The best Tonkatsu I ever have in the State. Tender and juicy…read more The portion is big too. I am taking my whole family of 10 to eat there this Friday. J visiting from Boston

Made reservations for my party of 4 a few weeks in advance for an early Friday evening…read more We shared the katsu sandwich, chicken tenderloin katsu-don, US beef tenderloin katsu set, and the bairin mix katsu set. Every dish was fantastic. Katsu sandwich was probably one of the best I've had - flaky katsu, yummy mustard sauce, soft pillowy bread. Chicken tenderloin katsu-don was juicy and the chicken was so tender. US beef tenderloin katsu was pretty good, but not my favorite dish of the night. The steak was really thick and we felt like it'd be better if the slices were thinner. The bairin mix katsu set was delicious, the variety was fun and the batter was so flaky and delicious. Overall a cozy, hearty, yummy meal. Service is wonderful and food was served promptly. They checked in often and were very hospitable.

The fry on that tonkatsu was perfect. Thick crispy and not oily at all. The crust was better here…read morethan at Ginza Bairen but the pork flavor is better at Ginza Bairen. I could have just eaten a slab of fried pork fat at Ginza Bairen. The rice is also not as revelatory as at Ginza Bairen. That stuff there is definitely some sort of Asian crack. The lines are crazy here. I will say that their reservation system was kind of whacked when we tried to make reservations. They were in the middle of changing restaurants and we had reservations made but then they canceled them and we were not able to make them again on the new system as people are snatching up these reservations faster than lightning. For me, it's easier to get into Ginza Bairen and personally, that'd be my go to, as it is fantastic with great pork flavor and divine rice and without any of the stress of trying to get into this place.

Got lucky with last minute reservations a few hours before for my party of 4. Restaurant has great…read moreambiance - feels like Japan and has serene vibes from the calming music they play. The 4 of us shared the pork tenderloin katsu sandwich, jyukusei pork loin katsu set, the sizzling plate miso sauce pork loin set, and the chicken cheese katsu set. I liked how you can choose the type of rice and type of miso soup that comes with each set. I liked the standard rice and seaweed rice the most, and also the white miso soup with tofu & seaweed the most. The pork tenderloin katsu sandwich was pretty good, bread was toasted and there was a good amount of sauce with the katsu. Jyukusei pork loin katsu was good too. The sizzling plate miso sauce pork loin katsu set wasn't my favorite because I felt like the miso sauce made the breading soggy fast. We weren't the biggest fans of the chicken cheese katsu set either, the cheese was really intense and overpowering. I think the breading on the katsu could've been flakier overall and the meat could've been a bit juicier. Overall glad I got to visit.

Always fresh made Udon for there soups! Visiting the Honolulu location It can be in the 80's and…read morethese dishes hit the spot!

It's a rare treat when I fall in love with a place and rave about it so much that I have to have it…read moreagain. Not only that, but I have to bring my significant other along to share in the deliciousness! I don't know how I'm just now talking about Marugame Udon. When I first came here, my friend and I decided to give it a try because we saw the longest line and wanted to see what all the hype was about. There was a couple in front of us who said they come here every time they visit Hawaiʻi and that it's a must-do stop on every trip. When you walk in, it's a small place. You can watch a team member washing the noodles and portioning them into bowls right in front of you. Then you choose your bowl size, small or large, and select your broth. After that, you get to choose from a variety of fried items and other à la carte options displayed on a warmer. Seating can be limited because of how busy this place gets. You line up to get your food, pay for it, grab your condiments, utensils, and a cup of water, then find a seat and enjoy. I've already been here twice, and after writing about my experience, I need to make a third visit happen very soon! There are not enough days off in a week to enjoy all of the amazing food on this island, but I'm going to do my best to experience as many places as I can. This place is totally worth the 45-minute commute from Wahiawa.

TL;DR This might be…read moremy favorite Japanese restaurant in town. Undisputed soba champion. ----- I'm surprised I haven't written a review for i-naba yet. This place has been a staple for my family ever since we moved back to O'ahu a few years ago. Bottom line? The soba noodles here are utterly fantastic. They are, in my humble opinion, the best on the island, and some of the best soba noodles I've ever had. I don't think anywhere else in Honolulu comes close. You come here to eat soba. Period. In addition to the soba being phenomenal, the other offerings at i-naba are also similarly great. Their tempura in particular is outstanding. I typically order the Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Bowl & Soba or the Dx Tempura Bowl & Soba. Plus an upgrade to a large size soba! The tempura is sooo good. It's crispy, light, and airy. The jumbo shrimp is especially succulent and tender. And the ingredients are always perfectly seasoned with the sweet and savory house sauce. Yummmy! If you're looking for the best soba and awesome tempura, this is your spot!!!

Everytime I asked my Japanese clients which Japanese restaurant they enjoyed most in Honolulu,…read moreInaba consistently came up. And now I know why. I finally had lunch here a couple weeks ago and damn was my tempura and soba set broke da mout. The soba is housemade with a chewy consistency that I love. I had it cold with the dipping sauce and wow wow wow. So good. My friends suggested I get the shrimp and vegetable tempura as well which amazingly stayed crispy the whole time I savored each bite. Probably 30 minutes. Light crisp batter on perfectly cooked shrimp and veggies. Damn it was good. The service was great as well and I cannot wait to go back. Nice warm atmosphere and there's a free parking lot. It gets busy during lunch and dinner, so get there early or make a reservation. Enjoy!

Love this place! I was excited to come for dinner because I saw they had new menu items. I usually…read morecome for lunch because I love the variety of sobas. Lunch and dinner menus are very different FYI! For drink I ordered the Shiso Crazy. Great drink and love the name! More on the sour side than sweet. For appetizers we got gyoza and the Okinawa sweet potato salad. The gyoza was very flavorful. Now for the potato salad... this was one of the best flavor combinations I have ever tasted. I would come back just to eat this again. The creaminess of the potato with the small pop of saltiness from the ikura... it's the perfect blend of flavors and textures in one bite. For entrees we got the full size spicy ahi Don and the mentaiko pasta (one of the new menu items). Both were good but the mentaiko pasta could've used a bit more salt based on my preferences. The shrimp was cooked perfectly. The restaurant is a decent size but I would make a reservation if you're coming during peak hours. Overall, I've never had a bad experience here and I'm glad I finally got the chance to come to try their dinner menu.

Great Japanese fusion restaurant with interesting dishes!…read more We ordered the quail eggs, corn, unagi ochazuke, blue cheese shishito peppers, and watercress salad. The peppers might not be everyone's cup of tea but it was certainly unique and interesting. The ochazuke was a favorite! Service was great and ambiance was cozy. Pretty busy on a Friday night. Although I miss their honey toast, I still love their new menu!

This review is overdue, but I absolutely had to share it because I was so impressed with Rinka's…read moredinner menu! I used to think the dinner menu was a bit too expensive compared to the lunch menu, but after tonight..., I believe it was worth it. The variety of Dinner Sets were all sooo amazing! The portion sizes were awesome, and the flavors/freshness of the food were all outstanding. Did I mention how the portion sizes were amazing? Yup Everything tasted great..., and I really mean everything! It's hard to find a casual/semi-upscale Japanese restaurant like Rinka. Our server was very kind and helpful because it was our first time dining with Rinka during their Dinner service hours. I got to try a piece of the Bluefin Tuna Toro sashimi and it was WOW! WOW! WOW! Appetizers were fantastic as well! Great for sharing and tasting different items. This is a place I'd want to introduce to my friends and family for a great dining experience and a higher quality food selections. Very satisfied with our dinner service on this night!

Just ate here for dinner, had to use a Resy credit. Had reservations for two at 5:30 pm…read more Service was good, wife and I were seated promptly, given waters, and didn't have to wait too long for orders. Vibes were nice but I agree with prior reviews that tables feel a tad low and close together. I can see this place getting crowded during dinner hours, or if they get a lot of takeout orders. I ordered the blue fin bowl, wife ordered the homemade soba with tempura, and we ordered two sake flights, the "traditional" and the "light." The food was decent--I appreciated that my order included udon, a small salad, and tempura. Sake flights were pretty good. All-in with a 20% tip, it came out to ~$175, not including the Resy credit ($50 with Amex gold). With the Resy credit, I can dig it. Without it, I'm not sure. The food is tasty and portions are good, but it just feels like I've had more impressive sashimi/sushi for comparable prices elsewhere.

We went to grab an early dinner at around 5ish, place was already busy. We didn't make any…read morereservation but luckily got a small table. Staffs were nice and helpful. We got a couple items. I enjoyed the beef flank and the stew more than the rice bowl. But still good overall. We also like their seasonal/ special drink, not strong on the alcohol but refreshing. Nice atmosphere.

parking here is the worst part about the place. youre lucky if you can find street parking. we…read moreuber'd tables are pretty small, so they actually ended up bringing us a stool plus another table for all our food lol everything was pretty tasty. my friends made me eat the jellyfish, which i am still not very fond of. you can never go wrong with kurobuta sausage. the aburiyaki beef was also really good. dont get a lot of rice dishes as thats what fills you up. we had grilled unagi & oxtail, both of which come with a good amount of rice. fried mochi was simple but good. corn was a little difficult to eat since it is on the cob, which is not my fave way of eating corn as it takes some work.

I went there for lunch. The atmosphere was great and the food even better. I had read some…read morereviews that did not agree with mine, but in general those were for dinners and usually just before closing time. Its no surprise that some of the dishes were not available as they are popular and probably ran out before the Reviewers got there. Small details, like having various salts for your tempura available as condiment on the table makes it an experience close to being in Japan/.

If you're looking for an authentic Japanese izakaya experience, Izakaya Tenkichi is a must-visit…read more From the moment you walk in, the ambiance transports you straight to Japan. The cozy atmosphere, traditional decor, and lively energy make it feel like a neighborhood izakaya you'd stumble upon while exploring Tokyo. The food was outstanding. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, and the tempura was fried to perfection, light, crispy, and never greasy. Some of our favorite dishes included the scallop sashimi, which was sweet and delicate, the assorted vegetable tempura, and the ikura & uni bowl, packed with rich flavors and premium ingredients. We also enjoyed several of their side dishes, each prepared with the same attention to quality and authenticity. Great food, great atmosphere, and a truly authentic dining experience. We can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!