#1.Lindsey was excellent as our server. #2. $1 beer and 1/2 off cocktails...say no more! #3 da food is awsome! All they need is some live music....maybe not cause get time limit to eat. Will be back soon. read more

We enjoyed an all you can eat lunch for $39.99 a person. In addition to the varied and plentiful meat selection, the meats were tender, tasty, and fresh. The wagyu was beautiful!! They were higher quality and more memorable than other similar establishments we've been to. Our waitress was knowledgeable, attentive, and warm with a wonderful personality. She made our experience very pleasant. The restaurant is very clean! We loved it so much, we made a reservation to go back! Note: Parking is available in the two lots and on the street. read more

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The food was really good, however what sets this place apart for me is the service. Ruel B was our server and he was very attentive and had an amazing attitude. I would come back just for the service alone. He went above and beyond to make sure that our experience eating was perfect. Highly recommend the dessert, banana lumpia, if you're not full! read more

Kale’s Hale - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I saw his Instagram thats the reason why we went. There was a $5 wagyu special and we wasnt offered. We went this pass 04/27 Sunday. We had the $59.99 special and everything else on the menu was either Wednesday for sushi and Monday thru Friday special. The Banchan was nothing like what the Pic offered it was skimpy. The place was dirty the waitress was nice. Overall that would be the last time I go unfortunately. My child was reading the FAKA message which I didn't see because it was her height very disappointed. Stick to real Korean or Gens. I always take a Pic but I was so disappointed I didn't. The men's bathroom stall broken LOL. I did give a 20% tip and never complained to our waitress. She was nice and she apologized about the menu. She did say something about seafood. Crab claws? We were there at about 3pm sitting on the right side going back. Big restaurant. Im sure she remember us. I was thirsty after a hot day out. What's the lemon juice for? I follow chef and your previous venture with the meat market woman that moved. Anyway i still like your character on social media read more

My wife and I finally got the chance to try this place out. We stopped by for an impromptu lunch date. So many different banchan, wagyu laulau, jook, and luau soup too! The price was very reasonable and Twigs was a great server. He was attentive, friendly and he took good care of us. We will definitely be back with more of the family. 5 shaka rating read more

The food is worth it and chef kale is cool so I'm giving five stars. He personally stopped by every table to check how we're doing. It's different than your average kbbq style. This is local style. Luau soup. Pipikaula. Teri beef. Typical banchan you find at kbbq with a little more. Plus rotating specials they just bring to your table. I enjoyed it. I wasn't going to comment on the service but the end rubbed me the wrong way. The service is usually fast unless they forget your dish then it just never comes. If they remember, it's out in a few minutes. But several dishes we had to ask multiple times because they never came. The end is what got me. Server comes and we tell her we're wrapping up. She says I'll bring you guys cheesecake how many did you want? The way she she said it I assumed it was free. I said five (one for each of us). She said five? That's a lot. So we settled on three. Bill came and they were $13 each. My fault for not asking but you gotta at least tell people when you're at an all you can eat restaurant or phrase it different. Besides that, I'd recommend going again. read more

Just going to say it right now. 5 stars! This was our first time coming here. I've been following Chef Kale on Insta for a while now and the hype is real. He's not just an Insta chef he's The Chef. Start with parking. Parking lot attached to the building is small. Only like 5 spots and a handicap spot but apparently you can park in the lot directly behind. We got lucky tonight and parked on site. Getting into the building you can take the elevator that takes you right into the restaurant or hit the stairs to the far right. We made a reservation and were able to get seated a little early. The place has a nice vibe on the inside. Lots of black and wood tones. Would definitely be a great place to hang out with friends or go on a date. Not sure if they had alcohol, didn't see a menu for one and didn't ask because we don't really drink much. Great views of mauka side from our table. Service was excellent. Probably some of the best service I've had that was equivalent to a Michelin/fine dining. Our drinks were always refilled without asking or waiting. We were always asked if we wanted more meat or banchan (sides). The servers all work together. Great job servers! Now for the main attraction, the food. Everything was good! Starting with the banchans. When you sit down they have all of the banchan out waiting for you. We really loved that and it was like going to my mom's house to eat. There were like 10+ dishes to try and they were all perfect. I do have to admit that the banchan there was probably better than my mom's (don't tell her though). Well done Chef! Meats were all fresh. Not frozen or thawing out like some other places you'd go to. I'm a sucker for pork belly as it's my favorite. We had the brisket, hanger, boneless beef rib, wagyu sample and Iberico pork. Everything was melt in your mouth good. The only suggestion I could make is thicker pork belly. Like double the thickness of the thick, but that is just my personal preference from eating it in Korea so much. Four different dipping sauces and I can't remember them all but I definitely used them all. My favorite is the OG of them all, the sesame seed oil and salt. Chef Kale was making some samples for the restaurant to try throughout the night. It reminded me of sitting at your go to sushi bar and the chef makes some off the menu stuff for you or the bar to try. Tonight there was a miso eggplant, tofu in a shot glass and wagyu kimchi fried rice. They were all so ono! Apparently from other Yelp reviews he does that each night. I thought it was a great personal touch and I'd go back often just for that. This will be our go to spot now for some bbq and some broke da mouth banchan. Can't wait to go again and don't change a thing except for maybe the thickness of the thick pork belly. Mahalo! read more

Kale’s Hale - All the banchan - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I had really high hopes for this place. We called about a week prior to see if we could walk in on a Sunday night and they said they were full. So we made a reservation two days before for Thursday. They took almost two days to respond, but I'm sure they're preoccupied since they're new. Our seating was at 5:00pm, the first seating. There were only about 6 other groups from what i could see. Not sure why reservations were necessary. We also had to wait another 10 min after to be seated. The servers were really nice though!! And the owner came by to check up on us and offered a sample. The ayce menu is $40/p currently for their soft opening, and it includes an A5 Wagyu sampler. We ordered the brisket, beef belly, thick pork belly, and hanging tender. The brisket and beef belly were very chewy. The pork belly was not very thick, and there was an indent of the bottom of a plate... very sanitary. The hanging tender was the best piece, but it was just decent. If it was slightly thinner, it would be much more pleasant. The A5 wagyu sampler was CHEWY. I had to force myself to finish it. I hope their Ala carte wagyu menu includes better quality than that. They had a large assortment of ban chan, but ALL of it was bland. All the kimchi, and even the bean sprouts. It was just plain boiled bean sprouts. No salt or sesame oil. There's 4 sauces that are provided, I wasn't too fond of any. Service was good, so I won't give 1 star. Was very disappointed. read more

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I stopped by Kale's Hale while exploring the Kalihi area and it turned out to be one of those local spots that focuses on traditional Hawaiian comfort food rather than presentation or tourist appeal. The restaurant has a simple and welcoming setup that feels very neighborhood oriented. It is not a large dining space, but the atmosphere feels relaxed and authentic, which adds to the experience. Places like this tend to attract a mix of local residents and people who know where to find traditional Hawaiian dishes. The menu centers on classic Hawaiian favorites. Dishes like lau lau, kalua pork, and other local staples are served in generous portions with rice and sides. The flavors lean toward traditional preparations, which is exactly what you hope for when visiting a restaurant that focuses on Hawaiian comfort food. One thing that stood out to me was how the food reflects the home-style cooking that many local families grow up with. The dishes are simple but satisfying, with seasoning that allows the natural flavors of the ingredients to come through. Service during my visit was friendly and straightforward, which fits well with the casual environment. It feels like a place where the focus is on feeding people well rather than creating a formal dining experience. Overall, Kale's Hale offers a solid example of traditional Hawaiian comfort food in Honolulu. If you are looking for authentic local flavors outside of the tourist-heavy areas, this is a place worth checking out. read more

Excellent dinner & service. The appetizer soup was deliciously tasty, Chef's locally inspired original ~ my favorite! We all enjoyed the variety of ban chans and the meat variety of offerings. Almost everyone ordered a second bowl of rice and more dipping sauces. What a treat to have the men at our table enjoy cooking! My cousin's husband is as hooked! Mochi ice cream hit the spot and tofu tapioca dessert was a tasty interesting combination! Bringing my kids and family here! Bravo, Chef Kale and crew! read more

Best experience overall! 5 Star restaurant Service combined with all you can eat restaurant at a reasonable price. Excellent food quality, taste, presentation, and variaty. read more

First timer at this place. Definitely will come again. Top notch service...they make you feel like family. If you haven't visited...you missing out. The food is onolicious. read more

Would give this place more than 5 stars if I could. Food/meats were DELICIOUS! Service was amazing and the servers were so outgoing and friendly! Definitely recommended and coming back to try more, so glad to finally try this place out! read more

Kale’s Hale - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We celebrated Mother's Day at Kale's Hale. Miracle warmly greeted us at the door and Tasha was our attentive, professional server with a smile & friendly disposition. We all felt at home by her personal touch. The food & numerous side dishes were more than yummy. We all left satisfied & smiling. Kale's Hale is our new fav!! read more

Kale’s Hale - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Obi was a wonderful server that took time to explain the ordering process. We enjoyed trying the various meats while sampling the side dishes to our hearts content. read more

Delicious, Fun and our waitress Obi was amazing!! A great dinner to share with friends !!

Loved this place! My go to spot now, when I'm in Honolulu. I went two days back to back because I had to bring more people. Woulda gone a third day but had to fly back to California.. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Loved the Luau soup and the diff flavors that chef mashed up between cultures. Can't wait to fly back. read more

Wow, what an incredible dining experience!! AMBIANCE- Good amount of parking. Same lot as Rainbows. A cute little elevator takes you up to a nicely renovated & clean restaurant. The burners must be good quality because you don't come out smelling all smoky with red eyes. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained. FOOD- Wow!! $40 Kama'ainas ALL YOU CAN EAT (regular $60). Premium meats are available for an additional cost. The BANCHANS were perfect!! Tasty flavors with an island twist. Some of my favorites were the Mac salad trio, taro poke?, and lomi opae but honestly they were all good! Complementary LUAU SOUP was bomb! I don't even like luau or laulau and that hit the spot! I had to get two cups. Nice VARIETY OF MEATS chicken, pork, and beef were on point! My favorite was the beef belly and short rib. Meal comes with REFILLABLE SOFT DRINKS and tasty tofu dessert. SERVICE- We were welcomed immediately and service was excellent! Team really works well together picking up plates from all tables, refilling water, and regularly asking what else we wanted to order. Spotted Kale delivering some plates, wish he would have stopped to say hi so we could complement his establishment. HIGHLY RECOMMEND coming here! We will definitely be back!! read more

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I was excited to try out this Yakiniku Fusion restaurant. We made reservations for 2:30pm since we thought parking might be a problem at lunch and dinner peak hours, but this place has additional spaces right next to their smaller parking lot and Damien High School so you shouldn't have too much of a problem finding parking anytime. Wednesdays are also when they offer a small selection of roll sushi as part of their AYCE menu. We found the elevator to take us to this 2nd story restaurant so no problem for people with mobility issues. Upon arrival, Jayden greeted us at the check in desk and offered us a chance to look at the menu while he set up our table. A few minutes later, he walked us to our table that had a grill with various banchans and a dish with 4 sauces for each of us surrounding it. The sauces are all different and include a Sesame, Teriyaki-like, Cilantro-Lime-Jalapeno, and Sesame oil Salt flavors. I asked for his recommendations and we settled on ordering the guava pork belly (bacon like slices), boneless kalbi, and rolled boneless short rib along with the Shrimp tempura roll. After a few minutes of sampling our banchans, our meats were delivered so we started grilling everything. A few moments later our freshly made tempura roll arrived nicely warm and crunchy. We also received a soup that is a part of the meal that is sort of a deconstructed lau lau, also pretty good. Our meats were quickly done, and while eating, we decided on the pipikaula, another round of the guava pork belly, and Teriyaki chicken. The Teriyaki chicken arrived on a skewer and were pretty large pieces, so maybe order these earlier in the meal to give you more time for them to cook through. We also tried the surf and turf sushi roll which was good. It was made up of the rolled boneless short rib topped with a crab/lobster salad. I love that the platters of meats are large enough but not too large so we can sample a lot of different meats and not get full on just one or two meats. It's AYCE so you can always just order more meats if you need more. The sushi rolls being offered are made up of well known rolls and some innovative ones. 4 slices on each order which again gives one the opportunity to try your favorites and some newer ones without filling up. Jayden, our server, was awesome. He always seemed to know when we would want to order more food and stopped by to check on us. It was a nice mix of attentive service and a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy a meal. There are various price levels to suit your tastes and pocketbook starting at $32.99 and up with the highest level of $149.99 allowing you unlimited wagyu. We were celebrating our birthdays, so Jayden surprised us with a strawberry mochi ice cream dessert. It was a delicious ending to our meal. We totally enjoyed our meal and will be back. read more

We came here to celebrate my mom's birthday. We are so glad we did. It does get busy so I'd suggest to do reservations. The food was amazing! Season perfectly! The staff is super friendly and fast. Very clean, bathrooms were really nice and clean. And it's not too smoky considering it being an open flame bbq! Our favorite meat was the Guava Pork and Boneless Kalbi. Definitely will come back again. read more

Kale’s Hale - Banana Lumpia - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We Drove from EWA to come sampo this Hale . We came on a Saturday RSVP , when we arrived place wasn't to busy . Host and Service was welcoming everyone that passed us greeted us. Food was very delicious , the short ribs was cherrehhh!! and so was the marinated terry beef. And Da Wagyu was buttahhh!!. Tbh the luau soup was DA STAR DISH kuzzz braauhhh!!! I had 4dem buggah We will definitely comeback agin. read more

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5 Stars - Amazing Hawaiian Fusion Yakiniku Experience! Kale's Hale Yakiniku is hands down one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm aloha hospitality, and the atmosphere was very cozy. The concept here is fantastic: a fusion of traditional Korean yakiniku with bold Hawaiian flavors, and they absolutely nailed it. The meats were top-notch--perfectly marbled Wagyu, tender beef cuts, and the most flavorful banchans I've ever had. The house-made marinades and dipping sauces added an authentic twist that set this place apart from any other yakiniku spot. Service was outstanding. Our server was incredibly friendly, walked us through the menu, and even gave us some great grilling tips. You can tell the staff takes pride in making sure every guest has a great experience. If you're a fan of yakiniku, Hawaiian flavors, or just amazing food in general, this is a must-visit spot. I'm already looking forward to coming back! read more

Kale’s Hale - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

So much food and everything was SO good! Plan to come hungry and to have the time to try as many types of meat you can! read more

Service unbelievable. Leila was our waitress and she was the best server we have had in awhile. The food was epic. Nothing was bad. The only thing bad was not having enough space in my stomach to eat everything. No room for dessert. This was the best all you can eat Yakiniku place in Honolulu. If you don't go here, you are missing out. read more

We loved it! First of all we were able to make a reservation on a Friday night, like an hour before we wanted to have dinner. When we arrived, our table was already set up with all the banchan, sauces, and waters. The service was great, and the food was even better. All around it was a sucha good dining experience. By the way, that beef luau soup that gets served at the beginning was delicious, I had to ask for a refill a couple times lol. We will definitely be back read more

Food was delicious. The wagyu was melt in your mouth good. They had plenty of sides to eat as soon as you sit down. They also gave complimentary luau stew, beef stew, jook, and lau lau that was some of the highlights of my meal! We finished the night with Ulu lumpia which was the perfect ending. Mahina was our server and she was super nice and attentive. Ambience was nice everything looked clean and new! Will be back for sure. read more

Kale’s Hale - Ulu Lumpia - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The reviews don't lie! This place was beyond my expectations, especially since it's an interesting local take on Kbbq/Gyukaku. They still offered their soft opening price which is a total steal right now, and they constantly were checking up on us, and offered us many off-menu items outside of the AYCE like wagyu laulau and beef tongue. The laulau soup honestly was my favorite dish outside of the bbq because it was super ono and unique. The pipikaula is delicious, and the fact that the AYCE menu comes with A5 Wagyu is such a good deal. My only very small criticism is that I like my kimchi a bit more flavorful, and some of the side dishes offered were a bit bland. I believe Kale was walking around the restaurant greeting customers and he was super friendly! Love the food and service all together. Thank you guys! read more

Kale’s Hale - Local Hawaiian BBQ - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Oh my goodness!!! Kale's Hale is one of my FAV restaurants!! The ambiance is so friendly, the food is literally the best! (PLEASE TRY THE TAEGU AND LOMI SALMON!!!)))))) This is family friendly, the owner is the sweetest, and overall a great experience. Server was friendly, quick, and super attentive. Must try! read more

Going to a new place base on yelp can be nerve racking..especially when you're on vacation and you dont want to disappoint the fam..lol. Yay! this place did served! Everyone had nothing but great things to say about this place. The hostess greeted us nicely with a smile. Our waiter, Kohl, was very friendly, helpful and hardworking. We got lucky and got a special price at $40! So we decided to add the $139 12 oz wagyu...Kohl said it is imported from Japan. It was thee best wagyu!...It melt like butter. The extra sauces were great...especially the wasabi and hawaiian salt. He also came up with special daily creations (on the house). He mentioned the dessert changes daily..we got mini fruit punch ice cones (which was a delight after bbq). Unique sides with a hawaiian touch. Place was clean. Area is nice...however parking may be limited but not impossible. Small lot. Overall satisfied and would go there again. :) read more

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I have been wanting to try this neighborhood restaurant for a while now, but my family is not big on cooking their own food! Convinced my husband to try it with me yesterday and we absolutely loved it! The grills are built into the table so there's less spatter and there's less heat right up in your face. They have a wonderful all you can eat menu and the variety of meats you can choose from are phenomenal. See my picture for the menu. Chef Kale sent out two appetizers for us to try: one was a Hamachi with a Yuzu, Ponzo, marinade and watercress oil. Beautiful! The second was laulau made with Wagyu beef and lup cheong-- it literally melted it in your mouth! The servers were very friendly and made excellent recommendations. Their enthusiasm for the restaurant and the menu were obvious. Shout out to Mahina for serving us. We will definitely be back. read more

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Food amazing customer service on point. Sweet spot. Great local experience Tell all your ohana to stop by

Went here with my family for lunch time. We got the AYCE for $40 a person. There were a lot of banchan to enjoy. My favorites were the pickled garlic stems and garlics. There wasn't a whole lot on the AYCE menu in comparison with some other yakiniku/korean bbq type places, but the marinated meats were pretty ono. I like how this place switches things up a bunch, and I appreciated how chef Kale was there to personally serve some dishes. It gives a homey and local feel to this style which is an interesting fusion. Something that I noticed, was that the meat sort of tasted like gas or propane due to the grill. This could be because its a foil/tin looking grill which leads to a lot of exposure to the gas. I feel like it interfered with the flavors of the meats even if it was marinated. The meats would probably benefit from thicker plates. The service was okay, although I feel that the staff were a little undertrained and didn't have a lot of experience. However, they were not rude, and I imagine the performance being better in the future with practice. All in all, I could see myself returning in a year or half a year as there are usually new and exciting things being announced. It would be awesome to see these changes as it could take this place to 5 stars easy. read more

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I just wanna give this place a 10/10 food and staff was so sweet and kind for our first time eating there kale had so much specials friday night had me and my family full full well money spent a hidden gem in kalihi definitely will b back again thank u guys so much for taking care of me and family much mahalos read more

Food and drinks were great and service was great too! Will be coming again here soon with my family.

Our first time here and the food was great. The menu offered a variety of Korean/Japanese/Hawaiian dishes from Korean sides and KBBQ, to sushi, laulau soup, and lomi salmon. They filled up right as they opened on a Wednesday. Rylynn was our server and was incredibly helpful and attentive. Thanks for a great first experience. read more

This place is awesome. The server is so nice and cool and even the owner came and greeted us. The food is amazing especially the Wagyu laulau, their side dishes have plenty choices but they serve all and even their sauces. I love the wasabi sauce. We came here for lunch and it's not that busy. Get plenty parking and the ambiance was fine. We'll definitely come back again. read more

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First time here. Parking is a bit tricky if you're not familiar with the area. There is a separate lot adjacent to the lot in front of the building where you can park which is convenient. Came here for my boyfriend's bday and overall pretty good place. The laulau soup? So good. My favorite meets might have to be the guava pork and spicy pork. The guava pork was recommended to us by our server who was really nice and attentive. Definitely would be back again soon. read more

We were just here a few nights ago and my family and I had a great time. We reserved a table online same day. When we got to the place we couldn't find it. FYI the area looks a little run down and it may look like it's closed from the street side. You have to go to the back to park and walk upstairs! Once inside it's a very different experience. Don't miss out! The table was ready for us with banchan and kimchi. We were seated immediately and our server let us know that this week was a soft opening and that we would be getting a discount. She also proceeded to let us know the specials for the day. She also went and brought us samples of recipes that the chef ‍ was trying out which was a small package of wagyu and Chinese sausage wrapped taro leaves which was delicious and rendition of miso soup. The kimchi and banchan small dishes were very tasty and some were new additions that we had not had before. We ordered Dry aged short ribs, brisket, pork jowls, pork belly, and got a complimentary order of wagyu. Over all the Service was wonderful, food was fresh and tasty, there were new items we have not had at other "cook your own Bbq" spots, tried new types of banchan and delicious dips and sauces, and also got a complimentary dessert of banana Lumpia with a yummy coconut white cream dipping sauce. We had a great time! read more

Kale’s Hale - Bbq - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Everything. $1 Heineken on thirsty Thursday. Great food. Great service. The desserts at the end. Lots of add ons that we did not order we were so full. read more

Kale’s Hale - Valentines drink i forget - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Definitely 10/10. We tried this place for the first time tonight and it did not disappoint! Outstanding service and great food. Better than Gen! We'll definitely be back for more!!! read more