Excellence Food, Very Good Service, and delicious so I would recommend this Japanese Restaurant. read more

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It is located on Queen Street, just behind the D&B. You can park in the parking lot where Whole Foods is located. The restaurant is cozy with a large space layout. As for the food, it was nothing short of amazing! What surprised me was the dish of tokobushi (a type of abalone). I was very impressed with the buttered and grilled tokobushi with soy sauce. That dish instantly led me to the world of Japan. I am always impressed by Japanese food, and it is wonderful that I never get tired of it. read more

First timer at this restaurant and had high hopes. Had a reservation for 4 on Sunday, May 28th at 9:00pm, the latest reservation they had online. Had prior engagements and was gonna be a few minutes late so I made a courtesy call to let the restaurant know. The woman on the phone was very polite and let me know that last call for the kitchen is 9:30pm which was fine because we were only minutes away. Arrived at 9:05pm, upon arriving we get a nasty look from a server and he walks up to us and I tell him I had a reservation and with a stank attitude he says "well just to let you know our last call is at 9:30pm and we close at 10pm" and rolls his beady lil eyes. We get sat at 9:08pm. Instantly I was like what the fuck? You're still open for about another hour, if you can't make it to the end of your shift then say that then and just clock out and leave. Ain't nobody telling you to stay if you don't want to. Attitude for what? Once we got sat, we took a few minutes on the menu and ordered our food. Shout out to the sweet girl that took our order and served us. She answered all of our questions about items on the menu which made it easy for us to quickly order what we wanted. Her alone deserved 5 As we were waiting for our food, I felt very uncomfortable because the guy with the attitude kept giving us stank face to the point where once our food arrived I lost my appetite and asked for a box to go for my food. A few things we ordered were the dragon roll, spicy salmon roll and unagi donburi. All were tasty and my friends enjoyed their food. We left about 15 min before closing and weren't even the last table. This review had potential for 5 stars but I am not with the attitude specially when our group was very considerate of the timeframe we had and the service we were provided to make everything smoother for both sides. read more

You can find parking in Wholefoods towards the Ewa side of the parking lot and use the elevator or stairway that takes you a few steps away from Rinka. Located in the Ae'o building directly across the parking structure for Ward theaters. We were greeted nicely at the door with a temperature and vaccination card check. The place is open clean and tables are spread out nicely. There is such a great variety of food offered here. Everything that you get at an Izakaya with a special menu of items directly from Japan and a daily menu. The prices fit the dishes everything is made fresh to order and done well! I liked the homemade black sesame tofu topped with uni and nori this was a little sweet and refreshing. The miso butter fish was a nice plump piece very meaty and done well with a little char at the ends and not too sweet, just right. Sashimi platter is beautiful and oh so fresh! Next time I want to try the sashimi from the Japan menu. You get a good amount for $34. One of my favorites was the seafood miso soup that included 2 clams, Ebi head, oh and this fatty crispy fish- this was off the daily menu. I recommend a visit here and will be back! read more

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Okay okay, I know, I know, this was actually my choice and we did it all in the name Yelp Elite hehe. I mean the company with Nadine C. to visit with Mel B. was FANTASTIC!! :D As for the food, well, sometimes a place is great for us Yeeps to try if only for performing our ultimate altruistic free public service duty aka fun community volunteer work intended to help others make better informed purchasing choices. This process involves commitment to try the food at a place, taking the time to talk with each other and get our thoughts together about the experience, composing a review to explain it all, and then on the Yelp app, posting said review with any necessary accompanying supporting photos (evidence). YES, *this* is the Yelp Elite process! But, I digress :D Back to my review :P I only wish I had first come here for lunch. I mean, Emi H.'s review about their Nabeyaki Udon that looks and sounds to die for is what I still wish I could have each time I have to read this sentence while I sit here typing this out! Haha! The mere thought that I surely missed out really makes me quite sad :( Why sad? Well, we came for dinner and had that amazing selection been available, us three might have ordered it but alas, that choice does not appear anywhere on the Rinka dinner menu! Why not?! Soup is also great for dinner, right? Why not sell your best soup for din-din too, right?!?! Teehee :D So, what did we order? Not Nabeyaki! :( Wishing desperately to find it somewhere in that menu, Nadine C. and I tried soothing our sadness by over-ordering other dishes when we really should have just stopped and made a time for lunch in the afternoon on another day. The $19.75 scallops that should have been chilled, soft uni placed atop surprisingly tempura-crunchy seared scallops offset by flavorful roasted nori were instead like when internal pieces of a car are impossible to fit together because each belong to a different car brand or model. It was varying pieces of uni mushed and sprinkled atop two partial, virtually unseasoned scallop pieces overcooked at the outsides held together by a wide wrap of unflavored rubber-band-like nori. Geez, it could have been beautiful. but were is hand-stitched by someone of the ingredients tastes were meant to be enjoyed separately rather than together. when food This combination of items The uni really needed that nice roasted natural flavor to round out the, he outside scallop layer was overcooked so Likens to when someone wants to do something a certain way that does not work right Turned out everything was soft except for the chewy and rough scallop perimeter bit long that it was not a pleasant experience to eat. It had a rough feel on my tongue and with the soft scallop insides and even softer uni topping, together did not work. The uni on top was OK but that effort got lost in the competing tough overcooked scallop outsides. Additionally, the salt content. The sushi guy might want to rethink the amount of salt to add to these creations. The Hawaii diet of rock salt added to foods makes foods so eloquent and full-bodied. That day, well, I wished I had brought my rock salt shaker! Think I'm gonna be doing that from now on by the way. Insert :pondering emoji: This great-sounding combination neither suited my palate in taste or feel. I'll tell ya, don't do it for that price. It's takai for what you get! And what I said about the rock salt for the uni scallops held true for this soup too! Lack of salt! I had to delve deep into my salt memories to conjure up some comfort. The taste was lost on the taste of unsalted water for udon broth. I love water but with soup ingredients added to it, that water plain won't ever be my favorite taste. Is it yours? Alas, the zenzaru that our gracious server made for us with the left over soup base, rice, and added egg was delicious mostly because she added salt [table salt not rock salt (which is healthier), unfortunately :( ] which brought out the flavors of the veggies and seafood that had simmered together for the first part of our meal. It still was not as salty as it should have been but was a small success for the night. Mel B. also explained that taste of the different sushi he ordered didn't match how great they looked. That says it all perfectly. One cannot get physically full on gorgeousness or beauty. Service is gracious and attentive but sometimes we had to call to ask for things here and there. Food taste is not as good as I thought it should have been; food quality seemed OK but knowing how to season food is first and foremost the key; portion sizes are not out of this world! Crazy! Pricing seriously needs restructuring if I'm coming back for another visit. Parking is fabulous bc it's plentiful above Whole Foods, at Ward Theaters, at Ward Center, or even TJ Maxx. If you promise that I'll be having Nabeyaki Udon for our next visit here and that I can bring my rock salt shaker with me, I'll agree to giving this place one more try. read more

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My brother too me and my husband to lunch here. It was very good. I had the sukiyaki bowl. My brother had the crab coquette and my husband had the japanese chirashi bowl. The food was very tasty. My sukiyaki bowl came with miso soup, chawanmushi, and pickle vegetables. You can choose 2 sides as well. I had kinpiria and agedashi tofu. My brother also ordered side order nigiri sushi. It was filling. Thank you again Craig T. For taking us here and for he's fellow yelper friend for recommended this place. Sorry I dont know that yelper friends name. Will be back. Stay safe wear your masks and support local. read more

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Gosh I really am meh about this place. The decor is nice and new(compared to makaloa location). The service was excellent. But ultimately the food was just average. There was nothing that was exciting or that stood out that I couldnt find at another izakaya. I would have really liked the sukiyaki spring roll but it was sooooo salty. Tofu was super silky and was great... but its tofu! The steak, below avg. The miso butter fish , again tasted like any other miso butterfish in Hawaii. My shima aji nigiri was dry and didn't seem fresh. I hope they kept their lunch special they had at their old place. That might be their saving grace. Would I return? Probably not, maybe for lunch if they have their specials. read more

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Rinka is in the upscale Ward area. The interior is very modern, clean, spacious, and has a fancy feel to it. I went for the first time for lunch and got the soba set. To be honest it wasn't the best soba I've had but my standards are pretty high having grown up in Japan. The sushi, chawanmushi, and little side dishes that came with it were very good. They tasted authentic and very fresh. The server was attentive and came to full our water and tea multiple times as well as getting everything we needed. I can't say much about an experience here outside of lunch hours but I'm sure it will live up to my expectation! read more

Rinka - Soba lunch set - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Rinka is definitely doing well during lunch! It quickly filled up within 10 minutes of opening their doors. They don't take lunch reservations, only dinner reservations. There is parking in the same structure as Whole Foods. Their location is kind of hard to find but they are on the Ewa Makai side of Whole Foods, next to an urgent care clinic. Service was friendly and prompt, really no complaints at all. Our food came out rather quickly too which is a big plus for me! I had the seafood chirashi and it comes with udon, chawanmushi and you can choose 2 little side dishes. Everything was delicious and I ate the whole thing! I would definitely return when craving some Japanese food. read more

Rinka - Seafood chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I ordered for the first time the Osechi box set. So beautifully organized! It was a definite conversation starter!! We weren't sure of half the items, but tried them all! Some we loved and some we were on the fence. From what I'm told most of the items have meaning. I did order Soba set to eat with my mom on New Year's Eve! It was very tasty!! I also ordered the Ozoni set again very tasty and easy to prepare. Pretty much just heat and serve!! We all loved the idea of having a very traditional Japanese NY day read more

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Japanese Restaurant Rinka has really been a great discovery. On my first visit here I came with Christal P. I had such a hard time finding the place. Do not use Waze to help you find this place. It will take you to a totally different place. I walked all the way around the Whole Foods parking lot before I found it. Rinka has a spacious, clean, and modern feel to it. I went to this restaurant long ago when it used to be near Keeaumoku and it seemed more compacted in there. I also remembered that at the restaurant we sat on the floor, Japanese style. At the new Rinka, there's no floor sitting. Christal and I came for lunch so we had their lunch specials. They have a variety of different entrees for lunch. I got their chicken karaage. That's the one thing that I remembered from their other location, their fried chicken was one of the best I've ever tasted. And of course when I got it this time, it was the same. It still tasted yummy as ever. The second time I came here I had the tempura. It had an assortment of vegetables, a white fish, and shrimp. It wasn't too oily and it came with two choices for sauces/dips. Normally people eat tempura with the sauce but their provided a different option, matcha salt. At first I didn't know what it was but my friend asked the waiter and he said that some people use the salt instead. I tried the salt and I thought it was better than the dipping sauce. It was so good. If you've never tried Rinka, give it a try. Their lunch specials are very good. I think at dinner you have to buy each item separately like izakaya. read more

Rinka - Chicken karaage lunch set - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Located in the same structure as Whole Foods. Clean, sleek, modern design, upgrade from the random location it used to be on Kapiolani. Almost all the patrons present at the time we went were native Japanese speakers. FOOD RECS: UNI AND BLACK SESAME TOFU MOUNTAIN YAM FRIES- very thick lightly fried yamaimo LOTUS SANDWICH- interesting with a shrimp fritter cake sandwiched between two pieces of fried lotus. I love lotus so this was a winner for me SUSHI DELUXE- 10 pieces for $50 but it's all the good ones including uni, oo-toro, chu-toro, scallop and ama ebi ! RINKA ROLL- hamachi, ahi, salmon, unagi, tamago and cucumber... a lot going on but the cuts of the fish are delicious SALMON CHAZUKE- really good salmon + ikura chazuke MISO BUTTERFISH- very generous cut of miso butterfish for $16 SO-SO: SNOW CRAB CROQUETTE- this was probably the only meh item of the night. It barely tasted like crab. The creamy potato flavor is the only thing coming through, which tastes fine, but you're paying for and expecting crab. The prices are pretty reasonable for the quality of food. Overall it's a solid izakaya. read more

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We had dinner last week and both food and service were excellent. There was a mixup on the gift card we tried to redeem. Midori (manager) went out of her way to investigate and resolve the issue for us. She drove to our home two days later before beginning her shift to deliver the corrected transaction. Midori takes customer service to another level. We were totally blown away. Thank you so much Midori. read more

Found this restaurant on Yelp after looking for places to eat around ward that weren't 1.5 hour wait times. I wasn't sure where this place was located because it is very out of the way. We called ahead and they were able to seat us right away. Parking can be found in Whole Foods, but if you are lucky, parking on the bottom right back corner of the theater will get you straight to their door the quickest. The menu was limited for lunch but they had enough for everyone to enjoy, even my picky 4 year old. My husband loved their sushi set except he was disappointed the uni (which was pictured) didn't come in the set. There was something about availability and if we wanted we could get it ala carte for $16, no thanks. The next day we ate here they had it removed from their menu in the sushi set and substituted it. The cream crab croquette was crunchy and flavorful. No chunks of crab but I did taste it. The sesame like dipping sauce was a perfect compliment. The tempura was good, a lotus root and thinly sliced white fish were two pieces I normally do not see in mixed tempura. That was a good surprise. My daughters chicken was crunchy and the right amount of seasoning, something I am not used to with karaage because it is mostly soft and sweet. Each set came with rice, miso soup, chawanmushi and two sides. The service was pleasant. It wasn't overly busy so the space felt relaxing. I noticed side areas for private parties to dine in. Overall, it was a quiet place in a jungle of skyscrapers that appealed to our tastebuds! read more

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New location on the ground floor of the Whole Foods building with easy free parking! Spacious, bright, and welcoming space. We wish we made it in for lunch (very different menu) but were pleased with our dinner. We didn't have a reservation, but you can easily make one online if you wanted to make sure you had a spot for Friday - Saturday. We came on a Monday evening and it was surprisingly busy! The two of us shared: -Sashimi combination (considered the deluxe but the main difference is that the deluxe has uni) -2 clam miso soups (a little salty) -Crab and salmon roe chawanmushi (order one per person if you can - a must!!!) -Salmon and ikura kamameshi (rice dish - SO good. Can be shared but is a little small for a rice dish) -Fish of the day special (a broiled fish head of the day - pretty good but the sauce was a little much) -Strawberry mochi with matcha tea (ONE piece of mochi cut in two - wouldn't recommend, though it was fine) We also got a sake sampler and a beer Everything was good quality and we were comfortably full by the end. We ran into minor service issues (they forgot to put our additional orders in, or forgot to add things to the bill), but I don't fully fault them for it - different people came to help and there were always good intentions. Overall a delicious, authentically Japanese spot. It was more than we had planned on spending, but there was nothing disappointing in anything that we ate, and that says a lot! read more

06/12/19 My dearest sweet friend took me to Rinka for lunch. Oh my! What a treat! They have lunch sets. Excellent! 05/92/19 Really enjoyed our dinner at Rinka... new location. My cousin ordered for us from the extensive menu and did such a great job. Everything was so fresh and tasty. I especially enjoyed the chicken hot pot, the squared, and the hibachi as well as the soft shell crab sushi. Service was great. The Decour is beautiful. We were seated in the back room however I guess because of the solid surface is we found it quite noisy. The parking is abundant so that makes it really nice as well. I missed the set menu because I felt it made it so much easier to order. I did feel we got great value for what it read more

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Only had a chance to get takeout today but We received very good customer service from their manger "Aki" and staff. food was very delicious, will see you folks next time. read more

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Good japanese spot in Kaka'ako for lunch. Bright space, quick service. Lunch menu comes in sets and there are a variety of options from chirashi bowl to tonkasu. Each set comes with steamed eggs, miso soup, rice, and two side dishes. We got eel and tonkasu. Eel was well flavored, tonkasu was on the lean side but it was tender and not greasy. All the side dishes were well done with the exception of miso soup, which is salty. Tofu cheesecake was a cute concept but it tasted a lot more like dense Greek yogurt than anything than reassembles cheesecake. read more

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Service was really good, and our waitress consistently checked to see if we wanted refills on our hot tea or to see if we needed anything else. I'm rating 3 stars because of the food. I ordered the Seafood Jewelry box and the uni wasn't fresh and tasted old. The rest of the seafood was okay and the rice was also just okay. I did appreciate the rice to seafood ratio cause the bowl wasn't predominantly rice, like how most places are. read more

Food was excellent and beautifully presented. Free parking in nearby lot. Not busy on weeknight.

Dinner in Kaka'ako, Honolulu... When our first choice for Happy Hour fell through, Lyla quickly suggested that we switch gears and go to dinner at Rinka - good choice! I wasn't feeling up to par that evening, so I had the chazuke with salmon and ikura...it hit the spot! Simple comfort food (that's not fried) really warmed my heart and helped me get better...I'm sure of it! On another occasion, Paul invited me to lunch with Lyla & Ed ...wow...I'm so glad I went. Paul lured me with the "lunch specials" ...haha...he knows me too well! I was regretting not ordering a full meal the last time I went to dinner at Rinka. My friends posted photos of yummy food and I wanted some! For this lunch, I ordered the Seafood Hitsumabushi which is like a Chirashi bowl with chopped sashimi and tamago. It had some uni and ikura for toppings - mmm! So good! There was a warm broth that can be poured over...it was ok...I liked my bowl without the broth for a more concentrated flavor. My lunch included udon with great texture and taste! The two sides that I chose were yummy tako and green beans with aburage...these were satisfactory. I liked my chawanmushi with its pieces of fishcake, mushroom, and shrimp! It was smooth and flavorful! Why not 5 stars? Maybe we came at a busy time. Ed flagged down our server for a refill of hot tea. Also, my sashimi seemed to have a fishy taste and some pieces were on the stringy side. Hmmm... I was a bit disappointed, but happy to be with my friends, so everything evened out. I have plans to return next month, so perhaps dinner will be better... P.S. Rinka is located on the ground level of the Whole Foods building. It's not visible from the street, so walk along the sidewalk and all the way to the far end of the building... across from the theater parking structure (free parking)...it's worth the hunt! Note: I parked in the Whole Foods parking structure - it's free! read more

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Japanese Restaurant Rinka is my favorite restaurant, I loved my very first visit to Rinka which was located at the original location on Makaloa Street. It is always a treat to get to dine at Rinka. I was sad to hear the Makaloa location had closed but Super happy that they opened up at a new location, at Ward behind Whole Foods. During the Spring Break I met up with my friend, when I met her for lunch the first time she visited Rinka she fell in love with Rinka too, so we both wanted to go back. Such a laugh out loud moment for both of us when we both got lost finding Rinka's new location. At that time with the yelp tips and getting information from the worker, we were still lost. It is in the back of Whole Foods, across from/near the theater side parking lot. ( This is my friend's directions she found Rinka while I was still lost looking for restaurnat., I was on the other end on Queen Street side) My friend and I sure enjoyed our visit and our meals. That was over a month ago and I really needed my Rinka fix, which was perfect for today's visit. I took the day off and took my mom to Rinka for her B-day, it is going to be our tradition as I took her last year. Oh my, I was so happy to be back at Rinka, I was even more happy when the food came out, nice presentation on our table. I loved and enjoyed my meal and my mom did too, she even thanked me for taking her here for lunch. When we arrived which was after 12 pm, the restaurant was already full, luckily I didn't have to wait for our table, as one of the tables just left. We were seated right after the waitress cleaned the table. She mentioned that there is already a line even before the restaurant opened. I called to see if they take reservations for lunch and remember the person who helped me said it was first come first serve. Why do I love Rinka? My opinion, best Japanese restaurant and so authentic. As I am enjoying my meal, I think to myself why do I need to go to Japan when I can just come here, (haha) Although the menu is simple and I want to try the other items on the menu, I always. always. always. always get my usual, which is the chicken karaage, my favorite! @Only 12.75 during lunch. I love how the karaage chicken comes in a small basket on a tray, in a set, with salad, rice, miso soup, pickled veggies, chawanmushi, and even salt and pepper for my chicken. I love when the side dishes comes out, its always a surprise when I get to pick my 2. My favorite sides are the fish cake and bittermelon, today I tried tofu with natto and lotus. Regarding BYOB, they now have their liquor license, I read that you can BYOB until 5.15. The only thing I don't like about Rinka's new location is that it is loud, the tables are close together, not that I am being nosy but I overheard 2 different conversations, at the tables next to me. Service was on the slow side during today's visit, understandable, since they were busy. As I glanced out the window while eating, I see more customers waiting outside. All in all, great place for lunch for sure! Welcome back Rinka!! I am looking forward to my next Rinka fixed. read more

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You can't see this restaurant from the street so it's easy to miss. It's in the same building as Whole Foods facing the movie theater side on the ground level. It was surprisingly crowded at lunchtime on a Saturday so make reservations if you have a large party. The menu has everything from chirashi to karaage chicken. I chose the crab croquets which comes with rice, miso soup, chawanmushi, and sides. The portion is great for the price. On par with most teishoku spots but what sets it aside is it comes with that delicately steamed egg chawanmushi, which is perfectly done. Also you choose two sides from a rotating selection. They have seaweed to gobu to tako. The croquettes were crispy but the filling was light on crab flavor. Still tasty though. Overall it's a good spot for some Japanese food. Parking is easy in ward village. Look forward to trying other selections! read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It happened again. After hearing and reading such great things about Japanese Restaurant Rinka (JRR), I was so excited to try here. What a better way to dine with close Yelp friends with similar food standards. I did my due diligence with reading multiple reviews and glanced at many photos. I so wanted to like JRR. I really did. First of all, it was a little hard to find this restaurant but a nearby security guard guided me. I arrived just at opening only to find a relatively empty restaurant. I really appreciated the spacious layout. My friends arrived shortly and we were given a choice of where to sit and chose a table corner. I pretty much had my mind set after seeing photos and reading positive reviews of the Hitsumabushi Set. The main bowl had assorted cubes of raw fish and sweetened dashimaki egg over vinegar rice. The bowl also had IKURA, fresh salmon roe and about 2 clusters of Japan UNI (sea urchin) that sat on 1/2 of a SHISO leaf. A small container of warm fish stock came along if you chose to pour it over the rice. Sounds good? Yes. But the taste? Sub par. First of all, the fish cuts were disappointing. My friend also ordered the same thing and we both found the seafood with an undesirable fishy taste. Toss in some stringy sinew in the fish. The seafood downgraded the meal. This made me think the fish wasn't fresh and/or of lower grade cuts. At JRR, you choose your own 2 side dishes that the staff delivers to your table in a large tray. I selected the Onsen Tamago and Agedashi Tofu which I also found subpar. The flavor lacked finesse. Potato starch was used to thicken the sauce and when left out in room temperature for some time, the texture is slimy. Hence, I found it unappetizing. The set also came with Chawanmushi, a savory steamed custard that had over cooked chicken inside. A thin layer of slimy sauce sat on top. Sad face. The only highlight of the meal was the bowl of Udon noodles. The soup was temperature hot and the flavor was good. I found it sad that one of the side dishes was the star of the meal. Service was spotty. It started off promising but a couple of times we had to flag the staff for water and hot tea refills. Despite JRR was empty when arriving at 11am, in less than an hour the restaurant was packed. I was fortunate to have had great company but sadly the food was a disappointment. For $21.75 there was a lot of food but would have preferred less volume and better quality. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing or am I spoiled by eating better quality at other establishments? I intend to come back again to allow JRR a chance at redemption as it's still soft opening for them. NOTE: Lots of parking upstairs at Whole Foods and at the theater complex next door. read more

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I've been a fan of Rinka when they were at their Kapiolani location behind Heald College. Now they are located in the Ward area behind Whole Foods between Whole Foods and the theater parking. The restaurant is very bright and has a modern style to it. The natural light that comes in definitely brightens up the place. I'm a huge fan of the light fixture directly above you when you walk in. You are immediately greeted when you enter. The host/hostess is very friendly and the service here is what you would expect from any good Japanese restaurant. It didn't take long for the restaurant to fill up. Every table was occupied and I believe I was the only non Japanese in there. I came for lunch and the menu was very simple. Thanks to Yelp, I decided to get their Seafood Hitsumabushi. Lyla D's photo made it an easy decision. The meal came out in a reasonable amount of time. Presentation was spot on and we also got to pick two sides from a tray they bring around. The udon that came with my set came out hot! I thought the noodles were perfect and had the right amount of chewiness. The Seafood Hitsunabushi has fresh fish and the uni on top was so creamy! They even included hot fish broth to add to it if I wanted. It really changed the flavor and I was surprised that I liked it. Chawanmushi is a favorite of mine and they make great Chawanmushi. Only the piece of chicken was overcooked in it. Aside from that, this meal was excellent. Portions are generous and I couldn't finish it all but solid Japanese restaurant! read more

Rinka - Seafood Hitsumabushi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went here for lunch. The menu options are pretty typical of most japanese restaurants. The fish is very fresh and prepared well. There is an open kitchen so watching the chef prepare the fish is also entertaining if you're at the counter. The down side is portion size. I got the chirashi and there were so few pieces of fish. You get your choice of a couple side dishes and it also comes with udon which I think is to help you fill up but really I would have preferred a more hearty chirashi since I didn't go there for udon. Might try and see if dinner is different. read more

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Came for dinner and got the wagyu sukiyaki. It is PERFECTION. Just get it. You won't be disappointed!

A la carte Japanese food After watching movie at AMC theater I have decided togo some food home. I found this place right next to the building its in the same building with Whole foods market but more like on the Aeo residency side. I had a sashimi combo. Everything was fresh and delicious except the udon noodles was not good and they were hard to chew. Not sure because I ordered togo or whatsoever. Service was good. The restaurant looked very clean. read more

Rinka - Sashimi combo - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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When Yelp emails me about a new restaurant that I've already had in my saved list for two months, it's a not so subtle reminder to get my foodie butt in motion. Granted Rinka isn't "new" but has relocated from Kapiolani to behind the Kakaako Whole foods and behind the Ward theaters with lots of free parking in the area. Be aware the lunch menu is vastly limited compared to dinner, so if you want all the goodies, lunch isn't going to scratch that itch. Two of my party went with the lunch special of the day, a negitoro don, over non-sushi white rice, with finely shredded scrambled egg, green onions, wasabi, and shredded nori. A seafood hitsumbabushi joined the fray, as did a beef sukiyaki. The special and seafood hitsumbabushi came with udon and chawanmushi. Everyone was additionally offered two bite size plate choices which ranged from tempura fishcake, octopus, fresh fruit, adagashi tofu, pickled vegetables, and many other choices. The negitoro fish was good and seemed fresh, but needed a little bit of flavor. I'm still torn on whether the rice should have been sushi rice, but the shredded egg and nori completed the meal for a very clean feel. The udon noodles were fairly standard, but the broth was the winner. Bursting with flavor, without being overly salty, I actually used a bit of the broth to flavor my negitoro don rice. The seafood hitsumbabushi was a Bara Chirashi, which has the fish and egg chopped up poke style rather than larger pieces sashimi style. Rinka included two pieces of uni and shiso leaf to finish the dish. Rice was also not sushi. The dish also included an additional sauce which we believe is dashi meant to further flavor the Chirashi. The fish was firm, along with the salmon fish eggs. We had a lengthy discussion what exactly that sauce was because we're food nerds. The beef sukiyaki had a fair amount of thin tender beef, with noodles, enoki mushrooms, cabbage, and mushrooms in a sweeter than normal broth. Portions for the main dishes were generous and most people will feel fairly full after having both udon and their main dish. The bite size, side dishes probably would have been better if they were hot, but I did like the tofu and the tempura style fish cake that I chose. I have to hand it to Rinka, as I normally dislike Chawanmushi, but theirs was the right level of firmness for me and I ate the whole thing. Service was slow for us and it seemed like Rinka was significantly understaffed for lunch despite the endless crowd inside eating and outside waiting for a table. This is expected though. Staff is still responsive, polite, and professional though. The interior is clean and modern with a bar that currently doesn't have a license to serve alcohol just yet. Thus, enjoy the BYOB for the time being. It does appear that Rinka did bring over all of the booze the regulars kept at the old location. read more

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Just last month, February 2019, when we were dining at Rinka (OG in former Heald College building) we noticed a sign that they were relocating to the Kaka'ako neighborhood. Wow! We were so excited to welcome our fave Japanese restaurant near to our home. We set out to locate it and easily found it in the same structure as Whole Foods Market Queen so there's a lot of free parking available. They're currently in a soft-opening stage and will have their Grand Opening mid-March. However, they're allowing the public in to dine while they work out any kinks. We recognized and were recognized by some of the servers who worked at the original site. Service was friendly, attentive and efficient. The décor is decidedly modern and sleek with a 7-seat sushi bar facing into the open kitchen and 7-seat bar (they're waiting for their liquor license but expect a full bar). There is a private dining room that seats 20 people while the main dining room seats about 50 people. The open seating layout complements the floor to ceiling plate glass windows that fronts the restaurant. As we were there only for lunch, their simple menu features many of their former standards and a monthly and daily special. Prices are reasonable and portion sizes still offer good value for the high quality. FOOD: -Today's Special: Salmon donburi (flaked grilled salmon & ikura) atop sushi rice, a bowl of steaming hot udon, a cup of chawanmushi (savory egg custard), tsukemono and 2 small side dishes. $19.75 -Chicken karaage: 5 pieces of Japanese crisp fried boneless chicken pieces, kale salad, a bowl of steaming hot white rice, miso soup, tsukemono, and a cup of chawanmushi. $12.75 -Kinako chiffon cake: kinako or roasted soybean flour was used to create this chiffon cake. It had a nice spongy texture but yet a bit of chewiness from added oil or butter. It was a nice light and not overly sweet finish to our savory meals. $7.75 The food was as good as we remember from Rinka's original location and the new modern and bright interior is welcoming. We can't wait to return for dinner. NOTE: Their DOH Pass shows their address as 388 Kamakee Street but their dining receipt shows 1001 Queen Street, Ste. 105. I don't know which address is correct. read more

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Rinka is an authentic and simple Japanese restaurant. You won't find anything original "here but if you are looking for solid, consistent and authentic Japanese food, I recommend Rinka. As someone who misses authentic food in Japan, including simple foods like hijiki, natto, kinpira, etc., you can get it here! I personally love how they have handled everything with COVID and feel safe eating there knowing that most restaurants are packing people close to full capacity without considering customer and worker's health. The space is spacious and clean. Although I admit the last time I was there was in late July before the recent spike in positive cases. I enjoy coming for lunch to get their lunch set. The sushi tastes fresh, too. Their lunch set menu comes with a lot of side dishes, which I love! (See pictures for details). Definitely recommend Rinka to those who are seeking a clean, tasty, and authentic Japanese meal! read more

We ate here 3 nights in a row!!!!! If that isn't testament to the good service and good food, I don't know what is. The staff were all so so friendly :) They are very attentive and kind. The food is simple but very good. The first day, I had the Grilled Salmon Belly and rice. I always get the Crab and Ikura Chawanmushi. It's awesome. My boyfriend got the chicken karaage (AMAZING) and spicy salmon R&R roll. He liked both a lot. The second day, my boyfriend got some unagi on rice. It wasn't on the menu, but the staff were super accommodating and still made it for him. I got the spicy pork hot pot, which was very hearty and yummy. On the third night, my boyfriend ordered the same thing he got on day one, because he liked it so much. I got the grilled horse mackerel and the chawanmushi! :) For dessert, we got the creamy homemade milk pudding all 3 nights. You can have strawberry or caramel as a topping, but the pudding by itself is the best in my opinion! The ambiance if very good. It's a clean and pretty restaurant. Honestly, I am sad I can't eat it every single night ever, since we are leaving! :) Highly highly recommend. I always forget to take pics :( sorry read more

7/11/21 Usually on a Sunday after church my girlfriend and I would go out and get some lunch somewhere. On this day we decided to try Rinka as we both wanted Japanese food and been want to try this place out. Definitely was a very good choice coming here. Location/ parking: Rinka is located in Ward villages right next to a straub clinic in Honolulu. Parking is nice here as the restaurant is in the same building as the whole foods parking structure so you can just park there and take the elevator down to the ground floor. Plus parking is free. Service/ ambiance: Rinka has a clean, simplistic and modern vibe to the restaurant. The staff here are all very friendly. They'll great you at the front door as check your temps as well as get your contact info for tracing. All are wearing mask and gloves. Our waitress was very efficient/ attentive with us. Service is pretty quick here which was nice. Food: The food here is just delicious for sure. Very good authentic Japanese cuisine. My girlfriend and I order the lunch sets this visit. They offer separate entrees and sushi dishes as well if you don't want set meals. We got the Rinka sushi set and nabeyaki udon set. Both was very delicious and came with some side dishes. Definitely recommend these set lunches. Dessert was very good as well. Rinka in my book a definitely must try restaurant if your craving some authentic Japanese cuisine. Especially if your in the area I would check them out. Awesome staff and delicious Japanese food for sure. read more

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Located on the same block as Whole Foods in the Ward area, it's hard to spot unless you drive down the side street or walking in the general area. Okinawan Sweet Potato Tempura: 5/5. Standard tempura style. I enjoyed it because the batter was not heavy. Watercress Salad with Miso Dressing: 5/5. This was surprisingly the best dish of the night. Chopped finely and mixed (on the lighter side) with the dressing, the watercress was easy and tasty to consume. Tempura Combo: 5/5. See reason above of the Okinawan sweet potato tempura. Stingray fin: 5/5. This was another surprising dish. Think of dried aku in terms of driedness and edibility, but a different taste. I would definitely order this again. Miso Sauce Eggplant: 4/5. Not bad. It's one of those nice to try dishes, even if you would never order again. All in all, I would definitely come here again. read more

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Rinka Review #2: OMG we are back again, can't get enough of this place. When you have out of town guest and they want japanese food this is a great place, nice combo lunches and assorted side dishes (this way they can taste a little of everything). We usually go at 11am to beat the crowds and try to get the back private rooms (which we did), but next time I think we will try sitting on the lanai for lunch, looks so relaxing and might not feel the need to rushed. We all ordered something different this time, I've posted the pictures and everyone LOVED their combo meal. I had the udon set and OMG it was so huge and had nice size scallops in the bowl. Also came with rice with tsukemono on top, love this combo, the last time I had sukiyaki and the rice didn't have the tsukemono on top. Service was the same exceptional as always, they were kinda rushing us and kept asking if we were done, totally understand they probably had a party for the private rooms and needed us out. If you haven't gone to this place yet, then head on over or I might beat you to it. read more

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It's very comfortable and private Yummy Japanese food Good location and convenient parking read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Solid Japanese food. Last time I came here we tried the tempura and crab cream croquette. In the past I recall trying their noodle dishes which was good too. The unique thing about Rinka is that they give you a choice in their vegetable side dishes. I love getting their hijiki and eggplant. The restaurant is near Whole Foods at Ward. Its has a clean and bright atmosphere. Post-covid, the menu has sorta dialed down to a more simplified menu, but its still has a lot of choices. read more

Rinka - Tempura and crab cream croquette - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food and service excellent! Haven't been back in a while, very pleased with the menu selection.

Stopped-in after catching a movie in Kaka'ako. Restaurant is located opposite end of the same building as Whole Foods. There was an 1-hour wait. There were a couple of tables that were open but reserved for reservations. It's 8:30pm when we got in. The ambience was very clean, modern, and cozy. Still lot's of people in the restaurant. The hostess greeted and escorted us to our table. Our server Nana immediately followed up right after. She was very nice and attentive. She made sure our tea cups was always full. The menu was pretty extensive. We started off with the Salmon Chazuke $9.75 which was hot with very strong Salmon taste, so refreshing. The only thing about the menu was that they don't put the description of ingredients in the Rolls, just the name of it and the price. We had the Rinka Roll with a picture and the price. We ask Nana as we point out the ingredient what was this and what was that. Had to make sure there were no shellfish because the wifey is allergic to shellfish. The Rinka Roll $15 had Ahi, Salmon, Hamachi, Tamago, and Cucumber. It was rolled really big with 4 slices of fresh, tasty, and mouth watery. It was good. The Diamond Peak Roll $18.75 had Shrimp Tempura, Avocado, Asparagus, truffle shavings. This roll was unique in every way. No hot or soy sauce needed. It had an incredible taste on it's own. Everything so fresh and flavorful. My new fav. The Chicken Kaarage $8.75 was lightly battered and well seasoned. They had salt and pepper on the side as a dip. The Miso Butterfish $16.75 nicely glazed was cooked to perfection. It was firmly moist and very tasty. The Lotus Manjyu was just okay, had to try something different. And the Nigiri-Salmon $8 and Ikura $9.50 with the Salmon being my first choice was good. We topped off the evening with Green Tea Ice Cream, Azuki Beans and fresh fruits $7.75. It was very satisfying. I will definitely be back soon. An incredible experience. read more

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Atmosphere - Came here on a Friday afternoon around 12:30 and had to wait around 15-20 minutes. The overall restaurant is clean and spacious. Food - We ordered the pork loin katsu, tempura, ans the seafood hitsumabushi (kind of like chirashi but smaller cuts of fish and I think you pour some sort of liquid over it). The tempura and tonkatsu were very good. In addition, you also get to choose 2 sides that come with the meal - all the options were delicious and healthy. The hitsumabushi was a miss for me - maybe because I was unsure what exactly it was and how to eat it. The liquid had no flavor and the fish were cut too small for me (and lots of egg). The udon that came with it was also not flavorful - I personally think the shirokiya food court udon has better broth. Will get the chirashi next time. Overall, very good!! read more

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