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    i-naba Hanalei'i

    4.7 (64 reviews)
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    I-NABA HANALEI'I ATMOSPHERE

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    Nadine C.

    Lunch in Honolulu, Hawaii... I had tried to dine here in the past, but didn't have a reserve, so... This time, I called about half an hour before I could get to i-naba Hanalei'i... And got in! Yay! Thank you! I remembered that there was a small, free parking lot behind the building. There's also metered street parking. Located across the street from Washington Intermediate School, this restaurant is divided into two sections: sushi on the left and teppanyaki on the right. We chose Teppanyaki. We had the cozy, clean Teppanyaki room to ourselves. There were only counter seats. The chef did minimal conversation and was efficient, skillful, and courteous. It was fun to watch the chef prepare the food! I coughed a bit when he was cleaning the grill as we were eating. However, the food was beautifully presented and tasted great. We ordered the US Prime Tenderloin Steak. It came with a nice broth, delicious stir-fried veggies, and fluffy, fresh steamed rice. The steak was tender and sliced thin. We could change it up with the homemade ponzu sauce, side of Wasabi, ume, and salt. When I return, I'd like to try the sushi room!

    Irene M.

    The privacy was epic... Plan B isn't always a negative direction as the original was an unexpected fail checking out the availability with lunch at I-naba Hanalei'i worked out perfectly with a call prior to arrival. Finding them on busy South King Street can be the biggest challenge especially if you're driving but they're located right across Washington Middle School basketball court so keep to your left and you'll probably see the Y. NAKAMURA BUILDING before the restaurant sign and right below that building sign is the driveway which will take you to the back of the restaurant where there are a few parking available. Cute brickwork is where the restaurant is at and once you enter it transport you to a Japanese villa with sliding doors and we decided on the teppanyaki dining where we saw our setting already place and ready for our arrival is quite impressive. With menu in hand I decided on the US Prime Tenderloin Steak which is 1/4lb and all teishoku is served with salad, rice and miso soup. With the chef working silently his magic placing our salad, sauces and water while he cooks our veggies that accompany our steak dining like this is a nice quite space where it's not all noisy and with a full restaurant filled with others is quite refreshing and a nice break for some quite time is something that I'm not used to. Thank you Nadine C for the suggestion as I've seen this place driving by countless times but never imagine the magic behind these unassuming doors is a magical place that givings dining a new experience for me. Thank you!

    Chris Y.

    Just to clarify, there's two sides to i-naba Hanalei'i, with one side being the omakase sushi side, and the other side is the teppanyaki side. Make sure when you make your reservation to know which side you are reserving for. It's a bit further away from the touristy areas of Waikiki, and you have to either drive out yourself, or take a rideshare to get there as it's on a random street in a more local area around Waikiki. It's certainly mostly just smaller businesses around here, and not going to be your typical tourist area. Both rooms aren't going to be very big, for the omakase side, nor for the teppanyaki side. However, the omakase side is definitely smaller than the teppanyaki side. If you're planning to do the omakase sushi side with a large group, make sure it's not more than 6 as it'll start getting too crowded in there after that. We arrived at the spot for lunch this day. There's very few parking spots in the back behind the building where they have their own private lot, and there's also street parking along the road. I won't speak too much about the experience, as I feel this is one of those that's better experienced yourself, but all I want to say is that this was probably one of my favorite meals during the entire trip. The sushi chef we had today was very friendly, and also greatly catered to our appetites. Just like many chefs in Japan that offers an omakase dining experience, they are attentive to watch their diners, and adjusting and matching the various portions of our food that day. The chef will also listen to specific dietary needs when asked, and will find ways to provide a way for certain adjustments in the food. Things such as adjusting portion sizes for some of the fish, adjusting the ingredients in certain courses, and other considerations that comes from an attentive sushi chef when serving guests. Much like their teppanyaki counter-part next door, the experience was part of the meal. The portions here, particularly for the price, was a great value. Even though omakase is usually very expensive, at i-naba this was not an issue. There was a great variety of food offered as well, and all of which were fresh, tasted great, and by the time the meal was done we were all fully satisfied, pun intended. If you feel like a nice sushi experience down in Waikiki, but want something a bit more lowkey than the busiest area, I recommend dropping by here. It is a bit of a drive out, but totally worth it for the omakase experience here.

    The best omakase I've ever had. Thank you Teru. It was one of the highlight of our wakiki trip.

    Hokkaido scallop

    This gem of a restaurant is the closest you'll get perfectly fried tempura. You'll have to fly to Japan if you want better. After eating at I-Naba for their fresh soba and falling in love with it, we had to try I-naba Hanalei'i for their tempura. WOW! From eel, uni, scallops, to mushrooms and asparagus, everything was cooked masterfully. It's bar seating with maximum of 8, so it's intimate. We had the bar all to ourselves and enjoy every second of the meal. The chef and the waitress were super welcoming and friendly. To end the tempura omakase course, you get a choice of kakiage.(ours was chopped shiso leaves with chopped prawns ) , tencha (kakiage served with rice and a tea broth) Zaru soba, or 4 pieces of sushi. We had one of each and it was as delicious. This place is hands down the best tempura place outside of Japan, and the intimate setting made it even better. Great food and service and can't recommend it enough!

    Omakase
    Daniel C.

    I-NABA Hanalei'i Honolulu is across from Washington Middle School and has a private lot in the back of the building. It's free parking but if it's full then there is street metered parking on King St. When you enter, sushi is on the left and teppanyaki is on the right. This review is for their sushi option. It's been around for the past 8 months. The sushi counter seating sits 7 people and is a cozy atmosphere. They immediately bring out water and offer green tea. There is a drink menu for alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks as well. You can't do sushi without alcohol so of course I had to order a High Ball to start followed by lots of sake. We did the omakase option and added on items after to fill our sushi craving. The omakase came with Chutoro, Tai, Shima-Aji, Maguro, Shiba, Aji, Ikura, Blue Fin Tuna Roll and Miso Soup. We added on Uni and Barracuda after the omakase course. Everything was fresh and quite good. The service was great and they even walked us out to thank us for coming. Our sushi chef mentioned that they have been very busy after the social media post. A friend of mine couldn't get reservations when she was on Oahu for a few hours and she called ahead of time to try get a seating but was unsuccessful so reservations are highly recommended. Great sushi option on King St!

    Karasumi in daikon with young pickled ginger.
    Sheila K.

    We do an annual sushi dinner for my husband's birthday and Chef Kakazu made this one unforgettable! We had his full attention in this intimate 7 seat coHe provided us with such carefully prepared delights! This was definitely TOP TIER omakase! Good value for Hawai'i and definitely our favorite place so far! Rivals Japan dining experiences! Everything was so fresh and the Chef was so gentle and kind and GENEROUS! We will be back to celebrate our sons' birthdays later this month! Recommending to our friends.

    Verna A.

    Me and my friend just walked in. We didn't have a reservation and they were kind enough to let us in and sit on the sushi side. Their lunch menu is a great deal! $42/person for 10 sushi and miso soup. I definitely think it is worth it! Also it was delicious!! The chef didn't speak fluent English and that was okay! He was kind enough to try tell us what kind of finish we were eating. He even had a paper that showed it in English if you are curious on what kind of fish you are eating. The ambiance was nice! It was just me and my friend for a while but as we finished our course, a couple came in and the chef started to help them. I highly recommend coming here for lunch. I look forward on eating on the other side of the restaurant next time. :)

    Mika O.

    This hidden gem is located near the original i-naba on King street. We have been here twice for lunch. They have two different concepts - a small sushi bar and a teppanyaki section. My parents heard of these amazing lunch specials and we had to try them both! The teppanyaki lunch specials are three set choices - gyu katsu, hamburger steak, or a teppanyaki meat set. Super affordable and the quality is great. I think I would recommend going for the teppanyaki meal. Portion is a bit on the smaller side but it is a great deal for lunch. The other concept is their sushi bar, where they have a $40 omakase lunch special. You get 10 nigiri, a hosomaki roll, and miso soup for only $40! Each fish is cut in front of you by their sushi chef. There's great variety and a steal for what you get. We went for a birthday and they even brought out complimentary yuzu dessert for us. Since there are only about 7-8 seats at the bar, it is really cozy inside and the service is good. They also do have dinner meals which are pricier and would be good for a special occasion. We have yet to try, but would highly recommend their lunch sets/specials!

    Katsu lunch
    Mayumi C.

    Dropped by for lunch: we were the only guests in the restaurant. We had beef Katsu and hamburg steak lunch (both $35). Both come with salad, donabe rice, miso soup, and pickles. Foods are tasty and the chef cooked two hamburgs in front of us. Donabe rice (no longer offers garlic rice) is rice cooked with Japanese earthenware pot: it was tasty. Although the chef asked us if we wanted the second serving and we said no at that time, he took the pot back to the kitchen. Well, in Japan, a good kappo restaurant makes onigiri (rice balls) with the left over donabe rice because that donabe pot is cooked for the guests: but this chef didn't even offer that. Moreover when we finished the lunch, he raised the volume of music and offered the tea later. It was as if he wanted us to leave as soon as we finished the lunch. It was a disappointment even though the foods were good. Gochiso-sama.

    Jerry E.

    Had a good experience for a price. Not very impressed with the lady chef's skill because our lobsters were over cooked, too hard and dry, not mentioning overpriced set dinner when compared with their competitors; oh, the servers weren't around most of the time, thus, our drinks weren't timely replenished. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons that we were the only customers occupied one of the two tables in the restaurant; however, steaks wise, they were superb, even for regular, not wagyu steaks. Notwithstanding what I commented about a few flaws, it is still one nice eatery to check it out.

    Christine B.

    I came for the first time to try this new sushi restaurant. I walked in without reservation and chef Yoshitaka "Maru" Hoshimaru he greeted me and seated around the small sushi counter. The place is small but very authentic Japanese. The fish is very fresh direct from Japan. There is a set menu of Omakase, one is $100 and another $120. The fish was very fresh and savory, it melted in your mouth without any soya without dipping. Chef Maru served different kind of fish in hisOmakase menu. This is family owned restaurants in Japan, LA and it has been in Honolulu for 3 months. Quality food is worth a visit. Best to make reservation.

    Omakase
    Jack C.

    We were recommended this place for their lunch Omakase and so we booked a couple weeks in advance for our trip to Oahu. When booking I made sure to tell the person on the phone that we have a infant with us and if it was okay, they were totally fine with it. On to the experience.. In total the experience was about 90 minutes The chef shared what was being offered which was the lunch Omakase and shared a menu of beverages which included all sorts of Sake, Sake flights, beer and standard beverages. Each of the 10 pieces that came out were legit and I kept thinking, all of this for $42? This price point just blew my mind. The ginger was fresh and was never empty. The ginger had a hint of vinegar which was different but in a good way. The miso soup was packed with flavor and included a shrimp head. The six piece toro sushi roll was also a good addition to complete the meal. All in all the experience was great! The 10 piece Omakase, miso soup and 6 piece toro sushi roll was a STEAL at $42! I would highly recommend this place!

    Miso soup

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Beautiful and skillful presentation. Very fresh and tasty courses. Wagyu melts in mouth. Clam soup is unique and delicious.

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    2 years ago

    This is the best food I have ever had! Amazing service, everything melted in my mouth. WOW!!!

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    3 years ago

    Exceptional sushi with each piece seasoned to bring out the deliciousness of the fish. Highly recommend the dinner omakase.

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    2 years ago

    The atmosphere and staff were amazing. Loved the ambience. The chef was so friendly, felt like being in Japan!

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    i-naba Hanalei'i Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - i-naba Hanalei'i

    Where do I park?

    There are some street parking spots available on King St in front of the restaurant and nearby.

    Do you need reservations?

    Yes, a reservation is a must.

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    Totoya

    Totoya

    4.6(330 reviews)
    2.5 miKaimuki
    $$

    Food and service is great! But their new AI-generated graphics made it seem like the restaurant…read moreserves lower-quality food, which is misleading. I know they have better graphics than that! Hope their marketing reflects how good their food and service actually is.

    Wife and I truly enjoyed this cozy little place in Hawaii. The atmosphere was quaint and cozy with…read morebar seating only and a reservation list you need to get on to ensure a spot. There is walk-ins but I wouldn't risk it The food was incredibly fresh. As it goes without saying, when you're in Hawaii you're as close to eating the freshest seafood as you can without being in Japan. We both ended up getting their Signature Negitoro Bowl but the Tokujo version which has Salmon Roe + Snow Crab + Uni and added a fresh Yolk Soy Sauce. Because why not have the Lamborghini of Negitoro bowls while you're visiting here. Along with that I ended up with a half sized udon miso soup and my wife a crab miso soup. As you can see in the pictures the food came out looking just like it did on the menu, no false advertising there. The egg soy sauce was a perfect creaminess that complimented the saltiness of the Uni and Salmon Roe. Once you mix everything together there's even added house made soy sauce on the side of your want more saltiness back but add some yuzu ginger with each bite and you get that perfect blend of flavor. There's fish was insanely fresh and had zero fishy smell or taste. The rice underneath was cooked well and the side squares of nori was perfect to make our own hand rolls. There's no alcohol served but they allow you walk 15 steps outside to the nearby convenience store where they have the cutest little dog and bring in your own beer or sake. There's miso soup was good and warms you up, but will say the corner we sat on had the AC blasting (which we're not complaining) but it did cool down our soups a little faster than we could enjoy so in the end my wife's crab miso did get a little salty. But overall the food was amazing, service was friendly and vibes were warm. Absolutely will come back the next time we're in Oahu.

    Photos
    Totoya
    Totoya - Mixed bowl with crab miso soup and extra nori and salad and shoyu egg on da side

    Mixed bowl with crab miso soup and extra nori and salad and shoyu egg on da side

    Totoya - Nagomi (smaller version of the Miyabi)

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    Nagomi (smaller version of the Miyabi)

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Jyukusei pork tenderloin katsu teishoku

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji

    4.6(2.5k reviews)
    1.9 miKaimuki
    $$$

    great!! food was delicious and the experience was the best I've seen so far. Great for a small…read moredate !!!

    If I could give 100000 stars, I would! This is one of the best tonkatsu place I have ever been to…read more Some local Hawaiian natives also recommended this spot to us. Luckily, I had made reservations right when they opened online (a month in advance). They go by QUICK! Inside was decorated so clean and definitely highlights the Japanese culture. Our reservation was at 5 PM so we were seated super quickly when they opened for dinner service. We got our menus and then some side Japanese side dishes. The burdock roots were really good and they provided free plums (Ume) to have with rice. We ordered the pork loin katsu, pork tenderloin katsu, and a side order of oyster katsu. Each order of katsu came with choice of rice and miso soup. I saw the workers fry the katsu, so everything was fresh! While we were waiting for the food, they gave us the sesame seeds to grind for our Katsu sauce. All Katsu tasted sooooo good! I enjoyed the pork loin katsu sooooo much! Still thinking about it till this day haha. The tenderloin was the most tender I have ever had. It was my first time trying oyster katsu and it was both crispy from the Katsu but juicy from the oyster. Service was great as well. Staff were walking around asking if we wanted more salad or side dishes. After we finished our meal, they gave us some hot tea which is good for digestion. Overall, this is a MUST when visiting Oahu! It deserves all the hype.

    Photos
    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Battering the Pork

    Battering the Pork

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Making the sauce

    Making the sauce

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Mix Katsu Set

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    Mix Katsu Set

    Marugame Udon - Udon and tempura

    Marugame Udon

    4.5(14.2k reviews)
    1.3 miWaikiki
    $$

    Fast lines, great food, close to a shopping mall, ice machine dont work sometimes, I go here at…read moreleast once a month with my buddy and it gets better every time. Great spot if you're looking for a place to fill you up for a cheap price.

    Marugame Udon is the perfect spot to hit after a long, draining flight. A warm and comforting bowl…read moreof udon will heal you pretty quickly. We rolled up around 6:30 PM last Wednesday, and the line was quite long. Despite this, it moved quickly since the ordering process is essentially fast casual. Marugame Udon has their signature udon options, or you can build your own bowl and add on different tempura sides. NIKUTAMA UDON (REGULAR) - 12.95 With no brain cells left to think, I ordered one of their two most popular options. While the bowl was a tad small, it came topped with sliced beef, fried onions, scallions, and a soft-boiled egg. The broth was sweet and savory, paired with the tender, sweet beef and onions. The udon itself had the perfect chewy texture and soaked up all that flavor like a sponge. Absolutely delicious, I killed that bowl in less than 5 minutes. Marugame Udon isn't a luxurious experience, but it gets the job done. For the price and convenience, the udon was savory and hearty. Great option for a quick meal and worth a short wait. Definitely one of the better udon options in Waikiki.

    Photos
    Marugame Udon - You can watch as they make your food!

    You can watch as they make your food!

    Marugame Udon - Kake Udon

    Kake Udon

    Marugame Udon - Dining Room!

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    Dining Room!

    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Ice cream and mochi

    ABURIYA IBUSHI

    4.5(452 reviews)
    1.7 miKaimuki
    $$

    Thankyou Doc for treating us to Aburiya Ibushi for Grandparents Day 2026. Excited...first time…read morehere and we arrived more than 30 minutes prior to our 5:30 pm reservation. Exterior just calls out to you. I'll write more once we are seated and taste their food. I already looked at their menu on Yelp, read some reviews and know what I want to try. All 3 employees welcomed us with smiles and a happy greeting. It smells SO good when you enter of good food. Catchy Japanese pop music adds to the festive vibe. Their menu is extensive. Everything sounds, looks and tastes amazing. Erin was the best and such a pretty hostess, table server and made the evening enjoyable. Yuzu was all smiles, cute and prepared some of the food. She also helped Doc make our dinner reservations. Chef was so busy preparing the dishes I didn't get to ask him his name but I flashed a thumbs up to him as we were leaving and he gave a big smile. There was so much delicious food we asked for take out containers for the oxtail ramen and tender grilled beef. We had to pass on dessert. Actually my melon float was like a pretty dessert. Hubs drank a lychee soda. Highly recommend this restaurant. Come for the food, atmosphere and friendliest staff. We even caught a glimpse of their very young boss who also greeted us when he arrived.

    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
    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Storefront... just like we're in Japan!

    Storefront... just like we're in Japan!

    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Their famous potato salad.

    Their famous potato salad.

    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Potato Salad

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    Potato Salad

    Little Plum - Onsen egg! On mushroom jook

    Little Plum

    4.5(290 reviews)
    1.7 miManoa

    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
    Little Plum - Inside da restaurant......

    Inside da restaurant......

    Little Plum - Catch of the day

    Catch of the day

    Little Plum - Rock Salt Plum $16 - highly recommend

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    Rock Salt Plum $16 - highly recommend

    i-naba Hanalei'i - japanese - Updated September 2026

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