Here we are back at Kikuya. Our waitress wasn't Cris who was there but was busy with other…read morecustomers. Lee served us today. I didn't forget as I said i would take pictures of the current menu and I did. I also said that i would try the chirashi and I did. I'm very glad I did. It was very good with fresh fish. I will attempt to name all the sashimi that went into making the chirashi. Forgive me if I'm wrong. Let's start off with the easy one first which would be maguro. Then there's tamago, ebi, hamachi, tako, sake, Tobiko and tai. Oh ok. I understand. Ahi (yellow fish), egg, shrimp, Yellow tail, octopus, salmon, flying fish eggs and red snapper or sea bream. The chirashi comes with Miso soup, edamame, cabbage and pickled onions(?). The place was crowded when we came in. Harder to sit a group of five people. My bowling mates all opted for the lunch box which is a great deal. It comes with everything that I got with my chirashi. You can select 2 choices and a piece of either vegetable tempura or shrimp tempura or 2 pieces of gyoza. I'd recommend the shrimp tempura. All of this for just $22.95. That's a good price for Japanese food and the amount given. My chirashi was $25.95. If you're looking for Japanese food and on a budget, give this place a try. Ask for Cris and tell her the Monday bowlers sent you. She will get a kick out of that. Mahalo gang and have a nice day.

Ruh Roh. Today we took another couple to Kikuya for lunch and t was massively disappointing. We had…read moreso little food that we had to order another lunch for the couple to have so they wouldn't be hungry. Two of us ordered the butterfish combination and the butterfish was paper thin, not cooked properly or evenly, one piece overcooked and the other not browned. Soo embarrassing for us as hosts. Two of us got the Ten Zaru, cold green soba noodles with tenpura and it was good, but not enough soba to get full. We are so sad--this happened to us last year---all of a sudden the quality and quantity declined and we quit coming instead of weekly--we took a 8 month break. Guess we will go back to Teishoku for their butterfish, or even Don Quijote. We are very sad to report this change in Kikuya's butterfish portion size and preparation.

Located inside Kamehaha Shopping Center, it's conveniently located. Our server was Me Aloha- so…read morefriendly, energetic & efficient, even with all the tables full. My unagi was good - not fishy and not too much sauce. I was surprised at how big the keiki meal was- really worth the money! And, the child in our group enjoyed it! Nothing surprising, just really good.

CODY visited for lunch CODY ordered miso butterfish…read moreCODY food was tasty CODY servers were friendly and speedy CODY dining are was clean and organized CODY will return

Yohei Sushi Restaurant opened in 1990 in Kalihi by founder/sushi chef Kazuto Obara and his wife who…read morehad immigrated to Hawaii from Hiroshima in the 1970's. It was his dream to open his own authentic Japanese restaurant using his special omakase experience from Japan and one of the first authentic sushi restaurants in Honolulu. It was a concept of "bringing Japan's finest to Hawaii" with a desire to "build a bridge between the two cultures of Japan and Hawaii." In 2018, operations were taken over by Testsuya Matsuda. A 2nd location was opened in Kahala in Jan 2024 by Hiroshima Mazda, whose specialty is traditional Japanese sushi (or omakase). Yohei Sushi 's menu offerings include: * Teishoku (or set meal). Comes with miso soup, rice, Japanese pickles, cold soba noodles, seasonal side dish. Main entrees are sashimi, tempura, maguro, misoyaki butterfish, ahi steak, saba. Salmon, ahi belly, katsu, and more. * Sushi Bar. With miso soup. Menu offerings are deluxe & standard assorted sushi, maguro don, Chirashi sushi. * Noodles. Choice of udon or soba with various combinations, e.g., nabeyaki, tempura, tororo, tanuki, zaru, kitsune, tori, tukimi, kake, and ojiya udon. Also, combo meals of tendon/noodle, sushi/noodle; and donburi of unaju, oyako don and ten-ju. * Side order & ala carte. Includes sashimi, chawanmushi, ika, shinkomori, murokyu, soft shell crab, miuzuku, Hiyahakko, edamame, tempura. Ahi belly katsu, misoyaki butterfish, saba, seafood tempura, maguro temprta, ahi steak, salmon. We've had the following: * Tendon and Noodle. Deep fried tempura of shrimp and assorted veggies in a rice bowl with sauce & hot udon. Very filling and tasty! * Tempura Teishoku. This teishoku had 3 large pieces of fried tempura shrimp and assorted veggies, e.g., carrot, eggplant, green beans, pumpkin, that were light and non-oily. Our teishoku meals came with pickled veggies, cold soba, rice, and miso soup with lots of wakame and radish sprouts. Very flavorful! They also offered a complimentary birthday scoop of ice cream with a dollop of an as a topping, which was refreshing and paired well! * Maguro Tempura Teishoku. Hubby's choice of fried tempura tuna set, and he noted that there were 8 large tender pieces of maguro that was lightly fried and non-oily. Very delicious and filling! * Unagi nigiri. The unagi was so flaky, tender, and light and had the right amount of sauce. Loved it! The presentation of the meals was beautifully plated with real, authentic Japanese small dish bowls and plates. The food was of good quality and very flavorful! Customer service was excellent! Diners are greeted by staff upon entering and thanked when leaving. The old-time servers were very patient, attentive, welcoming, and gracious! Our food orders came out in a timely manner, and the servers, with smiles, frequently asked if everything was okay and if we needed anything else. Hours of operation are: lunch daily from 11a to 2p, dinner from 5p to 9p, closed Wed. Happy hour is from Thurs to Tues from 1:30p to 5p. Located in Kokea Center that looks like a run-down strip mall at Dillingham Blvd and Kokea St, the restaurant interior has a great ambiance as if you were dining in Japan, as it is comfortable and welcoming. It was amazing to see almost every table was taken by dining customers. Reservations are a must, as people are turned away. Good thing I called for lunch reservations at 12:15p on a weekday, which was tha last table available. And the restaurant was packed the entire time that we were there! Free parking in the private lot shared by other businesses, as well as metered street parking. Yohei Sushi has been successful over the past years in its presentation, flavors, taste, and customer service, and we hope to return to try different menu offerings!

TL;DR A terrific…read moreJapanese restaurant with high-quality set courses. ----- Yohei is a quintessential Japanese restaurant in the heart of Honolulu. The food is delicious, the presentation is on point, and the service is attentive and friendly. There are many great Japanese spots in Honolulu, and Yohei is certainly one of them. During my most recent visit, I ordered the Shrimp and Maguro Tempura Teishoku. I've never had tuna tempura before, so I decided to try it. The teishoku comes with several small side dishes, the tempura, doba, rice, and miso soup. It's a solid amount of food. Everything was oishikatta, and I left the restaurant feeling full. The tempura was airy, crunchy, and cooked to perfection. The soba noodles were chewy and springy, and the side dishes nicely complimented the main courses. I enjoyed it all! There are so many Japanese options in Honolulu, but I will certainly be back to Yohei at some point.

My friend and I tried Kale's Hale for the first time on a Sunday night. The place was packed so I…read morerecommend making a reservation. Cyra (sorry if I'm misspelling your name!) was our server and she was great! I have dietary restrictions and she was very knowledgeable about the food. If there was something she was unsure of, she made sure to ask the kitchen first. I felt very safe eating there. Since I can't have wheat, I wasn't able to try all the marinated meats but I was completely satisfied with the non marinated options. My favorite was the beef belly and brisket. The two sauces I could have were also super delicious. Unfortunately, I couldn't sample the luau soup or the Wagyu laulau but it looked mayjah. I really wanted to sample um so I was able to try an allergy friendly version on my next visit. Shoutout to Chef Kale for making a special order of laulau for me the next time I came. For ambiance my two positive takeaways were the cold AC and clean bathrooms. The AC is kickin in there. I love not sweating while grilling. Overall, the food is great but it's the customer service that really makes me want to come back.

Friday, August 14th @ 5:15pm celebrated my birthday. Lindsay…read morewas such a great server which made our first experience even better! She's respectful with a happy attitude and it was so much fun when she & a group of staff sang 'Happy B-day' giving me a slightly new name (an innocent error... but the situation was hilarious)! I love to 'flame-cook' meats so it worked out perfectly here. The food was so delicious, we enjoyed the selection of the banchan & the complementary side dishes too...especially the luau soup and crab potato salad. This is a great place for families and large groups too. We will definitely be back to 'support local'!

The owner 4th gen Fujiwari is very nice . This location opened in 1923…read more They just remodeled the house. They have at least two very large ball rooms and they have a eight seat sushi bar with the famous telescope that the Japanese used to spy on Pearl Harbor leading up to December 7, 1941 the beginning of World War 2. The sushi rice is perfect perfect temperature. The fish is really good. The Omakase is not too long. They make their own shoyu and wasabi in house Highly rated, but they need to add a sushi bar on the second floor with a view and replicate telescope The service was outstanding

Excellent bento pick up experience! I arrived, provided my name and my bento order was promptly…read moredelivered to my car with a smile! The Natsunoya Deluxe bentos have an incredible selection of items and so delicious! Everything was flavorful, nicely packed, and easy to take home leftovers. Tip: 1) Review the catering section on the website. 2) Call, don't email, as soon as you finalize your bento numbers. They may need to determine if they are able to accommodate your order given other orders already received for that same day. I called 2 weeks ahead. I definitely recommend their bentos and can't wait to find another opportunity to order again.

As you can already see this place has 5 stars for several reasons…read more 1. Quality of the food. 2. Variety 3. Everything freshly made. 4. Super friendly and accommodating staff 5. Easy access with street parking Yes it's somewhat off the beaten path, but a path worth taking. Was so ono!!

Always a good time here! The kamameshi is a must try (I like the salmon and ikura)…read more Tonight we tried the A5 wagyu teppan, the scallops, salmon and ikura kamameshi, fried oysters, soft shell crab, and karei karaage special. Service is always great, ambiance is a neighborhood spot. Highly recommend.

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.

I've often wondered about this old skool Japanese restaurant called "Yagura Restaurant"…read more Old skool diners are da BESTEST!!! After seeing my Yelp buddy - Tami C. check into this restaurant numerous times, I figah I go chance 'em!!!! I'm so happy to have tried this old skool Japanese restaurant, as I adore the old skool nostalgia! Walking into this restaurant makes me feel like I was a little kid in the 1970's. My friend & I were greeted right away upon entering the restaurant, and directed to sit into a vinyl seated booth/table. Yagura's menu is simple, offering an array of Teishoku meals. I ended up getting the BBQ Chicken Teishoku meal which included a salad, miso soup, white rice, & tsukemono. My friend - Gary T. ended up getting a combination plate of BBQ Chicken & Shrimp Tempura. What can I say about da grub? Simply O.U.T.S.T.A.N.D.I.N.G!!! My BBQ Chicken came out on a hot sizzling platter, & underneath the BBQ Chicken there was grilled onions. Yum! The chicken skin was crispy, and the sauce was deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious! Nicely executed! My friend also enjoyed his meal & mention to me that he was also glad to try this place, as he's never been here before. Service here was on point, as the waitress was friendly & efficient. Parking here is a bit challenging, as there are only 4 parking stalls infront of the restaurant. If you're unlucky to get one of the premium parking stalls, street parking is your only other option. The decor at this restaurant is definitely old skool. If your dig old skool nostalgia like me, then ya gotta check out Yagura Restaurant!

Another one I was able to cross off my list. I've probably driven by this place hundreds of times…read morebut never tried it. I met a friend who works nearby for lunch. This place is definitely a throwback. You can feel that vibe once you walk through the doors. Quickly got seated and served water and tea (which I really appreciated). Some places don't offer it or don't even have it. The menu is quite extensive. I settled on the Teishoku with Sashimi, salmon and teri beef. They brought out the miso soup (not the kind out of a tube) and the rice before the meal arrived. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the salmon, most places that I go to it's pretty small. I could only eat half of it. The portions sizes for all the dishes were good. I actually had to take home some of the teri beef too. Kind of bummed that I hadn't been to this place 20 years ago. I guess like they say, better late than never. I will be back.

My boyfriend and I had a great time for our very first omakase experience with Hiro. Hiro and his…read morewife warmly welcomed us as we waited for the previous seating to wrap up. Hiro is incredibly personable, engaging, and entertaining. We had so much fun chatting with him and Brandy (if I remember correctly) throughout the meal. He really set the ambiance with the lighting, beautiful art, and all these cute little knickknacks + trinkets. Every single course was explained so beautifully. As he was describing each dish, my mouth was just salivating knowing how good it was going to be. Each bite literally felt like that scene in Ratatouille where Remy tastes the cheese and strawberry together and fireworks start going off. The parking lot facing N Nimitz Highway was super convenient, just a short walk from the restaurant, and cost $9 after our dinner. We couldn't have asked for a better first omakase experience and we are so glad we chose Hiro No Uchi!

Very pleasantly surprised by this somewhat hidden sushi omakase spot in Chinatown. I've never heard…read moreof this place before, nor the chef, and was invited by a group of friends celebrating a special occasion. I usually pass on sushi omakase outside of Japan nowadays unless the experience is significantly value added. I loved the decor and vibes. Everything seemed very personal and aesthetically kooky, like I was in a trendy yet intimate late night izakaya spot. The seats were a little empty this night but I didn't mind the specialized attention by the chef. There are two times for seating (5:30PM and 8:30PM). We opted for 5:30 seating. There were 14 courses and a complimentary, customized macaron at the end. Definitely wowed from the get-go, loved the attention to detail and chef's run down of ingredients and where he sourced them (a lot from Japan, some local). Ingredients for toppings were creative. Fish was fresh *although some gristle existed on some of my pieces which I didn't love (and a bone in just one). I would say though, the topping ingredients got a little repetitive as the courses progressed. I did not enjoy the miso soup nor the tamagoyaki at the end (the last two courses). Miso soup did not have deep flavor and there was alot of it. The texture and taste of the tomago was not pleasant, a sweet bite of charcoal and black sesame accents. I would say definitely come once for the atmosphere and food. I think the experience is a little more subjective from person to person. It wasn't the cheapest sushi omakase (a little over $200 per person if you gave a generous tip) without drinks. My favorite bites were the Yellow Stripe Butterfish, the Rockfish topped with a strand of seagrape, and the 5-day aged toro topped with gold flakes from Kanazawa, Japan. There is also a hallway and bathroom that connects to a hidden speakeasy operated by the Easy Company. Cute and intimate as well!

Old school Okinawan cuisine. .Love the Champuru shoyu pork and Nasubi…read more Friendly local service! And atmosphere. Daily specials written in the white board.

I met an high school friend there and was excited to sit and visit. She had never been to this…read morerestaurant and enjoyed the food, service and ambiance. When we arrived it wasn't busy but the dynamics quickly changed as the lunch crowd arrived. Our choices for lunch made the experience positive. Service is quick, food is fresh and ambiance is comfortable. I've been here a number of times and enjoyed it every time. My friend said she's coming back. Thank you Utage for the great service, fresh food and ambiance of comfort wanting to return again.