We had our 10 course Omakase experience and every single item was super fresh and delicious. Great atmosphere and staff. Thank you Chef.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase, Omakase Sushi
Armand Farrokh
I’ve had tons of Omakase in New York, LA, and Japan and this place is still my favorite.
The cuts of fish are thick and super generous, but the freshness and quality are clearly top 1%. Not only that, Chef Murayama pairs every thick cut with searing and sauce profiles that balance the natural flavor of the fish.
Uni rice wrapped with a steak-sized piece of toro that’ll send you to the heavens. Garlic miso to enhance the aroma of a thick piece of tender bonito that you’ll never have anywhere else. A sear on a smelt with just enough sea salt and sesame oil to bring out the nuttiness with the char.
And best of all, you feel like you’re having a meal with the staff. It’s no frills, not overly stiff, and friendly. Chef Murayama tells you all about where he sources the fish, how he comes up with the flavors, and makes it all feel like you’re being brought into his home.
I’ll be coming here every time I’m in Hawaii.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Pote Pothongsunan
Had my first visit recently. The portions for the poke are generous. I had the spicy tuna and macadamia. The tempura was solid too. It was a little hard to find with no signage, just dark doors.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Maguro Tempura, Spicy Tuna Don
Susan Lim
Our family tried the extended omakase (reservation made one day in advance), and we were all blown away. Every single course was delicious and presented beautifully. Made me think I was eating sushi in Japan again!
Our server and sushi chefs were friendly and helpful to accommodate our needs and requests. We were a rather large party of 7 adults and 1 baby in a stroller. They don't have high chairs or booster seats (small restaurant), but that wasn't a problem for us. Even with my pregnant sister, they were extremely accommodating in providing cooked options that were super delicious and exquisite. We were jealous of each other's courses!
Would definitely recommend for anyone wanting high-quality sushi paired with exceptional service. If I ever travel to this part of Hawaii again, I will make the effort to eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TIffany Kim
Highly recommend! Lots of unique options and everything was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Edj Oki
We had the 15 course omakase. Everything was so good and fresh. Unique, chef had his own personal spin to things, which we absolutely enjoyed.
Shiyuan Gong
This is THE best sushi I have ever had!!! The chef is so much fun and we had a great time!!!!
Philip McCarthy
Primarily Omakase and they have Poke bowls to go. Check on Instagram for information regarding Poke bowls. Very interesting Omakase. Chef has interesting takes on the type of sushi rice. Uses local and imported fish. Very fresh items. Highly recommend
Vicky Lee
After 10 years, this place is still my favorite sushi place. My husband and I live in Chicago and this is the first reservation we make. Sometimes if we have the time, we go twice. We eat omakase all over the country and this is the best in terms of quality and creativity. The chef has an amazing ability to meld different flavor profiles together that works brilliantly. Balancing fish and seasoning. All the ingredients were exceedingly fresh. The service is also great. The chef chats with you as you eat in a non intrusive pace. The service is also good and attentive. The cost is only $180 per person. Very affordable considering what you get.
Aline Tran
My favorite pick for high end sushi. You'll get good portions with innovative flavors, like mandarin orange zest with sea bass, ootoro with garlic miso and house shoyu, wagyu musubi with uni rice!
I sat at the sushi bar with a friend for lunch and was in for an unexpected treat. The Chef asked if it was my first time and made a recommendation. Without me asking, he made me a variety plate of the best poke. From the first bite to the last, I still wanted more. I quickly understood the well thought out marinate and sauces combined with quality ingredients is what makes this place stand out from other spots I've tried. Also I had salted shrimp tempura on the side that is much much tastier than the average one. Definitely, I will be visiting this establishment again.
Guan Shen
READ the 1 star reviews and avoid this place and save your money - I unfortunately was fooled by the 4.6 Google average reviews.
We got the $100USD omakase dinner here. I wasn’t expecting much and assumed the food would be different from normal sushi/omakase and expected a somewhat Hawaiin/Japanese fusion. The food is not real Japanese alright, nor did the good part of Hawaiin influence came through. It was probably the worst sushi / fish / rice / “Japanese” / Hawaiin food experience I’ve ever had.
The night started with this cold rice paper roll that honestly is worse than any Vietnamese roll I’ve ever had, but still okay. Then came this weird seaweed / canned oyster / frozen fish eggs shooter (you can find photos of it in other reviews) that was frankly worse than anything. Then came with a hamachi sushi which actually was good except the sweet taste of the fish was drowned out by the bitterness of the gallop of daikon on top. Then came the worst thing of the entire night - this baby sardine sushi. I can still taste the bitterness of the slippery baby sardines after 2 days. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever paid for in my life. The rest of the meal got “better” but agreed with other reviews - it’s just chopped, bad quality fish on rice balls.
One reviewer said he was embarrassed to have paid $130 per person for this meal- I think that sentiment is spot on.
Go to ANY Japanese or poke place on Oahu and you would have a better experience. Even sushi from a supermarket would made you feel better about yourself.
I don’t like to put this here but this is coming from someone who’s enjoyed multiple Michelin starred omakase in Japan, US and Canada. And also someone who thoroughly enjoys Hawaii and its unique spin on food and poke. Honestly you don’t even need to have tasted Michelin star omakase to recognize this chef should be stopped from swindling people.
Dwarf In Wheat Field
Go to the dark tinted door. The place looks simple but this is how you know you're about to get the best food in the city. I live in NY and tried so many omakase places, this one is close to the top of my list, I want everyone to go there and try it, you will not regret it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
ayush kalani
Sushi Murayama, hidden on the third floor, offers a unique and intimate dining experience. However, the lack of clear signage can make it a bit challenging to find.
I had high expectations for their omakase after hearing positive reviews, but my experience was somewhat mixed. While the lower tier omakase offered a variety of courses, including spicy tuna summer roll, saba, sardine with poached egg, dungenese crab, hata, hamachi, Japanese snow trout, king salmon roe, toro, and tuna, the execution left me wanting more.
One of the major issues was the inconsistency in the size of the fish pieces. Some were too large to enjoy comfortably, while others were the perfect size. Additionally, each course felt overly complex, with a multitude of flavors that often overpowered the delicate taste of the fish.
The chef's choice of including regular fish items in the omakase was unexpected, and somewhat detracted from the overall experience. The pace of the omakase was fast, with courses served one after another.
The chef's kindness in offering complimentary nigiri pieces was a nice touch, and the service was generally good. Overall, Sushi Murayama is a decent option for if you like sushi.
We had our 10 course Omakase experience and every single item was super fresh and delicious. Great atmosphere and staff. Thank you Chef.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase, Omakase Sushi
I’ve had tons of Omakase in New York, LA, and Japan and this place is still my favorite.
The cuts of fish are thick and super generous, but the freshness and quality are clearly top 1%. Not only that, Chef Murayama pairs every thick cut with searing and sauce profiles that balance the natural flavor of the fish.
Uni rice wrapped with a steak-sized piece of toro that’ll send you to the heavens. Garlic miso to enhance the aroma of a thick piece of tender bonito that you’ll never have anywhere else. A sear on a smelt with just enough sea salt and sesame oil to bring out the nuttiness with the char.
And best of all, you feel like you’re having a meal with the staff. It’s no frills, not overly stiff, and friendly. Chef Murayama tells you all about where he sources the fish, how he comes up with the flavors, and makes it all feel like you’re being brought into his home.
I’ll be coming here every time I’m in Hawaii.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Had my first visit recently. The portions for the poke are generous. I had the spicy tuna and macadamia. The tempura was solid too. It was a little hard to find with no signage, just dark doors.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Maguro Tempura, Spicy Tuna Don
Our family tried the extended omakase (reservation made one day in advance), and we were all blown away. Every single course was delicious and presented beautifully. Made me think I was eating sushi in Japan again!
Our server and sushi chefs were friendly and helpful to accommodate our needs and requests. We were a rather large party of 7 adults and 1 baby in a stroller. They don't have high chairs or booster seats (small restaurant), but that wasn't a problem for us. Even with my pregnant sister, they were extremely accommodating in providing cooked options that were super delicious and exquisite. We were jealous of each other's courses!
Would definitely recommend for anyone wanting high-quality sushi paired with exceptional service. If I ever travel to this part of Hawaii again, I will make the effort to eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Highly recommend! Lots of unique options and everything was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the 15 course omakase. Everything was so good and fresh. Unique, chef had his own personal spin to things, which we absolutely enjoyed.
This is THE best sushi I have ever had!!! The chef is so much fun and we had a great time!!!!
Primarily Omakase and they have Poke bowls to go. Check on Instagram for information regarding Poke bowls. Very interesting Omakase. Chef has interesting takes on the type of sushi rice. Uses local and imported fish. Very fresh items. Highly recommend
After 10 years, this place is still my favorite sushi place. My husband and I live in Chicago and this is the first reservation we make. Sometimes if we have the time, we go twice.
We eat omakase all over the country and this is the best in terms of quality and creativity. The chef has an amazing ability to meld different flavor profiles together that works brilliantly. Balancing fish and seasoning.
All the ingredients were exceedingly fresh.
The service is also great. The chef chats with you as you eat in a non intrusive pace. The service is also good and attentive.
The cost is only $180 per person. Very affordable considering what you get.
My favorite pick for high end sushi. You'll get good portions with innovative flavors, like mandarin orange zest with sea bass, ootoro with garlic miso and house shoyu, wagyu musubi with uni rice!
Restaurantji Recommends
I sat at the sushi bar with a friend for lunch and was in for an unexpected treat. The Chef asked if it was my first time and made a recommendation. Without me asking, he made me a variety plate of the best poke. From the first bite to the last, I still wanted more. I quickly understood the well thought out marinate and sauces combined with quality ingredients is what makes this place stand out from other spots I've tried. Also I had salted shrimp tempura on the side that is much much tastier than the average one. Definitely, I will be visiting this establishment again.
READ the 1 star reviews and avoid this place and save your money - I unfortunately was fooled by the 4.6 Google average reviews.
We got the $100USD omakase dinner here. I wasn’t expecting much and assumed the food would be different from normal sushi/omakase and expected a somewhat Hawaiin/Japanese fusion. The food is not real Japanese alright, nor did the good part of Hawaiin influence came through. It was probably the worst sushi / fish / rice / “Japanese” / Hawaiin food experience I’ve ever had.
The night started with this cold rice paper roll that honestly is worse than any Vietnamese roll I’ve ever had, but still okay. Then came this weird seaweed / canned oyster / frozen fish eggs shooter (you can find photos of it in other reviews) that was frankly worse than anything. Then came with a hamachi sushi which actually was good except the sweet taste of the fish was drowned out by the bitterness of the gallop of daikon on top. Then came the worst thing of the entire night - this baby sardine sushi. I can still taste the bitterness of the slippery baby sardines after 2 days. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever paid for in my life. The rest of the meal got “better” but agreed with other reviews - it’s just chopped, bad quality fish on rice balls.
One reviewer said he was embarrassed to have paid $130 per person for this meal- I think that sentiment is spot on.
Go to ANY Japanese or poke place on Oahu and you would have a better experience. Even sushi from a supermarket would made you feel better about yourself.
I don’t like to put this here but this is coming from someone who’s enjoyed multiple Michelin starred omakase in Japan, US and Canada. And also someone who thoroughly enjoys Hawaii and its unique spin on food and poke. Honestly you don’t even need to have tasted Michelin star omakase to recognize this chef should be stopped from swindling people.
Go to the dark tinted door. The place looks simple but this is how you know you're about to get the best food in the city. I live in NY and tried so many omakase places, this one is close to the top of my list, I want everyone to go there and try it, you will not regret it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Sushi Murayama, hidden on the third floor, offers a unique and intimate dining experience. However, the lack of clear signage can make it a bit challenging to find.
I had high expectations for their omakase after hearing positive reviews, but my experience was somewhat mixed. While the lower tier omakase offered a variety of courses, including spicy tuna summer roll, saba, sardine with poached egg, dungenese crab, hata, hamachi, Japanese snow trout, king salmon roe, toro, and tuna, the execution left me wanting more.
One of the major issues was the inconsistency in the size of the fish pieces. Some were too large to enjoy comfortably, while others were the perfect size. Additionally, each course felt overly complex, with a multitude of flavors that often overpowered the delicate taste of the fish.
The chef's choice of including regular fish items in the omakase was unexpected, and somewhat detracted from the overall experience. The pace of the omakase was fast, with courses served one after another.
The chef's kindness in offering complimentary nigiri pieces was a nice touch, and the service was generally good. Overall, Sushi Murayama is a decent option for if you like sushi.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Chef was kind and funny. Food was outstanding.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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