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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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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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

The food here is very good. Everything is just right. We have been there twice since discovering the place on Yelp. So far, we have tried the tonkatsu and shio ramen, ika fry, gyoza, the stamina (pork and ginger), chicken karage, hayashi rice. Service is fast. Parking is free behind the restaurant. read more

Would be good to have more pickled vegetables. Besides street parking, there is also parking in the rear of the restaurant. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - I have the Karaage Bento. The chicken was lightly fried and moist. Quite delicious. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious! Located next to l Pizza Rina is Kotetsu Chaya. Cute and cozy restaurant with a modest menu and delicious food and super friendly staff. So glad that we went there for dinner. We both ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen ($14) and shared a side of Gyoza (6$). I also ordered the Tori Karaage bento to go because darn those Yelp pictures looked so good! The broth of the Tonkotsu ramen was delicious and so flavourful and they had generous portions of ramen noodles, seaweed, bamboo shoots, 2 pieces of charred pork and a soft boiled egg topped with ginger. It really hit the spot! The gyoza was delicious as well just wish it was an even 6 pieces instead of 5, so we didn't have to share the last piece! Haha but seriously the food was really good and the server was friendly and the cook/owner even came out to thank us when we left. Next time I'll need to try the Karaage! My son gobbled it up before I could get a bite or a picture! He said it was really good too! I'll be back! read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My work friend just came back from his appointment and mentioned he saw a new place banner where Choi's Kitchen was. Too bad the Korean place closed but I'm happy to see another food place opened again. It's right next to La Pizza Rina. There were street parking in front but the meters seemed to be not working or taking coins. I'm not sure about the parking behind the building during lunch time but found parked right in front. I came towards the ending of their lunch hours. They serve ramen and assorted Japanese plates. I decided to try the Tori Karaage. It came with scoop of rice with a touch of black sesame seeds on top and cold Japanese style spaghetti salad. The chicken was not just fried (not too oil) and crunchy but it had a nice marinade with ginger! It was tasty and made well! I wouldn't mind coming again to try other dishes. The couple was really nice and the place was nice just like how Choi's Kitchen had it. read more

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Ramen is DELICIOUS. Broth is extremely flavorful while still being light. Was recommended by a friend who has become a regular since they opened. Amazing deal for the quality of food. We ordered the tonkatsu ramen, edamame, and takoyaki and it was all delicious. No corkage fee, BYOB welcome, can accommodate large parties. The owners here are so kind and warm. Would definitely recommend and will be back! read more

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

The karaage is light and juicy! Full of flavor. It goes very well with the salad. The dressing has just the right level of tanginess, sweetness and oil. The Hayashi rice bento is a little lean on the beef stew, but I like the side salads and the one-scoop rice. Even though there is only one person working the front, service was good. Interiors can use some organization. Redo menu pictures professionally. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Hayashi Rice and Karaage Salad - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love this place! Food is good and reasonably priced! Other places are so overpriced now. Free parking in the back. Clean inside. Friendly service. So happy to be able to grab quick and tasty food after work! read more

Found this place on Yelp...tried to order on line l, but had problems trying to pay. Decided to call and they took my order over the phone. They were very apologetic about the on line ordering. Got there (note: parking is limited, found street parking) and it's a small place with a few tables, they were still preparing my order to go, only waited a few minutes. Ordered their mix fry and torikaraage salad, mix fry didn't exactly look like what I expected but maybe the pix was a older one? It was okay, just deep fried asst of fish, shrimp, not sure what else was in there, but their torikagaage salad was amazing, the dressing was like a wasabi something had a kick to it. Sorry no photos, was "hangry". Might go back tol try their ramen. read more

Kotetsu Chaya always provides great food with decent prices. The food portion is very big!! The employee is always nice, polite and friendly. The restaurant is small, casual and kids friendly I guess. read more

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

Relatively new restaurant with modest location and decor, but their food is anything but! The tonkotsu ramen is hearty, rich, but not overly heavy. The okinawan style with plenty of bamboo shoots, konbu, ginger, and charsu makes a balanced and delicious bowl of ramen that made me consider getting a second bowl. Wish there were more pieces of charsu but at $14/bowl, I'm a happy camper. Friends got the katsus/karages and enjoyed it lots. 10/10: friendly hosts serving up delicious, well-executed food at good price without a long wait. I'll be a regular read more

After Choi's Kitchen's closure, I was devastated. Then soon after, Kotetsu Chaya appeared out of the blue and came to save the day! This review is based on my first visit there and if there are any changes, I'll definitely come back and update this review. We ordered the Tori Karaage and the Sutamina Bentos. The Tori Karaage was one of the best Karaage I've had in a long time. I usually feel pretty junk after eating fried food, but the Tori Karaage didn't produce this effect on me, so it was definitely a bonus! The Sutamina Bento will definitely give you the onion & garlic kick you're looking for to satisfy your cravings. An oddity I did notice that may catch people off guard is that their mac salad (see picture attached) had a spicy horseradish(???) taste, which I really enjoyed, but my girlfriend did not (more for me, yay!). Also, I was expecting the spaghetti/noodle type salad instead of the macaroni version based on previous pictures on Yelp, so that was another surprise. Service was pretty spot on with pickup time (phone ordered). The person who serviced us was courteous and welcoming. The restaurant layout is very similar to Choi's kitchen and kept very clean. Overall, I am excited to try their other menu items (with the Tori Karaage being a staple order) and am looking forward to eating here for many years to come. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - 2x Tori Karaage & Sutamina Bentos - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food is really good and prices are also good. Always order takeout and food is ready on time. Have been going more often lately because food is great. Really like the pork ginger. Another favorite of the family is fried oysters. read more

Got the karaage chicken bento. It was incredibly delicious. Service was good and only took 10 minutes, and it was definitely fresh. Also, a great place to buy a bag of rice for home! read more

What an authentic ramen goyza and katsu lunch we had today. We were given a very warm greeting at the door and thankful departure as we left with our full bellies and smiles on our faces. The portions were large, delicious, and freshly made. You will not be disappointed. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

When I was a kid growing up in Japan this restaurant reminded me of my neighborhood off the wall lunch joint one block away from my home. We used to call these places "Shoten-gai no Restaurant". Can't beat this place as far as taste & price. I will definitely recommend this place for a guys wanting to eat something authentic. The owner Tomo-San is so very nice. He came over to our table & chatted with us about living in Tokyo. It's at home ambiance to the max. Just check out this place & you won't regret it! read more

Something about this spot and tasty plate lunches. First Choi's, now Kotetsu Chayu. Best Karaage Chicken in Hawaii. Generous portions and the owners are so sweet. They have a small menu so it's easy to find a new favorite but there's something for everyone. Everything we've tried so far has been delicious and so filling. Chicken Katsu and any of the pork bentos (garlic, ginger, or kimchi) are also solid options. There's dine in seating but there's always a steady flow of people picking up takeout orders. read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Karaage chicken bento and side order of the Buta Kimchi (pork tenderloin with garlic and kimchi). So ono. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I only took a picture of my Okinawan Soba, but everything else was delicious too and all reasonable priced. The service was great. Wish we lived in town. We would go more often! read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was a great find! The food was really yummy! Good prices. The service was very friendly. And for our small family of four (plus a friend) made the quiet ambiance enjoyable. There is convenient parking on the street and more behind the building in a private free parking. It's not in the middle of Waikiki's craziness which is even better. Definitely recommend. read more

Been here a few times. Food is good, always fresh. Service is friendly although there may only be one server. One thing: they didn't have ice. read more

The karaage chicken is awesome! Crispy and juicy!! So delicious!! The owners are so nice. They are from Japan and it shows. They take pride in the food they make! read more

Went there to see what they offered. If you're looking for so me Japanese/ local fusion you may want to check it out. Comfort food in a casual setting. Prices are reasonable and the staff is very friendly and attentive to the customers needs If you're looking for some comfort food, then give this place a try. read more

Oh gosh...chicken over rice is so bombastic! It sounds incredibly boring but it is an amazing dish. The chicken is so tasty and when put over the turmeric rice and served with a freshly washed, cold salad, it is even more delicious! In February alone, I went 3 times and have bought 5 chicken over rice meals!! It is THAT good!! The people are super friendly and they even remembered me ("Thank you for coming back!" ). read more

This is a very small store but it's so cozy and the server is so kind and friendly! Their food is also amazing especially their karaage and yakisoba. It's BYOB so it's a perfect pair with all the food in the menu. I would highly recommend this place! read more

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Super reasonable and delicious comfort food served with fun & friendly banter! I'm usually not a huge fan of deep fried items BUT Chef does it right! Fry oil is fresh so items come out light and crispy, not oily. Best part is BYOB! read more

I had the fried oyster lunch. Delicious. Looking forward to try other offerings on my next visit. Prices on menu are very reasonable.

I had regular yakisoba. It was so salty! Maybe the cook made a mistake by accident. The sauce was dripping from each noodle. I want to believe it was a mistake. read more

Authentic! Food is cooked to perfection. Got the gyoza, jigoku ramen, and hayashi beef rice. Everything was delicious. They were supposed to be closed but served us anyway. Fantastic service! read more

Love this place. Small hole in the wall place. Food is very fresh and really good!! Nice and friendly staff and good service.

My friend and I went here by accident last night, thinking it was a different restaurant. We're so happy we made the mistake because Kotetsu Chaya is delicious! I got the ginger pork bento (grilled with onions, and came with rice, egg, and a cold noodle side) while my friend ordered the tonkotsu ramen. Both meals were loaded with food for around the price of your average plate lunch here. We both loved what we ordered and would them again. Rich flavors and despite eating loads, still had enough for the next day's lunch. The place is clean, the menu selection diverse, and The service was sooo friendly -- warm hearts! I don't think I've ever felt more like I was in Japan while hanging around O'ahu. Maybe that's partly because our server spoke Japanese, but also the food itself -- I just left Yokohama/Tokyo last week and this tasted close as can be to authentic! I didn't take pictures, unfortunately, because I didn't realize the spot is new and could use support! And they are absolutely worth supporting. read more

I stumbled across this place today for dinner and decided to go in as the menu looked good. The inside of the store was clean and the worker was so nice and explained the entire menu! I decided to get the chicken over rice which had a lot of volume and was delicious! I really liked the turmeric rice and it came with a salad and a pasta salad. Next time I would want to try the pork ginger bento and the stamina don that she recommended. Overall I had a good experience :) read more

Kotetsu Chaya - Chicken over rice - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Super friendly people. Hayashi rice is good. Lots of parking in back. Karaage chicken is a must try. Juicy, tender, and crispy on the outside. Pieces are large compared to other places. Rice is premium grade. read more

The service was excellent and the food was so yummy. We had wasabi taco, fried chicken salad, fried chicken, fried oyster, and ramen. Nothing disappointed us. We LOVE it. BTW, fried chicken was so amazing and we even placed another order for takeout. read more

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Got the Kariagi chx and breaded chx. The breaded one was over fried in dirty oil. The Kariagi was ok but not crispy like Ono Thai. The workers were very pleasant and attentive. No one was in the place except the workers. Pricey for bento but that's the norm today. Just wanted to give them a try. Meh. read more

Excellent and very delicious! I look forward to trying more of their ono food and once again eating their taco salad rice! Very friendly and efficient service. Who could ask for more!! read more

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Just sampled 3 dishes tonight for dinner: Tori karaage, chicken over rice, and sutamina bento. I selected these dishes after reading yelp reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was not as positive as other reviewers. Pros: The chicken karate was enjoyable. Chicken was moist and tender and not oily. The rice was delicious as mentioned by other yelp reviewers. Portion size was more than ample for a woman's appetite and just right for a man. The chicken over rice dish was just ok. Chicken was tender and not dry. Salad was comprised of mixed greens and a couple of grape tomatoes with ranch dressing and a shoyu type of dressing. Cons: Didn't care for the ranch dressing over the chicken. Wish the dressing could have been in a separate container. Also, the tumeric rice served under the chicken was over cooked and stuck together in clumps. Would not purchase this dish again. The sutamina bento was very disappointing. The pork was over cooked and tasteless. Will not purchase again. I'm not sure if I would return to try other dishes. read more

First time here and will be coming back. It was delicious. A nice small japanese restaurant.

Friendly service! Tasty food at a reasonable price! The owner & Kiko are very friendly!!!