Total gem of a place. From the street, it looked like a hole in the wall, but inside it was roomy with tables and sushi bar. We had sushi - the Maguro and hamachi combo. Fresh and excellent. The tempura was plentiful and delicious. We also got the spicy tuna roll. Big chunks of tuna instead of the obligatory minced stuff you get elsewhere. There was also the asparagus wrapped in pork. Very small portion, though absolutely delicious. They could have easily doubled the portion size. Great food, great staff, great experience. read more

Chiba ken - The tempura appetizer! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Worst service....came around 6/7pm, was seated right away. Ordered within 5 mins of sitting down, but they only brought out my boufriend's order. I ordered sashimi and a salmon avocado roll which should've came out before his fried roll. Anyway, then it got busier a little bit and they started seating everyone next to us and bringing out all of their food. After 45 min of waiting, flagged them down, they then said oh sorry they're making it now. Waited another 15 min and saw them bring salmon sashimi to a table next to us that barely came! Now I'm irritated because I've been nice and waiting, so after another time of asking, I decided to just have them take it to go. Instead of even comping our appetizer or one plate-we were charged 65$ for literally over an hour of waiting and me having to take my stuff to go. Not very good service. read more

One of our favorite late night happy hour places. Great sushi, tasty food and awesome service. read more

Chiba ken - Chefs special on the happy hour menu. Great price for what you get - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First and most importantly the food was outstanding and very fresh (hence the 4 stars)! The service was a bit disjointed and slow but they were also very busy so that might be the cause. The menu had no descriptions of what the rolls consisted of so for sushi novices it might be tough to order. There was some confusion about what rolls we ordered but it was quickly resolved and they comped my beer for the inconvenience! I would definitely recommend the restaurant though! read more

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Best. Sushi. On. Oahu. Was in town from Seattle (so my sushi bar is pretty high), and was brought to this place by a friend. I'd tried a few places this week but this place was the best, hands down. Sashimi set... Amazing. Buttery and obviously high quality. Yakitori... Perfect. Tuna roll... Yummy. Gyoza... !!!. read more

Short walk from the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Sushi was super fresh and tasty. Highly recommended!

We waited for about 45 minutes to be seated, and probably about 10 to have our drink orders taken, which was fine because of all of the good reviews I read! Service was really slow, but once our order was in, the food arrived quickly. We ordered yellowtail nigiri, salmon roe, and tamago. Our granddaughter ordered the chicken tonkatsu. The sushi was super dry, very small pieces, and very fishy tasting. Underwhelming at best, considering the reviews. I am just confused how it can be so different. Would not recommend. Go find another place to eat. Especially at $65. read more

Happy hour prices are very reasonable. Good for a cheap late night snack. The only thing I had a problem with this place was their ramen. I truly feel like I could make better ramen at home. Even my boyfriend felt like Ramen-Ya had better ramen. Other than that everything else was good and it is a very cute place to eat at. read more

I got the California roll and pork belly skewer with garlic sauce it was AMAZING. Fresh made sushi is the bomb

The chicken skewers were the best thing, second best was the gyoza but they serve them with a spicy sauce and I like it with the sweet sauce other places serve it with. The tempura shrimp was bland and the sauce they serve it with was even more bland. Now to the sushi, we had rolls. They were fresh but I'm use to the crab mix with mayo California and to me the crab mix was a little fishy tasting. The rolls were a little bland. The menu is hard to understand what is in the rolls. I had a lovely lemon drink but the kids didn't like the orange strawberry juice they had. Overall I would say a 3 1/2 but they don't have that choice. read more

Do not come here! I do not want to fight you for a table. The food is superb. The staff are so gracious and kind. The ambiance is authentic tsjeki market Japanese and not hipster overpriced sushi. Plus late night Happy hour! Like I said; don't go. read more

This place is amazing. The food tasted so fresh, service is impeccable and the price well $80 for 2 including a few adult beverages. It was WELL worth it and it's not just sushi they have a great selection of cooked food for those who don't like fish. It's only 10 min walk from Hale Koa / Hilton and had we known about this place before we would have come here a couple of times. Great place , great food, great price and great service we will come back. read more

The food was good once it arrived. The service took quite a while for getting our order in, and then a while to receive the food. I think they might need to hire more help? Not sure. The vibe was OK. The art on the walls was good. read more

When I'm in Honolulu, the first night I will come here. The service is fabulous, and unique items that you can't get on the mainland... Particularly this grilled squid. Fabulous! The rolls are very fresh... As you might suspect. Love this place!! read more

Chiba ken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Absolutely love this little hole in the wall. Happy hour is definitely a must. The second time I came here, it was before happy hour & I was really craving ramen. (Ramen is only served after 930pm) i saw that they had a Nebeyaki Udon special. I asked what came with it & the server told me it comes with tempura, veggies, chicken. I'm thinking its like a bento thing because it costs $17.95 so I ordered it. Turns out its just the soup with all these things inside it. It was really good though, dont get me wrong. But I wouldnt get it again for $17.95. Ended up having to get a second dish because I was still hungry afterwards. Their squid karage is amazing! Thick slices of calamari lightly fried. Ramen & udon during happy hour is awesome too. A nice light broth and super filling, only $7. And you gotta try their firecracker sushi as well. Expect to wait, especially if you want a table. Service is kinda slow because they seem to be understaffed but they are still friendly. Be patient, its worth the wait. I love that its ran by Japanese people & the sushi chefs always greet you. read more

I'm always craving for a good sushi or anything Japanese since I don't eat Japanese food enough. Okay that's a lie. I love going to Japanese style restaurants that have good quality seafood, especially raw seafood in my adult life. Growing up in San Diego, I hated, and I strongly use the word HATED raw seafood, raw anything to be direct and did not like anything slithery, rubbery or slimy. My mother, being stationed in Japan for over 20 years swore by Japanese sushi. While growing up and visiting her in Japan, she had all the variety of sushi magnet stuck on the fridge. I gagged at the site of it every time I walked passed it. I couldn't understand why people loved eating that stuff. Simply, I moved to Hawaii and grew up and so did my palette. Being in Hawaii has taught my palette to explore a lot more. Slowly but surely my palette developed a strong appreciation for fresh seafood. Although I have this ongoing desire to learn the names and technicality for Japanese cuisine, I have much too awful of a memory to remember anything. After many convincing from friends to give sushi a legitimate try, my sushi story continues in Hawaii. After trying the simple places for my introduction, I was finally promoted to try other places. I've walked passed Chiba-Ken numerous times in the couple years but not tried it until recently. On Ena Rd., Chiba-ken is settled behind a number of plants with plenty of outdoor seating. The indoor establishment provides it's diners with a large sushi bar and comfortable cushioned seats for all parties to enjoy. The ambiance is enjoyable whether you arrive well-dressed or freshly casual. Although I've only been here for dinner, I'm satisfied with the menu. Chiba-ken offers a pretty good selection of sushi to udon, tempura and meat dishes and cooked seafood. Alexander said while sitting at the sushi bar "You're doing the ordering". I chose the Toro and Hamachi, which was divine. The freshly slices of fish tasted wonderfully. I couldn't help but savor every bite of both. The color was perfect. Another item ordered from the menu is the boiled in Sake Salted Clams which were light and tasty with some scallions. The marinade from the sake mingled to perfection. The caterpillar roll is delectable with just the right slices of unagi, avocado, rice and chunks of masago with decorative teriyaki sauce blanketed on the plate. I really love how the rice doesn't over fill us and it was just right. Don't let me forget the small piece of octopus to define its eyes and the two slices of cucumber peel for its antenna. The Veggie and Shrimp tempura was fun and enjoyable and thankfully not greasy. There are plenty to share for two as it contains two generous helpings of shrimp tempura, cucumbers, an eggplant and pumpkin. Lastly, I always have to try the uni. The Uni Nigiri was palatable. Although the taste was good, I've had many more fresh ones at other sushi places. I will try it again when I return since the service is outstanding and the food was delicious. We were very well attended to by our server and the water fills kept coming before we went on empty. Not only our server waited on us but it seems this place has a great team flowing especially during the bustling times. Only downfall is parking. Take the bus or walk, or be prepared to pay for parking on the lot over. Street parking is a rare commodity and will be hard to find. read more

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Chiba-Ken Restaurant is the epitome of "hidden gem." I've been to countless shows at the ever-changing venue / bar -- formerly known as Pink Cadillac, now Irish Rose Saloon -- and I have never even noticed this place. Chiba-Ken is easy to miss and the parking area in the back of the restaurant is pretty small and limited. You're better off looking for street parking or snagging a spot at a nearby pay-lot. Chiba-Ken is relatively nice inside compared to the somewhat sketchy 7-Eleven and nearby roads. Also, there's both indoor and outdoor seating options. (I like to eat indoors. Nay to bugs and cray weather / humidity. Humid climates = whaaack hair.) The variety of dishes = pretty "cherrrreh." They have several exotic items -- a definite PLUS for adventurous eaters (like me!) -- in addition to the usual run-of-the-mill izakaya / sushi / sashimi offerings. The menu isn't too extensive, but I like what I had. I would definitely return for more Chiba-Ken eats. *Ask about the specials of the day/evening. The selection of alcohol is pretty regs - not too elaborate, but theys gots enough of the goods. I love that they offer Kubota Manjyu! I will down that 'ish by the bottle! And they also carry Dassai. Both are great, IMO, depending on yo' price range. VERDICT Simple, good izakaya eats. Head (Amaebi). Kubota Manjyu. Make a reservation. 'Nuff said. Love dat izakaya doe. read more

My wife and I got sushi here and it was probably the best sushi we've ever had. We were extremely impressed with the service, the food, and the atmosphere. The quality of the sushi was amazing so I would highly recommend checking out Chiba-Ken! read more

It's really interesting how mixed the reviews are on this place. Is it great or does it suck ass? I have been to this place probably 10 times and I always always leave satisfied. I've been here with small groups, big groups, on a date and get solid attention from the wait staff, who have always been incredibly friendly. For our big groups, we've always easily gotten seats, so you should probably make reservations in advance for 5 or more people. The menu does not deviate from the norm of sushi. Pretty run of the mill stuff here. I think everything I've ever tried is great though: Dynamite roll (my personal fave), hamachi, caterpillar, ume roll, spicy ahi, california, tofu salad, chicken karaage, bacon wrapped asparagus, it's all been really good and consistent. I always let other people order the sake, so I can't comment on the sake menu, but I know I always like what's in my little sake cup: ) Parking lot is small, but for some reason, I've always had luck finding a space here. It's a comfy modern environment, so that's a plus too. I've been to this place many times and will undoubtedly return for more. It's one of our old stand by's for large groups cuz we can order family style and try a bit of everything on the menu. I think the pricing is pretty reasonable when you break it down like that. read more

Didn't love this place. We had sushi and it didn't taste too fresh. Overpriced in my opinion and there are definitely a lot of better options nearby. The server was nice and we were seated pretty quickly. read more

We never miss an opportunity to visit Chiba-Ken while in Oahu. Food is always amazing, and the service is equally great! Get there early, they can get pretty busy! read more

This little spot was recommended by my parents who visited Nov 2017 and it lived to its reputation. Sat at the bar for Happy Hour, great service, friendly staff. We chose from the happy hour menu because we wanted to share and try more. The Tempura Udon was exceptional and the fresh sushi special too. I will go back every time I visit Honolulu read more

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Fiance lives in the neighborhood and I am visiting for a few weeks. We both hate the touristy, bland, overcrowded and overpriced places along Waikiki Beach, so we were on a mission to find a great happy hour spot nearby. We ended up going to Chiba-Ken two nights in a row! The happy hour menu is both cheap and diverse, and all of the food was delicious. We had the firecracker balls (which you may not like if you do not like spicy food or deep fried sushi). We also enjoyed the spicy tuna roll, salmon roll and the chicken karaage. All the sushi was fresh and delicious and the price tag can't be beat. The standout dish was the Kalbi (korean short rib) which was fall-off-the-bone tender. The 'ambiance' is more "hole in the wall" than "michelin star" but I felt more at home here and we really enjoyed our date night. read more

I can't believe this was my first time going to Chiba-ken after living so close to it for so long. Parking is kind of tough but you can find some metered spots on Hobron which will be free after 6pm. We came here for dinner on a Tuesday night and the place was packed. Luckily we got a table in their outdoor seating area. Chiba-ken is your standard izakaya with grilled items, udon, meat dishes, etc, and an emphasis on sushi (There is a large sushi bar in the front of the house). Besides my spicy scallop roll we didn't order any sushi. We got an order of the goya-tofu-pork stirfry, raw-oysters with ponzu, pork katsu set, salad with poached egg/bacon, yaki-tori, minced chicken balls, and the tuna tataki. All of it was good, we especially liked the tuna tataki, which was very fresh. Although I'm not a huge fan of goya I actually enjoyed the dish. If you can get past the bitter taste of goya, its not too bad. Especially since there is more tofu/pork than goya. The yaki-tori/chicken balls were tender and not overcooked which is important for the grill items. I think my least favorite was the pork katsu. Its not like it was bad, it just wasn't the best I've had. It was a little bit on the oily side (yes I know katsu is fried) but when pork is fried in fresh oil it doesn't leave that oily residue in your mouth. There were a few Japanese speaking waitresses on staff and I believe that at least half of the sushi chef's were Japanese. This is always a good sign. Service was good and we will definitely be back. The total came out to $72 with tip. YELP 046/365 read more

This is my favorite Japanese Izakaya type of restaurant so far on Oahu. My husband and I checked for a Japanese type restaurant near the Hale Koa during our mini honeymoon. We walked in at about 645pm. It's a cute little place with nice decor. Our waitress was very friendly and efficient. We ordered numerous types of nigiri sushi, fried oysters (special of the day), fire cracker balls, chicken skewers, asparagus and bacon, and butterfish. All items were delicious. My husband loved the fire cracker balls but I didn't care for them much. It's a tuna roll dipped in batter and fried. A little to doughy for my taste. But it was ok. All those items with beers cost about $60. Can't beat that and it's amazing to find that kind of price in Waikiki on top of that. Great service, great price! Parking can be an issue - either street parking or private lot parking near Hale Koa or the small honesty box lot near the restaurant. We are definitely excited to come back and try the other items on the menu soon! read more

Chiba-Ken is one of my favorite Sushi bars. The service is always good, and the fish always fresh, and it has new and unique dishes. It's always a special treat to go to Chiba Ken. read more

Fresh, fast, delicious, inexpensive... What more could you want? If you're planning to have dinner here, make sure you get there when they open and chances are there will be other people eagerly awaiting their opening. That's always a good sign. Ambiance is very laid back. There is an outdoor shaded patio section which is very peaceful. The place itself is small, so make a reservation or come early. Single person seating available at the bar. Staff is efficient and polite, always. Food (most importantly) is always fresh and delightful. Firecracker roll is spicy, hot, fried,and AMAZING! You can order any of the typical sushi rolls and I've not been disappointed yet! They are open late, which is always a plus! read more

This is my favorite Japanese place in Hawaii. Not sushi, but Japanese food. They've got everything, and it's very authentic. It's also a great date place. If you're like me, and go on lots of first dates, this place is worth checking out. Bottom line, if you don't like your date, you're at least going to leave fat and happy. Decent sake selection and the tonkatsu is amazing. Parking is kind of a pain, but I walk, so I suggest moving to Waikiki. read more

This was a small hidden Gem! Just a few minutes away from the Holiday Inn Express in Waikiki. Happy hour prices were affordable and worth our time. Staff was courteous, attentive, and happy. We were immediately acknowledged as we walked in. There seems to be plenty of parking, I may be wrong since this restaurant was in a residential part of town. The restroom and the entire facility was very clean. They have a patio area which was lovely during our dinner. Great place to escape the bustling noise from the Waikiki strip. read more

Chiba ken - This is their happy hour menu. Happy hour is usually from 9:30pm till closing... - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Three of us ate here for only $45! We thought that was pretty impressive, especially since we can drop quite a bit on our weekly outings in Waikiki. And they have their own free parking lot in back of the restaurant, a total plus in Waikiki. We thought it was a cute restaurant: simple, with clean lines, done up in warm orange and mint green with wooden floors and tables. Our server, a young woman from Japan, was very friendly, conversant, and eager, but had a really bad memory. She forgot to bring my sangria all night and she forgot our rice and miso soup. As with all Japanese restaurants, they never refilled our tea without us having to ask repeatedly. We ordered a variety of small plates, including skewered tsukune, chicken gizzards, agedashi tofu, pork belly simmered in a sweet soy sauce, beef tongue, chicken karaage, spicy tuna rolls, and sanma. I thought the standout was the chicken karaage. It was perfectly seasoned and the breading was light and crisp without being too oily. Everything else we ate was a little above average. Still, the atmosphere was friendly and comfortable and the prices are good, so we will probably return. I want my sangria! Update 6/26/08: We've been back about 5 times and we love this place! The service has been impeccable on the last few visits. (I haven't seen the scatterbrained girl we had the first night since.) For instance, when I brought my dad, I requested his hamachi kama be made low salt, which is hard to get in most Japanese restaurants because they always forget and make it super salty. Our server made sure it came out just right, and she checked up on him to make sure he enjoyed it. The teishoku portions are gigantic, and they make THE BEST CHICKEN KATSU we've ever had. Plus, our server on the second visit told us, that with our Marukai Card, we get 15% off. That, along with the $1.50 beers after 9pm, make this place a super bargain. I don't know how the sushi/sashimi is, though, because I don't eat raw fish. So I'm giving this place 5 stars now instead of 3. Oh, and one last thing: I love the women's bathroom. It's clean and has a Simplehuman trash can. The sink is filled with little blue pebbles, and they have 3 different scented liquid soaps (Pineapple! Lavender! Something Japanese!) to choose from when washing your hands! It's girly heaven! read more

Life has been so stressful these days so what do you do when life is too stressful? You eat and drink! Because that's the best way to live :) We came here on a Thursday at around 8PM and it was pretty crowded. We were able to get a table for 5 people within 10 minutes or so. The menu was great! We ordered the misoyaki butterfish, salmon roll, sashimi platter, seafood dynamite, crunchy spicy ahi balls and kalbi. I really liked the butterfish. It was tender and soft. Very flavorful!!! The seafood dynamite was really rich and creamy. The proportion was a little small. The crunchy spicy ahi balls were unique, light and easily popped into my mouth! As for the sashimi platter, it was super fresh although the pieces were small. They had a great sake selection too. The prices were pretty decent and affordable. We had a lot of waitresses and it didn't seem like they had sections since all of them checked on us throughout the night. Sometimes they would come one after another and sometimes we couldn't find our waitress anywhere. Parking is located in the back of the restaurant. The driveway to the lot is right in front of the restaurant. It's very small so drive slowly so you don't miss it. read more

Great place for good Japanese food if you're in Honolulu. Fast service with friendly staff.

A great restaurant that serves Japanese pub food and sushi. If you have a ready knowledge of Japanese food, you'll feel right at home. I'm still learning, so some of the menu is a little daunting, but the servers were very helpful and my brother-in-law is pretty savvy, so we had a great meal. We also had two giant bottles of sake, so my recollection of the exact dishes may be a little fuzzy. But here goes: - First ask if there are any specials, local catch. Then order them. - Meatballs on skewers (tsukune). Get lots of these. They're listed on the menu as "ground chicken" or something weird like that. GET THEM. - If they have yellowtail cheek, by all means order it - Gyoza are on the good side of "meh". Just get more of the aforementioned tsukune. - Standard rolls and nigiri are all great. Hand rolls are tight which IMO is a good thing. - Sea urchin is fresh and tasty! - The "Firecracker Ball" roll is excellent as other reviewers have mentioned. Somewhat overpowering if you have a delicate fish alongside it. Also, and we lucked out on this, MAKE A RESERVATION. This place is small and extremely popular. If you're doing it right, you will be here for a while. Take things at an island pace -- be patient with the servers and the kitchen (they're super busy) and you will be rewarded. And don't forget the sake. read more

SUPER small portions. My god, this spot is a huge tourist trap. I've been ordering short ribs everywhere I go since it's so much better in hawaii, but this place is the biggest rip off. Although they mark it as an appetizer for the price point, they included 4 ribs (think one of the long pieces cut into 4 short pieces) with hardly any meat. I was so sad when I saw this portion size. We also ordered the udon which was a bigger portion size, but lacked flavor and depth. The bitter melon dish was also ridiculously small in size. Would probably never come here again unless I was desperate or for happy hour when the price reflects the actual meal. read more

C'mon people, stop overrating such places. I am visiting Honolulu from chicago. I went to this restaurant solely based on reviews from yelp. What a waste of money and time. Sushi here is nothing better than what you can find at any regular street side restaurant. The service was less than average. I tried various dishes and every time a different server took my order. I will be VERY CAREFUL before selecting a restaurant just based on Yelp. read more

Decent sushi just around the corner from My hotel that I was staying. The highlight of this place is that the staff were super friendly and helpful which made the whole dining experience pleasant. They were full by the time I left the place so either make reservations or come early! read more

I didn't really like this place. I should have yelped a sushi place that had more reviews but my friend chose this place. we went around 8ish and had a huge party of about 13. the people were nice and gave us a table outside. this is a pretty small place so large parties has to sit outside. the fish was good but not great. the uni they had was not good at all. I don't know why but we ordered the rib eye steak. it came on a hot plate and had ponzu as a dipping sauce. the steak had no seasoning at all and was very bland. it was also not tender as I thought it would be. FYI: do not order steak at a sushi place it's better to go here during happy hour because the drinks ate cheaper! read more

Spicy hamachi roll was awesome! Very good and friendly wait staff. Everybody thanked us and said good-bye as we left. There is a tiny parking lot around back that you can use but be careful with your valuables because there is a bar that shares it's back door patio with the lot that is a jump away from your car. read more

Chiba ken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Just had our dinner here a 1-2 hours ago. Decent food and cheap price. HORRIBLE service. After we finished our food (haven't even finished our beer yet), the waitress gave us the check and kept nagging us to pay. We told her we're not ready. After that, she came three more times (within 15 mins) to force us to pay as if she wanted to kick us out (it was 9pm and they actually close at 12am). We finally asked for the check and paid a decent amount of tip (since food was reasonably priced). When we walked out, the waitress ran after us and started telling us we shouldn't have said the word "STUPID" to her. ...?!?!? I was SHOCKED. We did not even say a word close to that. She was Japanese and probably had very weak English hearing skills. She kept insisting that we were rude to her. Unbelievable. So we said, "well we gave you full tip. should we take it back then?"... she immediately said no and also said, "if you don't like the service, DO NOT COME BACK" and went back into the restaurant. What a cheap way to handle the problem. They STILL wanted the tip they didn't deserve... WORST MANNER I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN ANY JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN MY LIFE. read more

Salmon sashimi - best one I've ever had!!! Unagi and Uni - sooo good!!! Warm saki is also very nice. I was here two days ago and just came back today! Very nice little place and everything is super delicious. read more

Chiba ken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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