Small spot! Cute. Called ahead to put our name down since the waitlist was closed. Never seemed to be full house while we were eating around 9-10pm Oxtail ramen was good! Soup was tasty, good flavor! Ramen was good, good texture noodles which is important to me. And the meat was soft and yummy. I enjoyed this bowl and it filled me up. 8/10 My partner ordered the grilled roast beef cap sirloin kamameshi, because the waitress said it was big enough for 3-4 people but I think we heard her wrong cause it was more like 3-4 bites haha. It was delicious nonetheless good texture and flavor, good quality just really small portion and might leave u still hungry (unless u eat all the rice it was mostly rice) read more

Izakaya is a must if you're visiting Honolulu! Oahu has so many Izakaya places, and we've probably been to at least six by now in our short time here! For dinner, we stopped by here and they specialize in charcoal grilled meats such as steak, chicken, and pork belly. There's such a nice char and flavor to it that you can only get when it's cooked this way. Besides that, they have a bunch of smaller plates with my favorites being their jellyfish, tsukemono, and okra with ume sauce. Of course they have beer, shochu, highballs, and other drinks to enjoy to pair with your meal. They're located relatively close to Waikīkī, right off of Kapahulu, and I would definitely recommend trying it out! We came right when they opened at 5pm for dinner, but I would recommend making a reservation since they do get busy. Just one of the many Izakaya places to try when you're in Honolulu! read more

See all

Used to be exceptional but it looks like they changed the menu. Still a great place for a late night drinks/grubs. Amazing vibe. Gotten a bit pricey but it's Oahu price. Limited parking but it's a good place to hangout and opens late so when you need a night getaway, this is the place togo read more

Came here for birthday party. We ordered jelly fish which very flavorful, potato salad has interesting flavor (had ume seasoning) yukon potatoes with mentai butter was amazing i can say i never tried this before. Wasyugu beef skirt was better than beef flank in my opinion. Jerk pork spareribs was good and a lot of meat. Pork belly, kamameshi grilled unagi also good and make sure to order first because it took 25 minutes. There are only 2 waitress and 2 cooks but service is outstanding, my daughter dropped her chopsticks while taking pictures of the food the waitress saw and bring new chopsticks before we even asked! Be sure to make reservations especially if you have large party. Reservations through their website need your credit card information but if you called to make reservations they only take name and phone number. read more

See all

Honestly had a pretty good experience here. The Japanese food on Honolulu is actually pretty solid and this place is just one example. The menu was extensive without being overwhelming and all of the food just tasted good. The price/value ratio was also decent, allowing you to try a lot of different foods which is great. My only complaint is that some of the food is actually a little too charred/smoky but other than that I really enjoyed everything here. Check out uluani's shave ice down the block if youre in the area. read more

Aburiyaki... It's all flaming hot here and it's smoking hot! Aburiya Ibushi isn't easy to say but you'll easily fall in love dining here. Located in heart of Kapahulu parking is the luck of the moment if you're able to find one though we decided on a side street next to Taco Bell which we luckily found easily. As we dine on the whim we just stopped by and was happy they were able to take us though it was an hour wait which was very worth it and got a cute and cozy table...though if you're able to get the counter you can see the chef at work which is pretty cool. As this izakaya is filled with so many savory dishes I couldn't decide on one and got a few...Grilled Kurobuta Sausage, Round Eggplant with Grilled Ground Pork, and Ewa Sweet Corn. Yup ordered so I can take it home for later lol! The corn was the best I've ever had so flavorful and the char was done perfectly, Kurobuta Sausage was so savory and served with a scoop of potato salad and whole grain mustard, the grilled eggplant was something I've always enjoyed growing up and having it here was so nostalgic and topped with the grilled ground pork gave it that kick as it had some spice. Reservations here is very recommended which you're easily able to do directly on Yelp with a simple click on the time and fill out the basic information though a credit card is required to hold the reservation and as they're very busy and a small space but would definitely want to bring mom. Thank you! read more

See all

Dinner in Honolulu, Hawaii... We texted each other: What you doing now? Are you hungry? Wanna go to Aburiya Ibushi? Now? How about 7pm? Where you going park? And that's how we finally got a chance to dine at this popular izakaya-styled restaurant on Kapahulu Avenue. We parked across the busy restaurant (on Hunter Street) for free because it was so late in the evening... and the street was empty. This is the street where Taco Bell is closed for renovation. I went in and asked if we needed a reservation. We got on the clipboard for 8pm. We wandered around for an hour until I was called on my phone. We were seated between parties. The cozy place was packed and kinda noisy and smokey... from the grilling of the open kitchen. I don't remember it being like this when I was here for lunch a few years ago. Daytime and nighttime vibes are very different! I ordered the Ikura Uni Bowl. It was cute and just right with some sesame seeds mixed into the rice. The green onions not only added color, but also provided a bit of a crunch. The Ikura was fresh and briney while the Uni was smooth and earthy! I ate everything happily! This was a unique, cool foodie experience with polite, efficient service! read more

See all

We came here for a light dinner and some drinks and everything was great. We love everything we ordered. Our server she was so sweet and smiled all the time. Love the vibes! Love the open kitchen and the ambiance. Felt like we were in Japan read more

See all

ALMOST PUKED, SERVED A BEER WITH SOMEONES HAlF EATEN CHICKEN WING AT THE BOTTOM. I didn't believe it at first, I was halfway through my beer and I noticed something weird at the bottom of the glass. no way something like this could happen right? My husband and I were absolutely shocked, the waitress confirmed that they majorly messed up. Apparently the wing got stuck at the bottom of the glass and no one noticed after during the wash cycle. I immediately ran to the restroom and had to purge after I just realized what happened.  The waitress immediately took the glass away and got rid of the bone before I could take a photo. Thoroughly traumatized from this experience. At least The waitress offered to not charge us for our beer. How would you react in this situation? The restaurant should have paid more attention to cleanliness and customer safety! read more

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was my second time here last week and they NEVER disappoint! The vibe and energy is amazing, and our server was the sweetest!! We started off with the cold tofu with sesame mince and let me tell you it was the best tofu dish i've ever had. highly recommend! Next we got the onion with butter and the kuro black fried chicken. both were perfect. the chicken was crispy and crunchy and the onion had perfect flavor. I also ordered the jellyfish, and a fish stone pot dish i forgot the name of. Both of these were okay, but wouldn't order again. overall, a great dinner spot! only down side is the parking! read more

See all

Our very favorite Japanese Restaurant on O'ahu NOT your standard Sushi and Sashimi Joint (although we love those) And NOT your standard Japanese BBQ (which we love too) This is SUPER UNIQUE and SUPER AUTHENTIC and UNREAL ONO Japanese Food HIGHLY. HIGHLY Recommend. Small though, so make reservations or be prepared to wait 30-60min. read more

I really wanted to love this spot, especially because the menu has a lot of unique dishes at super reasonable prices. It's a very small corner restaurant, which could be cozy, but the entire dining room was extremely smoky. The exhaust fan wasn't working, so it felt like the smoke just stayed trapped inside. We tried a bunch of dishes. The highlights were the corn and the variety of interesting items you don't see everywhere. But overall, the flavors and textures missed the mark for us. The aburiyaki chicken and pork had a strong gasoline taste instead of the charcoal char we expected. The potato salad was extremely salty, almost like someone mixed a ramen seasoning packet directly in, plus crushed ramen on top. The fried yama had a cool concept and unique texture, but the nori was so rubbery that it was hard to bite through. The spicy mochi oxtail soup had potential, but the mochi pieces were very grainy and clumpy instead of soft and chewy. I love that everything was inexpensive and let us try an assortment of dishes, but the quality and ambiance just weren't there for us. If the kitchen exhaust gets fixed and the flavors get a little refinement, it could easily be a great neighborhood spot. read more

Was so excited to try Aburiya Ibushi after hearing great things! It was a cozy restaurant with many small tables and limited bar seating. It was quite busy so would recommend making a reservation ahead of time. We ordered a variety of dishes to try but unfortunately everything was on the salty side. We didn't order their grilled chicken thigh but did try their grilled pork belly. Nothing really stood out, with the exception of the jellyfish appetizer, which was surprisingly good! Overall, we left feeling disappointed especially considering the meal came out to be over $200. read more

See all

Great izakaya where you can see the chef cooking on a charcoal grill. The foods we got were all delicious, especially the chicken thighs. The place is quite small so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. read more

See all

love the chimichurri ribeye and creative drinks! reservations highly recommended but small party walk ins have been ok.

Different unique food. Certain dishes like beef kamameshi I would order again. The octopus was chewy chewy so I am not a fan of it. I like mine tender. Chicken and potato salad was right on. The pork chop was well done tasty but little dry. All in all I do like this place. I would go back. Try more dishes. read more

Aburiya Ibushi **** RECOMMENDED **** Food: **** Value: **** Menu: **** Ambiance: *** (feels like Japan) Service: **** Parking: * (street parking only) When driving on Kapahulu Avenue, I often saw a line outside Aburiya Ibushi, so it peaked my interest. After my wife went with her friend, she said the food was good and the prices were cheap, so I decided to try it. I recommend that you make reservations through Yelp. There were 30 seats, 2 servers and 3 cooks on the night that we went. Approximately 60% of the patrons were Japanese nationals, speaking in Japanese, so I know I was in the right place. This is not a fancy Japanese restaurant - it is more like a neighborhood Izakaya bar-restaurant like the ones I frequent in Tokyo. The food was good and we enjoyed all our dishes. Those with the sparks on the video were my favorites. We will be going back, so stay tuned for more dishes. RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER: Agedashi Tofu = A Beef Tongue = A Oxtail Zoshib(porridge) = B Potatoe Salad = B Aburikyaki Pork Belly = C Yelp: https://yelp.to/DS2K1bck07 YELP: Milton K Sorry! They allow only one 12 second video & the remaining to 3 seconds. The full video and pictures of the entire menu can be found on other platforms/apps: MiltonIn808 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 read more

See all

So tasty! Everything was so tasty! Even the onion with miso (who knew?). The staff was very friendly, and there were lots of regulars there, so lots of laughing and hugs. Great atmosphere. They have a variety of Japanese dishes in a variety of cooking styles, but the best things come off the grill, which is located front and center behind the bar. For such a small restaurant, the menu is really extensive, and includes several specials, along with sake, beer, wine, and shochu. The only downside was that it's noisy. read more

Came here on a friend's recommendation and DANGGGG IT IS GOOD! I don't think there's a single thing on the menu that I wouldn't order. I got the NA Melon Float having no clue as to what it was and I loved every second. It's basically a root beer float but with honeydew soda. Be warned that it's a spoon, not a straw! The potato salad was no joke. I wish I was eating it right now. I'm tofu neutral but the tofu appetizer made me a super fan. I wish I was eating it right now. If you're with a group, I'd recommend doing it family style. The service was fast and the restaurant had a good ambience which allowed for conversation without straining to hear. 6/5 stars. read more

Found this spot through TikTok where someone was raving about its mashed potatoes. Reservations are recommended; it was hard to find an open slot. The restaurant was packed the whole time on a Sunday night. We got seated at the bar. There was enough space between all the diners. I liked looking at the drawings of the food on the walls and watching the Japanese news on TV. I enjoyed watching the chef make the meats on the grill too. We each got a chu-hi to drink with our meal. So refreshing. Jellyfish salad: Tiny, crunchy, flavorful! I could eat so much of it. Beef tongue: Portions were quite small. This was thin and delicious though. Tasted great with its accompanying sauce. Sirloin top: This was small as well but tasted high-quality. Went so good with just salt and some wasabi. Mashed potatoes: This is what we came for. Its texture was good and the star of the show was the curry salt on top. If I can figure out how to make it at home, I'd eat it with my mashed potatoes all the time! It was reminiscent of the mashed potatoes you'd get at KBBQ but with less mayo and less cold. Cabbage salad: This was sautéed (?), cooked in some way where the cabbage was soft but still had crunch. However, it lacked flavor. We ended up sprinkling the mashed potato curry salt on it. Oxtail soup: We ordered this last to end off our meal. It was hearty, the meat was soft, and overall a nice experience. I've only had Korean oxtail soup before and Vietnamese oxtail pho, so I was interested in trying the Japanese version. The service was super friendly. The meal lasted around almost 2 hours since things slowly came out one by one. We were still hungry afterwards though so we hit up the izakaya next door lol. read more

The small plates here were amazing! We started off with the house potato salad which looked amazing and was topped with spices and corn. Towards the end though, it started having a mashed potato texture rather than a true potato salad. I loved the fried squid and the karaage chicken appetizers. Staff were very attentive throughout our meal. read more

I recently started to eat a more pescatarian diet and found it very difficult to eat here. I thought there would be more choices. I am doing 4 stars because the choices were limited and my favourite, salmon, was off the menu. They said the jellyfish isn't cooked, so that was a no no if pregnant. I do still love this place, but today I was a bit sad. read more

See all

Most people would characterize this place as an izakaya, since they see this as a common, casual dining and drinking shop. It's pretty close. Aburiya Ibushi is comparatively reasonable compared to a regular restaurant. The theme here is items that are grilled over flames and smoke. Always check the day's specials and don't wear your nice clothes. The appetizers, like House Potato Salad, Crushed Spicy Cucumber Tataki, and Shuo Konbu Cabbage Salad are made to accompany heavier items and clear your palate. There is charcoal grilled beef and vegetables - the eggplant w ground pork and Yukon Gold potato w mentai butter cheese are very hearty and worthwhile. The shio koji marinated beef flank or pork belly are also good. There is fresh seafood (stick to the specials) or deep fried goodies if you're craving, but grilled over big flames is the way to go here. Most of the main proteins can be upgraded to a set w rice, pickles, and soup. The drinks are the standards - highballs, chu-hi, shochu, beer. A shochu bottle w glasses and ice, or 300ml sake w ochoko is a good choice for a small group. They have a few wines and a sparkling Spanish cava, but why come here to drink that stuff? Finish your meal w oxtail if you're still hungry. The egg drop soup or rice porridge versions are the best w the noodles a distant third choice. You didn't come here for the desserts so don't bother. read more

See all

Hands down the BEST Japanese food I've ever had in my life. I don't normally rate places a 10/10 but this was absolutely 10/10. Everything tasted amazing. All dishes felt high quality and you can absolutely notice the difference in the way the foods been prepped and made. Though some food tasted a bit more average than others, it was still delicious. It was so good we had to come here twice during our trip. Ambiance was great, service was good. I loved the intimate and coziness I felt during our dinner. For how the food tasted and the price point, it is worth every single cent. I can't wait to come back when I'm back in Oahu! Potato salad: 11/10 Chicken karaage: 10/10 -best karaage ever Agedashi tofu: 9.5/10 Beef tartare: 9/10 Sweet corn: 9/10 Seared ahi: 7.5/10 Oxtail soup: 7/10 Cucumber salad: 7.5/10 Beef tongue: 7/10 read more

See all

Very good izakaya with some amazing dishes, but some are a bit on the bland side. Highlights included the daikon, chicken karaage, and the lotus root. We also tried the eggplant, beef, and pickled cabbage. Plenty of vegetables, so I felt healthy haha. Not sure I'd return, but glad to try this spot. read more

See all

good food. the Pork belly grilled set was delicious, can taste the charcoal smokiness. The Jellyfish salad marinade is fantastic, need that sesame oil recipe. Oxtail ramen taste good. got 1 large cross-section piece of oxtail. Small parking lot in back for $3. read more

See all

We went to Aburiya Ibushi when our son treated my husband and I to dinner. It's on Kapahulu, so parking was a bit of a challenge. The restaurant itself, reminded us of places in Japan. The blue curtains in front and the eclectic decorations and down home feel inside the place. The cooks and waiters seemed to all be young Japanese nationals. There is a manned grill in front of the restaurant and you can see the flames rising up now and then. Service was fast and the food came out in stages, as it was prepared. We had a drink - I think it was yuzu, very refreshing. We had flank steak, some kind of kama (fish collar cooked), sashimi, saba (mackerel), eggplant, agedashi tofu, grilled corn, and a bowl of the oxtail soup. Everything was delicious. We'll go again and order double of the agedashi tofu, grilled corn, and yuzu drinks. read more

See all

We came here and had a great experience! The potato salad was so unique with the powder seasoning they had, I'm not exactly sure what it was but it was salty and maybe had a curry taste? The agedashi tofu was great, very soft and the sauce was delicious. The beef flank was my favorite, so tender and easy to bite into! For drinks we got a ramune + alcohol drink (I'm sorry I forgot the name) and it was a yummy! Sweet and refreshing :) We had a reservation as I think it may be reservation only! The service was great, everyone was kind! read more

See all

Wonderful and friendly staff. The food reminds me of the yakitori stalls from Japan. It does get smoke so casual dress and easy wash a plus. Some of my favors are the flank steak, potato salad, pork belly and grilled okra. Hard to go wrong. Good selection of sake and high balls. Have eaten here 3 times and everything it was very good. read more

Located across from Taco Bell on Kapahulu. We were lucky to find a on street parking near the restaurant. Surprisingly nice atmosphere, with older nostalgic Jpop music playing in the background. It did not feel like it was right off of busy Kapahulu Ave. We were quickly greeted, lucky to have made reservations as they were only seating reservations. Service was quick and friendly, We tried the Oxtail Ramen, which had a light taste and not overly salty like other ramens. The Aburayaki Pork and Beef Flank were both good also.As an onion lover, I really enjoyed the Butter Ponzu onion, which complimented the Beef Flank well. The highlight for me though, was the Potato salad! This thing had flavor oozing all over the place! One of the best potato salads that I've ever had. read more

See all

I was referred to this place by a regular. So he gave me all the recommendations of how to have a good meal. We ordered the beef tongue, chicken karaage, cold tofu, house potato salad and the jellyfish. For two people it was plenty! Parking is on the street but it's not too bad since there's a paid lot at the beginning of the block if you need it. Inside it was nice and the servers were really friendly. read more

See all

Went on a windy early evening so the door had to be closed. We stayed near the door, but with the door shut, it gets hot in that spot since. Every time the door opened, it felt good. Look for a table under their fans if you sweat a lot. Food was great and the restaurant is cozy. Kinda pricy for what you get, but the drinks are decently priced as long as you don't go overboard. read more

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Zucchini - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I would actually rate this restaurant 3.5 stars but since you can't do half starts I rounded up to be fair. The location is right on Kapahulu Ave so parking can be a challenge. We were lucky enough to get a spot right in front of the restaurant. We had reservations, which I would suggest as the restaurant is not that big. The food was decent, not the greatest, but I have definitely had worse. But we will start with the service. The service was the worst part of my visit. This was our first time here and I may not come back, I honestly need to think about it. The service was the moment we entered until checkout was so slow and very unattentive. There was only one waitress when we arrived but it was not busy and there were only three other tables when we got there. One was almost done, the other had just gotten their food and the third ordered just as we sat down. Waiting for waitress to come to the door to acknowledge us took a few minutes and then once seated to when we finally got to order must have been 10-15 minutes, with no water or drinks. Then, when we ordered it took about 20-25 minutes to receive our first item which was an appetizer. We had a few appetizers and then main dishes but all in all by the time we got our food it was an hour! I made note of that because they have a note or sign somewhere (I can't remember), saying that seating is limited to 1 1/2 hours when busy and I told my husband that if they want to limit the time they need to be quicker because our time is almost up and we just got the main dishes. We ordered dessert and then, waiting for our bill probably took another 15 minutes. Now the food - that was decent. Not your typical Japanese restaurant, no sushi, no sashimi, but it was fine. The chicken karaage was good; saucy but good. The eggplant and the mochi was not good. The beef flank and pork belly were good but the pork belly does not look like the picture. The prices were very reasonable. I'm not sure how others say they are so busy as they weren't that busy when we went and they may seem busy because service is so slow. Overall, 3.5 stars and maybe I would return one more time but if it is the same service, then I would prefer to go elsewhere. read more

i always come here when i visit oahu the food is full of charcoal grilled flavor i definitely recommend the pork belly and beef tongue along with the whole grilled onion! service is great and the ambiance is very clean and kept!! read more

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Had a great time at this little local gem. We loved every single thing we ordered, from the crushed cucumber salad to the fanciest grilled steak. Had a great little evening sitting at the bar watching the folks cook. They delivered the goods and put a spin on some favorite dishes, such as karaage chicken in what I'd call a Japanese chimichurri sauce. While our large chunk of juicy steak took a half an hour to cook, rest, and serve, we were amazed that it turned out perfectly. Will be back as soon as we can! read more

See all

If you're missing Japan, this is the place to go. Reminded me of being in a Shinjuku izakaya, minus the all you can drink (iykyk). Unagi bowl, mackerel, jellyfish, wasabi tako, and potato salad were all amazing. Can't wait to go back. read more

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Unagi kamameshi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

A great spot for a date or group, with delicious food, quaint decor, good service, and a truly authentic atmosphere. You must try the house potato salad and the Aburiyaki beef flank. Will definitely be coming back frequently. read more

Service and atmosphere was really nice! Would definitely make reservations if you are planning to go! Most of the dishes were decent, the rice bowl with unagi was a bit dry though! read more

See all

This has been a while since I last came here. I was able to make a same day reservation early in the morning through Yelp and was happy to get a decently early seating. The menu and atmosphere have definitely changed in the past 3 years since I've been here, and I like the changes. Inside and lively and can be noisy with the traffic outside, music inside, and the happy guests. Take your time with the menu as there are many items, and everything can be ordered Ala Carte or as a Set (comes with Rice, Soup, Pickles, and another side dish. Side dish of the night was Japanese Potato Salad). Salmon Belly- 5/5. This was a special for the day that did not disappoint at all. The size, flavourful, and texture from grilling were superb. Comes with a shoyu daikon stack and lemon (but does not need either). There were no bones at all and I ended up eating the Fin as well. Grilled Mackrel (Saba)- 3/5. The Mackrel was freshly grilled and maintained it's juices and tenderness. It was nice to eat compared to the store bought or other generic pieces you tend to get at other locations. My only negative is that our piece had a lot of bones to slow down our eating tempo. Eggplant with Ground Beef- 4/5. One of my favorites from the night. The eggplant is grilled with the Miso Marinated Meat and it is always fun to eat. Beef Tongue- 3.5/5. This little gem is a cute portion of Beef Tongue lightly grilled then served poke style. Which taste and nice chewy texture- the price may dissuade you if you are trying to get full on a budget. It is a nice appetizer but do note it is a small appetizer. Jellyfish- 4.5/5. It's not often that I find myself craving jellyfish, but this one is quite good. Often, you get Jellyfish that is crunchy, over marinated in Sesame Oil, or with a bad aftertaste. This was none of the above. It had a light sesame oil taste, extremely nice texture, and was fun to eat. We were contemplating ordering another, but we already ordered 5 dishes and 2 drinks each. Drinks- 4/5. I like Chu-Hai and the selection of drinks you can get is great (or you can get the same options without Alcohol). The outstanding ones were definitely the Ramune, Melon Soda Float, and Lychee Apple. So, to summarize my second visit after a long hiatus, I was happy with how the restaurant has evolved and the food was great. You can easily make a reservation here on Yelp or event join the wait list. Come with friends and try several dishes to make it more interesting! read more

See all

I was really looking forward to trying this place since izakaya is my favorite, and the 4.5-star reviews set high expectations. Unfortunately, I left pretty disappointed, especially considering about a $250 bill for three people. The first couple of dishes were awesome (mentaiko potato salad / agedashi tofu). After that, things went downhill. Many of the dishes had a sour flavor and overpowered by cumin. The spareribs, for example, had barely any meat and were coated in a thick layer of cumin, making them difficult to enjoy. The karaage was topped with pickled onions, which could have worked, but the chicken itself was also sour, which threw off the balance. The porige tasted like natto and smoke. Other fried items were crispy but extremely oily. Portion sizes were quite small, and although we didn't eat much of each dish, there was little left. The menu photos can be misleading (they're zoomed in and don't reflect the actual serving size) Overall, the experience didn't live up to the hype or the price point. read more