How delightful that we have this neighborhood business for ready-to-eat musubis. By the time I enter Mana Bu's, I am probably already too late with how sparse the stock already is. The flavor offerings that are remaining are still good. On one occasion, I have tried a Tuna Mayo w/ Crunchy Ume, a Mentaiko, a JPN Premium Rice-Mentaiko, and a JPN Premium Rice-Beef. All unique and tasty. I really like ume in my musubi. It's a clean interior setup for grab-and-go service. There is a minimum of $10 for credit card payments. Go early in the morning for best pickings. read more

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Easy to find and enough parking. When I arrived they were mostly out of everything and I was super bummed. However, they quickly filled the shelves as they were making more in the back. I was able to pick up about 10 before heading to the airport. They are the perfect snacks and were so good. read more

Mana Bu's - Spicy Mayo Tuna - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place is the OG of musubis (type of sushi). If you are visiting Hawaii this is a must try. Want proof? Super busy at 6AM and almost everything is gone by late morning. Prices are reasonable with each delight less than $3. Could be easy to miss. Look for the Baskin Robbins.. in the same parking lot. May need to park on the street Highly recommend read more

Mana Bu's - Hours - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I find these to be the better quality Musubi, so we come back here every time. Come early. They are usually sold out by 11:30 or so (earlier on weekends). The spicy tuna roe is my favorite. Rice quality is premium and plenty of filling. They don't do well overnight, so don't stock up. Perfect lunch (add seaweed salad!). read more

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Four and a half stars. Haven't been here for years and finally decided to return. Glad I did because the musubi's are still so fresh and so tasty. The store is small, so please grab and go. It's all so clean and orderly! I love that. The rice was good and the fillings were enough. They changed the wrapping of the musubi to be a lot better and easier to open and eat! The staff is friendly and courteous. I just cannot go often for the price is always a little bit above what I like to spend on breakfast. However it leaves you happy and complete after a couple of them, so once in a blue moon I will come back to get my fix. The rice is nicely seasoned and my favorite is always tuna mayo musubi. I don't know what's in it but it's addicting. I tried to reproduce at home and as you can see, I will be be back to buy more! read more

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Need a quick bite? Head over to Mana Bu's to grab an onigiri! They have many different flavors to choose from. Spam Spam and tamago Tuna mayo Tuna mayo crunchy ume Curry tuna mayo Baked salmon Sausage Kombu So much more! I have not tried one that I didn't like. I also like that it is super affordable. This makes it easy to grab a bunch for potluck or for the family. They open early and are often sold out by lunch. Go early to get some! The staff are super friendly. They have little shopping baskets to help you carry the goods! Parking is a little limited, since they share a parking lot with baskin robbins and other businesses. However, the morning isn't bad since they are not open yet. Definitely go check them out! read more

Mana Bu's - Teri spam - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Our boss always gets us musubis from here for meetings, and honestly, it never disappoints. They've got specialty musubis that really make them stand out from other spots. ! I love the curry tuna and the spam--always hits the spot. Can't wait to stop by in person one of these days. 10000% recommend! read more

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Found out about this place by one of my good friends but my boyfriend and I frequent this place whenever I'm in town visiting every month. It's a great place to grab a snack for the road or as a quick breakfast before a hike or beach day. They open really early and tend to sell out of items so try to go as early as possible. Cute little shop that has no seating and is basically a grab and go type joint. The gals that work there are really sweet and are always polite and apologetic when they ran out of items I'm want. Parking isn't the best. There is probably 4 parking spots for like 3-4 businesses so try to get in and get out so others can have their turn and grabbing some deliciousness. read more

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Today, 11-8-24, we woke up earlier and got to Mana Musubi by 9:10am and they were open and had a good selection of musubis. We picked up our usual like Salmon, Salmon & Tobiko, Teri Spam. read more

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Thanks to the recent rundown in Frolic Hawaii about the best musubi shops in Honolulu, we decided to try this one for lunch. We have our favorites on our walking route, but also really enjoyed Mana Musubi and would definitely come back. It's located in the little shopping center near Inaba and Baskin Robbins. They have free dedicated parking outside. The shop is tiny, with the front shelves with musubi, and a larger kitchen at the back. On the morning I went, there were about a dozen to choose from; I got the feeling they had more earlier and were already selling out for the day. I got baked salmon, salmon, spicy tuna, vegetable curry, and another to try. All three of us enjoyed the quality, especially for the reasonable prices. Everything tasted fresh and I enjoyed the little placards with information about where the rice was grown and about the other ingredients. The cashier was very welcoming and happy to help, I brought my own bag and she filled it. There's a $10 minimum for credit card. They have a small selection of teas and other drinks, prices for these are reasonable too. If you love musubi and want better quality, this is worth checking out. read more

Mana Bu's - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Yummy onigiri. The rice was fresh and perfectly cooked. The baked salmon, teriyaki spam, and tuna mayo were all delicious. Almost everything was sold out at 9am! read more

Mana Bu's - baked salmon, teri spam, tuna mayo - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Ono musubi offered with various rice. Great flavor & selection. Hurry! They sell out fast.

All musubis are not created equal. Isn't a musubi plain rice with a filling a wrapped with nori seaweed, you say? Yes, but not just any musubi. Just ask Manabu and Fumiyo Asaoka, owners of the only musubi shop in Honolulu, Mana Musubi, whose staff wear chefs' hats and coats. Musubi is a simple rice dish brought into the US in the late 19th century by Japanese immigrants who worked in the farms, with the musubis being able to be left out for long hours before being eaten and without getting spoiled. A typical musubi consists of a handful of cooked rice shaped into a triangle with some seasonings, fillings, and/or toppings. Note that the term "musubi" is used more by the older residents in Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures of Japan, and these are the areas where most of Hawaii's Japanese immigrants came from. Whereas, the term "nigiri" is the more common name used by the rest of Japan. The Asaoka's opened a quality boutique musubi shop in 2008, which is still very popular today. Manabu's background was an insurance underwriter for 16 years in Tokyo and a master's degree in communication from HI Pacific University focusing on customer satisfaction in intercultural business environments. Wife Fumiyo as a licensed nutritionist that helps to create healthy eating habits, they felt that their musubi shop was the best medium to showcase authentic Japanese food culture to local American families. Their enthusiasm and dedication to quality and excellent customer service have them this shop a favorite in HI's local food scene that have had them featured nationally on Food Network and the Travel Channel television programs. Mana Musubi offers 5 different kinds of rice: basic white, Japanese white, brown, 10-grain, and pilaf. Various fillings include: ume; kombu; shiso-wakame; spam; salmon; salmon & tabiko; regular, spicy, and crunchy ume tuna mayo; mentaiko; ground beef sukiyaki; sekihan; veggie curry; shiitake chicken. All use high quality ingredients, e.g., the rice is lightly seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt, and the nori is of sushi quality. Each musubi is individually wrapped with a cellphane wrapper that easily disengages for easy eating. I've tried a number of the musubis, and they are perfectly cooked and made properly. Rice is fluffy with whole grains intact, and the respective taste of the rice and fillings are flavorful without being overpowering. The proportion of rice to filling is excellent. My favorites include tuna mayo and kombu; whereas the public's best sellers are baked salmon and tuna mayo. The little shop is clean and bright. With each variety of musubi, there is a card in English that defines its rice, slat, nori seaweed, and other ingredients to ensure its quality. The Asaoka's are out in front with smiles and are anxious to answer any questions that you may have. You can also use their cute colorful plastic baskets to hold your musubi before paying. Hours of operation are Tues to Sat 6:30a to 12:30p and Sun closed; however, for almost all days, they will easily sell out of their inventory before their scheduled time of closure. (There have been times when I've arrived at 9:15a, and they were already closed due to being sold out!) To avoid any disappointment, you can order on their Advance Order Form 24 hours prior to pick-up to have your order ready for the next day. Cash and credit cards can be used; however, there is a minimum charge for credit cards. Free parking is available in the small shopping complex fronting the musubi shop. Note that the Asaoka's have also authored The Musubi Book in 2018 that explains all you need to know about musubis and their passion of them. It is colorfully illustrated by their niece who lives in Japan. Musubis are so convenient as a lunch for work, school picnics, sporting events, field trips, and for just eating at any time. I love to visit this shop but need to remember that the early bird gets the worm. And once you start eating and enjoying the musubis here, you will have a growing appreciation for musubis just like I do! Support local! read more

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Delicious hidden gem! My friend and I swung by to pick up some musubi before picking up our packets for the Honolulu marathon. It was such a great find! Walking distance from the convention center. We loved the variety! My friend has crohns and is unable to eat a lot of gluten products (soy too), but there were SO many options. You can tell each musubi was made with a lot of care. The shop owner was also there helping us check out. It just felt very personal. And best of all it tastes delicious! Highly recommend if you're in the area to swing by and load up on some of your musubi needs. read more

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First impressions - a sweet but small little shop. Neat and minimalist setup. No frills or gimmicks... just showcasing their amazing Musubis! The Noms - *Custard - their custard was very light but still rich and creamy. Loved the caramel sugar sauce at the bottom, not too sweet. If I had room I would have eaten another one, lol. *Baked salmon - delicious, I loved the hint of salt in the salmon, gave the rice just the right amount of saltiness *Curry tuna mayo - my favorite onigiri is the tuna mayo I get from the konbinis in Japan.. this one was extra delicious *Spam lite + egg cake - review coming soon *Sweet + spicy spam - review coming soon *Local sausage - review coming soon ***I bought two of each but can't eat them all at once... Will update review as I consume by the beach! In conclusion - 10/10 would highly recommend this place. You should go early because they sell out (hours are 6:30am-12:30pm or until they sell out). The first time I tried to visit, it was sold out at 10am! Waahhh! So this time I made sure to come in at 7am, plenty left! read more

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Got a group of volunteers to make Genki Balls to support the Genki Ala Wai Project this past Saturday. If you don't know about the mission, it is to use bioremediation to clean and restore the Ala Wai canal to make it swimmable and fishable within 7 years. I wanted to get snacks for the team and thought musubis. Enter Mana Musubi. Go to their website and find an ordering form. Email it to them 24 hours in advance and specify your day and pick up time. It was truly just as easy as that. The morning of pick up. They had it all ready. All individually wrapped and labeled. I got 60 of them, assorted ones. They disappeared pretty quickly as my colleagues, their friends, keiki, kupuna, all enjoyed their musubi. I saw smiles and countless times people said how good or ono they were. To the staff at Mana Musubi, thank you for making ordering and pick up so easy and for a superior product that was loved by many. read more

Mana Bu's - Assorted pre-order - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

6/28/25 - Someone made the Onigiri salty by adding some type finishing salt. I don't like it. Stop changing the original recipe. Spam is already salty. You don't need to add more salt. read more

Yummy musubi and a great start to the day! I think my favorite is the salmon and curry tuna mayo, but they were all good in their own way. I will definitely be back read more

Mana Bu's - My haul from this morning - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

6-29-25: Update to my review. Turns out the original owners are back. I have gone back several times since and I feel the original quality is back. Rice feels perfectly cooked and thereʻs a good balance in flavors. Now they also take credit cards (if total exceeds $10 I think), so it makes it a little more convenient. Someone else mentioned that they used finishing salt on their musibis. I think thatʻs a positive, I donʻt find it to be overly salty but perhaps I havenʻt tried the ones that were already salty like Spam. read more

Mana Musubi is so ono that if you eat them fresh, it's the best and, if you save it for two days later because eating more than three musubis at a time is unconventional, it's still just as delicious! If you do save the musubi, put it in the fridge then use a moist paper towel to drape it when in the microwave so it keeps the rice soft and warm. They have a minimum of $10 for credit card, which is about 5 musubis, so they're definitely worth it! Also the chef and front staff are always kind and accommodating. I called one time and told them I'd be 5 min past their closing time, and they were so kind to not only stay open for me, but they also packed me a few extra musubis to-go. You can't find a better place for musubis and great customer service! read more

Mana Bu's - Tuna Mayo musubis - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best musubi on the island!!! The rice is perfectly seasoned and all musubi have the perfect ratio of rice to toppings. My favorites are the baked salmon, konbu and beef sukiyaki musubis. Everyone who works here is very friendly, professional and helpful. Make sure to go early and be prepared to wait a few minutes since the shop is small and they sell out everyday. read more

At the end of the day they sell musubi/onigiri. The shop it small but offers many different types of onigiri. We tried a lot of them and they were all fine- a few had seasoning mishaps, such as being too talk and room sweet. Everything is fresh! read more

Mana Bu's - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Since the rebranding of ManaBu into Mana musubi, there have been several nice changes: 1) CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED! You pay slightly more. In other words, there is a small cash discount. 2) OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK 3) ADVANCE ORDER FORMS AVAILABLE. Please use these forms (avail on their site) if you are going to order a ton of musubi for field trip etc instead of coming in and wiping out the entire shelf right before my eyes. The musubi here are always good. Other places have opened and try to duplicate it but they don't use premium rice, or they don't season their fillings properly. Mana Musubi uses premium short grain rice, cooked properly, and uses high quality seasoned filling. read more

Mana Bu's - When you're behind this person you are S.O.L. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Mana musubi is my favorite musubi spot and the best snack for flights. I always stop here the morning of a flight to grab a few musubis and they taste delicious even after sitting in my bag for a few hours haha. The rice they use is high quality and it shows. I recommend coming early as they often sell out. The salmon and tobiko is always my personal favorite, but the vegetable curry was a surprising hit too. Their musubis are very reasonably priced, and while they're on the smaller side compared to other musubi places, they have way more filling than many other popular spots. read more

Mana Bu's - Salmon and tobiko musubis - my fav! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Now c'mon, you can't tell me this isn't the very cutest musubi EVER! I got this nice surprise from a co-worker. It was so fresh, the rice was delicious, and the nori was crunchy. It was filled with tuna/mayo and is my favorite from here! Makes a perfect snack or for light lunch eaters like me. read more

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They have a great selection of musubis, but the timing can be unpredictable. If you go too early, there's usually only a limited selection available. Go too late, and they might be sold out. read more

A friend recommended this place to me and I knew I had to try it.. he definitely didn't disappoint. Unfortunately, I arrived at 11:30AM on a Sunday, just an hour before they close. All that were left were their three most popular musubis: baked salmon, spicy tuna mayo, and teriyaki spam. I got two of each and wished I got more of the spicy tuna mayo. Like everyone else said, they're smaller, but rice to protein ratio is better than any other places I have had. The rice is fresh (like really fresh for musubi's), and protein is well seasoned. I also love how easy it is to open the wrapping. I couldn't wait until I got back home, so I had one in the car.. while driving. And I am happy to report I made it back safely and extremely happy. read more

Mana Bu's - All the ones sold out when arriving an hour before closing - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've heard about this place, I've had musubi from this place, but I had never been. Cute little shop that specializes in musubi. Super clean, great selection and friendly, efficient service. My tip? Get here early to find a parking spot (it's a little tight in there) and to snag your favorites. While I was there, people were buying musubi by the basketful...no wonder I never made it before they closed. (Got there right when they opened this time.) The musubi had just the right amount of salt, great tasting rice and a nice amount of filling. read more

I came here around an hour after opening on a weekday to find no way virtually, and all selection of Musubis. I had been worried about a large way after reading the reviews, and wanted to make sure I could try all the ones I wanted. It's hard to choose once you're in the shop so I ended up getting one or two of each. The Musubi's were a little bit smaller than I expected it and contained less filling than I would've liked. I still enjoyed trying all of them, but at some point felt like I was eating way too much rice. I'd still recommend coming here if you are a musubi fab but I wouldn't wait in line for long periods of time. Personal rating: 7/10 read more

Mana Bu's - Spicy roe - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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A very unassuming spot for musubi. They sell out quickly so go early for a great selection. We were there at 7AM, and was able to get all the flavor combinations we wanted. These little triangular pockets of rice is perfect for a snack. We actually took them up to snorkeling at Sharks Cove. We have been coming here for years now and they have always been consistent. Clean store, cute packaging and super friendly service. Recommended. read more

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A friend suggested Mana Musubi as an alternative to the ever popular Iyasume. Located outside of Waikiki, I think this place offers solid musubis geared more towards locals or tourists who have a rental. We struck out during our first attempt to try as they were sold out by 11:30 on a Tuesday. Determined to try this place, we arrived at 07:30 the next day. The first thing I noticed was that they featured a pretty wide variety of musubis. Decided on the traditional spam along with their curry tuna. To be honest, I thought the spam musubi was a bit too sweet for my liking but loved the uniqueness of the curry tuna. The musubis are a tad smaller but the price of each one reflects it. We ended up coming back a few other times to try other flavors which were all pretty good. Only complaint is how quickly they sell out. Definitely will be back during other trips out to Oahu. read more

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Musubi Headquarters! This place is the kingpin boss of the Hawaii musubi gang. No one even comes close when it comes to the grab-and-go musubi game. They open early, so you can stop by on your way to work. You will be the MVP of any office if you show up with a dozen of these rice ball treats. Very affordable prices, roughly $2 each (some a little less, some a little more). My favorite is the baked salmon. The most popular at my office is the curry one. Next time I'm going to save one of those because everyone raves about them. Delicious, fresh musubis is the name of their game. The shop has small baskets to make it easy to go nuts and load up on the goodies. There is a small parking lot in front that is shared with a few other businesses. Staff is always very nice and very efficient. I highly recommend this place next time you need some seaweed covered snacks! read more

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Great flavors and excellent value and convenience because they're individually wrapped. Perfect for field trips and events where you need to feed people without having to serve them. I recommend ordering ahead to avoid disappointment because they will sell out super early. My and the kid's favorite is the baked salmon. The shiso-wakame, kombu, and veggie curry pilaf are delicious as well. read more

Mana Bu's - Musubi samplers ordered in advance! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Oh yes, Hawaii's Musubi Headquarters! This place was always on my radar but since they have limited hours and open early in the morning, I usually miss my chance because I like to snooze. Apparently I was missing out on some amazing musubi! I came in here on a Saturday morning as my colleagues and I needed some energy food to power through an extra work day. I waited patiently in line as the shop currently allows only 4 people at all times until it was my time to go. Once you go in, you are introduced to a wonderful selection of musubi at your fingertips. Since some of my colleagues are quite particular on what rice they eat, I found it to be very useful that each musubi had a sign next to it describing what type of ingredients were used to make this delightful musubi. Fair warning, since this is all handmade, some of the musubi you want when you get in might be sold out. But don't be too sad, they try to keep up with the demand and restock (until a certain time). As a side note, they do take card but you have to spend at least $10 before taxes. Anything less is cash only. After making my selections, bringing them to work, and opening up the packaging, I sunk my teeth into the musubi. Oh my gooood was it perfectly delicious! The rice is perfectly cooked and seasoned well. It didn't put me in a food coma at all; instead it was a perfect amount to power through our work day. I now realize what I have been missing out on and can't wait to go back to pick up another round of musubi. read more

Mana Bu's - Kombu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Musubi: quintessential comfort food of Hawaii. It's such an awesome food because 1. It's filling 2. It's cheap 3. It tasted good 4. Energy-laden (kudos to you, white rice, hahaha!) 5. Portable and perfect on-the-go food Mana musubi has been here forever, though prior it was under another owner and name, but carried over many of the same musubi flavors. I also like this place because they put a lot of appreciation into the rice. The rice This is a nondescript little hole in the wall shop (very clean and bright inside though). They have all kinds of musubi/onigiri, as stated in their site and are open early--make sure you pre-order or get there fast, as they sell out early a lot of the times. I've tried most, if not all of them, but my My favorites and recommended are: - kombu: white rice with a sweetened seaweed - curry pilaf: yellow curry lightly seasoned white rice and some veggies like carrots and peas - spicy tuna Mayo: little crunchy bits of tobiko hidden in a canned tuna mayonnaise mix, topped with a little hot sauce - Teri spam: can't go wrong with the local flavor They also have a cold case with some drinks, strawberry mochi, and various side dishes. read more

Mana Bu's - Gloriously delicious box of preorders (spicy tuna Mayo, curry pilaf and kombu) all under $2! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Self proclaimed absolutely clueless of my surroundings I found out about this incredible spot when it was featured on the Food Network :/ omg! Thank goodness for Yelp Hawaii to help with my indecisive, confused and my lack of directions I just don't know where I'd be. This one you gotta be quick they're open from 6:30am to 12:30 pm or earlier if they're sold out and closed on Sundays. So much varieties of high quality handmade musubi each with a card detailing every brand/ingredient that goes into it from Spam light to ground beef sukiyaki with some coming in different types of rice (white, brown, 10-grain, and pilaf). They also have fresh hot coffee and low fat puddings (custard, coffee and matcha) which you'll never know it's low fat. Starting your morning guiltless by having these luscious musubi makes it easy to have your cake....uhhh custard too!! Thank you!! read more

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The baked salmon was good! Perfect proportion of rice, salmon, and seaweed. Not salty at all. Though, it was a bit dry and I wish some sauces were available. Service: Cashier is nice. Though, it feels like you are competing with other customers to get the musubi off the shelves since they only make a limited amount each day. Ambiance: Neat inside. Nothing really outstanding. I would come back again for more! read more

Mana Bu's - Baked Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Well one of the first places to sell good musubi. But you have to go early and when I mean early once they open lol. During Covid19 they have new hours they open up at 6:30am - 12:30pm. Today I got there at 9:45am and they was all sold out. They had a few Salmon musubi and Spicy Mayo tuna. Located in the same parking lot as Baskin Robbins ice cream King St. location. Limited parking because they share with other eateries. I got there and I picked up 3 Baked Salmon musubi and 2 spicy mayo tuna musubi. Everything else was sold out. I like Mana Musubi because you know they use the best quality rice because it is very fluffy and light. Support local and be safe read more

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If you are not an early bird recommend preordering the day before by email (very friendly and responsive) otherwise recommend going early before they sell out! Our favorites is the spicy tuna, curry tuna, and salmon tobiko! Our favorite musubi by a landslide clean high quality ingredients! WORTH IT read more

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I really loved their musubis and would go back for my musubi fix. Mana musubi is my husband and my favorite musubi place.