Local Guides World
Top Izakaya restaurants in Honolulu, United States
Top Rated Izakaya restaurants in Honolulu
Top Reviewed Izakaya restaurants in Honolulu
Yakitori Glad Hawaii
Tori Ton
Tokkuri Tei
Izakaya Nonbei
Izakaya Matsuri
Izakaya Naru Honolulu
FUJIYAMA TEXAS
Torikyu
ZIGU
Izakaya Pau Hana Base
Reviews
I ordered food to go. The server brought the check and as she returned I needed to use the restroom. So when she returned I asked to use the restroom. She said, "can you pay first?"
So these types of places discriminate based upon your appearance OR and unfortunately alot of "asian" places have poor customer service.
So these types of places discriminate based upon your appearance OR and unfortunately alot of "asian" places have poor customer service.
Good Japanese food, reasonable prices, seating takes 15-20 minutes.
Yes an 5 Star.. there are time when it happens..
May 1.2024 . First I'm in Hawaii where is warmest,so sitting out door with an canopy is cooler..for most.
We're greeted by the host and brought to our table.im sorry I didn't remember her name. Our waiter was Jakob. Today being Wednesday they have discounts on bottles 20% off...they happen to carry my favorite 23 ..$$$ . I see it I want it...hard to find prime sake...the sashimi was so fresh an tasty. Natto bowl was delicious 😋 local shrimp for the tempura. yummy .. tofu
With soy sauce from the island a must try.. foodie I have set the table!
had an great time.. make an reservation..if you don't want to wait
May 1.2024 . First I'm in Hawaii where is warmest,so sitting out door with an canopy is cooler..for most.
We're greeted by the host and brought to our table.im sorry I didn't remember her name. Our waiter was Jakob. Today being Wednesday they have discounts on bottles 20% off...they happen to carry my favorite 23 ..$$$ . I see it I want it...hard to find prime sake...the sashimi was so fresh an tasty. Natto bowl was delicious 😋 local shrimp for the tempura. yummy .. tofu
With soy sauce from the island a must try.. foodie I have set the table!
had an great time.. make an reservation..if you don't want to wait
I love this place. Every time we come to Waikiki from New York we make our punctual stop at Zigu, David has always been our server (by coincidence) and he has always made our experience memorable and joyful, he definitely made my birthday dinner special!
The food is really surprisingly bad. It only had the look. All other Japanese restaurant nearby needed us to wait so i chose here. Apparently It was wrong decision. A splinter was stuck in my mouth corner and took me 10 mins to get it out. It comes from the chopsticks provided. We ordered the cold tofu It was soooo salty
The salad was included in the set and also too salty. The steak and grilled squid were the worst. So chewy and hard to eat, and the squid is overcooked i am not sure if i am eating an eraser. i have never had such bad Japanese food in recent years.
The only thing was not bad is the sashimi. There are so many good place to eat nearby. Dont waste time and money on this one
The salad was included in the set and also too salty. The steak and grilled squid were the worst. So chewy and hard to eat, and the squid is overcooked i am not sure if i am eating an eraser. i have never had such bad Japanese food in recent years.
The only thing was not bad is the sashimi. There are so many good place to eat nearby. Dont waste time and money on this one
David is really great and made some awesome suggestions. Had one of the best foods at Hawai last night. Everything at the place was from farm to table. I’m not kidding, you could feel the freshness of the main ingredients while eating😊. Had the most delicate miso salmon and baked yellow fish collar. I 100% recommend the place.
Zigu
Overall: **** Recommended ****
Food: ****
Value: *** Waikiki prices
Menu: ** limited choices
Ambiance: ***
Service: ****
Parking: *** validated at Hyatt Centric Waikiki
While searching for Japanese bars, Zigu came up with a Yelp review of 4.3, so I decided to gave it a try.
Zigu is located just off Kuhio Avenue and occupies a decent size indoor/outdoor space. The dishes we had were good, but the menu is limited.
if you’re looking for a bar with Japanese food, Zigu would be fine. If you’re looking for a Japanese restaurant in Waikiki, I would go to Restaurant Suntory.
RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER:
Beef Nigiri Washu-gyu = A
Lobster tempura= A
Agedashi Aloha tofu = B
Hawaiian Ahi cutlet = C
Rainbow roll = C
Yelp: https://yelp.to/bhPrXOjRwk
Website: https://www.zigu.us/
INSTAGRAM: MiltonIn808
If you would like to see more restaurant reviews, ratings of each dish, my recommended order, and the complete video, follow me.
GOOGLE: MiltonIn808
For all the pictures of the menu and other restaurant reviews:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G3zLd37vu1VWnhba9?g_st=ic
RATINGS KEY:
A = Really Good - one of the best
B = Good - would order again
C = ok - similar, nothing special
D = Not very good - wouldn’t order
F = Terrible - avoid
Overall: **** Recommended ****
Food: ****
Value: *** Waikiki prices
Menu: ** limited choices
Ambiance: ***
Service: ****
Parking: *** validated at Hyatt Centric Waikiki
While searching for Japanese bars, Zigu came up with a Yelp review of 4.3, so I decided to gave it a try.
Zigu is located just off Kuhio Avenue and occupies a decent size indoor/outdoor space. The dishes we had were good, but the menu is limited.
if you’re looking for a bar with Japanese food, Zigu would be fine. If you’re looking for a Japanese restaurant in Waikiki, I would go to Restaurant Suntory.
RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER:
Beef Nigiri Washu-gyu = A
Lobster tempura= A
Agedashi Aloha tofu = B
Hawaiian Ahi cutlet = C
Rainbow roll = C
Yelp: https://yelp.to/bhPrXOjRwk
Website: https://www.zigu.us/
INSTAGRAM: MiltonIn808
If you would like to see more restaurant reviews, ratings of each dish, my recommended order, and the complete video, follow me.
GOOGLE: MiltonIn808
For all the pictures of the menu and other restaurant reviews:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G3zLd37vu1VWnhba9?g_st=ic
RATINGS KEY:
A = Really Good - one of the best
B = Good - would order again
C = ok - similar, nothing special
D = Not very good - wouldn’t order
F = Terrible - avoid
Friendly service and the food is pretty good. A little harder to find as it's located in the back of the building.
This place is a true hidden gem. Reservations by phone only, it's quite small so I'd recommend doing so. Ice cold beer mugs are always bonus points for me. Truly everything we ate was incredible. The beef tongue has layers of flavors to it. The mackerel flash fired table side is just impressive. And the surprise of the night was taco rice. What a fun delicious dish they came up with.
We enjoyed two breakfasts and one dinner here, and they were all exceptionally delicious, particularly the breakfast. It's rare to find such tasty and authentic Japanese breakfasts in this area. We are highly satisfied with this restaurant, as it has provided us with delightful memories.
We love this restaurant ! Food is amazing. Service is great. Came here for 3 nights during our trip. I loved what I had, it left me craving for sashimi still.
Great place for excellent sushi, sashimi, and Japanese food. Everything in the pictures was extremely amazing. They even have Asahi on draft. I would highly suggest this place if you like Japanese food.
The only complaint I may have is the sound travels very easy, and the people are very loud. But if you’re having an Asahi, who cares.
The only complaint I may have is the sound travels very easy, and the people are very loud. But if you’re having an Asahi, who cares.
a great yakitori restaurant. the food is fresh and flavorful. the service is kind and prompt. the place is popular and gets busy. it has an energetic atmosphere. there also offer to sit at the counter which is pretty cool. i highly recommend this place, you will not be disappointed
What a delicious Izakaya in Honolulu, everything here is amazing foods, drinks, services and atmosphere. If you’re interested please go and see!!
I really wanted to like it......but honestly I think I just overdid it with the fried food. Dined on a Saturday night at 6pm. I had called in to make reservations as many have stated it can get pretty packed, especially on weekends. The servers and staff all greeted us as we entered and were super friendly. They did give us a heads up that it was 2 hours max for dining. We were seared at a table in the back, but I've heard it's pretty fun to sit at the bar seats to watch the chef cook. There is a drink menu on the table, paper ordering sheet to mark what you want, and condiments. There are also QR codes to scan for the entire menu so you can see what to mark down on the paper, but this annoyingly wouldn't scan or work on my phone (nor did it work for the party next to us). Luckily I perused the menu beforehand from their menu and knew what I wanted.
We ordered the fried potatoes with cream cheese dip and edamame to start. The potatoes resemble steak fries and were delicious with the cream cheese dip. So good that we ordered a 2nd round. The edamame was pretty standard, but desperately needed as it was the only non-fried item we'd be getting. As for the fried skewers, we got the beef, chicken tender, chicken wing, shrimp, soft shell crab, scallop, shumeji mushroom, and cheese. The soft shell crab, scallop and shrimp were probably my favorites. The beef skewers were disappointing the first round because they came out well done. Ordered a few more afterwards and they were perfect medium rare.
Most of this was dipped in the house kushi katsu sauce. There was also a small dollop of yellow mustard provided, the spicy kind. Honestly though, I dipped them into the cream cheese dip provided with the fries and that was delish. Total meal came out to around $90 for 2 after tax, which also included a glass of draft beer. Honestly for the cost and how heavy I felt after eating all that fried food, I'm reluctant to come back. However if I do, I'll definitely be cutting it with some other fresh items, maybe a salad or pickles or rice.
We ordered the fried potatoes with cream cheese dip and edamame to start. The potatoes resemble steak fries and were delicious with the cream cheese dip. So good that we ordered a 2nd round. The edamame was pretty standard, but desperately needed as it was the only non-fried item we'd be getting. As for the fried skewers, we got the beef, chicken tender, chicken wing, shrimp, soft shell crab, scallop, shumeji mushroom, and cheese. The soft shell crab, scallop and shrimp were probably my favorites. The beef skewers were disappointing the first round because they came out well done. Ordered a few more afterwards and they were perfect medium rare.
Most of this was dipped in the house kushi katsu sauce. There was also a small dollop of yellow mustard provided, the spicy kind. Honestly though, I dipped them into the cream cheese dip provided with the fries and that was delish. Total meal came out to around $90 for 2 after tax, which also included a glass of draft beer. Honestly for the cost and how heavy I felt after eating all that fried food, I'm reluctant to come back. However if I do, I'll definitely be cutting it with some other fresh items, maybe a salad or pickles or rice.
As a walk-in for one person and got a table right away. I mostly a solo travel and always do everything by myself especially going out to eat. I wish I could have tried the rest of the menu cause they look yum. What I got was very good and I bet you can pick anything without disappointment. The staff were very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about their menu. Bravo!
Amazing place I never knew existed. Food and service was beyond my expectations. Like any restaurant it can get somewhat noisy, but it’s not unbearable at all. We’ve made a reservation over the phone. Very nice to see people enjoying themself even with restaurant at full captivity. I cannot recommend anything since menu is simple and diverse at the same time. It will be a little Smokey so maybe wear comfortable clothes you don’t mind having slight smell of food being cooked. There’s only a handful of parking right outside the restaurant and stalls are very tight. We prefer to park on king street just so our car wouldn’t get any damages from cars being so close. I’d prefer the bar seating as the chairs are cushioned opposed to wood seat table. Expect to be there for a good hour or more if you plan to eat several plates. I don’t think they mind you as long as you pay to play. All in all a very tucked away hidden gem that we enjoyed and would love to visit again.
Had dinner here. The restaurant wasn't all that busy when we came in, and it's possible to make a reservation. Menu is online through QR code, which unfortunately doesn't have pictures or much descriptions about the food or allergen information. The food quality and quantity was sub par and not worth the high price for them, especially the $21 poke, which only came with 3 pieces. The soft shell crab was rather pitiful with only a salad to really leverage the lack of meat you get. Jaga Batta was also just expensive for the simplicity of the dish of just being a $9 Idaho potato pan fried in butter. Moreover, the udon only had Tempura and tofu with not much vegetables to leverage the overall starchyness of the dish overall. Service was rather slow, we had to prompt the waitress to come and take our order for what felt like over 10 minutes. The kitchen had also forgotten our order of yakiudon, which came last when we just didn't feel the need to eat anymore. Moreover, the waitress didn't even come back to our table in regards to change and getting our receipt,so it is best not to pay in cash. Overall, I wouldn't come here again for the subpar service and food quality that just wasn't tasty enough to leverage everything else wrong with the restaurant. I may not be a local, but I wouldn't recommend locals to dine here either
Came here 5 years ago and so happy they made it thru the pandemic. Has real izakaya atmosphere and not very touristy. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. We loved getting a variety of food and enjoying the atmosphere.
I love this place. On my last trip to Honolulu this was my favorite restaurant, so on this 3-day trip, I ate here twice. I've now had four dinners here, all delicious. Very authentic Japanese Izakaya at reasonable prices.
I have been to many japanese restaurants, i love sashimi a lot. However, the sashimi here gave me very bad food poisoning. I have to call ambulance 2 hours later after dinning here. Worst valentine’s day ever…
Let me begin by using the words of my 14 year old: this place is exceptional and the staff is incredibly talented. The produce used is of the best quality possible, fresh and handled with care in its preparation. The staff's knowledge of the menu and their recommendations; specially taking into consideration our lack of understanding of this cuisine, made the experience memorable and our enjoyment even more amazing. Garrett our server is hands down one of the best servers we have ever had in our dining experiences across the world. David made the moment of celebration of our 14 year old's birthday a great event with a spectacular video (and ensured consent was provided) and even the restaurant joined. If you don't know anything about Japanese sushi this is your spot, if it is, then again; this is your spot! Thank you for the amazing experience
We had a perfect family dinner here with a party of 6 thanks to our server David. The food was fresh, cooked/seasoned perfectly. The vibe in the terrace was chill and relax. And David’s service added even more to our experience. He offered great recommendations and warm and friendly service. Will definitely recommend to others as well as coming back for another perfect dinner in Waikiki.
If you are looking for a tasty off the mainstream place to eat with Japanese style cuisine, then this is the place to eat! Izakaya skewers, Japanese beer, awesome service! I think our table tried half the menu and everything was tasty. Parking is a challenge though, but if you don't mind walking, the food is worth the wait!
Wonderful atmosphere. Very slow service. Decent food. Avoid the shark cartilage. The taco rice tastes like tacos. Gyoza is great. Seared mackerel was delicious. Food is fresh. Small, quaint and fairly loud. Beef tongue is yummy.
All items we ordered were great, top service too. Amazing dinner.
Their food is great and I had no problems with it. Their sushi is quite pricey but you are also paying for the quality of fish. The service could be improved, though.
When I asked about some of their set menus, the staff replied with uncertainty about what the set menu included. They also took a really long time to bring our food. We ordered miso soup at the end of our meal and we waited nearly half an hour for one bowl of miso soup which is insane.
Overall, it is decent
When I asked about some of their set menus, the staff replied with uncertainty about what the set menu included. They also took a really long time to bring our food. We ordered miso soup at the end of our meal and we waited nearly half an hour for one bowl of miso soup which is insane.
Overall, it is decent
It was our favorite Japanese izakaya place when we first came to Honolulu in 2021, so this time we went back. Very authentic Japanese izakaya experience. The food along with the highballs and the Awamori drinks were great! Recommend the quill eggs, hamachi carpaccio, & the chicken karaage. A bit loud and crowded, although you can think of it as a part of the experience as well :)
We came after a friend’s recommendation. Since it was last minute on our part, we did not make a reservation. We only waited a few minutes to get seated for three. We arrived just before 8 and it looked like all seats were taken and the bar was almost full. After being seated, the tables cleared out a bit more, and we looked over the menu. We added our orders to the sheet on the table, but it took at least 15 minutes for us to get the server’s attention to take our order sheet. When he did, it seemed he wanted to take it as quickly as possible as we couldn’t get our full drink order in. We ordered the Takoyaki, Yakisoba, 10 Piece Platter, Ahi with Avocado, and Donburi. The woman who served us our food was kind enough to share with us what was on the platter, and offered to top the Takoyaki with kewpie mayo. However, the other person serving our table did not ask if we needed anything in the time we were there. We waited at least 20 minutes to get our check (which we had to walk up to the register and ask for ourselves). It is also worth noting that this same server had been talking with his friends (who he was serving next to us) and making plans to meet, and showing them extra care throughout their meal. This server/lack of service is the main reason for my 3 star review.
Aside from the service, the food was great. The yakisoba, takoyaki, and the platter were really good. I really liked the Kushi-Katsu (the mochi and prime rib especially)! We also had Dry Asahi on draft to go with our meal and it was served in a cooled mug which is always great.
Aside from the service, the food was great. The yakisoba, takoyaki, and the platter were really good. I really liked the Kushi-Katsu (the mochi and prime rib especially)! We also had Dry Asahi on draft to go with our meal and it was served in a cooled mug which is always great.
Very authentic food! Best Japanese food I have tried in Hawaii. The flavor is impressive, and they are not pricy. You can’t miss it!
I really like the vibe of this restaurant. It reminds me of some izakaya store in Japanese drama. The staff are friendly and I can feel the good atmosphere to being as a team. Also I really like the fusion dish with Korean soup base plus some pho. This is exactly what I want to eat at the moment. Recommend!
I'm curious if those who gave 5 stars have ever tried a Japanese restaurant. The food barely meets the standard, the service is rushed, and, most notably, the wait for the food is excruciatingly long. We waited 30 minutes for just one dish, and the entire dining experience stretched out to 1.5-2 hours. The tempura lacks crispiness, and the grilled items were already getting cold. The price was 100+ for 2 people. My advice to everyone: steer clear of this place.
Service and Atmosphere was amazing. On par with a nice Izakaya.
The main issue was the food. The skewers are neither charred enough nor hot enough. The liver was dry, the tsukune was flavourless, and everything else did not meet expectations.
The main issue was the food. The skewers are neither charred enough nor hot enough. The liver was dry, the tsukune was flavourless, and everything else did not meet expectations.
Excellent food and great for sharing. Feels like dining in Japan in this cozy small restaurant. Great service and they treat guests like family.
Such a unique hole-in-the-wall restaurant! Great service and food! Loved how I can order thru Doordash and just pick up! The food tasted amazing and was quick to make.
Amazing food, authentic and reasonably priced! The place is small so be sure to get a reservation first. The service is friendly and we love the vibe. Some of the best yakitori I had recently!! Would love to come back again.
My favorite yakitori spot on the island. The stuff is so so friendly and the food is beyond tasty! We love the large meatball(with egg yolk) and the chicken thigh so much! Will come back a million times ;)
We had dinner very delicious sushi.
So happy😀
So happy😀
We arrived on a Tuesday evening and within an hour it was pretty full. Reservations are required to ensure you have a table. The place is unassuming from the street and I would never have known about this place had my other half been recommended it by a friend. The restaurant is small and quaint. Parking is in the back.
Everything we ate was exceptional. Please note that all "entrees" are that item only. I ordered the miso butterfish and for the price, I expected miso soup, rice and maybe a salad. Nope. It was only the fish. Everything is ala cart. That really was misleading for this foodie. Having known that, I will remember for next time to order the side of rice. And yes, there will be a next time.
Oysters tend to be small in Hawaii and not the fattys you can expect in the NPW however, these were really fresh and flavorful. We'd order them
again. The rolls were delicious as well. The fried ama ebi was also tasty however I am not a fan of eating shrimp with the shell on or the head so be mindful of that. The Mr. loved the beef tongue and miso with full shrimp inside. One of the most pleasant surprises for me is receiving our beers in super icy glasses with super cold beer. It was so good and I am not a beer drinker traditionally speaking.
Everything we ate was exceptional. Please note that all "entrees" are that item only. I ordered the miso butterfish and for the price, I expected miso soup, rice and maybe a salad. Nope. It was only the fish. Everything is ala cart. That really was misleading for this foodie. Having known that, I will remember for next time to order the side of rice. And yes, there will be a next time.
Oysters tend to be small in Hawaii and not the fattys you can expect in the NPW however, these were really fresh and flavorful. We'd order them
again. The rolls were delicious as well. The fried ama ebi was also tasty however I am not a fan of eating shrimp with the shell on or the head so be mindful of that. The Mr. loved the beef tongue and miso with full shrimp inside. One of the most pleasant surprises for me is receiving our beers in super icy glasses with super cold beer. It was so good and I am not a beer drinker traditionally speaking.
If you’re looking for a great izakaya look no further. Nonbei has become our “go to” spot for delicious food, cold beers and sake, and great service. Be sure to order one of the fresh sashimi sets to start, then some nigiri sushi followed by anything on the menu. It’s all good and depends what you’re in the mood for. The kakuni, chicken, butterfish, fried flounder, beef tongue, agedashi tofu, chawanmushi, tempura, sautéed mushrooms and eggplant, and gyoza are just some of our favorites. If you have room for dessert, the yuzu sorbet is a must, as is the kinako warabi. Plenty of free parking in front of the restaurant or in the private overflow lot a little up the street. Enjoy! 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
We were excited to get the parking spot for our dinner reservation. They assigned a table very closed to its entry doorway while the whole restaurant has so many opening tables. Rushing to order. Rush to check out. We don’t see the waiting lineup anywhere 😰
One thing is good is the young lady ( must be the owner’s daughter or so) was nice to help out change the seating for us. English is good 👍 too.
One thing is good is the young lady ( must be the owner’s daughter or so) was nice to help out change the seating for us. English is good 👍 too.
Best Izakaya in town! Authentic Japanese food and good vibes, superb service! Food is fresh and yummy, reasonably priced, will be back!
Saiko! The best yakitori I've had in the USA. In my humble opinion as a non Japanese person that has had yakitori in Tokyo. Great ambience, unpretentious and warm, I'd come here with close friends and share a drink if I could! The skewers were packed with flavor. I recommend the salt one over the sauce options. Along with the bacon wrapped in rice skewers. If ordering Kamameshi (steamed rice in a pot), I'd recommend getting more skewers and maybe yakisoba (stir fried noodles) as it takes quite awhile. Very friendly servers and I left satisfied. I think it strikes a good value in this inflationary world. Thank you for having us!
Surprisingly the Tonkatsu Don and Okonomiyaki was great! We expected more from the yakitori (chicken skewer) being an izakaya, it lacked in flavor. No more happy hour or candy floss making post COVID. Our server seemed like the only nice lady while the person at the front desk and the others at the back were pretty curt/short with us. Eg no greeting, and telling me the bathroom is outside the restaurant before I even wanted to use it, and generally being cold even though it's pretty empty. Price is nothing to write home about.
Authentic yakitori location with Japanese people running the restaurant and grilling as they do in Japan. Reasonable pricing with a skewer for $2.50 each but it does add up. We had 20 skewers between 2 people and 6 separate dishes and left so full. Would recommend ordering less 😅 the Agedashi tofu was probably my favorite with the sweet, savory, crispy, and soft texture all in one. Bacon wrapped around quail eggs, enoki, or tomatoes were also very solid. Chicken thick with the green onion was also nicely flavored for just the salted version. Oh and the beef tongue is a good one to order just salted too. Many of the skewers offer the teriyaki flavor or just salted option, we did mostly salted vs teriyaki. I would have skipped the meatball option, since the flavor only came through on the outside. I also recommend a salad with all the meat dishes to balance it out — we had the daikon salad which is something I’ve never had. It was very vinegary but paired well with the meats. Overall spent around $133 (without tips yet) for the two of us. Parking lot is tiny but we got lucky with a spot.
Terrible parking situation. Walked in and was seated right away. Server than came back said sorry thought you were someone else. Was then told no tables available. Even though there were 3 empty tables and empty sushi bar. Embarrassing and won't be back. I never give bad reviews but this was just not right.
Got a lot of food- their agedashi mochi was super good along with their croquettes and kushikatsu. Fan of the eggplant and mushroom ones.
All cuts of chicken yakitori were delicious, be it heart, gizzard or thigh. All other dishes were also great - with plenty of fresh seafood or rich raw egg yolks as sauces for rice.
Who would have thought that Fujiyama Texas would be located in McCully? It was a great surprise for me and family to experience a kushi katsu izakaya. Oh we went for dinner but all the posters around the restaurant indicate Japanese breakfast and lunch served also.
Lots of parking, we walked into red and white lanterns hanging and an irraahai welcome! That was just the beginning.
We decided on bottles of beer but they offer pitchers and a tower of beer. I guess I’ll have to go back to drinking drink that with thirsty friends.
Pupus included sashimi platter and a few platters of 10 sticks of the variety kushi katsu. The mix of seafood - scallop, fish cake, shrimp, beef & chicken sticks, lotus, sweet onion, daikon, cheese, and mochi! They offered tasty dipping sauces-ponzu, mustard, and tonkatsu! All were delicious.
Can’t forget the plate of sashimi. My favorite was the salmon served with strips &. daikon, and ahi and tako. The rice set comes with a large bowl of rice, miso soup and a little dish of picketed radish. We almost ordered the dango but I’ll save it for the next visit.
I kept looking for the hint of Texas. No one spoke with a twang in their voice, no indication anyone was from the lone star state. I asked the waiter and he said it was just a random choice.
Cool very cool. He told us Fujiyama is the owners hometown! Love it! I will keep this on my go to list for dessert!
How about it? Your turn!
Lots of parking, we walked into red and white lanterns hanging and an irraahai welcome! That was just the beginning.
We decided on bottles of beer but they offer pitchers and a tower of beer. I guess I’ll have to go back to drinking drink that with thirsty friends.
Pupus included sashimi platter and a few platters of 10 sticks of the variety kushi katsu. The mix of seafood - scallop, fish cake, shrimp, beef & chicken sticks, lotus, sweet onion, daikon, cheese, and mochi! They offered tasty dipping sauces-ponzu, mustard, and tonkatsu! All were delicious.
Can’t forget the plate of sashimi. My favorite was the salmon served with strips &. daikon, and ahi and tako. The rice set comes with a large bowl of rice, miso soup and a little dish of picketed radish. We almost ordered the dango but I’ll save it for the next visit.
I kept looking for the hint of Texas. No one spoke with a twang in their voice, no indication anyone was from the lone star state. I asked the waiter and he said it was just a random choice.
Cool very cool. He told us Fujiyama is the owners hometown! Love it! I will keep this on my go to list for dessert!
How about it? Your turn!
It was my 2nd visit and they didn’t disappoint me. I didnt have any complaints about the food but it would be nice if the staff was more friendly.
Drew and John provided us with the best service, making sure our drinks were always filled and our food was prepared in a timely manner. Will definitely visit again.
Food was decent but not spectacular. Really enjoyed the miso butter fish. The rest… meh! They were out of the special $125 crab dish… that’s why I went. Likely won’t return here.
A smal gem! The most fresh delicious sushi like it literally has been caught right before they served it. The price is definitely what you get… so if you are not a real sushi eater and all you eat is a California roll, this is not your spot. This is for the real sushi eaters who love Uni w/ Quail Egg on top and can eat Live Oysters…. yum! Definitely try this spot!!!
A cozy place with great service. Food is delicious and the presentation is superb. We came here with my husband and our baby and we had a great time. Our baby especially loved the garlic fried rice with lettuce and escallops.
The food was great! We ordered sushi rolls and they did not disappoint. We also ordered nigiri, which was delicious. I do feel like the food was a bit overpriced, but it was still delicious. The customer service from staff was wonderful. They were so kind! You definitely should make a reservation as this restaurant is small and seats are limited. The vibe was perfect for a night out!
Visited way back in the spring time of last year. It was amazing! The food was top notch and their house made alcohol was great and fun to try :) the atmosphere is cozy but lively.
The food and service are absolutely amazing!! We’re new to Yakitori and have no experience about what to order. They’re super patient and polite with us. The atmosphere is really relaxing too! (They even chased me out and returned my forgotten hat ; - ;
Yakitori Glad was on point! Took me back to being in some back alleys in Tokyo having the best yakitori I’ve ever had in my life.
The only thing missing was the hibachi in front of you cooking otherwise everything was great.
There were a few items unavailable on the menu because of supply issues, but other than that I look forward to going back.
The only thing missing was the hibachi in front of you cooking otherwise everything was great.
There were a few items unavailable on the menu because of supply issues, but other than that I look forward to going back.
We ordered yaki udon and we were assured it was prepared properly, but it tasted bland and didn't have the correct color. We offered that the kitchen could recook it, but the server insisted that it was made correctly, so we simply returned it. We also felt like we were treated as if we didn't know what yaki udon was before and after we ordered it, but I'm grateful the restaurant removed it from our bill. The miso soup was also missing seaweed in both of our bowls. The nigiri, however, was amazing.
It was incredibly hot inside the restaurant. There were fans going but it felt warmer inside than it was outside.
It was incredibly hot inside the restaurant. There were fans going but it felt warmer inside than it was outside.
Located within Beauty Mark shopping Mall a small business building. A small amount of parking in the front lot plus on King Street or Wiliwili Street. Landmarks are between University of Hawai'i Federal Credit Union and 76 gas station.
Haven't been here for breakfast but the dinner is amazing! Fantastic customer friendly service and amazing food!
Haven't been here for breakfast but the dinner is amazing! Fantastic customer friendly service and amazing food!
Make reservations ahead of time. Limited seating. There are a few parking spot at the restaurant. Chicken meat ball is very delicious with unique taste. I ordered the chicken broth, it is one of the best broth. Grilled beef is equally as good as the chicken. Price is reasonable. The place is operated by Japanese folks.
It’s a nice Izakaya restaurant! However, the wait time of the dishes were longer than we expected. To start with people usually select a few skewers and then order more and more dishes, so to not waist your time I recommend you to order everything at once.
I liked their skewers - vegetables wrapped in pork. Beef skewer was juicy in a good sauce. The chicken gizzards skewer was a bit tough for me. However, we really liked the restaurant, it's a cozy and good place.
I liked their skewers - vegetables wrapped in pork. Beef skewer was juicy in a good sauce. The chicken gizzards skewer was a bit tough for me. However, we really liked the restaurant, it's a cozy and good place.
Aloha all; this is probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in hawaii with real authentic style Japanese dishes offered from sushi to the beef tongue on skewers. You will love the japan feel and great service as well. The staff is so helpful and sweet. Try it out and let me know how you enjoy it.
Maybe Japanese food just isn't for me. I don't know. I will say that my daughter ordered sushi which came first. After she was done my noodles came. They were okay. A little bland. She watched me eat when finally her chicken came. That looked really good. She then ordered tempura shrimp. It took over 30 minutes to get that. The best part about the meal was the accidental happy face I made with my noodles.
Excellent izakaya where most of the clientele spoke japanese (incl the staff). Food was very yummy and each dish had their own uniqueness. Better having a reservation as the place is really small. They are usually packed so no walk-ins! Would recommend
Very extensive menu. Unfortunately the food wasn’t that great. We ordered 5 different items to share between two people and two alcoholic beverages. Would not recommend the poke which was bland and had too many vegetables mixed in. I enjoyed the tuna chip appetizer though. My partner enjoyed the chicken yakitori and the butter buta (pork). The butterfish was okay. The drinks were good.
Well executed items but no charcoal grill so missing the smoky aromas. The fried dishes were excellent. Feels like a joint in Japan for sure.
Very disappointed with this restaurant. Decided to try it because it was well reviewed. Turned out to be a disappointment. Food quality was very poor. The sashimi and seafood did not taste fresh. The fried food came out cold. Had a stomachache and, diarrhea after the meal...
Everything here is super delicious. The price is also reasonable. I went in by accident but fall in love with this place after visiting. The draft beer and yuzu haichu are amazing. Other than that, their food and hot pot are authentic Japanese taste. Highly recommend this place.
Hole in the wall Japanese Bar & Grill (Izakaya) with tasty food and a lot of character.
Like traditional Izakaya, the premise is you order a beer along with a half dozen or so (per person) small dishes consisting of BBQed meat, each costing $3-5. So basically you go taste a variety of different meats and get drunk, an excellent combo.
The only downside is their limited beer selection (they only serve Japanese beer on tap).
Like traditional Izakaya, the premise is you order a beer along with a half dozen or so (per person) small dishes consisting of BBQed meat, each costing $3-5. So basically you go taste a variety of different meats and get drunk, an excellent combo.
The only downside is their limited beer selection (they only serve Japanese beer on tap).
Very extensive menu, it was fun to see so many different items. The dishes we chose were ordered to share. The Dragon roll was delicious and the presentation was “fun” with the fried shrimp tempura and Avo, Unagi, Ebi, Masago, and cucumber. They take reservations or if you rather stay home (hotel) they have a great “Take Out menu”. You will not be disappointed.
I like this place. The takoyaki's slap, and the food isn't haft bad. I'll say though, that this place has a problem that most local spots have... they're understaffed and seriously need more ppl to maximize the consumer base. I could be wrong, maybe when i went — it was just an off day.
This place has a lot of character, the ambiance and decor want you to feel relaxed and welcomed. Food was good, but the wait time can be brutal. I shouldn't be recieving my meal directly from the cook. And I shouldn't see her running in the back to grab something for a dish. But again, that could've just been a one-off.
This place has a lot of character, the ambiance and decor want you to feel relaxed and welcomed. Food was good, but the wait time can be brutal. I shouldn't be recieving my meal directly from the cook. And I shouldn't see her running in the back to grab something for a dish. But again, that could've just been a one-off.
Store front not visible from the street. The entrance is narrow and very easy to miss. But the turn is right next the 7/11 and 76 gas station. Once you drive in, there's a small parking lot. Dining room is small so i recommend making a reservation ahead. You order through a paper menu instead through your server. And the cook brings your plates to you. There was only one server present for the whole dining room and she managed it quite well. The food came fast and was very tasty. Lots of varieties of skewers and pupus to choose from and the skewers cost 2-6 dollars depending on the type.
Good yakitori and sashimi. The pork neck and chicken balls were awesome. Pork neck in particular was one of the best skewers Ive ever had. Id probably skip the standard chicken. The sashimi was also excellent. Staff was friendly and even gave us an extra sake before we left. Recommended!
One of my favorite dinner spots in Honolulu. Reservations are needed at this time.
We ordered several items from the specials and standard menu. From the current specials menu, I recommend the spicy bamboo shoots and simmered beef tongue rice.
The portion sizes for several of the items were much larger than I expected, but I’d still recommend ordering around 3 dishes per person so that you can sample more items.
Other items I enjoyed: sukiyaki pizza and soba with tofu (broth was SO good).
We ordered several items from the specials and standard menu. From the current specials menu, I recommend the spicy bamboo shoots and simmered beef tongue rice.
The portion sizes for several of the items were much larger than I expected, but I’d still recommend ordering around 3 dishes per person so that you can sample more items.
Other items I enjoyed: sukiyaki pizza and soba with tofu (broth was SO good).
Yakitori with many choices. Buta, enoki, chicken thighs just a few must try items. They get busy and parking can be a bit of a challenge but worth the wait. Don't forget to get some beer too. Friendly staff and kitchen workers too.
Food and drinks were excellent. Chef came out to the table. He was very nice. Parking is good here too. No food pictures again cause I dug in quick. Another reason is I almost left due to a very rude waitress, can't remember her name,, rude all night and horrible service. Thank goodness the other waitress, MIKI, who covered for the rude one, she was so nice. I should have complained, but loved the atmosphere and drink...generous pouring and Miki really made up for it. It reminded me of Japan with the art and layout in the restaurant. I'll go again, but hope that waitress is not there.
Takeout experience to share!
Everything arrived crispy and warm. It was enjoyable experience eating Izakaya style food takeout at home.
I liked the quail eggs kushi!!
Everything arrived crispy and warm. It was enjoyable experience eating Izakaya style food takeout at home.
I liked the quail eggs kushi!!
If you’re looking for amazing Kushikatsu in Honolulu, this is it! The batter is extremely light and the skewers are all seasoned and fried perfectly. To top it all off, the staff if extremely friendly and attentive. Make sure to call ahead for reservations as this place keeps busy.
Yakitori for $3.90... you want it? You will get 2 sticks per order. The staff are efficient and they keep your water cups filled but the food takes a while because there's only 1 grill and 1 cook. They are located on Kapahulu Avenue and only open for dinner. You should make a reservation in advance because they get busy. The parking in this area is limited and I normally park on the street in the residential area; their parking lot is always full and the spaces are tight.