I gave Kunio 3 stars because I ordered take out. The food was ready in the time they told us but the quality seemed subpar from what I've had when I ate inside the restaurant. We got nabeyaki udon and Oyako Don. read more

Kunio Restaurant is fortunate to be in Waikele I guess because if it was shoulder to shoulder with some of the other restaurants in town some of it's glow would be shadowed. Luckily it stands virtually alone above the Ewa plains. A shining beacon of perfectly acceptable cuisine. There are several well done things, the Saba was good the beer was cold. The cold tofu was pretty good too, very silky. But it I have to hit where it hurts, they seem to be famous for their tempura and I didn't get that. Many people ordered it but for me it was heavy and thick. At least it was on the fish and shrimp. For some reason the vegetables had it about right. It's an ok place. I'd probably eat there again but there is no way I'd wait long, as I see some people doing. Not worth that. read more

This has got to be the best Japanese restaurant on this side of the island. I have never been disappointed with the food or the service. From the sushi to the steak and lobster, everything has been delicious and the portions are good. My mom always says that the shrimp tempura is the best here. The only thing annoying is that it's not a big place so there is always a wait to get a table. read more

Went here for my birthday dinner with my boyfriend. I took them what felt like FOREVER to seat us, and we kept seeing them seat other people who came a after us before us. By the time we sat, we got a little table next to the walk way. After that the service wasn't great. They got to us promptly but after we ordered they took a long time to bring us out our food, and when they finally did our order was incomplete cuz the sushi chefs were backed up on orders. The quality of food is not bad, the pricing on bento's was good for what we ordered. Overall, I didn't have a great first experience there but I would go back to give them another chance. read more

The food is absolutely delicious!!! Everything is soooooo sooooo good at Kunio's. Everything is very tasty. They don't take reservations but they do keep the flow moving. You'll notice that many people choose to wait as you will definitely see a line around 7pm regardless of the day of the week. read more

Consistent, delicious Japanese food...always get the broiled sake (salmon) teishoku, onigiri and noodle dishes. Got there before the evening dinner rush, so service was attentive and well-paced. Must try the funamori party boat next time, as diners near our table were pretty ecstatic about their choice. And, it looked great as well. We'll definitely be back. read more

We came here with a bunch of friends and I was surprised by the food. Being in a strip mall I didn't have high hopes, but the fish was fresh and the tempura wasn't too thickly coated. All the dishes my friends had tasted great and they were all pretty happy with their choices. I tried a new Japanese beer which is always a good thing. The only downside was once we got our dishes our service wasn't as thrifty as it had been when we first walked in. While we were there it was too busy and there were 3 servers so we couldn't figured out what was the deal for the slowness, and we were sitting a the sushi bar. The sushi chef and staff were friendly and I would go back there when I'm in the area. read more

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I love Kunio for one major reason: MISO BUTTERFISH. I never wonder what I'm going to order, because I already know that I NEED to get the MISO BUTTERFISH. Okay, I know what you might be thinking. "Wow, this girl is really obsessed with MISO BUTTERFISH." But it's true! The fish is just marinated so perfectly in that amazing miso-goodness. When they bring it out for you to eat it always comes out hot and moist - never dry and chewy. I also love the sushi and sashimi. It's definitely pricier, but you get what you pay for. The quality is great and the fish is always fresh. I love the way the ahi melts in my mouth whenever I bite into it. The restaurant is always clean, the staff is friendly, and the food is usually pretty quick to come out. I've never been disappointed. However, you should know that this place is VERY popular! Be aware that on any given day during lunch hour, it definitely fills up fast! There may be a wait. Just remember, patience is a virtue and the food is so worth the wait! read more

I don't understand why it is rated 4 stars and a wait? I have read the reviews and did noticed some not so radiant reviews; and have lowered our expectation significantly. We've ordered the A&B Comb (at $20), hamachi sashimi ($17), toro sashimi ($24), chawanmushi ($5.5), and an ala carte misoyaki butterfish ($11). The misoyaki butterfish tasted decent the first bite, but not to fond of luke warm food. My guess is that the butterfish have been previously cooked and then reheated in the toaster oven. The toro sashimi was good (it is toro; should it should be at least good), not excellent. The hamachi sashimi was served a bit too "warm" for my taste, and not as "crisp". This place definitely did not "wow" me. The miso soup is quite salty. I don't understand how a $8 to $10 for two pieces of nigiri cheap (not in Waikiki) Typically, I pay around $6 for two pieces of hamachi and $8 for uni, and up to $10 for ama-ebi; oh I live in Los Angeles. read more

Very good Japanese food, probably the best restaurant in Waikele. A bit pricey but that's normal for Japanese food. Sushi was a bit inconsistent but other than that worth the money. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Dinner! Nom nom. - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Our waiter was pleasant and the food was delicious. I had the AA Combo with Katsu and Shrimp Tempura. It was yummy! My favorite part was the wide variety of tempura vegetables (carrots, zucchini, green beans) and let me tell you, I love my tempura vegetables. The tempura roll was a bit pricey for just 5 pieces. Next time I will order the dragon roll or maybe the Avocado Roll. Their menu has a lot of choices and good variation. read more

Restaurant Kunio - AA Combo. Chicken Katsu and Shrimp Tempura. - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

I had a great time at this restaurant with the 4 of us. We got the cool room where you remove your shoes before entering. The good is authentic Japanese and it was decent. The place was crowded and we kinda had to wait a little while but overall it was worth the experience. read more

Restaurant Kunio - So yummy the bento box :) - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Stepped up in this spot due to the yelp reviews. Nice place. Lovely staff. Sushi was good, but I wanted a wow. We had the hamachi/avocado, rainbow and sunset rolls. All very fresh and just the right blend of flavors to please the palate. Was our first Sushi experience in Hawaii. Glad we came. Next time I hope to try for a WOW sushi meal. Recommendations certainly appreciated. read more

We ordered the boat for the four of us tonight..just wish there were more sushi/sashimi!! The food was great the service was great! If there were more fish then this would have been a 5 star rating. read more

Decided to stop in and check it out. Food was good. The service was awesome. The decor was as expected, tranquil. The only sounds heard over the normal chatter of patrons, was the sound of beef cooking over a small grill. The experience nice. I love tempura anything and they did not disappoint. Teriyaki chicken was tender. Butterfish was prepared different then what I expected, not much flavor, but good. read more

Consistently the best Japanese in the area. It is my go to place for casual authentic Japanese food. Highly recommend the Shoyu Butterfish, tuna and salmon sashimi, and the zaru soba. read more

FOOD IS GREAT. But a fair warning: they seat you based on the tables available and not the order you come in. Just and FYI for anyone coming here. It's ridiculous. Came in around 6:45 on a Sunday night for a party of 2, 3 bigger parties that came in after us got seated before based on "table size available" ended up waited an hour and 15 minutes to get seated. Ridiculous. read more

I have been here many times before, and have always gotten the best service. My usual favorite thing to order is their tempura because of how they batter it up and then add the panko crumbs on top (it's usually one or the other, hardly ever both), so that's a fave in my book! The restaurant is pretty small inside, and they don't take any reservations unless you have a large party, so if it's busy hours (dinner time) you'll probably find yourself waiting outside for a table. Once you get a seat though, the service is usually pretty quick and worth the wait. The only thing that I would want them to change is their dessert menu. They only serve ice cream and only in like two flavors... vanilla or green tea. I'm a dessert person, and that just doesn't cut it for me. Luckily baskin robin's is only a few doors down the way so I guess walking my full belly over there will help to slim it down a bit... or maybe not. read more

LOVE Kunio! One of my favorite Japanese restaurant. Shrimp tempura doesn't get any better this; like none other. Even the miso butterfish my fav. Hubby always gets the #69. It's with sashimi and steak. Green tea ice cream is always a must have when we eat there. read more

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants I've ever eaten at! I've been here probably a dozen times already and plan to continue coming back as a regular. There is always a line outside every time I've been there. I love the sweet warm sake there. If you've never tried sweet warm sake, try it here. It goes so well with the food! The lobster tail and sizzling garlic steak combo is the best as it comes with side of sushi or sashimi, salad, soy beans and other mixed veggies, and miso soup. If you're on a date, get an extra bowl of rice and extra miso as it comes with one serving of each. However, the portion of the steak and lobster combo is more than enough for 2. Also, the fried shrimp tempura is awesome as it's the thick battered, crispy version. 5 stars for Kunio Restaurant! read more

I've been going to this place for years. I couple years ago I would have given them a five but now there seems to be something that is just a little off each visit. The last time - the rice was a little mushy but only half way through the bowl?!? Not sure why. I always get the combo plate with tempura and butterfish. I love it! There is normally a wait so bring some good company. Some of the tables are a little crowded so try for a booth. Parking is a little crowded in that corner so we normally park further away and just walk in - plus you are going to leave super full so you might as well walk it off! If you are craving Japanese - well worth the wait. read more

Very average at best. Went there for dinner with my wife and three children. We were looking forward to eating there due the reviews from other Yelp users. My personal opinion, we, as yelp users, should reserve four and five star ratings for those establishments providing exceptional food and service. If this is a four or five star experience, we should have higher expectations. The food presentation was nice and portions were large. Food taste and preparation was average. The service, friendly fast but rushed. Price was way too high for the quality of food. read more

I used to live in Waikele in the later 90's and remember when this restaurant first open. The food was awesome then and still is now. The areas is clean although some of the walls could be dusted. The place was packed and the food was great and fresh. I had the yakitori and ahi tempura (2 huge portions the size of drumsticks) combo, wife and son had the early bird special, and daughter had the unagi don. Everything was great but the unagi don was a bit pricey in my opinion ($18+). Only downer besides the little priciness is the manini rice. I like the Japanese restaurants that bring the rice in the lacquer container (although you have to wonder if this rice is recycled at times)....like all you can eat rice. Not the best for your health, but I'm the kind of guy that needs to eat rice with every bite of food. read more

Everything on the menu is so good here! The best is the miso butterfish tho!! It has always been my favorite. I've been coming to this restaurant since I was a kid. And it was always a special treat! Everything is delicious and well prepared. The staff is kind and friendly and the sushi chefs are impeccable! This is definitely one if the best Japanese restaurants on the island. They offer lots of variety and the choice to mix and match your combination plates. Their sushi is always fresh and delicious and they don't use a lot of rice like most of those cheap sushi places that wanna fill u up with rice. I live in town now so it's a trip to come out to the west side to eat here but it is always well worth it! My recommendation is to try the combo set AA which is only $17.95 and u get to choose from 13 different menu items and it comes with miso soup, tsukemono, rice, appetizer and a salad! Can't beat that!! Also, their California Crunch which is their version of the world famous California Roll is epic! read more

Friendly wait staff. Seated right away at 430pm. Ordered their happy hour special meal 2-5pm which is m-th. $9.95 you get a piece of maguro, hamachi, sake & 4 pieces of California roll & chicken katsu. You can pick between chicken katsu, ton katsu, shrimp tempura, zaru soba, or zaru udon. The chicken katsu was a hearty piece. Recommend this place read more

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Fantastic Japanese cuisine. From sushi to teishoku dinners combinations. Fresh seafood for sushi. Always a must to visit when in Hawaii.

I was hungry for us on noodles. Figure we try out this place. Always knew it was here but just never went in to eat. We was wait listed as the third. Wait was not a wait at all....we was seated in 5 mins. Service was excellent by waitress and delivery of food. Price is good for portion. My boyfriend got the lunch special which comes with a few different sushi, salad, & miso soup for only 15.00 dollars. Food was Ono! read more

Restaurant Kunio - Lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

I give them five stars! The food was great and the service was fast. We got there early because we were told that we may have to wait but we got in right away. Good thing we did because a line started right after we sat down. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Funamori boat and it can feed four people - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

I've visited Japan many times over and ate delicious food there. Hands down best sushi and Japanese food in my life. In saying all of that, this restaurant has some pretty tasty food. Misoyaki butterfish is a delish fish. My bro gets his uni fix whenever we are there. Quite pricy for sushi but that's life here in Hawaii. Overall...I say their food is not bad at all. :-) give it a try! Oishii! read more

Easter lunch, waited 12 min to sit at empty counter, 2 girls walked in and got seated at same counter immediately, asked cashier if I could sit at counter and was told to BE PATIENT! Got seated on end under a bush, waited 12 more min to get water and tea ant take my order , never did get water and tea was cold Food cones 19 min later food was ok tempura was cold but shrimp was good, after eating about 25% of my food feel a hair in a mouthful of food and spit it into a napkin Try to flag down a waitress for 22 min, she takes food away and says she will get manager, ask again for water to no avail 18 min later no water and manager I assume gives me a bill with a 15% "Discount"! I refuse to pay anything and she leaves and returns 11 min later saying ok fine no pay. Still no water I leave never to return, terrible impression terrible service ok food except for the pubic hair, terrible response by management, the excuse is "it's busy" read more

Restaurant Kunio - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Best miso soup! Best sushi on the west side. Consistently good. Always excellent service.

Drove all the way from Kaneohe to get take out here. Ordered combo meals with chicken katsu, shrimp tempura and miso butter fish and the other tonkatsu and scallops. Came back home to enjoy my meal and they didn't put in any katsu sauce, tempura sauce and sauce for scallops. Totally defeats the purpose of ordering anything. Greatly disappointed with this place for not checking. Yes, also my fault for not checking but they should be on their game being they're the Restaurant. Never gonna order from there again read more

The shrimp tempura and chicken teriyaki combo is great! The only reason why I gave them a 4/5 is because the hostess took a while to seat us (too busy talking to what seemed like friends in the restaurant). read more

Restaurant Kunio - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Ate here on a Saturday evening and the wait was 30 minutes which seems normal for most places on a Saturday. This place isn't tiny but it isn't all that big. My food was so delicious though, the miso butter fish was melt in your mouth, tempura squid were big sized pieces and the miso soup was great, even the dressing on the salad was mouth watering. Boyfriend got the soft shell crab and sashimi which I didn't care for but he really enjoyed. The portions were just right to finish our food and be full but not so much that I had to take a box home. Definitely coming back soon! read more

Restaurant Kunio - Combo AA with miso butter fish and tempura squid - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Took our daughter our for her birthday with a few others. Service was prompt, food was good quality and tasty. Amongst other things, we opted for the big boat in the middle of the table. Fantastic and almost too much to eat. We'll be coming back again... read more

We were torn about where to go but thanks to a lovely lady walking around the plaza who advised us that we would enjoy the menu, we chose here. And she was right! We got sat quickly. Waters brought and orders taken promptly. We ordered #'s 69, 71, 72, respectively and we each ordered a sushi dish and our son got the chicken katsu. On recommendation from our new aquaintence we got the dishes that had the miso butterfish and shrimp tempura. SO MUCH FOOD!!! Small appetizers,miso soup and a bowl of rice came with the bentos. SO MUCH FOOD!!! It was all delicious. The miso butterfish was tender and yummy, the shrimp was super crunchy and the rice was moist and sticky. Finish with a cup of green tea and we called it a day. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Thank you read more

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I'm not really into into eating Japanese food, but this place has great food, yummy sushi, steak n beef bowl. My wife n I will surly be back. read more

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Located in Waikele Shopping Center, Kunio's is an authentic style Japanese restaurant. We go here often and never had a bad experience. The food is excellent and the Sushi is fresh. Tried the boat a few times and love it. Highly recommend this place read more

I wanted to give this restaurant Zero stars, but just know that on my scale that 1 star means I will NEVER return & I'm taking my referrals with me. So you can count many more people out too. What Happened To Customer Service? Oh I know it was replaced by piss poor management, & a pinch of B.S. Today was a very interesting lunch at Restaurant Kunio in Waikele next to Party City. The Service we shall start there, they were busy, so service was slow, but that's what happens at lunch time. We didn't get our sodas until about 15 minutes after we ordered them, also they have a habit of not washing the cups well at all. So I hope that you're careful out there, & that's not a lie because I had to ask for another drink without dried food on it. Thank you, NOT THANK YOU! Next we ordered our food & I ordered a Combination AA with a Teriyaki Chicken & a Soft Shell Crab. My Daughter ordered Shrimp Tempura & a Soft Shell Crab for her Combination AA as well. When our food came out my Soft Shell Crab was so small compared to the many times that I have been to this Restaurant & to the Blatant Fact that my soft shell crab was literally half the size of my daughter's soft shell crab. So I asked the waitress about it, and she sent over who I was told was the manager on duty, Leann. So I showed her the huge difference in my soft shell crab & my daughter's soft shell crab. So I ask could I have another one since this looks like the legs were missing? Leann ran in the back to ask someone else (Ryan the real manager not on site, that NEVER looked at my food at ALL). So Leann come back to tell me that she can't do anything about it, but she can give me some Ice Cream (small note I'm lactose intolerant, so the ice cream gesture won't help me in the least.) So I said well I do not want this, & I've been coming here for a long time now as a valued customer. I don't feel like you Value me being a customer if you refusing a small request to make me a soft shell crab that is Appropriate in size to the other soft shell crabs & not give me some tiny little piece of LEFTOVERS. So again Leann says to me I can't do anything about it, because you ordered it & there is nothing wrong with it & she can't help the size of the soft shell crabs. So I said You CAN'T or WON'T help remedy this situation? Leann says she can't. So, I say you choose NOT TO HELP THE SITUATION. Now my family doesn't want to eat their food because, of the way this whole thing was handled by Leann. So, Leann repeats "I'm Sorry", in an extremely Condescending tone, not trying in the least bit to satisfy the consumer at all. So now I'm wondering where did the customer being right attitude go? Or trying to satisfy your customers go since, you (Restaurant Kunio) are One restaurant, not a Chain of restaurants? It would have been nice had the restaurant just changed out or just added another piece of soft shell crab. But, No they didn't try anything helpful in any sense of the word. I even talked to them nicely, & offered a solution. I even asked if they could make another one that is of equal size to my daughter's or cook a half size portion so there was no wasting & the stubbornness of this woman & the restaurant had too much attitude causing THEM TO LOSE SOME BUSINESS. And I mean a lot of business, I will tell everyone about my experience. And best believe I know a huge chunk of this island & many different communities & visitors alike. Maybe if I was Japanese they wouldn't have been A$$holes about this incident. But No worries, I will make sure I post the pictures that I took on all of my social medias accounts just to remind people how this company responded. I'm sure the Better Business Bureau will get a report too, this is just the short version. And after we left, I had to go back in to tell the manager how I felt, I pulled her aside in the back by the bathroom & used my nice & quite voice. Leann you are Not a nice person & you tried to hide behind Ryan the so called manager that was off site, & asked for my number & so far he hasn't called. I know that Kunio doesn't care about the customers or customer service. Restaurants need to remember that we are paying them & get it together or get in Formation that I don't have to go to their venue especially since, there is a Plethora of Japanese food that will always be better than the last place that disrespected your taste buds, yourself or etc. You would do better going to Genki Sushi a few doors down from this hole-in-the-wall, no name having crap service place. Also if you like to pay for LOUSY, BAD, &/or ROTTEN service then give them a go. read more

Restaurant Kunio - The small piece is suppose to be half of a soft shell crab, like the large piece of soft shell crab above it. But it isn't! Horrible Service - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Came here on a Thursday evening and was surprised how crowded the small restaurant was. The menu looked more traditional than other Japanese restaurants on island, but it also has some local favorites. I ordered the broiled salmon teishoku and it came with rice, miso soup, side salad and pickled vegetables. The salmon tasted a bit bland, but I think it's supposed to. Was a very filling meal and would want to try the miso butter fish next time. It was a bit pricier than I expected, but still alright. read more