Small mom and pop restaurant...MUST CHECK IT OUT! Went on our date night, which is usually Friday, but got moved to Monday night. First impression when walking through the front door: clean and bright. Very Japanese, in the sense that many of the menu items were displayed on the walls. Not a lot. Just enough to get an idea of what you'd get when you order certain dishes. Hubby ordered their Meat and Mushroom plate. Surprised he didn't get the chicken karaage, which seems to be their most popular dish. He still made a good choice. Was soooo good. Came with a really nice fresh green salad and a pasta side. I wasn't hungry, so I got the Croquette Udon for $10. Got my udon first, and the croquette came a bit later, but was worth the wait. I felt like I was in Japan. Nom nom nom. The Japaese couple was sweet. They've only been open for a few months. This is the second new place we've tried within the last month that's struggling to get their name out there. Please give them a try. The food is really good and their prices are very reasonable. The couple is humble and a little quiet, but you just want to support them. We definitely will be back soon! read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Croquette Udon...hit the spot. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My family enjoys getting together and trying new to us places. We especially love finding small family run spots and then spreading the word to our friends. Hmmm, it's almost as though we were destined to join Yelp! So when my brother sent us a link to a video review that focused on what was said to be the best Okinawan style chicken karaage (fried chicken) on Oahu, we knew that we had picked our next dinner location. We arrived as they opened at 4:30, having parked in the spacious lot behind the building. The five of us took up half of the seats inside, and we happily watched a stream of people come and go as they picked up the orders they'd called in. We knew that we wanted to try the chicken karaage and the ginger pork, and then we asked for a few things off of their daily happy hour menu as well. Soon afterwards our table was loaded with gyoza, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) and our entrees. By the end of our meal we all agreed that we couldn't pick a favorite item, and there was nothing we wouldn't want to order again. That said,,, if I could only pick one thing to bring to the next pot luck it would be the chicken karaage. It was perfectly crispy and juicy with bough seasoning that it didn't need any of the dipping sauce that came along for the ride. You know a meal is good when you start planning to make the leftover's your lunch the next day. You know the meal is great when you admit to yourself that there won't be any leftovers, because it is simply not possible to leave those few final bites for later! read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Chicken Karaage xxl plate, for when your entire family needs to have some! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Had the Tonkotsu Ramen and Takoyaki. Takoyaki was great! Ramen was average. Broth tasted like it'd been sitting for a while but had alright flavor. Seaweed, the veggies etc. also didn't taste the freshest but did the job. Food was quickly prepared so good on that. Overall: 6.5/10. read more

I am in love with this place. Friendly service, and really great tasting Japanese food at a reasonable price. The Hayashi Rice and Karaage Bento are my faves, along with a side order of gyoza. The gyoza is WINNAS - perfectly pan fried. I have yet to try their ramen - maybe next time, but I'll definitely be getting it with a side of gyoza. You can dine in or take-out. If you dine-in, they still use take-out containers to serve your food, which is great for me because I often save half of my meal for a snack later on. If you do want to get take-out, call it in an hour ahead of time. read more

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Ordered takeout here with my brother because I was craving karaage chicken. Never heard of this place but it popped up when I was searching for places that served karaage so decided to go check it out. Staff was friendly and the food was pretty quick and only took about 10 min to get to us. Chicken was tasty, not quite as crispy as I'm used to for karaage but marinated well with a slightly sweet taste to it. Ordered a large and the portion was generous for the price (note that I had already eaten about 4 pieces by the time I took the photo lol). Overall would definitely come back and would be interested in trying some of the other items on their menu like their hayashi rice. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Chicken karaage plate - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is a small place and if you get the bench it will be hard on the butt... they serve their food on to go boxes which is a good idea for those who don't finish their food and less to dishes to washed. The gyoza was good fried but it was like something you buy from a frozen package. Not home made. It was the happy hour for 5.00 for 5 pieces. The Okinawan fried noodles was good, I asked for extra veggies and that was 3.00 more for that see photos to see how much more veggies you get. Is it worth it? I don't know but I n fed more veggies. It did leave to wonder how much they give it without the request of extra plus they put it on a plate I think because they can't fill the to go box. The chicken karaage was good with the fresh squeezed lemon and sauce they give you.. rice was rice and the Mac salad was different yummy yum yum. They have plenty of parking entrance is on king free right next to the place. Fyi the sign is Chaya kotetsu if you're looking for it. read more

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I tried Sutamina bento. The quality of pork was bad. It's obvious cheap pork is used for that. It was just too dry even thogh it was marinated. read more

Went here when my wife and I first arrived Oahu back on the 17th of Aug. went here for lunch and we had the Ramen, and chicken kaarage. Prices were reasonable and food portions were just right. I'm giving 4 stars as I've tasted better, more flavorful ramen and kaarage but this place is decently good. Check it out if you're in the area. read more

Amazing okinawan food in a little restaurant. The staff was awesome. We went there a little after lunch and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. At first I was reluctant to share this place but Kiko who is their chef made such an impression on my wife and I that it's hard not to share. The ginger pork was so delicious and taco rice was what I remembered from my childhood. We plan to return to try everything else on the menu. read more

Stepping into the restaurant instantly took me back to Japan. You are are met with the most friendly smile and welcome from the restaurant staff. As it was my first time there, they took their time to show us the best sellers on their menu. I took their advice and ordered their Chicken Kaarage bento. You can choose to dine in and the restaurant is also BYOB. We were served with some water and after a short while, our food arrived. Everything was presented very nicely. The chicken Kaarage was oh-so-juicy and crispy. It was flavored just right with a bit of sauce on the side. I thought portion size was just right if not pretty generous. I would definitely come back to try their other items. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Chicken Kaarage Bento with brown rice. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is a small restaurant on King Street, but thet do have a parking lot in the back and if there is no parking there, then definitely street parking. Anyway, this is definitely your old school mom and pop shop as the food is cooked to order and some items can take longer than others. Overall, the food was delicious. What we ordered: 1. CHICKEN KARAAGE PLATE - the batter is light and it was fried well as it wasn't too oily and was crispy throughout the meal. The batter alone doesn't have much flavor, but they provide a shoyu type of sauce which makes up for that. Personally, I enjoyed the Karaage this way because there was definitely more chicken than bathere. They also have different sizes for the plate. This dish was worth ordering an XL!!! 2. OKINAWAN SOBA - the noodles were well cooked and the broth was delicious! I must say, they didn't skimp out on the toppings either. My MIL is from Okinawa, so if she said it was good, I believe her! 3. HAYASHI RICE - this is a fairly simple dish, but the flavor is phenomenal! I would take this sauce and drench it over any meat! I aalmost feel like they should bottle this sauce and sell it on its own...it's THAT GOOD! I can't really explain what it tastes like. It's like the sauce for hamburger steak ramped up 1000%. So good! 4. PORK GINGER BENTO - what seemed like it would be a simple dish, was surprisingly a favorite. The sauce cooked well into the pork and onions. The ginger flavor was the star and not just a past thought like in other dishes. the sauce coated the dish evenly and it was well enjoyed by everyone! 5. MENTAIKO - the batter was delicious and the only comment I have on this is whishing there was more tako inside! But honestly, because the batter was so good. Kind of had a soft machine texture. It was very nice! 6. SABA BENTO - not too salty, well cooked. This dish came last, but totally understandable as it needed to be cooked. This is one of those dishes, either you like Saba or you don't. I enjoyed it, especially the crispy skin. Definitely a place to visit again! We got here early, so there weren't many customers. They had a ton of take out orders though! I can see why people said service can be slow, but to me, the food is worth the wait. If you don't want to wait, come early, otherwise, having a little patience for good food wiwill go a long way :) read more

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Reasonably priced and friendly. We felt very welcomed! Some of the items were so so and a few others were good. I have to say; the water was no bueno. Tasted like soap :( read more

I love oysters and when I saw that they serve them, I had to try it out. The restaurant is a small place with tables for dining in. Parking is either the few street stalls in front on King St. Or in the back which is pay parking via QR code. I think I paid $1 for an hour. The food was good. The fried oysters were light and crispy with a clean oyster taste. The sauce tasted like tonkatsu sauce which overpowers the oysters. Still, overall I enjoyed my meal. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Fried Oyster bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This restaurant has been on my family's bucket list for a while, and after watching Food Fiend's video, we decided to give it a try for lunch. The parking lot was a bit difficult, as the spaces were quite narrow, but since we were doing take out, we didn't have to deal with anyone parking too closely. They must have changed their free parking policy too, because I noticed the sign to pay for parking as we were leaving. Kind of a dealbreaker, but what can you do? Upon entering the restaurant, I had one person waiting in front of me and the staff seemed preoccupied at the time, so I patiently waited for them to handle that situation--seemed like the person ordered online and there was some kind of system malfunction. The person who was working the front disappeared in the back and didn't show any signs of coming back, so I tapped the bell on the counter just as a friendly reminder that I was waiting. She immediately popped her head around the corner and knew that I was picking up the phone order. Honestly, she couldn't have been sweeter. She felt bad that I had to wait that long, so she was hustling to get my order together. We ordered the taco rice, chicken over rice, and the fried oysters, all of which were delicious. I was super excited for the chicken over rice since it reminded me of this middle eastern dish I used to get back on the east coast in college, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It was pure nostalgia for me. The taco rice was also good, but I think next time I'd get the chicken over rice. I didn't try the fried oysters, but according to my family member who ordered it, they were the best she's had. Not overcooked, just the perfect golden brown coloration. The prices were quite reasonable and the food was delicious, so I'd definitely come back. Not to mention, the staff was very friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Kotetsu Chaya is my go to place I come here with my friend once a week. We get together and we alternate paying each week. Owner is so friendly and the waitress that does everything is the friendliest person. You have five workers like her you'll run a good company. Everything is good here but I get their weekly Hayashi rice special everyday is different. Monday is hayashi rice and karaage Tuesday hayashi rice and chicken cutlet everyday they have a Hayashi rice special. Pork ginger, chicken karaage, taco rice stamina bento everything is good. Meter parking in front of the store and parking behind the restaurant. Check it out they will not disappoint. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Daily special - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

decided to stop in and got a Kaarage Chicke plate the Chicken was nice and crispy outside and moist inside with good flavor they include a sauce with the chicken which was slightly sweet. there are about 5 tables in there, the person at the counter was nice although quite busy. Parking is either on the street or in the parking lot at the rear of the building. Looking forward to trying some other items on the menu at a later date. read more

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I enjoy homemade Hayashi rice. The Hayashi rice from Kotestu Chaya is delicious. I had it for take out and it was nicely packed in two containers. One container had the rice, salad and an appetizer like noodle. In a separate bowl, the main part, Hayashi rice aka hashed beef. It's beef, onions, and button mushrooms, in a thick demi-glace sauce. When you eat this with rice, it's so good. Can't wait to try something else. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Hayashi Rice - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food is not only great and authentic, owner and staff are very personable and helpful with Food choices.

Aloha, after playing hard at pickle ball we're always famishly looking for a new lunch spot. Kotetsu Chaya was in the vicinity of where we were. What a great find. Delicious soups and fresh salad with nice side dishes to round out our crave. Will definitely come back and work our way through the rest of the menu. Mahalo and enjoy. read more

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I think they mostly do takeout, but we ate there and service was great! She was super accommodating and nice. It takes a little while to get your food and it comes in a takeout container, but it's so fresh and hot, it's worth the wait! We started with the gyoza which was juicy, crispy and hot. It came with a shoyu dipping sauce. My mom and nephew got the ginger pork and liked that there was a strong ginger taste. The pork comes in thicker slivers rather than thinly shaved. It came with a generous scoop of rice and corkscrew pasta with a tangy mayo dressing. It comes with a runny-yolk egg. Mmm. My sister got the karaage chicken, which came w/ the same sides as the ginger pork. She said the chicken was juicy and crispy. I think I'll get that next time. I got the grilled chicken over turmeric rice which had a Mediterranean (cumin) taste to it. Something that tasted like tatziki sauce drizzled over it and it came with penne pasta salad w/ the same dressing as the corkscrew pasta and a fresh garden salad. Delish! I'm so sorry I forgot to take a pic of this! Parking: Pass the restaurant on King St. and the parking entrance is right after that. There's also an entrance off Keeaumoku right before you turn right on to King St. read more

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nice "mom & pop" type eatery. my miso ramen was TOO SALTY, but they don't make it any other way, i guess. east Asians have a very high tolerance for salt which is somewhat understandable for "cup noodle" freeze-dried stuff, but NOT for freshly prepared ramen. even if you had straight A's in school, ya CAN'T take salt out of a prepared dish! OMG there's a salt shaker & shoyu in their condiment tray. maybe you can ask for less salty ramen -- dunno. parking behind the bldg. is great, but beware: enter only from King St., not like before. read more

The former Choi's Kitchen is now an Okinawan restaurant with delicious dishes served with plenty of aloha. The sanshin is faintly playing out of the ceiling speakers while patrons are enjoying their BYOB beverages. I noticed the friendly staff including the cook were from Yakitori Glad off Kapahulu. Plenty of street parking at night. read more

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4 months being in their current spot and the owner said that business has been slow. Overall this was a decent bento spot with various Japanese foods. There are a lot of unique options like taco rice. But when u compare a place like this to other similar places like Pioneer Saloon there is t anything that sets it apart. If they wanna at least compete with the OG like Pioneer they gotta offer something different. Food Karaage Standard issue karaage that again didn't separate itself from the pack. Love the big pieces that were juicy and definitely made to order. Ginger Pork Flavor was okay. But the pork pieces were definitely not the thinner slices that I look for. The egg was a nice touch but I wish that it was a little less cooked so that the yolk could coat the pork pieces and onions. Price This is where they need to separate themselves. They gotta bring their prices down and make this more affordable. They cannot be thinking that they are gonna open a place like this to make a huge profit. For example, the ginger pork was 14.50. That plate gotta be like $9.50 They bring down their prices it would attract a lot more customers. Then they can build a fan base. Hope that they survive. Food wasn't bad at all! read more

Kotetsu Chaya - ToriKaaage Bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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What's not to like about Kotetsu Chaya? They have good food, friendly and efficient service, fair prices and a super casual atmosphere. Tonight we had their ika kimchee, karaage bento and chicken over rice. All so flavorful and good portions. We couldn't eat it all. The karaage came out piping hot and crunchy. And the chicken was moist and flavorful, even without the dipping sauce. But the sauce made it even better. First time trying the chicken over rice, which was a Mediterranean style chicken over a bed of saffron rice. I enjoyed it a lot. read more

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While urban hiking through the Pāwaʻa neighborhood en route to Diamond Head State Monument, we noticed a huge Chaya Kotetsu signage had replaced the former Choi's Kitchen. We remembered enjoying Choi's Kitchen and nearby businesses (La Pizza Rina, Eastern Paradise, and Sushi Sasabune) since we temporarily lived in the Pāwaʻa/Ala Moana neighborhood several years ago. Unfortunately, we passed by in early-mid July when Kotetsu Chaya hadn't opened for business yet, and the following week, we took off to Las Vegas but kept them in mind. The name "Kotetsu" stuck in my mind as I remember seeing the hanzi or Chinese characters (鉄小) on the sign that literally means "small iron" as my thoughts wandered off about a Chinese assassin's name "Xiao Hu" from the Japanese Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun video games. I chuckled thinking that the owner couldn't possibly have been named after either an assassin or swordsman character from an anime/manga series. Either way, the masculine Japanese name seems like a contrast to Chaya or Tea House. Since our return from Las Vegas, I noticed Kotetsu Chaya on my Yelp Feed. I passed by on another occasion while en route to lunch with my husband's relatives in Kaimukī town and reading a review from fellow Elite Donna O. These memories spurred us to check them out for lunch one day. We found street parking in front of the restaurant, but there is a parking lot behind the building (entrances from either South King Street or Keeaumoku Street) that supports all of the businesses in this building strip. From past experiences, while eating at the other restaurants that share this parking lot, other servers informed us that there was free parking during the day whenever you do business at any of their shops. Still, from evening to nighttime, there is a fee and attendant on duty. Entering the restaurant, the young man behind the counter heartily greeted and welcomed us. We had looked at their menu and food photos posted on their front window, so we were prepared to place our order as soon as we approached the counter. Just then, the phone rang, and seeing that he was the only one at the counter and we weren't in a rush, we encouraged him to answer the incoming call. When he addressed the phone order, my husband changed his mind about his desired menu item. FOOD: - Mixed Bento: Although I enjoy eating deep-fried foods (not as much as my husband), this mixed bento appealed to my tastebuds because of the light and airy panko breading and perfectly cooked tender seafood. There were two pieces of kisu (Japanese whiting), three deep fried oysters (kaki furai), and a potato croquette atop refreshing finely shredded cabbage. This wrist-bending, generously portioned bento included a massive scoop of Japanese rice and tasty angel hair pasta salad. A side of tonkatsu sauce and tartar sauce was included. $16 - Tori Karaage Bento: 6 pieces of juicy, flavorfully marinated, and lightly battered with "hailstone effect" chicken thigh meat was served atop a bed of finely shredded cabbage. There was a side of mayonnaise for dipping the chicken pieces and a yummy pasta salad. The Japanese rice appeared to be a higher quality short grain because of its sheen, taste, and mouthfeel. The rice seemed to be Koshihikari variety and not Calrose. My husband wolfed down the tori karaage pieces as he eyed my mixed bento and stated that he'd order this bento again. $15 Although we planned to take out our food to eat, we didn't mind waiting in their comfy air-conditioned restaurant as we knew they cooked our meals to order. I would suggest 15-20 minutes for your order to be readied so if you're in a rush, you should call-in your order. We'll be back for more of their fresh made-to-order bentos, friendly service and value. read more

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Early this morning I was watching the news n guy hagi came on for cheap eats. They shared this place n their foods as well n what the favorite dish are. They showed the chicken karate n a plate they are known for, chicken on rice. The rice was tumaric flavor with a with mayo dressing drizzle over it with salad greens n Mac salad with it. My wife and the mix fried plate. Hers came with a creamy croquet fried oyster n fried fish. We also had a side order of chicken karagi. My plate with the tumeric rice n sauted chicken was the bomb. Great flavor n the blend when you eat all together is amazing. Their food tastes great n flavorful as well. Small little hole in the wall place that's clean n spacious. Lots of parking in the back. The service is great. The lady was very polite n generous with great customer service. Prices are reasonable too. If you are in the area, I suggest you stop by n try it. It's worth the stop. If it wasn't for the cheap eats on the news, we would never know about. We will come back again for sure. I noticed about 5 customers who came in while we were there said they saw them on TV, the morning news for cheap eats. read more

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Not disappointed yet! Went back again for the chicken over rice. Amazing taste and healthy with a side of greens salad and roasted little chicken bites. The portion was great and it really filled up my stomach. Luckily, I got it to go as the lunch crowd was there. Definitely, order ahead for takeout. read more

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On my search for Japanese food, a good one, I came across this little restaurant. I believe it's a small business owner and the shop is Okinawan Ken. So it's a little bit different from standard Japanese cuisine in my opinion. But I enjoyed it. I got three different bentos to stock up on. These were all the bentos so they all came with delicious tasting rice which I love, two came with green salad with some kind of shoyu dressing and cherry tomatoes cut up nicely. I ordered the soboro which is not something you see often here. My mom would make an excellent one since I was a kid and I don't think anyone can compare to mom's cooking. Soboro is diced chicken and a sweet egg. Whereas my mom used the very fine mince like pork hash their chicken was a lot bigger chunks. Same with the eggs. And they place a fried egg on top of it. Even though it looks very different from my mom's the taste was there. Wish I could eat my mom's soboro one more time. Next up was the chicken cutlet. It's pankoed and to be honest, it was a little dark when I like the panko to be more of a golden brown. It had a dressing on the side a mayonnaise thing and of course tonkatsu sauce. Lastly I got the ginger pork and though I'm used to really thin small slices of pork this had bigger slices. But the taste was good. The main thing is that all of the servings were quite generous, uncommon in Japanese food where the portions are more for the Japanese appetite which is much smaller than ours. Each plate was very hefty in weight and the portions were more than generous, so I think it'll satisfy most big. eaters. I like the pasta salad it was in a sweet mayonnaise kind of sauce but it was a beautiful balance It wasn't spaghetti noodles it was the penne pasta which I normally don't like but it turned out good for this. The owner was incredibly nice and sincere and so was his other staff. I love little places like this where the owner is also the cook and so there is much more of a personal stake in it for them. Rather than deal with a major chain. There is ownership, pride and craftsmanship. I like it that they did use sugar but in the correct amounts so I was not eating a mouth full of sugar syrup. It was different from the Japanese food that I am used to but different is okay. Please patronize this place, they have a beautiful selection of Bento switches with the hot rice and ramen. I hope they last for a very long time. On a special note because this is Christmas 2023 approaching there are offering some generous Christmas catering options. If you buy three pans which are normally $40 each they take $20 off or a total of $100. Each pan serves 8 to 10 people. I did not see any ofnthis on Yelp so it's too bad that he's not blasted on social media because that is really a good deal. I am considering just ordering a pan for myself because it would be like two plate lunches. And I think a lot of chefs wouldn't want to cook for New Year's anyway and it is relatively cheap. Cheaper than Chinese food and definitely with American which runs near $200 for a complete Christmas feast. So for 40 bucks you get a whole Japanese dish and I think it's worth it. Good for bringing it to the family potluck, especially the fried chicken saves you all that sweat and oil that goes flying everywhere. This special was a pickup on Christmas Day the 25th of December. Call for menu. So hele on down, you won't be disappointed read more

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Small Japanese place that popped up when we were looking for a Sunday lunch spot. Don't let the pictures of the food deceive you! (We almost didn't order the tonkotsu ramen based on pics alone and would have missed out). We had a large group (11) and the staff were so kind with tetris-ing around the tables to accommodate us! My friend and I split the tonkotsu ramen and chicken katsu plate. I give the ramen a solid 8/10 -- points off because the pork slices, while tasty, were pretty small. Broth was on the lighter side, which I actually appreciated and I like the addition of kombu. The chicken katsu surprisingly was very solid 9/10. Nice thick pieces of chicken and the frying was pretty light and not oily/fatty/dry panko coating like a lot of katsu places. All in all I would come back to explore more in the menu! read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Tonkotsu Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Made fresh! Nice people! Homemade taste--can't go wrong! Lots of parking in the back of the restaurant!

I love this little Japanese restaurant. There are only a few tables and seats. They have a fair number of takeout orders going out while we were there. BYOB and they even offered to keep our beverages in their refrigerator for us. The food we've had thus far is fairly simple but delicious. I keep wanting to have their ramen, but we always end up getting their happy hour specials and are too full for ramen. read more

I have tried ramen, udon, yakisoba, fried chicken and cream croquettes. All of them are good but not impressed.

Parking in back, slow down look for driveway Friendly service even when they are busy Went because someone likes takoyaki. I tasted it...good. I'm not much of a fried food fan so I had only a few bites. Everyone was pleased. Next time I'll try the tonkotsu, that looked enticing. I just wasnt hungry enough, looks like a good size serving! read more

This place is a hidden gem! If you've never tried Okinawan food, this place is the one to go to. The homestyle cooking and service is low-key and perfect for this whole want good food and feel at home. The place is small, which is good because if it was any bigger I think it would lose some of its charm. Plenty of parking in the back lot. Awesome food great people-- support local! read more

Super sweet mom and pop shop that's primarily designed to do takeout. We had time so we ordered our food and sat down to eat at one of their 5 or so tables. Tried the gyoza, croquettes, miso ramen, jigoku ramen. Jikogu can go level 1-4, went with 1 based on the chef's recommendation and it had a good amount of spice. I couldn't have a whole bowl of it at that spice level but my husband loves spicy and said it was spicy with great flavor and would want to try level 2 next time. The dishes we had were great with good flavor and can't wait to do bento takeout from here. Parked in the lot behind the building, which is free until 5pm. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Miso ramen, jigoku ramen, gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Decent mom and pop Japanese place with an Okinawan influence. They had great gyoza, ramen and pork. They have table service or to go. You can order online as well! Go early as it fills up and they have limited staff so the wait can get kinda. BYOB too!! Lots of parking in the back, behind the building. read more

I had a craving for some Okinawan food, but originally we were going to another place until we realized that the didn't open on the weekend for lunch. We were a bit worried about parking at Kotetsu Chaya, but our fears were unfounded. You enter the parking lot from King Street at the end of the building. There was a good amount of free spaces behind the restaurant. I reserved a table, but when we got there at 12:30pm, we were the only customers dining in. Our hostess was very friendly and had our table ready. The place did get a few more dine in customers as well as a few take out orders during our time there. I ordered the Ginger Pork bento, and my friend got the Taco Rice. We also ordered a plate of Takoyaki a bit after our main order for good measure. Everything was tasty. Recommend for your fill of Okinawan and Japanese comfort food. read more

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They're very pleasant and friendly... the makings of a great "Mom and Pop" style place in Honolulu. They also were very patient with my kids, especially my son who was vocally expressing his need for a nap. When you arrive at this place, don't let the size of the shop fool you... because the location is very clean, and comfortable. However, we know why we're here. How's the food? Absolutely wonderful! This is one of the few times I bring my kids anywhere, and they ate EVERYTHING. I also enjoyed their Okinawan Soba, which my boy conveniently "procured" from me. We're definitely going to be regulars in the near future. read more

Very friendly and cozy. IMO perfect for a fun low key date or hanging with some friends for happy hour. BYOB (save $$$) and the menu prices are affordable (esp nowadays). Staff was very accommodating, food came out fast and flavourful. Very happy I tried this place, even my kids loved the takoyaki! Must try read more

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This place was on our bucket list and so we finally got to try it today Saturday, March 2024. We called in the order and they said 15 minutes and they were exactly right on the timing. We ordered their famous Taco Rice, the Chicken Rice and Fried Oyster Bento. All were delicious, freshly prepared and the oysters were fried in fresh oil and lightly colored so that it was crisp and still juicy on the inside. I didn't care for their katsu sauce, wish that they had a tartar sauce or vinegar, but since we ate it at home we added our own vinegars. Delish! The Taco Rice was good and tasty, but the winner was the Chicken Rice. It reminded my daughter of a very good Afghan place that she loved in College on the East Coast and we all want to order it again---tonight. LOL. You can only enter the parking lot from King Street and exit only on Keeamoku as they just changed the parking lot this week. Easy for us as we live in the neighborhood and it is easy for us either way. Today is Saturday and we thought it would be easy to pull up to a metered space on King St, but spots were taken and we had to go into the parking lot. You need to pay there, and the parking security guy was right on it, but I only stopped for a few minutes while my daughter ran in to get the order The nicest people in there. Try it. It is totally worth it. read more