As good as a Hawaiian diner gets! Fast polite service even during a busy dinner service. Prices reasonable for the large portions. Tried the famous oxtail soup and it did not disappoint. Lots of super soft tender oxtail, the broth was incredibly flavorful and rich but somehow light! Craving it already. Also had their lap cheong fried rice (so addictive, lots of sausage and topped with egg), combo donburi (so tasty too. The rice was soaked with that delicious sauce!), and the Asahi salad (I don't really think diners are the right place to order a salad but we wanted something lighter to go with the meal. It was alright but nothing to write home about.). Overall will def return, esp for the oxtail soup! read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Oxtail soup! We split it into small bowls for sharing. - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is fantastic. 100% old school, authentic Hawai'i - what it freaking used to be! This spot has soooo many different kine dishes. I love the breakfast plate with fried rice. So freaking good. So fabulously old school. I love you, Asahi Grill! read more

If you're on Ward Ave and looking for a good place to eat, check out Asahi Grill. Parking lot is a little tight. Prices are getting up there but the food is ono. My go too dish is their Hamburger Steak with Fried Rice OR Ox Tail soup. If you been there before you may have your own favorite and the food is always the same, ono. read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Hamburger Steak with Fried Rice - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The locals know all the hot spots. Got to try this gem and finally got me some local bomb curry. So glad they had some vegetarian options. Tried the fried tempura eggplant curry that came with rice and Mac salad. Carb game on fire. The eggplant tempura was so fresh, crispy and hot on the curry. The curry was extremely flavorful and paired very well with the tempura and rice. The mac salad was rich with Mayo and complimented my entree. Imagine if they put some eggs on top.... Ooouuu!!! It would be lit. Loved this spot, it was so good!!! And affordable imo. Best local bang for your buck!!! read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Eggplant Curry - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

this place never disappoint. The bbq short ribs is killer! So soft and the sauce is just right sweetness. The oxtail soup is better than other places I've tried and delicious also. gotta check it out! read more

This place is crap. 2 separate occasions we sit down inside and the waitress taking her sweet ass time then she serves the people that came after us . Food came out cold like it was left waiting on the counter! Food taste like KAPIOLANI coffee shop just service is poor never coming back to this one. read more

6-8-22 We've been coming here for years for their oxtail, even during the pandemic. In fact this is the first we ventured into when restrictions lifted for dining in. The taste of the oxtail ramen is SO enjoyable to me. Hubs orders their oxtail soup. Today I had to stare as the server brought hub's bowl first- oh my... the bowl got smaller. Guess it beats raising the price as some places charge close to $20 or higher. At $12.95 it's reasonable and filling enough for breakfast. I like to load 2 scoops of their grated ginger into my soup then I use my chopsticks to swirl them around into the noodles. Today's bowl had only two pieces of oxtail. Still really tender and tasty. Guess it leaves you wanting more so you return. The oxtail soup comes with two scoops of rice. Either hubs was hungry or it tasted great cuz he was finished before me. He even drank all the soup in his bowl and left nothing. He had placed the few bones in the separate smaller dish for that purpose. I'm super glad they didn't have to move as they are so close to the former Ohana Market Place complex on Ward. It's such an old school comfy place to eat with friends or family. No frills, reasonably priced good food. Your order comes out quickly. A couple of tables had senior buddies who just sat and enjoyed shooting the breeze. No rush to leave and no one to chase you out. If you're one of those oxtail lovers who enjoy biting and sucking around the bone to get all the delicious morsels of meat and fat, give this place a try cuz it's tasty. read more

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Solid spot for local bites. Basically a good meal at a good price with friendly service. Simple cafeteria style layout with its own parking . read more

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Best oxtail soup in town. The original from kapiolani kitchen and Kamen bowl. Good with two scoops of rice and some ginger.

Lupchong fried rice, hamburger steak and gravy. Ox tail soup good but very expensive. Nice place to go with your family.

Its been years since I ate here and I can see why this place is still kickin!! Located directly across American savings bank on ward this is a small restaurant with very limited parking (estimate 8-10 stalls). we got here around 10:30 am and already the place was packed. This place definetely has an old world charm to it (has that casual old hawaii vibe). It for sure aint trendy or modern but comfortable enough to sit and eat and its airconditioned! I think it was a burgerking before Asahi took over years ago. Oh and bathrooms is seperate from restaurant but in same structure. Just by observing people dining in I would say the majority either had ox tail soup or beef stew...I decided to go with their adobo fried rice w 2 eggs for under $14....strongly recommended by one of their regular patrons and I know why.... It had abobo that was shredded and had no visible fat and it was tasty!! I would surely order this again ... Staff was cool and efficient and we got our food in about 10 min which (in my book nowdays) is very fast considering only had two waitresses and around 15 to 20 people. A very cool experience with good affordable.. good portioned food at a fair price!! read more

This is my go-to place to enjoy local style Japanese cuisine. Of course they are very well noted for the Oxtail Soup but I am more of a deep fried eater so I lean more towards the Katsu or cutlets. But their menu selection is pretty standard for a local diner. Good place to take the family for a night out for dinner as their prices are reasonable for Hawaii. The service is good both dine-in and take out. read more

Update on my review met my sister and brother-in-law for breakfast this morning. We decided on Asahi Grill on Ward. I had their Pork Adobo fried rice w/easy over eggs. It was average my fried rice was crunchy and the Pork Adobo was on the burnt side. The taste was ok but my eggs was cooked to perfection. Safe travel guide lines are set up needed to show vaccinated card in order to dine in. The best part of this meal was not paying so thanks Sis for the free meal lol. Support local be safe out there read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Pork adobo fried rice - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My husband and I were super lazy so we ordered via Uber Eats. My husband saw that they served breakfast all day so he ordered a 3 Egg Vegi Omelette with rice and a side of hash browns. He really enjoyed his food but he kind of wish there were more veggies I tried the Chicken Salad. OMG I loved the salad. There was a lot of cilantro, which I loved. It had the right amount of dressing and the chicken was soft and moist. I ate it all lol Will definitely have this again. My mom had the cutlet. She went crazy for their gravy. She said it was so good and very tasty. She gave half to my husband and he loved it. I give this place a 5 and hubby and mom said 4 so 4 it is. We rarely come here and I don't know why as we drive by the Ward location a few times a week. I told my husband we have to add Asahi Grill to our rotation of places that we eat at. read more

Unfortunately, we didn't make it in time for breakfast, but we still enjoyed our meal until it came down to paying the bill. I'll get to that part later. I was worried we wouldn't get a parking spot or that it'd take a while to get one, but luck was on our side! Got seated at a 4 top by the walkway to the kitchen, which wasn't the best because 2 people kept getting run into by the staff. Staff wasn't very friendly and never came by to check on us. The only time one of them was acting "nice" was because we caught them adding on a 15% tip to our original receipt--this was prior to paying. Nothing is itemized on the receipt, so you have to know how much your food is going to cost you, and pay attention to your receipt before paying. The waitress said they normally add on the 15% gratuity on $50+, but normally restaurants tell you that on their menu. The menu didn't mention that anywhere and there was nothing about that in the restaurant. No advertisement, nothing. She offered to take it off but we said we'd think about it and let her know. She ended up taking the charge off, but that was pointless because we just ended up giving her the 15% gratuity anyway. Kinda screwed yourself over on that one. Tourists beware! Pay attention to your receipts before paying them. We're not tourists, yet they still tried to be sneaky about the extra charge. Food was okay, except for the oxtail soup, which was amazing, and the fries. Thought the lap cheong fried rice would have more flavor and bigger pieces of meat, but that wasn't the case, which only left me disappointed. Also, the egg wasn't quite cooked enough, which made me feel a bit queasy. I hate it when the white of the egg isn't cooked enough and is still giggly leading up to the yolk. Normally I'd let the rice cook the egg more, but the rice wasn't hot enough to cook the egg more. That and the chicken katsu would be a hard pass next time. Curry is really tasty here, but katsu is way overcooked on the outside and super salty. Next time I'd get the oxtail soup. After all, that's what they're known for. But please do make sure to pay attention to the amount you're paying. You never know who they'll do that to again. read more

Ate at this location with my family. We ate at the Keeaumoku location so we decided to try the Ward location this time. We ordered the oxtail soup with kimchee fried rice (still delicious), kalbi plate (yummy), chicken katsu curry (huge portion, but nothing special about it), fried gyoza (nothing special), and the mahimahi plate with pork adobo fried rice (nice portion and delicious). Overall, the dining area is larger, but the parking lot is smaller. The food is delicious for the most part. The staff are friendly and fast. Located on Ward Avenue between Kawaiahao and Queen Street. read more

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We enjoyed the oxtail soup. They also have other items we enjoy like the chopped steak and the miso butterfish.

I'm just doing a quick update to my review as it's been a while. They offer a ton of local diner style options on their menu, so there's likely to be something for everyone. I still feel that they make the best Oxtail Soup around! I love that if you dine in, you can get a larger portion too. You can call ahead to order take out or show up to dine in, whatever your preference. The staff is always friendly and attentive, even when they're busy. The restaurant space is generally clean and they can turn over tables pretty quick! There's a small parking lot, so not usually any hassle finding parking. read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Oxtail Soup - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went here last week and ordered the ten don. It was very subpar and for $15 was a rip off. My co-workers who picked up the food also agreed with me. You can find better. I've supported this place for years and can no longer do so. I wish them the best but unless their food improves they won't be in business much longer. read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Ten Don. $15.95 too much for too little flavor and quantity. You can find better. - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The inside and outside of this restaurant doesn't match with the upcoming new condo development, but that shouldn't matter since the food here is delicious. It is a great place to stop by and eat some local favorites. They have tender and rich ox tail soup in a nice light broth to compliment the meat. There is parking in front, but only for a limited number of stalls. Takeout would be the best option since this place is usually busy. read more

Love their food here! The space is big for larger parties and my kids love eating here. I love the oxtail soup, chopped steak, teishoku kalbi and butterfish. Service is pretty fast and servers are nice. read more

Always our first stop when landing and heading to our Waikiki timeshare. Had their famous fried rice, chicken katsu curry, and Saimin. All very good and service was fast and polite. read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Chicken Katsu Curry, substitute fried rice for regular rice. - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I took my granddaughter to Asahi Grill for dinner when she visited. She loved the Gyoza curry and we got a side order of gyoza to add to the curry. I love their oxtail soup. I tried to order a large bowl. The waiter explained that the large was really big and maybe the regular size would be better. He saved me because that portion was just perfect for me. My granddaughter got a Lup Chong fried to go for a late night snack. read more

Yup; as John A says, you get 2 pieces of oxtail and a regular order of ramen noodles. What was not mentioned was the cost (it is $16) My order of oxtail ramen was take out so I will overlook the lukewarm temperature of the broth. As for the taste, it is well.... ok. The portion needs to be spoken to as it is very very small. I don't know if I would dine in as the interior does need to be refreshed (it even smells old) That said, it lends to wonder the condition of the kitchen. I won't worry about that because they do have a green badge from the Board of Health. Parking is a defnite No-No. The egress ingress is suspect also. To exit the parking lot onto Ward leaves you only a right turn. (Only 1 way in and 1 way out) It's been a while since I've had other meals from Asahi Grill so please note this reviews speaks only to the Oxtail Soup. read more

After a long day, we decided to dine in at this restaurant. Before the pandemic hit, this place was busy and and to wait in line. They mostly famous for their oxtail soup, but they have new kal bi soup... which is really delicious, of course they have their famous fried rice, and something different fried rice with Chinese lup Chong. I had also the noodles with oxtail, sadly it only came with two pieces of oxtail bone pieces. The restaurant was not so busy and lots of people do takeouts. Good thing, we were able to dine in and enjoy the meal fresh from the kitchen. Highly recommended, if you in the area read more

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This is such a hidden gem; I was very lucky that a local acquaintance told me about it, and highly recommended that I go. The first time I went, I got their oxtail soup and the pork adobo fried rice side and my friend got the garlic shrimp. After posting on instagram, my acquaintance said I missed out on the hamburg steak, so I had to go back. I'm so glad I did. + Oxtail soup - 8/10 - This is absolutely delicious, but the main reason it's not a 10/10 is because my acquaintance had given me a recipe for this and I have made it at home. I'm glad that the recipe is so good that it's the same, but it makes me feel a bit silly to pay for this when the one I can make is just as delicious. For everyone else, I would recommend this. + Pork adobo fried rice - 10/10 - I honestly have not had any fried rice as delicious as this, with the possible exception of Daikokuya. This totally blew my mind and I'm so glad I impulsively opted to pay a few dollars extra for this incredibly flavorful explosion. + Garlic shrimp platter - 10/10 - This was perfect - garlicky, buttery, tender - and I was so excited to try Giovanni's shrimp after. It turns out this is way better, and I regretted not getting a platter of this for myself. + Hamburg steak - 11/10 - For a moment I thought I had covid because the pork adobo fried rice tasted bland after I had a bite of this. I have never ever had such flavorful, intense gravy and it was so incredibly comforting and satisfying with rice and the hamburg meat (which was also tender and amazing). This is the best thing I ate in Hawaii. I almost shed a tear. There is surprisingly no wait at all, and it was really easy to dine in and order takeout. Definitely a must in Oahu. read more

I hate ranking on this place was three stars but I have to admit it was nothing special. It's comfort food but I was disappointed with the oxtail soup. People rave about it here but I have certainly had better ones and you get so little. I also hate it when the soup is lukewarm when it comes out. The adobo fried rice was delicious and if I were to come back, I would order that again. Hubby said the katsudon was just okay. Maybe it was an off day... read more

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We were out on an afternoon walk when one of my husband's former colleagues called and asked to meet. We were returning from Ala Moana Center and was approaching Ward Avenue when we gave her our location. Luckily, she said that she was nearby and suggested Asahi Grill Ward. She raved about the oxtail soup and fried chicken cutlets so we agreed to meet her there. It was our first time into this location for Asahi Grill as we usually go their Keeaumoku location. I remembered that this Ward Avenue location was originally built for Japan-based MOS Burger then changed hands to some other food business before finally Asahi Grill. Walking in, we noticed that the interior still looked like its previous tenants and isn't as modern as the Keeaumoku location. We took a seat at one of the 4-top tables and waited for my husband's former colleague. A server came by with menus and glasses of iced water while we waited. My husband's former colleague arrived a few minutes after us and said that she was lucky to get the last parking stall in the private lot attached to this restaurant. FOOD: -Chicken Cutlet/Katsu with Brown Gravy: my husband's fondness for fried food drew his attention to this menu selection. It came with 2 large panko-coated cutlets covered with brown gravy, 2 scoops of steamed white rice and 1 scoop of macaroni salad. The crust was crisp and appeared to have been freshly fried as it steamed and sputtered when cut into. Even while having a lively discussion, my husband finished his meal, although saying the chicken cutlet was dry and the gravy helped make the meal more palatable. $11.95 -Okinawan Pig's Feet Soup: I ordered this soup as it was the day's special and our weather had turned to being more windy and rainy. This bowl was a good sized portion of miso soup with big chunks of pork leg/shank, carrots, daikon turnip and seaweed (konbu) knots. It was served with 2 scoops of rice and the usual fresh chopped ginger condiment which I later mixed with soy sauce. Shortly after I ordered my soup, another nearby diner ordered the same and the server wiped the special off the board. Hm, I guess that we got the last 2 servings from the stock pot as I did detect saltiness in the soup but the pork and vegetables were tender. $14.95 Service was all right as it was neither friendly or unfriendly. The server who gave us our menus, wasn't talkative and just took our orders and delivered it. He only came around ONCE to refill our water glasses but disappeared after waiting on the other tables. We weren't sure if we were supposed to go up to their food pick up window to pay there or if our bill would be brought to our table. As we ate and chit chatted for a couple of hours, it was nice that we weren't rushed out even though the restaurant sort of filled with other diners. I noted that they do a brisk takeout business. REVISION: To me this location's food quality and flavors earns 2.5 stars and although I'd like to be generous or positive to a business, instead of rounding up, I'm changing my stance to reflect a lower 2-stars. read more

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Amazing ox tail soup! Soup is actually the main entree! Its also helpful that they have parkings.

The food is average at best. The prices are fair compared to other food establishments. However, the last couple times I went there the rice was soooo bad. Its mushy and seems like they using old rice from the day before. This is Hawaii you be ashamed of yourself for serving horrible rice on a consistent basis. Owner should look into this. read more

Met my brother here for breakfast. It has been a while since I came here dont remember how long ago it was. I ordered the small fried rice with egg, my brother had the pork adobo fried rice and my husband had the big breakfast. My husband said his breakfast was good my fried rice was ok but something was missing and my brother said the same. Checked in ok with the card and id. Still social distance in their restaurant. Wasn't busy when we arrived i guess we were late or people came earlier. Support local and wear your masks. read more

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Menu is pretty extensive. 2 pages of Japanese style entrees, 1 page of local entrees (oxtail soup, beef stew, etc) and a page of breakfast specials that is available daily from 630am-1100am. You get seated, order your food, and at the end, pay for your meal at the front counter near the entrance More positive notes: -miso soup is so good! -seaweed appetizer: tasty! -BEST SABA EVER! Soo good. Great portion and well cooked. -Oxtail soup: tastes good, they give lots of rice on the side .... Not as good: -Price is kind of yikes for the Oxtail soup. -Service so-so. We were greeted warmly and our order was taken fairly quickly, however the person delivering our food to the table was flippant. -Not the cleanest establishment. Fairly run down. But I suppose it really gives you a "home" feel...? Will come again for sure, though I won't travel from the West side specifically for it. Probably will remain a place to go only when I go shopping in town. :) read more

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This was not my first time to this location. The service was excellent. Friendly greeting, fast covid vac card check. Seated and the coffee kept on coming. Hence this review. I had the Big Breakfast. My meal came with two pancakes,bacon and two eggs. Cant go wrong with this meal. Stay safe read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Menu - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

3 stars is pushing it, more like 2 1/2 but since I usually round up they get 3 today. Dropping off Sofie at the groomers, picking up everything I needed at Whole Foods I found myself with an hour to kill before my 11:30 hair appointment. Asahi Grill is in the same area I remembered seeing others mention they have oxtail soup so I pull into the shared parking lot anticipating a bowl of yummy goodness in my belly. Walked in to the restaurant and waited, as the sign says, for one of the two servers to acknowledge my existence. Several minutes later and only after I stuck my head thru the pick up window and interrupted their conversation was I seated. Couldn't be that they were busy because there was only one couple in the place. Having about thirty seconds to review the menu the server was back to take my order. Yes, I'd like the Oxtail soup but seriously $24.95? Oh, that's the extra large bowl....how big is that? Eight oxtails but really huge. Okay I'll order the large bowl at $16.95 and a small order on Gyoza (four pieces). What to say? I was very disappointed in the entire meal. Soup broth had little flavor, was tepid, no peanuts, sparse cilantro and too many green onions. If this was considered a large order I feel sorry for the person ordering the regular. Rice had been sitting out too long so it had started to dry around the edges. The Gyoza was deep fried so it was really hot but tough to bite through the wrapper, the sauce was awful! I will honestly say it was the most disappointing bowl ox Oxtail soup I have had in my nearly thirty five years in Hawaii. I won't be returning for another try of anything. Neither the service nor the food warranted a repeat. read more

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Was disappointed that my luncheon meat and Portuguese sausage were burnt. The fried rice and egg were fine. Service was good though. read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Fried Rice, Scrambled Eggs, Portuguese Sausage, Luncheon Meat - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love the oxtail soup with the load of ginger. The service is okay but the place needs to be refurbished. But all in all you can't beat the oxtail soup. read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love the adobo fried rice. The ox tail broth is so flavorful and so delicious. Would definitely recommend. Ate here for breakfast.

I was asked to try Asahi Grills Oxtail Ramen, so I did. Oxtail Ramen - you get 2 pieces of tails. The broth has the perfect amount of seasoning. The flavor is on the lines of the traditional Oxtail like we used to from Flamingo. The downside is the portion is small. Regular Oxtail - you get 5 pieces of tail. Again, the broth is clean and flavorful. Portion size is perfect to satisfy your craving. I see other items in the menu that I will be trying in the near future, so standby! read more

Asahi Grill Ward - Oxtail Ramen - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Met a friend for lunch, parking is very skimpy. Clean and for the local clientele, speed is not on the menu. The touted Oxtail was good, I had the ramen to make it a full lunch. My friend had the tempura donburi. Once the order was in, the food came quickly but in a trickle fashion. Everything we had was good but the lack of staff meant paying for the check was the longest part of the visit. read more

Cozy restaurant first time here alot of choices for me it was a a ok place two scoop rice and macaroni salad. So so them I got shrimp curry just sauce and onions inside so so and 4 piece shrimp . Reasonable price for a plate lunch and pork cutlet was delicious tender tasty a nice size portion for the price . They have their own Parking lot very clean restaurant food came fast and service was excellent a local style place if you're in the area read more

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