Izakaya Naru is an Okinawan traditional Japanese bar/izakaya known for small pupus to pair with drinks. I think all of their items were delicious, and although I wished the food options were bigger; again, its a bar first and foremost so that's why I still rated it 5/5. We ordered a lot so I want to highlight the top 3 items we got here. Taco rice (5/5): Imagine salsa, ground beef, cheese, rice in hot stone bowl; amazing combo and apparently a well known Okinawan dish. Shark fin cartilage w/ ume sauce (5/5): Unique, crunchy, refreshing cucumber/cartilage dish. Chicken kaarage (4/5): Awesome fried chicken just wished it was larger portions as I feel like its gotten smaller over the years. Great place, great vibes, their drinks are equally as delicious as their pupus. Highly recommend. read more

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Went here on a whim without a reservation on a Saturday around 10:40pm with my boyfriend. There's a decent amount of free parking surrounding the business and it kinda seemed like Izakaya Naru was the only business open in that building that late at night anyways - which was super convenient for us! Inside, it's really small and there isn't that much seating so I would only recommend going here with a small group or just a pair of people. They immediately asked if we had a reservation (we did not) but there were able to seat us in less than 10 minutes. Looks like it would be good to make reservations in advance just in case! As we were seated, we looked over the three menus on the table. It felt slightly overwhelming to look at, especially with not knowing what some items exactly were (but, thank goodness for Google results and pictures on Yelp!). Our server took our orders relatively quick and we were also handed our drinks in a matter of minutes. It was cool to see them make our drinks in front of us! I will say, as someone who usually goes for drinks that don't taste like alcohol at all, the drinks we both got were a little less sweet than I'm used to but that was ok! They were very easy to drink and it didn't burn the throat. Very smooth! The food was absolutely to die for though!! Their food was legitimately the best food I've had at an izakaya on island. We ordered the beef tongue, chicken karaage, and gyoza - each packing a punch of flavor with each bite. I was most surprised about the beef tongue because of how easy it was to eat since I'm used to beef tongue being on the chewier end and lacking some flavor, yet their beef tongue was very tender and had just enough of that umami goodness. The karaage was crispy and not oily at all! The tartar sauce on top only complimented the crispy texture. The gyoza was pretty decent and is pretty similar to gyoza I've tried at other places. It's still good but didn't have that "wow!" factor that I experienced with the other two dishes. 11/10 would *definitely* come back here again for the food. read more

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This is absolutely the best experience on Oahu. Why???? Let me not be the gate keeper. Amazing drinks, must try are their in-house made Awamori with local flavors. Orion beer ( kampaii) and daily specials. This Okinawan Izakaya has delicious pupus and more. Never had Okinawan Cuisine?? You haven't lived life. The staff and owner are incredibly gracious and there will be no disappointment as their attention to detail is impeccable . No trip to Oahu will not be complete without a visit here. My mouth and stomach wants to visit here everyday Mahalo for making my life complete. read more

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We were here this past Wednesday. I was able to make a last minute reservation. We come here for some Okinawan bar food and drinks. Place got busy later at night. Service could have been quicker. It's a small place so the space is tight. There were four of us. Our favorite dish was the aburi saba. Sorry no pic on it. Second favorite was the gyoza pizza. Their infused awamori are delicious. Our favorite are the coffee and pineapple. read more

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Decided to try this spot last minute and were pleasantly surprised to find they were open late -- perfect for a late-night bite. Parking was plentiful and stress-free, which is always a plus. We arrived a little after 9 pm and the restaurant had a relaxed vibe with a few tables already enjoying their meals. We were greeted right away and offered seats at the bar (which I didn't mind at all). Bonus for the thoughtful bag basket tucked right by your legs -- ladies, no need to awkwardly hold your purse the whole time like I initially did! I started with the Calpico Sour, which was super refreshing and lightly sweet -- not sour at all and really easy to drink. We tried the taco wasabi next; it was tasty but quite small for the price, so that one felt a bit underwhelming. The standout of the night was definitely the saba. It was torched right in front of us, which was fun to watch, and paired beautifully with all the accompanying condiments -- smoky, rich, and full of flavor. We also had the homemade noodles and they were cooked perfectly, with a broth that was light yet incredibly flavorful and comforting. For dessert, we shared the baguette stuffed ice cream. It was good, but very rich and honestly a bit too sweet with all the honey drizzle -- definitely more than enough for two people. Overall, a solid late-night option with some real highlights, especially the saba and noodles. While a few items missed the mark, I'd come back again if options were limited late at night. read more

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I visited Izakaya Naru for a late night dinner on a Saturday. The vibe was very reminiscent of an izakaya in Japan, which made it a nice escape for the meal. We got the Potato Salad, Hamachi Carpaccio, Taco Rice in a Hot Stone Pot, Okinawan Soba with Pork Belly, and Chicken Karaage with Tartar. We really loved the Potato Salad, and Okinawan Soba. The Hamachi was too bloody for me. We were able to get same day reservations, which was nice since this was a last minute dinner. They do have a free parking lot, but they share it with a few other businesses so we weren't able to park in it. We waited and drove around a couple times and still weren't able to get a stall. We ended up parking at Puck's Alley and paying. Overall the vibe was great and the food was okay, but I got a little frustrated with the parking. I definitely want to give this palace another try, because I think I just ordered food that wasn't the right fit for me and didn't do my research on the parking. Now knowing this, I think I would have a much better experience the next time I visit read more

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I had a fantastic dining experience here, which explains how busy Izakaya Naru usually is and why you often need a reservation beforehand. Seating is limited, but it's a cozy atmosphere for a nice intimate meal with friends and colleagues after work. There were so many unique dishes that I have not seen before elsewhere, which in itself justifies trying this restaurant. Notable things we ordered: Peanuts Tofu, Shoyu Pork Belly, Sukiyaki Pizza, Gyoza Pizza, Sea Grape, Beef Tongue, Garlic Fried Rice, Awamori Sampler, and an Andagi doughnut with ice cream. I love pizza, so we already achieved a net positive when we ordered 2(!) pizzas. The gyoza and sukiyaki pizzas were both stellar. Beef tongue is always delightful. I myself do not care for the taste of alcohol, so the awamori sampler was too bitter for me. The sea grapes were nice and "popping" in texture, not unlike popping boba. The peanuts tofu also had a nice flavor and pleasantly soft texture. There were many other interesting items that I'd like to try in the future. read more

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Awesome little hole in the wall Okinawan izakaya. One of my favorite spots for dinner or a late night bite/drink. Plenty of parking. Friendly staff. Legit Okinawa/Japan vibes. My go-to orders include the Okinawa soba, beef tongue, shoyu pork belly, and gyoza pizza. Some other favorites include the potato salad, torotaku garlic toast, crispy chicken skin ponzu, and baguette stuffed with vanilla ice cream. Drinks are always on point, too. The place is small and they are ALWAYS busy, so I definitely recommend making a reservation or at least calling to check before just showing up. For an authentic Okinawan/Japanese izakaya experience, this is definitely one of my faves in Honolulu. read more

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Cutie izakaya!! Defs would recommend making a resy as the restaurant is pretty small. Great service! Food was so delicious. Loved the stone pot taco rice. Like bibimbap but cheesier and not spicy. Sukiyaki pizza and chicken karaage were also so flavorful! Super unique menu items that I will defs be back to try. Yuzu beer was super refreshing. Calpico sour was also good. Lot outside was super full so we ended up parking at pucks alley nearby, but theres also street parking if you can find! read more

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Wanted to grab a bite late at night (11:30pm) and this spot was on our radar so we decided to check it out. They have shared parking lot with the surrounding establishments which was fairly open since it was so late (I think they were the only one open by that time). We were able to get seated fairly quickly (bar seating style, not individual tables, although they have a few of those as well). This spot is decently small but they seem to fit everyone in fairly efficiently. Upon seating we were given menus and waters after. The waiters are decently attentive since we were seated right by their kitchen/back of house opening. We got: * Chicken Karaage: 10/10, I would heavily recommend this. The chicken was juicy and lightly crispy. What MADE this dish was actually the egg sauce on top. It acts as the aioli but clearly much more homemade and heathier, with egg white pieces and the sauce made of egg yolk etc. We ordered this twice bc it smacked. * Taco Rice: 7/10, okay so... I'm not even going to lie when I say that I was a bit tipsy already when I agreed on ordering this. I THOUGHT this was a TAKO (octopus) rice. NOT a TACO (Mexican) rice. It tasted like I was eating taco bell, which wasn't bad per se but just felt weird being in an izakaya. * Beef Tongue: 9/10. I would recommend this as well. The beef tongue was tender and flavorful. They didn't go overboard with the sauce on top to let the meat shine through. * Seared Aburi: 8/10. The person I was with order it. It was good, no strong feelings about it. It was cool to watch them sear it though. It was on the fishy-er side tho, compared to other forms of sashimi (likely due to the skin still present). * Hot Sake: I would recommend this if you don't enjoy drinking. While its hot/warm, it helps it go down a lot more! Honestly I enjoyed the fried chicken so much I would actually come back just to eat that and maybe try some of their other dishes. Plus the izakaya experience definitely felt really authentic as it was bustling when we visited. read more

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Our go-to guilt pleasure dinner spot! We live on the other side of the island so we don't get to eat here often... but it's our go-to when we're staying in town or for a special occasion. My best friend is from Japan and this is where we have to eat every time she is in town. Everything here is amazing! And my husband is quite picky... but he will eat anything and everything here with no complaints. Feels just like we're in Japan with the energy and decor. Everything we ordered is pretty much our must haves when we come here. Taco rice was kind of out there but don't knock it til you try it! Amazing. Didn't even get a picture lol The man who runs this restaurant is also a big reason why we keep coming back. He works so hard, provides great tableside service and takes a lot of pride in his craft. We love watching him thrive in his element. Hes the first face you see when he welcomes you in and if he has time, he personally will walk you out to thank you properly as you exit. They get busy quick... lines will form before he even opens so make a reservation days ahead by calling during business hours or try and walk in but be patient and willing to wait. read more

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Izakaya Naru hits all the qualities and characteristics of an authentic Izakaya! Small, tight, lively, yet relaxing and comfortable with a variety of small plates, good, drinks, sake, and etc.! This place is located along South King St., near University Ave. It's in the same strip mall as Bangkok Chef, Rabbit Rabbit Tea, La Ciccia, and etc. There's a private lot, but definitely gets filled up quick. After a couple of failed attempts at trying to dine at this place, it's apparent that you MUST make reservations or else you will be turned away, even if you show up when they open at 5PM. You will be asked if you have a reservation and turned away if you don't have one. I called about 2pm on a weekday and someone did pick up. I recommend calling before they open. The menu leans toward Okinawan style Japanese food with an interesting and eclectic variety of dishes! Started with Edamame. You might think this is so simple. Just boil and season, right? Perhaps, but how long are you boiling? Is it immediately transferred to ice cold water? How much salt are you adding? Is it evenly distributed? Freezer burn on the edamame? The ones here were perfect. Edamame was still warm, crunchy, and seasoned nicely. Shark Cartilage with Ume was an interesting dish that I had to try! The cartilage was cut into small pieces that had a nice crunch. The ume sauce was very well prepared that balanced out the salty and sour without being it too strong. Very good! The Pork Ear with Shibazuke was good. Prepared well with thin slices of tasty, flavorful, and tender ear. The ultra thin sliced red onion with the shiso really adds a nice sweet, bright, and pungent taste. Potato Salad has become a must get for me. Creamy, well-seasoned, tasty! Grilled Chicken Skin with Ponzu was okay. Sort of one note. The skin felt like it was more so fried than grilled. It was crispy, a little under-seasoned, topped with thin sliced onions and scallions, but the ponzu didn't come through. The Mozuku (marinated seaweed) was very good! A unique Okinawan dish. The seaweed was very well marinated. Nice balance of sweet- and sourness. The seaweed was slippery and umami. It ate like cold noodles! Highly recommend the Chicken Karaage. Huge piece of juicy, tender, moist, tasty, and delicious chicken deep fried very well to a nice crisp. The tartar sauce was very flavorful with a balance of savory, sweet, sour, and umami. Another recommendation is the Hamachi Sashimi. Fish and seafood from Japan just taste more fresh, more clean, and more natural. Thick slices of melt in your mouth hamachi accompanied with scallions and red onions, wasabi, shiso, and calamansi lime. Lastly, the Grilled Beef Tongue is a must get! This was prepared exceedingly well. A really nice char taste, tender, well-seasoned, and just delicious. Might be the best one I've had compared to the previous places I've had this same dish. Had the Tedorigawa Kinka Daiginjo Nama "Gold Blossom" sake. This was really good. Gonna look for a bottle when coming back from Japan! Overall, this was an excellent experience. Everything was very well prepared, tasty and delicious. Izakaya Naru really nailed the Izakaya/pub/small bar feel and vibe. Server was awesome. Friendly, attentive, welcoming, and made us feel comfortable throughout the meal. Food came out at a good pace, and most importantly, hot. That's another reason why the beef tongue was so good, because it was literally just off the grill. I can't wait to come back again! There are interesting items I'd like to try, such as the Gyoza Pizza (cowabunga!), taco rice (neighbor table got it. Fragrant and looks yummy!), and grilled skate fin. read more

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Family owned Okinawa style Izakaya, possibly the best Izakaya on Oahu. Some of dishes we ordered , and would highly recommend are ox tongue, the noodle soup, fried rice, and rest, ask the server for recommendations. Sometimes they have long line up as they don't give time limits to the customers. Must go if u visit Oahu read more

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Dinner in Moiliili, Honolulu, Hawaii... Using our Yelp apps to find a place we both have not yet visited, we discovered: Izakaya Naru Honolulu residents have probably passed by this cozy hole-in-the-wall many times without knowing... because the storefront blends in so well and has been here for so long. Izakaya Naru is located between La Ciccia and Fukuya. There's a free shared parking lot where Rabbit Rabbit and a small post office are situated. I called first - to make sure that they had seats for us - yes! A customer arrived after us and was sadly turned away... Whew... we were lucky to squeeze in between patrons at the bar. The menu was very intriguing. We finally decided on the homemade Gyoza, Mexican Pizza, Deep-fried homemade peanut tofu with sweet dashi shoyu, and Stir-fried chopped beef and cabbage with konnyaku. Everything was tasty and had beautiful presentation! Next time, I would pass on the Mexican Pizza because it had jalapeños... the thin crust was made from a tortilla! The Stir-fried chopped beef had some chili peppers in it... a bit spicy for me. The peanut tofu was the most unique dish while the gyoza was my favorite! Thank you for the friendly service! We felt welcomed and comfortable! read more

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When Miyu suggested we go here instead of next door, I had no idea that this was here! For some reason, I thought it was part of Bankok Chef, and had no idea that this cozy Japanese restaurant was here. We came in on a Monday evening, without a reservation. They were gracious to give us a small table near the door. I didn't mind since it was my first time and I saw two dishes I wanted to try. After Ky and Miyu arrived, I ordered a glass of the Awamori. I had never had this and the friendly server brought one she thought would be good to start with. It has an interesting flavor, kind of like souju, but different. We also started with the Taco rice and the gyoza pizza. These were sooooooo good! I liked how the bowl was hot and she stirred the rice to mix all the flavors. Also, if you leave the rice alone, it will get crispy on the bowl side. The pizza was made with the wrapper of the gyoza with the filling and topped with cheese. We also had pickled gizzards, very tender; peanut tofu, so good!; lotus root and these beans, good, but an acquired taste; pickled and very soft bamboo shoots, delicious, and the fish that was cooked with a blowtorch, sooooo good!; also had the soba noodles. Oh and karaage. The staff was great! We had a really good time and felt we were not in Honolulu. This is a hidden gem. There was more on the menu, but that will have to wait until another visit! Mahalo Izakaya Naru! read more

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I've been a fan of this place for a while, so it genuinely hurts to write this. The food itself? Highlights for sure -- the tacorice in the stone bowl was excellent, the hamachi with eggplant was a standout, and the rafute, while a bit dry, still had its moments. The kitchen is clearly talented. But everything else? A real disappointment. The server was cold and unfriendly the entire visit. The larger tables of four around us were getting great, attentive service -- smiles, check-ins, the works. But when she dropped food at our table? Not even a word. It felt pretty obvious that since the bigger tables had an automatic 20% tip guaranteed, our table just wasn't worth the effort to her. And that's exactly the problem with sneaking an auto-gratuity in fine print at the bottom of the menu -- it creates exactly this kind of situation. If the service had been genuinely good, I would have happily tipped 20% on my own. But to have it quietly tacked on after being largely ignored? That feels sneaky and disrespectful. This place used to be a go-to for me. Today really dropped the ball. Be upfront about the tip policy and treat every table like it matters -- because to the customer, it always does. read more

Since I couldn't Try this place first time since they weren't ready to open yet Came back after UH Baseball game And they were filled with no reservations but luckily was only one and owner said "give me five minutes to setup" so I wait Very Interesting place I might add great for drinking buddies and friends get together menus are kinda hard to read in Japanese and English writing not so great but you won't be disappointed with the food and drinks my favorite is here's the menu and photos While I was dining many tried to get in but couldn't because owner says next time make reservations (Highly Recommended) ‍ read more

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Very attentive service. The vibe is very chill and cool. Some authentic Japanese pupu's with an Okinawan twist. read more

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I truly love Izakaya Naru. We've been here multiple times over the years and it's one of my favorites to take my friends and family of drinking age from mainland to go to for unique food and drinks. They did something so appalling that it makes me not want to come back to them even though this should be closer to a 4 star night. Let's start with the good. On short notice, they accomodated my party of 6 as we rarely are able to make reservations for same day. It must be because it was a regular Sunday with the next day a work day. We always order a ton and eat family style. Go to orders are taco rice and the mackerel sashimi, these are the must buy options to me. We also ordered an assortment of chicken karaage, shoyu pork, beef tongue, and daikon with natto. Some of my party ordered drinks they absolutely loved and enjoyed. Now here's the misses. Some days they are better at water refills, last night was not their night. Our server gave us 4 cups of water. One cup was only half full and I was confused if someone drank from it or not. Multiple times we had cups of water delivered half full. After dropping off food or drinks, we were largely left alone and had to call servers to the table for everything including bill. Finally, the reason this is a one star review and I find truly disgusting is after paying and tipping, our server came back and guilt tripped us for a bigger tip! Their normal mark up is 18%. They didn't deliver with the cups of water so I couldn't justify 15%. I did give them a fair 13.7%. My guests, who I treated, eventually overpaid her tip at near 30%. I was truly embarrassed because they too acknowledged the water delivery was bad and asked if water was coming multiple times when cups emptied out. Your tip from me and my party is always optional. I don't have to do it. I've been in other countries where tipping is insulting or just wasn't part of the culture. My tip is performance based and though they did their job to bring food and drinks to table, the water service was subpar. I've been here on busier nights and always tipped higher than normal because service was great. Don't come back after money is settled because if not for my guests, I'm taking the entire cash tip back because of the entitlement you feel to my tip. Be aware for those of you who make reservations. I truly love this place but the demand for higher tip after we paid and were finishing drinks before leaving just ruined a good time with people I haven't seen in a long time. read more

The ambiance of this place is such a vibe--you feel like you're getting some street snacks in a late night alleyway. Every single item we got was delicious; the beef tongue was a crowd pleaser and we even got my husband to eat the bittermelon, which is saying a lot! We also got the taco rice twice, because that's just how good it is. I can't recommend this place enough if you're wanting some late night small bites! read more

We loved this place and will definitely be back. There is plenty of parking and the staff was friendly and attentive. The beer was cold and the food was tasty with a bunch of unique selections. They're located on S. King St. just past Pucks Alley. Aloooooha and happy eating. read more

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I absolutely love this place and make it a point to visit every time I'm in Honolulu. It has the authentic feel of a Japanese izakaya, with cute handwritten menus and great food and drink specials. The seating is limited, and it's a popular spot, so be sure to call ahead for a reservation. The staff is incredibly friendly, fluent in both Japanese and English, and very accommodating. We ordered the famous taco rice, which was mixed right in front of us on a hot stone, and it was so fun and tasty. As a true izakaya fan, I was thrilled to see items like hotaruika and beef tongue on the menu. The cilantro salad was an unexpected but delicious surprise. They also have fun items on the menu like sukiyaki pizza, which is a must after a couple drinks! The food is consistently excellent, the drink selection is great, and the prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend this spot to anyone in the area looking for amazing food and a great time! read more

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This is a small cozy Okinawan restaurant that plays Okinawa music and uses Okinawa style fabrics as chair covers. Our server was welcoming, friendly and tentative. We tried a few Okinawa dishes and enjoyed them very much and will definitely return and recommend it to our friends. Reservation is highly recommended because they are quite busy. read more

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8/10/25 Been coming here for years n finally they were recognized There's a reason why they are voted Oahu's #1 Izakaya... "Is this is what it's like to be in Okinawa?" Tasty Dishes, Great Atmosphere Good Service n the Coldest Orion Draft Beers! Stir fried Goya (bitter melon) Spam (requested crispy) Tofu Scrambled in Eggs n topped w Katsuobushi (dried tuna shavings) Dish came out so hot "Katsuobushi was Dancing!" "Yukari Fries" Ume Shiso n Salt flavored Crispy Good not soggy Karaage Chicken w a tasty house made Tartar Sauce Ono Thighs were crispy outside juicy inside RSVP suggested now that the word is out read more

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Izakaya Naru absolutely delivered on every level! From the cozy, inviting atmosphere to the knockout flavors in every dish, i would highly recommend. I started with the quail egg, and it was the perfect little bite to get things going. Then came the fries, which were super crispy and well-seasoned. Now, the real MVP? Hamachi Kama. Hands down the BEST I've had anywhere! Perfectly grilled, crispy skin, juicy and rich inside. I would come back just for this. The beef tongue was another standout like melt-in-your-mouth tender. Also tried the taco rice, which was such a fun, flavorful fusion dish. Everything came out at a good pace, service was friendly but relaxed, and you can tell they really care about the food. Definitely coming back. Next time, I might just order two Hamachi Kamas and call it a night! read more

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Ahh the nostalgia! The last time I dined here was about 7 years ago... it's honestly so reassuring that this place is still going and their food is just as good as I remembered it to be. My friend grabbed us a table so our wait time was virtually nonexistent. Seats can be limited so plan accordingly. I'd say there is probably less than twenty seats in the entire restaurant. Ambiance-wise, The restaurant is dimly lit and the atmosphere is really laidback and casual. Our table of three ordered a few drinks and some dishes to share. Can't go wrong with some chu-hi! My personal favorite is the umeboshi which is refreshing and tart and a little salty. If that isn't your jam, there is also beer and sake. It's definitely also worth trying the awamori here, especially you haven't had it. The sample is a really good deal and you can try a few different flavors. Be warned, it is pretty strong and boozy. On to the food! The chicken skin was so crunchy and refreshing, the perfect drinking snack. We also saw the washugyu special and it was so so good. The beef was so tender and the stew was rich and flavorful. They also were nice enough to offer us extra pieces of toast. My personal favorites here are the sukiyaki pizza, simmered pork belly, & the taco rice. They will not disappoint. All the flavors are spot on and definitely worth trying. Service here is top notch. Our server was so fast with our drink orders and always made sure we didn't have an empty glass. Food is timed perfectly so there's always a dish hitting the table. Parking can be tricky since the lot is small but there is also street parking. Overall, a pleasant dining experience. So happy to be back! read more

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This hidden gem always slips my mind, but every time I come back, I'm reminded just how good the food is. The vibe is pure izakaya bar -- warm "irasshaimase" greetings, great hospitality, and dishes that come out fast (a lifesaver when you're hungry). Menu highlights? The Okinawan soba is a must, and the beef tongue, hamachi carpaccio, gyoza, and taco rice are all standouts. Best enjoyed family style so you can try a little of everything. Pro tip: Reserve ahead if you're coming with a large group. read more

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Monday October 7, 2025 first time, coming here. Parking is in a small lot or street parking. The food was good. But, small portions like all Izakayas. The service was fast and friendly. Ambiance was casual and kind of a small space. read more

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OISHI! this place was super cute and the food was so good! i highly recommend. this was perfect for 2. we didnt have reservations and got lucky. read more

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Make sure you make reservations. You might get turned away. Staff is super friendly and everyone is have a good time. Pizza gyoza gotta try. Of course the Berkshire pork belly. read more

Not a bad place to eat. I came here with my best friend tonight seeing the great reviews with high expectations but left underwhelmed and dumbfounded. Starting with the food, I ordered the Crab & Potato w/ Garlic Toast, Okinawa Soba w/ Pork Belly, "Dote-ni" Simmered Beef & Vegetables, Homemade Gyoza, "Andagi" Okinawan Donuts, and a halfsize Baguette Stuffed w/ Vanilla Ice Cream. Crab & Potato w/ Garlic Toast - The garlic completely overwhelmed the dish. The potato and crab was more or less there for texture along with the bread. For a $9.50 starter, it was definitely overpriced. If the crab was removed and the dish came down in price, I would have gave it a pass. Okinawa Soba w/ Pork Belly - A light dish that I would recommend. Soba noodles had a nice texture. Broth was light and great to have once you started drinking alcohol. For $17.25, I would say that it is slightly overpriced due to the smaller than expected portion size, but not small enough to complain about. "Dote-ni" Simmered Beef & Vegetables - Another dish I recommend. Whole dish comes together well and is flavorful. I would have rather started with this than the crab & potato w/ garlic toast dish. Another dish that I can say is slightly overpriced ($8.00) due to portion size, but not small enough to complain about. Homemade Gyoza - For $9.95, you would expect the gyoza to be great. The gyoza was under-seasoned. Presentation wise, they at least looked like great pan fried gyoza. Paying $9.95 for six pieces of under-seasoned gyoza was definitely not worth it. "Andagi" Okinawan Donuts - Andagi is my favourite pastry, hands-down. The andagi served to us were small ball shaped pieces. Each piece was irregularly shaped, with indents throughout. Unsurprisingly, the product came out incredibly dry. Instead of a nice doughnut like texture in the center, the andagi was dry throughout. I assume during the frying process, the indents in the dough caused the entire piece to be fried, inside and out, leading to the dry product. Doubling down on the dryness, kinako powder was put on top the andagi. At the very least, the andagi came with vanilla ice cream in an attempt to balance out the dryness. As an andagi lover, absolutely not worth it. Baguette Stuffed w/ Vanilla Ice Cream - Being disappointed in the andagi, I had to try the other dessert on the menu. Three pieces of baguette slices stuffed with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with honey. For $4.50, cannot go wrong and was a great way to end off the dishes. Regarding the atmosphere, pretty typical izakaya. Small, cozy place with bar seating and limited tables. Friendly greeting and farewell from the man behind the bar, who I assume is the owner. Finally, the reason this review went from 3-stars to 2-stars is the experience with the server. After being sat down, she only gave cold responses when asked about specials and recommendations. Besides that, she was at least responsive when flagged down and gave no real issues. The issue came after we closed out for the night. I paid the bill and left no tip since my friend and I were pretty isolated and kept to ourselves. Nothing above and beyond from the staff/server so there was no reason to give a tip. Going to Japanese restaurants, I have never had issues leaving no tip so I figured it would be no issue here as well. My friend and I exited but I was stopped by our server running out with our bill and her tablet. She said asked if I forgot to tip or if I left cash, and I proceeded to say no. I asked if there was a gratuity and she said no. For reference, past 11:00 PM, there is a 20% gratuity tacked onto your bill but we were there before then. Me being confused, I asked if I was supposed to tip. She replied, "They expect there to be a tip." After staring at her, I pulled $15 from my wallet and she just went back into the restaurant. After reviewing other reviews on this restaurant, it seems to be a trend that either an employee or the owner themselves will shakedown people if they do not tip. Seeing as the owner is from Japan (there is a collage of photos on the wall of him in Japan), I was pretty disappointed in this response. I was initially going to leave a one-star review due to this being my first experience of an employee chasing me down for a tip. Being objective, I would say the food is 3-stars and the service was 2-stars. I cannot be upset with the server as this more so is a reflection of the owner himself. Disappointing service to say the least, but if you have the money to waste on the novelty of an izakaya then feel free to go here. read more

Wanted to go out for a nice date night, so we thought we would try Izakaya Naru. I grew up going to Sushi King with my grandma just around the corner and always wanted to try this place. All I can say is the service is terrible, and I'm pretty sure going through a McDonald's drive-thru would be better. I believe the only server there is the person we saw, and his English is awful. You would think that with such a strong Japanese accent, he would embody authentic Japanese culture that values hospitality and kindness. Boy, was I wrong! Upon sitting down, the first thing he asks for is drink orders. Not being drinkers, we ask for water. The server immediately responds and says this is a bar and pupus place... he goes on to say Izakaya means to drink and eat and then just leaves. How am I supposed to know that! I speak good English and not Japanese. If I wasn't on a date, I might have gotten up and given him a slap! Don't waste your time eating and drinking in a cubbyhole with a server who thinks he's too good to do his job... serve! read more

Excellent food, and great value on liquor and food! They specialize in delicious Okinawa style dishes. Everything was excellent!!!

Came here late night with my brother. We came without reservations and had to wait a bit to get seated. Definitely a place that is popping and its on the smaller side. The service is fast and the food is legit and authentic. Loved their sashimi and their beef tongue. read more

I love this place! This is definitely one of our go to restaurant when we're craving Okinawan/Japanese food! Service can take a while, because they cooked everything from scratch, but it's definitely worth the wait! The food are more sharable, so definitely don't be scared to order a lot of food to share! My favorites include beef tongue, seared aburi mackerel and hamachi carpaccio! Definitely get these ones, because the flavors are just out of this world! The rest of the food are really good too, so honestly you can't go wrong with anything! Don't forget to order their drinks too, they're known for their awamori! We got the the awamori sampler, so we were able to try three different kinds of awamori! If you want something sweeter, they also have a ton of options, so definitely check them out too! The space is pretty small, so the wait can take a while, so get a reservation in advance! read more

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We really enjoy Izakaya Naru and it's Okinawan/Japanese menu. Be sure to make a reservation or at least call ahead to see if they have a seat because it's a small restaurant and it is usually crowded. We have tried a variety of items but have really enjoyed the taco rice, hamachi carpaccio, karaage nanban, dashimaki tamago and garlic fried rice. My boyfriend loves that they have Orion on tap. I like their fresh grapefruit or fresh lemon sour. The staff is friendly and service is good. There is a medium sized parking lot (free) and it's on the emptier side at night plus there is street parking. read more

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This hole-in-the-wall Okinawan Izakaya is small but mighty. And guess what?! They have a free parking lot! It can get a bit busy, especially on the weekends. Everytime I go in, they ask if I have a reservation... so reservations are recommended! For drinks, I'm a fan of the highballs. They are a bit low in alcohol % but at around $8 a drink -- you can have a few throughout the night. Japanese beer more your vibe? How about Sake? They got them all! Izakaya small plates means you can order a lot of different plates. My fav top dishes are the chicken karaage and gyoza. The chicken karaage comes with this delicious tartar sauce that compliments the perfectly crispy yet succulent chicken. The gyoza has that thin and crispy bottom, like a little dumpling skirt. The filling, the wrapper, and sauces -- absolute perfection. This might be a little embarrassing to admit -- but last time we were here we did order two orders of potato salad for the two of us -- it was that good. The gyoza pizza is something you gotta try once, but I'm a bigger fan of their regular gyoza. read more

We opted to eat dinner at Izakaya Naru one night during our trip to Honolulu last week. The website is not helpful and you need to call to make reservations (and yes, you need reservations). We made the reservations a few days ahead of time. I asked if they can make the meal with no MSG and the response was Japanese food has MSG (not 100% accurate as we tried another restaurant which we loved during the same week and asked for no MSG, and they mentioned they never use it!!) The restaurant is very small, dark and the chairs are stools at each table, if you need back support, you won't have any... We ordered the chicken Karaage, garlic rice with scallops, pork belly, hamachi carpaccio, butterfish kasu, beef with vegetables, and freshly made soba noodles. The Karaage was hot and crispy and was great. Loved the butterfish marinated with miso, soft and tender. Beef and vegetables was very strong and salty. The pork belly was very tender as well. Hamachi carpaccio was a nice quality fish. The soba was really udon noodles and was served more firm than o would have liked. Service was quick and the meal was good but I wouldn't rate it as a great restaurant. Will probably try other places during future visits to the island. read more

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It's honestly so hard to get a table at izakayas in Hawaii -- most places don't take walk-ins at all, so being able to eat at Naru already felt like a win. The biggest surprise for me was the three small dishes we ordered at the end, especially the shark cartilage. It was super crunchy with a slightly salty and tangy flavor, so addictive. The seared aburi was also really unique and delicious. Definitely a memorable meal! read more

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This is a low key great spot to go to. The gyoza pizza,taco rice and beef tongue are all amazing. That's usually the go to orders and maybe some tako wasabi and Orion beer also. The service is very good and friendly. Never had a bad time here. Ambience is great! 10/10 read more