Hadn't eaten here since the new owners took over, but was hearing good reviews. Entering the restaurant, the front door is still difficult to open. I helped an elderly woman who was struggling with it. They gotta get the door springs loosened up The server brought us miso soup right after we sat down. That was a pleasant surprise. However, it was just the bowl of soup, not including the traditional cover with green onion on top. The soup was very good, not too strong and served at the proper temperature. The previous owners served it scalding hot. I could not eat it for several minutes unless I put some ice cubes in it. Also, no salted cabbage was served, unlike the past. I ordered the Teishoku A with teriyaki pork, sashimi, vegetable tempura and shrimp tempura. As my photo shows, it was well presented. The sashimi was very good quality with 3 thick slices. The teri pork was great. Not too salty, as was the case in the past. The pork was cut to a good thickness, not paper thin, and no gristle. Big scoop of rice. The veggie tempura was huge! The shrimp tempura was about the same size as in the past. The tempura batter was cooked perfectly. Crisp, light and no bad, old oil taste, as happened with the previous owner. It was very much hit or miss. You just hoped the day you went they used fresh oil. If not, yuck . The price was $25.99, I believe the least expensive of the Teishoku choices. My friend had the spare ribs. He said it was good and as the photo shows, it was a generous portion. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the menu, but as I recall, most plate lunches run in the high teens to low 20's. The Teishoku trays start in the mid 20's and run up to the high 20's. I believe the ala carte entrees run from the high teens to high 20's. Overall, great service and the taste and quality of the food might be the best I've ever had there in the 40+ years I've patronized the restaurant. read more

Tokyo Tei - Sweet sour pork plate lunch. - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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If you're looking for delicious Local/Japanese food, you need to hit up Tokyo Tei! They have a great selection of lunch and dinner specials like Roast Pork with Gravy, Chicken Hekka, or Misoyaki Butterfish. Most known for their Teishoku (Set Meal) Trays that include Rice and Miso Soup. I got my favorite, Teishoku B which includes Teriyaki Steak, Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura, and a few slices of Ahi Sashimi. I wanted my steak Medium Well and it was perfectly done and the teriyaki sauce was a good balance of tangy and sweet. Pour a few drops of Shoyu on the Sashimi and dip it in the Hot Mustard sauce in the middle of the tray. The star of my tray is the Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura. They fillet the shrimp so it was a HUGE shrimp tempura piece along with strands of carrots in tempura batter, tempura asparagus and a tempura eggplant. It was so crispy and tasty. I've been to Japan and this is Japan level tempura and the best on Maui, hands down. I came around 1 pm and they close at 1:30 pm and I got my order in 5 minutes with maybe 4-5 parties seated around me. The aunties were attentive and helpful. Make sure to visit this hidden Japanese gem for lunch or dinner! read more

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Haven't been here in a while. So we, decided to eat an early dinner tonight. We got there and the waitress said sit any where you want. So we chose a booth. We were given water and a menu right away. We ordered Kim chee, Chicken Hekka and Chicken Katsu. All of these dishes were tasty. Just the Kim Chee it tasted rancid. We didn't finish much of it. But the rest of the dishes were pretty good. The chicken Katsu came with a lot of chicken I have enough for lunch tomorrow. The Ambiance of this place is very chill, very inviting and there was Japanese music playing. I think it was Japanese. read more

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Good place for some Japanese food in Wailuku. Good service in a small family-run restaurant serving traditional seasonal Japanese plates made from scratch since 1934. The chicken katsu portion is big! I would recommend that if you're hungry. There is a small room in the back for big parties or if you have a small group for a special occasion with some privacy. They are very accommodating and helpful. read more

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Food so bad . I don't want to come back,. Ichiban wailuku much better. Miso soup so salty look like salt water...

Giving this restaurant one more try. I heard on the radio that it's under New Management. YAY! It's a Tuesday @ 1150am. Completely empty. Wow. Same nice Filipino lady is here, waiting tables. Same old school Japanese music playing overhead....nostalgic. -Salted cabbage is still ala carte. $3 a serving. Not salted enough and was watery. Added salt. -I'm a self proclaimed shoyu snob. I don't like using Aloha shoyu when eating Asian food. And that's exactly what they have here. *Sigh* -Miso soup came out piping hot. Not bad. But not a tofu in sight. -Ordered a Teishoku B $27 (Teri steak)and E $25 (fried ahi). My husband and I both agreed that the food was less oily compared to previous visits. His steak came our cooked as ordered. I like my fried fish a little salty. IMO, it's best when I'm crunching on hwn salt grains (IYKYK). So I did add a little salt. But other than that, the fish was great! -Again, wish I had Kikkoman shoyu on my rice and sashimi, hot mustard and fried ahi. Oh well. -Tempura was crispy and not burned. Comes with 1 shrimp, carrots, 1 green bean and a long thin slice of eggplant. Pretty sure the Teishoku's used to come with more tempura. 2 hrs later-both my husband and I have the WORST stomach issues. I'll spare you the details. Sorry TT, I wanted to love you, but my stomach says otherwise. read more

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Got the "Teishoku B" which is shrimp and vegetable tempura with teriyaki steak. Included miso soup and ahi. Really enjoyed the tempura, the batter was crisp and light, the shrimp was a large piece. I especially enjoyed the shredded carrot tempura, such a big piece, my little nephew enjoyed it too. The steak was tender, the teri sauce was delicious. I really enjoyed my meal here! The other foods on our table looked very good too. Located downstairs from a residential complex, difficult to find from the main road. read more

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Tokyo Tei has been a fixture for a long time in Wailuku. It is located near the harbor in a mixed residential/commercial/industrial area. The restaurant may be hard to locate as it is basically in a parking lot under a building. Food is meh, shrimp tempura was a huge portion but pricy at $25. It was also a bit greasy and heavily battered. Miso soup was thin and more salty than anything else flavor wise. With very little seaweed or tofu at all. Overall, there are better choices on Maui for Japanese food. No recommendation decide for yourself. read more

It's been a few years since we've dined at Tokyo Tei, and pleased to report that the food is good again. We used eat here at least a couple times a month under the original owners. When they sold the restaurant a few years ago, quality had gone downhill. A family member mentioned it being under new ownership and the most recent owners had restored the menu to the original recipes. We were always a fan of the teishoku bentos. Nice portion sizes and good variety since they come with sashimi, shrimp/veggies mixed tempura, green tea, rice and your choice of protein. My husband and I get the steak cooked medium and the kids are a fan of the teriyaki pork. Everything was fresh, seasoned well and prepared just as we remembered. Kudos to the new owners. So glad we gave them another shot. read more

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More of a 3.5 star for me. My friend wanted to meet with a local friend, who chose this place, because it was near him. We got there right when it opened, so it was quiet, and only us six in there. The lady working was very friendly. I got Teishoku B and my bf got the Hakata Chicken. Everything was good, satisfying, but it wasn't amazing to me. As others mentioned, the food was a bit on the pricier side, but it did fulfill us. read more

Tokyo Tei - Teishoku B - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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Local favorite! My husband and I come here to have the bento with kalbi, sashimi and tempura. Very local vibes. Staff are very friendly and food was fast. read more

Tokyo Tei - Kalbi, sashimi and tempura. - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Now it's a new owner ! It's gotten better! I like their tempura ! And there fry Ahi ! I had pork tofu it was okay! But need a little more taste and the pork cooked a little more! Other than that it's okay! My favorite is the tempura so far! I'm going back to try other dishes! read more

Tokyo Tei was one of our only options open after 8pm in Maui - and seemed to be a spot that a lot of locals stopped into. We met up with friends from Florida for dinner after our arrival to Maui. The restaurant was dim and small but it appeared to be filled with locals. The service was slow but friendly overall. There are quite a variety of options on the menu - I decided to try Teishoku A - the teriyaki pork combo meal, which came in a bento box including the teriyaki pork, sashimi and shrimp/veggie tempura. It was a good deal, but food was mediocre. For the price, the quality of the food was a-ok - however, it was a pretty disappointing first meal in Maui. read more

Tokyo Tei - Teriyaki Pork Teishoku A @tiffhuangry - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Introduced new friends to Tokyo Tei last night. Total honest foodies that moved from New Jersey to Maui recently. They absolutely loved the food, service and atmosphere. Now they too are hooked on the Teishokus!!! read more

Tokyo Tei - Teishoku B - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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Kind and attentive servers + good food + great prices = a wonderful experience! I've always enjoyed coming here; from childhood through adulthood. Even with new honors, they consistently provide great service with good food and reasonable prices! This hole in the wall spot is one you don't want to miss! read more

Tokyo Tei - Menu cover - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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We haven't been to Tokyo Tei for years so we decided to give it a try since we were craving Japanese food. This place is tucked away on the ground floor of Puuone Towers in Wailuku. They are open Monday-Saturday for lunch from 10:30-1:30 and for dinner from 4:30-8:30. It hasn't changed at all! It's still a cozy, casual restaurant with the same menu. The service is good and pretty fast. We ordered the Kalbi Ribs Teishoku and the Teriyaki Steak Teishoku. Miso soup and hot tea are included with the meals. The food tasted really good, just like we remembered. The meats were tender and flavorful. The shrimp and vegetable tempura were crispy. The sashimi was good too (if you don't eat raw fish, they will cook your sashimi). The prices were reasonable too. I'm so glad we tried this place again so we have another Japanese restaurant to go to! read more

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Remembering the '70s when Tokyo Tei was Number ONE. It still is. Ono food, great services and the ambiance is the same comfortable setting I recall. Prices are definitely worth every cent. Gotta go try today! read more

Great service and excellent staff and very friendly waitress with a welcoming smile and really good miso soup and the bento I had was perfect read more

Teriyaki Steak is a favorite, and the Tempura I love it, sashimi is always fresh. Thanks to my ex who took me there over 15 years ago. Now every time I go to Maui, I have to stop at Tokyo Tei. Haven't been back since the Maui fires, but i will be back there soon! read more

I'm a Teishoku B girl for life! Have to eat here every time we're on Maui. Under new ownership but tastes just like I remember. Light and crispy tempura batter! So yummy! Had leftovers between hubby and me so we took some home. They even bring a to go tsuyu sauce for you without asking. Had to wait a while for our order but good thing are worth waiting for.... How do they make the teriyaki steak so tender? Sashimi is always good too. Till next trip.... I shall wait for my B. read more

Tokyo Tei - Teishoku B Tempura Teri steak Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Really good Hawaiian style Japanese food. Run by locals and has been around for over 60 years. A trick to find but worth the search, hidden under parking overhang. Honest dishes prepared with care. read more

New owners brings great and delicious food, we ordered the miso butter fish and the pork teriyaki, both so flavorful and good portions. The servers were so friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The entire experience was fantastic and will be back again for sure. read more

As the new owner since August 2024, I felt compelled to reassess the establishment's culinary offerings. The previous owner, who acquired the restaurant from the original proprietors, unfortunately deviated from the legacy of Tokyo Tei. During my conversation with the new owner, I expressed my utmost pride and gratitude for her vision to restore the authenticity of this esteemed Japanese restaurant. Her commitment to reviving the original recipes that once made this establishment Maui's premier Japanese dining destination is truly commendable. In our group of three, we placed an order for Teishoku. The menu also included a new Teishoku F, Kalbi, which my colleague ordered and kindly shared a piece with us. It was exceptionally delicious and the cut was of an appropriate thickness. My colleague also ordered Teishoku B, the Teriyaki steak, which was equally delightful. I opted for my previous favorite, Teishoku A, the teriyaki pork, and it maintained its original delectable taste. The batter for the Tempura needs to be less thicker. Otherwise, the taste of the batter is on point! The proprietor has chosen to focus on the menu rather than renovating the restaurant's interior, which is a wise business decision to renovate at a later time. If you enjoyed the original Tokyo Tei, I encourage you to give this establishment a try. I think the only thing that she can change right now is to play instrumental Japanese music to set the ambiance instead of playing local music. Other than that she is on the right track giving me a great feeling that she will be a very smart business woman on this island. read more

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Nostalgia to the max. Been coming here off and on all my life. Love their crispness of the tempura. My go to is the pork teriyaki. It's so tender and sweetness is well balanced with the saltiness. Lucky for me I can get both on their teishoku A. Which is what I got last night. Service was friendly and accommodating, though little slow for an early Friday night. The only real downside was that, in my belief, was the tempura was too oily for my stomach and gave me an intestinal disorder involving the toilet. But that was probably me, where I just can't do deep fried too much anymore. Still ono though read more

Tokyo Tei - Teishoku A. Tempura, sashimi & teriyaki pork. - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Been here a good amount of times and it's a nice local spot to go with friends and family - the classic to get is usually the Teishoku. You get to have a good amount of selection for a good size portion of food. It gets super busy at times but you definitely leave feeling satisfied if you're able to enjoy a meal here. - Miguel Morales Photography read more

One of my favorite restaurants on the island. We drive to Kahului just to get our fix! Elsie is the best! Thank you for always providing us the best Japanese food on the island! read more

Called in for a take out. I ordered thee teishoku trays, a tempura plate and an order of salted cabbage called koko. I haven't eaten here for a while so was shocked at the cost of my meals and being charged a container fee. At home we began sorting out all the containers and discovered that there was no side order of salted cabbage. I immediately checked the receipt to see if I was charged and no I was not charged. The food was okay. The tempura was very oily and the miso soup had no taste at all. I noticed that the miso soup no longer had little pieces of tofu and green onions and had no taste at all. When we got to the restaurant there was no customers dining in. The cost of my meals was not worth it. This is the last time I am eating there. If I want Japanese food I will drive to Kihei ant eat at izakaya read more

Awesome tempura and saimin. Must return!!! Portions were large and tasty. Ambiance is casual, local and lowkey read more

Tokyo Tei - Shrimp Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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Good service and slow wait time, but none of us enjoyed the food we ordered all of which was of poor quality--vegetable tempura had old eggplants and zucchini which tasted bitter and had a thick greasy hard batter. The chicken katsu donburi had soggy chicken that tasted of reused oil. The udon had an overly fishy smell. This was our first time at Tokyo Tei, but because none of us liked their food, we won't be coming back; the money spent wasn't worth it. read more

The food was SUPER ONO.!! Teri Pork was literally the best I've ever had and the tempura, especially the batter, was Awesome. prices are reasonable. Service was very friendly. I'd highly recommend this place for a great Japanese meal!! read more

The original owners of Tokyo Tei sold the business around 2018. The new owners are the folks who used to own Bentos & Banquets by Bernard and who took over Cupies (prior to its latest revival). They promised to keep the workers and menu which they've done, an important factor to fans of the longtime eatery. ATMOSPHERE: Nothing has changed, meaning it's still a simple, hole-in-the-wall spot in desperate need of a renovation which will probably never happen going by their past practices. Their back dining room area is now closed off due to the pandemic, but seating is still available up front. MENU: Still the same local/Japanese offerings but now with a small addition of Korean dishes such as kim chee, mandoo, fried chicken and short ribs. Prices have increased about $1 which is understandable. FOOD: While I haven't tried anything new, this is the first time I've eaten here under the new ownership and wanted to touch on that. Pork Tofu & Chicken Hekka dishes The most important thing, the taste, is still there. However both dishes lacked even a measly amount of protein. Honestly, there were about six or so tiny pieces of meat hiding in the mountain of veggies of both dishes. This wasn't a one-time thing either as it happened twice within the past two months. Portion sizes seem to have shrunk as well under the new proprietors. Shrimp Tempura Still the best homemade version on the rock but it's still too damn oily. Teriyaki Steak Still winners with its delectably sweet-savory sauce. TIP: With so many folks doing takeout, ala carte items have turned into plate lunches that come with rice, miso soup and an entrée selection that's a tad smaller than before. OVERALL: Not traditional Japanese cuisine by any means but it's a Maui staple. We'll be taking a break from Tokyo Tei for a while. read more

Tokyo Tei - Pork Tofu - VN - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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Hostess/Cashier was not very welcoming. Didn't greet us upon arrival. Girl just tossed the menu on the table without saying a word. She Looked very bothered and she was asking the other lady if they should sit us. It says they closed at 8:30 and we arrived at 7:50. So unprofessional and not great for business. We literally walked out as we didn't feel welcomed. read more

Went there last night. Have been a customer for many years. Unfortunately I don't think I will return. The Teri steak was tough and chewy and the shrimp tempura had to much tempura batter and very oily. read more

Been coming here since I was a child. Betsy and family did a great job. New ownership now, it's still pretty good but at times inconsistent. I was surprised that koko (salted cabbage) is no longer offered with your meal, which was dissatisfying as everyone looks forward to that. Some change is good, but sometimes 'improvement' is just change. We still come here a few times a year for nostalgia, but it's not the same. read more

One of few Japanese restaurants on Maui that offer teishoku sets. Teishoku comes with rice and miso soup and is no more than $20 each. Teishoku was delicious but had a smelly odor from the box itself. I'm not sure if it's from their dish washer? My husband got tonkatsu which was flat and not juicy meat. Dad got oyako don that had very generous portions. read more

Tokyo Tei - Teishoku with Teri steak - Japanese Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Love coming here for dinner. Been coming here since I was in middle school. The food is really good. The service was great. The staffs are friendly. read more

I mainly came here after seeing my Yelp buddies - Vince N. & Rod U.'s wonderful reviews of this place called - Tokyo Tei. Looking for some good o'l old skool "local style" Japanese grindages? May I suggest "Tokyo Tei" in lower Wailuku, as this restaurant which will certainly fit the bill! Ever since Archie's had recently shut down last year in lower Wailuku, I must admit I was pretty sad, but thanks to Tokyo Tei, now I can keep on getting my local style Japanese grindages! When I walked into this joint for lunch this past Thursday, I was treated to some ono grindz, & friendly home town service. What did I get the day I came here? I decided to get the - Broiled Teriyaki Chicken...... With my meal, I got a tub of white rice (they don't do brown rice here), a teapot of hot green tea, a cup of miso soup, & tsukemono.......all of this for under $15 smackaz for this complete meal. Can we say Dealages Yo! Overall a very satisfying meal, as the broiled Teriyaki chicken had great flavor, but texture wise, the meat was a wee bit over cooked, as the meat was on the rubbery firm side. If you're not into chicken, this restaurant also serves some seafood items, pork dishes, beef dishes, & even some Teishoku set meals. I'm sure they will have something that will appeal to everyone's appetite! Looking for a local style grindages? Give Tokyo Tei a try! read more

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I love this restaurant. It is the definition of local style Japanese cuisine. We first discovered Tokyo Tei some years ago and really liked the food. It was crowded back the so I made reservations this time to make sure we didn't have to wait. It was surprising that on a Sunday evening at about 6:30 the restaurant was nearly empty. I was a little disappointed that this time around they don't served alcohol, but then the server told me that I can go across the street to purchase some beer from a liquor store. I returned with a large bottle of Sapporo beer. They serve the customary miso soup, which was good but not great, and house made cabbage tsukemono which was tasty and the portion was generous. I ordered the misoyaki butterfish and my wife had the teishoku B with vegetable tempura substituted for shrimp tempura. The menu listed 5 tempura included in teishoku B, very generous. My butterfish included 3 pieces of fish that was delicious and served with rice. My wife loved her teishoku meal. The teriyaki beef was not over marinated and was cooked to a perfect medium rare. But, the highlight of our meal was the tempura. The batter was so light and crispy that it was addicting. One of the best tempura I've ever had. We will definitely return here when we visit Maui again. read more

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This place gives me nostalgia. Old school style Japanese restaurant where they serve you free salted cabbage. Ordered one of the lunch special bentos w/ kalbi and tuna sashimi. The kalbi was really sweet. Tempura coating was a little strange. Really thick. read more

I thought the food was overpriced, terrible low quality and it made me feel sick in my stomach right after I swallowed the food. I had a teishoku set with kalbi, tempura and ahi. The Kalbi was so tough and tasteless. They gave the smallest amount of ahi. And the tempura was very oily and they only gave us one shrimp cut in half in a ton of batter and 2 small veggies. Do not recommend. I felt like we did not get what we paid for. read more