Where do I start? I live barely a block from this place and only got around to visiting yesterday. Bummed it took me so long to visit, but glad I finally did! 1. Customer service was awesome! Seated quickly, got our orders taken quickly, got everything we asked for very fast. Our server, went over and beyond. Met Kale and his wife, sweet people. Honestly wanted to know how our lunch was. Also bought one of his knives, and his wife was so helpful. 2. Food was ono! And no can complain about $5/oz wagyu special!! So many banchan options and they all were good! My 1.5yo liked the luau soup, tuna salad and the wakame. We did the gold option for lunch + the wagyu special. Glad there are pricing options now, we couldn't do $60/p with 4 kids. Now this pricing is more doable, we'll be back with our kids! read more

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We came all the way from California, and this ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Hawaii. One of the things we were most excited about was the chance to have Chef Kale cook for us. It felt like such a rare opportunity, and getting to watch him prepare every cut of meat while sharing his knowledge made the entire meal an experience we'll never forget. Every cut of meat was incredible, and the banchan was just as amazing. The quality of everything was outstanding, and every bite was better than the last. As a family with food allergies, we can't thank the team enough for how accommodating they were. Traveling with food allergies can be stressful, but the staff was so kind, attentive, and knowledgeable that we felt completely at ease from the moment we walked in. Chef Kale also designs and sells his own knives, and after watching him work, we couldn't leave without bringing a few home. The best part of the night was seeing our kids so excited. They came home with huge smiles and couldn't stop talking about the food, meeting Chef Kale, and everything they learned. It was so much more than dinner--it was a memory we'll always have. Thank you, Chef Kale and the entire team, for making our family feel so welcome. We already know that the next time we're in Hawaii, we'll be back. read more

We went on a Wednesday night, which ended up being perfect since that's the only night they serve sushi with the AYCE KBBQ menu. We were seated right away, but the first thing we noticed was how oily the seats were. Even napkins didn't help much -- we had to use Wet Ones wipes to clean them off ourselves. Definitely something they should pay more attention to, it'd be greatly appreciated. The food itself was amazing though, especially the guava pork, which was our favorite item of the night. We also appreciated that our server stayed attentive despite handling a lot of tables. Overall, we wouldn't mind coming back again to give it another try. read more

Kale’s Hale - The spread! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

10/10 this place was amazing! I went with two of my friends who eat beef/pork/etc who loved it. I personally am pescatarian (the only meat I eat is fish) and was very happy to just order vegetables and eat them with rice, since this is what I always do at bbq places and I wanted my friends to enjoy Hawaiian bbq. However, once the chef learned I was pescatarian, he went above and beyond and made a special salmon salad with a salmon side dish just for our table! It was absolutely delicious and the extra care he put in really made our evening. Mahalo!!! Note: I'm making this review to show appreciation for the extra effort, but definitely don't want to set a new expectation for customers. Please don't come expecting the restaurant to make special dishes like this without calling ahead first/being prepared for them to not be able to accommodate every time. When we were there it seemed like it was a quieter evening and I definitely wouldn't expect to be able to get the same dish on a very busy night. It is definitely understandable if the restaurant can't do it every time! read more

Kale’s Hale - Special salmon salad :) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food and service is excellent as always!! I would recommend getting the value menu. Mika is the best, thank you again!! read more

We really enjoyed the all you can eat option! The banchan were all very tasty. The meat selection is long and the serving size is fit for our local appetites. I love good rice! I mean GOOD rice! Went well with good quality meats. Wear loose clothing or be prepared to unbuckle in the middle of your feast! Our server was Twig and he ensured our dining experience would leave us coming back for more. He prepared the table beautifully with the array of banchan. Service was excellent! Restaurant is clean. Free parking on site. I felt good just walking into the restaurant. Good vibes for sure. The restaurant is spacious and the ambiance made for a comfortable dining experience. Chef Kale came to our table, which was such a blessing. He took time out of his busy schedule to chat with customers. He's so down to earth, humble, and a man of God. We thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and left the restaurant feeling so good. We plan on returning again and AGAIN! We all need to support local businesses like Kale's Hale. Let's keep this restaurant busy for generations to come! read more

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

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Aloha, First question...What went well? Answer...Everything! We made reservations late for a late time slot,my flight arrived at 8 pm and didn't get to the restaurant until 845ish and we were greeted with smiles and seated! AYCE was no joke! Great menu items and a lot of it! Everything was so Ono! Luau soup,banchan,sauces,protein choices,sushi! And let's not forget to mention Leila,she has a great smile and service etiquette that sets an industry standard that I thought was long forgotten! I'm very grateful for the experience! Mahalo to Kale's Hale for an amazing dinner service! read more

Loved our first experience at Kale's Hale. Parking was convenient and staff very welcoming. Love that you have an elevator for our kupuna too. Drinks menu had great choices and the Food was delicious and plentiful. We went at 5pm, so not too busy but the environment was nice and well decorated. All staff, especially our server, was the best! Mahalo nui, we are coming back very soon. read more

I LOVED Kale's Hale! Went with a group of friends that were eager to visit because of the awesome reviews. I do have some dietary restrictions but they were so quick to help and recommend my options!! Our server, Kayla, was the bestttttt!! Super sweet, very accommodating to my diet :). Although we went on a very busy night, she was very on it and always made sure to check up on us. Our sushi chef, Cyrus, was very cool as well. We went on a Thursday where they have some sushi specials that he hand made in front of us! Food: 10/10 Drinks 10/10 Service 10/10 Aside from the service, the food was also amazing! Our favorite was the Honey Yaki pork, their creamy green sauce, and the wagyu laulau! We're happy to have made the drive over from Kapolei to visit Kale's read more

We went to dinner for my daughter and son's birthdays. There were 8 of us (my dad was with us but we didn't know there was a kupuna discount for 70-85 yr olds ). We had a great time....food and service (Kayla was our server)was really good. Chef Kale walks around and engages with customers...which I think is an added plus! We will definitely be back! read more

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

Last night my partner took me to Kale's Hale as a surprise date and we decided to go with their "popular" option of the AYCE. The table was set up when we arrived with a bunch of side dishes and 4 sauces for the meat the moment we sat down. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive and explained they have items that are off the menu. Right off the bat, she was bringing us appetizers and some soft hanger steak to start off. She then continued to bring us the A5 beef and suggested we try the premium beef first then decide to order the other standard meat. With that we did about 4 orders each of A5 along with 4 lobster tails by the end of the day. It's a little pricey, however I felt like we ate enough of the premium orders to make up for it. Highly recommend and would go back for sure. Need to try their other items in the menu and possibly on Wed nights when they serve sushi rolls. Just noting parking is limited at the building lot, however, noticed they also have an adjacent lot before the building and parking ain't an issue here. If u missed the initial lot, you'll need to circle around the entire block so suggest slowing down to look for the first parking lot. read more

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I haven't started cooking yet and already... I'm impressed! From their banchan options to their Laulau soup as a starter.... already I had to write a review. We came for my sister's birthday on a Wednesday night and she had already raved about this place. It wasn't too busy and they served us our rice, water and soup right away. The Banchan was already set at the table - extra points since the kids and I arrived hungry. The meats came in quick and apparently they have a lot of specials to offer daily. Also their sushis are AYCE on Wednesdays. The vibe in here is fun! A little loud but fun for the family including the kids. I was told it's a little chilly but it wasn't that cold. Just bring a jacket and prepare to shower afterwards or you'll go to bed smelling like food. Kudos to the waitress for complimenting my sister's bday lei po'o that I made. That made my day! Speaking of waitresses... our waitress was so kind and came to check on our group often and got us our orders so quickly. I say lots of points for amazing service! Good job! read more

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I have been wanting to try this place for a fat minute now and it definitely did NOT disappoint! This was probably one of my favorite AYCE yakiniku experiences hands down! Looks can definitely be deceiving, you would never expect how quality this restaurant is from its exterior! Kale's Hale is located in Kalihi and they have free parking (one lot right in front of the restaurant and one lot below that one as well) available and there is street parking as well if you're not able to find parking for some reason. The ambiance of the restaurant itself was great, it gave more of an upscale vibe but not to the point where you couldn't dress casually here. I'd also like to say the grill on the table cooked very fast, probably the fastest that I've experienced at yakiniku. Even though we kind of wished we had another grill since there was six of us, the fast-cooking grill made up for it! I will say the service was absolutely phenomenal! Shout-out to Jayden because our party of six definitely asked for so many things but he never once showed any annoyance (I know it's the server's job but we're all human and can't help it sometimes) and always kept a smile on his face as well as such a friendly demeanor! He was probably one of the best servers I've ever had dining in at a restaurant! Despite the countless things we ordered through him, he got every single item and didn't forget a single thing. Our orders also came out so quick, I want to say our food items took less than five minutes to come out. Any drinks that were ordered came out between 5-10 minutes which to me was pretty quick! Food itself was fantastic! I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the menu but there is one available on their website if you're interested in looking! My party decided to go with their cheapest AYCE option which was the gold which included their entire menu of meats excluding the wagyu at $32.99. They have a good variety of high quality cuts of meats to choose from with your typical yakiniku cuts as well as some local twists on meats like guava pork or charsiu chicken! Their banchan spread is also pretty crazy with so many options to choose from. Their dipping sauces were also so yummy with the four of them being their house sauce which was a sweet & savory sauce, a green cilantro sauce (their take on a crème fraiche), a teri-wasabi sauce, and the OG sesame oil w/ salt. Included in the AYCE is their luau soup which literally tastes like lau lau in soup form, sooo yummy! There was also a dessert included in the gold option which was their li hing ice cup, which was the perfect refreshing sweet treat for post-yakiniku! I also ordered two cocktails while I was there which I don't normally do at AYCE but they looked too good to resist! I got their mango sticky rice cocktail which was delicious! Its base was a coconut rum if I recall correctly with some other mixers in it and a toasted coconut flake rim. It was definitely on the sweeter side and you couldn't taste too much of the alcohol which makes sense for what they used as the liquor base but definitely perfect if you're one who doesn't like a really strong cocktail! I also ordered their strawberry hibiscus tea-tini which was also fantastic! It was stronger than the other cocktail but not overly-powering by any means, you could still taste the strawberry hibiscus tea! I have been in a bit of yelp reviewing rut but this was too good to not leave a review! It was genuinely one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in a while, from the quality of food & drinks to the service! I will definitely be back with more of my friends to share this hidden gem with everybody :) read more

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Haven't done a review on Yelp in years but after today's killer lunch, I just had to. I came here, just thinking we'd be getting various meats and banchan, but boy was I wrong. The waitress came out with various "chef specials" like salmon belly, two types of salad with one having poke, some birria toasted rice and everything was ONO!!! This includes the various marinated meats (although the Teri beef was a little too strong on flavor). The regular meats were great with the various sauces. Everything was of good quality and had good local flavors. Choke banchan too and their Taegu was LEGIT. To top it off, desert was included! and we had unlimited strawberry li HING ice cakes and banana lumpia. I left definitely full and satisfied for sure. The pricing was reasonable as well. Definitely our go to for AYCE for my family and I. We already talking about coming back next month and bringing more family! If you're reading this and haven't gone yet, make the trip, no matter you near or far. This place is unique for AYCE and it's legit, you won't be disappointed. read more

The food was so good that I have NO pictures! We ordered so much that the food just kept dropping down on the table and we were so excited to try everything that we didn't stop to take pictures. This location is on the corner of Houghtailing and North School St near Damien Memorial School. There are some parking stalls on the property. However, there's an adjacent parking lot with more stalls. There are three ways into the restaurant which is on the second floor: two sets of stairs (front and rear) or the elevator (in the middle). When you enter the establishment there is a host stand and restrooms. Lots of seating! They can host large groups as well. We had a reservation, so we were seated quickly for their lunch special. We ordered the AYCE Value menu. Did I mention it is a yakiniku place? It came with one ounce of Waygu beef, two different cuts... soooooo ʻono! We ordered the usual suspects: brisket, thin pork belly, Kalbi, cow tongue. However, the banchan... was OVAH the TOP! PERIOD! All the fusion things... you just gotta go because it's on a rotation, but everything was so good. Very tasty. Lots of flavor. We also ordered sushi which is only offered on Wednesdays. The highlight was a squid lūʻau sushi roll! WINNAH! The servers were great! Super nice and friendly. The price of all the food is worth it. --so you know the drill... if you're in the area. Check em out. And even if you're not in the area-- plan to go! :) #supportlocalbusinesses read more

Every other month my fiancé and I fly from Kauai to Oahu literally just to eat. We have a longggg list of new places we want to try and Kale's Hale has been on our list for a while now. Just touched down in HNL and boom we in an Uber to Kalihi with hungry bellies. We loveddd our first visit to Kale's Hale! Caleb gave us the most amazing service. I can tell he loves his job, he truly enjoys working there, and Kale takes great care of his team. My fiancé loved the pork luau soup, I loved the garlic stems, and we both loved the hanger steak soooo good! We will def be back again. Goodbye Gen KBBQ, HELLO KALE's HALE! One thing I wish they had was rice paper :) Pro tip: Tues and Thurs is $1 beers!!!! Not a typo. ONE DOLLAR. What a stealllll! locals, do not sleep on this incredible deal. read more

Kale's Hale honestly surprised me! Came here for a friend's birthday and had no idea this place was AYCE. For their soft opening special it was $40/per person. I believe normal price is $60. This is not your typical AYCE K Bqq. It's a local/Hawaiian fusion so they offer dishes like wagyu laulau and lomi lomi salmon as part of their banchan. The sides were so good!! They give you your typical korean banchan but I really enjoyed their mac salad and waguyu laulau. The meat quality was also pretty good and I loved the beef brisket and pork belly (my go-to meats for kbqq). Staff was attentive and friendly. Only thing is they don't serve alcohol and it's not byob. Not a big deal to me since I barely drink but for people who enjoy drinking with their meal, that might be a downfall. They have a parking lot but it can get full pretty fast. I believe the lot next to it is parking as well. For $40/per person, I thought it was so worth it. $60 is a little steep but food is good so I'd probably be back. read more

Kale’s Hale - Meat was good quality! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Server: Mika Time: 5:30p Day: Monday the 13 of July We decide to take a friend out for his birthday. Service was excellent. and quick Server was very attentive, friendly, and helpful. read more

The food here is absolutely amazing! I'd seen so many ads for this place on IG and just had to try it. I'm so glad I did, especially with their Tuesday special: You can get pho PLUS sushi handrolls with any AYCE purchase. The service was amazing--our server was so kind, making the whole experience even better. Oh and they even treated us to some complimentary samples! My fave was the chicken adobo rice bomb. Overall, It was definitely worth it! read more

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Basically regulars now at this place. Service is always top notch and the food is great. Today, 7/12/26, our server was Obi. We had a party of seven and she was so awesome! She was super attentive and friendly that just had to write another review. In fact, every single time we come, our service has been awesome. Today they also had enoki mushroom wrapped with pork. I love enoki mushrooms so I loved this addition. As usual, the rest of the meats were high quality and our go to, guava pork, was simply onolicious. And even though we stayed past our 90 mins time limit, they did not rush us out. Thanks again Obi and the entire staff for another wonderful time. read more

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

Found Kale's Hale on Yelp and couldn't agree more with their 5 star rating! Leila, our server, was excellent. The entire staff was so welcoming, attentive, and fast. We were pleasantly surprised with several complimentary chef specials, which was such a nice touch. Plus, we had no idea Wednesdays are AYCE sushi--so that was an extra bonus! Great food, amazing service, and such a welcoming atmosphere. We will definitely be back! read more

Went to Kale's Hale for Lunch and we got the $32.99 AYCE special the meats were on small plates but we were able to double up on them which made it pretty decent and good when you are getting full so you don't have to eat a huge tray of meat the seasonings on the meat were ok though the Spicy beef was seasoned really good as well as the teriyaki meat. The four dips they give on the seasoning tray were good and were pretty tasty and I love the Banchan selection they gave three of the most notable ones were the garlic stems, the opae lomi salmon and the Taegu. Service was pretty quick and they filled our water glasses quite regularly I would definitely come back again! read more

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All You Can Eat lunch in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii... For the price (they gave us the Grand Opening special), flavors, presentation, creativity, and quantity of food, I thought that we got a good deal. Kale's Hale is located on the upper level of the building. The Kalihi location of Rainbow Drive-In is on the lower level... on the corner of School Street and Houghtailing Street. There are two free parking lots. Both entrances are on Houghtailing Street. Find the elevator and go directly up to the restaurant! There were so many banchan (side dishes), including several types of kimchi! Then, our server gave us three kinds of potato or macaroni salad. One was like a California roll, with imitation crab. One had sweet potato in it. The last one had peas and tuna. Yum! We also received a bonus of cabbage salad, wagyu laulau, Luau soup, and wagyu meat to grill. By the time it came, we were already full from the 8 plates of meat that we ordered! We're not sure if our server was new because we had to ask her what the dipping sauces were and what was in the various salads. She was pleasant overall. I think we got our money's worth! The beef dishes seemed better than the marinated meats which had maybe too much flavor? I had a great meal in a clean, modern, air-conditioned environment with a convenient restroom! Thank you! read more

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Flavor overload... You need to experience the twists that Kale has at his Hale in Kalihi as there's no categorize this place where you're the chef to cook you're own proteins though they already have it all marinated and seasoned ready for you to enjoy in this really cool and spacious vibe. Your palate will surely dance with joy as mine sure did and luckily we're here as they're still celebrating their soft opening price for their AYCE as my partner Nadine chose the "Beef" items and I chose the "Marinated Meats" section which was quite the adventure. Teri Chicken came in chunks on a skewer while the other meats came in quite a generous portions. If you order the AYCE it comes with banchan and there are 14 types which is quite crazy and quite a few are kimchi which only I was able to eat so it was a bit much that I couldn't do though it wasn't spicy at all for those that do enjoy them it's just a bit much for me personally and I felt it was quite wasteful, you also get a bowl of Luau soup a twist they put on the Korean seaweed soup was very nice and refreshingly perfect to pair along with our meal. As we got grilling we were surprised to have three macaroni salad as well (Potato Crab, Sweet Potato, and tuna macaroni salad) along with a bowl of rice and wished that we had that verus some the banchan seriously as I wasted half of it because I felt forced not to waste and it came half way through our meal and as we continued to eat then comes some sort of laulau...REALLY! OH and cabbage salad came after it all as well after majority of the meat were cooked. The staff was very nice and kept checking on us and ask if we wanted any meats but after bringing out more and more sides AFTER we placed our meat order there was no room for me personally and really wished it was all brought out before we started as I didn't touch the rice, couple sips of the soup all was wasted, didn't finish four banchan, several slices of meats and didn't touch the laulau and just half of the cabbage salad...all very generous and loved it don't get me wrong but this is not how you should bring out foods after we placed our order as I didn't really get enjoy the wagyu sampler as it came out later as well so my taste buds was saying no. Side note: What I assume was the lomi salmon (part of the banchan) had shrimp in it which is a huge NO NO for this allergic person and I agree I didn't say that upfront but is very dangerous to present items that has it so be aware as they do have many crafted items to bring that Hawaiian twist that I absolutely love but tell them your allergies. Thank you! read more

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Would highly recommend! You are made to feel very welcome. Hostess worked hard to help us find seating (we didn't have a reservation). Our server was awesome and kept checking back in for more orders. The banchan (side dishes) were so authentically Korean and delicious. They serve very unique servings of meat than what we've found at other AYCE BBQs on the island (ie, mushroom wrapped in pork and pipikaula). The owner/chef stopped by to greet each table personally, which was great. Treat of the night was the sushi cart that came to each table to make hand rolls to order. We will definitely be back! read more

welcome to the Hale After some extensive research, we discovered this newly opened business on Yelp. Our friend, visiting from the mainland, was keen to try some Korean bbq....and so off we went to Kale's Hale. LOCATION / PARKING / NOTES 1. They are the second floor of the building they are located in. 2. Parking is on the street....or in 2 lots that are located behind the building. Please do pay attention to the signage in the smaller lot, as there is a handicap stall, and areas where no parking is alllowed. 3. At the time of our visit, Tuesday, 6/10/25, they did not (yet) have a liquor license. fyi. 4. Though the menu does state that the AYCE price is $59.99 for adults, the price paid per adult on night we dined was $39.99/person. We were informed that the reduced pricing was due to their still in progress "soft opening". 5. There is an elevator available if one doesn't want to use the stairs. 6. There is 90 minute time limit. 7. The server described their business as Yakiniku with a local fusion/flare. 8. The restaurant is spacious, welcoming, and modern. Looks like they occupy the entire second floor. FOOD The banchan selection is very generous, and quite surprising. The portions are also AYCE, one only has to ask their server for more. I'd recommend the kim chee, cucumber kim chee, and the ginger roots (my favorite!). The other item that was really awesome was the soup of all things! The soup is delicious!! Though its also AYCE/re-fillable, I wanted to ensure I wanted to save space for the meats. From the AYCE menu, we ordered the spicy pork, teri chicken, pork belly (thick), brisket, and the boneless short ribs. We enjoyed the brisket, pork belly (thick), and short ribs. side NOTE The kitchen/chef served our table a wagyu laulau, which was very good. SERVICE Our server, Mahina, provided exemplary customer service. She polite, friendly, knowledgable, and above all, she was very patient. We appreciated that she took the time to explain about the menu and provided some background about the restaurant. She checked on us periodically throughout the meal. BOTTOM LINE A positive first-time experience. Great customer service. read more

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Kale's Hale is my new go to AYCE for grilling meats with a Japanese and Hawaiian style menu. They are located on School St above Rainbow Drive-In. There are two private lots in the back that you can park in. A small one connected to the building and the large lot behind that. You can take the elevator directly up to the restaurant or walk up the stairs. The interior is nice and clean. It's well done and not what you would expect for the area regarding the modern decor. We came after the lunch rush and customer service was great. Everything came out quickly from the kitchen and we were checked on often to reorder more meat. All of us thought the place is a steal for the quality of meats at an AYCE restaurant. Must try restaurant! read more

Kale’s Hale - Gout Roll (bottom) Spicy Ahi Roll (top) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Recently took a few co workers for Lunch buffet I thought the $32 buffet for lunch was a great value. Theres ample parking and the restaurant interior was festive and clean. The service was great and it wasnt that crowded. I love that they incorporate local fusion and provided us their own rendition of luau stew soup and a Chinese jook but with local flair. The meats were generous and were delicious also large selection of Ban chan and you can order extras of whatever you like. We had mango and ube mochi ice cream for dessert and banana lumpia. Great spot for lunch or dinner AYCE. read more

Kale’s Hale - $32 lunch ayce - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Perfect amount of food for the money. The service was great. We will return as this was not smoky like other places.

I kept seeing this place online and wanted to try since it looked good! I finally decided to try it for my birthday dinner. I got to tell you it didn't disappoint! I will be going again for sure. There lots of parking in the lot next to the top lot. I went on a Tuesday. I made a reservation but got there a little early, They sat us about 15 mins early with no issues. Also I have an allergy which more than one person explained what had or didn't have in all the items to make sure I didn't have any issues. A+ for service The meats were really good and high quality, service was really good, and I also liked the chef came out himself and made hand rolls and gave out sample to everyone. It's clean not smoky also not super loud so you can actually talk to your table and hear them. Also since it was my birthday they gave me mochi ice cream and sung happy birthday to me. Will definitely be go more often! read more

Went for lunch had the regular menu with the $5 per ounce wagyu. Great quality meats and banchans. Service was awesome as well. Shout out to our servers(didn't get their names but we were there at 10am on 8/6). Our server was awesome, she was very personable and fast. There were a couple of aunties in the next booth and the boy that was helping them thoroughly and slowly explained,repeated the menu options to them. Very nice to see. Will be back for sure! read more

Kale’s Hale - $5 per ounce wagyu! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Hoooo... brah! This place is a masterpiece. From the details of the banchan, the sauce, the quality of meats. I'm blown away. Favorite banchan was the opai lomi and ube Mac salad! My favorite pairing was the green sauce with the hanging tender and guava pork! Perfectly portioned to the point we had no leftovers! You can tell the owner and its staff put their heart into everything for this place and I find it very admirable. I live on Kapolei side so making the way out here was well worth every penny. Shoutout to our server Twigs for being so knowledgeable about the menu and being so attentive to our every need making us feel so at home. Thank you for your wonderful culinary masterpiece chef Kale! Can't wait to take my family out to dinner here sometime soon. read more

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

My husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary here with a filling and delicious dinner. It's the best yakiniku place on island, especially for the all you can eat price. No can beat! Our top picks: boneless kalbi and the guava pork. The banchan was majah with unique Hawai'i fusion flavors...so ono! And for dessert banana lumpia with coconut sauce! Mmmm! Customer service was excellent from the greeting from the front door, our waitress, and food service. Casual, laid back vibe. We had an excellent first experience here. Def will be back! read more

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Everything was Onolious ! From the food, to the drinks, service & hospitality. Everyone was 100% moving with urgency. Very friendly & helpful staff. They accommodated us with the last-minute add-on reservations of five and we were very gracious for that. We were celebrating my nieces graduation for aesthetician school, and the owner came on by & introduce himself , table touching seeing how we were all doing . He even came back & gave something special to her. The music was perfect about of volume good music. Everyone around was having a good time eating having fun. If you wanna be part of the family come on down to Kale's Hale I highly recommend it. They were all welcoming there. We left full to our bellies & love the special li hu mui shave ice at the end it was light & juicy amount of dessert. read more

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Stopped by Kale's Hale in Kalihi during their soft opening and had a really enjoyable experience! We called on Saturday to make a reservation for Monday at noon. When we arrived, it wasn't too busy which was perfect for a relaxed lunch. Service was excellent! Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and had great recommendations (especially the guava pork which is a secret menu item and hanging tender!). She kept our waters filled and refilled the banchans we enjoyed most. There was a great variety of banchans and we were pleasantly surprised by some local twists. Our faves were the Korean noodles, Okinawan sweet potato salad, kimchi ong choy, and kimchi daikon. Super flavorful and fresh. For $39.99 (soft opening price) AYCE, the quality and variety were solid. Everyone got a 1 oz sampler of A5 wagyu (part of the price) and the hanging tender was especially good when cooked to medium. They also gave a variety of sauces to dip the meat in; we were pleasantly surprised by the Peruvian green sauce which was like a creamy chimichuri. They also served a luau soup with wagyu, which was at a temperature that doesn't burn your tongue and was fun addition we hadn't seen before at KBBQ spots. Parking is limited in the lot behind the building, but there's plenty of street parking around if you're okay with a short walk. There is an elevator that takes you right into the restaurant or stairs. Overall, we loved the local-style take on Korean BBQ. Great food, great service, and a chill atmosphere. Looking forward to coming back! read more

Kale’s Hale - A few Banchans - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Absolutely blown away by our experience at Kale's Hale! From the moment we walked in, we were seated right away and treated with such amazing hospitality. The staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and always had the biggest smiles on their faces Our server was on top of everything and made sure we had everything we needed without ever having to ask twice. The bartender also went above and beyond by creating custom drinks for us and they were absolutely fabulous! The food specials were truly unforgettable. I've honestly never tasted flavors like this before , the meat was unbelievably tender, the sauces were perfectly balanced, and every bite literally melted in my mouth. Everything was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. On top of all that, the prices were more than reasonable for the quality and experience you get here. Highly, highly recommend Kale's Hale to anyone looking for amazing food, drinks, and service. We will definitely be back again soon! read more

Update: Finally was able tonight to go and try Kale's Hale. This is my take on the evening. Arrived at 6:45 for a reservation for 6 but 3 could not make it! Waited for about 10 mins to be seated in a comfortable booth. Our waiter was Kohl, nice, friendly, personable guy, who explained the AYCE menu well. No waygu tonite, trouble with Japanese tariffs. Ordered round one. Friend from Cali , wanted tea to warm up, they did not have tea, the hot water machine was not fully functional. The table was set before we arrived with little plates of Bachchan, lots of variety. The first group of meats arrived which you cook on the grill yourself, Jook Chinese style porridge & a special Lau Lau with Lup Chong( Chinese sausage& pork was served. Both were luke warm & nice to try but , nothing special. Our meats were cooking & they were delicious, sauces about 5 were presented & were a 0-10 in taste! Service by Kohl, was consistent & he was attentive to our needs& his talking story with us was very welcoming! The restaurant has a nice vibe & was quiet this night with local Hawaiian music playing. Would return again, waiting on their liquor license. It was an enjoyable evening , seeing great friends & eating good food! read more

Kale’s Hale - The Bachan dishes are impressive & tasty - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by a young man with friendliness and genuine courtesy. The service throughout our visit was outstanding, and our server, Kai, was exceptional--attentive, welcoming, and made us feel truly valued as guests. The food was excellent, with both the quality and portions being perfect. Everything was ONO and it was clear that care went into every dish. Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience and will definitely be back. Thank you to Kai and the entire staff for making our first time so enjoyable! The restaurant was clean and my only concern is that the plants had dead leaves and to remove the vases with dead flowers. Sorry I am a lover of plants and flowers! read more

Aloha! We celebrated our friend's baby shower at Kale's Hale, and let me tell you--this place made it a night to remember! From start to finish, the service was AMAZING. The staff was super attentive, constantly checking in, refilling sides, and making sure our celebration was perfect. We kicked things off with their wagyu sampler and sushi--both so fresh and ono! One of the biggest highlights? You can choose your pork belly thick or thin... seriously, where else do you get that kind of option?! Every dish hit the spot, and the local twist to traditional KBBQ Yakiniku made it feel extra special. The vibes were warm and welcoming, like eating at a friend's house but with top-notch food. What truly stood out was Chef Kale himself walking around and personally greeting each table to make sure everyone was happy and taken care of. That kind of pride and aloha in service is rare these days and made the whole experience feel personal and memorable. Whether you're celebrating something special or just craving some bomb AYCE Korean BBQ with local flavor, Kale's Hale is the place to be. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit! Mahalo Chef Kale and the whole team for making our baby shower dinner unforgettable! read more

Kale’s Hale - Group Picture! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Amazing service! Hostess so polite and our Server Caleb with a C :) was totally awesome! Very pleasantly cool with booth seating and nice and cozy. Their banchan is AYCE too! My fave is the lau soup so so good! Choice of meats and sample of waygu, oh my!!! Soft opening price is still on, so what you all waiting for. Go check them out! read more

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