The establishment was very friendly and the food was good. The owner was extremely hospitable and even did a cool trick for my girlfriend and I and gave us free dessert. Highly recommend this place for all read more

Awesome dinner! Food was delicious and service excellent! Also, took advantage of the special -if it's your birthday, you get a free meal! Worth it!! We had the rib eye steak and 3 combo teishoku that came with sashimi, tempura and katsu. read more

I finally tried Restaurant Kuni last night. As others have mentioned it's a little funky decor-wise, but I'll add that it's clean and well kept. The men's restroom looks like it had a recent coat of paint. We got there about 7:30 and there were maybe four other families dining, so we were seated right away. There are a LOT of menu choices and combinations so we had enough time to make our selections. My wife opted for the butterfish misoyaki senior meal, which came with miso soup and mac salad. I ordered the ribeye and teishoku combo meal - came with tsukemono, miso soup, green salad with sesame dressing, and bean sprouts. The other entrees included in the combo was sashimi and tempura. Once the sides came in just a few minutes, our entrees came out quickly, and I mean really quick! My wife really enjoyed her butterfish. I liked the sashimi. Here's my full disclosure on my combo: I ordered my ribeye "bar style" medium rare. It came out on a sizzling platter with mushrooms and onions, lightly seasoned with S&P. It was good but the steak soon cooked on the platter to medium well. Good quantity on the steak, by the way. Could've used just a bit more seasoning too but shoyu helped. The sashimi was great! Nice fresh lean pieces of ahi with tsuri daikon. The tempura included a huge piece of carrot, a good slice of eggplant and a couple large shrimp. The tempura sauce wasn't too tasty and the batter was not crispy fried. Maybe the tempura was sitting around for awhile, hence the speed at which the entrees were served. Shrimp were a bit overcooked and, well, rubbery. Overall, we enjoyed our meal. This is where friendly, prompt service (5 stars) and value (5 stars) beat out food quality (3-1/2 stars). Speaking of value, with a large Orion beer, 20% tip and tax, our tab was about $85. These days, that's a deal. I'd like to come back and try other dishes. read more

Kuni Restaurant - Part of the ribeye and teishoku combo - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Invited to enjoy a birthday dinner, we just returned from a very nice one commemorating my wife's special day. Greeted and served by Zay, she took care of us from start to finish and did an excellent job at that. From sashimi to sizzling steak to poke and mochi ice cream and andagi. Was a nice way getting out and enjoying the evening. And of course Sato-san assured we left full. It's always a nice experience eating at Restaurant Kuni and the great service always insures that we'll be returning soon. read more

Been here a few times, the bar is decked out in Bronco gear and a good place to watch a football game. Can get lively at night. The restaurant is comfortable enough. The food has always been enjoyable! The staff are helpful and nice and the owner is a great character. The bartenders are hit or miss, just don't be fancy with your drink order. Keep it simple. The steak is suprisingly delicious and thr Nabeyaki Saimin is one of my favorites (if you like greens and soup). read more

Kuni Restaurant - Nabeyaki Udon - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Finally went back to give them another chance. What a difference. Nice atmosphere and very friendly service. Food took me back to my childhood days as I remembered. read more

Kuni Restaurant - Newly renovated - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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My family and I have been dining at Kuni's for 45+ years. Food is always excellent. Sooo delicious. (And take-out Bentos are excellent! ) Service is always great! Renovated not too long ago, nice, clean, simple decor, lovely. Even the parking lot repaved! My fave Japanese restaurant on Oahu. read more

Me and the wife are go to restaurant. Very comfortable there great ambience and we go here about three or four times a month like I said or go to a restaurant on the weekends. read more

Made a Yelp reservation 1 day ahead for a Saturday at 6pm for a party of 5 (3 adults & 2 children), requires a credit card which made me a bit nervous. But within a few minutes of submitting I got a follow up text to confirm. Saturday around 11am I missed a phone call from Kuni to confirm the reservation (didn't even see it till Sunday for some reason) and they left a voicemail to confirm my reservation and ask me if we're celebrating a birthday or something like that. Wish I noticed my missed call & voicemail because we took my Grandma out for her 81st birthday but I really liked the personal call and inquiry. Showed up around 15mins early and was immediately seated. To my horror, my Grandma always likes to look around the room and ask for a different table, which she did. The hostess was very polite about it, maybe she saw me getting all nervous and sweating like, "OH NO, GRANDMA...NOOOOO!!!" We were able to sit near the back which was actually good because we originally were right by the doorway to the kitchen area which probably would've been very busy with traffic. We got the free sashimi which was really fresh, tasted so good. Ordered 2, 2 choice teishoku (beef teri & tonkatsu/tempura & miso butterfish), yakitori ramen, kids saimin, and kids chicken katsu meal along with a large Asahi for me. Food came out real quick, beer came out after I reminded one of the staff. Portions were larger that I thought they'd be. Everything tasted great. Service was pleasant, our server checked on us a few times and was efficient. By the time we were half way done the restaurant was full, people waiting inside and outside. Glad we made reservations. Really enjoyed my time there and will probably return again in the near future hopefully. read more

What can I say about this place? If you're from Waipahu, you know exactly what I mean when I mention "Kuni." I've eaten here and have had takeout bento many times for a very long time. Their food is always yummy and never disappoints. When my mom asks if we want takeout from here, it's always a, "YES!" Our "go to" bento for take out is bento c (forgot to take a picture of it). It comes with beef teri, chicken teri, fried fish, and tonkatsu. Something about their sauce on the beef and chicken that makes it so enjoyable. We also get their tofu steak and shrimp and vegetable tempura. So good. Whether eating in or doing takeout, you won't be disappointed. read more

Kuni Restaurant - Vegetarian - Tofu Steak - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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First time in since the renovation and it was a great experience! Service was fast and our server was very sweet and attentive. It was pretty busy when we arrived but they were able to seat our party of 9 without a wait. Food was very tasty and fresh. Happy to see this long time business thriving. read more

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Way to pricey for my wallet. Total tab for the day was $720 including 2nd tab and tips (1st waiter checked out). Really hoped the renovations wouldn't affect food quality, quantity and prices. 2nd tab $39 pupu steak! $10 fries! $6-$7 beers $11 Titos plus 3.5% processing fee. Food taste was the same but quantity and was a drop in value as depicted. Sorry to say was a steady customer for years (catering, bentos for luncheons, company parties) but need to move on. Good luck. read more

Kuni Restaurant - Tab 1 of 2 - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Well what can I say about this place this have been in the town of waipahu ever since I could remember. That's along time. My dad knew the owner when he was a foreman in the construction business. Mr Kuni worked under my dad in the construction business and always tell us when we would go and eat there the story on how my dad showed him how to pound a nail in the wood. But I guess he couldn't handle that kind of job so he said i'm going try something else so I guess he opened up kunis restaurant. The food is still good but because of covid last year the prices went up. I had shrimp tempura and pork tonkatsu. My husband had pork tofu. The prices were high but its worth the taste. They even come with miso soup, bean sprouts namul, toss salad, and pickle cabbage. They are open for dine in. Show your ID and vaccinate card. Support them and wear your masks. read more

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Went there today soon as they opened at 11:00 am sorry to say something has changed . We always liked it there but today it was different ' they dropped off the rice ' water the miso soup and stuff we waited some time more then they dropped off my Shrimp, ( I ordered the combo with Teriyaki) ) I waited lease more by the time the teriyaki came the shrimp was cold . My hubby waited the same for his Mahi ' we had to ask for the sauce ' minutes after ' . The waitress was friendly . But , Don't think we be going there again sorry to say . read more

Stopped by for lunch. Menu selection was limited. Ordered multiple teishokus, couple 2 choices($27) and couple single choice($19). Katsu was over done, freshness of meat questionable. No pics but that may be a good thing. Wait staff were friendly. read more

We ordered the ribeye bar style.. soooo good! We also ordered the combo sashimi and tofu steak. The sashimi was fresh, the tofu was sizzling hot and the sauce on top was perfect! The service was great. We didn't have to wait long for our dinner. Kuni's has been a family go-to for years! We'll be back! read more

Location: 94+210 Leokane St in Waipahu Hours: Dine in 1100 to 1400 and 1700 to 2100. Take out is from 1100 to 1400 and 1630 to 2000. Lounge hours are 1100 to 2000. Price: Prices range from $8.95 to $16.70. Service: They have great customer service. I ordered 12 bentos a few days in advance and had no problems with my order. Food: We ordered a variety on bentos to celebrate by Grandma's birthday. Everyone loved the food. The portion size was perfect and the pricing was very reasonable. I totally forgot to take pictures. Tip: They have a catering menu, funeral bento, regular bento, and special take out bento options. read more

Food and service were great. My kids loved the waiter who played tricks on them with the andagi. Will be back again.

Food is amazing!!! I love the renovations that was done to the place! The service from waiters and the uncle there is great! Chicken katsu is my favorite gotta love the veggie tempura read more

I've been coming to Kuni's since I was a teenager for their delicious food. So when I found out they were changing ownership, you can only imagine how skeptical I was about everything. To my surprise, everything was amazing! The renovations to the entire place was just beautiful. Modern look only with the old school family vibe. They did an incredible job designing and it was also obvious that they put alot of thought in the process. And the food my gosh!! The food still tastes amazing although the menu changed just a tad. Their customer service is out of this world awesome!! They took such good care of me and my ohana while dining in. I will definitely be coming back here as much as possible and I highly recommend you do the same!! read more

Kuni Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

There's nothing positive to say about Covid. However, I feel the social distancing aspect makes you appreciate family a lot more. Our family decided to have lunch outdoors, under the cover of the car garage. We sat in a large circle setting to social distance. We chose to order individual bentos rather than potluck style. Kuni's food never disappoints!! Good size servings, lots of assortment. Thank you! read more

The service and food is . Fast and friendly. They are very fast and aware of the guests and their needs. Food is awesome!

Nice selection of menu. Closed to authentic Japanese style. The combo menu is great. We will come back when we are in this area.

We had grilled salmon with Teri chicken teishoku, shrimp tempura with miso Mahi Mahi. The service was amazing, local vibe but also professional and gracious. The server was spot on with his recommendations for dinner selections. The food was delectable. Our son enjoyed the teriyaki chicken and salmon. He also ordered the kids menu saimin though he immediately switched over to the other dishes. All the staff is great at multi-tasking. It was AMAZING!! Joshua and Keanu are great managers at multitasking: host, bartenders, waiters, busboys. lol. The only thing I didn't see them do was cook. lol. Keanu makes an authentic old fashioned. Nothing ready made. One of the best local style "back in the day" eateries. read more

Ambiance is great! Service is fast and quick! Food is amazing! Portions are amazing! Free birthday meal is a big plus!

The inside is all remodeled. New menu, excellent food and service. The butterfish was the best I've ever had and the fried akule was like katsu so crispy. Will be back!! read more

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Entered restaurant has a nice oriental vibe. Tables were a little small. We had a party of 4 and our main entrees barely fit. Overall food was okay. I did enjoy the teriyaki beef ribeye. I was super disappointed and upset at the service we received. Our server was Tiana Gonzalez (that was on our receipt) . Horrible! No eye contact and didn't come back to ask if we needed any soda refills when it was empty along with water. Another guy grabbed and refilled the water jug for us as he saw it was empty. Also when our server was removing some of our dishes she dropped the entire stack of used dishes with on my cousins tempura. The server didn't even offer to bring him another one she didn't even seem genuinely apologetic. read more

Overall I'll rate this place 3.7 out of 5. Tiana was my server and she was amazing. Overall staff is 4.2/5, they were attentive with busing the table clean. I'm visiting from Las Vegas and my sis in law brought me here with my dad and brother. We ordered the ohana style with a few sides orders. The sashimi was fresh 4.5/5, shrimp tempura 3.8/5, chicken katsu 3.8/5. We also had the steak with onion and mushrooms 4/5. Teriyaki tofu 2/5. For dessert I had 2 scoops of Ube ice cream 4.8/5. I recommend this place for others but not for large parties. Price is decent for family size. read more

This is our go-to Japanese restaurant on the west side. Their food is so ono, fresh and consistent. Sashime is FRESH! Sizzling Tokyo steak is so ono - we always get it teriyaki style. Good to share too! For those who avoid meat, try the Tofu Steak... served same style, but with tofu instead of beef. I love their homemade giner/miso dressing, wish they bottled it! Service is great, friendly, fast and prompt. The owner is so awesome, known him for over 30 years - he appreciates all his patrons and is the best host! Sometimes it can get a little loud from the bar side during the evening hours. Def not a deal breaker though! read more

Haven't been here in about 3 months. Transformation by the new owners is WOW! Totally different ambience. Less menu options offered but the favorites are still there. Great attentive service. read more

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Decided to have a mom and son dinner since the other kids were off doing other things.this has always been a favorite restaurant of ours. We would go at least once a month and were sad when the place went up for sale. So ecstatic when someone bought it quickly. The New owners are keeping the place running. I love the new look and how it offers more seating , As well as the new additions to the menu. As much as I loved the old look,keeping the ambiance of the restaurant will always bring people that nostalgic feeling when they come in. Thankfully the recipes are still the same and that they were able to use the same ingredients already being used to offer more variety for patrons young/old and carnivore/vegetarian. They also were very accommodating and humble when we had a mishap with one of the items we ordered. Looks like they have more staff as well, making it faster for food/drinks to be brought to you. Sadly Sato San was not there and that's probably what I miss the most. Happy he gets to truly relax and enjoy life now but hopefully he will stop in from time to time and still be capable of flipping my cup of water . read more

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Four stars. This place was really good. Went with my son...they have a children's menu. But the food tasted fantastic. All we got was teriyaki beef and chicken, but both taste it exactly like we would have expected. My son said he was particularly happy with his plate, which included fries. Overall we would go back. I can't say that about a lot of places that I've been to. So yeah I recommend. read more

Been coming here for year. It has changed a bit but the food is still delicious. The service is fast. Great service! I like the atmosphere then and now. read more

Food is 3 stars Service is 3 stars Ambience is 3 stars Food is over price Service too slow. Poor customer service service read more

First time here. Place is okay. They charge automatic 18% tip for parties more than 6 and above. Understandable but service is horrific. We only saw waitress like 2 times during our time in. It wasn't even a busy day it was literally us and another couple that dined in. Not worth the $190 in my opinion. Our steak was well done even tho we asked for medium. It was chewy. Probably will be an alternative place if there is no where else to eat and if you want no line to wait and a place to eat if don't want others to dine in. read more

This is my favorite local japanese teishoku place. Ive been going here literally all my life with my family. While i try different things every once in a while, my go to 90% of the time is the 2-choice: miso butterfish & tonkatsu. The butterfish is breaded and fried, so not the typical style that pretty much every place else has. Owner is very hands on and sometimes does tricks at the table if hes not busy. Its kind of small and fills up fast, so go early! read more

Kuni Restaurant - Miso butterfish & teri chicken combo - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Excellent customer service! Food was nostalgic of Wisteria restaurant. Portions were huge, food was good, and restaurant was clean.

Can't go wrong with choosing Kuni's - the plenty food tastes great and the service is on point.

Had lunch with my retired buddies July 29..party of 5....11 am... Excellent service.. food .. on point....Highly recommend this restaurant.. read more

I got food poisoning... reached out to restaurant and on response received. Just be careful!!! It's one of my fave restaurants but I need to be extra careful now. read more