50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Waipahu

“The food was soo good (: we drove from Haleiwa and it was so worth it I got the spicy tonkotsu my fiance had their aji ramen and their mini chicken katsu curry everything was 10/10 including their service super attentive and nice ppl. We also got to try their honeydew boba shave ice 😋“

“Take out only, clean homey family run okazuya. They are open until they sell out! CASH ONLY! Shoyu hotdog is soooo good, fried noodles with toppings taste just like the old Sato's they took over! Plenty of parking.

Parking: Free parking lot with lots of stalls. Easy to maneuver.“

“Nice selection of traditional Hawaiian favorites at reasonable prices and generous portions!“

“Is Soo good“

“Just had an AMAZIING lunch about a 1 1/2 hours ago! The staff service and ESPECIALLY THE FOOD WAS A 10 OUT OF 10! We were a party of 4 , greeted warmly within 5 seconds upon entering...Three of us had the choose 2 ..2 were the teriyaki Ribeye and Tempura as the 2nd. one was a butterfish and tempura for second and last was a single chicken katsu! EVERYONE enjoyed and LOVED THE FOOD from the starters salads and miso soup, through the delicious entrees! *one had complete meal which included drink and a green tea icecream! staff was 100% and we fealt extra spoiled as a gentleman (manager/ owner not sure) stopped by DID a funny trick and spent time making our experience extra special! I had been seeing advertisements on my phone for a little over a month and kept telling my husband! Our friends and us FINALLY made it! A HUGE MAHALO TO EVERYONE! Can't wait to come again! xo“

“Went there on a Tuesday about 1130a. There are a few free parking stalls at the store, but there's also free street and other store parking across the street. It's an old style okazuya atmosphere. I bought futomaki...old style flavor that i was looking for. It was quick service and I would come here again“

“Loads of choices ranging from sushi, bentos, donburis, and noodles to satisfy any Japanese food craving while on a time crunch. It was relatively slow when we walked in, around 5 in the evening on a Friday, and the food came out really fast. Prices were decent as well.

The dynamite chicken donburi bowl was definitely the best thing we ordered. The chicken well seasoned and delicious with a tasty spicy mayo accompanying it on a well portioned bow of rice.
The poke bowl was lacking a little, as it missed a lot of other ingredients such as ogo and even sesame seeds, that make authentic Hawaiian poke, but it was still good quality tuna and had a bit of spice to it.
The spam sushi was good, as my son devoured it and the sushi rice used was made well with a tasty consistency.

The cashier at the counter was polite and didn’t forget to ask us about utensils and if we required wasabi or ginger for our order as well. Want to try other options next time!“

“I'd never been to this establishment before and was surprised at how great it was! There's a nice variety of dishes to choose from on their manu, the service is attentive & friendly, their prices are reasonable, and there's ample free parking. If you go for dinner the sunset views are spectacular! On certain evenings they have local musical groups entertaining diners as well (it can get loud, so request outside dining if you prefer a quieter setting), and membership isn't required for dining. I highly recommend enjoying a lunch or dinner here!“

“I would recommend making a restaurant here in Las Vegas. Genki is a staple back home in Hawaii, and no sushi place here is up to par. I feel like you folks will make a lot of money, especially because of the amount of locals here.“

“Soooo I agree w/ Jungee Cho. Food exceptional, service exceptional (thank you Kingston). Wife and I are in Oahu decided to try the west side, we are blessed to be able to travel occasionally and enjoy good meals..

I got the SIGNATURE DOMOKASE (prepared menu by the chef) it’s 7 course! The wifey had the Galbi platter. Now I’m telling ya, we’ve eaten a fair amount of places on the east side. This sushi was thee most tastee and freshest I’ve ever had anywhere! (didn’t need sauces or spritzes) nor did it have it. High quality and top notch! Both our meals were memorable and full of flavor only a talented chef can pull off. The waiters made their own drinks, which was a first for me… they were on point, with attention to detail.

The location is a bit off the beaten path, it’s a restaurant within a golf course club house. If this place were located in the east side near Waikiki, you’d pay double. In short, it’s worth the trip, should we come back to the “big island” they will see us again.

Who knows if management reads these things, but if you do… bravo 👏, your staff were a joy to be around and I noticed on many occasion how they would help each other out, I love to see that!“

“There's not enough space to right the good things about this place. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted and acknowledged by everyone, including the sushi chefs. Water and drink order is perfectly timed. Whether you order teishoku complete meals or sushi, the flavor and and portions are spot on. If you choose to sit at the sushi counter, the spread is just amazing. From white fish, tuna, to shellfish and sometimes even a fruit or plant to cleanse the pallet. I would recommend reservations as this place is always busy. Takeout is also very good!“

“OMG!!! Literally writing this review as I eat — the chicken katsu is INCREDIBLE! The sauce is so good and the chicken is cooked to perfection. I was craving yakisoba noodles and they definitely did not disappoint. Honestly so blown away by how yummy everything was. We will be back :)“

“The food was very delicious. My daughter loved it.(Salmon lover’s choice was so fresh and good.) Roll was so good, too.
I want to go there one more time!!
And staff was very kind!! Thank you. 🙂🍣“

“Great food, great service everyone is so nice, cheap eats and fast service. Highly recommend there ! We will be back. 💜“

“Had a chance to step back in time and visit Palace Saimin. It's a cute little old school restaurant serving up hearty bowls of Saimin. I opted for Wonmin which had about 6 very delicious wontons plus good quality noodles laced with little bits of chopped barbecue pork and chopped scallions in semi clear dashi broth. The beef sticks are amazing! I went with two, I probably could have ate six! Service was friendly and polite and the prices are extremely reasonable.“

“I love this place! The negri & roll options are pretty straightforward. The beauty is the price!! Their kitchen is quality and the price is as much a value as the kitchen. Dine in or out; you'll get quality fish. I'm proud to suggest this dining establishment“

“They had GOOD WAIT Services , FOOD WAS AUTHENTIC & DELICIOUS!!!I WILL RECOMMEND TO ALL MY FAMILY & FRIENDS TO DINE THERE!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏AWESOME COOKS & RECIPES!!!“

“Popped in yesterday for a quick and light lunch for a few friends and myself.

The order for each of us: 1 ea side garlic chicken (3 pieces) with extra sauce and a spam musubi

What I thought would be a nice and small lunch, ended up being a TUMMY full haha. If you been here you know the pieces of chicken are massive and the music packs a wallop of rice. It’s a perfect meal for just $8 50 or so. I could have stopped short of eating all the rice and still been full.

The chicken was on point - crunchy and soft and moist on the inside with that sweet garlic blast of sauce.

The staff is always so friendly and serving with a smile. The food came out quick.“

“Authentic Okinawa food. Friendly attentive servers. Hot delicious food. . Option for complete meal. Daily Specials. Generous servings. Affordable prices. Can make reservations.“

“The food we ordered was yummy and definitely we will be back! And the service was excellent…👍🏼🤙🏻👌🏻👏“

“Great food!! The selection of vegetables and what not is good!“

“Reasonable price, quality food and good atmosphere“

“チキン🍗好き❤️におすすめ。 チキン南蛮・もちこチキン・ チキンカツ、みんな安くて 大盛り大満足。オーナー宮崎都城市から日本人シェフ。場所はカリヒの海側 Nimitz の7-elevenとMcDonald の間1763Hoe St.9am〜1pm ランチしかやってないから急いでください。“

“First time here...food was delicious. Met the owner...cool guy...good selections to choose from. Ordered the chicken katsu which was great, and the sukiyaki and the fish and shrimp plate. Yummy grinds. If you guys are in the area ..come check him out. Support local businesses!!“

“10/10 recommend, the sweet lady was wonderful! Very kind, professional, detailed on the items, even helped us when we were undecided. Food was delicious, great quality, and an amazing amount of food for an outstanding price. I will absolutely be back. Thank you for everything! God Bless! 🌺“

“Food: got the Ashley Don and a bento box that came with 4 Cali rolls, 2 spicy ahi Nigiri, ahi poke, and 2 ikura. Generous cuts of very fresh fish, they dont use frozen fish here. Last time I was here I watched them filet an entire giant ahi on the counter

Service: very attentive, was greeted upon entering, was seated with water and was asked if Id like anything other than water immediately, hot tea is also complimentary.

Atmosphere: clean and bright.

Definitely returning when I want some fresh fish at a reasonable price.“

“A co-worker is always willing to pick up lunch for us … This time it was from Nippon Bento & Catering on Waiakamilo Road, near Hart Street. Their menu is vast, with 38 bentos, starting at $7.75, and 4 donburi bowls for $8.75. Two of us ordered #33, the Deluxe Bento with Korean Chicken, Meat Jun, and Stir-fried vegetables. It came with rice, topped with Furikake, two pieces of takuwan, edamame, long rice, and a small container of sauce for the meat jun. All for $15.75, plus tax. Brown rice is an option for $0.50 more.

The bento is hearty, and I couldn’t finish all of the rice. My issue with my bento was that the Korean chicken was soggy; I expect Korean chicken to be nice and crispy. It could be due to the time it was sitting in the bento with the cover on as we’ve experienced similar issues with fried food in plastic containers … The heat of the food creates “steam”, which softens anything crispy.

To me, my Deluxe Bento for $15.75 is a valid alternative to the Z**P** from you know where that costs between $16.15 and $18.65, depending on protein options. Recommended!“

“Great sushi just a quick walk away from the airport during a layover“

“A hidden gem. The prices are reasonable. The spicy chicken wings are amazing and crispy. I love the fried rice and the curry combos.“

“signature garlic chicken, chow funn.“

“Still has that simple comfort okazu taste that I love, as with the same previous owners/workers. For past customers, there are major price increases the last month. Like as much as 20-30% , and the portions got very smaller. Especially the chow fun! So may have to double order the noodles and gobo etc...Easy to spend $35 per plate if you want to fill it up. For those newbies, there are photos now for the items available to see what your ordering. Four stars for smaller portions.“

“Good service, great Japanese food for that side of the island.“

“Excellent service and good food.“

“Great food comfortable dining“

“Teishoku and the combination plates, fills you up at affordable prices.“

“While the flavors are great, skip the shrimp tacos. For $20, two small shrimp per taco is frugal. You end up eating mostly tortilla and cabbage. Either think the tortillas or be generous and add a third shrimp! Better to purchase the mixed taco or any of the other proteins.

Update: I spoke with the owner, Joseph, who apologized for the error on our order and ensured this won't happen again. Our other dishes were generously portioned and overall, the spices and quality of ingredients were 👌🏼.“

“This was my first time here. I ordered the black garlic ramen with extra charsiu, a dish I regularly order when trying new ramen places. The ramen was good, I do wish there was a little more noodles. The charsiu was okay, slightly over cooked. The half boiled egg was very over cooked, yolk was chalky.

The service was very good. The staff was polite and fast. I greatly appreciate the free extra gyoza they gave me.“

“amazing beef bowl, make sure to add the mayo and mix it all in. so ono grindz.“

“ordered the eye-round steak and brisket pho along with the wafu steak, plus the tempura and sashimi add-on (which came with two shrimp, a few veggies, and five pieces of sashimi).

From the moment we sat down to the moment we left, we kept hearing the sound of sizzling plates coming from the kitchen, that’s the wafu steak, and it’s absolutely worth the noise. It was tender, flavorful, and easily my favorite dish of the night, honestly even better than their pho, which was still very good.

While I probably wouldn’t come back specifically for the pho, I’d come back for that wafu steak any day. The restaurant stayed busy the entire time we were there, the staff did a good job keeping our waters full, and the place was decently clean despite the crowd.

Overall, great food, lively atmosphere, and that wafu steak alone makes this spot worth visiting.“

“Food and service excellent - we would go back again.“

“Went there on Monday about 930a. Located in the Kapolei market place, so there's lots of free parking. There's seating area, however for me, it's more a pick and go. Very organized and clean... which i like. I purchased futomaki (a little wet but the sushi rice flavor i like), karaage squid (good flavor but not hot) and manapua (bread to meat ratio good, flavor good but meat a little hard). I would actual go here again for a quick flavor of okazuya.“

“Absolutely love the food here 😎“

“When we arrived at 9ish, we were the only ones there and had the pick of the crop. Extremely tempting to try the Nori breakfast bento (hoki katsu, 1/2 croquette, 2 fishcake katsu) as you can't beat its $5.99 price. Instead, ordered the menchi katsu plate (2 thick, delicious patties w/a well-seasoned mac salad, tossed & brown rice as an option). My friend was pleased with her misoyaki butterfish bento w/small gyoza, kakiage tempura, and Gobo kimpira.
Must return.“

“The food was so good and really hit the spot. Husband ordered the black garlic oil tantan ramen and I had a combo meal of egg drop soup, gyoza, and chicken katsu curry rice. We especially loved the ramen because of how strong the garlic flavor is.
Service was great, it wasn't busy so we got seated immediately and after ordering the food came out pretty fast. The servers were nice and polite as well.“

“The food is delicious 😋 and the service great. It was a Saturday night so b it was packed with a graduation celebration 🎓 about to arrive. However, when you put your name on the wait list your whole party must be there or they'll skip you. Parking is minimal but definitely worthwhile.“

“Our first stop in Hawaii after catching my high school basketball game was at Ramen Ya in Ewa. These restaurants offer a variety of local comfort food and you can do combos if you can’t make up your mind. We had pan fried gyoza as an appetizer. I haven’t had Mochiko chicken so thats what I ordered… plates in Hawaii usually come with white rice and macaroni salad. My son ordered the spicy ramen. The portions are huge so you have to have a big appetite or you’re taking leftovers home. The food was very good, we eat here every time we visit, my son ate here all the time when he was stationed at Hickam AFB. The restaurant is not very big and its no frills decorated which is standard for these kind of restaurants. The staff was very friendly and attentive and the prices for Hawaii are good. Definitely recommend this place if you’re hungry….“

“​Mamaya continues to be a go-to spot for good-quality, reasonably priced bentos. One of the best perks is that (if I recall correctly) any purchase around $10 or more comes with a free bottle of water. They also offer a punch card loyalty program—though I unfortunately lost mine with three stamps on it!

The shop is clean and well-organized. You start on the right side and walk around the displays to select your bento. The service is consistently friendly, and depending on the day or occasion, they’ve even been known to give out a free single spring roll with your meal.
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They have a massive variety of bentos to choose from, with white and multi grain rice options available, ranging from classic local favorites to more traditional Japanese styles. On this visit, I went with the Chicken Katsu-don. For right around $10, the portion and quality were excellent. It’s definitely worth the price.
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Whether you're looking for a quick lunch or a reliable dinner to take home, Mamaya is a fantastic value. Just try not to lose your punch card like I did!

Note: This is a strict grab-to-go restaurant. There are no tables and chairs to hangout.“

“This is an adorable little sushi bar tucked in a shopping center. The owner was super helpful and showed me all the plant based options on the menu. I got a veggie roll and seaweed salad. Food was prepared very fast and packaged with care. I will definitely order a second roll next time, since the sushi roll was a bit small for making a meal out of it. I ended up adding some extra veggies, soybeans, and sauce at our hotel to make It a more filling dinner. But everything was really delicious. I forget what the salty umami fruit was in the veggie roll but it really emulated the texture of fish without being fish. Well done! Overall, fantastic and affordable vegan sushi with a small family-owned vibe! I will be back!“

“Went to Matsumoto’s Okazuya for chow fun“

“Loved the atmosphere, the music and the food! I had the spicy ahi and it was delicious! It didn’t even feel like I was sitting 10 minutes from home. Definitely will be back!“