The restaurant is located on Piiko near Ichiriki. We parked at Ala Moana Shopping Center and walked over. I went here for Valentine's Day special menu, no picture available (sorry!). It was $100 each for seven courses. It reminded me of a Japanese Kaiseki style where you're served individual portions - starter, sashimi, fried, meat dish, and soup. The most unusual dish was the black sesame tofu. It paired the silky texture of tofu with the nutty favour of the sesame. The space is small, but the seating style is very spread out. We were given a semi-private room. The service was well timed - I'm not surprised though since you could see the server peeking in occasionally to see where we were with our food. The style is somewhat "traditional" Japanese with a modern twist. The entrance design is dark and illuminated with lantern light. The ambiance is quiet, clean, and minimalist. The drink menu and general menu on a normal day is on an iPad. Definitely would go again for their service and food quality. It reminded me of my stay at a ryokan with Kaiseki in Japan.
Jeffrey C.
After a night of rude service from a Korean restaurant in Waikiki this was a beautiful choice. Decor simple and clean. Service was wonderful as you would expect from the Japanese. Their course menu is awesome. Great way to close out our last night in Hawaii.
Janice S.
My husband and I had dinner here last night and it was amazing! A typical date night we would do a sushi place as we love Japanese food. Recently returning from a trip in new York and having eaten at Michelin star restaurant torishin. I was craving something a little richer and heartier. So I found this place searching yelp and so happy I did as we will be returning as soon as we can! The sign outside says they specialize in Japanese fusion western and French cuisine. We did the omakase for 80 dollars it seemed like the right thing to do since everything sounded good on the tasting menu. -Our first course was delicious! caviar with good quality Japanese rice alongside a scallop salad and a miso soup with black sesame tofu. -Our second course was a sashimi course with a nube (gelatin Shoyu) this was so good I would like a whole tray of the nube please! -Our third course was crab chawanmushi (need I say more :)) -Our fourth course was quinoa that was nitrogen infused and seasoned with miso and foie gras crushed to a fine powder and sat alongside a yummy savory broth. The broth is warm and the quinoa was cold I can't explain how good this was but we really enjoyed it. Flavor explosion! -Our fifth course was Chilean sea bass marinated Japanese style with soy and miso? With a warm side of assorted vegetable soup in a clear broth. What's not to like about Chilean sea bass? -Our sixth course we did the Miyazaki wagyu add on for 20 dollars more which I would say was probably my least favorite. I had a slightly chewy piece in my small cut of steak. Don't get me wrong it was still phenomenal and tender I just expected it to melt in my mouth better. Think next time I'll try the lamb! -Our seventh course was kitsune udon I opted for the truffle carbonara for 5 dollars more both were perfect and I had large truffle shavings in my pasta! Our final add on was 5 dollars for their dessert. Just do it and get the dessert! They are top notch and the only place I have ever had dessert that rivals mw restaurant. We got the matcha parfait which was soooo good it was roasted tea ice cream on the bottom with some crunchy element and azuki bean with mocha balls topped with a light matcha cream and the roasted tea tiramisu with roasted tea ice cream. Their roasted tea hojicha ice cream is homemade...mmm... We had an amazing anniversary dinner and will be returning. They even have a happy hour Washugyu sets with crab chawanmushi, my next birthday dinner with friend ps will be here! I'm gonna be dreaming about that crab chawanmushi for a long time...
NFlagey
This might be the best restaurant I have ever been to. The food, the service, and the atmosphere were excellent. The food was well presented, originally cooked, and well priced for such a place. The service was there when needed and was not constantly checking on us which has a tendency to annoy me, especially in nice restaurants. The atmosphere was quiet with a limited number of tables and soft music in the background.
Kelly L.
* Price: chef rating menu $80+ $20 if you want to have wagyu for meat course +$5 extra for desert. Not bad for finding dinning with very quality food. 4 star. * Ambiance: simple, minimalist, multiple dinning room so not crowded. 4 star. * Location: 1 block from Ala moana mall. You can park at Ala Moana and walk to the restaurant. Next to the original Side street inn restaurant (which is closed.) And 2 doors down from Ichiriki restaurant. It is blackish building at corner of Pikoi and Hopaka street. Somehow, it is very hard to find since the sign is hidden as well as the front door. * Meals: very good japanese food with high quality and modern twist. 5 star * Service: very polite and pleasant staff. 5 star. Came here with a few friends. This place is relatively new and has been on my bookmarked list to check out when in town. We had the chef menu for $80, added $20 for wagyu and $5 for desert. We also had the most delicious sake, Koshino kanbai Junmai Ginjo Sai for $80 bottle. I don't normal drink alcohol, perhaps a few glasses of wine per year on special occasions... but this is very good. The sake is so smooth, light and mildly sweet, drunk cold. I'm a fan! Chef menu: chakaiseki style which is multiple course dinner, with balance of taste, appearance and color of food, incorporated local produce. - rice with caviar, home made miso soup and tofu. Rice is perfectly cooked, tofu is very smooth. - sashimi: fresh, perfectly cut and tender, served with soy sauce paste, beautifully presented. - crab chawanmushi: silky smooth savory egg custard with crab... so good and savory! - hot& cold soup: quinoa. This is very interesting soup, dusted quinoa and served with broth, mixed in your mouth not in the bowl. - White fish: perfectly saute fish with veggie.. - meat dish: wagyu steak, moist and tender, served with soy sauce and yuzu pepper. Yuzu pepper is very tasty, citrusy and tangy and slightly spicy which completely elevates the dish. - Karasumi udon: cold noodle soup. Not bad but not my favorite. - Desserts: tea tiramisu and vanilla ice cream. Green tea flavor shining through tiramisu and very light. We really enjoyed our dinning experience here. We were quite full at the end of dinner without feeling stuffy since every dish is very clean and light. Definitely come back!
no vegan nor gluten free menu available. we waited 1:10 hours for starters to be served and when I did not leave any tips on my 300 usd bill I was chased outside the car park and asked to leave tips. I was shocked and gobsmacked to say the least!!
Kumi Horiuchi
Innovative Japanese restaurant expanding from Tokyo to NewYork, now In Honolulu.
shogo filmmaker
(Translated by Google) It was too great.
Mikey N.
Price is pretty much the only reason it's not 5 stars. The food was terrific. Everything was tasty, but be prepared for non-standard presentations of some dishes. If you're into some molecular gastronomy, you'll have fun. Despite the fanciness, everything was delicious. It wasn't pretentious for its own sake. I'd definitely go again, but the prices are just too steep to make it a regular occurrence. But you should go! When we went we were about the only table and this place is too fun and unique to go away.
Noelani C.
Creativity, attention to detail, beautiful presentation, this restaurant has it all! Its a hidden Jewel located near a cool hip coffee shop, and Ichiriki I believe is two doors down. It is on the corner and has kind of a hidden door. You have to know that this is where you are dining at or else you would never find this place. The restaurant is sparkling clean, and the service is just wonderful! I absolutely love the pre fix menu! It so delicious! Especially when you add the caviar to your high quality rice, change your main entreee to Japan wagyu beef... everything is perfect! Every bursting flavor and the chemistry behind the creation takes a very talented and creative mind to find ingredients that pair well together. The veggies in broth is perfectly flavored. The dessert is sooo satisfying, I just crave their fresh lemon cheese cake. It is so fluffy and creamy! Wow! I love dining here! One of my new favorite place to go to! Thank you so much!
I was looking for a last minute place to take my wife for her birthday. We like to eat Japanese food. Yamada Chikara did not disappoint. While I was not impressed with there waygu, everything else we got was just amazing. We got one set course and a bunch of orders from the menu. Please remember that Japanese dinning is not made to be shared, all the dishes were made for one person, meaning the portion size is kind of small. The carbonara udon was my favorite by far. The hamburger foie gras was also really good. If you want a little bit of everything the course menu was a good option for us. We did not get the caviar rice, we do not like caviar. The miso soup was delicious as was the truffle vichyssoise. We also go the beef tongue, it was also a tasty dish. There was a lot of flavor in the Japanese omelet, if you like this sort of thing I would recommend trying theirs. Over all, I highly recommend this place. I will be coming back for the Carbonara Udon and to try a couple of other items that we weren't able to get to this time.
Aya K.
This is my favorite restaurant since when they open in Honolulu. Love they're food and dessert. Also service and atmosphere is good.
Craig F.
I hadn't heard anything particular about this restaurant other than it being good. So it was more than a great surprise to find that this place is exquisite, great, whatever superlatives you want to use. Everything that goes into a nice restaurant works here. The service and genuine friendliness is terrific. There's some parking in a part of town that is tight on parking (across from Ala Moana and Niijiya Market). The ambiance is modern Japanese - understated and clean - and its a great place to visit and talk because it's as quiet as a library. Lastly, the food was a delight. From the completely unexpected smoothness of the cocktail, and even more surprising deconstructed Spanish omelet - everything was done perfectly, tasted great and despite having that look of nouveau cuisine, filling. I loved this place and will be
Rurina K.
We love omakase and we thought it would be great to try this place. We really wanted to like it but we were disappointed by food quality. Service is great, place looks amazing - so it's really disappointing. Half of the menu was soupy/ liquidy... no solid food for a while which is kind of not satisfying. Taste is just not quite there... you can try and see your own. We even ordered $20 upgrade Wagyu steak- which I was not impressed at all... :/ really a let down since we really wanted to like it!
John T.
Took my wife here for her birthday dinner primarily because she loves Wagyu beef. We both had the course meal with the caviar rice and wagyu beef entree upgrades. I had a couple Suntory beers and she had a mandarin mimosa, and later a match espresso. Food was excellent! I am not saying that the taste of each dish was excellent but the creativity and presentation made up for it. I mean you could even taste the difference between the imported Hokkaido rice vs. the regular American rice they used for another dish. The Wagyu beef was AMAZING as always and my second favorite was the hot/cold quinoa which was just beyond an experience. The restaurant is exceptionally maintained and clean. Very few tables so there is not a lot of noise to talk over. And the best part of the meal was the staff. They were all very friendly, nice, and on point in removing finished plates and bringing the next course. I especially appreciated one waiter who always asked first if we were finished with a course before just taking the plate. My only MINOR complaints are the lack of parking--- but what can you expect when you're on Piikoi by Ala Moana Shopping Center, and the fact that the course meal didn't include dessert. But heck we were so stuffed by the end that we probably wouldn't have been able to eat dessert. I look forward to going back again for the Wagyu beef and to talk story with the staff :)
The restaurant is located on Piiko near Ichiriki. We parked at Ala Moana Shopping Center and walked over. I went here for Valentine's Day special menu, no picture available (sorry!). It was $100 each for seven courses. It reminded me of a Japanese Kaiseki style where you're served individual portions - starter, sashimi, fried, meat dish, and soup. The most unusual dish was the black sesame tofu. It paired the silky texture of tofu with the nutty favour of the sesame. The space is small, but the seating style is very spread out. We were given a semi-private room. The service was well timed - I'm not surprised though since you could see the server peeking in occasionally to see where we were with our food. The style is somewhat "traditional" Japanese with a modern twist. The entrance design is dark and illuminated with lantern light. The ambiance is quiet, clean, and minimalist. The drink menu and general menu on a normal day is on an iPad. Definitely would go again for their service and food quality. It reminded me of my stay at a ryokan with Kaiseki in Japan.
After a night of rude service from a Korean restaurant in Waikiki this was a beautiful choice. Decor simple and clean. Service was wonderful as you would expect from the Japanese. Their course menu is awesome. Great way to close out our last night in Hawaii.
My husband and I had dinner here last night and it was amazing! A typical date night we would do a sushi place as we love Japanese food. Recently returning from a trip in new York and having eaten at Michelin star restaurant torishin. I was craving something a little richer and heartier. So I found this place searching yelp and so happy I did as we will be returning as soon as we can! The sign outside says they specialize in Japanese fusion western and French cuisine. We did the omakase for 80 dollars it seemed like the right thing to do since everything sounded good on the tasting menu. -Our first course was delicious! caviar with good quality Japanese rice alongside a scallop salad and a miso soup with black sesame tofu. -Our second course was a sashimi course with a nube (gelatin Shoyu) this was so good I would like a whole tray of the nube please! -Our third course was crab chawanmushi (need I say more :)) -Our fourth course was quinoa that was nitrogen infused and seasoned with miso and foie gras crushed to a fine powder and sat alongside a yummy savory broth. The broth is warm and the quinoa was cold I can't explain how good this was but we really enjoyed it. Flavor explosion! -Our fifth course was Chilean sea bass marinated Japanese style with soy and miso? With a warm side of assorted vegetable soup in a clear broth. What's not to like about Chilean sea bass? -Our sixth course we did the Miyazaki wagyu add on for 20 dollars more which I would say was probably my least favorite. I had a slightly chewy piece in my small cut of steak. Don't get me wrong it was still phenomenal and tender I just expected it to melt in my mouth better. Think next time I'll try the lamb! -Our seventh course was kitsune udon I opted for the truffle carbonara for 5 dollars more both were perfect and I had large truffle shavings in my pasta! Our final add on was 5 dollars for their dessert. Just do it and get the dessert! They are top notch and the only place I have ever had dessert that rivals mw restaurant. We got the matcha parfait which was soooo good it was roasted tea ice cream on the bottom with some crunchy element and azuki bean with mocha balls topped with a light matcha cream and the roasted tea tiramisu with roasted tea ice cream. Their roasted tea hojicha ice cream is homemade...mmm... We had an amazing anniversary dinner and will be returning. They even have a happy hour Washugyu sets with crab chawanmushi, my next birthday dinner with friend ps will be here! I'm gonna be dreaming about that crab chawanmushi for a long time...
This might be the best restaurant I have ever been to. The food, the service, and the atmosphere were excellent. The food was well presented, originally cooked, and well priced for such a place. The service was there when needed and was not constantly checking on us which has a tendency to annoy me, especially in nice restaurants. The atmosphere was quiet with a limited number of tables and soft music in the background.
* Price: chef rating menu $80+ $20 if you want to have wagyu for meat course +$5 extra for desert. Not bad for finding dinning with very quality food. 4 star. * Ambiance: simple, minimalist, multiple dinning room so not crowded. 4 star. * Location: 1 block from Ala moana mall. You can park at Ala Moana and walk to the restaurant. Next to the original Side street inn restaurant (which is closed.) And 2 doors down from Ichiriki restaurant. It is blackish building at corner of Pikoi and Hopaka street. Somehow, it is very hard to find since the sign is hidden as well as the front door. * Meals: very good japanese food with high quality and modern twist. 5 star * Service: very polite and pleasant staff. 5 star. Came here with a few friends. This place is relatively new and has been on my bookmarked list to check out when in town. We had the chef menu for $80, added $20 for wagyu and $5 for desert. We also had the most delicious sake, Koshino kanbai Junmai Ginjo Sai for $80 bottle. I don't normal drink alcohol, perhaps a few glasses of wine per year on special occasions... but this is very good. The sake is so smooth, light and mildly sweet, drunk cold. I'm a fan! Chef menu: chakaiseki style which is multiple course dinner, with balance of taste, appearance and color of food, incorporated local produce. - rice with caviar, home made miso soup and tofu. Rice is perfectly cooked, tofu is very smooth. - sashimi: fresh, perfectly cut and tender, served with soy sauce paste, beautifully presented. - crab chawanmushi: silky smooth savory egg custard with crab... so good and savory! - hot& cold soup: quinoa. This is very interesting soup, dusted quinoa and served with broth, mixed in your mouth not in the bowl. - White fish: perfectly saute fish with veggie.. - meat dish: wagyu steak, moist and tender, served with soy sauce and yuzu pepper. Yuzu pepper is very tasty, citrusy and tangy and slightly spicy which completely elevates the dish. - Karasumi udon: cold noodle soup. Not bad but not my favorite. - Desserts: tea tiramisu and vanilla ice cream. Green tea flavor shining through tiramisu and very light. We really enjoyed our dinning experience here. We were quite full at the end of dinner without feeling stuffy since every dish is very clean and light. Definitely come back!
no vegan nor gluten free menu available. we waited 1:10 hours for starters to be served and when I did not leave any tips on my 300 usd bill I was chased outside the car park and asked to leave tips. I was shocked and gobsmacked to say the least!!
Innovative Japanese restaurant expanding from Tokyo to NewYork, now In Honolulu.
(Translated by Google) It was too great.
Price is pretty much the only reason it's not 5 stars. The food was terrific. Everything was tasty, but be prepared for non-standard presentations of some dishes. If you're into some molecular gastronomy, you'll have fun. Despite the fanciness, everything was delicious. It wasn't pretentious for its own sake. I'd definitely go again, but the prices are just too steep to make it a regular occurrence. But you should go! When we went we were about the only table and this place is too fun and unique to go away.
Creativity, attention to detail, beautiful presentation, this restaurant has it all! Its a hidden Jewel located near a cool hip coffee shop, and Ichiriki I believe is two doors down. It is on the corner and has kind of a hidden door. You have to know that this is where you are dining at or else you would never find this place. The restaurant is sparkling clean, and the service is just wonderful! I absolutely love the pre fix menu! It so delicious! Especially when you add the caviar to your high quality rice, change your main entreee to Japan wagyu beef... everything is perfect! Every bursting flavor and the chemistry behind the creation takes a very talented and creative mind to find ingredients that pair well together. The veggies in broth is perfectly flavored. The dessert is sooo satisfying, I just crave their fresh lemon cheese cake. It is so fluffy and creamy! Wow! I love dining here! One of my new favorite place to go to! Thank you so much!
Restaurantji Recommends
I was looking for a last minute place to take my wife for her birthday. We like to eat Japanese food. Yamada Chikara did not disappoint. While I was not impressed with there waygu, everything else we got was just amazing. We got one set course and a bunch of orders from the menu. Please remember that Japanese dinning is not made to be shared, all the dishes were made for one person, meaning the portion size is kind of small. The carbonara udon was my favorite by far. The hamburger foie gras was also really good. If you want a little bit of everything the course menu was a good option for us. We did not get the caviar rice, we do not like caviar. The miso soup was delicious as was the truffle vichyssoise. We also go the beef tongue, it was also a tasty dish. There was a lot of flavor in the Japanese omelet, if you like this sort of thing I would recommend trying theirs. Over all, I highly recommend this place. I will be coming back for the Carbonara Udon and to try a couple of other items that we weren't able to get to this time.
This is my favorite restaurant since when they open in Honolulu. Love they're food and dessert. Also service and atmosphere is good.
I hadn't heard anything particular about this restaurant other than it being good. So it was more than a great surprise to find that this place is exquisite, great, whatever superlatives you want to use. Everything that goes into a nice restaurant works here. The service and genuine friendliness is terrific. There's some parking in a part of town that is tight on parking (across from Ala Moana and Niijiya Market). The ambiance is modern Japanese - understated and clean - and its a great place to visit and talk because it's as quiet as a library. Lastly, the food was a delight. From the completely unexpected smoothness of the cocktail, and even more surprising deconstructed Spanish omelet - everything was done perfectly, tasted great and despite having that look of nouveau cuisine, filling. I loved this place and will be
We love omakase and we thought it would be great to try this place. We really wanted to like it but we were disappointed by food quality. Service is great, place looks amazing - so it's really disappointing. Half of the menu was soupy/ liquidy... no solid food for a while which is kind of not satisfying. Taste is just not quite there... you can try and see your own. We even ordered $20 upgrade Wagyu steak- which I was not impressed at all... :/ really a let down since we really wanted to like it!
Took my wife here for her birthday dinner primarily because she loves Wagyu beef. We both had the course meal with the caviar rice and wagyu beef entree upgrades. I had a couple Suntory beers and she had a mandarin mimosa, and later a match espresso. Food was excellent! I am not saying that the taste of each dish was excellent but the creativity and presentation made up for it. I mean you could even taste the difference between the imported Hokkaido rice vs. the regular American rice they used for another dish. The Wagyu beef was AMAZING as always and my second favorite was the hot/cold quinoa which was just beyond an experience. The restaurant is exceptionally maintained and clean. Very few tables so there is not a lot of noise to talk over. And the best part of the meal was the staff. They were all very friendly, nice, and on point in removing finished plates and bringing the next course. I especially appreciated one waiter who always asked first if we were finished with a course before just taking the plate. My only MINOR complaints are the lack of parking--- but what can you expect when you're on Piikoi by Ala Moana Shopping Center, and the fact that the course meal didn't include dessert. But heck we were so stuffed by the end that we probably wouldn't have been able to eat dessert. I look forward to going back again for the Wagyu beef and to talk story with the staff :)