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    Okata Bento

    4.3 (173 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese, Hawaiian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 4:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Okata Bento Photos

    Business Info

    OKATA BENTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Restaurant front
    Henry D.

    I found out about this place back when they were slinging $2 burgers but inflation has finally caught and now they sell $5.25 cheeseburgers if you add tomatoes for $.75 and another $.75 for onions you have a $6.75 cheeseburger. I added a macaroni salad which I think was a 4 oz Mac salad that costs $2.50 for maybe 4 bites The burger was good, not spectacular but good. It was a bit pricey for what you get but it is cooked fresh and hot. If I'm in the area and just a snack, I would support small businesses and drop in to order some food. This is a take-out only restaurant and has no where to sit and ate.

    Sadly closed this Friday
    Sean C.

    I sadly came to find Bento Box Closed today. after reading reviews I was excited to have the experience for myself. I can not post without giving a Star rating so I find myself leaving a 3 cuz I can't really in good conscience comment other than I was excited to come & now sadly disappointed. But I look forward to my return

    Jenn L.

    The OG spot for bentos on waialae (no joke, they've been around for 40+ yrs!) whenever I'm in the area, love to grab tonkatsu or teri-burger and head to the beach to enjoy. Remember to bring cash, as they are a cash only establishment - there is a FBH across the street so you can always pull out cash at the atm.

    Chicken katsu and Teri hamburger mix plate with a Teri chicken sandwich.
    Jason G.

    Best ever. Been coming here since 80s. Everything food wise is the same. Have patience, Lyndon is a one man cooking show. Well worth the wait.

    Larene U.

    No other words except that this is one of the best places in Kaimuki and that Mr. Okata deserves all the support for his one-man show. Truly a gem in the heart of Kaimuki

    Burger (Top) & Cheese Burger (Bottom)
    Daniel C.

    My friend and I used to explore the Bay Area for good burgers. We're not looking for any fancy burger where you add a ton of toppings/sauces and the calorie count is like a million after everything. What we enjoy is a good old fashioned burger or cheeseburger (doubles/triples). Nothing like an old school burger because of the beefy taste of the patty. He recently came to Hawai'i to visit and raved to me about the burger/cheeseburger he had last visit to Hawai'i. As he was describing where he got it from, I didn't have a clue on what he was talking about. He also didn't recall the name of the restaurant. After he searched for it and found Okata Bento, I was shocked I didn't know this place existed. Okata Bento is a true hole in the wall restaurant in the Kaimuki area. It's more of a small hallway with a window to order from and that's it. Their menu is simple and the prices are quite economical. The only thing that was odd about the menu is that they have burgers but don't offer fries. It's all good because I drove down Waialae to pick up an order of fries elsewhere. Okata Bento offers burgers, plate lunches, bentos, sandwiches, drinks and a hotdog. They are cash only and they don't make your food till you order it. I was second in line when they first opened up around noon but the kind person in front of me let me order first since I was in a rush. Since my friend raved about their burger/cheeseburger, I decided to order them. It took about 25 minutes before I got my name called out to pick up my order. After I picked up an order of extra crispy fries elsewhere, I headed home to eat. The burger/cheeseburger was smaller than expected but they tasted good. Their beef patty was soft and juicy! Maybe I came in with high expectations but their burger/cheeseburger didn't blow me away. It's still good for what it is and definitely worth the price you pay. I think next time I'm going to get a bento since I see so many Yeeps raving about them. Great hidden gem in Kaimuki (next to Asuka and across Coffee Talk)!

    Teri beef (close up)
    Rod U.

    The home of the 2D bento since 1981. Not joking, no matter what angle you look at it, buggah is flat. Doesn't mean it's not good. Simple, local kine grindz from another era. Fried luncheon meat, not Spam, kamaboko, takuan, rolled egg, a piece of fish and whatever you ordered sliced up in bite sized pieces all atop a bed of rice and slivered cabbage. Marinades are strong. The old school flavors bold. The fish is always overcooked and rubbery but so what? It is exactly what it should be. Nore: All proteins available for the bento can be ordered as a plate lunch (two scoops rice, mac salad but none of the other bento sides). Mac salad can be ordered as a side for the bento; $2. Inexpensive. Everything $10.50 or less. Cash only. Odd anthropological observation - On a recent Saturday, over half of the customers were Zoomer tourists. Watching how they interact with each other and their environment and trying to figure out their bizarre abbreviated language is wildly entertaining. 2D but spanning four generations, impressive. Not destination worthy rather a back of your mind neighborhood place that always satisfies.

    Chicken katsu bento
    Sasha M.

    First time trying this place and I'm all my years of eating chicken katsu this is the smallest piece I have ever received. Small amount and also super small pieces of chicken. See photo for size comparison. My sauce packet was bigger than my katsu. Also my daughters piece of mahi was smaller than a chicken nugget. Food did taste good but don't think I need to go back here.

    Looking from the counter window area towards 12th Ave. mauka.
    Ric C.

    What makes a community special, small town Kaimuki, a business that helps to weave the unique character of this east Honolulu spot. Okata Bento has been a backbone small business in Kaimuki town for decades. The owner Lyndon is a one man dynamo who sometimes has an assistant to help. The one consistency has always been his attention to a quality food product. We have always been partial to his bentos, others enjoy his delicious sandwiches while others enjoy the classic plate lunches. Nothing fancy, basic, delicious offerings- when you go to Okata Bento you know what to expect. Whenever our son comes home for a visit, a stop at Okata Bento is always on the list. These are difficult times and small operations do not have the deep pockets of big box stores to survive for a long period. Thank you Okata Bento for being a strong link for what makes Kaimuki Town a special place to live and visit. Support local businesses, let's help them get through the pandemic.

    Current hours. Cash only
    Milton K.

    I can't believe it's taken me this long to try out Okata Bento's ono grinds. My wife is from the 'hood, my kids both live off of Waialae Avenue and my mother's care home is up the street close to the Kaimuki fire station which means that I am driving pass Okata Bento almost on a daily basis. As I drive pass heading Diamond Head or going the other way on Waialae I always glance over at the Okata Bento sign and tell myself that I'll head there one day. Well, that one day finally arrived after picking up food at Happy Day for my mother. Our order was going to take a while so my wife and I decided to do some walking to kill time and sneak in some light exercise. We had intended to go to Noods but the line was kind of long so we peeked into Okata Bento. The owner, Lyndon, was manning the grill and I could smell good food coming out of the small pass through window. Teri chicken and mahi combo for me, mahi sandwich for my wife. While waiting for our foods, since every order is cooked to order, I had a chance to listen in on small time chatter between Lyndon and his regular customers. Lyndon has an obivious regular following! The food? While the servings were not massive it was plenty at a very decent price. I could tell that Lyndon was not using pre-made commercial sauces. Check out the photo I posted of the Flux Hawaii article on Okata Bento. It is spot on and I will be back to try his katsu next...

    Mini combo tonkatsu and Teri chx

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    Page 3 of 5

    Okata Bento Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Okata Bento

    Would you describe Okata Bento as a delicatessen, or more like a drive thru local hamburger stand?

    A counter style plate lunch type business with a Japanese bent because of the bentos and donburi.

    What's your favorite dish at Okata Bento?

    My favorite is the Tonkatsu and Char Siu chicken, but I like the Hamburger steak too.. As you can see I like everything!

    View All 3 Questions

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    Kaimuki Shokudo

    Kaimuki Shokudo

    4.2
    (451 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    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.

    A whole new menu than from when it was on Kapiolani blvd but we went for lunch and it had soba,…read moredonburi, tempura, and sushi roll options. I got the pork and Mushroom soba (hot) and my wife got the ume natto soba. They were both okay. We got side of tempura donburi and side of spicy ahi negitoro. Both alright tasting. Service was slow. And the missed our spicy bowl. And I would say my favorite was the honey toast!

    Photos
    Just an opening 11/15/25. The restaurant was filled within minutes. Featuring Yelp Elite All Star Donna O.
    Just an opening 11/15/25. The restaurant was filled within minutes. Featuring Yelp Elite All Star Donna O.
    Chicken kaarage
    Chicken kaarage
    Their famous " Honey Toast"

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    Their famous " Honey Toast"
    HIGOTO Japanese Eatery

    HIGOTO Japanese Eatery

    4.6
    (266 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    5/5 Stars I must…read moresay, I was not expecting this. I came in looking for something different from the typical bento places, and HIGOTO definitely delivered. Everything tasted homemade and was prepared with care. The salmon was covered in a flavorful sauce that paired perfectly with the fish. The fried fish also came with a sauce that reminded me of tartar sauce, but it had a unique twist that made it one of a kind. If you're a fan of rice, you'll appreciate that they use authentic Japanese short-grain rice. This is the kind of place I love discovering. You can tell they take pride in their cooking and make it a point to prepare everything from scratch. The restaurant is small and only allows about three customers inside at a time, so it's takeout only. The prices are exactly what I'd expect for fresh, homemade food, and in my opinion, it's well worth it. Food: Service: Quality: Value: Overall: I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu.

    Higoto is a Japanese takeaway bento and onigiri eatery in Kaimuki Shopping Center. I went maybe…read moreonce but I don't recall. Went in the afternoon this weekend and they were almost cleared out. I got a couple of Konbu Onigiri and a Strawberry Purin. Onigiri was too salty...Konbu paste was overwhelming. The purin...excellent...served as a palate cleanser. I shall go again whem they have more of a selection. Open from 1100a till 400p, Wednesdays to Sundays. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

    Photos
    Musubis & bentos
    Musubis & bentos
    Fish lovers bento (closeup of miso marinated items)
    Fish lovers bento (closeup of miso marinated items)
    "Sauce katsu" bento

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    "Sauce katsu" bento
    Maguro-Ya

    Maguro-Ya

    4.0
    (398 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Lunch in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawai'i…read more.. I had walked past Maguro-Ya many times, on my way to other restaurants on Waialae Avenue. Somehow, I was there at the wrong time, or I didn't have a plan to go to Maguro-Ya. This time, we made a decision to meet for lunch. We didn't have a reservation. I parked in the residential area for free and walked a couple of blocks to the restaurant. Service was very polite and efficient. The interior was cozy and seemed authentic. I didn't feel any air-conditioning, so drinking hot tea was a bit challenging. I let my miso soup cool off before I drank it. I got the Maguro Zukushi Teishoku ($1.50 less during lunch vs. dinner) because it had a variety of Maguro: grilled, deep fried, and raw. I could taste the miso flavor on the grilled fish. I appreciated the crunchy breading on the ahi katsu. The sashimi was fresh! The assortment of sides and beautiful presentation was worth the visit to this established eatery! Thank you for the wonderful experience!

    Maguro-Ya has been a restaurant I've passed by a million times but never thought of going in to…read moregive them a try until LB suggested to have lunch there one day. They are located in Kaimuki with parking options of street meter parking, parking in the private lot of the building then paying when you leave and free parking by the school or park then walking over. When you walk in, you'll notice the partial boat, dining room and sushi counter. Simple decor but clean and friendly customer service. We came for lunch and lunch is slightly less than dinner. I read a few reviews talking about their teishoku so that's what I wanted to order. Their menu is simple and I was having the hardest time deciding between their Hamachi Kama Shioyaki Teishoku and Maguro Zukushi Teishoku. I decided on the latter because LB convinced me Maguro is in the name of the restaurant. The kitchen didn't take long to get our order out and it was a good portion of food. The order offered a lot of variety that was tasty and I left full. I'm just surprised how long it took me to dine here. Good value at lunch and great option for teishoku in Kaimuki!

    Photos
    Inside the restaurant....
    Inside the restaurant....
    Seafood salad for those cutting carbs
    Seafood salad for those cutting carbs
    Pacific saury's bone snacks   秋刀魚の骨煎餅

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    Pacific saury's bone snacks 秋刀魚の骨煎餅
    Yohei Sushi KAHALA

    Yohei Sushi KAHALA

    3.8
    (72 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    First impressions of the atmosphere were high end and classy. With dull lighting and Japanese…read moreprints hanging on the walls. Our server, Yujie, was very friendly and informative with the menu. He took care of us throughout dinner. The food is day is so impressive, especially the Wagyu steak don was very tender. I would love to come back here again to try their sushi specials

    Visited Yohei Sushi for lunch on a Sunday to celebrate my sisters birthday. We had a reservation…read morefor 1pm. I got there a little earlier and they let me know before being sat that they close at 2pm. While ordering our drinks we were reminded again that they close at 2pm so we ordered our food at the same time feeling rushed. The Sashimi Zen and Chirashi Zen tasted beautifully. We enjoyed the quality of fish and variety available. As we were eating the waitresses would come by and take any empty dishes from our sets while reminding us again, that they close at 2pm. It felt really rushed and unwelcoming. Before we could finish eating they dropped the bill off to our table and checked to see if they could take payment within less than a couple minutes. The waitress then came back with a bag for us to take the sake home. We quickly finished our meal and I paid cash so we could just leave at this point. They were so quick to rush us out that while we were standing outside the restaurant the waitress came outside to let me know she didn't put everything she needed to charge us for on the bill so I needed to come back inside to pay an additional amount. After paying a second time she gave something to my sister for her birthday and sent us on our way. Considering there were other parties still seated in the restaurant when we left and they were aware of us celebrating a birthday I feel pretty disappointed about our experience there. We weren't offered an option to order dessert and they were in such a rush to get us to leave they didn't even have the bill rung up correctly. The food was great but we can get better service for the same quality elsewhere.

    Photos
    Dinning room
    Dinning room
    Matcha brownie with Azuki ice cream
    Matcha brownie with Azuki ice cream
    Today's Riceball

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    Today's Riceball
    Minatoku Kitchen

    Minatoku Kitchen

    4.4
    (93 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Free parking

    Visited this restaurant during happy hour (3-5pm) and it did not disappoint! We were the only ones…read morein 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!

    President's Day is a federal holiday on Monday.16.March.2026 - and Minatoku Kitchen came up with a…read moredelicious ( 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.

    Photos
    New shabu-shabu!!
    New shabu-shabu!!
    Minatoku Kitchen
    Minatoku Kitchen

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    Sushi Aki

    Sushi Aki

    4.9
    (67 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    3/15/26 Got treated for my birthday today by my wife "Arigatou!"…read more This was our third time here the 1st being their grand opening day 3 years ago Definitely not our last visit Chef n server are from Japan I wish I could speak Japanese but we had a great time trying to converse in broken Japanese n English Besides, we were the only ones there for almost an hour, so we had all their attention That made for another great experience! The 19 course omakase featured so many fresh seafoods, tempura, miso soup, dessert... Way better than alot of other omakases in town For your last morsel you get to pick anything you ate earlier n have it again Could have gone w Fatty Otoro or Popping Fresh Ikura but chose Ama Ebi Why? Because it was so Juicy Sweet n only in season now!

    Incredible experience celebrating my parent's 40th wedding anniversary…read more Call ahead to make reservations - we sat at the private table not at the chef counter. The space was clean and had a more upscale feel. Did the 19-course omakase and each bite was incredible. The fish is fresh from Japan, and you can see and feel the attention to detail. My parents do not like "fancy" experiences (they've dined at 3 Michelins but prefer a more laid back experience), and this place struck the right balance. It's upscale but also familiar. Favorite bite was the chutoro and second favorite was the chawanmushi :) That chilled clam soup was something else - I wish I could have a whole bowl of that! Definitely make an effort to check them out!

    Photos
    Sushi Aki
    Otoro, Shima Aji, and Kohada nigiri
    Otoro, Shima Aji, and Kohada nigiri
    Sushi Aki

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    Okata Bento - japanese - Updated June 2026

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