Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Imanas Tei

    4.3 (822 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Imanas Tei Reservations

    Order Imanas Tei Takeout or Delivery

    Imanas Tei Photos

    IMANAS TEI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like Imanas Tei

    Recommended Reviews - Imanas Tei

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    karage
    Diana K.

    Really good and such a solid sushi spot I've always seen this place popping off with a line out the door so it peaked my interest. This was my first time and I got the wagyu nigiri which was good, but not the star. But the seafood?! Hello?! Delicious. I tried the 5-piece chef's choice + sake which consisted of amberjack, mackerel, scallop, hamachi, uni nigiri and some of the fish literally melted in my mouth. Also got salmon, roe, and hamachi nigiri and all of them were delicious (imo hamachi was outstanding)! The karaage was hot and juicy on the inside, and crispy on outside. What I liked about this place is that they had great promos, a good sake selection, and super kind staff. Definitely try this place if you get a chance!

    Ann N.

    This place has been around for many many years. I was always curious as it is tucked away almost intimidatingly so. I have come here at least three times within a couple years. You definitely need to make reservations. I have come each time for dinner on different days usually the weekend. They are always busy. I will agree with the service that it is really slow. There is not a lot of help usually 1-2 staff. If you are going in hungry you will be sorely disappointed. This is the place to sit and relax. We have sat at the counter twice and table once. There is no difference in service. This last time we did not make a reservation but quickly got seated at the bar as requested. We waited approximately 30 minutes for food to arrive. I would say 99% of the people here were Asian and did not appear to be distraught over the slow service. Everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves. With that being said, the food is exceptional. The staff work extremely hard considering there is very few of them. One is working super hard at the grill and the other making sushi. All the fish is fresh. I had assorted sushi A $26 which comes with salad and soup. I will say my squid tasted slimy and I was worried I would get sick afterwards but I did not. That was my only negative from the platter I received. The Mr had a spicy tuna volcano roll which he said was excellent. They actually gave him an extra beer which he couldn't finish since we waited so long. That was very kind of them. Will we return again? Absolutely. But I know not to go in starving. My only regret is not taking pictures of the food from earlier visits as we have ordered quite a bit and everything is delicious.

    Karaage lunch set and sashimi/tempura lunch set.
    Leander M.

    Went to Imanas Tei for lunch on a weekend. Nice and spacious inside with a large sushi counter. I got the sashimi and tempura set and husband got the karaage set, both were great! Lots of food, freshly made for really reasonable prices. The hamachi sashimi was soooo good. About 4 other tables were filled, everyone looked like they were getting the lunch sets too. Service was quick and friendly, a great place for a filling lunch.

    Delicious and good value at $28
    Robert S.

    I randomly stopped here for lunch mostly because I saw they had parking lol. Really lucked out because apparently recently started serving lunch soecials on Fri-Sun. I ordered the sashimi/tempura combo and wow so delicious and fresh. Nice portions, also came with miso soup and cold udon plus pickled veggies etc. Service was fine, very few people at the time. Can't wait to go back and try other menu options.

    Scallop Nigiri: 4/5
    Huiya Z.

    Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Came here with my friends on a Friday night because we wanted Sukiyaki. They said that this their go to spot for Japanese food on the island. This restaurant was very cozy, love the vibes. Kenzo was a great server! Sukiyaki with American Wagyu: 5/5 Honestly the highlight of the meal. I would 100% order this again. Sukiyaki was perfectly seasoned. Not too sweet and it was perfectly savory. All the toppings that the dish came with were really fresh. LOVE IT. Chicken Karaage: 5/5 The pieces were HUGEEEE. Karaage was lightly battered, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Btw Honey Mustard pairs perfectly with the chicken! Oysters: 4/5 These oysters were PHATTTTTT. I like my oysters skinny doe... Kaibashira Scallop Nigiri: 4/5 Scallop was smaller than I expected but it tasted fresh. Hamachi Crudo: 4/5 Normal. "Ika Mentaiko": 3/5 This dish was just literally Ika (Squid) + Mentaiko. Honestly if I was having more sushi this would have been a great app to order. This dish was a little too simple for me.

    Michelle D.

    Honestly, I'm giving this place 3 stars only because the food was good--otherwise, the service really brought the experience down. I had a reservation, but we weren't seated on time. Once we finally sat down, it took nearly 15 minutes just to get water. The food itself was great--no complaints there--but the service was a letdown from start to finish. I asked for a water refill three times, and no one came, so I ended up walking to the front to get it myself. No one checked on us throughout the meal. When it was time to leave, we asked for the bill and again, no one came. At that point, I was just frustrated and ready to go. As much as I enjoyed the food, the service makes it hard to justify coming back. Maybe for takeout--but sushi really doesn't hit the same that way. So yeah, probably won't be returning.

    Verna A.

    I've been coming here with my husband and sometimes friends ever since they started their happy hour from 5-6 and 8 to last call. It's a great deal! They also allow dogs if you're okay eating outside, which is a huge plus. I love ordering their happy hour combo--udon soup with sushi. It's such a great value! I also usually get the sashimi and edamame, and their salmon skin hand roll is really good too. The portions are satisfying, and the prices are reasonable. The only downside is the service. There were times I had to wait up to 30 minutes just to get a server's attention, which was frustrating. That's the main reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5. Still, the food and happy hour deals keep me coming back!

    Chicken kaarage
    Atiyyah S.

    First off I love coming here it's nice for dates, family dinners. The service here is always on point as far as I can tell. I'm keeping it simple with saying the food is YUMMY. And it's great bites to eat if everyone happens to be talking a lot at your table. This is why I forgot to take more pictures because I was digging in lol

    Bunch of the menu items
    Tracy Y.

    Being honest Imanas was great then for a while it went down hill for some reason and now it is good again. The sushi and food items have the great taste of the good old times. The ambiance is the same except for an open kitchen setup, which I like much better. The service it seems like they have a bunch of new workers who are nice but need to be a little more attentive, which will come with time. Definitely would recommend this place again.

    Dan O.

    Met up with a couple of Yeeps for a neighborhood izakaya dinner. Even though our neighborhood has more than a normal amount of izakayas, this was only my third visit to one. Unlike most of the others, Imanas Tei takes reservations on-line. Located at 2626 South King Street, Imanas Tei is located in a building with several other businesses next door to a 7-Eleven. There is a small parking lot of about 10 stalls. As the other two were running a few minutes late, I checked in for the reservation. There was a sushi bar when you first walk into the retaurant. As it was a slow Thursday evening, they-quickly took me to the table in a half-filled restaurant. There is one long table for a big group, a good number of 4-person tables, and 2 traditional Japanese dining rooms. In a few minutes my friends joined me. There was a confusing array of menus- standard, specials, drinks, and happy hour. We ended picking our selection of drinks and dinner items. I got the Chirashi Set B bowl & Nori Chazuke (forgetting that the chirashi already came with rice). All three of us got 2 drinks. The food came out in a good pace. I was able to sample my friends dishes- beef & tofu stew, okonomiyaki pancake, butterfish w/cucumber roll, and (not tried) sushi set B. But I wanted to save my appetite for my dishes. The Chirashi Set B was very generous- 6 different proteins and a big bowl of sushi rice. Out of all the items ordered, to my surprise my favorite was the nori chazuke. I forgot how much I enjoyed that simple tea rice with seaweed! With tax and tip, the total came out to about $65/person- average. Imanas Tei has great service, a wide selection, and the taste was very satisfying. It was a very good night out to eat with friends. Will repeat and recommend!

    stewed beef and tofu w/ white miso
    Koji S.

    Imanas Tei Traditional Japanese izakaya with a cozy, stylish, and bamboo-accented space. There is a small parking lot with around 8 stalls in front of the restaurant. We came on a Friday night and there was plenty of seating available. Food: 9.1/10 The dishes served here are amazing. We ordered the spicy tuna roll special, ika-geso karaage, okonomiyaki, chicken karaage, soft shell crab karaage, misoyaki butterfish, grilled chicken thigh, salmon skin roll, gobo kakiage, yamaimo/mentaiko roll, stewed beef and tofu w/ white miso, and salmon chazuke. Practically all the dishes were amazing; my highlights were the ika-geso karaage which reminded me of fried tako (tender and flavorful), chicken karaage w/ spicy teri mayo sauce which earned the gold medal in the Japan Chicken Karaage Grand Prix for 7 consecutive years (juicy and tender), and the yamaimo/mentaiko roll, which was perfectly balanced and had a hint of shisho leaf inside. The only dish we weren't the biggest fan of was the salmon skin roll, which wasn't too flavorful and a bit dry. Overall amazing food, and with over 150 items we'll be sure to be back to try more. Service: 8/10 Staff were friendly and attentive and we were seated quickly. They even provided us with our own water pitcher (great for us heavy water drinkers). Ambiance: 9/10 The restaurant had beautiful japanese decor and a sleek wooden table running across the center of the restaurant. There is a small sushi bar/counter as well. Restroom is clean and shared with the yakitori restaurant next door. Value: 9/10 Price is good for the amount of food they give and the quality of dishes served compared to other izakayas on the island. They also have a happy hour from 5-6pm that we will have to go back for.

    a good refreshing salad
    Nadine O.

    How is it I have lived here for over 32 years and did not know about this gem in the heart of Moilili?? Possibly because it is hidden unsuspectingly behind a 7-Eleven, not visible from a main street like Beretania St. I loved everything we ate especially the fried burdock with seafood. I have never tasted anything like it and for this dish alone I will return repeatedly!

    Sukiyaki
    Toma C.

    First of all the happy hour is not available. New ownership and maybe February 2026 it will come back but if you plan to go only for happy hour I would call first. We didn't call and decided to stay. The place was clean and inviting. I didn't have a visitor on our table. We had our menu picked out before we came and without the happy hour we had to look at so many options. We decided to get the Wagyu beef sukiyaki for two with sashimi. That was 114.00 for two. It was very tasty but I don't think it is with the 114.00 if we come back we will get the sashimi or hopefully they have happy hour. They say you have a choice of rice or udon. I asked for the rice and hubby asked for udon. We had to get only rice or udon. I told them okay just rice then. I think the felt bad we came for happy hour that they said they would give us one rice and udon. You're paying for a meal for two why couldn't we get an option. See my photos. We also got the shrimp tempura that was yummy yum yum. The sashimi that came with the sukiyaki was almost like Japan minus the price we paid. We would definitely get the sushi and sashimi if we come back. The people around us came do happy hour too I understand they don't make any money on happy hour alone and it is their slow season. The service was good for us but they only have two servers for the entire place. It is yummy but is it worth the money.

    Quail egg oyster shooters.

    See all

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joyce L.
    372
    1014
    3214

    4 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Great food and service - consistent. The shrimp tempura and fresh sushi is number one!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    It is always our go to place for fresh fish and Ono Japanese food, we tend to order the same food because it's so good!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dub C.
    87
    237
    924

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 4

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Lyn L.
    491
    1450
    4487

    5 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ms LaLa D.
    0
    393
    1486

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jerry F.
    0
    90
    393

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 50
    Thanks 3
    Love this 43
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ayaka O.
    15
    191
    590

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Yoichi Y.

    Yoichi Y.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Wonderful food and great service! The restaurant is a bit hidden but well worth finding.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 21

    Imanas Tei Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Imanas Tei

    Can we bring our own sake? If so, is there a fee?

    yes you can There is a $33 fee for each 720ml bottle.

    Do they sell 720 bottles of sake?

    yes we do have some of the 720 bottles od sake

    Besides their small parking lot, where else can you park?

    You can also park at Puck's alley. You have to pay of course, but the parking attendant leaves at about 9/9:30 pm and the parking arm is up so you can leave free of charge.… Read more

    Is there a happy hour?

    Not that I know of. But the food is great!

    If I go right when they open at 5:00pm without a reservation will I be okay (2 people)?

    Yes

    View All 6 Questions

    You might also consider

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - kurobuta tonkatsu

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

    4.3(4.2k reviews)
    1.1 miWaikiki
    $$$
    Free parking
    19 years in business

    This is the best meal I had in Waikiki. The classic pork loin tonkatsu was deeeeelicious! The light…read morecrispy breading was perfection, the meat was tender and the whole sesame grinding with tonkatsu sauce action was just fantastic. We also ordered the A5 Wagyu Filet Mignon Katsu set that we grilled on hot stone. Marbling was exquisite, meat super tender. Rice, cabbage salad & miso soup are unlimited. We enjoyed every bite of our meal. We reserved on Yelp, got seated right away, there were only 2 Japanese aunties taking orders, bussing, serving, checking out, refilling etc and served with a smile. We will definitely make sure to return here on our next visit to the island. It's money well spent. They close around midnight - it's very close to Hard Rock Cafe and Lahaina Shave Ice. It's a small restaurant with a bar and gets packed quickly so be sure to make reservations or it will be a long wait. We went to Tonkatsu Tamafuji 2 nights later but i personally prefer Ginza over Tamafuji.

    Ginza Bairin is consistently amazing. I typically get the specialty Kurobuta pork loin katsu set,…read morewhich they only have daily limited quantities of. It's delicious and the fry is perfect but it can be pretty rich/fatty. It does come with a side of Japanese spicy mustard, which goes great and helps cut some of the richness. If you order a set, they give unlimited salad, miso soup, and rice as well. This time, we also got the Hamburg steak set, which was surprisingly so delicious. It was juicy, super moist, and very flavorful. I'm usually not a fan of this dish, but it was delicious here! The servers are efficient and quick to offer refills of the sides and water. The space isn't very big, some tables and some counter seating, so if you're going with more than 2 people, a reservation is highly recommended. Whenever we're in Hawaii, we'll be back.

    Photos
    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu

    Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Special Katsu-don set

    Special Katsu-don set

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Katasu-don

    See all

    Katasu-don

    Izakaya Mitch's - Uzaku (unagi, cucumber, vinegar)

    Izakaya Mitch's

    4.8(44 reviews)
    6.3 mi

    If there's one thing about me, it's that I love an izakaya. Open late and small plates so you can…read moretry a few different things, my favorite! I've been to Mitch's a few times and when I saw that they opened up an Izakaya next door, I knew I had to try it and made a reservation on Yelp. Izakaya Mitch's specializes more in cooked dishes while the other side is more about the fresh / raw fish. But that didn't stop us from ordering the assorted sashimi. All the fish were from Japan and yes you can taste the difference. The fatty tuna was obviously my favorite but even the regular tuna and the hamachi was so buttery, it just melts in your mouth. Plus, it comes with real wasabi. Not horseradish, real wasabi. For the cooked dishes we got the hokkaido crab tempura with a side of matcha salt. One of the best tempuras I've ever had. The kamameshi, a rice dish with their fish of the day. We got the half order and it's kinda like a bibimbap where they mix the rice for you at your table. I saw that people were raving about this on Yelp and put in our order right when we got in because it takes 25-ish minutes to prepare. On special, they had a karei karaage. Karei is a flat fish and I've never had a fish karaage before, it was perfectly fried and dipped in the ponzu sauce it was so good. Ambiance is a no-frills kinda spot but very clean and feels homey and the service is amazing! Attentive and super personable.

    So happy there is an izakaya that we don't have to drive to downtown or Waikiki. Izakaya Mitch's is…read moreclose to the airport in the industrial area. I made reservations, so we were seated right away. Luckily, it wasnʻt crowded when we sat, so our waitress was able to answer all our questions about different dishes we were interested in ordering. Our party of 3 got to try different things from the specials and regular menu. The tai karaage was so tender and seasoned really well, the kamameshi is such a comfort dish, and the burrata with chilled tomato was really refreshing. One thing we all liked was that even though there were a lot of people in the restaurant (most came in after we ordered), we still were able to speak to one another without talking loud. The staff mentioned that they will be getting a sushi chef, so I guess we need to try this place again,

    Photos
    Izakaya Mitch's - Hours of operation

    Hours of operation

    Izakaya Mitch's
    Izakaya Mitch's

    See all

    I-NABA - Uni, ikura and hotate don with zaru soba

    I-NABA

    4.4(797 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    TL;DR This might be…read moremy favorite Japanese restaurant in town. Undisputed soba champion. ----- I'm surprised I haven't written a review for i-naba yet. This place has been a staple for my family ever since we moved back to O'ahu a few years ago. Bottom line? The soba noodles here are utterly fantastic. They are, in my humble opinion, the best on the island, and some of the best soba noodles I've ever had. I don't think anywhere else in Honolulu comes close. You come here to eat soba. Period. In addition to the soba being phenomenal, the other offerings at i-naba are also similarly great. Their tempura in particular is outstanding. I typically order the Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Bowl & Soba or the Dx Tempura Bowl & Soba. Plus an upgrade to a large size soba! The tempura is sooo good. It's crispy, light, and airy. The jumbo shrimp is especially succulent and tender. And the ingredients are always perfectly seasoned with the sweet and savory house sauce. Yummmy! If you're looking for the best soba and awesome tempura, this is your spot!!!

    Everytime I asked my Japanese clients which Japanese restaurant they enjoyed most in Honolulu,…read moreInaba consistently came up. And now I know why. I finally had lunch here a couple weeks ago and damn was my tempura and soba set broke da mout. The soba is housemade with a chewy consistency that I love. I had it cold with the dipping sauce and wow wow wow. So good. My friends suggested I get the shrimp and vegetable tempura as well which amazingly stayed crispy the whole time I savored each bite. Probably 30 minutes. Light crisp batter on perfectly cooked shrimp and veggies. Damn it was good. The service was great as well and I cannot wait to go back. Nice warm atmosphere and there's a free parking lot. It gets busy during lunch and dinner, so get there early or make a reservation. Enjoy!

    Photos
    I-NABA
    I-NABA - Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice

    Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice

    I-NABA - Hana soba

    See all

    Hana soba

    Imanas Tei - sushi - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...