Definitely made it to one of the top izakaya places on my list. Portion sizes are actual sharing sizes and the quality is fresh and flavorful. Everyone was able to try everything and eat a second serving of it which is good because most serving sizes at izakaya places are so small you can only get one bite (there were 5 of us). The price is actually reasonable for the amount you get. As you can see, portion size is a really big thing for me. I didn't order so I'm not sure what the exact names of the dishes were but the highlights for me were braised pork belly, king salmon, crab/cream croquette and an eggplant mushroom medley dish. The pork belly specifically because it came out hot and fell apart so easy. The fat and meat just melted in your mouth. They gave two huge pieces so we were able to all have a second serving. I was told the place was newly renovated and I could def see that. Super clean and brand new looking. Service was good even tho we were the only party upstairs. I would come back. read more

This place serves the Japanese food you've been craving. From fresh sushi to delicious hot food, you just can't go wrong. Due to the limited dining area space I would recommend coming in early or making a reservation first. We ordered the wafu steak, sushi, agedashi tofu, pork belly, misoyaki butterfish, and nasu kinoko. I highly recommend the nasu kinoko if you've never had it before and love buttery mushrooms. The wafu steak is a must as well! read more

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My favorite place for deep fried flounder. This week we had the Deep fried flounder, Moi Kara, salmon skin salad, shoyu butter corn All very good. The fried flounder is so light and crisply. I love the bones! The Moi Kara was kind of garlicky and ponzu. Tasty! Salmon skin salad was good but could use more salmon skin. Corn was buttery and yummy. . read more

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I wanted to take my date to a celebration dinner. We both love izakaya and on a Saturday afternoon I was able to get a 730 pm reservation! I've always wanted to try this izakaya, located just off Kapahulu Ave. Izakaya Nonbei is a cozy spot with parking out front and an additional overflow lot two doors over! This additional parking lot is key because Olu Street is tight and there is commonly no on street parking available. The place was full and we were seated immediately because of our reservation. Despite the two split ACs, the restaurant was rather warm but bearable due to the open kitchen. The seating is close knit and the elderly couple (who said they dine there about every 10 days) next to us struck up conversation. Great place to meet friendly neighbors! The house special fried chicken had an excellent taste, with a slight tartness. It was not as crispy as I would like, but still very good. The house special eggplant mushroom had amazing flavor, very buttery and was our favorite of the evening! The hamachi spicy sushi roll was not spicy at all, very yummy. The miso butterfish also a house special, was very tasty however it was riddled with bones unfortunately. Despite the bones, it was still delicious and very popular as we noticed it on many of the other tables. The Hokkaido UNI sashimi served on a shiso leaf was fabulous! (I love uni) Note, the dishes all came out very quickly! Overall a most enjoyable dining experience. We will come back to try more of the menu! read more

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There aren't many places here that serve both excellent sushi AND cooked food. This is THE PLACE. The sushi is great here but the cooked izakaya type small dishes were also EXCELLENT, came out quickly, and made the rest of us happy. I didn't even take a pic of the crab croquette or the sushi because we were so busy eating. Definitely putting this place on rotation. I don't know why we haven't gone here before, it's been here forever. Transports you right back to Japan. read more

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This place has been here forever and for good reason! The service is so friendly and attentive; the second we finished eating a dish, they were ready to clean up for us or the moment our waters were empty, they were right there with a water pitcher. And this is how they are when the restaurant is super busy! Not only is the service amazing, the food is also up to standard. We enjoyed everything we ate and I'd say the pricing is pretty affordable. My favorites would have to be the Kurobota Kakuni (super soft and juicy!) and the Nasu Kinoko (buttery mushroom eggplant goodness!) They also have a bunch of specials on their board so defintely take a look! The only small downside is that it can get pretty loud especially when it's busy since it's such a small restaurant but I can't wait to come back again! read more

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Dinner in Honolulu, Hawaii... Izakaya Nonbei is an established restaurant in the Kapahulu area. There's a free parking lot right in the front! My dentist and I had never dined at this cozy eatery in the past, so I made a reservation for opening time (5:30pm) to secure a parking spot. Service was very polite, helpful, and efficient. My dentist added on a grilled musubi (shoyu yakimusubi) to our Tasting Menu - no problem! The Prix Fixe Tasting Menu (for 2 people) was a great deal because we got a chance to try their most popular items: Wagyu Steak, Miso soup, Karei Karaage (fish), Crab Avocado Salad, and Nasu Kinoko (eggplant). We even had an included dessert: ice cream or Strawberry Dream (shave ice with condensed milk and strawberry syrup). Of course, I had to have the Strawberry Dream - it was like a deconstructed goodie goodie ice cream! If you get a chance, support this small local business. It had a wonderful environment, authentic, delicious, beautiful food, and great service! read more

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Updated to 4.5 star. Why, 2 small hot cups of tea which used to be free now cost $5.00. Tea cup size is around 6-7 oz. I wonder how much is the charge for a cup of hot water. Other than that, food and service was good. read more

Aloha, Izakaya Nonbei is serving lunch! Reasonable priced under $20 a great delicious meal. We opted for the hamburger steak with gravy, so ono! My GF had the spicy poke, fresh and delicious! Will definitely be back to work our way through the rest of the menu. Lots of parking in front or at lot just a lot away on Olu. Enjoy! read more

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Izakaya Nonbei Overall: ***** Highly Recommended ***** Food: **** Value: **** Menu: **** Ambiance: **** Service: **** Parking: ***** (in front but limited) Izakaya Nonbei is my go to Japanese RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER: Miso Butterfish = A Salmon Colars = A Kubota Pork = A Assorted Tempura = A Agedashi Tofu = A Crab Avocado Salad = A Tori Kara (Chicken Karaage) = B Nasu Kinoko = B Not Recommended: Spider (soft shell crab) Sushi Roll = B Dragon (unagi) Sushi Roll = B Sashimi A Platter = B (expensive) Omakase Nigiri = B (expensive) Karei Karaage (flounder) = C Okinomiyaki Fries (special) = C Wafu Steak = D (gravy not tasty) Wagi Steak = D (sour) Website: https://www.izakayanonbei.com/ YELP: Sorry! They allow only one 12 second video & the remaining to 3 seconds, with maximum of 10 pictures/videos. The full video can be found elsewhere: MiltonIn808 RATINGS KEY: A = Really Good - one of the best B = Good - would order again C = ok - similar, nothing special D = Not very good - wouldn't order F = Terrible - avoid read more

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First time trying this place and everything we ordered was so good! I recommend this place for sure! Prices are reasonable, staff are nice, and the restaurant is clean and modern. I didn't take pictures of everything we ordered (was too excited to eat and forgot to take pictures) but everything we ordered was on point. We ordered three rolls. Good size rolls! Dragon roll Spicy hamachi roll Shrimp tempura roll We also ordered hamachi Kama, fried flounder, eggplant with mushroom in a buttered sauce, braised pork belly (melt in your mouth), and a sashimi platter. Everything was so fresh and all such great quality! I will definitely return! Parking is located right outside the restaurant. If that is full, there is street parking in the neighborhood. read more

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TL;DR A worthy competitor in the Honolulu izakaya landscape. Nasu Kinoko = ONO (!!!) Wafu Steak = ONO Tori Kara = ONO Karei Karaage = ONO ----- I finally made it to Nonbei! My wife wanted Japanese food to celebrate her birthday, so we dined her with four of our friends. I was able to make a reservation online for a Saturday night dinner at 7:30pm without any issues. There is a parking lot in front of the restaurant and street parking all around if the lot is full. A couple of my friends had already enjoyed several meals at Nonbei, so we followed their lead and mostly ordered their recommendations (in addition to a few selections that people were feeling at the time). We ordered quite a bit to share amongst the table. Simply put, everything was delicious. There are so many izakaya options in Honolulu (and in Hawaii in general), so to succeed in such a competitive space all your offerings have to be on point. And I'm happy to report that Nonbei delivers. We ordered the following items: Agedashi Tofu, Chawanmushi, Nasu Kinoko, Crab Avocado Salad, Buta Bara, Yakitori, Misoyaki Butterfish, Hamachi Kama, Wafu Steak, Tan Shio, Hotate Garlic, Tori Kara, Karei Karaage, Truffle Fries, and Veggie Korokke. All the dishes were oishii, but my favorites were the Nasu Kinoko, Wafu Steak, Tori Kara, and Karei Karaage. The Nasu Kinoko in particular was unbelievably great. I did not expect for the mushroom and eggplant dish to be my favorite, but their signature butter sauce blew my mind. We ordered two of these (as well as two of the Tori Kara and Karei Karaage) because it was so good. We also enjoyed their dessert offerings, including a matcha tiramisu that was fantastic. Nonbae will definitely be part of the Japanese restaurant rotation moving forward. I can't wait to go back! read more

Izakaya Nonbei - Wafu Steak - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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9/5/25 Lunch Special "Chicken Curry Katsu" $17 was so worth it! Flavorful crispy coated Thigh Meat was moist Curry had carrots celery n potatoes Dish was tasty n pretty filling Also Cold Asahi Draft hit the spot! Waitress n Manager(?) were genuinely very friendly n provided great service Will go again But check their hours cause they're not open every day read more

Izakaya Nonbei - 9/5/25 Chicken Curry Katsu Lunch Special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

EVERY IZAKAYA HAS SIGNATURE DISHES THAT YOU MUST TRY. Then there are the other dishes. Nonbei is located just off of Kapahulu blvd. The parking lot is small and the restaurant is a two story house converted into a restaurant. Very loud and festive. First floor has the sushi and sashimi bar. I will say the fish is fresh and these are the must try dishes for sure. We had the hamachi sashimi and it was buttery fresh. All other raw dishes passing by looked amazing. Karei karaage (deep fried flounder) is a signature dish. Presentation is stunning served on a deep fried skeleton of the fish. Very tasty. Our waiter informed us to eat the fin and skeleton like a chip. Never had anything quite like it. Wafu steak comes out sizzling and each piece is tender and flavorful. Yes, get it. The chicken karaage was a bit wet with ponzu flavor. I think the cook likes ponzu here. The chicken skewers were standard, good. Eggplant was solid, cooked with a lot of butter. The tempura roll was excellent. Agedashi tofu was ok. Hiyayakko (I'm boring, I know) was refreshing albeit a small serving. Someone in our party had a cold, so we sampled the udon--nice. Overall, a good dining experience. I will go again and order a lot of sashimi dishes next time. read more

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The food and service at Izakaya Nonbei is consistently top notch! The prices are very reasonable given the quality of the dining experience. We take our 94 year old mom there regularly and they treat her like a queen! The downstairs dining room has a nice Izakaya charm and can accommodate a party of 10 on the back tables. They also have an upstairs dining area that easily accommodates even larger parties. (Keep in mind that you will need to navigate stairs to get to the upper dining area.) read more

First time trying this place after seeing it was a finalist for the Hale 'Aina awards this year. Had an early 5:30pm reservation on Tuesday and there were already four other tables seated when we arrived, popular place! Service: all of the servers were very friendly and helpful. They were working hard, bringing out food and taking additional orders but always had smiles on their faces and never made you feel like you were interrupting them (even though you were). Menu: huge menu, so many good options! I wish I had a second stomach because there were so many other dishes I wanted to try but could not eat anything more. Even had to skip dessert *cry* Food: izakaya style food and plating size, everything was really good and freshly made. No complaints at all. Lots of interesting choices that I hadn't heard of before so it was nice to try new things! The food looked so good that I forgot to take pictures of our agadashi tofu and Tori Kara that arrived first! Drinks: husband said the sake selections were really good and I need to go back to get a melon float chi-hi which I didn't see until after I ordered a soft drink. Ambiance: quite big inside for an izakaya but the tables are quite close together. The closeness adds to the izakaya vibe though. I think there is a private room upstairs too. Would be a great place for a group get together, lots of drinks and good food! read more

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We check in 40 mins early but advise them we can return if they cannot accommodate us early. Nonbei is nearly empty. Girls checks me in and gives my party the very worst table in the house 2 ft from the entry door. We see several other tables away from the door plus we see there's an upstairs as well. Girl checks upstairs and returns telling me I can't have a table up there because they are for reservations only! What a slap in the face since we tell them we have a reservation! She takes us upstairs and it's nearly empty! They give us menus and within 90 seconds, the same woman comes back and asks if we're ready to order, rushing us to do that! We flustered through their several page menu and order including our drinks! This kind of disrespectful treatment goes on and on! Not only don't we get the food we ordered first, dishes slowly come one at a time! We remind them of the appetizer we ordered and they tell us it's on the way. This went on two more times over the hour! We ordered two of another appetizer, they come back 10 mins later with just one! Tells us this is just the first one! The second never ever comes! Another entree of tempura never comes after 90 mins! We cancel the food that never comes, ask for the bill, and they have double charged on another item we got but didn't order two! We had to have them adjust the bill twice! The food we actually got was good but the service was so wonky disappointing, it made the dining experience just horrible. Sadly this was a strong recommendation from a general manager of another large successful restaurant in the heart of Waikiki. We told them about the bad experience and they were embarrassed for giving us the strong recommendation. We don't recommend this place to anyone! read more

It's traditional Japanese food restaurant and delicious food with reasonable price. I totally understand why always busy. Very clean and good service. read more

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Izakaya Nonbei is easy to find, right off of Kapahulu Avenue. We had a friends dinner here and to my surprise, the restaurant is very spacious with tables that can fit bigger parties. The only downfall is their parking lot is small and quite tight. However, free parking is still a plus! I really enjoy eating izakaya style in which you order a variety of smaller plates. Perfect for a variety lover like myself! I ordered the Kurobuta Pork Katsu, Agedashi Tofu, Korokke, and Garlic Hotate. Everything cooked well and delicious. I ended my meal with a sweet, refreshing Strawberry Dream w/ add on Mochi and Ice Cream! The service was great! Everyone was friendly and made sure to keep our waters refilled. I'll definitely be back! read more

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My relatives were visiting from the mainland during the holidays and they invited us to try Izakaya Nonbei. The restaurant were 2 floors where they offer counter seatings, table seatings, and private room for larger parties. Since we were a large party, we sat in the private room on the second floor. Karei Karaage: The fried fish flounder was alright. It was crispy but not much flavor or seasoning. The bones were also edible and crunchy deep fried. Ika Dynamite: When I think of dynamite, I expected a baked dish with torched dynamite cream sauce on top. However, it is a fried squid with unagi and spicy mayo sauce drizzled on top. The fried squid tasted fine. It was like the fried squid from Genki Sushi. Just the labelled "dynamite" was misleading. Nonbei Spicy Ahi Roll: I always get spicy tuna every time we visit a sushi restaurant. The spicy tuna roll was good. Good amount of fresh spicy tuna in the roll and a raw ahi sushi on top. Dragon Roll: The dragon roll was good. It's basically a California roll with a unagi on top. It would be great if there was also a slice of avocado on top along with the unagi. Spider Roll: The spider roll was also good. The soft shell crab was meaty and crispy. Chawanmushi: This was not bad. The egg custard was savory and firm. Good amount of chicken and shrimp. Misoyaki Butterfish: The butterfish was alright. It was a little on a charred/burnt side but the butterfish flavor was good. Sushi Sampling "C" Course: We asked our server what sashimi is included in the C course since the menu stated "today's" fresh fish so we thought the sashimi would change daily. The server said whatever is shown on the picture, which was not helpful since there was no description of the sashimi included for the C course. Regardless, the sashimi we recognized were salmon, ahi, hamachi, and scallop. We not sure what the other 2 types were. The sashimi were fresh. Overall, the foods were not bad. The sushi rolls were my favorite. Their fried dishes and other appetizers were a little on a plain/bland side but their sushi/sashimi were fresh and delicious. read more

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Everything was delicious, but some of the highlights was the fried flounder, nasu kinoko, and spicy hamachi roll. Service was good and staff were friendly. Definitely would come again. Ambiance was chill, great place to meet up with friends. read more

The place has a nice ambience. However, I personally didn't care for the taste of the food. We got the fried shrimp. Not sure if the oil was dirty or if it was the type of oil, but the shrimp had a slight peanut taste and was extremely dark brown and oily. The next dish was a beef tataki. The beef wasn't seared but cooked well done making the meat texture really tough. There was an extremely garlicky sauce poured over the entire dish which was over powering. The tako wasabi was ok. It was an extremely tiny portion served in a small white sauce dish. The final dish ordered was the chirashi. I was extremely disappointed. The fish quality was very sub par. The cuts of fish were super thin, dry, and almost looked a bit mangled as if a dull knife was used to saw at the fish. The only really good thing on the chirashi was the uni. It was very sweet and fresh tasting. Overall the service was ok. It wasn't bad but wasn't great. Not sure if I'll be back. The price of the food, which is a bit pricey compared to other izakayas, doesn't seem worth the overall experience. read more

Celebrating a birthday dinner with a group of 6 adults, a child, and an infant. Tucked away on a side street from Kapahulu Ave., with a small parking lot in front...might want to note that you can also park in the private lot next to this 2-story restaurant. The interior is updated with a clean restroom on the ground floor. If there are mobility issues, you may want to request being seated on the 1st floor. Additional dining area, with private rooms are on the 2nd level. The server was friendly and quick to seat us and bring refreshments. Orders were taken and all of the food prepared and served in a very reasonable time EXCEPT for the sushi rolls which we didn't get until all of the other dishes were consumed. (we were told and apologized to for the backlog) BUT, the rolls were ono as well as all of the food we ordered. Highly recommend Izakaya Nonbei. (Hopefully, sushi rolls can be prepared in a timely manner.) read more

Still always great. The food is so so tasty and fresh and the waiter that helped us was super fun and helpful. My dad's birthday was celebrated well here with a ton of food and food cheers all around. Although I miss the old seating I figure the renovated look gives them so many more tables. However the old felt like a real Izakaya. This new look and feel is a little bit colder but they are a business and I understand change. Food and people still great. read more

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It was our 1st time back since COVID when Nonbei had remodeled. What a wonderful surprise. With the addition of 2 new banquet rooms upstairs and ample seating along with a sushi bar downstairs, the restaurant has a clean new look. Nicole our server was beyond polite and provided perfectly timed service between plates. The food was wonderful as we ordered off the menu only their signature dishes outlined in red! The sashimi platters were very fresh and generous, the soft shelled crab sushi was excellent, as were the miso butterfish, sizzling wafu steak, mushroom/eggplant medley, and butter garlic scallops. Yum! Will definitely be back on a regular basis! A hidden gem! read more

Rezzies on Open Table made it easy for us to grab a table. Me and my 2 best friends had our "Christ-sis" dinner and Izakaya Nonbei did not disappoint!! Parking- there's probably about 12 stalls in front of the restaurant. There's an "overflow" parking area maybe a couple of "houses" over. There's no marked stalls, but the restaurant manager was there to help guide where people can park. There are downstairs and upstairs seatings, we sat downstairs. Tables weren't too close together. There were a lot of servers around to help. I think we probably gave orders to 3 different people- this was great because you could essentially flag anyone down to help you and they do! All the food we ordered was AMAZING!! We will definitely come back! read more

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Overall experience was solid. Came in with my family for an 8:30p reservation and was immediately told before seating that we had 10 minutes to order food for "last call" (perhaps don't have 830p and 8:45p reservations available online?). We were then told that they were out of sushi rice -- so no nigiri or rolls would be available (this was a first in about 750 visits to sushi spots the last 10 years!). We ordered the agedashi, chawanmushi, chicken katsu, chicken skewers, misoyaki butterfish, hamachi/kanpachi sashimi, tsukemono, and hamachi kama. Everything was good, the service from the young man who took over was great, and an otherwise clunky experience turned out pretty good. read more

We were seated upstairs, there's no ambience, and service was relatively slow. The food was very good but I wouldn't return unless I could be seated at the counter or downstairs. read more

Lively upstairs rooms are celebration stations. Service is attentive and friendly. Some hits and misses in their dishes. read more

Izakaya Nonbei - Karei - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very classic Izakaya menu, nothing too special but I did enjoy everything I tried. The flavor on the wafu steak was amazing, but the meat was a little tough for me. I would definitely recommend the Karei Karaage and you can't go wrong with any raw fish. The Tori Kara was something new to me and I enjoyed the flavor, but wanted the chicken to still hold some crisp from the fry. Unfortunately the breading was soggy though. Overall these were my only critiques for a very enjoyable dining experience. The staff was quick and friendly and even gave a free birthday dessert for my friend with a candle! Note: The parking can definitely be difficult and I would recommend a reservation. read more

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This was actually a surprise treat. I made dinner reservations at a Kapahulu restaurant only to be greeted by a sign saying they were closed due to a broken AC. Would've been nice to be called to advise of such since we made reservations but oh well. Was driving to get on the freeway when I came across this place. Was even luckier that it was early enough that they were able to seat us without a reservation; although we were told we had a time limit. That's okay, I always eat fast. Ended up getting way more than we needed including a rainbow roll, agedashi tofu, hamachi nigiri, saba nigiri, tori kara, geso karaage, mixed tempura, buta bara, zaru udon, and sweet potato shochu. Everything was good, while some dishes definitely stood out. My favorites were the tori kara (EXCEPTIONAL) and the zaru udon. Can't beat the free parking in front and the customer service was awesome. Prices were reasonable and the restaurant is clean. Would definitely come here again. read more

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Just tucked away in Kapahulu, right across safeway is where you can find this place. To be honest, I didn't realize that this place existed until my friend introduced to me. Upon entering, you are greeted by the most friendliest staff. We were seated fairly quickly for 2 people - although we settled for the counter. Side note, if you want a table it's important that you make a reservation!! Food was amazing! We got the most recommended, the wafu steak, deep fried flounder, spicy hamachi roll, and the chawamushi! Honestly everything that we order was amazing and we came out of this place very pleased! Definitely recommend this place who are within the area and is craving some Japanese dishes! read more

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This was one of the best dinning out experiences we have had this year. The food was so fresh and our service was incredible. I can't wait to come back and join them for dinner again. We booked our reservation in advance and that worked well for us. read more

Food was absolutely amazing the quality of the sushi was superb. Service was extremely good and very friendly. The look and feel as you enter the restaurant was very impressive! I highly recommend trying this Izakaya out with friends and family! read more

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Came for the lunch atmosphere is beautiful. They even have an upstairs at the bar where you could see all the sushi, makings and boy does the fish look fresh. Staff is very friendly and food is delicious and worth the price point for Japanese food.. They have lunch specials, but you can also inquire if something could be made off the menu. For instance, today I ordered the hamburger steak off the menu which was very delicious covered with the most savory gravy and homemade hamburger patty topped with mushrooms and onions. I also inquired if they could just make a plate of food off the menu as I was craving some shrimp tempura which they accommodated.. after another table order the kisu kara- i had to try that as I like fish tempura and it was delicious. I can't wait to try other dishes that they have and the dipping sauce for the temper was so aromatic , and the taste enhanced the flavor of the tempera. read more

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Came back for dinner with friends, we had reservations at 830pm on a Saturday. Plenty of parking at that time thankfully. Great service! New items we tried this time Hotate butteryaki- pretty good. Glad it wasn't overcooked Miso butterfish - delicious Dragon roll - really good Soba tempura - soba was a good texture, I hate when it's overcooked. They gave 2Shrimp tempura and one shisho tempura. Shrimp tempura not bad but I've had better at other places Nasu kinoko- super good! My friend got the chirashi so I got to sample the uni. It was super creamy and not briny. Thought it was definitely worth it. read more

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"Once You've Met Someone You Never Really Forget Them." - Spirited Away The first time I was really turned on to Izakaya was walking with my ex-girlfriend in the back streets of Tokyo. I loved how she ordered in fluent Japanese, how she chose what she thought I would like, and she loved how I ended up getting her Kanji on my back. Yes, I had no say in this tsunami and the story goes:( And yes, this love affair for Izakaya and obsession with things Japanese began with not knowing what I would eat next lol. So the life and times of Eric-san continues in technicolor in the back streets of Kaimuki. When friends heard I was arriving in Honolulu they asked what I wanted: I said fresh fish, Japanese, Izakaya! :D Honolulu has a strong Izakaya game, trust me I know, and several restaurants popped to the top. One in particular peaked my interest because I don't recall ever walking-in. We decided on Izakaya Nombei mainly because I've never been, so Arigatō to my friends for making it happen. Mid-week @5:00pm it is! Reservations are highly recommended so that's exactly what we did two-weeks prior. And having experienced this higher-end Izakaya I suggest it too. Place was hopping both upstairs and downstairs! Upstairs is the newer addition since remodeling, however we agreed to sit downstairs due to the proximity of the kitchen and ease of flagging-down! Walking-in I don't think any of us would agree to eleven dishes, but that's exactly what we did or was it nine shared dishes with desserts?! It was a lot whatever it was! My OG Lori (who was my HH bud in the day) later took the lead with the pricier dishes! I could vibe her stop effing around and order big lol! So we ordered just a little bit... more: Agedashi Tofu $7 Tori Kara Chicken seasoned in Ponzu $10 Nasu Kinoko $11 Kurobuta Kakuni - Braised Pork Belly (角煮) $11 WAFU Steak - Japanese style $28 Misoyaki Butterfish $19 Hotate Butteryaki $10 Shioyaki Grilled Salmon Belly $11 Soft-shell Crab Karaage x2 $13 per = $26 We add: Warabimochi (蕨餅) - dessert Kinako Mochi (きな粉餅) - dessert Asahi on Tap - drinks Chūhai -drinks Hot Tea - drinks I add: From Hyogo (award winning) Ikezo Sparkling Peach Sake - for Eric-san So yes, we ordered some lol, but when all was said and done we unanimously agreed every dish was very good to exceptional! Nasu Kinoko was the dish amongst the ladies. Tori Kara Chicken seasoned in Ponzu was surprisingly our next favorite. For me, Misoyaki Butterfish was it! The two young Nihonjin ladies next to me agreed too! All in all mmm! Kanpai! Izakaya Nombei was definitely a lively spot to be! The staff was overall friendly and efficient. The general manager even came over to suggest a few items. A very popular Izakaya so don't get offended with the 1.5 hours max time they set. You might be politely asked to leave after your last bite is taken lol! That's exactly what happed to us as we savored every dish! Time flew by and customers were waiting to be next! Arigatō to my friends for welcoming me back with open arms and adding another memorable moment to my chapter in life. A couple ladies I've known for a decade and another lovely I just met. Forever friends and new friends that I'll never forget! Sayonara... read more

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Incredible Japanese meal with local fair. I wish I could narrow it down to a favorite dish. Agedashi tofu? Karaage flounder? Miso glazed salmon? All amazing. read more

Izakaya dishes elevated for a sophisticated palate. Every bite bursting with flavor! Enjoyed everything we ordered (party of four) tho a few dishes stood out for me which were: Nedu kinoku: nasu and shimeji/enoki mushrooms (must love butter), Wafu Steak (if you like garlic), Tori Kara (what is in that delicious sauce!), and the warabi mochi. Love the renovation done about two years ago. The face lift to a traditional izakaya gives the feeling of being in Japan again. Parking is easy as they now have two parking lots! read more

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I made an online reservation for us to eat at Izakaya Nonbei for our second visit. I like to make our reservation early since the parking lot is very small, making finding a parking spot a challenge if you come in later. The restaurant is very clean and nicely decorated in the minimalist modern Japanese decor. The staff is super friendly and very attentive. We enjoyed ordering a variety of food items to share: tori kara, karei karaage (highly recommend! Don't forget to eat the bones - so light and tasty!), maguro natto, kinpira, hotate garlic butter, yakitori, tako wasa and some sushi, too. Everything was super tasty and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal! One of the best aspects of this restaurant is the amazing staff. I can't emphasize enough what great service we get each and every time we visit. I highly recommend this great Izakaya - great food and at reasonable prices. Mahalo to Izakaya Nonbei for always taking great care of us! read more