welcome. He had great recommendations for us and encouraged us to venture back. The music was 10/10. I absolutely recommend this place and can't wait to go back! Thank you for a great experience

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