Pro: Great location. Conveniently located in the heart of Kakaako. Authentic Japanese cuisine Fresh fish! I loved the food! Clean & modern decor and spacious dining area Ample parking by Whole Foods Con: Poor customer service. I just called this restaurant a few days ago to inquire about a large group reservation and did not have a good experience. Not at all interested in gaining business but won't budge on their private room hours 5-7 or 7-9. Period. Pricing. They tried to upsell me $125/pp Courtesy (lack of)- upon arrival they checked on reservation they couldn't find and insisted on finding the proof though the whole restaurant was nearly empty. Really? I heard from others but I had to see it for myself. They were right. Great food. Unfriendly service. read more

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Food was delicious for every bite from main dish to side dishes. Service was fast, sweet, and friendly. The place was beautiful. read more

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known for their authentic japanese food, Rinka's dinner menu can be a little expensive, so i always visit during their lunch hours for the best Lunch Set deals that start at $17.75. the sets come with a lot of food and there are lots of different options to choose from, plus ala carte if you don't want too much! we got the Beef Sukiyaki ($23.75) that comes with a runny onsen egg on the side of a sweet beef sukiyaki pot with a bunch of veggies and tofu. i got the Sashimi Set ($32.75) that came with chutoro, akami, hamachi, salmon, ika and scallop, along with rice, chawanmushi, mini udon, and tsukemono. the lunch sets also come with 2 side dishes of your choice - i love their simmered eggplant and agedashi tofu! there's lots of seating inside and outside, and the sets definitely come with so much food for the price! plus, there's lots of free parking around Ward Village! read more

We love Rinka! We've gone multiple times since our first visit. Although it's a bit on the pricier side, the portion sizes and quality make it worth it. We've tried a variety of dishes and have been satisfied with all of them. They offer many Japanese dishes, so most people will likely find something they enjoy. The main dishes usually come with several sides, which is a nice touch. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience and will definitely be going back! read more

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My sister and I were craving sushi after shopping and we decided to try Rinka. We didn't have a reservation, but were able to get a table at the ending of the lunch hour. We both got set meals that came with bowls of udon. We also wanted to try the chicken karaage, but they ran out and we opted for tempura (which was still delicious!) and it came with matcha salt! What's not pictured if our sides that we had to pick at the beginning. We each picked two sides and they came in little bowls that were enough for like 2 bites maybe. It's a little on the pricey side, but super tasty and this place could be for a casual lunch or special occasion. read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Such nice service. With a large group they fit us in and the food was amazing. Even though we ordered own, lots of sharing. Evidently if you get tonkatsu, the shrimp is different batter and higher quality than the normal tempura. Yum. The tea is roasted green and really yummy. Fun time. See pictures read more

Authentic Japanese cuisine. Foods are very good. Very hospitable staffs. Place is clean and orderly. Price is quite high because of the location, Hawaii. But they really serve good authentic Japanese foods. It's worth plus the place is nice and relaxing. read more

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Come to Rinka for lunch!! It'll be the best deal, you get so much food + sides. The best thing was the chicken karaage and nabeyaki! read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came to Rinka on a Monday night for dinner and had a great experience! We ordered the Seafood Jewelry Box, the Motsu Hot Pot, and the Miso Marinated Butterfish. Everything we tried was fresh and flavorful - the sashimi was especially good, and the hot pot had a nice level of spice without being overpowering. Portions were generous across the board, which helped justify the slightly higher prices on the menu. Most of the set meals come with a solid mix of sides: things like noodles, tempura, salad, and/or sushi/sashimi so you definitely get a full meal. Service was friendly and attentive! Parking was easy in the Ward area, and the restaurant is located in the same building as Whole Foods. read more

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Baby and Mommy Date Night Dinner...this is our new Date Night spot since it's easy for parking, close to the playground if got time (this time we stopped by the dog park to wave at every single dog) and they are usually pretty empty early. Res is always a good idea though...we were put in the back corner which is perfect since it's a straight shot to the restroom and don't disrupt other patrons. They set up a booster which is perf for us. As soon as sat, ordered a chawan mushi since takes a little while and comes out super hot so need cooling time for baby... and me since I steal some bites. Also got an April special - Chutoru, Hotate, Amaebi nigiri all with uni on top. Baby has eaten all before but she getting picky so gave it back to me. Good, no need share! We got the Shokado which is much bigger in real life than in the picture. - Hot Udon - baby loooves their udon. I got a couple noodles. - Rice - Sashimi - YUM. 1 leaf shiso and some ogo. That was mine. - Dragon ball - no clue what it's called but looks like an egg with pokies. It's oki sweet pot. Pretty good, and I don't typically like sweet pot. - Little salad - yum. - Shrimp Tempura and couple veggies - baby and I split 1 shrimp and she ate the potato. Batter so nice and light. - Tamago - baby ate that but i had a bite. Yummy - Salmon, Unagi, Beef, Shrimp, Abalone, something else, tsukemono - Ate all the next day. Delish. We both left full and we still had enough for 2 meals the next day since other than sashimi things, nothing got finished. I did spend over $100...but that's b/c nigiri. Totes worth it. read more

Rinka - Shokado - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for lunch, we had reservations for 11AM (opening) and there were a few groups of people already lined up when we arrived. We were seated promptly, and out waiter took our order quickly. We got lunch sets which is such a good deal- comes with a few additional added sides and you get to choose additional 2 small side items. The jewelry box (similar to chirashi bowl) was amazing & very filling. It came with udon, chawanmushi, plus 2 sides. All the additional sides were great! I would definitely come again for their lunch set deals.z read more

As I am always looking for a good excuse to use up our Resy credit on our Amex Gold cards, I was delighted to find this restaurant on the Resy platform. Easy reservation on the app and we came hungry for some quality Japanese cuisine. Service was very friendly and responsive. It was a very clean and modern environment. Interior decor was not too showy although I thought it was a bit odd that it did not feel like a Japanese restaurant. It felt more like a modern Italian restaurant. Just me. Matcha beer was new for me and it was pleasantly bitter. Echigo beer went better with sashimi for my taste. We ordered: Hamburger Steak Bluefin Tuna Bowl Chirashi Bowl Deluxe Pork Cutlet The sets were beautifully presented in their own tray and all of them were very fresh and tasty. Prices are high but you get what you pay for. Would love to come back for their sukiyaki. read more

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Love this place! Nice casual atmosphere. Service is timely and helpful. Free parking at the Ward Village parking structure (Rinka's in the same building). Food is outstanding! Our group ordered the unagi set, tempura set, jewelry box and salmon/ikura chazuke. Everything tasted great and the total meal size was very filling. Notice that hot or cold udon and shrimp tempura are both included with each set. Can't wait to dine here again! read more

Rinka - Top left clockwise: unagi (eel) set, tempura set, chicken karaage appetizer, jewelry box and salmon/ikura chazuke. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I really enjoy coming to Rinka - it's one of my favorite Japanese restaurants on Oahu. The food has always been stellar. I've been here for lunch and dinner, and it's been great every time. I really enjoy the beef sukiyaki set. There is just enough food to leave me satisfied but not stuffed. All of the food I've been served seems freshly made, and there is obvious attention to detail and quality. Superb. The service here has always been great for me too! We are usually seated promptly if we have a reservation, and the waiter is cheerful & helpful with the menu items. I have no complaints here either. I recommend a reservation before coming here. The restaurant itself is large and does not feel cramped. The decor is classy, and the restaurant feels clean and well-kept. I like the modern Japanese decor too. I highly recommend dining if you're in the Kakaako/Ward area. read more

Amazing authentic Japanese food. We were behind schedule and trying to make a movie at Ward theaters and briefly mentioned that to the host. The entire wait staff were extremely efficient in taking our order and ensuring that we had our food in a timely manner. My friend ordered the spicy pork hotpot which he was really pleased with, and said it was very tasty. I had the shrimp tempura and was impressed by how large the shrimps were, along with being so flavorful and cooked just right. It was accompanied by salmon and ahi sashimi. Both meals came with an abundance of condiments and there was so much food neither of us could finish our meals, as delicious as everything was! read more

The rice container was covered in mold. The sushi rice was also being made from the rice stored in this container. read more

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Don't even know where to begin. Just don't go here. It is a laundry list of issues from start to finish. The food quality was poor, and the overall experience was completely unacceptable. Save your money and your dignity. There are plenty of great Japanese restaurants in Honolulu that actually deserve your business, serve quality food, and treat customers properly. Fortunately, you can easily avoid this place. read more

Had dinner at Rinka last night with a good friend since I hadn't been in a while. Noticed the menu's changed a lot--definitely feels more expensive than before. Food was just okay, but the service was really great! My favorite dish was the black sesame tofu. read more

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Possibly a hidden gem at Ward Village. Been here a couple of times and came out impressed. Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 5/5 Food 5/5 Made reservations each time and we were seated at the private dining area. Nice selection of items. We tried a few rolls and appetizers. Also personal bento trays. The bento trays are sufficient for an adult. We enjoyed the miso, tempura, sashimi, noddles, etc. Miso was cooked perfectly. Tempura was not overly oily and sashimi were fresh. Softshell crab roll was good as well. Dessert were good as well. Portions are small enough for you to just satisfy your sweet cravings. Service is excellent. I was concerned that the server may not check up on us since we're not visible from the main dining area but she made sure to come back repeatedly refilling waters and asking if our food was ok or if we needed anything. We've enjoyed our dining experience and would return again. read more

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Hubby and I are on a mission to try every Japanese restaurant that we can in Honolulu and Rinka was on the list. Had a reservation for lunch on Friday and we were seated promptly. While the restaurant was just getting going for Friday lunch the place had a hurried, rushed feel to it and after being approached 3 times to order, we did and the food came out in less than 5 minutes, which was not a particularly good sign. Hubby's shrimp tempura was hot and flaky but my sashimi lunch looked nothing like the menu pictures, more like poke sized pieces in a small curved bowl. VERY disappointing. Taste not that great. Not that fresh and later that day I had a bad reaction to my suspicion. No drinks, just tea and the lunch for two with tip was $78.00. We probably wont return, too rushed, food was mediocre for the price and the entire experience sub par. read more

Highly recommend having a reservation in advance! We decided to try this place on a whim while on vacation and they were fully packed but had a slot for us at 7:30. Unfortunately, we had little kids with us whose bed time is fairly early and if you have smaller kids, you'd know going out late is a big no no. The staff were really accommodating as we got there early and asked if we could be sat earlier if there was a cancellation. They offered us to sit outside for a no wait. It was windy but humid so we took our chances. Lightweight regretted it but that was our problem not theirs. Really appreciated the accommodation. Thanks so much team rinka! Food was good for the set, but I still left hungry. I honestly think you can get better on the island, but it was worth the experience. Presentation was A+, service was top notch. Fishes were really fresh. There was a parking garage in the same vicinity free of charge. read more

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I wanted to like this place, but it wasn't quite on par with the price point. The sushi was good, but not amazing. I did hear the server tell another guest that there was only one sushi chef while we were there, but we actually got our food relatively quickly. And we ordered the yuzu cheesecake, and were shocked at how small the piece was. I probably shouldn't have been picturing a piece of cheesecake as large as one from the Cheesecake Factory when we ordered it. This place wasn't bad, but there are probably some better options out there. read more

This was the most disappointing chirashi I've ever had for the price and quality. I ordered the premium chirashi for over $65 a bowl, and it came with barely half a spoon of uni that smelled terrible "Sewer smell from bad uni". The tuna slices were paper-thin and not fresh at all. My wife and I spent over $140 for two bowls and still left hungry. To make things worse, we were seated outside because I brought one of my kids and they claimed to be fully booked. Yet, for the entire time we were there, half the restaurant sat empty. On top of that, we had to deal with flies landing on our food, waving them away every time we tried to eat. It completely ruined the experience. We were also given cheap chinese togo packet soy sauce, while guests dining inside received house-made soy sauce a ridiculous contrast for a supposedly semi high priced sushi restaurant. If this review gets deleted again, I'll repost it with screenshots. Customers deserve to know the truth before spending this kind of money. so keep deleting it, instead of apologizing. read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

One of my go-to when I crave Japanese meals. Love their lunch set with kobachi. Service is consistently good. Spacious and relaxing ambiance. read more

Got take out for lunch and I didn't know how massive this bento is! Definitely a good amount of food! The tempura had oroshi (grated daikon) and tempura sauce, and then green tea salt. I was super happy with the green tea salt as it went so well with the tempura. The tempura had an amazing variety and was super good. The sides were also so delicious. Very impressed with the bento! Will definitely try the other bentos next time! read more

Rinka - Tempura bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great food. Friendly service. Very clean and attentive staff. Food on the pricier end but portions are large.

I come to Rinka regularly, and it never disappoints! This time I ordered the salmon skin salad and the salmon belly set, and both were amazing! The salad was super refreshing& the salmon skin was perfectly crisp and balanced with fresh greens The dressing is also outstanding. The salmon belly set was rich and buttery, cooked just right, and such a comforting, satisfying meal. What I love about Rinka is that the quality is always consistent, the portions feel generous for the price, and the service is attentive! The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, and, it always feels like a great experience! Definitely one of my go-to spots in Honolulu for fresh and authentic Japanese food. Highly recommend! read more

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Disappointing Service & Incomplete Order Unfortunately, our experience here was really disappointing. Our server forgot part of our order--we never received our appetizer the corn or the bacon asparagus we ordered. By the time we realized, we were already eating our meals and he was nowhere to be found. The burger was just okay--thick, but not juicy, and the red sauce on it was overly sweet, which threw off the flavor. I ordered the hamburger à la carte, which was large enough, and added a side of rice. Together, it made a full meal. Our server went missing after taking our order--I think he was handling a large party in the back. Still, he never checked on us, even after we had finished eating. We waited 15 minutes with no water refill and no one following up. No other staff offered to step in, and we couldn't even wave anyone down. After 20 minutes, we were still sitting there, completely ignored. Eventually, we flagged down another server who was clearly busy, but he still apologized for the missing items, cleared our dishes, and we ended up paying with him. Meanwhile, our original server was still MIA. As for the rest of the table: -- My son said his 3-piece chicken meal he said it was fine. -- My husband had the pork cutlet, which he said was okay, but he left unsatisfied. That said, the ambiance was bright, the restaurant was clean and roomy, and the chairs were comfortable. Overall, between the forgotten items, absent service, and underwhelming food, we expected better. read more

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Date: 1/3/25 Time: 12:00pm What they got right: Food quality, efficiency, and value for lunch sets. Also, free parking! Areas for improvement: Can't think of any. Recommend? YES! My crab cream croquette lunch set ($18.75) came with miso soup, side salad, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard with shrimp & chicken), white rice, pickles and a choice of 2 side dishes. I felt it was A LOT of food for me! But I ate it all because it was that good. The croquettes were creamy, crabby tasting and crunchy. This is my favorite lunch set. read more

Rinka - Crab cream croquette lunch set ($18.75) with white rice, side salad, pickles, miso soup and chawanmushi. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here with high expectations, but left very disappointed. The food was just average, nothing memorable. The main issue was the checkout experience. We were told there is a "minimum 18% tip," and when I didn't select that amount, they brought a manager over and kept insisting until I signed. I understand tipping is common in the U.S., but this felt more like pressure than a choice, which made the whole experience uncomfortable. read more

wanted to check out this place for lunch because i saw a reel on instagram. i do understand i came on memorial day and they were pretty busy. the food was amazing! just disappointed that i had to ask for water and a drink menu after my food was delivered. service just felt a little rushed. would love to come back in for lunch but also not sure if i want to experience that again. read more

Me and my husband had a reservation with his coworker and wife at 8pm (they close at 9). We were promptly seated and the hostess just gave us a small reminder kitchen's last call was at 845 which we were fine with. Our server then came and got our drink orders and reminded us again abut last call; which is understandable. But, after that it was like he was rushing to get us out as soon as he took our drink orders. Every 5 minutes he came back to ask us if we were ready to order, if we had any questions, but at the very end he would say "just another reminder kitchen last call is at 845" and he would say it in a very rushed and "hurry up" kind of tone. Any time he stopped by our table (roughly very 5 minutes) he would remind us about kitchen's last call and it become stressful (you know how when your hosting a party, and you're trying to "hint" to everyone that the party's over? "Dang, it's getting late..." kind of vibe? yeah, THAT). I would like to say the food was very good but the environment of being rushed in and out and being reminded to hurry up before I could take a breath was very off-putting and honestly ruined the entire dinner for not only me, but my husband and our guests (you know it's bad when my husband notices things like this). I didn't even attempt to finish half of my meal because of feeling so pressured to hurry up and get out I just gave up. So, would I go back? at the moment; no, but maybe in the future or if we had a different server but it probably won't be for a while read more

Been here a couple times before and was usually a great experience. We decided to come here for my birthday lunch and this time, my friend and I ordered the sashimi set. Expecting the slices mentioned (chutoro, tuna, salmon, etc.). Once we got our food we noticed they swapped out a couple slices, specifically the most expensive item--the chutoro. It was replaced by a slice of flounder and squid, nothing in comparison to chutoro. The squid was also extra fishy and slimy. We asked the server and he said it was the "chefs choice" and what they had for the day--Which was not what the menu listed, it said specifically which items it came with. He went back to check and updated us saying that they were out of chutoro for the day. Mind you, this was during lunch. At the very least, we should've been informed that they were out of chutoro when we ordered and offered us alternatives. Rather than let us discover the change and inquire about it. Completely unprofessional on the waiter and chef honestly. Did not even receive any sorry or offer to fix the issue. TLDR: $32 dollars for a lunch set that didn't even include their most expensive cut. Couldn't even get an apology at that price lol. Even McDonald's would let you know if they were out of something before you ordered. Would not come back again. read more

Rinka - Squid on bottom left and sad piece of flounder to the right of the salmon. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We had a reservation for two but brought our child along. When we arrived, the receptionist pointed out that our reservation was only for two. That would've been understandable if the place was full but there were plenty of empty tables. Despite that, we were seated at a very small table meant for two. All three of us ordered food and somehow made everything fit, but it was cramped and uncomfortable the entire time. What made it more frustrating was that those larger empty tables remained unused even after we finished our meal, ya know the tables we easily could've been seated at from the start. The food itself was good, no complaints there. But the service and lack of flexibility really took away from the experience. Unfortunately, because of that, we probably won't be coming back. read more

Very clean atmosphere, great for mid size groups. Had mothers birthday here and food was great and service was great. read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for dinner and it was excellent. I ordered the grilled wagyu set and everything was on point--beautiful presentation, great portion, and tons of variety with the sides. The wagyu was rich and tender on the tabletop grill, and the tempura was light and crispy. Service was attentive and the ambience was calm and cozy. Definitely coming back for dinner again. read more

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Amazing food and amazing service. The ambiance is nice and the portions were great. I lived in Japan for several years and this is the closest I've had to authentic even in Hawaii which has lots of Japanese places to choose from. Rinka is right next to the Whole Foods in kakaako and it's easy to park at the ward theatre parking lot and walk over. Always a very pleasant experience and the lunch sets are an incredible value! You can get an amazing teshoku style lunch for under $30 per person which in Honolulu is very hard to beat. With the quality they consistently serve at Rinka this is a no brainer read more

Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for my birthday dinner. Made reservations through Google, which was very convenient since they do they busy for dinner. They had booster seats for little ones allowing for a safe dining experience with my son. The food was great! I ordered the wagyu yakiniku set. You grill your own wagyu straps. They cooked really fast as they were thin. The set came with tempura, miso soup, salad, sashimi, other sides, and rice. It was a little over 60$ so a bit pricey but good quality and taste. I'll be back for more. Check em out! ​ read more

An authentic Japanese meal. My family came here for lunch one day. It's a great spot for a nice lunch that won't break the bank. It's hard to find good Japanese food around these days. I love how their lunch sets come with your choice of rice, a bunch of other little dishes, and even your choice of 2 daily sides. I chose the agedashi tofu and renkon kinpira (simmered lotus root). The multigrain rice was really delicious and I scored an extra chawanmushi from my mom. I ordered the crab cream croquette set, which came with a mini salad, pickles, chawanmushi, rice, miso soup and the 2 sides. There were quite a few croquettes and they have a delicate crunch to them. The flavor was a bit mild, but that's also Japanese style. All of the sides were good. I love the variety of textures and flavors you get with your one lunch set. The restaurant is pretty sizable, very bright and clean, and the service is pleasant and efficient. read more

Rinka - lunch set - crab cream croquette - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This restaurant is a hidden gem as it is not located on main street. First time I have been to this restaurant and didn't know they existed. My bf took me dor birthday dinner and we both had wagyu grilled beef teishoku special. The beef melted in my mouth and boy it brought up so many memories of our time in Japan last October. Meat was soft. The amount of food was plentiful for both of us. I'm glad we were able to enjoy this. I couldn't possibly order dessert as dinner was filling enough plus I had ice cream at home. Parking is easy just at the whole foods parking shared with ward entertainment center. Just use the elevators to go down to ground floor. read more

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