I never write reviews on Yelp, but I created an account especially for Tororo. I always feel at home here as I'm so welcomed by the staff and the atmosphere is similar to Japan which I love. The only thing is that tonight there was a couple sitting at a nearby table causing a commotion about not wanting to pay and they had brought in a dog into the shop which was not allowed. They complained so much it took time away from the staff so they couldn't serve other customers. They also accused the staff about not being "American enough," which I thought was racist. Other than that, this izakaya is a great mix of local and Japanese flavors. Highly recommended to everyone! Try the chicken skin gyoza! read more

This place gives Hooter vibes and is nothing short of sleezy. It was our first time at Tororo and we came later in the night since little was open. Immediately something felt off. There was random stuff lying around and only 2 other tables. The men at the table were putting their hands around the server's waist and bottom and I wanted to throw up. You obviously don't come here for the mediocre food. We made the mistake of giving it a shot anyways. We ordered the spicy ahi roll with avocado and the yakitori negima. The roll was rubbery and slimy. It felt like I was going to get sick if I kept eating it. The chicken skewer was also rubbery and overcooked. We left most of it untouched after trying some. When we told the first waitress about our experience, she said she could take it off our bill. We thought this was the end of it, but the owner did not take the uneaten food off our bill. She fought with us for a good 10 minutes about how she couldn't accept taking food we didn't eat off our bill. She was incredibly unprofessional and simply doesn't understand how to do business. Stay away. It's unfortunate this establishment only survives through sex appeal rather than actual high quality food. read more

Tororo is a small Japanese restaurant on King Street. There's a free parking slot behind the restaurant. The restaurant wasn't too big and it's kinda dark inside. Service was ok. Food: 4/5 - everything tastes good especially the chicken skewers. Fresh ingredients and portions are great. Prices: 5/5 - everything is very affordable Good place to have gatherings with friends here. read more

See all

Coming here is perhaps an authentic Japanese experience but not in the way you typically think. More like if you went into a random small neighborhood restaurant in Japan and the food was great and service familiar and friendly but not much attention to ambience. The service was very friendly, kind, warm - with recommendations about food and asking us our names. Just really nice. The food was really good. Ahi tatsuta age was on happy hour special. Not overcooked, big pieces of ahi, thin crispy batter, and well seasoned. The jyaga butter potato also on happy hour special was delicious with unexpected sweet and salty flavors. The vinegar rice under the ahi tataki was cooked and seasoned perfectly and delicious. And the tororo in the negitoro had a texture that wasn't thin and a natural sweetness that was perfect. The best was the fried oysters - five pieces that were breaded and crisp, hot, giant oysters absolutely delicious. The food was actually excellent. This is the old eastern paradise Chinese restaurant and the ambience hasn't changed much except for the bar area. Maybe they were in the middle of redecorating but there were boxes covered with sheets and bar stool seats on the ground and printers in the dining room. Also a speaker on the ground playing pop reggae. It didn't bother us since we care most about food and service but we worry that they won't be able to stay in business bc the ambience requires some attention. We'd like them to succeed. Maybe it was just that week? Recommend coming here between 6-8pm for their happy hour and get fried things and the rice bowls. Parking is easy in the back and you can enter the restaurant from the parking side as well. read more

One of my new favorite Izakaya spots! It's a perfect homely and chill spot to have drinks and pick on pupus with friends. Food prices.... Super reasonable! The ambiance is nothing fancy, but the food and the staff are great! Kenya, the waitress, was super sweet and very attentive. Suggested dishes to must try are : - ahi tataki - cold ginger shrimp - Torotaku bowl (special, only $10 with a purchase of an alcoholic beverage) They have a happy hour that goes from 6-9pm..... yes, you read that right lol I was amazed that they had happy hour specials during prime dinner hours! Would definitely recommend to family and friends. I can't wait to go back and try different dishes! read more

See all

Thursday February 19, 2026. We came here for dinner. Metered street parking or there is a private paid parking lot behind the building that is 5pm and closes at 11pm. Service is fast and friendly from Cora the bartender/waitress and the owner Shiho too. The menu constantly changes which is a good thing. Like this Cold Tororo Udon. Ambiance is casual and very comfortable. Always support local businesses. I would highly recommend this place! If you are looking for a Izakaya to eat, drink or a just a snack. read more

Tororo - Today's Special. Thursday February 19, 2026 - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I expected to find a small intimate izakaya - and it is that. But I felt I was more in a cozy bar where everyone who works there tries to get to know you. The owner-cook, Shiho, and her bartender, Cora, are very nice, friendly people. There are only minor changes from its former life as a Chinese restaurant. Service and atmosphere definitely focuses around the small eight seat bar. Everything's rather plain. The food is small plates. Although there is seafood and sushi rolls don't think of Tororo as a full on meal restaurant. That kind of stuff is there to satisfy non-drinkers and people who think every Japanese place has to have some kind of sushi. The best stuff revolves around bites between drinks. The drink menu has some wine, sake, Japanese whisky, and some surprisingly higher end champagne. The poor ventilation and focus around the bar make it feel a little divey. Patience is needed and rewarded. Bring friends for a couple of rounds and leave the family at home. read more

See all

Dinner in Honolulu, Hawaii... We searched for a Hot New Business on our Yelp apps and found: Tororo Located on King Street, next to Paris Station (store with previously owned high-end purses), Tororo used to be Far Eastern (Chinese) restaurant. The interior is totally renovated! It looks modern and elegant - especially with the bar area and its red lamps! The convenient restroom is clean and beautiful, too! Service was very polite and efficient! The pleasant man at the door greeted everyone cheerfully and held the door open for us as we entered and left! I got the special $9.95 chirashi bowl which comes with miso soup. There are only ten bowls available daily, so we're lucky that we waited for the door to open at 6pm. The toppings were fresh and colorful! I liked the tiny cubes of takuan and the larger chunks of shrimp! They contrasted well with the smooth, rich toro! The sushi rice was fluffy and tasty! Thanks for the wonderful dining experience and the free parking behind the building! read more

See all

Could've been better... We were so excited to give this new place a try and more so when they had the special limited menu item for such a great deal of Torotaku Chirashi for $9.95 but with shellfish I decided on a poke bowl ahi poke with cold ginger sauce which sounded amazing and a medium size for $8.95 sounded like even a better deal for me so I got a Jyaga butter potato as well from the happy hour menu at $3 to give it a try. Potato was definitely nice and buttery and a solid half portion is just the right amount thought not sure at $3 but for my poke bowl was the winner the rice was cooked to perfection I couldn't get enough of it and the cold ginger sauce for the poke was amazing and wished I got the large instead of the medium but at the end it was just the right amount. This is where it was my error as well I was overcharged by the restaurant as it should be a total of $21.90 before tax and tip but inclusive I paid $34.86 so I know I was wrongly charged for the large bowl and I didn't check but is concerning as we both verified the size and I was served the correct size and there was just two tables. I do like what they did with the place after taking over from the previous biz the decor is very simple and do see that it's still a work in progress though I do need to be more mindful as every dollar counts for me and learned to not let the food coma put my brains asleep. Thank you! read more

See all

Discovered a hidden gem of a Japanese izakaya on the corner of King and Keeaumoku, right next to Paris Station. Honestly, this is one of those places I'd love to gatekeep to myself, because once word gets out, it might get harder to score a reservation. Still, as an honorable Yelp Elite, it is my duty to share the good eats from my foodie adventures with you, the Yelp community. They are open from 6 PM to 11 PM, with very reasonable prices and friendly service. The space is cozy, with about eight tables and a counter. You can park in the lot behind the building or find street parking after 6:30 PM. Now the food. Every bite was a delight: Tori Taku: Our first bite of the night. The texture was fantastic and immediately made us want more. Ahi Tataki: Perfectly seared with a simple sauce of sesame oil, negi, and salt. Clean, bold, and satisfying. Jyaga Butter Potato: Do not let the simplicity fool you. Sweet, savory, and full of texture. This one surprised me in the best way. Pork Miso Soup: Hearty and deeply flavorful. Comfort in a bowl. Cold Ginger Shrimp with Wonton Chips: I wasn't sure about this one when ordering, but I'm glad I took the risk. The combination works beautifully. I want to try making this at home. Chirashi Bowl: Just $9.99. They only make ten a day, so don't hesitate. This was our final dish and it disappeared as quickly as the first. Small space. Big flavors. Friendly staff. Go now while it still feels like a secret spot--but please leave me a seat. read more

See all

Thursday October 23, 2025 we came here to eat dinner and a few drinks after? Service is friendly and fast as always from Cora! Food is always good! Ambiance is casual and very comfortable. Something different from all the food pictures all the time. lol. We will be back again. Support local businesses! The food and service is the best! Why else would we be coming back all the time. lol. read more

See all

2nd time back. Great service. Good food. Affordable. Will be back. Definitely recommend. read more

Tororo - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Walked in 6pm on a Saturday night The good: hostess / waitress / bartender was nice. Literally it was just one girl holding down the front. Food was tasty and decently priced. The bad: alcohol kinda pricey...$8 for a 12 oz (estimate) glass of Japanese draft. (Chez kenzo been doin $5 / $3 HH Kirin drafts forever right next door) The ugly: took over an hour for us to get 5 dishes. All of which were raw / minimally cooked items. Ahi tataki, ika shiokara, jalapeño roll, nebaneba bakudan, cold ginger shrimp w/chips. Owner / cook is running it solo in the back and she's clearly overwhelmed as the restaurant was less than half full. She needs to either hire some help or shrink down the menu so she can handle. Would've ordered more things but the way the food was slowly coming out, just called for the tab and went another spot to end the night. Would not recommend, nor plan on returning read more

The food is pretty good. The staff was super nice. Pretty chill ambience. Overall it was a pretty good experience. read more

See all

Chill relaxing vibe. Good for conversation and socializing. Owner and kitchen individuals work very hard to make sure that guests are well served and presentation is well served. Food tastes great and at the prices that is very affordable for everyone, at least for soft opening, giving guests that chance to be able to try just or almost or as much on the menu. read more

Tororo - Takoyaki and miso soup and Asahi beer - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A nice simple Izakaya with delicious food and awesome service. We ordered the Ahi jerky which was very tasty but didn't flow with the rest of the food, so I took it home. We also had the tataki which was really nice pieces of ahi, the Jyaga pototo, the spicy ahi shrimp tempura roll, Yamatake negitoro bowl, karage chicken, and the ikura inari. All were delicious. Our waitress; Kenya, was very friendly and attentive. What's always cool is when the owner comes out to check on customers, so it was nice that she came out to see how we were doing. Parking behind the building had spaces big enough for 2500 size truck, and bathroom was inside the restaurant. We came at 6pm when they opened, there were just a few others which made for a quiet experience to talk story, eat a delicious meal, and have a cold draft beer. read more

An amazing hidden gem! By far the best meal we had in Honolulu at a very reasonable price. Great tasty, fresh, flavorful food, friendly service and a relaxed vibe. Such an authentic Japanese experience you'll feel like you just teleported to Japan. They have a big menu so there's something for everyone. I highly recommend the tuna chirashi bowl and miso soup a nightly special for $9.95 and the ahi jerky appetizer. If I was a local I'd eat here all the time! read more

Tororo - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We wanted to try this place based on the reviews that it was a great Japanese restaurant / sushi bar. Frankly, it's more like a Korean bar than a restaurant. The logo should've given it away. Sadly, every roll sushi had shrimp tempura in it. The hand rolls are $7.50 a piece. The drinks were high priced - $4.50 for a glass of soda which was mostly ice. C$8/$9 beers. $9 chu-hi which was also mostly ice. The service was good, but then again, there were only two tables including ours, and a couple sitting at the bar. The poke, ikura bowl, ginger onion shrimp, tasted very good and the price was reasonable, but the ponzu chicken skin lacked taste and was soggy. We had fried shumai and a wasabi hosomaki that husband said was more like chopped jalapeño in sone kind of jelly. The worst part was the table near us who were drunk, talking really loudly, and every other word was "f$%@". Totally ruined our dinner. We probably won't go back. read more

Late night dining spot on our way back to our hotel. It looked good online, so we gave it a try. It appeared to be a locals spot because of the friendly atmosphere at the bar between customers and servers (good looking waitresses). We ordered wine and several food items. The waitress was very friendly and informative (which we appreciate). The food came and everything was delicious. Service, food, and friendly customers is 5 star rating. We left and the next morning realized I didn't have my money clip with me 371.00 cash-that's a loss, but returned that day (the day after) and they greeted me with a smile and when I asked the girl (our waitress) went to the back and handed me my money clip with all the money. I gave her a $$ tip and a hug. Amazed that there is still honor and honesty. Thuis a special place. read more

Delicious food, friendly staff and easy to find! We checked out this spot for dinner and did a family style meal. The spot is better for bar bites and drinks than dinner but we were definitely full after ordering off of their happy hour menu. One of the notable items was their $10 chirashi bowl! It was on the smaller side, but still good. We ordered a bunch of items but the standouts were the ahi tataki and the potato! The potato seemed very simple since it was a fried potato, but it was well marinated and perfectly cooked. It was sweet and salty with a crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. Will be going back for drinks and bar food! read more

See all

We were looking for a place to eat that was open late, and Tororo popped up on Yelp. It's a small Japanese restaurant with a bar type of atmosphere, initially, but as soon as you interact with the employees, it just felt like a nice, comforting place to eat. We had the cold ginger ahi poke with won ton chips, fried mackerel, and shrimp tempura roll. They were all delicious. Kenia (Kenya?) was awesome. Very friendly, spoke to all the customers, yet you never had to wait long for anything. It's definitely a place I'd go back to, to hang out with coworkers for pau hana or with friends for some drinks and simple pupus. read more

Kind of random, not what I expected at all. But the food was good and the service was fine, albeit seemingly off-kilter--not sure how to put it, just eccentric? Small plates, different. Definitely not our usual family restaurant, but a nice change! Low-key and nondescript. read more

Shiho-san is great! Tororo #1 Cora-chan is too! Tororo just needs more staff, more people should apply here! Especially if they want to learn sushi and Japanese style tavern (drinking) culture. Aloha read more

Really enjoyed this cozy new izakaya! The service was great and food was delicious! Shiho is the young owner from Kobe! She came out and visited with tables. Give this budding business a try! read more

See all

First time there with friends that were regulars. Excellent service. Tried the chicken skin gyoza. Fried chicken skin with gyoza stuffing. Will be going back soon. read more

Food was amazing for the price , service was excellent, cute ambiance! Loved it. The ahi tataki was my favorite and it's a steal on happy hour. read more

Service was good. Price was a little higher than places similar but could be the location. Flavor was excellent.

This place is fun! The owner Shiho makes this place and the food and drinks are great

What a great place. Super food and drink with friendly service from Hoa and the wonderful owner, Shiho. Lovely atmosphere and sincerely recommended if you are in town. We'll be back read more

Our server was really kind and attentive. The food was reasonably priced and it looked and tasted AMAZING. The menu is very simple so it shouldn't be too hard to choose from like other places that have way too many options. We had a really great experience and would definitely recommend friends and family to dine at this restaurant. read more

See all

Glad we finally got to try this new izakaya. We started with the jyaga butter potato and the cold ginger shrimp, which we had never had before and were excellent. The sushi rolls were also very good. They were playing an interesting mix of slack-key guitar and city pop, and compared to some other places, we were glad we could actually hear each other. Service was friendly and attentive: even the chef came out to ask how everything was and meet us. We were surprised that even with drinks it wasn't expensive. There were several things on the menu we wanted to try, so we'll be back. read more

Everything was great. From the delicious food and drinks to Shiho's personality. You should go on a Tuesday or Wednesday when it's a little slower. This way you can enjoy Shiho's company more. read more

They just opened but they need to expand their menu a bit more. Food we got was good though. Restaurant was dead empty when we came in at 7pm. read more

Love the food here and the service makes it so much better! The owner is super friendly and present and the bartender, Cora, is always very friendly and professional. The food is sooo good and I'll definitely be coming back as a regular!! read more

Delicious authentic Japanese food. Excellent service. We found this gem when we were looking for a place to eat and our original restaurant was closed. Serendipitous! read more

Great new Japanese restaurant. The food is fantastic and the service was excellent! Happy Hour from 6-9pm.