Went with my family and we all loved this restaurant. Had the large sashimi combo platter which included 4 pieces each of hamachi, maguro, salmon, and clam. Was so fresh and tasty that we ordered another platter but the smaller single person size. In hindsight, I would order two or three small combos as the clam in the large combo can be skipped. Normally, when I order hamachi it tends to be watery which means pre-frozen. But hamahi was super fresh along with the maguro and salmon. There is a 90 minute time limit but never felt rushed and service was great, fast, and friendly. Ordered a draft beer which you have to have with sushi, but would go with the sake sampler flight too which was shared. Had 5pm rez so got there early around 20 before and already two cars waiting in the small 6 or 7 car lot which is shared with another restaurant. Overall, would give 4.5 stars if was possible. read more

so for absolutely fabulously yummy and delicious japanese food, come to imanas! tip: if you come before 7pm you can make reservations, which is a good idea. this place gets super duper busy! must eats: chanko nabe, garlic steak, spicy chicken, the katsu stick, and all the sushi! the service is great and i actually feel like i'm in a izakaya in japan! sooo good... again, if you don't come early, be prepared to wait, this place gets busy, but its sooo worth it! i guarantee it!!! read more

Wow. What a hidden little jewel on King St. Went here early on a Wednesday evening. We were immediately greeted by the host who was a little frazzled we didn't have reservations AND it was already busy at 6pm. After confirming we didn't have a reservation, she seated us right away. If you come here, 1) Make a reservation and 2) You want to sit on the inside table and take in the beautiful wood interior and decor. However, a seat at the sushi bar will also get you access to the delicious menu offerings. The service here is excellent. read more

Whenever I want to eat at an izakaya, I normally end up at imanas they have an excellent sushi and sashimi menu, and the shabu shabu, is one of my favorites. Excellent service and open late. Love this place I would certainly recommend read more

We wanted to sit at the bar but was told it was full for that evening and we couldnt make reservations as well so we walked in but thank goodness, they were able just to accomodate the 2 of us within minutes. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant but it is kind of small and hard to accomodate big groups. I totally love the sushi here and the uni was sooo sweet and delectable..mmmm! The salmon skin handroll is definitely one of the bestthat I've had and it was a chockful of yummy stuff with tobiko and some daikon shoots. We saw another table ordering the sushi combo and that looked good. I guess if you want variety and not too particular about what types of nigiri u want then definitely go for that. I loved the clam miso soup too...it was just sooo tasty and the clams were tender. I would definitely return to Imanas Tei again! read more

I love this place! We go there at least 3 times a month. It's always the same friendly workers (Takako, Iko, Tomo) and they are so nice. On top of that, the food is delicious. The shabu shabu is amazing and it's clean in there as well. They take pride in what they serve you and I will continue to go there again and again. You know it's good when all the Japanese people are eating there. read more

Imanas is one of the best Japanese restaurants to go. My girlfriends and I enjoy the great service and food. Very good selection of food. This is one of the places where you know you will return. read more

I had the omakase (sushi only) and am extremely knowledgeable about fish. Here's my thoughts. The fish was very good. Nothing was a 'wow' for me though so I must admit that I was expecting better. I also found the rice to be a bit too cool as it really should be warm and nearly falling apart when picked up with the chop sticks. The rice was more of a ball of rice tightly packed... not idea. In addition, the fish was all brought out at the same time. Bad move, it should be brought out piece mail and then immediately consumed seconds after it's cut. I had a much better experience at Sasabune and Izakawa Gaku. With those restaurants in town, I don't see myself coming back here although the meal was tasty. read more

Always a good meal and great folks...be prepared to know your Japanese food. Make it a point to try the Shabu Shabu with at least a few Sake's (cold of course) and order a variety of the sushi...it is always the freshest and best cuts... read more

One of my new favorite restaurants!!!! Imanas has a wide selection of dishes to choose from, and the prices are pretty affordable! My boyfriend and I came here for his birthday, it's important to make reservations if you want to get seated quickly...the restaurant opens at 5 and there were some people that actually wait outside the doors before they opened! The parking isn't all that great, but you can find street parking nearby. The service is excellent and the waitresses are friendly! We ordered: -katsu sticks (DELICIOUS) -2 misoyaki butterfish (YUM) -potato salad -2 servings of hamachi nigiri -2 servings of salmon nigiri -2 bowls of rice -geso karaage -Green tea ice cream The total for all of this was only $60. Not bad, I say! We left very satisfied and full! read more

I have to give it a solid 5 stars. My sister was very excited to take me there when I visited Hawaii and I was a bit skeptical at first. As soon as we walked in, I was impressed by the interior that was so thoughtfully and artistically put together. We were seated at a long wooden community-style table that tapers off on one side and next to us was this family with a cute japanese girl. Although the Uni that I desperately wanted was sold out, everything we ordered were very fresh, proper in size and so tasty! Ama Ebi and Toro were to die for! I wish there were an Imanas Tei close to where I live... read more

I love love love the chanko nabe. Tons of different types of meats, veggies, all expertly placed in the bowl by the waiter. Enough food for 3 people. The best part is the end where they ask you if you want noodles or rice and egg to be placed in the broth. I would recommend the rice and egg option, so delicious! I've also tried the Chirashi - fresh, delicious fish. TIP: they accept reservations up to 7PM, so make them otherwise you might have to wait a while - but it's definitely worth it! read more

Yes the parking will suck...try looking on the street in the back of Puck's Alley. Go after 9:00PM if you don't want to wait for at least 30 minutes. If you have to wait go next door to the 7-11, grab a beer and hang out by the stairs. But once you are in there, YUM. The sushi is worth waiting for. My favorite right now if creamy uni and I have not been disappointed yet. There a sushi combo B that is $28(?) and worth it. If you order nigiri one at a time, it can get pricey quickly. I'm not a nabe fan but it is good here as well. read more

One of the worst food experiences. Roaches on our table. The waiters were apologetic, but when they went to speak to the manager nothing was done to alleviate the matter. We moved to another table and different kinds of tiny roaches went scurrying off our table. It was so disgusting. The chef behind the counter just told the waitress not to charge us. Again, no apologies from management. I'd hate to see what their sanitation standards are. Sad...because I knew this place when it first opened and back then it was awesome. If I could've given this a negative rating I would. For your own safety and health...beware...:( read more

Delicious sushi, big pieces of uni, handroll had plenty of hamachi and the fishes were all fresh. The seafood dynamite was a bit heavy but everything else was good. The restaurant is beautiful. read more

My first time here. The nabe was good. The sashimi was OK. The experience was very average. I can't say i'd go out of my way for a return visit. But I wouldn't tell someone it's not a place to go. read more

A big disappointment from when I last came to this place years ago. The sushi was mediocre, the nabe was ok, but the service was not good. I constantly had to get up and find a server. Our original server totally forgot about us. I will not return here ever again because there are so many other better and upcoming restaurants. read more

Food is amazing, price is high, service is slow but they are polite. Good luck getting a reservation.

Acquaintances raved about this restaurant as if this was THE restaurant to visit so....hubby and I made a reservation and tried it out. Get ready to park on the street or at a paid parking lot elsewhere because you won't find space in front of their restaurant. Inside the restaurant, you enter and there is the sushi counter to your left, and the dining area to your right. There are some counters in the middle of the dining area and a private dining area in the far back - the place was pretty much packed with people Not many tourists though - mostly locals. Don't come here if you're expecting a nice quiet dinner - the customers are drunk and are rowdy, the conversations from each table kind of bounce off the walls and echo. Pretty noisy and lively. The food was okay. The sushi platters we ordered seemed fresh. The miso soup they serve was nothing out of the ordinary, kind of bland if you want the truth :( We ordered small platters (appetizers) - but 3 out of 5 dishes never came out before our main meal. Nothing was said as in "your xxxx is coming out very shortly, sorry for the wait". So we're eating our main dish (without the 3 appetizers), and when one of the servers finally approach us we ask if the missing appetizers and side dishes are on its way. The server, instead of saying "yes, sorry, they're on their way", goes "well, you have the exact same side dish here on your platter with your main meal, YOU SURE YOU STILL WANT THE SIDE DISH ORDER?" (as if to hint that maybe we should cancel the dish we were waiting on??) I thought that was weird. Who are they to tell us if we are "SURE" if we want to keep waiting for a platter we have ordered 20 minutes ago (it's a cold plate, nothing they need to cook in the back LOL) So at that point we did cancel it, got tired of waiting for it. We also canceled another dish that should have come with my husband's beer too as they never showed up either. Mind you, they were all small appetizer dishes - and all cold items (tofu, edamame, salad, those sorts of things) I get that this place is popular and the servers are busy, but we never had anyone come to our table to ask if everything was okay. We pretty much had to hunt down our server (actually ANY server that was in our vicinity) to help us with extra utensils or hot tea, or whatnot. The food may be decent, but the service and the fact that they don't bring you what you've ordered - is a definitely turn off. Management needs to figure out a more efficient way for their servers to take care of the dining area. Do they even have their own section? Seems like everyone helped everyone else - maybe that's where the confusion occurs. Left the place wondering why this place was so popular - there are a ton of other Izakayas that beats this place in both taste AND service. I don't think I would ever wait to get a table if we don't have a reservation (they don't take reservations after 7 PM which is normal for most Izakayas) read more

Absolutely amazing! The butter salmon was so light and fresh. The dynamite is the BOMB! On top of being incredible food, the service & ambiance was so wonderful. We will definitely be back for more... read more

Considering that I travel to Japan 4-7 times per year I am pretty strict when it comes to Japanese food. In Hawaii there are not too many go to favorite sushi places but Imanas ranks highly by my standards. When I go out for sushi its 100% Imanas Tei. The service is great, the atmosphere is the way I like it. You will find me and my wife at the counter unless we have a big group. read more

There absolutely nothing to say bad about this place. The food is excellent and so is the service. I've eaten there many of times and I've received the same awesome service from different waiters. I recommend this place to everyone that loves Japanese food. read more

We ate at the sushi bar and ate quite a many dishes, potato salad, octopus, tofu, unagi, hamachi, and chazuke. Usually crazy to find a space but it was perfect and so enjoyable. Thank you for such a wonderful meal. read more

boy, this place (along with Maharani's) is my favorite place in HI. I lived closeby and was always begging my girlfriend to go to this place. We both loved it. She's vegetarian and found a lot of suitable items. I HIGHLY reccomend the salmon nigiri. Sooo fresh and delicate. It really melts in your mouth. Also the Tamago nigiri and Agedashi tofu and amazing. and the best thing is, you can get a complete awesome meal for under $40 for 2. It can be expensive if you get expensive stuff but it can be affordable and still amazing if you don't. only thing-parking is bad. read more

This has to be my favorite Japanese restaurant in Hawaii. Chanko nabe is deeeee-lish. Always friendly service with a smile. My only gripe is the parking situation, but the food is definitely worth the hassle. read more

Took a chance and walked in on a Saturday night around 8pm and got seated right away. It's been over a year since my last visit, and same friendly welcome greeted me. Steamed clams, king crab dynamite, katsu kushi and orders of maguro, hamachi and ikura completed our meal. Looking forward to returning soon... read more

i love imanas tei!! everything here is awesome. the sushi, the shabu shabu and all the little izakaya dishes are yummy!!! it's fun to go here with a bunch of people so that you can order several dishes and share. you can eat, drink, go outside smoke a cigarette, come back in, eat, drink, chill, hang out.......... the only drawback is that it's small and it gets crowded so on a busy night you might have to wait for a table. i think they take reservations if you eat before 7 pm or something like that. but who eats that early especially when meeting friends? some dishes i recommend: katsu with miso sauce and the steak. the sushi is awesome too. the funny thing is i told my husband about this restaurant but he only believed me about how good and authentic it was after talking to sam at sushi sam's in san mateo. sam says this is the best izakaya in hawaii. how can you go wrong with that recommendation????? and they're open till midnight. read more

i don't understand why peope love this place so much. nothing was bad but nothing was that great. everything looked real sloppy and for the money i've had much better. won't be going back here. read more

it boggles my mind that there are all these nice places in these run down strip mall locations. this place has great presentation value. the restaurant inside is beautiful. the porcelain dishes are beautiful. the presentation of the food is beautiful. the taste is good. nothing mind boggling. well, the sashimi was quite nice - the salmon was buttery as well as the other fish that I couldn't identify. we had udon, squid and mentaiko, tako marinade, toro negi, tatsuta age. i'm not a huge fan of shiso so that might've been the problem. i recognize that this place is nice. just wasn't wowed by any of the flavors. maybe the nabe is better? read more

love this place, even if you have to wait it's definitely worth the waiting time. Dynamite is my favorite there.

Lovely setting and carefully prepared Japanese food. Good place to take someone for a date because it's nice and quiet.

I would give it five stars because their food is really delicious, but they need to improve their desert menu. They only have two items: azuki ice cream or green tea ice cream. But I guess you could walk up the street and have mochi ice cream or a sundae at bubbies. read more

Maybe I should've braced for this, and of course this review is coming from a naive tourist, but damn the prices are more expensive than I would've ever expected. Yes, this is Hawaii, but is importing fish that much more pricey than getting them shipped to the mainland? It's a beautifully designed restaurant space, and I don't doubt this is more "authentic" than other places, but paying over $30 for about 10 thin slices of sashimi (roughly 1/5" x 1" x 2") put a dent in the experience. It wasn't even more expensive fish save for the 2 thinly-sliced pieces of toro. read more

Booyah. The real deal. Sat at the sushi bar and had the works, up to an including Uni, which was fabulously fresh. Best sushi we had in Hawai'i. Sort of tucked away, but worth the journey! read more

Oh, my god, I LOVE this place. Go with three people, get the chanko nabe, finish with zosui and green tea ice cream. Usually for some variety, we order the chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, or hamachi sashimi. Everything I've tried here is seriously good, but the chanko nabe is a MUST. read more

This place is a traditional sushi house and reminds me of some of the places we ate at in Tokyo. Service was really good here and everyone who works here is Japanese. The item everyone orders is the Chanko Nabe, a hot pot the server cooks for you. They start by layering in all the items so that each one cooks perfectly so when they are done staking every thing (like 10-12 different items) into the pot its cooked from the bottom up. An absolutely amazing experience. Love the ambiance. read more

Best place ever. My bf and and I go at least once a month. Chanko nabe and gobo is our favorite.

This 5 star review pertains to our experience at the sushi counter and not the dining room. The seafood selections were abundant and extremely fresh when compared to other sushi eateries around town. The Japanese tourists that sat at the counter were "regulars" that have been coming for years whenever they visit Honolulu. That would only happen if they trust the quality of what is being served here as they are used to getting the best in the world a short 8 hour flight away. When their "star" talented sushi chef left to open his own restaurant years ago, people were worried about a possible downfall of the sushi at Imanas. They did stumble slightly at first but that was due to the itamaes that worked the counter. I am happy to report that now with Abe-san in charge, Imanas has regained it's position at the top of sushi restaurants in Honolulu. Bravo Asai-san! read more

I recently planned a family night out with my wife and two kids and wanted to have a delicious dinner before we went to see a play at MVT. After searching Yelp for restaurants in Manoa I decided on Imanas after reading all of the great reviews. The food was no big deal and lacked flavor, expensive, and the waitress wasn't very accommodating. It certainly didn't meet my expectations and was a dissapointment. Oh well, sometimes no can help, but there are a lot of other Japanese restaurants in Honolulu to try before I ever return to this one. read more

Tucked away off the main road, Imanas is my favorite Japanese restaurant on island. The staff is very nice and accomodating. The ambience is mellow... Sometimes there is a long wait since they don't take reservations after 7 p.m., but it is sooo worth the wait, trust me. Every time I try a new Japanese place, I ask myself half way through the dissapointing meal, "why did I come here instead of Imanas?". Then I get even more irritated when the bill comes and it twice the price for mediocre food! I really enjoy the Sushi and Udon soup! read more