Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Sugoi

    4.1 (781 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Hawaiian
    Closed 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Sugoi Photos

    Business Info

    SUGOI ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Sugoi

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Entrance
    Shannon K.

    I haven't been here in years and since I was in the area I decided to do a takeout order to bring to coworkers. Of course I got the garlic chicken! The mini size has a generous portion and the chicken was as flavorful and crispy as I remembered. I walked in around 10:30a and was helped at the counter right away. Service was fast and friendly and I was headed out with hot fresh food in less than 10 mins.

    Large sesame chicken bento
    Raymond N.

    Whenever I go to Waikiki, I always make a stop at Sugoi for their mochiko chicken. Mochicko chicken can be somewhat hard to find because not all Hawaiian establishments offer it, but Sugoi makes it perfectly. For this trip I went on my way to the airport with initial plans to get some bentos to eat at the airport or on the plane. Unfortunately, when I went they ran out of mochiko chicken! I opted for the sesame chicken which is still good! It was my first time ordering their sesame chicken and it tasted very similar to the mochiko chicken which was a plus, though I could tell it wasn't the mochiko chicken I was craving for months. The bento is nice since it comes with a few other small items so you don't get sick of eating nonstop chicken and fortunately the container isn't overloaded with rice. Parking can be a bit tricky since there are other businesses in the area and the place can get busy around lunchtime so it is best to arrive early! Hopefully the next time I head to Oahu I can satisfy my mochiko chicken craving!

    Yakisoba with garlic chicken
    Klemens T.

    Still think they have the best garlic chicken. I normally don't order anything else on their menu except for the garlic chicken regular plate. The plate is a bit pricey, but definitely worth it and the portions are pretty big. The skin is so crispy and the garlic is out of this world. Lots of parking near other establishments. Lots of table to dine on and the restrooms are located in a hallway a few stores down to the left side if you're facing Sugoi's front doors.

    Large Garlic chicken plate
    Sunny V.

    One of the best Garlic Chicken places!!! You can order to go or there's an eating area that has open seating tables and cleaning wipes so you can clean up afterwards. The staff is friendly and service is fast. I love this place!

    Mini plate- spicy garlic Ahi (comes with white rice, mac salad)
    Emily L.

    Decided to try this place out for lunch on a Thursday. We did a pickup order. I ordered a mini plate with Spicy garlic Ahi tuna. It comes with white rice and mac salad. But you can upgrade the rice to noodles or fried rice for an extra charge. My fish came with a spicy sauce, and it was delicious! Not too spicy but perfectly spicy. It paired amazing with the Ahi. The Ahi was perfectly cooked too. I was shocked at how good it was. I heard great things about their chicken too, and I will have to try when I come back. Overall, I would return again.

    Spicy Garlic Chicken
    TeeTee M.

    Just got back to the island and bought all the sauce they had in stock AGAIN!! Lol if ur on the island this chicken is a must!! This is coming home with ME!!

    Chow fun with garlic chicken
    Lloyd W.

    Haven't been to Sugoi since they first open. It's a walk up order counter so service was fast. Went at the start of the lunch hour and they handled the crowd like pros. Ordered the chow fun with garlic chicken. Chow fun with a lot of goodies. It was like chow fun with side order garlic chicken. Didn't realize chow fun had it's own plate and garlic chicken came in its own container. Lunch partner ordered the pork cutlet with mushroom gravy, rice and mac potato salad with some tuna in it. Pork cutlet was thinly sliced with slight crunchiness, gravy to dive for - delicious!! There are limited tables to sit and eat at. Parking get full fast so you may have to park in the large lot and walk in. Pros: Love the abundance of goodies in the look fun. The garlic chicken is the greatest and you can't say "where's the garlic". Tuna in the potato mac salad hits home like mom used to make. Con: Parking is bad. That's it. Would I go back? In a heart beat.

    Jason M.

    We love the grinds here, but today I went change up what I normally get and went with the yakisoba. The garlic chicken is ALWAYS ACTION! But the yakisoba was just noodles with the usual things in it, just lacked and taste! Other than that tho service is always great and quick. Oh and the salad is action and I'm glad my mother in law bought side orders of it! Until next time keep up the great grinds!

    Combo Bentos with Garlic Chicken, Mahi Mahi, and Teri Beef delivered to funeral (where photo was taken).
    Reef A.

    Ordered 100 combo bentos for a funeral reception. It included Garlic Chicken, Mahi Mahi and Teri Beef. Bento tasted okay but not amazing. Chicken was a bit on the dry side. Mahi Mahi was ok. The Teri Beef was pretty good. Was expecting better but overall satisfied. Owner was accommodating to let me order & pay after they closed for the day. Free delivery all the way to Mililani. There is 3% extra charge for credit card transactions so better to pay in cash for large orders.

    Korean Fried Chicken Bento. (The container of sauce is not in the picture.)
    Gerry L.

    One of the guys at our office makes a run down to Sugoi's to pick up bentos for us every so often. As it was Tuesday, the large bento was on sale for $17.75 + tax. Three of us ordered the Korean Chicken bento while others ordered the salmon. My bento contained furikake rice, a split hot dog, a piece of BBQ meat and four or five large pieces of Fried Chicken and a slice of takuwan. I suspect they use pieces of Mochi Chicken or Garlic Chicken because I tried a piece before pouring on the sauce that was included. The sauce made it Korean (style chicken) and made the rice so tasty I had to eat all of it. It's a substantial meal. I ate half for lunch on Tuesday and the other half on Wednesday. For me, that came to less than $10/day, a deal in today's environment. Recommended!

    11-8-24. Garlic Chicken
    Lloyd C.

    Some friends recommended Sugoi for their Garlic Chicken. We had to try it out. Sugoi located in the warehouse district close to Young's Fish Market, Kamehameha Bakery, etc. Side of Chicken (Crispy Garlic) [4/5]. This is what "they are known for!" The food took several minutes to fry up. It was piping hot and crispy. There was juicy garlic sauce in the box. The boneless skin-on chicken was juicy and that fried skin...yummy. Several tables for you to dine in. The service was super friendly and nice! We found a new place. Come support local.

    Outside
    Kim B.

    Unfortunately I want to give them a better review but with the lack of staff I am sure they are suffering a lot. I give them two and a half stars. The garlic chicken lacked sauce. A lot less sauce is given. The flavor of garlic isn't wild like how it used to be. I don't know if they changed their menu but I missed that. The noodles were decent and had a decent amount of ingredients inside. It seems like they just need people and they had a help wanted for cook help! The ambiance is the same as always and the service was good! I will return to try it again because I miss the old sugoi flavors!!

    Garlic chicken
    Justin H.

    The best item on the menu , Garlic Chicken. Super super good. Service is good too, nice and clean restaurant. Sometimes parking can be hard to find.

    Storefront

    See all

    Photo of B N.
    4
    9
    0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Al L.
    51
    18
    7

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andy A.
    16
    12
    2

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Garlic chicken, nuff said. Prices went up a bit too I think.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Love love love their pork cutlet....best gravy!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of MT T.
    0
    43
    9

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    First time at Sugoi, I had the garlic ahi bento, it was okay, next time I'll try the somen salad or garlic chicken

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Sugoi has some really good food. and the price is really good. The garlic chicken is super good.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 20 of 20

    Sugoi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sugoi

    Do the catered bentos come with utensils?

    Yes they do.

    Does Sugoi serve plate lunches (garlic chicken) all day? I understand they serve breakfast all day...was thinking spicy garlic or mochiko at like 8am in the morning!!!

    Yes, they do.

    Are they open for indoor dining?

    They were open fort indoor dining when I was there on December 2, 2021

    View All 5 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Japanese 44,006 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Kikuya

    Kikuya

    4.1
    (385 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Each time when I go there, the server is always ready without waiting for a long period for them to…read morecome to get your order. Although the restaurant is not very big, but it's cozy and feels like it's in Japan. It's one of a few authentic Japanese restaurants that's located in the Kalihi/Dillingham area, away from Ward/Kakaako. I've only been there during lunch time, so my go to is always the lunch box set. It comes with 2 choice of proteins + rice + miso soups + salad + tempura. The tempura vegetables is good! Very Crunchy and favorable. The shrimp tempura is not as good the vegetable tempura. The shrimp is soft inside which is like eating a mushy meat. The butterfish & salmon is pretty good portion, but it doesn't have enough flavor. The teriyaki ahi, I will not get that one. The ahi is overcooked that the fish texture is hard. It has no flavor. However, with this price that comes w/ 2 options of proteins + miso soups + other sides, it's a deal that can't find in town nowadays. It's reasonable and affordable. Overall, I will give it a 4/5 with the reasonable price that comes w/ a decent portion of the food for a lunch combo.

    I went with my bowling buddies to Kikuya. It's one of the few Japanese restaurants in Kalihi. It's…read morelocated right behind Diners Upscale Hawaii. Lots of parking but there's also a lot of good food places to eat here. We got there about 1 and it was half full. I got the lunch box which comes with 2 choices and a piece of shrimp tempura, tossed salad and rice. I opted for their butterfish which is really good and ahi katsu. There are several choices to choose from. I should have taken a picture of the menu. Oh well. Next time. The lunch box also includes edamame, cabbage and pickled cabbage. Miso soup which is really good. You might say the portion size isn't huge but for me, it was good. For the price and the quality of food it's well worth it. I normally forget to ask what our server's name was but she was so nice that I did this time around. Her name is Cris. She's very nice and always smiling. She kept our water glasses filled as well as our hot Japanese tea. Really nice person. As for the ambiance it's like any other restaurant where everyone is talking story and us just having a good time. If you're in the mood for Japanese food or sushi/ sashimi this is a nice place to go to. My friend Karl had their chirashi bowl and it looks really good. I will get that the next time I'm there.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Another pov of my Chirashi bowl *11/2025
    Another pov of my Chirashi bowl *11/2025
    Soft shell crab roll *11/2025

    See all

    Soft shell crab roll *11/2025
    Teishoku

    Teishoku

    4.2
    (698 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Good food here and friendly service provided here. It's a smaller place but even on a Sunday night…read moreit can be busy. I've had a few things off the sushi menu and the Tempura Vegetable Udon and am satisfied with the quality and serving size. Plenty of parking but the shopping center can be busy depending on the time of day, luckily there's lots of parking and a 2-story parking structure. The traffic movement requires drivers to respect the arrows and it takes some learning, but this is one of many good places to get food as well as grocery shopping and other things done!

    We were lucky to get seating for 8 of us on a Saturday a little after lunch. We just got done with…read morea community event and were famished. I ordered the veggie croquette and the veggie tempura set. The veggie croquette was good but could have used more veggies in it. The outside could have been more light and crispy. The vegetable tempura had a good mix of veggies, but I had hoped for some shave radish for my dipping sauce. The keiki meal was such a deal for ramen, edamame, and the teriyaki chicken with rice. Such a good amount of food for both my kids which they couldn't finish. Service was good and quick. The waitress was attentive to refills of drinks. I got a Diet Coke and was so glad they have Coke products and the fountain drinks there. Parking was packed at lunch time but was opening up as we were looking for parking. The stalls and ways of the parking lot can be confusing if you don't go there often.

    Photos
    Inside the restaurant
    Inside the restaurant
    Miso Butter Fish
    Miso Butter Fish
    Baby octopus and limu poke

    See all

    Baby octopus and limu poke
    Yohei Sushi Restaurant

    Yohei Sushi Restaurant

    4.2
    (516 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Yohei Sushi Restaurant opened in 1990 in Kalihi by founder/sushi chef Kazuto Obara and his wife who…read morehad immigrated to Hawaii from Hiroshima in the 1970's. It was his dream to open his own authentic Japanese restaurant using his special omakase experience from Japan and one of the first authentic sushi restaurants in Honolulu. It was a concept of "bringing Japan's finest to Hawaii" with a desire to "build a bridge between the two cultures of Japan and Hawaii." In 2018, operations were taken over by Testsuya Matsuda. A 2nd location was opened in Kahala in Jan 2024 by Hiroshima Mazda, whose specialty is traditional Japanese sushi (or omakase). Yohei Sushi 's menu offerings include: * Teishoku (or set meal). Comes with miso soup, rice, Japanese pickles, cold soba noodles, seasonal side dish. Main entrees are sashimi, tempura, maguro, misoyaki butterfish, ahi steak, saba. Salmon, ahi belly, katsu, and more. * Sushi Bar. With miso soup. Menu offerings are deluxe & standard assorted sushi, maguro don, Chirashi sushi. * Noodles. Choice of udon or soba with various combinations, e.g., nabeyaki, tempura, tororo, tanuki, zaru, kitsune, tori, tukimi, kake, and ojiya udon. Also, combo meals of tendon/noodle, sushi/noodle; and donburi of unaju, oyako don and ten-ju. * Side order & ala carte. Includes sashimi, chawanmushi, ika, shinkomori, murokyu, soft shell crab, miuzuku, Hiyahakko, edamame, tempura. Ahi belly katsu, misoyaki butterfish, saba, seafood tempura, maguro temprta, ahi steak, salmon. We've had the following: * Tendon and Noodle. Deep fried tempura of shrimp and assorted veggies in a rice bowl with sauce & hot udon. Very filling and tasty! * Tempura Teishoku. This teishoku had 3 large pieces of fried tempura shrimp and assorted veggies, e.g., carrot, eggplant, green beans, pumpkin, that were light and non-oily. Our teishoku meals came with pickled veggies, cold soba, rice, and miso soup with lots of wakame and radish sprouts. Very flavorful! They also offered a complimentary birthday scoop of ice cream with a dollop of an as a topping, which was refreshing and paired well! * Maguro Tempura Teishoku. Hubby's choice of fried tempura tuna set, and he noted that there were 8 large tender pieces of maguro that was lightly fried and non-oily. Very delicious and filling! * Unagi nigiri. The unagi was so flaky, tender, and light and had the right amount of sauce. Loved it! The presentation of the meals was beautifully plated with real, authentic Japanese small dish bowls and plates. The food was of good quality and very flavorful! Customer service was excellent! Diners are greeted by staff upon entering and thanked when leaving. The old-time servers were very patient, attentive, welcoming, and gracious! Our food orders came out in a timely manner, and the servers, with smiles, frequently asked if everything was okay and if we needed anything else. Hours of operation are: lunch daily from 11a to 2p, dinner from 5p to 9p, closed Wed. Happy hour is from Thurs to Tues from 1:30p to 5p. Located in Kokea Center that looks like a run-down strip mall at Dillingham Blvd and Kokea St, the restaurant interior has a great ambiance as if you were dining in Japan, as it is comfortable and welcoming. It was amazing to see almost every table was taken by dining customers. Reservations are a must, as people are turned away. Good thing I called for lunch reservations at 12:15p on a weekday, which was tha last table available. And the restaurant was packed the entire time that we were there! Free parking in the private lot shared by other businesses, as well as metered street parking. Yohei Sushi has been successful over the past years in its presentation, flavors, taste, and customer service, and we hope to return to try different menu offerings!

    TL;DR A terrific…read moreJapanese restaurant with high-quality set courses. ----- Yohei is a quintessential Japanese restaurant in the heart of Honolulu. The food is delicious, the presentation is on point, and the service is attentive and friendly. There are many great Japanese spots in Honolulu, and Yohei is certainly one of them. During my most recent visit, I ordered the Shrimp and Maguro Tempura Teishoku. I've never had tuna tempura before, so I decided to try it. The teishoku comes with several small side dishes, the tempura, doba, rice, and miso soup. It's a solid amount of food. Everything was oishikatta, and I left the restaurant feeling full. The tempura was airy, crunchy, and cooked to perfection. The soba noodles were chewy and springy, and the side dishes nicely complimented the main courses. I enjoyed it all! There are so many Japanese options in Honolulu, but I will certainly be back to Yohei at some point.

    Photos
    Indoor area
    Indoor area
    Chirashi
    Chirashi
    Interior

    See all

    Interior
    Natsunoya Tea House

    Natsunoya Tea House

    4.3
    (366 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$

    Excellent bento pick up experience! I arrived, provided my name and my bento order was promptly…read moredelivered to my car with a smile! The Natsunoya Deluxe bentos have an incredible selection of items and so delicious! Everything was flavorful, nicely packed, and easy to take home leftovers. Tip: 1) Review the catering section on the website. 2) Call, don't email, as soon as you finalize your bento numbers. They may need to determine if they are able to accommodate your order given other orders already received for that same day. I called 2 weeks ahead. I definitely recommend their bentos and can't wait to find another opportunity to order again.

    Used to be my favorite place for sushi. Felt so at home here and we went all the time. Loved the…read moreBYOB aspect and the sushi chef Sho always served the best fish. They tried to make improvements by renovating the counter which was okay but honestly I liked the other classic look where we could see what kind of fish was available. They also stopped the BYOB because they started to sell alcohol. Actually you can still BYOB but the corkage fee is ridiculously high so not worth paying it. Despite these changes I was still willing to make this our go to place for sushi. My low rating is because they ruined the place by making it MANDATORY to order the omakase. I don't want to be forced to get the omakase when I know what I like to eat and that's what I want to order. I've been going here for so many years and I am truly disappointed that loyal patronage means nothing to this family owned business. Sho is still awesome and I'm sorry that he has to be subjected to these changes too. He seemed so much happier before they made these so called "improvements ". If they change their policy back to allow people to order Ala carte without mandating the omakase I would return. Not sure if that will ever happen. If customer loyalty means anything to them, perhaps they will. We shall see....

    Photos
    More seating may
    More seating may
    Tempura- a must order
    Tempura- a must order
    Chicken Karaage

    See all

    Chicken Karaage
    Izakaya Mitch's

    Izakaya Mitch's

    4.8
    (44 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    If there's one thing about me, it's that I love an izakaya. Open late and small plates so you can…read moretry a few different things, my favorite! I've been to Mitch's a few times and when I saw that they opened up an Izakaya next door, I knew I had to try it and made a reservation on Yelp. Izakaya Mitch's specializes more in cooked dishes while the other side is more about the fresh / raw fish. But that didn't stop us from ordering the assorted sashimi. All the fish were from Japan and yes you can taste the difference. The fatty tuna was obviously my favorite but even the regular tuna and the hamachi was so buttery, it just melts in your mouth. Plus, it comes with real wasabi. Not horseradish, real wasabi. For the cooked dishes we got the hokkaido crab tempura with a side of matcha salt. One of the best tempuras I've ever had. The kamameshi, a rice dish with their fish of the day. We got the half order and it's kinda like a bibimbap where they mix the rice for you at your table. I saw that people were raving about this on Yelp and put in our order right when we got in because it takes 25-ish minutes to prepare. On special, they had a karei karaage. Karei is a flat fish and I've never had a fish karaage before, it was perfectly fried and dipped in the ponzu sauce it was so good. Ambiance is a no-frills kinda spot but very clean and feels homey and the service is amazing! Attentive and super personable.

    So happy there is an izakaya that we don't have to drive to downtown or Waikiki. Izakaya Mitch's is…read moreclose to the airport in the industrial area. I made reservations, so we were seated right away. Luckily, it wasnʻt crowded when we sat, so our waitress was able to answer all our questions about different dishes we were interested in ordering. Our party of 3 got to try different things from the specials and regular menu. The tai karaage was so tender and seasoned really well, the kamameshi is such a comfort dish, and the burrata with chilled tomato was really refreshing. One thing we all liked was that even though there were a lot of people in the restaurant (most came in after we ordered), we still were able to speak to one another without talking loud. The staff mentioned that they will be getting a sushi chef, so I guess we need to try this place again,

    Photos
    Hours of operation
    Hours of operation
    Izakaya Mitch's
    Izakaya Mitch's

    See all

    Little Plum

    Little Plum

    4.5
    (276 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    This place has been on my list to try for a while, and I finally came here last week with my friend…read moreto celebrate my belated birthday. We sat towards the back near the bar and bathroom, which was nice because it was very cozy and private. The restaurant space isn't too large, but just cozy enough that it isn't overwhelming. Since it was my first time, our server took the time to explain the menu to us. They are also celebrating their upcoming second anniversary, so they have a special menu for the occasion. After hearing some recommendations, we decided to order: Enoki Beef Rolls, Crispy Wonton, Garlic Shrimp, Mushroom Jook, and Crispy Pork Belly. For drinks, I ordered the Haku (non-alcoholic), and my friend ordered the "little cocktail" Tiny Victories. I loved my drink! I tried my friend's cocktail, which I would describe as tiny but mighty! All of the food was very tasty, but my favorites include the crispy wonton and mushroom jook. The wonton tasted like oxtail soup wrapped in a fried wonton, just as the server described. The mushroom jook was the most flavorful jook I've ever tasted. It was jam-packed with umami flavors, and the ginger flavor was heavily present. I found the dishes to be on the smaller portion size, which is why we ordered many items. They were all shareable, so you can taste a little of everything. For dessert, we decided to share the mochi churros. These were so good! Perfectly fried churros with mochi flour that added a chewy middle, then dipped in the kinako dipping sauce. They added a candle in a beautiful dish for my birthday. Very thoughtful! Throughout our evening, we had several different servers help us - either pour more water in our glasses, take our dishes away, or serve our dishes with a detailed description. All of the staff were very knowledgeable about EVERY dish on the menu. It felt like a family in how everyone took care of us and stepped in when they saw we needed something. I haven't had this type of service at a restaurant in a while, so I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, it was excellent service and delicious food! All the staff were very friendly from the minute we sat down until the very end of the night (three hours later!), when one of the chefs waved goodbye to us. What started as a good meal became an exceptional experience thanks to the incredible staff! I will definitely return with my family! Happy Eating!

    This was my first time visiting this restaurant and I want to start with the customer service , it…read morewas A++. We went there for dinner and it was busy, but the customer service was A1. The decor was simple yet cute, down to the tables Ave chair arrangement. Let's get to the food, the bao buns were every dish was full of flavor and the combinations were crazy. The churros were soooo good. I highly recommend

    Photos
    Inside da restaurant......
    Inside da restaurant......
    Catch of the day
    Catch of the day
    Rock Salt Plum $16 - highly recommend

    See all

    Rock Salt Plum $16 - highly recommend
    Yagura Restaurant

    Yagura Restaurant

    4.3
    (257 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    I've often wondered about this old skool Japanese restaurant called "Yagura Restaurant"…read more Old skool diners are da BESTEST!!! After seeing my Yelp buddy - Tami C. check into this restaurant numerous times, I figah I go chance 'em!!!! I'm so happy to have tried this old skool Japanese restaurant, as I adore the old skool nostalgia! Walking into this restaurant makes me feel like I was a little kid in the 1970's. My friend & I were greeted right away upon entering the restaurant, and directed to sit into a vinyl seated booth/table. Yagura's menu is simple, offering an array of Teishoku meals. I ended up getting the BBQ Chicken Teishoku meal which included a salad, miso soup, white rice, & tsukemono. My friend - Gary T. ended up getting a combination plate of BBQ Chicken & Shrimp Tempura. What can I say about da grub? Simply O.U.T.S.T.A.N.D.I.N.G!!! My BBQ Chicken came out on a hot sizzling platter, & underneath the BBQ Chicken there was grilled onions. Yum! The chicken skin was crispy, and the sauce was deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious! Nicely executed! My friend also enjoyed his meal & mention to me that he was also glad to try this place, as he's never been here before. Service here was on point, as the waitress was friendly & efficient. Parking here is a bit challenging, as there are only 4 parking stalls infront of the restaurant. If you're unlucky to get one of the premium parking stalls, street parking is your only other option. The decor at this restaurant is definitely old skool. If your dig old skool nostalgia like me, then ya gotta check out Yagura Restaurant!

    Another one I was able to cross off my list. I've probably driven by this place hundreds of times…read morebut never tried it. I met a friend who works nearby for lunch. This place is definitely a throwback. You can feel that vibe once you walk through the doors. Quickly got seated and served water and tea (which I really appreciated). Some places don't offer it or don't even have it. The menu is quite extensive. I settled on the Teishoku with Sashimi, salmon and teri beef. They brought out the miso soup (not the kind out of a tube) and the rice before the meal arrived. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the salmon, most places that I go to it's pretty small. I could only eat half of it. The portions sizes for all the dishes were good. I actually had to take home some of the teri beef too. Kind of bummed that I hadn't been to this place 20 years ago. I guess like they say, better late than never. I will be back.

    Photos
    Inside the restaurant.  Love the old school feel.....
    Inside the restaurant. Love the old school feel.....
    BBQ Chicken Teishoku ($23.95) comes with rice, salad, miso soup, & tsukemono.
    BBQ Chicken Teishoku ($23.95) comes with rice, salad, miso soup, & tsukemono.
    Entrance area of Yagura Restaurant.

    See all

    Entrance area of Yagura Restaurant.
    Hiro No Uchi

    Hiro No Uchi

    4.7
    (42 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    On busy King Street, slow down to take notice of this place for omakase. They don't need flashing…read morelights nor decorative window, it's word of mouth that gets patrons making reservations here. If you get fussy about the lack of a parking lot, get over it. It's worth an Uber ride. Or better yet, go on a Sunday when street parking is free. Whatever plans you make, trust, you will enjoy the omakase with Chef Hiro. The entire group was prompt for the 5:30 p.m. seating. That is being respectful for everyone's time. There is cozy counter seating and separate tables are also available. If you cannot hear him over the background music, Chef's server will also gladly explain each dish. The sashimi to rice ratio is nicely balanced. The rice itself is perfectly seasoned. Chef's attention to detail in all the presentation, was spot on, beautiful! Of course all the seafood and garnishings are fresh. This is 5 stars for taste. Chef Hiro took us to flavor levels beyond the norm. Special Mmmmmms for the smokey dishes that he torched in front of us. We thoroughly enjoyed watching Chef Hiro prepare our exquisite meal.

    Located in the heart of downtown, this place is a hidden gem and gives off underground speakeasy…read morevibes! There is no dedicated parking garage so it's either street parking or any of the open lots nearby. First of all, let's talk about the decor. The entrance and lobby area has concrete walls covered in vintage Japanese movie posters, Japanese decor and artifacts lining the shelves, and illuminated LED blue and hot pink lights hanging from the ceiling. The abstract art and interior decor feels like an underground anime bar and gives off relaxing and chill vibes. You can definitely tell that the owner put a LOT of thought into creating the ambiance he wanted to portray. Walking further into the restaurant is the bar seating area. The menu is izakaya-style, focusing on small flavorful plates. Each dish was explained to us in depth on where the fish came from (flown in), how it was prepared, and what made it so special. Every dish was tasty and filling, though my favorite dish was the toro! It was soft, buttery, and melted in my mouth. This place is pricey ($150 per person) but definitely worth it for the food and the experience. The service is excellent - the owner and the other employees were attentive, personable, and treated us like valued guests.

    Photos
    BYOB, for now. Guests choose their own ochoko cup and a tokkuri if they want one. There are also glasses for whiskey or wine.
    BYOB, for now. Guests choose their own ochoko cup and a tokkuri if they want one. There are also glasses for whiskey or wine.
    Hiro No Uchi
    Ikura Uni Don. Dashi marinated ikura and bafun uni. A little dab of green kizami wasabi and uzura egg yolk.

    See all

    Ikura Uni Don. Dashi marinated ikura and bafun uni. A little dab of green kizami wasabi and uzura egg yolk.
    Utage Restaurant & Lounge

    Utage Restaurant & Lounge

    4.3
    (601 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I met an high school friend there and was excited to sit and visit. She had never been to this…read morerestaurant and enjoyed the food, service and ambiance. When we arrived it wasn't busy but the dynamics quickly changed as the lunch crowd arrived. Our choices for lunch made the experience positive. Service is quick, food is fresh and ambiance is comfortable. I've been here a number of times and enjoyed it every time. My friend said she's coming back. Thank you Utage for the great service, fresh food and ambiance of comfort wanting to return again.

    It's been a while since I've been here but went recently with my sister and brother-in-law. Despite…read moreHawaii's poor economy, the place is usually busy even on a weekday. Glad we had a reservation (even though we went for an early lunch). The place hasn't changed, the decor is the same What was nice was that there were a lot of wait help so service, even when it was busy,was attentive. Food was plentiful. Previously I had ordered the teishoku tempura but next time I'll order the tempura and side of rice. My sister did this and she had such a large serving of various tempura. I think there was four shrimp tempura (the teishoku didn't have as much. Most of the time I've been here the parking was available. But because there are so many other restaurants and stores the parking lot was usually pretty full but perhaps because we were lucky or early there were many spaces. I keep telling myself I need to order bitter melon. But I never do. Maybe next time

    Photos
    Dinner@Utage Restaurant; 10/11/2024.We're the last one's 2 leave the Restaurant last evening! LOL.Inside of this Utage Restaurant.
    Dinner@Utage Restaurant; 10/11/2024.We're the last one's 2 leave the Restaurant last evening! LOL.Inside of this Utage Restaurant.
    Egg drop soup
    Egg drop soup
    Goya (Bittermelon) with Tofu & Eggs ($22.95) - good tho a bit salty

    See all

    Goya (Bittermelon) with Tofu & Eggs ($22.95) - good tho a bit salty

    Sugoi - japanese - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...