The service was excellent--everyone was so polite and attentive throughout our visit…read more The food was absolutely delicious, and the fish tasted incredibly fresh! While it is a bit on the pricey side, the flavors definitely made it worth it. The egg mixture added so much richness to the bowl, and the salad was just as impressive. Their dressing was amazing! Can't wait to come back again!

Totoya is a Japanese sushi chain and so happy to see it now in Hawaii, with multiple locations in…read moreAiea, Kaimuki, and Piikoi. We went to the Kaimuki location to see what the hype was about. I had their signature negitoro matsu bowl and it was absolutely divine! I was always hesitant to eat negitoro because of the negi or green onions in the name, but it tasted like a finer, soft ahi paste with ikura and uni. Delicious, although can be pricy at $30+ per entree. Highly recommend for authentic, negitoro experience.

This is the best meal I had in Waikiki. The classic pork loin tonkatsu was deeeeelicious! The light…read morecrispy breading was perfection, the meat was tender and the whole sesame grinding with tonkatsu sauce action was just fantastic. We also ordered the A5 Wagyu Filet Mignon Katsu set that we grilled on hot stone. Marbling was exquisite, meat super tender. Rice, cabbage salad & miso soup are unlimited. We enjoyed every bite of our meal. We reserved on Yelp, got seated right away, there were only 2 Japanese aunties taking orders, bussing, serving, checking out, refilling etc and served with a smile. We will definitely make sure to return here on our next visit to the island. It's money well spent. They close around midnight - it's very close to Hard Rock Cafe and Lahaina Shave Ice. It's a small restaurant with a bar and gets packed quickly so be sure to make reservations or it will be a long wait. We went to Tonkatsu Tamafuji 2 nights later but i personally prefer Ginza over Tamafuji.

Ginza Bairin is consistently amazing. I typically get the specialty Kurobuta pork loin katsu set,…read morewhich they only have daily limited quantities of. It's delicious and the fry is perfect but it can be pretty rich/fatty. It does come with a side of Japanese spicy mustard, which goes great and helps cut some of the richness. If you order a set, they give unlimited salad, miso soup, and rice as well. This time, we also got the Hamburg steak set, which was surprisingly so delicious. It was juicy, super moist, and very flavorful. I'm usually not a fan of this dish, but it was delicious here! The servers are efficient and quick to offer refills of the sides and water. The space isn't very big, some tables and some counter seating, so if you're going with more than 2 people, a reservation is highly recommended. Whenever we're in Hawaii, we'll be back.

After recently visiting their new location, I'm happy to say that Tonkatsu Tamafuji is just as good…read moreas I remember. Despite moving to a larger space downstairs, the food and service haven't missed a beat. Still great! The tonkatsu was cooked perfectly. Thick, juicy, and tender and all of the sides were just as delicious as before. I had dinner with a friend, and we both really enjoyed our meals. The staff was friendly and attentive throughout the evening. Consistently checking in to be sure all was good. It's nice to see that after all these years, they're still maintaining the same quality that made them so popular in the first place. The restaurant remains busy, so I'd still recommend arriving early if you don't have a reservation. Even after the brief shutdown, this is still one of my favorite spots for tonkatsu in Honolulu.

This place is fkn hit or miss lately. Sometimes the tonkatsu is overcooked and shet, and sometimes…read moreit's cooked cherry. Keep asking for rice and tsukemono refills, as its free. The updated renovations look nice though, more tables too. But still, if you no more reservations, prolly gotta wait choke like fkn 1-2 hours at least for get one table. I'd say this place is still the best tonkatsu on da island, but nothing compared to if you had tonkatsu from one chain in Japan, that shet is WAY better, and more consistent. But, you not in Japan so yea.

Always fresh made Udon for there soups! Visiting the Honolulu location It can be in the 80's and…read morethese dishes hit the spot!

this place is fantastic, great staff, delicious food! fast and efficient getting in and out.read more

TL;DR This might be…read moremy favorite Japanese restaurant in town. Undisputed soba champion. ----- I'm surprised I haven't written a review for i-naba yet. This place has been a staple for my family ever since we moved back to O'ahu a few years ago. Bottom line? The soba noodles here are utterly fantastic. They are, in my humble opinion, the best on the island, and some of the best soba noodles I've ever had. I don't think anywhere else in Honolulu comes close. You come here to eat soba. Period. In addition to the soba being phenomenal, the other offerings at i-naba are also similarly great. Their tempura in particular is outstanding. I typically order the Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Bowl & Soba or the Dx Tempura Bowl & Soba. Plus an upgrade to a large size soba! The tempura is sooo good. It's crispy, light, and airy. The jumbo shrimp is especially succulent and tender. And the ingredients are always perfectly seasoned with the sweet and savory house sauce. Yummmy! If you're looking for the best soba and awesome tempura, this is your spot!!!

Everytime I asked my Japanese clients which Japanese restaurant they enjoyed most in Honolulu,…read moreInaba consistently came up. And now I know why. I finally had lunch here a couple weeks ago and damn was my tempura and soba set broke da mout. The soba is housemade with a chewy consistency that I love. I had it cold with the dipping sauce and wow wow wow. So good. My friends suggested I get the shrimp and vegetable tempura as well which amazingly stayed crispy the whole time I savored each bite. Probably 30 minutes. Light crisp batter on perfectly cooked shrimp and veggies. Damn it was good. The service was great as well and I cannot wait to go back. Nice warm atmosphere and there's a free parking lot. It gets busy during lunch and dinner, so get there early or make a reservation. Enjoy!

Sunday April 19, 2026 first time, coming here at the 11th Ave. location…read more We were looking for a place for lunch after Planet Fitness Kahala and walking around the Diamond Head Triangle Park. Metered street parking or they have a paid private parking lot. As it was Sunday, we found a parking on Koko Head Avenue and walked there. We were seated right away at 2:30pm and they close at 3:30pm. Then dinner is at 5:00pm. Service was fast and friendly. We ordered right away. Food came out shortly after. It looked good and it tasted good too. The purple potato salad with the 2 sweet potato chips was different and really good! After lunch, we decided to order 2 Kirin beers and a bottle of Iichiko with green tea. We drank 1/3 of the bottle and decided to save the rest for the next time. We will be back again. Support local businesses.

Great Japanese fusion restaurant with interesting dishes!…read more We ordered the quail eggs, corn, unagi ochazuke, blue cheese shishito peppers, and watercress salad. The peppers might not be everyone's cup of tea but it was certainly unique and interesting. The ochazuke was a favorite! Service was great and ambiance was cozy. Pretty busy on a Friday night. Although I miss their honey toast, I still love their new menu!

This review is overdue, but I absolutely had to share it because I was so impressed with Rinka's…read moredinner menu! I used to think the dinner menu was a bit too expensive compared to the lunch menu, but after tonight..., I believe it was worth it. The variety of Dinner Sets were all sooo amazing! The portion sizes were awesome, and the flavors/freshness of the food were all outstanding. Did I mention how the portion sizes were amazing? Yup Everything tasted great..., and I really mean everything! It's hard to find a casual/semi-upscale Japanese restaurant like Rinka. Our server was very kind and helpful because it was our first time dining with Rinka during their Dinner service hours. I got to try a piece of the Bluefin Tuna Toro sashimi and it was WOW! WOW! WOW! Appetizers were fantastic as well! Great for sharing and tasting different items. This is a place I'd want to introduce to my friends and family for a great dining experience and a higher quality food selections. Very satisfied with our dinner service on this night!

My friend and I had dinner at Rinka bc I had a $100 Resy benefit on my credit card. In addition, I…read morehave had good experiences with Resy restaurants. Positives: Our waitress Hailey was super nice; The food came out quickly; Clientele was all locals, including a fair number of J clients Negatives: The tables are tiny and the seats are low. The table was as wide as my body. We had a hard time squeezing the food on the table. One of the ladies that sat on the inside had to hang out quite a bit outside the width of the table bc she was too close to her friend; Secondarily, even a woman a foot shorter than me said the chairs were low (I'm 6'2"); None of the food had a wow factor and it seemed expensive. Our tab was $157 for four items inc 2 beers b4 tip; 3.5 Stars overall bc of the good service. I will likely not return bc of the small seats and just ok food.

If you're looking for some delicious Japanese pub food and beer, Aburiya is what you want and what…read moreYOU NEED. Service was excellent, food was excellent and the staff was so fun and eager to hangout with tables :) Ambiance did remind me of Japan, just with American sized portions XD

My favorite was the chicken, ahi tuna salad & jellyfish. I love the char flavor on the chicken, the…read moreahi was so soft & the jellyfish reminds me of a Chinese banquet appetizer. I would come back for these items. We also ordered beef flank bento, ribeye steak, corn & potato with mentai butter. The ribeye was ok, but nothing wowed by it. The beef flank was way too chewy, the corn was a little too salty & the potato did not taste good.

If you're looking for an authentic Japanese izakaya experience, Izakaya Tenkichi is a must-visit…read more From the moment you walk in, the ambiance transports you straight to Japan. The cozy atmosphere, traditional decor, and lively energy make it feel like a neighborhood izakaya you'd stumble upon while exploring Tokyo. The food was outstanding. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, and the tempura was fried to perfection, light, crispy, and never greasy. Some of our favorite dishes included the scallop sashimi, which was sweet and delicate, the assorted vegetable tempura, and the ikura & uni bowl, packed with rich flavors and premium ingredients. We also enjoyed several of their side dishes, each prepared with the same attention to quality and authenticity. Great food, great atmosphere, and a truly authentic dining experience. We can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!

Overall delicious and good quality…read more I felt the tempura a little bit oily. Hamachi was fresh . The dressing for the salad a bit salty. Service was really good though.

Musubi Cafe was the perfect first stop when we arrived in Hawaii. Everything is made fresh to…read moreorder, so there is a bit of a wait we waited about 15-20 minutes but it was absolutely worth it. The musubi was delicious, and knowing it was made fresh made the experience even better. The quality and flavor stood out, and it was a great introduction to our trip. If you're looking for fresh, tasty musubi, I highly recommend stopping by. We'll definitely be back on our next visit!

Such variety of musubis! I came here almost everyday on my trip as the prices were very reasonable…read morefrom $2.50 to basic spam Musubi to around $4 for salmon, tuna, etc. my favorite was the cheesy spam. At busy times there is a small line inside but it goes by super quick otherwise there is typically no wait due to how fast the service is. You can also buy things inside the store like all spam merch, drinks, houseware.