Torikyu is an amazing place to get food, and it hits even better later at night!…read more The atmosphere of the place is very nice, it feels modern and traditional at the same time. The place is smaller, and it feels very cozy and is well decorated. The only complaint I have is that the parking lot is CRAZY SMALL, and it can be very hard to maneuver and find a stall unless you get lucky. The staff are always very nice and have accommodated our big party when we've called ahead. They are very patient and are very helpful in explaining the menu. For ordering, you get a paper with all the menu options on it, and you just write how many you want of each item, and for skewers, whether you want teriyaki (T) or salt (S). The food is always amazing here, every single thing is always super tasty. Nothing is too salty and everything has just the right amount of flavor. All the different aspects of each dish come together very well and have the perfect balance. The grilled musubis are especially unique, and my favorite skewers are the chicken w/ wasabi and beef! I also highly recommend the tofu w/ chili garlic sauce!! Everything is always super great at Torikyu and you should definitely check it out!

Torikyu is good, but it could be much better with a little more care. The highs are real. The…read morechicken wings were excellent, easily the standout. Crisp, seasoned, juicy and the kind of thing I'd come back for. The yaki onigiri was also great once it finally arrived. The Asahi draft is a nice touch and overall the room has that small, late night yakitori feeling that makes you want the place to win. But the experience was uneven. The first server was excellent. Warm, attentive and on top of things. The server who closed out the night was the opposite. Slow, checked out and not nearly attentive enough for a room this small. The quail eggs came out cold, the yaki onigiri took far too long and the pacing started to fall apart. Some of the skewers were also dry, especially the chicken thigh and negima. Yakitori is simple, but that's why the details matter. Timing, heat, seasoning, texture, there's nowhere to hide. The drinks could use a little more care too. I ordered a Toki highball and it came in a plastic mug that felt tired and worn. Not the end of the world, but again, details. Still, I don't regret going. There's enough good here to make it worth a visit, especially for the wings and yaki onigiri. I just wish the second half of the service matched the first. Good place. Not perfect. Needs more consistency.

I had a truly wonderful dining experience. The quality of both the food and the service was…read moreexceptional -- it genuinely felt as if I were dining in Japan. If you look at my photos, you can see some of the course menu they provided. I was especially impressed by the freshness of the chicken. The restaurant sources its chicken from the Big Island and ships it fresh via FedEx rather than using frozen products. You can really taste the difference. Every dish was excellent, but the liver was particularly memorable -- incredibly fresh, rich, and almost melting in texture. I also loved the vegetables, especially the eggplant and the purple yam with homemade Bagna Cauda sauce, which was absolutely delicious. The grilled eel was another highlight. Cooked over Binchotan, the special Japanese charcoal, it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and simply incredible. The final dish, a chicken, mitsuba, and gobo takikomi gohan cooked in a Donabe, was exceptionally flavorful. To top it off, they made onigiri from the leftover rice for me to take home, and it was just as enjoyable the next day. Chef Ikeda's grilling technique is phenomenal. Watching him work the fire while preparing the yakitori was almost like watching an artist perform -- the way he controls the flames with his movements is truly impressive. My only concern is that the restaurant currently serves only 10 guests per day. I hope they will be able to maintain this extraordinary level of quality once they fully open, especially when Chef Ikeda is away at his New York restaurant. Overall, thank you for a wonderful, wonderful dinner. I'm already looking forward to returning!

This is great toritake yakatori restaurant Hawaii as good as or better than the ones we visited in…read moreJapan! The NYC location has a Michelin star and they brought their game here. The owner-master chef, and few of the staff from NYC were there. The food, chicken and other dishes, was excellent. You can order add on at the end if there is anything you especially want to try like chicken cartilage, skin, hearts .... Great flavors and perfectly prepared. Excellent service. Knowledgeable and attentive servers. Very good sake and drink selection. The sake we ordered paired perfectly with all the dishes. The chefs were friendly. They counter is made from wood imported from Japan as were all the plates, bowls, cups. They are still in soft opening mode, probably waiting to get everything perfect before being fully open, that's how you get a Michelin star . We will definitely return.

Kazu is an institution! And Sato-San makes the kitchen menu always consistent. Great atmosphere!read more

I've been to this place 3 years in a row on each trip I've made out to Oahu, and it never…read moredisappoints. So many vegan options as well. The fish is fresh & very quality. Everything is seasoned and well flavored but gently not overbearing. The service has always been friendly and we usually have a good size table. I recommend a reservation for evening, usually opening hour you can walk in though. It is right across from the golf course and not too far from Waikiki's strip. I can never get photos of the food, because we get so excited to eat. Great place.

If you want a trying their best, sparing no expense, but absolutely worth it omakase sushi…read morerestaurant thats in walking distance from waikiki... i dont think you can do better. Get a reservation a few days in advance

Bozu is a local Japanese restaurant where all the locals seem to go. It's located in an unassuming…read morestrip mall (reminds me of LA's Koreatown) and we were able to walk there from Waikiki. We ordered a bit too much food and spent a little under $200 for two people after tax and tip. Some dishes we ordered: 1. Spicy tuna and salmon with garlic roll ($26.50) - massive roll and quite heavy...this was the last dish to come out and we were STUFFED by then. It's good, but I would have preferred to start the meal with this roll, not end with it. 2. Atsuage natto ($9.50) - ordered to hit my protein macros. It's literally fried tofu topped with a generous serving of natto. 3. Eggplant in dashi sauce ($6.50) - light appetizer, and seemed fairly healthy. 4. Miso chilean sea bass ($30) - very flaky and fresh. I was already getting full by this point after our apps and nigiri came out. 5. The nigiri and rolls were all fresh and ranged in pricing. We each got 3 pieces of nigiri and split a couple small rolls in addition to the aforementioned spicy tuna and salmon. Service was decent. We sat at the counter and the chefs were all very nice.

Food average Service kinda slow last serving came when…read moreothers were done eating. Abiance fair.

This is my friend's favorite spot when he comes to Hawaii and my wife and I finally got the chance…read moreto try it, and it's a top shelf experience. From the initial broth they let you try, I was in. We got the following: Unagi Omelette: 7.5/10, could taste the unagi Gyoza with spicy sauce: 8/10. Spicy wasn't too spicy and gyoza wasn't too oily. Spicy pork: 8.5/10. The kimchi flavor was excellent, not too hot, and the egg yolk added. Kama in bone: 8.5/10, had some tender, fish steak vibes. Okonomiyaki: 9/10. Tasty and fluffier than I was expecting, this is a tasty okonomiyaki. They also have Echigo beer. Great place to have great time with friends, although the parking in McCully Shopping Center can be tough. Service and vibes are on point, not sure if reservations are needed--we went in the evening on a Saturday and got seats at the bar, all the tables were reserved.

Yohei Sushi Restaurant opened in 1990 in Kalihi by founder/sushi chef Kazuto Obara and his wife who…read morehad immigrated to Hawaii from Hiroshima in the 1970's. It was his dream to open his own authentic Japanese restaurant using his special omakase experience from Japan and one of the first authentic sushi restaurants in Honolulu. It was a concept of "bringing Japan's finest to Hawaii" with a desire to "build a bridge between the two cultures of Japan and Hawaii." In 2018, operations were taken over by Testsuya Matsuda. A 2nd location was opened in Kahala in Jan 2024 by Hiroshima Mazda, whose specialty is traditional Japanese sushi (or omakase). Yohei Sushi 's menu offerings include: * Teishoku (or set meal). Comes with miso soup, rice, Japanese pickles, cold soba noodles, seasonal side dish. Main entrees are sashimi, tempura, maguro, misoyaki butterfish, ahi steak, saba. Salmon, ahi belly, katsu, and more. * Sushi Bar. With miso soup. Menu offerings are deluxe & standard assorted sushi, maguro don, Chirashi sushi. * Noodles. Choice of udon or soba with various combinations, e.g., nabeyaki, tempura, tororo, tanuki, zaru, kitsune, tori, tukimi, kake, and ojiya udon. Also, combo meals of tendon/noodle, sushi/noodle; and donburi of unaju, oyako don and ten-ju. * Side order & ala carte. Includes sashimi, chawanmushi, ika, shinkomori, murokyu, soft shell crab, miuzuku, Hiyahakko, edamame, tempura. Ahi belly katsu, misoyaki butterfish, saba, seafood tempura, maguro temprta, ahi steak, salmon. We've had the following: * Tendon and Noodle. Deep fried tempura of shrimp and assorted veggies in a rice bowl with sauce & hot udon. Very filling and tasty! * Tempura Teishoku. This teishoku had 3 large pieces of fried tempura shrimp and assorted veggies, e.g., carrot, eggplant, green beans, pumpkin, that were light and non-oily. Our teishoku meals came with pickled veggies, cold soba, rice, and miso soup with lots of wakame and radish sprouts. Very flavorful! They also offered a complimentary birthday scoop of ice cream with a dollop of an as a topping, which was refreshing and paired well! * Maguro Tempura Teishoku. Hubby's choice of fried tempura tuna set, and he noted that there were 8 large tender pieces of maguro that was lightly fried and non-oily. Very delicious and filling! * Unagi nigiri. The unagi was so flaky, tender, and light and had the right amount of sauce. Loved it! The presentation of the meals was beautifully plated with real, authentic Japanese small dish bowls and plates. The food was of good quality and very flavorful! Customer service was excellent! Diners are greeted by staff upon entering and thanked when leaving. The old-time servers were very patient, attentive, welcoming, and gracious! Our food orders came out in a timely manner, and the servers, with smiles, frequently asked if everything was okay and if we needed anything else. Hours of operation are: lunch daily from 11a to 2p, dinner from 5p to 9p, closed Wed. Happy hour is from Thurs to Tues from 1:30p to 5p. Located in Kokea Center that looks like a run-down strip mall at Dillingham Blvd and Kokea St, the restaurant interior has a great ambiance as if you were dining in Japan, as it is comfortable and welcoming. It was amazing to see almost every table was taken by dining customers. Reservations are a must, as people are turned away. Good thing I called for lunch reservations at 12:15p on a weekday, which was tha last table available. And the restaurant was packed the entire time that we were there! Free parking in the private lot shared by other businesses, as well as metered street parking. Yohei Sushi has been successful over the past years in its presentation, flavors, taste, and customer service, and we hope to return to try different menu offerings!

TL;DR A terrific…read moreJapanese restaurant with high-quality set courses. ----- Yohei is a quintessential Japanese restaurant in the heart of Honolulu. The food is delicious, the presentation is on point, and the service is attentive and friendly. There are many great Japanese spots in Honolulu, and Yohei is certainly one of them. During my most recent visit, I ordered the Shrimp and Maguro Tempura Teishoku. I've never had tuna tempura before, so I decided to try it. The teishoku comes with several small side dishes, the tempura, doba, rice, and miso soup. It's a solid amount of food. Everything was oishikatta, and I left the restaurant feeling full. The tempura was airy, crunchy, and cooked to perfection. The soba noodles were chewy and springy, and the side dishes nicely complimented the main courses. I enjoyed it all! There are so many Japanese options in Honolulu, but I will certainly be back to Yohei at some point.

We love love Danji! It's an izakaya-style restaurant and reminds us a lot of Japan, except it's not…read morequite as cozy and small. The menu is pretty versatile and extensive - you can get small bites, heartier soups, and rice dishes if you want to get full, or keep it light and just enjoy the lively atmosphere after a long week. We've been here multiple times and some of our favorites to get are the deep-fried corn, eihire (grilled stingray), deep-fried garlic, and sautéed beef intestines. I thought all of these grilled/fried items complement really well with a beer or whatever refreshing drink you're in the mood for! Their Super Lemon-Chu Hi is so refreshing and full of lemon flavor, which I love. The sautéed beef intestines may sound a little exotic, but it's essentially a stir-fry with lots of cabbage/veggies for the crunch texture and great garlic flavors that the tender and fatty intestines soak up. It's honestly just really delicious! We also tried some other dishes, and they were really good too - the Steamed Clam Butter and Motsu Nabe (beef intestine hot pot). The broth in the Motsu Nabe is heavenly, and would be especially perfect on a colder day. Service is always friendly, attentive, and great!

Danji is definitely a place I'll be coming back to. The food was excellent, and everything my…read morefriends ordered was just as good. It seemed like everything was homemade and cooked to perfection. The service was outstanding from the moment we arrived until the time we left. There are a couple of minor drawbacks. Parking is very limited, with only four available stalls. Also, when a few larger groups came in, the restaurant became quite loud and noisy. The table we were seated at did not have a backrest, which made my back a little sore during the meal. Overall, the quality of the food and service easily outweighed these issues, and I would happily return. My Ratings: * Food: (5/5) * Ambiance: (4/5) * Parking: (2/5) * Price: (4/5) * Service: (5/5) Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Went for dinner on our last night in Hawaii. We did the 6 course tasting menu. The food itself was…read morepretty good, but one hiccup made the experience less than ideal. The restaurant is open kitchen concept with countertop only seating and the entire staff working in the middle of the countertops, so you can see everything. From the jump, it seemed a bit disorganized as some workers were bumping elbows, some cutlery dropped, etc. No biggie, but then we noticed that one of the workers handled the food improperly, touching something dirty then proceeding to pick up green onions and continue plating the food without washing his hands in between. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure there have been many instances when kitchen staff (behind closed doors) have handled my food similarly, but nothing I can do if I don't see it or know about it. Ignorance is bliss. However, if the restaurant uses the open kitchen format where nothing is hidden, then the expectations and standards do go up. Dropped cutlery is one thing, improper food handling is another. My husband quietly mentioned what had happened to one of the other (seemingly more senior) workers, who profusely apologized, but didn't offer to remake it. He just kept apologizing but left our plates there, which left us confused. Finally, when my husband asked what could be done, he took the plates away and stated that the chef would prepare something different for us. He ended up swapping that dish out with the premium beef tenderloin dish that would have been an additional cost, so that was nice of them, but I would have been fine with them just remaking the original dish. Mistakes happen and employees can be training, but it was odd that that wasn't offered right away. Overall, the food was good, but the experience wasn't the best. We both enjoyed the cod dish very much.

Came here with my partner to celebrate my birthday! The street it's on is a bit rough with loose…read moregravel but there's a Whole Foods nearby for parking needs. In the front of the store they have a small gallery of some of the ceramic bowls and plates they'll be using for some of the courses, all very pretty. They have bar seating around the kitchen area, and three table seats in the back. Our server was very attentive, but I wouldn't recommend the back seating as the sound from the other tables is concentrated in the back. They have an option for a 6-course or a 9-course, and you can opt to order items from the 9-course a la carte. The menu changes monthly based on the seasonality of the vegetables and fish. I got full from the 6-course and the meal overall was satisfying. It was a cohesive menu and the flavor profiles for each of the dishes were very similar, but nothing really stood out or was the star of the meal.