Visited this restaurant during happy hour (3-5pm) and it did not disappoint! We were the only ones in the restaurant for dine-in so the service was quick. The interior also made us feel like we were in Japan. Off the happy hour menu, we ordered the Tofu Salad, Tuna with avocado and chili oil, and the Tuna with wasabi. We also ordered the Presidential Curry, which was a curry rice dish with chicken karaage and their mille feuille tonkatsu. For the price, the portions of the tuna were very generous. I also really enjoyed the curry dish. I liked the way that the katsu was cut, every bite was crispy. It was a great value meal. We will definitely be back to try some other dishes! read more

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Minatoku Kitchen is a late night, almost izakaya style Japanese restaurant because their portions are smaller, meant to be paired with alcohol. For what it is, it's not bad and I think we ordered 6 items which came out to $25/person. The reason why I chose 3/5 though was because the menu items were a hit-or-miss for me, and the mediocre ones made me feel like it was something I could have made at home, but better. I'll talk about the worth-it items below, won't bother with the rest. Chicken Nanban (4.5/5): Crispy chicken meets kewpie mayo tartar-esq sauce. Yakisoba (4/5): I just like noodles, and their yakisoba was a good portion size for $12. Overall, it was okay and I feel like they do well because they are open later than most places; definitely not my first choice for Japanese food on the island. read more

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President's Day is a federal holiday on Monday.16.March.2026 - and Minatoku Kitchen came up with a delicious ( and economical ) meal in celebration. Customers requested an affordable and hearty bento ( per their IG ) and they served up the Presidential Curry. Thank the heavens they didn't call it the Tump Curry...the roux would have to look orange. Also, you'd have to get a Diet Coke with the meal. It features three pieces of their Mille-Feuille Tonkatsu, two pieces of their Chicken Karaage, and their signature 24-hour simmered curry all over a bed of rice. $22 and bargain for what you get, as I am stuffed...and I can eat a lot. I got an extra side of tartar sauce for $1.15. It was very good, especially their karaage chicken, as good as any that I've ever eaten. Curry is good, if a bit mild, as it is neither sweet ( as one would expect from Japanese curry ) nor spicy like Thai/Viet/Indian curries. You can find Minatoku Kitchen on the corner of South King Street and Hausten Street - across from Long's. Side street parking ( good luck ) or the lot at Long's. Ordered via the Clover app. It was ready as I walked in a couple of minutes before the time I requested. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I loved this place. It is a corner shop. There is a bar at the front, with a decent amount of seating. We had the pork shank salad, pork with herb crusted breadcrumbs and the gyoza. The salad was yummy. The dressing was the best park. The pork shank was cooked perfectly. The pork with her crusted breadcrumbs was cooked perfectly. The crust had a nice crisp, but the pork itself was not dry. The gyoza was good! read more

Since we moved, I've passed by there numerous times, but never went in. Looking at the menu, one thing caught my eye: Stewed Hamburger Steak Bento - ground beef | ground pork | onions | salad | mushrooms | handmade mashed potatoes | handmade demi-glace sauce | handmade pickles | 100% Japanese Koshihikari rice I know what local-style hamburger steak means to me, but "stewed hamburger steak" sparked my curiosity. Initially I intended to order to go, but after I paid (it's credit card only - no cash), she asked if this was takeout or eat-in. I changed my mind and said I would eat there. There were no other customers at the time, so I sat at one of the tables. Within what seemed like a couple of minutes, she brought over a glass of water and the food to my table. When I paid, I didn't factor in table service, so, feeling bad, I look through my wallet but only had two dollar bills and the rest were larger. I got a five out and asked the server if I could get change. She replied that she was sorry they didn't have change. My mistake, at that moment, I had forgotten about the no cash policy. Back to the meal, the hamburgers appeared to be two fair-sized meatballs. They had been stewed in their version of demi-glace sauce. There was a small portion of what looked like potato salad, some edamame, and a vegetable salad with a vinegary dressing. I couldn't easily make out the rest of the ingredients in the list. To my taste, the meal was fairly good. Before leaving, I cleared my table of the plastic fork and disposable chopsticks. No one was at the counter, so I placed the empty plate and glass of water near the counter with the small bills - my way of apologizing for my lack of change. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Stewed Hamburger Steak Bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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They have 4 stalls out front, they aren't marked but you can park there. We've come during the day and recently came at night. During the day the menu is different we've tried the karaage bento, gyudon and ton-katsu. The ton-katsu is the layered type and all are delicious! For dinner my husband got the dynamite salmon which was just cut up salmon with mayo and onions he said it was alright he wished there was some kind of spicy or something added. I got the yakisoba and it was really sweet I ended up adding salt from the chicken appetizer to lessen the sweetness. They also allowed our dogs which is why they get a 5 stars. read more

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So the woman working here was extremely nice but limited English. I asked for a curry recommendation and she pointed to a sign on the counter and I said ok. Well, turns out it was a combo of fried shrimp, salmon, pork and chicken karaage style with a big dollop of a mayo based sauce. I'm sure some people think its delicious but it wasn't my cup of tea. Just wasn't in the mood for deep fried food and not a big fan of the white sauce. Plus, no curry that I hoped for. Anyway, I suspect I would have liked a different menu item just got the wrong thing. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Meh - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The pandemic made many rethink their priorities in life, including Yoshimi Koizumi from Japan. He opened Minatoku Kitchen in McCully on 8/11/2023, wanting to prepare and serve food with sincerity, kindness and compassion according to Japanese customs and applying these values to the local community. "Minatoku" is a Japanese word that means "everybody can get benefits." The pandemic forced people to stay indoors, with the only thing that provided pleasure was food. It was Koizumi's belief that no matter what the difficulties in life are, when you eat delicious food, you forget about your troubles. Hence, his plans were for his restaurant to bring joy via food. Thus, Minatoku Kitchen was born on this premise. Koizumi brought in a chef from Japan who had 20 years of restaurant experience in Japanese, Chinese, and Italian cuisine. It was important that the preparation and presentation of foods interpret the kindness and attentiveness of Japanese culture, and that the local community would enjoy the taste of Japan. In addition, Koizumi wanted to give back to the community by creating job opportunities lost by the pandemic and to offer his diners value to menu offerings. The restaurant started in offering lunch bento boxes that included pork chops, teri chicken & pork, karaage, curry, taco rice, stewed hamburger steak, chicken nanban, gyudon, ebi chan, tofu steak, miso salmon, pork ginger, tonkatsu. Many of these bentos also had sides of edamame, handmade mashed potatoes & pickles, and high-grade rice from Japan. With its lunch bento boxes being successful, Minatoku Kitchen then started Happy Hour held from Fri to Sun from 3p to 5p, and includes: edamame, fries, tofu, konbu, kimchi, eggplant, salad, fried chicken, tonkatsu, yakisoba. The next phase was offering a dinner menu that includes the Happy Hour menu and entrees of chicken nanban, battered pork belly, grilled chicken, miso sablefish, tuna steak. With my initial visit, I had the following: * Tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was very flavorful and prepared with thin layers of pork belly, with a crunchy panko batter. It came with a green salad, potato salad, garlic edamame, pickles, and rice sprinkled with a few black sesame seeds. The high-grade premium rice is from Japan called Kubota rice, is freshly milled in HI. The rice was amazing - bright white, all whole kernels, and so sweet! * Ten-Musu. Freshly made, so the shrimp tempura was crispy and combined with the premium rice, it was very flavorful! * Konbu musubi. Tasty musubi with lots of konbu just below the nori that is wrapped around the sweet premium rice. * Niku-Maki musubi. Thin pork belly wrapped around premium rice and shaped like a log, which is a unique and tasty musubi not found elsewhere. We enjoyed the tonkatsu bento and the musubis! Everything was delicious, and you can tell a special effort was made in the use of the ingredients and its presentation. It appears Koizumi wanted to progressively introduce different variety of foods via different phases, i.e., lunch, happy hour, dinner phases. But I was a little confused, as menu offerings can be ordered throughout the day. Plus, there are signs of new items being introduced that are already part of the regular menu. And a few mis-spellings in the menu due to English as a 2nd language. But no matter, the intent of Koizumi to introduce foods to the local community that reflect kindness and attentiveness of Japanese culture and for locals to enjoy the tastes of Japan. The front staff employee who took our order pleasantly explained their menu items when we told them that this was the first time for us. She explained that the menu is inspired by Japanese home cook with a focus on quality, and the Honu Koshishikari rice that they use is a high-end brand from Japan which has a pleasant aroma, good sweetness, and perfect texture. She gave us suggestions as to what was popular. Hours of operation are Mon 10a to 3p, Wed/Thurs 10a to 3p and 5p to 12m, Fri/Sat 10a to 12m, and Tues closed. Located across the street from CVS Longs and in the former Hide Chan Restaurant spot, the small eatery has a few tables for dine-in. I would imagine they would be quite busy with the college kids with the University of HI located nearby. Credit card only; no cash used. The restaurant has 4 free assigned parking spaces located in front of the restaurant. There is a large sign on the building showing where these 4 spaces are. I think a couple of these spaces would require that you jump the curb. Other than these spaces, there is metered street parking. We look forward to more delicious tastes of Minatoku Kitchen with its existing menu and ongoing new menu offerings, as I have a growing appreciation of authentic Japanese cuisine! Wishing Koizumi much success with this business venture! read more

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Fresh Japanese food made daily. We love this place! Great authentic food and the kids love the fresh onigiri with chicken and tuna or whatever they have available that day. Definitely smaller and cozy inside but those always the best places. Simple ambiance. Great friendly service always! read more

Minatoku Kitchen took over the former spot of Hide Chan. They have some grab to go musubi and plates you can order. At night they have happy hour and is open for dinner. There's some tables inside for dine in. I tried some plates and musubi and they were all good. Keema curry was something different to try but my favorites now is the pork belly wrapped musubi (NikuMaki)!! I always love those bacon wrapped musubi. Some makes it different. Most time they run out and person who makes it may have gone home since I come out late in the afternoon. The plus side of going late so I won't have a problem with parking. Now you can park in the small drive way. There's a picture posted on the window of how you suppose to park and fit 4 cars. I've been lucky that most time it's just my car! I love is the ton-katsu plate. It's deep fried Mille feuilled pork belly! There was about 5 good size pieces along with their Japanese rice, green salad, potato salad and garlic edamame and pickles. There's not too many Japanese restaurant in the area which serve tonkatsu. Sad to see Sakura Terrace and Minato restaurant closed! I must say if you haven't tried here , you should at least try the NikuMaki . Best to call early to reserve it , not like me. Usually it sold out but on my last visit I was surprised they had four left and I grabbed all four!! Try the ton-katsu if you like layered ton-katsu ! I didn't know it was layered until I saw a photo on Yelp! So crunchy and tender! Love their Japanese tonkatsu sauce. Support small local business so they can stay in business! read more

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Chicken nan ban? From Minatoku? Yes, please! Tasty tender thighs crispy and perfectly fried every time. And the potato salad is the yummiest ever. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Chicken Nanban bento lunch $14.50 - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We positively love Minatoku for its delicious bento options. High quality execution of dishes like Tempura Shrimp, Pork Katsu and Chicken Karaage. The bentos always come with tsukemono, rice, salad and potato salad. The tartar sauce for the Tempura shrimp is incredible... I'm pretty sure it has hard boiled egg yolks in it! We typically order through Door Dash and the food is always delivered fresh, hot and fast! Love. read more

Been wanting to try this place for a while -- I always drive by but finally got the chance to stop in. Honestly, the prices are super reasonable and the food is total comfort food. Since it was my first time, I wanted to try everything. My partner and I were starving when we sat down and definitely ordered way too much! It's a solid late-night spot, especially after work. Flavors are definitely there, and the vibe/ambience is nice and chill. Parking is kind of on a grass area, I think? Probably best to give them a quick call if it's busy to figure out where to park. read more

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As much as I want to give this pace the 5 stars it was a disappointing yesterday. The chicken karaage was yummy but not like I remembered it yummy yum Yum. The Japanese curry portion was so small and not the kind of curry I like it had very little gravy more like a paste. I am not use to that. Although this place is very authentic. The miso salmon was cooked very well done and not the way I like. That doesn't mean I would come back but not any time soon. read more

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We visited Minatoku Kitchen for their Happy Valentine's Day Happy Hour Special. Despite some challenges with parking and limited table space, the cuisine was exceptional and the happy hour specials were a bargain. read more

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Itadakimasu... Taking mom out for dinner to give us some relaxing moments I thought that Minatoku Kitchen would be the place as she craves for something specific and luckily we arrived just in time for their happy hour which is from 3pm to 5pm with lots of fun food items to choose from. Getting here though is rough as we wanted to arrive early enough before the rush though with that parking is the real issue as there basically none especially during rush hours where you're not allowed to use the metered parkings during that time and not knowing that you're able to park right along the restaurant as there was a "no parking" sign versus Minatoku only was quite frustrating as I later saw that you're able to park right in the driveway while the other car took two parking spots. Since it's all food that we both love and enjoy it was difficult to choose but it was the "Yakiniku-nasu" which is grilled eggplant which is then chilled and served with shoyu and garnished with ginger and shaved katsuo and the other "Pork Shabu Salad" a cute and vibrant salad with lots of veggies topped with pork shabu which is thin cuts of pork that's poached served with Japanese vinaigrette with grated radish and ginger was just so light and flavorful. Our entrees was Stewed Hamburger Steak for her and Teriyaki Chicken for me and bento style I love how it came with so many sides...green salad, potato salad, garlic edamame and tsukemono along with a huge scoop of rice which was cooked to perfection was so delicious as a not much of a rice person myself couldn't stop eating it says something. Teriyaki chicken was definitely different as it was coated in flour and fried and tossed in teriyaki sauce which wasn't too sweet not like the local flavors we all know but more a Japanese style which actually was very nice and refreshing. I wouldn't say it's classic but the type of cuisine that I'd find in Japan and how nice to find it right here in McCully at such affordable prices was nice along with lemon water and chopsticks that came with cute covers as my message translate to "relax and take it easy" the zen moment was found here and we left full and happy. Gochisousama deshita! read more

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Japanese style bento fresh made, reasonable pricing , and tasty. As a walk in to an empty spot, wait time from order was 10-15 minutes. Just remember they don't take cash there. I'm not sure if that will change over time but as of now, be prepared to have some type of debit or credit card payment available . read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Front counter . Menu board . No cash accepted. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I enjoyed a delicious plate lunch and the service, timing, ambiance, and taste was amazing.. I was kind of annoyed I didn't try this place out earlier... great food, great vibes, great service~! read more

This place is a gem! I just had the seared tuna plate lunch & I gobbled it!! I can't wait to check out the other dishes in the menu....big tip is come here eat your plate lunch then go next door to Down to Earth & get mango sticky rice bowl! Broke! Perfect kaukau then moymoy.‍ read more

We swung by for lunch and it was perfect! Not too crowded and had space to enjoy our teributa and chicken nanban meals (with spam musubis of course)! The staff were incredibly nice and accommodating, so we'll definitely be returning! read more

コストパフォーマンスが良いお店。なのに味はほんとにおいしかったです。カジュアルな雰囲気でありながらおいしい日本食が、リーズナブルに食べれる良いお店を見つけました。ハワイではこういう日本食のお店は少ないので、これからも長く続けて欲しいお店の一見です。

I love Minatoku's plate lunches and onigiri and had been meaning to try their new dinner service (Minatoku no Bansan). We finally got around to it when they advertised a weekend takoyaki special. Yum! Unfortunately, they were sold out of takoyaki by the time we got there, but our server suggested the off-menu gyoza, which was delicious! In fact, everything we tried was very tasty and satisfying: grilled eggplant, vinegared saba, chicken karaage (with three dipping sauces -- my favorite was the lemon salt), and fried butter-an bread. Even the side of pickled veggies that came with the rice was delicious with refreshing yuzu zest. The drinks were generous with the alcohol and very reasonably priced. The tiny parking lot was full when we got there, but we lucked out with street parking. Staff were very friendly and attentive, and I liked the J-pop music videos playing on one wall. We'll be back when they do their takoyaki special again over the summer, but probably much sooner! read more

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The pork cutlet was cooked perfectly. Super crispy batter but tender and moist on the inside. Although maybe not the as important but the rice was also so perfectly cooked. Just wished the cutlet was served with some kind of dipping sauce or there was shoyu sauce on the tables. Friendly staff and clean interior. Would definitely eat here again. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

CHECK OUT THE TONKATSU !!! I ordered the TONKATSU and the Pork Ginger. Both were excellent !!! I would recommend either of them. My favorite was the Tonkatsu. Excellent Japanese rice cooked perfectly. read more

Minatoku Kitchen is serving their customers japanese style foods, and each dish is prepped to perfection. The chicken karaage was very moist and tender, Keeman curry has aeromatic flavors, and their chicken Nam ban is moist and flavorful. Service is good, and the interior is clean and organized. Payment Cash or credit Parking Street parking Restrooms On the side read more

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Had the katsu curry. Tender katsu. The curry was a mix between local golden kine and Japan kine. For the price, the portion was smaller than expected but for folks like me who should be careful about their servings, it was just right. Little on the salty side for some. Also had this marinated pork butt (bacon) inari style niku maki sushi. That was mean! read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Niku Maki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Parking. There are 4 unmarked parking stalls on their front-facing property. There's a sign taped to the window explaining which stalls. Credit only. There was a sign at the cashier saying cards only. No cash. Food. Ordered the pork tonkatsu. It was delicious! It was freshly fried with several layers of pork and a little bit of fat, which helped balance the dish. Sauce is served on the side. I also enjoyed the rice, it was very good quality. Customer service. The staff members were very accommodating. You order and pay at the counter and they bring out the food to your table. Overall, I enjoyed the food there and would like to try other dishes. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Pork tonkatsu with potato salad, a little spicy edamame, pickled carrots and onions. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Took out stewed hamburg steaks and karaage bento. Stewed Hamburg steaks are really good: although we made this order with salad instead of rice, these hamburg steaks certainly go well with rice. Karaages are juicy however not much spice so I would recommend you to prepare ponzu or kochujan when you order it from home. Gochiso sama deshita. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Karaage bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The interior is VERY clean and modern looking. So much so, that it's hard to believe this is the old Hide Chan space. Portions were small for the price. I'm well aware of inflation and ingredient pricing, but $15-20 for a plate lunch is still on the very high end of acceptable as far as I'm concerned. The taco rice was a bit too spicy for me, and could definitely have benefitted from a crunchy component. Sadly I was too late for the pork wrapped musubi. Service was also a bit slow, considering I was the only person in the shop at the time. There are a few other menu items that looked interesting, and it's an area I'm around often, so I will undoubtedly be back. read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Taco Rice - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is a hidden gem. I'm from Japan and this place serves authentic Japanese food and Izakaya type of food. Their service is great and the staff are friendly, and it's very cozy. I'm telling you, the food is amazing and I highly recommend it! read more

The food was superb, taste was just like the cuisine in Japan. Dishes were flavorful and creative. Waiters were knowledgeable and helpful. Service and the food, was equal to fine dining. Ambiance was nice and cozy. read more

good food, good prices & great service. Adding to our dining rotation! we'll be back for sure!

Convenient location, parking right outside the restaurant and clean. The food was delicious, portion is small for the price. The Chicken Nanban was probably 1 piece of chicken chopped into cubes and deep fried and the hamburger steak comes with one pattie. They do use a higher premium rice which most plate lunch establishment lack. The service was very friendly and quick. The restaurant ambiance is casual, clean and spacious. read more

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Breakfast in Honolulu, Hawaii... My Lunch Buddy (LB), Dear Daniel, encouraged me to check out the great deals at this new restaurant! Located on King Street, where Hide-chan used to be, is Minatoku Kitchen. The first day of business is Friday, 8-11-23. There is a special priced menu from August 11 to 13, 2023... so, go get em now! I got a Karaage Chicken for my brother-in-law, a Teriyaki chicken for my mom, and a Stewed Hamburger Steak for myself. Everything was beautiful and tasty! The fragrance is delicious!!! More about the Stewed Hamburger Steak: I could taste the essence of burgundy (?) and sautéed onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms in the sauce. The plate came with some edamame, a fresh green salad, two scoops of rice, and a scoop of Japanese potato salad, which had some corn kernels in it... yum! Service is super friendly, sweet, energetic, and welcoming! Aimi is the efficient and helpful manager! She greeted me at the door, took my order, helped me open each box of food for photos, and packaged my meals! Thank you! Good luck to this new business! Best wishes for success! I surely will return! (Aimi said to try the pork chop next!) Note: there is indoor dining, air conditioning, and convenient restrooms in this clean, new, and modern environment! read more

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Stopped by Minatoku Kitchen for lunch. I felt ridiculously sad stepping into the space that is no longer Hide-Chan's but things change. I asked if there was an Okinawan connection because they have Taco Rice on their menu but nope. Customer service was good. I got there at Noon and there wasn't all of the rice ball options like the tsukune and the soboro. The lady there suggested I call next time so they can set some aside if they still have. My Ginger Pork special was around $18. Overall good and I would get again! I'm looking forward to trying their other dishes. There was an onion kind of dressing which was overpowering, will ask for less next visit. Plate lunch came with some edamame, Japanese style potato salad (with olives?) and some pickled veggies. They don't accept cash. Credit cards only. There are 3-4 stalls in the lot. Dine in and take out. read more

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i love this place! Their food has never disappointed us so far, and we have frequented this restaurant at least 5 times now since they've opened for business. Love the variety of food and how filling the dishes are. Customer service is always consistent. Food prep is speedy. Not a fancy restaurant with a sophisticated ambiance but it's the kind of place you would want to come back again and again. read more

We did lunch take out- Keema curry (spices were good, but it was still not something I'd order again), Fried shrimp and Mille Fuille tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was good. I think if we ate in and fried items came out fresh and hot instead of soggy it would have been much better. In fairness, next time we will try the dine in dinner. read more

4/5 service, server was very nice 2/5 value & experience - $90 for two people, food took about 30 minutes to come out, even though there was no one else there 3/5 food - French fries were a 1.5/5, once fried and soft outside, no flavor; 3/5 omelette appetizer just fine; 2.5/5 karaage musubi - it was fine; 4/5 chicken naanban- pretty yummy; 1.5/5 pork katsudon - flavor was fine, pretty standard, but $17 for 4 ounces (being generous) of two 2 oz little breaded bricks over a dry egg and half a cup of rice... definitely one of the saddest katsudon experiences I've had read more

Okay, I have recommended this place to a few people and I'm a tad worried. We enjoyed this place twice and on the third visit, the food was different. The service and the menu were both great. The tan tan men and the wonton soup were.....meh. They had a different taste and the noodles were overcooked. The interesting thing is that the won ton soup and the tan tan men soup was exactly the same. Both were not that good :(. We wanted to ask if the recipe changed...but we decided to not mention. The other items were great! read more

Definitely da best Japanese meal .... Oishi .... very reasonable.... will visit again read more

Minatoku Kitchen - Ahi tataki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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