Fantastic tempura, specialized and similar to a great tempura place I visited in Tokyo. I had the $25 shrimp tower. Teens split the "volcano" (it's not spicy though) bowl with fried eel and squid. Hot udon broth and tempura soft-boiled eggs were standout surprises. And the Okinawan "Sprite" was fantastic. read more

LIKE IN JAPAN! 5.0 I feel like I've discovered a little piece of Japan every time we dine at Tempura Kiki. It instantly brings me back to Japan, where many restaurants are tucked away below street level, beneath subway stations or inside the lower levels of large buildings. Located beneath Kalakaua Avenue in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza is STIX Asia, a collection of Asian restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. Simply step off the sidewalk, take the escalator down to the basement level, and you'll find a directory showing the current restaurants. Tempura Kiki is small but never feels cramped. One side of the restaurant opens to the pedestrian walkway. The décor is simple and traditional Japanese, and the hostess and servers are always warm and welcoming. I always order the Vegetable Tempura Set, which includes an assortment of eight vegetables. My favorite is the lotus root. It's not something you commonly find on tempura menus, making it an extra-special treat whenever we dine here. The meal also comes with rice and miso soup. On each table, you'll find matcha salt, chili salt, and a red lacquer box filled with Japanese pickles (napa cabbage). Those pickles are one of my favorite parts of the meal. In Japan, the tempura is served in several batches, typically two or three pieces at a time, so each piece arrives piping hot, light, and perfectly crisp. Here at Kiki, it is served in typically two to three batches. Whenever we visit the island of Oahu, Tempura Kiki is always on our itinerary. If you're looking for an authentic Japanese tempura experience in Waikiki, this hidden gem is well worth seeking out. read more

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Authentic Kyoto-Style Tempura in Waikīkī! This is easily the best tempura I've had outside of Japan! Located downstairs in the STIX Asia food hall, Tempura Kiki nails the technique. Their batter is delicate, light, and wonderfully crispy and not greasy. Plus, they serve your food in hot rounds straight out of the fryer so everything arrives piping hot. My husband and I tried both the Tendon Bowl and the Traditional Tempura Set (which comes with rice, miso soup, dipping sauces, and salts). From the shrimp, fish, and pork to the lotus root, eggplant, and kabocha pumpkin, every piece was fried to absolute perfection. The Tendon bowl pairing with a mini bowl of udon was such a comforting touch! Good to Know: Parking: 2-hour validation in the Waikīkī Shopping Plaza lot with a $35 spend. Perk: They offer a 15% Kamaʻāina discount! Quick, casual, wonderful service, and incredibly delicious. We'll definitely be back! read more

Tempura Kiki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food: Good lunch special with a lots of variety in tempura. Good price and left satisfied. The wasabi salt was our fave and complemented the hot tempura well. Service: Nice and friendly There's was pause during the meal because they serve the tempura fresh Ambiance: Spacious and well lit read more

Tempura Kiki - Kiki special - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We decided to have lunch at Tempura Kiki with our daughter and her family. I've been here before and loved it so decided to write a review. Lots of parking under the building. First of all we need to support these small businesses or we'll lose them. So please support these places that you love. Kiki's has a Yokucho vibe, great service and a friendly waiter. I had the Tempura set that came with miso soup, tsukemono and rice. What I didn't know was that the order was double. Yup, after I finished my first order of tempura the second one came. I walked out of there stuffed!! The food was delicious and everyone in our party enjoyed themselves. I rarely drive into Waikiki but if I do I'll be eating here again! read more

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Yesss tasty tempura made to order. Ordered the vegetarian set and it was delicious! This place is underground, in a food court area. The staff members are super nice and friendly. The menu is simple and easy to understand. I really enjoyed every vegetable that I had. The tempura batter was light and crispy. So overall it was delicious. I would totally come back here again. Also order it with udon! It was so good, and the pickles and vegetables in a square box were out of this world. Loved the dinner I had here and it was very memorable. It is a little bit slower on the side but very tasty. read more

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In the middle of Stix Asia. Food looks tasty for tempura. However, Owners have decided to pass on operating costs for customers to subsidize instead of paying them a fair wage. The notice is in tiny font on a wall. While removable, I try to avoid these kind of establishments as I despise hidden fees, and owners who elect to have fees upon additional fees that stack on top of menu prices. It is not okay, and we all should avoid normalizing this kind of behavior. read more

Tempura Kiki - 4% kitchen fee which is posted on a wall in small print. Noticed too late prior to sitting down. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I got played again by my fellow yelpers. ;p For those who claimed their tempura to be the best probably hadn't been to Japan before. The batter was decent (could have more crunch and flakier) and wished they would season their seafood with a pinch of salt. I ordered the lunch combo set ($25) and the tempura was drizzled with sauce. Because of that, my tempura became soggy. A good tempura would be able to withstand the test. read more

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Our favorite meal in Waikiki this trip! $19 for the tempura set was a steal and highly recommended. Tasted exactly like dining in Japan. The chef fries two separate times so the tempura stays fresh, and I was stuffed by the end of it. I also liked how there were unlimited veggies. The fried pork was a bit weird since I've never had tempura pork, but still tasty. Was super happy to find this right next to our hotel, and though it was in a food court, it definitely did not disappointed. read more

Tempura Kiki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First time trying this place and wow is it good. They start off giving you pickled vegetable. Refreshing and delicious! The service is awesome, we were seated right away and the staff gave us suggestions on what to order. The food selection is also great, you can pick from a variety of tempura options. The tempura is made when you order it comes out super hot. The quality and taste is excellent. This is probably one of the best tempura I have had. They have lunch specials, you can swap out the rice for noodles but we opted for the rice. If you love hot delicious tempura this is the place for you. read more

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A hidden gem in the Styx Asia restaurant row, where there are many ramen places, but Tempura Kiki offers one of the best authentic style tempura in Honolulu! Restaurant is clean with beautiful decor, the complete shrimp & vegetable tempura set is freshly prepared, delicious and served in two increments so it's always fresh and hot, and the service is impeccable (Mahalo, Nicholas!). Want to go back and try their unagi dishes, tempura sushi and donburi, too! Keep up the good work, Tempura Kiki! PS: For those who complain about price, kitchen fee, etc., you can choose to dine anywhere that serves less quality food. Focus your review on the food and service. Tempura Kiki was excellent tonight! read more

We love the tempura here! It is on par with nice tempura shops in Tokyo. We got two of the Kiki set. There is tempura sauce, tendon sauce, and three types of salt (matcha salt, chili salt, himalayan salt). My favorite tempura pieces were probably the shrimp, white fish, and kobucha. The pork tempura is interesting - a little meaty for me. They plate the tempura on a metal rack so it doesn't get soggy. The pickles, rice, and miso are good quality - we love the unlimited pickled cabbage and the rice grains were delicious. Aside, it's nice to see that there is local pricing here! The staff here speak Japanese and there is great service. The setting is nice, too, not too crowded - in an underground Asian food court. read more

Tempura Kiki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

**IN THE STIX ASIAN FOOD HALL** This is some of the best & crispiest tempura ever! Our favorite was the WAYGU TEMPURA. It was so fatty and tender and delicious as tempura. WOW! Highly recommend read more

Tempura Kiki - Waygu Tempura is absolutely AMAZING! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We ordered the special, the Kiki Tempura Teishoku! It was soooo good with about 8 tempuras, miso soup, rice. I would highly recommend. The tempura comes out freshly made and not oily! The server was attentive and the restaurant is clean and welcoming. read more

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Seen this place on instagram and decided to check the place out for lunch on Valentine's Day. We were there at 11 and there wasn't anyone dining. They have water on the table for you to serve yourself and there is also pickled cabbage. My husband got the kamaaina special of the Kiki bowl and he got an extra item to choose and he chose chicken. We also got miso soup with the meal. He liked that they had the side veggie as it balanced out the fried food. I got the large shrimp and ended up giving my husband 2 of my shrimp since I got full. I tried the matcha salt too, but didn't really taste it. I liked how light the batter is and it had just enough of the sauce on top. Definitely worth the try if you're in Waikiki. read more

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Hubby just took me on a spontaneous date night to Waikiki as we both were craving tempura. Waikiki isn't our go to with the traffic and tourists but we decided it was worth a try. This place is located in Stix. There is parking and they validate for 2 hours. Great deal in Waikiki. Also if you are kamaaina, don't forget to get your discount. The menu was pretty simple - bowls or sets. Both come with miso soup. My husband was hungry so he got the premium set. I got the Kiki bowl. The unfortunate thing was there was no pork available so they gave me an extra shrimp instead. The miso soup was great. I loved my bowl and I was hesitant to eat the squid because it's usually chewy. This had to be the best squid tempura I've had. I loved all the veggies and the egg as well. The shrimp was thinner than most places but I still enjoyed it. Hubby was super full. He grew up in Japan and said the bowl I had was very similar to what he had growing up. If you like more sauce, they have tendon sauce, matcha and chili salt on the table. I had matcha salt previously when visiting Japan so that was so cool to see. Service was great. Everyone was attentive to the needs of the customers. We were lucky to get seated right away at around 7pm. I'd recommend this place! read more

Tempura Kiki - Kiki don - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best Tempura experience in terms of food, Services and old school Japanese ambiance. With a combo plus miso soup/ Rice and Free picked cabbage. We ordered a Kiki Tempura Set | $25.95 (Pork, White Fish, Squid, Shrimp, 4 kinds of Vegetables) Was perfect amount for two people to share. And experienced fresh, lightly battered to perfection and fresh ingredients right to your table. A MUST if love Tempura dishes read more

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Tempura here is top notch with great flavors of shrimp and vegetables. The pickled vegetables and miso soup were great and tasty. We absolutely loved upgrading rice to udon noodles. You get a choice of hot or cold udon. The restaurant is very clean and welcoming. The staff was fast and friendly. We loved it all. The only minor issue is the pricing. It's a bit expensive for tempura. Plus udon upgrade is another charge. There is also a 4% service charge. A appetizer and dinner for four is close to $200 with surcharge n tip. It was great tempura. read more

Best Tempura place located at Stix Food Court. Fresh ingredients.. The batter is light and airy with the right amount of crunch. The sauce is flavorful but also light, like tempura sauce should be. Service is amazing, everybody is very friendly and accommodating. It was busy the day I went, but I still feel like I was attended to promptly. The folks were all smiles and friendly to everyone. I'd like to shout out Nick and Eriko for being extremely friendly. The place is nice, clean and organized. read more

Tempura Kiki - The Chef/Manager - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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They are just so nice there. Baby sleeping in cart so she gave us a table where we could squeeze it in. We sat at small table, and she said, take the big table! Be comfortable and have space in case baby wakes up. Ordered couple things...neither were part of kama'aina, but that's okay. Tons of good kama'aina specials. Everything good. Soooo full. Luckily baby did wake up and helped finish my food. Just a good all around experience every time we go there. read more

Truly magical setting and ambience when you walk in. You feel right as if you were in Japan with great service and food that is off the charts delicious. The food is prepared and cooked to perfection. The batter is light and you still capture the essence of the flavors without any problems. Highly recommend. read more

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So I never write review but this place needed it... First off kama'aina discount isn't for the whole menu/happy hour even thought their sign just say 15% off. If there are limits you should clearly post that not surprise people. Speaking of surprises they add on a kitchen service charge... that should be up front not a sneak in at the end. Food was mid at best got the eel tempura roll and tasted like all the flavor was tucked out of it. Told my server after only having one piece but to bad you still gotta pay for something that was trash. Took the rolll.to go because we'll if im paying for it maybe my dog will like it at least... The only reasons im giving two stars is because my server was knowledgeable and was able to answer all of my questions. All this coming from someone who has been a server for 10+ years. I will not come back to this place and would recommend anyone try ANY of the other fine stores in the small area. After I literally went next door and and had a far better experience. read more

Food: love their tempura so so much!!! I wish we could customize the sets as I am not a fan of pork. However. I just get the Kiki set out of convenience as everything else tastes phenomenal and more pork tempura for hubby ! My absolute favorite piece is their white fish!!! The tenderness is out of the world!! Also the tempura flakes thickness and crunch is ALWAYS amazing. Like I normally just remove the fried part at tempura places because it's either too gooey or taste icky but this place is the real deal. Honestly this is hubby and I favorite spot to go right when we arrive from the airport! Service: quick to take order, moderately fast to receive the tempura too. I like how they provide the Kiki set in 2 batches. So it's spaced out ish. Ambiance: located in Stix Asia food hall. It's a hole in the wall type of place! Could say the best tempura ive ever had!!! Sadly no pics this time as too hungry eating everything ahaha read more

It was Saturday lunch time and our last day in Hawaii before our very early morning flight (the next day), we wanted Japanese food and found this on Google maps. We got here and was seated right away. We were happy to know that they serve lunch special menu on a weekend. For starters, we got an order of gyoza. My partner loves gyoza that we order that everywhere we go. For the entree, we opt for the shrimp tempura tower and the shrimp with veggie tempura from their lunch specials menu. Each cost $25 which also comes with rice and udon soup. My tempura shrimp tower comes with 8 pieces of shrimp over rice. The udon that came with our order was very good even if its plain. The shrimp was fresh. My partner got the assorted tempura which comes with a few pieces of shrimp, veggies, squid and salmon. He said they were all good. The price wasnt that bad. We will definitely be back again for sure. read more

What a weekend treat! First time trying Tempura Kiki! Heard great things about it. We parked in Waikiki Shopping Plaza and made our way down to STIX ASIA. They validate for 2 hours. Manager Sugudu was so friendly & gracious. We sat at the counter and ordered their Anniversary Temdon : Wagyu, Lobster, Egg & Vegetable $32 it just so happened that it was their LAST DAY for this special so had to try it! I also ordered Tempura Roll : Eel $18 And my Kiki Tempura Bowl : Pork, Shrimp, Squid, Egg, 3 kinds of Vegetable. $25.95 Our Meal came with Miso soup and it was very good quality + flavor. Tempura was super flavorful! Rice was seasoned. Wagyu was Amazing! All of the dishes were executed well and we had fun talking story & laughing as Reuben did Magic for the staff. MAHALO Tempura Kiki! Oishii! :) read more

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Tempura is excellent - crispy like anything, not oily, incredibly fresh veggies, fried exactly right as tempura. The shishito peppers are incredible - grilled exactly right, they even removed the stems for you, classic Japanese care. Miso soup is hot and nice - just the right hot temperature but like the lukewarm temperature 99% of Japanese restaurants serve. We enjoyed so much we came back a second time during our trip. As good as any great tempura restaurants in Japan!!! read more

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One of the best Japanese tempura spots I ever ate at. I agree with the other yelper that it feels like you were transported to Japan! :) PROS -Super clean and excellent attentive service -The batter is so light and crispy, super fresh because you can tell by the color of the batter that the oil is fresh -I love how they give you half of your tempura and then come back to give the second half and serve it to you on a separate rack so it's super fresh & hot. -Super delicious and perfect Japanese rice and miso soup. -Delicious cabbage condiments read more

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Whenever I'm craving really good tempura, I come here at STIX! I always appreciate their kama'aina (discounts for locals) specials. They give you a nice variety of tempura, perfectly fried and so Ono (tasty!)! I also love the pickled cabbage they give you, and you can help yourself to however much you like. Service is so Aloha. I love coming here! Mahalo nui loa! read more

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Best tempura I've had. The shrimp was cooked to perfection, as was the soft shell crab. read more

Tempura Kiki - Tempura, lotus root and squash. Best shrimp tempura I've had. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This spot totally caught me off guard--in the best way. We stopped in for a weekday lunch and, at first, I was a little hesitant since the place was empty. But we were starving, and tempura sounded too good to pass up, so we gave it a shot. Hubby and I shared the Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura set, and it did not disappoint. The batter was light, crispy, and perfectly done. What really surprised us, though, were the tempura fish cake and the wagyu--both were unexpectedly amazing! The fish cake, in particular, was a standout. The restaurant is tucked inside the Stix Food Court, which made it even better--I grabbed a delicious iced matcha latte nearby to wrap up the meal. Definitely a hidden gem. We'll be back! read more

I found Tempura Kiki on yelp when I was looking for some Japanese food in Hawaii. It's located in the food hall Stix Asia. The tempura was perfectly cooked and had a delicious sweet sauce on top. I thoroughly enjoyed my bowl of tempura over rice! read more

Tempura Kiki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The gem of Stix! The tempura was comparable to the ones I've had in Japan and the udon was cooked to perfection. Service was attentive and great. read more

Tempura Kiki is a great experience for tempura lovers. Instead of getting a deluxe tempura set (pre-set tempura, rice, and soup) we opted to order many ala carte items so we could try exactly what we wanted. Each piece ranged from $3.50-10 each except for a few items like lobster and eel ($20+). Our favorites were Japanese eggplant, soft boiled egg, and lotus root. Each tempura piece is brought out as it's ready and placed by the server on a wire tray to ensure maximum freshness and crispness. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The restaurant is located on the basement level of a shopping center with a number of other restaurants and cafes. This was a great area to visit and a unique dining experience. read more

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Fast friendly service. Hot delicious tempura comes out gradually, always hot from the kitchen. Busy feeling. Part of the crowd. Cheerful atmosphere. Go for the food. It's good. Validated parking. read more

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Cute little place on thr lower floor of the bldg, you can park on tue street or in the parking garage. Everything is tempura and it's just the best tempura flavor, light and crispy! We had fish, shrimp, and veggies and all were scrumptious! It's small and there are other restaurants all around if your group wants to eat different things. read more

Tempura Kiki is located in the STIX Asian Food Hall smack in the middle of Waikiki. It's about 15 minutes walk from the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but everything is walkable when you're staying in Waikiki. We arrived around noon and there was few tables occupied but we were seated right away. Our server was very polite and friendly. Their tempura is fantastic and on point. It was light and and fluffy. It's had a perfect crisp and wasn't greasy. Premium Seafood Tempura Set- These was served fresh out of the fryer. It was served two around of it. Each around including two seafood and three vegetables. Shrimp Tempura Bowl- Fantastic, served with 4 shrimp, egg and vegetables. Kiki Tempura Bowl- Another excellent bowl, served with pork, squid, shrimp, egg and vegetables. It's definitely a place worth a visiting. Luch was fantastic and I highly recommend. read more

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The tempura here did not disappoint. The batter is light, not too greasy, and the vegetables are cooked perfectly. Even the lotus was delicious. We ordered an extra miso soup with the Kiki set and it was enough to feed two people. The sauce seemed too light at first, but I added the chili and matcha salts and it really came to life. Our server, Nicholas, was so awesome and accommodating. It's a small place with limited seating so the outstanding service goes a long way. read more

Tempura Kiki - Kiki set (started digging into the zucchini) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Tempura Kiki is right by the musubi stand in STIX Asia. This was my first time and the servers were so polite and quickly sat us at a table. There is a special menu only available to Kama'aina, so of course we ordered off of that menu. There are just 2 items: a tempura set, and a tendon. Our whole table ordered the set. You get to choose your last item - chicken, fish, shiitake, or okra I believe? It already comes with pork, shrimp and veg. I've never had pork tempura. That was yummy! It's very thin, so it's also very tender. I believe our friend got a 2nd round of rice, so I think they do free refills on rice? They also give you a box of tsukemono to serve yourself. There are other condiments on the table such as shoyu, matcha salt, chili salt. The shop is very clean, but fairly small. Thankfully it wasn't that crowded when we went. Also, I've never been served tempura as it came out. Our servers brought out a basket and served the pieces as they were coming off the fryer, so not everything all at once. I've only received that type of service in Japan before. Overall a very good experience. Pro tip - keep your receipts for parking validation at the desk outside, and also the restroom codes are on the receipts! read more

Tempura Kiki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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What a great spot in Stix for some delicious tempura! We came on a Wednesday evening during peak dinner time (around 8pm) and were able to sit without a wait time. Service is so accomadating and friendly, and drinks are strong! We ordered a Wagyu Seafood set and a Kiki set, both have plenty of food! Everything came out fresh and crispy - plus love that they bring each piece of tempura to you and explain every thing they set down. Very impressed, everybody should check them out! read more

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Service was amazing and the staff was super nice. The tempura was delicious, and the eel tempura roll was a standout. The udon wasn't too bad -- maybe just a bit on the salty side. read more

Tempura Kiki - Shrimp tempura + udon - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii