From food to service this place knocked it out of the park! Coming from NYC and been to Japan twice I think this is one of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever had. Seasoning for each dish was just right. The chef kindly gave me three pieces of dried stingray fin to try. Don’t be fooled by the name. I was surprised by how well seasoned and cooked it was. Moist yet crispy and sweet. It was so good that I ordered a whole plate. Service wise, I dined solo at the counter. Chef and waiting staff were all super attentive but also gave me space to enjoy the food. During our conversation, I casually mentioned how good the mangos in Hawai’i were. The waitress kindly asked the pastry chef to add a few pieces of mango to my dessert. It was such a pleasant surprise! Last but not least, they allow half sizes to some of the dishes. It was a huge positive cause it allowed me to try more dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gerald Baldwin
The food, here, is as good as or better than any seafood I've had in Hawaii. It's fresh, tasty, and prepared to perfection. We made a reservation for next time before leaving our table.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Audrey Lim
INCREDIBLE!!! Best otoro I’ve ever had in my life. Not a local but this place was highly praised by my friends from the island. Would love to come back! Quick service, great food and kind servers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dave Feinstein
I walked in and asked to look at a menu. The people before were told a 30 minute wait and when I asked it was booked up for the night.... the host proceeded to snatch the menu out of my hand and say goodbye. I am a clean cut guy and this is unprofessional and a rude way to greet your customers.....
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kofi Bell
Excellent omakase style, I ordered for myself 🤣. Everything was superb. Fish was succulent, fresh, well prepared. Hit on all my expectations. I will definitely come back next time on the island.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sagor Hoque
Great small family run sushi place. The sushi was fantastic and the owners were nice enough to seat us when we got there close to closing. The sushi rice on the rolls is cut above your typical sushi place.
Everett Stenberg
Izakaya Gaku is absolutely wonderful. Tucked just north of Ala Moana, it’s got that city energy without the rush of Waikiki — a perfect balance. This is a high-tier spot. Not Michelin, sure, but it’s not about that — it’s about enjoying the experience, and they've got plenty of that! And as someone just recently stepping into this level of dining, I get now that there’s a whole world above the usual places — and Gaku is a strong entry into that world.
The oyster shooters were a standout, and the o-toro? Some of the best I’ve had, hands down.
The staff were fantastic — super attentive, and the vibe from the sushi chefs and kitchen crew greeting you with full energy as you walk in or out adds to the whole atmosphere. It’s vibrant, thoughtful, and every detail feels intentional. A real gem.
Zhiyan Liu
Authentic and tasty food. Walked in at 5 pm and got a table for 5.
MARY ROSS
Don’t anger the duck cutter!!!
Chris Alliey
There isn’t enough good things I can say about this. This was an incredible experience, I sat at the bar, and the sushi chef was very interactive, and the sushi he put in front of me was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had in my life! I’m only on the island for a few days, but I am going to hit this place a few times. I highly recommend making reservations and I highly recommend this location.
Great izakaya spot! Lots of options. Pumpkin karage was great. Salads not much. Friendly chefs and staff
Marisa W.
Classic, beautifully presented, and fresh fish in a cozy environment. Delicious sashimi, nigiri, and some favorite apps included chuwanmushi, agedashi tofu + mochi, karaage kabocha. Back two tables are tatami style. Reservation recommended.
Melinda
Hidden Gem 💎
More traditional style sushi. You won’t find the fancy American rolls here.
Everything we ordered was outstanding. Fresh ingredients. Delicious flavors.
The service was wonderful- very friendly and attentive staff.
They have non-alcoholic beers too! Much appreciated!
Highly recommend!
Austin
Exceptional service. Food was excellent. Highly recommend the sushi and the fatty tuna collar, it takes 20 minutes to prepare so definitely order ahead of time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gerard Lee
My SIL and nephew took me to one of their favorite restaurants, Sushi Izakaya Gaku on King Street. There are about eight parking stalls in the back, accessed by a narrow driveway through the building. We got there before 5pm (opening time) so we were able to pick our parking space.
I left the ordering to my hosts but started with an Ohoro gin and soda. This gin comes from Hokkaido with sweet gale and mint as botanicals. It’s strong for a gin at 47% alcohol but has a nice clean taste with a light aroma of citrus. My nephew went with Asahi Dry.
The first dish was Omatsuri Natto … with natto as the base, pieces of salmon, ahi, squid, ikura, uni, yamaimo, chopped green onion and okra topped with a quail egg. It’s mixed together and eaten on nori. I found it refreshing with the natto being very mild.
Next was Uni and Oyster shooters, Seared Otoro with garlic sauce, Tako Basil, Gyutan (grilled beef tongue) Salad, and assorted nigiri. The uni and oyster shooters were excellent, as was the seared otoro. I thought that was the best dish of the evening. The beef tongue was tender and the salad dressing was great. I enjoyed the tako basil as well.
I found the dishes to be very good … My SIL thought some of the ingredients were of lesser quality than during her previous visits. She noted a change in staff though one of the “old timers” came by later in the evening to say hello.
All in all, I enjoyed my dining experience. The place was filled with diners, so service was slow and inattentive at times. The kitchen put out dishes quickly despite the crowd. 4 stars for me.
From food to service this place knocked it out of the park! Coming from NYC and been to Japan twice I think this is one of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever had.
Seasoning for each dish was just right. The chef kindly gave me three pieces of dried stingray fin to try. Don’t be fooled by the name. I was surprised by how well seasoned and cooked it was. Moist yet crispy and sweet. It was so good that I ordered a whole plate.
Service wise, I dined solo at the counter. Chef and waiting staff were all super attentive but also gave me space to enjoy the food. During our conversation, I casually mentioned how good the mangos in Hawai’i were. The waitress kindly asked the pastry chef to add a few pieces of mango to my dessert. It was such a pleasant surprise!
Last but not least, they allow half sizes to some of the dishes. It was a huge positive cause it allowed me to try more dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food, here, is as good as or better than any seafood I've had in Hawaii. It's fresh, tasty, and prepared to perfection. We made a reservation for next time before leaving our table.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
INCREDIBLE!!! Best otoro I’ve ever had in my life. Not a local but this place was highly praised by my friends from the island. Would love to come back! Quick service, great food and kind servers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I walked in and asked to look at a menu. The people before were told a 30 minute wait and when I asked it was booked up for the night.... the host proceeded to snatch the menu out of my hand and say goodbye. I am a clean cut guy and this is unprofessional and a rude way to greet your customers.....
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Excellent omakase style, I ordered for myself 🤣. Everything was superb. Fish was succulent, fresh, well prepared. Hit on all my expectations. I will definitely come back next time on the island.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great small family run sushi place. The sushi was fantastic and the owners were nice enough to seat us when we got there close to closing. The sushi rice on the rolls is cut above your typical sushi place.
Izakaya Gaku is absolutely wonderful. Tucked just north of Ala Moana, it’s got that city energy without the rush of Waikiki — a perfect balance. This is a high-tier spot. Not Michelin, sure, but it’s not about that — it’s about enjoying the experience, and they've got plenty of that! And as someone just recently stepping into this level of dining, I get now that there’s a whole world above the usual places — and Gaku is a strong entry into that world.
The oyster shooters were a standout, and the o-toro? Some of the best I’ve had, hands down.
The staff were fantastic — super attentive, and the vibe from the sushi chefs and kitchen crew greeting you with full energy as you walk in or out adds to the whole atmosphere. It’s vibrant, thoughtful, and every detail feels intentional. A real gem.
Authentic and tasty food. Walked in at 5 pm and got a table for 5.
Don’t anger the duck cutter!!!
There isn’t enough good things I can say about this. This was an incredible experience, I sat at the bar, and the sushi chef was very interactive, and the sushi he put in front of me was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had in my life!
I’m only on the island for a few days, but I am going to hit this place a few times. I highly recommend making reservations and I highly recommend this location.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great izakaya spot! Lots of options. Pumpkin karage was great. Salads not much. Friendly chefs and staff
Classic, beautifully presented, and fresh fish in a cozy environment. Delicious sashimi, nigiri, and some favorite apps included chuwanmushi, agedashi tofu + mochi, karaage kabocha. Back two tables are tatami style. Reservation recommended.
Hidden Gem 💎
More traditional style sushi. You won’t find the fancy American rolls here.
Everything we ordered was outstanding. Fresh ingredients. Delicious flavors.
The service was wonderful- very friendly and attentive staff.
They have non-alcoholic beers too! Much appreciated!
Highly recommend!
Exceptional service. Food was excellent. Highly recommend the sushi and the fatty tuna collar, it takes 20 minutes to prepare so definitely order ahead of time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My SIL and nephew took me to one of their favorite restaurants, Sushi Izakaya Gaku on King Street. There are about eight parking stalls in the back, accessed by a narrow driveway through the building. We got there before 5pm (opening time) so we were able to pick our parking space.
I left the ordering to my hosts but started with an Ohoro gin and soda. This gin comes from Hokkaido with sweet gale and mint as botanicals. It’s strong for a gin at 47% alcohol but has a nice clean taste with a light aroma of citrus. My nephew went with Asahi Dry.
The first dish was Omatsuri Natto … with natto as the base, pieces of salmon, ahi, squid, ikura, uni, yamaimo, chopped green onion and okra topped with a quail egg. It’s mixed together and eaten on nori. I found it refreshing with the natto being very mild.
Next was Uni and Oyster shooters, Seared Otoro with garlic sauce, Tako Basil, Gyutan (grilled beef tongue) Salad, and assorted nigiri. The uni and oyster shooters were excellent, as was the seared otoro. I thought that was the best dish of the evening. The beef tongue was tender and the salad dressing was great. I enjoyed the tako basil as well.
I found the dishes to be very good … My SIL thought some of the ingredients were of lesser quality than during her previous visits. She noted a change in staff though one of the “old timers” came by later in the evening to say hello.
All in all, I enjoyed my dining experience. The place was filled with diners, so service was slow and inattentive at times. The kitchen put out dishes quickly despite the crowd. 4 stars for me.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
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