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    Aja Sushi & Bento

    3.4 (140 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Aja Sushi & Bento Photos

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    AJA SUSHI & BENTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Paejun: a little bready yet choke full of good ingredients. Delicious
    Li Y.

    I'm a sucker for a good Korean savory pancake. When I browsed the selections for the afternoon and saw a delicious looking seafood pancake on the grab and go counter I had to get it. In fact, I grabbed the last two packages! It appears this grab and go counter has a nice selection of both Japanese/local and Korean prepackaged items and made to order. Prices appeared to be more than reasonable. And in the afternoons may even be discounted. Not sure what time that is though. The paejun was deeelicious. Sauce provided gave the perfect seasoning. Sure it wasn't as crispy as if just made to order. But for what it is I would absolutely buy again. Located in the Makai Foodcourt of Ala Moana Center, Aja provides a nice option amongst many options. Located close to the Honolulu Cookie Company kiosk and my other favorite Korean food stall in the foodcourt.

    Bento
    Craig T.

    I thought I reviewed this place before I guess not . Located in the Ala Moana food court Diamond head end. It's Aja Sushi & Bento if you're looking for a quick bite to eat or something to take to the beach this is the spot . Today I ordered for lunch a bento with rice, 2 shrimp tempura, fried gyoza and garlic chicken. They also sell Musubi and Korean sushi . Service was fast and quick grab and go to the register.

    Large garlic chicken
    Susan B.

    Walked around Makai Market Food Court to see what I wanted to eat. Out of many options, I decided on Aja Sushi & Bento. They offer many selections such as garlic chicken, gyoza, grilled fish, japchae and many more. Prepacked for easy grab and go. Everything looked really good. I got the large garlic chicken which was $12.99. Loved the flavors but it was a bit overcooked so some parts of the chicken was kinda dry. Portion was huge. Service was quick.

    The saba is under there. It's a huge juicy Saba. Wasn't dry at all.
    San S.

    Came in at 9am. Most of the businesses in the food court was closed, since they open at 10am. Walked to Aja Bento and seen the lights were on employees at the counter prepping orders. Asked if they're open... glad they were open. Ordered the two choice main and 3 choice side. Asked what substitution is available for no rice, they said +1 more side. What a deal, since the rice would be wasted because I don't like rice. Win win! Saba and garlic chicken main. Sides teagu 2x, tofu and broccoli.

    Garlic chicken - All breading hardly any meat
    Carina Y.

    What the heck happened Aja!!? This place used to be good. Supposedly known for their garlic chicken and now it's literally all batter!! Tough, bland roast beef and the meat Jun (barely any beef) no taste and rubbery. LITERALLY WORST KOREAN FOOD IVE EVER HAD! The beef was inedible; I gave it to my dog. Also, I called trying to get a refund and the manager would not refund my money unless I came back with the old food and receipt. I told her I could give her the receipt/transaction # that was texted to me after I used tap to pay. She said she wouldn't use that either. I also told her I live all the way in Mililani so I can't come back to town. She basically said too bad that's all she can do. That's terrible customer service!! Don't waste your time and money on this place!

    Abigail C.

    I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of options in the Makai Market food court, but the variety at Aja was appealing - you can try several Korean dishes in a bento! I ordered "double" box - 2 proteins, 3 sides, and white rice. For ~$15, the amount of quality food you get is ridiculously good. I got the fried zucchini (they counted this as a protein option), salmon, japchae, seaweed salad, and gai lan. Everything was seasoned well and fresh. I split the "double" box with another person, and we were both full. They also have to-go sides that can be quickly scanned at the register. This is a great option if you want more of a snack than a meal!

    Unagi, Rice, Mac Salad, Greens - $15
    Tu-Anh N.

    WHEN: Sun @10am I wanted to treat myself to something yummy, and without having to stand in line for it. After my friends and I found a table, this spot was just on the other side of the court. I like that the set up is like Poke Bowl, where you get to pick your base, your main and 2 sides. I went for the: White Rice Unagi (+$3) Greens Mac Salad Total came out to be around $15 Wow it was good, and I'm so glad I didn't have to wait in line for it! It's pretty filling, and I didn't even finish all my rice! I made good choices today!

    One choice, meat jun, with bok choy and Mac salad with white rice. It was good and perfect portion.
    Shannon H.

    They weren't busy like the rest of the food court had lines. Good spot with good choices, or to just grab and go. Tons of bento choices, with sides of gyoza, and vegetable patties, and musubi. We took our food and ate on the upper level because we didn't want to walk around looking for a seat. It was a good, tasty, quick lunch.

    Hannah H.

    Aja Sushi & Bento is located at the Ala Moana Center, as part of their food court offerings, and they have a great selection of to-go items: bento boxes, dumplings, fried chicken, etc. Definitely a good place to grab some freshly-prepared items to go for a picnic, a quick meal, and/or a quick bite. Staff are friendly, and they tend to replenish the selections pretty well. +to-go items +located at the Ala Moana Center

    Japchae
    Sunny V.

    Located in the Makai food court. Great for grab&go. Lots of ready made bento type dishes. We got the Japchae. It was a good sized portion and it was delicious! Aja is definitely a good place for on the go delicious meals!

    Inside the food court - Makai, Diamond Head corner.
    Tin Lung C.

    Inside the Ala moana food court is this cute bento shop that you can buy some small bite , bento, and drinks. I love the location because it is at the corner and not super busy and crowded. The spam musubi is one of my favorite items.

    Mixed bowl $12.99
    Kim T.

    Japchae $7.99 & onigiri $3.29... taste pretty good good but it's a little pricy for an onigiri

    Menu 1/14/2025
    Al L.

    Had a get-together with friends at the Makai food court. We decided to get our food based on our preference and meet back at the table which we had gathered. One of our friend recommended Aji so we checked them out and walked around to see the other options. We ended back at Aji which offered a large selection of Korean/Japanese items consisting of pre-packaged items and food on the steamer trays. Saw the Bento choices and opted for the Two Choice Plate which consisted of 2 mains, 3 sides and rice. I selected the saba and garlic chicken for the mains and gai laan greens, yellow radish and japchae for the sides. The saba was flaky and tasty, just beware of the bones. I like the yellow radish and japchae sides. Overall, the food was pretty good, especially for a food court restaurant. A good option at the Makai.

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    Their roast beef tastes different now. I love beef and the roast beef tastes like they made em 2 days ago.

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    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

    4.3
    (4.2k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$
    Free parking
    19 years in business

    This was a very delicious dining experience on our recent Hawaiian trip!…read more It was a short and very pleasant walk along the beach to reach the restaurant from the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel. I highly recommend making a reservation as this place is very popular and is not very big inside. When you arrive, they have one side to check-in for reservations and one side to check-in for walkups. As I mentioned above, the inside is rather small and a bit cramped. However, the service is very friendly! I had the deluxe pork loin set which includes rice, salad, soup, and curry sauce. The meat was extremely tender, but the coating was a touch oiler than I am used to. The curry sauce was really tasty and was a nice addition to the katsu! I also love that they had fountain soft drinks with complimentary refills. This was a very tasting tonkatsu dining experience in Honolulu!

    We have been coming here on our every visit to Hawaii but this time we were so disappointed…read more Service was horrible. We ordered the tofu for appetizer and the every time we poured the soy sauce, little flies came out. We opened the bottle and there were so many dead flies. We told the server and he said he would bring a new one. The new bottle they brought also had flies. So we told the server and he said he would bring another and he never did. By that time, we didn't want the tofu anymore. We lost our appetite and no one apologized. We were so disappointed with the service.

    Photos
    Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu
    Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu
    Special Katsu-don set
    Special Katsu-don set
    Katasu-don

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    Katasu-don
    Tonkatsu Tamafuji

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji

    4.6
    (2.5k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$$

    Oyster and shrimp tonkatsu combo, unlimited cabbage salad, unlimited rice and white clam miso soup…read more Side premium Sapporo beer and a hot sake. YUMMMMMY!!!! Attentive and fast service. The new location is very nice and spacious. Street side meter parking. Make a reservation a month ahead on the first at midnight!!! Will we return? Yes. Oh yes!

    My friend made a reservation here for my birthday and I was unsure how I'd feel considering I never…read morecared for tonkatsu. Parking is available in the garage beneath or if you're lucky you can find street parking along the side. We had a reservation at 5pm and were seated immediately at our scheduled time. There were so many people waiting outside so I already had high expectations for this place. Once seated, we were greeted right away with hot towels and water. We got our sides and our sesame shortly after and I opted for the dish that had 1 of everything of oyster, shrimp tempura, onion, pork loin, and chicken. You also get to choose what kind of rice and soup you want. I went with shiso rice and regular miso tofu soup. I figure I might as well go big! Our food arrived and the first bite had me immediately hooked. The tonkatsu is so airy and didn't feel heavy at all. The rice was nice and fluffy, you can tell they use the good rice. I was never a big fan of tonkatsu but this place changed my mind. I already can't wait for my next time back. Pro tip: MAKE A RESERVATION!!

    Photos
    Inside seating
    Inside seating
    Making the sauce
    Making the sauce
    Mix Katsu Set

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    Mix Katsu Set
    Marugame Udon

    Marugame Udon

    4.5
    (14.1k reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Absolutely amazing noodle spot! There was a long line when we arrived, but it moved incredibly…read morefast. As soon as we got inside, we knew this place was going to be something special. Being able to watch them make the noodles in the back, combined with the incredible smell throughout the restaurant, made the whole experience even better. I ordered the curry udon, while my wife got the creamy broth, and we also shared the tempura shrimp. Everything was absolutely delicious. Honestly, this was probably our best food stop on the island. I'll be thinking about this restaurant for a long time. Where we're from, there's nothing even close to a place like this. If you're visiting the island, this is definitely a spot you need to try!

    Where do I even begin?!?! This place is an absolute gem!!! Marugame Udon offers some of the…read morefreshest and finest- handmade Sanuki udon on the island! Their noodles are made in-house (following authentic Sanuki traditions from Japan) and cooked daily. Customers order their noodles at the counter, pick their tempura from a self-serve station, and pay at the end. What's even more impressive- patrons can watch the chefs make the food right in front of them (making for a cool dining experience). Highly recommend getting there early- lines are insane! But for the most part, the line moves fast because meals are dished out quickly and guests eat and leave in a timely manner. And prices are relatively low compared to other places. I ordered the #2 Creamy Broth- creamy chicken broth topped with juicy pork chashu and a flavorful seasoned egg 10/10! This was absolute fire!!! My wife ordered the Chicken Katsu- lightly battered, well seasoned and packed with flavor. We also ordered a side of Shrimp Tempura and Potato Croquettes. Both were equally delicious, but the potato croquettes hit the spot with a well seasoned potato mash, encased in a golden deep fried breadcrumb 10/10! It's an absolute must!

    Photos
    You can watch as they make your food!
    You can watch as they make your food!
    Kake Udon
    Kake Udon
    Dining Room!

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    Dining Room!
    ABURIYA IBUSHI

    ABURIYA IBUSHI

    4.5
    (452 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Whenever I passed by this place on Kapahulu, there's always a line, and line's don't lie, right?!…read moreMade reservations (highly recommended) and found street parking as they do not have a dedicated lot. Once inside, you are warmly greeted. It's a little dim inside during the day. No paper menus; you need to scan a QR code to see what you want to order. Our group ordered the teishoku set which came with the main entree, rice, oxtail broth, and 2 appetizers (we opted for tofu and eggplant). We opted for the Aburi flank steak which was very very tasty and the Aburi chicken. The chicken was a touch on the salty side, but it came with a spicy dipping sauce which was phenomenal! All the meats had the delicious smoky flavor from the grill. The oxtail broth was kinda bland. We also ordered the oxtail ramen which was also a hit. Finished off dinner with ice cream + mochi. The mochi is also grilled but know that it's not sweet mochi.

    So thankful for restaurants that open late. We thankfully found street parking and this was the…read moreonly place open. How lucky for us! Customer service was terrific. Since it was late, we noticed the back of house staff help the front. Everyone was so friendly and food comes out fast. The only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is because the food was a bit too flavorful - we all agreed that everything was slightly salty. I could also say portion of some items may not match price, but I understand inflation is increasing at an alarming rate. So I'll leave money out of this. Crushed cucumbers were interesting. We couldn't decide if eating it with chopsticks or spoon was better. With chopsticks, you might not get enough sauce. But you could taste the layers of flavor. With a spoon, you get too much saltiness. The spice hits at the end. The tako karaage were a little too chewy for us. Beef tongue was so tender. A definite must order. I dont think it needs rice though. We also ordered the late night nikumiso but it didn't come with an egg, which the menu said it should. We tried handful more items but we'll be back to try the oxtail items, as it sounds like that's their specialties, but takes extra time to prepare.

    Photos
    Storefront... just like we're in Japan!
    Storefront... just like we're in Japan!
    Their famous potato salad.
    Their famous potato salad.
    Potato Salad

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    Potato Salad
    I-NABA

    I-NABA

    4.4
    (807 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Came here for Sunday breakfast with the kiddies, and we arrived a little after 8:00 a.m. There was…read moreplenty of parking and seating available, and we were greeted and seated right away. We were promptly served water and hot tea while we looked over the menu. My boys love salmon, so they chose the Grilled Salted Salmon Set. Knowing they probably wouldn't finish their meals, I ordered the TKG Set and added natto and mentaiko on the side. Each set comes with miso soup, rice, and an assortment of delicious sides. Everything was so good! One of my favorite touches was at the end of the meal when our waitress brought out dashi with seaweed, wasabi, and green onions (comes with the Salmon Sets) for us to pour over the remaining rice. It was the perfect way to finish the meal. We cleaned our plates and enjoyed every bite. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to try more of their breakfast dishes and to experience their lunch and dinner offerings as well.

    My favorite soba restaurant. I love that they offer so many different preparations/toppings/sides;…read morethey can always satisfy whatever I'm in the mood for (hot or cold). They also have excellent tempura and sashimi. My favorite is the 'Hana' (cold soba w/tororo-unu-ikura-wakkame-nori-negi) but add ume & natto, and a side order vegetable tempura. (They also have incredible unagi tempura and a kakiage over hot soba) - plus they have yuzu ginger sorbet!! Service is always polite and friendly which makes it easy to become a regular here. Prices are well worth it for the quality.

    Photos
    I-NABA
    Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice
    Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice
    Hana soba

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    Hana soba
    Little Plum

    Little Plum

    4.5
    (288 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    Food was excellent, very tasty!!! Portion sizes were small but definitely worth going back to try…read moremore dishes! Corn, rib eye sticks, Kalbi bao buns!!!!

    Little Plum is always an enjoyable experience. First of all, the restaurant is quaint and…read morecomfortable. The dining area is one open area, the table setting is cozy with its crochet coaster and wooden chopsticks rest. There's an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs put love into each dish. My server even pointed out who will be making my crispy pork belly. The wait staff is so helpful and welcoming. They made sure our vegan friend was well-taken care of. She suggested the mushroom jook where they would put the chicken on the side. They even added more mushroom to elevate his dining experience! Today we ordered family style, which they happily accommodated for us. They served the rice on the side. Our menu included short rib bao and shiitake bao (vegan), ume tomato, namul, spicy miso eggplant, crispy pork belly, menchi katsu, and mushroom jook. The standouts were the crispy pork belly with its watercress tomato onion salad, the ume tomato on whipped tofu, and spicy miso eggplant. The mushroom jook is so comforting, hearty and full of flavor served with chicken confit and a soy egg. The two desserts offered are both winners. The mochi churro with kinako and anglaise is crispy, light and creamy. The pineapple orange pudding is so cool and refreshing. And, 100% of dessert sales go to the culinary team! What?! Love this place. Plus, with you check are some fun asian candies -white rabbit and haw flakes! I haven't been there for dinner yet. That'll be next.

    Photos
    Inside da restaurant......
    Inside da restaurant......
    Catch of the day
    Catch of the day
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    Aja Sushi & Bento - japanese - Updated August 2026

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