Julie P.

The BESTTT omakase I've had both in the US and Japan hands down. For $135 you get about 16 courses and it is worth every penny. Make sure to make reservations. Each course was made with so much intention, care, and tasted absolutely divine. So fresh with lots of ingredients sourced directly from Japan. We also had the opportunity to speak with the chef who lived in Shinjuku for most of his life and is the real deal. Him and his wife are both so so sweet. I will be recommending this to all our friends. The interior is also adorable. We loved our experience here so much and can't wait to come back next time!! We definitely felt full afterwards. Also remember to BYOB

Steven U.

I always wanted to eat here for dinner but I found out they are open for lunch! This 'hidden' restaurant is in the same center as Cinnamon's and Manoa chocolate, on the street side (opposite side) of the center. Its just one door, so you have to kinda look for it. I went inside and there was just one employee. Lunch is just poke bowls, and you can either dine in or take out...and I chose to dine in. I ordered the bowl with green onion, ginger and shoyu sauce. It had 7oz of fresh ahi and sushi rice on it. It was really delicious and came with extra toppings like bubu arare. Made to order with fresh ingredients, it had nice flavors and great texture. There were a few bummers about my experience. Apparently, whether you dine in or take out, they serve you in a take out container. Kinda blows the experience when you are sitting in a nice restaurant at a sushi bar. Also, my poke bowl was $20.00. Now here in the islands, that is the average going price for lunch...but it didnt feel like an outstanding value for what was received. Overall, the poke bowl was good and I will be back try the dinner for sure.

Jillian T.

Quaint little shop located in Kailua. Do make reservations beforehand as they can only accommodate just about 12 people at the most. They're also open for lunch if you're looking for a more casual/take-out dining experience. Overall, the food is superb. Fresh, quality, flavorful. There wasn't a dish that I didn't like. It may seem like a little bit of food when you first start off the omakase experience, but each course adds up and before you know it, you're just about full at dessert; not overly stuffed. The service is also top-notch, to which they provide much care and consideration when serving. Would definitely come back again!

Lisa N.

Probably one of the coolest hidden gems I've found in Kailua town so far. It's definitely a challenge to find it, but once you do, you won't be sorry. It's quaint and tiny inside but it's beautiful and the food smells so good. It's cooked directly in front of you and cooked to absolute perfection. There is only a handful of seats at the bar to sit at so reservations are recommended if coming at a busy hour. If coming at night for Omakase, you must make a reservation. The food was SUPERB. 10/10

Faye Anne M.

Ample free parking space since it's located in a commercial area. Easy to find despite the subtle restaurant front. There's only about 8-12 seats per reservation time. We got lucky for our anniversary on Halloween night because we were their only guests for the 8:00pm reservation. It is ran by a husband and wife duo. BYOB and we brought sake from the Sake Shop in Kakaako. They let us pick our own cup too. Don't forget to offer him and his wife a shot of sake as well! We got started eating almost immediately. The time in between dishes was good enough for us to drink, talk stories, and watch the chef to make our food. All dishes was so good! I'm not even a big mackerel fan but I like how he prepared it. He mostly used the usual shoyu and sesame oil ingredients all throughout the omakase. I am pleasantly surprised at how he used yuzu to elevate the dish. I will definitely want to come again to celebrate. The vibes was peaceful, they held up conversation really well, the restaurant was really clean, and they have their own bathroom.

I have never had such wonderful sushi and the chef and his wife are excellent, it's a small venue maybe eight people at a time and we had a wonderful experience. it is BYOB so be prepared for that but otherwise the staff is excellent and the food is above par. By far!

Risa L.

The sushi chef was inviting and attentive during the lunch service for poke bowls. You can eat your poke bowl there or take it to go. Ordered the small, two-choice bowl with spicy mayo salmon and garlic shoyu ahi. I preferred the salmon to the ahi, both were fresh tasting. The spicy mayo sauce was thin and not very creamy. The ahi was a bit on the firmer side. They had a lot of included toppings (sesame, furikake, bubu arare, green onion) that did more for garnish than it did for taste. It was fun to see the sushi chef cut the fish cubes with such precision and weighing it on a scale. I would like to try their omakase later. All of the parking is metered in the lot.

Vince I.

Had the omakase at 22Kailua and it was absolutely unforgettable--easily one of the best dining experiences in Kailua. The sushi bar is intimate, so you have the chef's full attention and get to chat as each dish is presented. We went with the multi-course kaiseki omakase and loved every part of it, from the creativity and variety to the incredible quality of the ingredients, which even included imported Japanese eggs that brought flavors to a whole new level. Favorites of the night included the wagyu beef sukiyaki with egg foam, anagi over an egg roll, and the chawanmushi--all were next-level delicious and surprisingly complex. The chef and the staff were so personable that the night turned into a real shared experience. Reservations feel old-school and exclusive, with just 2-5 seats per night; definitely message them on Instagram early to snag a spot. The omakase runs from about $135 to $185 per person, but for the quality, intimacy, and overall experience, it's worth every penny. Also, it's BYOB, so bring your favorite sake or whiskey! If you want an authentic, gourmet omakase with a cozy neighborhood vibe, 22Kailua is the place.

Melissa W.

Tried this spot on my recent vacation to Oahu. It was an excellent omakase experience. 3 of us were at the Kailua location (in the same area as Cinnamon's). Parking meters in the lot there are supposedly enforced all the time, but we found free street parking (technically a meter but it was Sunday). The place is small and intimate, I think a max of 10-11 seats only. We had two chefs that night, I believe Chef Yutaka and someone in the reviews said his wife? But not confirmed bc I never heard them say anything like that... Both were friendly and gave us delicious dishes! Chef Yutaka focuses more on the raw fish nigiri pieces, and the other chef focused on appetizers/cooked dishes/other. We had about 16 dishes. Everything was delicious, but my faves are always toro, uni, hotate...and they still were! I also love chawanmushi and the shrimp miso. The final piece: foie gras with truffle was a perfect ending also. Hoping this place continues to do well, so I can come back next year! Thank you, chefs, for a great dinner! Make reservations by texting their phone number. If you don't have the number, you can get it by DMing them on Instagram.

Alex L.

I'm so glad we were able to get a reservation and do their Omakase. In order to get an RSVP you need to message them on their website or inquire via email. Once that is done, they will reply to you with a number you can text. There were three choices of Omakase based on pricing, $100, $150, $200 tier. We went with the $150 tier. It was a super intimate experience. It was my fiancé and I and there was another couple. The sushi chef is from Japan and he was super informative about his preparation for each fish. He was a former Eel Sushi Chef in Tokyo. Aside from all that he kept us pretty entertained and his assistant was on point. I'd say there was at least 15 pieces of fish that was prepared for the two of us. I can't say you will get the same pieces as us because it could vary depending on what they catch / source. I must say all the pieces we had were amazing. Super fresh and buttery. Texture range from melt in your mouth to high quality freshness haha. I can't really explain! It was a great experience. He was very detailed about his craft and shared with us exactly what was put together. Varied from certain salts, pepper, wasabi, caviar, sauces, garnish, etc. Couple of pieces I could remember were the toro pieces, blue fin tuna, ikura, scallop, salmon. Super fresh homemade wasabi. It was fun due to the attention we had and fyi it's BYOB. Bring your own beer haha. Great time, would definitely do this again at some point. We appreciate the hospitality.

Sophie F.

Omakase in Kailua! I had heard rumors of this spot for years. They've been around for 6-7 years already and originally opened on Oneawa near Zippy's. I heard of a coffee shop in the am that offered small table sushi at night but I could never find out how to make a reservation. Now, they're much more accessible. They are opened for poke bowls during the day and BYOB omakase in the evening. The chef is really sweet and knowledgeable. It's a relaxing environment with quite a nice variety of sushi and Japanese dishes throughout the omakase experience. I forgot to take pictures of many of the pieces because I was so enveloped in the experience but they were all great! Don't forget to sign the guest book after

Mariana S.

This was an incredible omakase experience! It included a lot of courses and everything was really good. I was able to try a few items I've never had before and the service was spectacular.

Suri S.

Chef Yutaka-san gave us the most memorable anniversary experience filled with laughter, fun, and sharing Sake together! Very intimate and cozy spot. Nice ambiance with decorations around. Hidden gem located in Kailua. We were very lucky since we were the only ones for 5pm seating, so it felt like a private event with just us and the chef. There was even an origami with our name on it when we arrived. Chef's wife made it herself! How thoughtful. Our favorite omakase experience thus far. Everything was absolutely mind-blowing delicious! You must make a reservation! You can DM on Instagram or email for the number reservation. Follow the instructions on their website for exactly how to text them. You will tell them what dates you prefer, how many people in your party, what tier ($100, $150, $200), 5pm or 8pm seating, any allergies. BYOB so bring your choice of beverage. We chose to bring bottles of Sake to share. You will want to bring water too! Metered parking lot. Located in the same lot as Manoa Chocolate and Ganesh Dosa (on the other side though). We put some quarters in and the total time was about 1.5 hour to dine in. I can't recommend this place enough! You will have a great time sharing stories with Chef Yutaka-san.