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    Musubi Cafe Iyasume

    3.7 (111 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese, Hawaiian
    Closed 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume Photos

    Business Info

    MUSUBI CAFE IYASUME ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual

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    Doug T.

    Getting Musubi while in Hawaii is a must. We've been doing this for years. I would say this time the rice portion seems to be a bit larger than before? Good in that it fills you up. Not good that the proportions to protein meats is a bit off. Anyway it is yummy and very tasty especially if you get the special toppings like bacon, avocado, shrimp tempura, unagi etc. Price is more expensive (as with everything else) with the specialty toppings, Much more reasonable with your standard musubi. We went twice. Once in Ala Moana mall and once to the one outside of Walmart. Note the Ala Moana food court has seating so you can eat there. These musubi are premade. The location at Walmart has no seating but they make the musubi while you wait so much more fresh and not as squished. Very good customer service at both locations.

    Miso Soup - VN
    Vince N.

    The spouse wanted miso soup to accompany a sandwich from a neighboring biz as that did not sell it. ATMOSPHERE: The crammed little takeout spot is in the row of shops outside of Walmart & Sam's Club. MENU: Different styles of musubi, rice balls, bento, rice bowl dishes and miso soup! FOOD: Miso Soup They sold just one size, a small cup for just over $2. It came loaded with seaweed, tofu and green onions. The report back was "really good". SERVICE: Counter service was welcoming and professional. OVERALL: I wanted to try some musubi but I'm trying to cut down on the carbs!

    Alma-aliyah T.

    Musubi !! One food I was somewhat nervous to try. Spam has never been something that I thought to try, but boy was it delicious! Musubi cafe was so tasty, I have 0 complaints. I tried the eel, egg, and spam and I also tried traditional spam. Both were so good. They were warm, the rice was soft, and they were both flavorful. The service was also so efficient and easy. I can taste it right now and I am missing it! Would definitely recommend.

    Spam & Ume
    Sunny V.

    My favorite lunch stop!! Friendly staff and they Always great recommendations! It's a very tiny store. They are a to go order kind of place. You order and wait outside for your food.

    Store Front - This was close to 2:30PM. Almost everything was sold out.
    Wonho L.

    During my visit to Waikiki, I was happy to find a Musubi place so close to my hotel. Before I knew about Iyasume, I asked few locals I encountered where they usually go for Musubi, and everyone mentioned Iyasume. I've tried, - Avocado Eel Egg Spam - Shrimp Tempura Avocado Spam - Regular Spam Musubi - Egg Spam I ended up going twice during my trip and I though all of them were delicious. On a weekend morning, there will be some line as people rush to pick em up for breakfast/lunch. Be sure to get there early in the day, as they tend to sell out. Price felt reasonable and I didn't mind the portion of the SPAM.

    Kassandra L.

    What a simple yet filling snack! During our trip, we tried Musubi from several different places. I loved the variety this place offered and the size of each Musubi. The service was okay and the size of the establishment was quite small. Definitely just for a quick grab and go.

    Signage above
    Paul C.

    I was running errands earlier at Walmart this week and found myself needing a snack. I initially went to JJ Bakery only to find out that they closed their doors for good back in mid-May 2024. Stunned as I read the sign on the door, I walked back to my car disappointed. On my way back, I looked up and saw the signage of "Musubi Cafe Iyasume" (MCI). I've been to other locations of MCI, as they've had expanded to multiple locations after opening their original location in Pacific Monarch Hotel in Waikiki in September 2000. They've been in business for an impressive 24 years! I walked in and this location is quite small and I didn't see any premade items that got my attention so I ordered a couple of my personal favorite Mentaiko Mayo at the counter. I paid for my musubi and waited patiently for my food. I checked out their cooler where I saw prepackaged sides of kimchi, kimpira gobo, potato salad and takuan that looked good. It didn't take long for me to get my food as I was the only customer at that time. It was warm and I walked away super happy as this was a great substitute to the taro pastry that I was craving from JJ's. The musubi at MCI are consistent and the mentaiko mayo really hit the spot. Generously stuffed with filling and seasoned nicely. And the 2 musubi didn't break the bank as it was less than $6 for both. Another great place to grab a Scooby snack when in the Keeaumoku area. I'll be back.

    Oahu Musubi Map
    Noryann J.

    I've always walked by this store on my way to Keeaumoku Walmart and have not thought of going to the Musubi Cafe. I decided to try it out on a random Wednesday morning. It wasn't too busy with only me in the shop dining in. There were customers who would come in, grab musubis already made and go. Nice and quick. There's not much of a big space for 3 or more to dine in but it's really cute. There are benches you can sit on at the Azure building side. I ordered a Shrimp Tempura hand roll, spam Musubi, Spam and Egg Musubi. I guided down the hand roll before taking a picture and it was so delicious 100/10 ! All three musubis were eaten within 10 minutes because they were that delicious! Washed it down with my can of coke and was so satisfied! Going again tomorrow for sure !

    Jackie K.

    Located in The Lanai food court in the Ala Moana Center. It's located next to Macy's and towards the parking garage. Iyasume has fresh hot bentos for a meal and a variety of musubis (hand held rice balls with fish, shrimp, chicken and other yummy morsels). Reasonably priced and marked down just prior to closing. The area is clean and the musubis are prepared fresh. You can see them making it in the back of the counter. Service is fast as they usually have a line here. Sign in to get points.

    Isabel L.

    For this location, all orders are made to order. They overload it with rice and not much filling. The tuna curry onigiri was super disappointing, it looks like there was about half a tablespoon of filling. The bacon egg avocado spam musubi is good but on the sweet side, it also came with a lot of rice. They have an extensive menu outside of just musubis (bentos and such) but it's not really cohesive and overwhelming to look at. I don't think I'll be returning. It's good if youre in a pinch and want musubi, but they're very stingy on filling.

    Menu
    North S.

    It was alright For the tuna, I've had better onigiris from the fridge in a store than that no offense For the roll, I had it later and my sisters ate half of it before I got a try. It was pretty good, the chicken in there looks fantastically tender and flavored Extra Its a small store so you can wait outside and they'll bring it to you. There is a wait time but not that long I know I didnt get any musubis, thats just cause spam is too salty for me Im sowwy Thats it, im really just here to post the pics 4/5 ABC and other stores does it well too

    Spam, egg, bacon, and avocado musubi with too much rice!

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    6 months ago

    The rice was cooked just right. There is plenty of options to satisfy everyone's cravings. Vegetarian options available.

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    Totoya

    Totoya

    4.6
    (316 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    While the seating is limited and there is usually a line outside, it's definitely worth it…read more We ordered 2 bowls: one salmon (which came with miso soup so we upgraded to crab miso soup..... YES CRAB MISO SOUP! ) and one with a mix of everything. They were all delicious. They even have recommendations on how to enjoy them best especially if you get the egg yolk shoyu to add to it. I highly suggest you do - absolute game changer! Our little one enjoyed a small bowl of udon as well. The ambiance is chill considering the seating is very limited (15 seats approximately). It's all bar seating arrangement where you can see the staff cook the food. Oh, by the way, we saw Amy Hill here! You know the auntie with the butcher knife who works at the restaurant in 50 First Dates!

    I understand the hype. The best comparison I can make is this: what Ichiran did for ramen, Totoya…read morehas done for seafood bowls. It takes something familiar, strips away the unnecessary decisions and turns it into a process that's incredibly easy to enjoy. The restaurant is tiny, but everything feels deliberate. The staff keeps things moving without making you feel rushed, our waitress was genuinely wonderful with our kids and even the people waiting around us couldn't have been friendlier. It felt like everyone was in on the same little secret. The first surprise wasn't even the fish. It was the cabbage salad. Shredded cabbage, crispy noodles, miso yuzu dressing. That's it. Somehow it's one of the best salads I've had in a long time. It's the kind of dish that makes you wonder why nobody else bothers to do something so simple this well. Then came the negitoro bowl. The ikura shower is absolutely worth the extra ten bucks. Yes, it's a little theatrical with the bell ringing, but if you're going to pour an avalanche of salmon roe over my bowl, you might as well make a show of it. The crab miso soup upgrade is another easy yes. The crab almost feels like they're apologizing in advance for ruining every ordinary bowl of miso soup you'll have afterward. It isn't perfect but nothing is. The rice was a little clumpy and needed to be broken apart. After a while, the flavors begin to blend together more than I expected and those beautiful sheets of nori lose the battle against Hawaii's humidity pretty quickly. They look incredible, but they become soft before you can really enjoy them. I also wish I could order another bowl of that cabbage salad by itself. Our kids demolished the udon. Perfect texture, comforting broth and probably the easiest win of the entire meal. Will we come back? Absolutely. Totoya isn't trying to reinvent Japanese food. It's taking a handful of excellent ingredients, removing the friction and executing the experience with remarkable consistency. Sometimes that's what great restaurants do.

    Photos
    Totoya
    Mixed bowl with crab miso soup and extra nori and salad and shoyu egg on da side
    Mixed bowl with crab miso soup and extra nori and salad and shoyu egg on da side
    Nagomi (smaller version of the Miyabi)

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    Nagomi (smaller version of the Miyabi)
    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

    4.3
    (4.2k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$
    Free parking
    19 years in business

    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

    Ginza Bairin in Honolulu gave us such a fun little taste of Japan. Before we even walked in, my son…read moresaid the sidewalk leading up to the restaurant felt like Japan, with the trees and the curtain hanging down at the entrance. That detail set the mood right away. Inside, it is definitely larger and roomier than many places we've eaten at in Japan, but it still had that warm, simple, Japanese restaurant feel. We sat at a two-person table and still had plenty of room for all of our food, which is always appreciated because nobody wants to play plate Tetris during dinner. We ordered the Wagyu and the chicken tonkatsu, and both were so good. The Wagyu was especially fun because we got to grill it ourselves at the table, making the meal feel more like an experience than just dinner. The chicken tonkatsu was crispy, juicy, and exactly what we were hoping for. I also loved that they offer refills on the cabbage and vegetables, just like in Japan. It's one of those small touches that makes the whole meal feel more authentic. The highest praise came from my preteen, who said it was the best tonkatsu he's had outside of Japan. Honestly, that is a serious review from a kid who knows his tonkatsu. Great food, fun experience, nice ambiance, and a little Japan-in-Honolulu moment. We'll definitely be back.

    Photos
    Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu
    Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu
    Special Katsu-don set
    Special Katsu-don set
    Katasu-don

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    Katasu-don
    Marugame Udon

    Marugame Udon

    4.5
    (14.1k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    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.

    marugame be winning the game because WOW the number of reviews is crazy. they are wildly successful…read moreyay! i think they are pretty good and consistent for the price so it's one of the viral places that sorta deserves the hype. not many tables, LONG lines, nice workers. come during like non lunch/dinner times so it's not as busy. it is famously self service - you have udon and fried stuff like tempura. the best ones are nikutama, creamy, and beef. everything runs salty here so drink lots of water and pray! noodles are always cooked well though and the meat is yum. they crack eggs into the nikutama, some people mix it. others (me) rawdog it and slurp it up like a protein-craved bodybuilder. tempura is also solid! better without sauce, i like dipping it in the broth as the tempura is not very flavorful arigato or something!

    Photos
    Dining room
    Dining room
    Kake Udon
    Kake Udon
    Inside seating

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    Inside seating
    Izakaya Tenkichi

    Izakaya Tenkichi

    4.6
    (249 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    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/.

    My brother has been recommending this place so I am glad I finally got to go for dinner! We got a…read moremix of regular and seasonal menu items. The hamachi with sesame sauce was ok, I prefer hamachi cooked though. The negitoro avocado rolls were tiny but decent and fresh tasting. The 5 types of tempura had a light crispy batter and were good. My favorites were the seasonal specials of hamachi kama (huge, meaty piece!), spicy chicken, and sukiyaki tofu. The spicy chicken was not very spicy at all, maybe a 1 or 2 out of 5 stars. It was refreshing and reminded me of Chinese chicken salad with the Chinese parsley and peanuts. The sukiyaki tofu was simple but good and not too sweet. The ambiance made me feel like I was in Japan and the staff were very attentive. Great service! The people preparing the food are right in the center and they are a well oiled machine cranking out dishes without breaking a sweat or raising their voices. The noise level can get a bit loud from diners having a good time.

    Photos
    Steep stairs. Much easier to navigate going up. Going down after some adult beverages? Better use the handrail
    Steep stairs. Much easier to navigate going up. Going down after some adult beverages? Better use the handrail
    Yuzu Cheese Cake ($5.50) - really sweet, especially with the granola. Would recommend getting a different dessert.
    Yuzu Cheese Cake ($5.50) - really sweet, especially with the granola. Would recommend getting a different dessert.
    Dinner Menu (1 of 12) as of 3/5/2026

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    Dinner Menu (1 of 12) as of 3/5/2026
    I-NABA

    I-NABA

    4.4
    (800 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    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!

    Photos
    I-NABA
    Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice
    Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice
    Hana soba

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    Hana soba

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - japanese - Updated July 2026

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