I've often wondered about this old skool Japanese restaurant called "Yagura Restaurant". 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! read more

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Another one I was able to cross off my list. I've probably driven by this place hundreds of times but 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. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Teishoku - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Five stars! Highly recommended! Of all my 40 somewhat years living in Oahu, I haven't tried here before and really wanted to go. Planned ahead, big time, because of the parking situation (only four parking stalls in front). With elderly parents to bring, we really needed a parking stall, so that they wouldn't have to walk far. We arrived at 10:30am, well ahead of the 11:00am opening, just to get a stall. Scored! No one arrived just yet. We waited a bit, but it finally opened at 11:00am. Inside the ambiance was great! Old school Japanese restaurant atmosphere (similar to Teshima's in Kona) & friendly staff. They were very attentive and efficient. I decided on the Yagura Specials, the miso butterfish and shrimp tempura. It was very good and delicious. The miso soup was hearty and soooo delicious. I'd say it's an award winning miso soup! Overall, everything went well and food was great! Again, five stars and highly recommended. read more

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This is one of our go-to Japanese restaurants in the area. It's not fancy at all....very casual place. Their biggest selling point is the food is consistently very tasty no matter what dish is ordered. I recently had their combination chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, and saba bento. Always satisfied and prices are reasonable! Only a few parking stalls in front and street parking available, so plan ahead depending time of day. read more

Unchanged old school local Japanese flavors of the 1980s, AKA childhood days finally found! Driven past literally hundreds of times. Read yeeps reviews. Seen content creator vids. Never a second thought until... Chat GPT, "create a list of Japanese restaurants on Oahu in continuous operation for 30 years or more still in business today. Specify if there ever was a change in ownership". GOLD! Misoyaki butterfish, thick, minimal bones, skin attached, deeply marinated for over a week in miso, soy, sake, and sugar) perfectly broiled. Old school tempura. Not the puff balls of an okazuya rather crisp and light. MSG laden tentsuyu with lots of grated daikon. Chicken tofu, sweet soy, ginger, unapologetic amount of MSG like grandma used to make it albeit without all the wonbok. Can't wait to return to try other old school faves, ie ahi nitsuke, yosenabe, and oyako donburi. Inexpensive with most teishoku, combo or otherwise, sub $30 inclusive of a large bowl of miso soup, tsukemono, tossed greens, unlimited rice and tea. From the dated but clean interior to the extremely friendly servers, there's nothing not to love. Finally, a survivor in a time when everyone wants ethnically authentic driving the old school, home-style foods to extinction. read more

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To celebrate my eldest son acceptance into a residency program for anesthesiology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, we decided to go out to dinner last night. We went to a cozy Japanese restaurant on Liliha Street. They only had four parking spaces in front but we found street parking nearby. Food was phenomenally very good. The wait staff were friendly and helpful. My water glass was always refilled. Really happy with this experience and would recommend this place to anyone who appreciates delicious Japanese cuisine. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Teishoku dinner with tonkatsu, teriyaki chicken and Ahi Sashimi, green salad, Mac salad, and pickled cabbage. Included Miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Yagura is one of those restaurants you go to for the old-school vibes and comforting Japanese flavors. Prices are reasonable, the butterfish was really good, and the combo plates are an awesome deal. Parking is free but limited to just four stalls. We've been lucky each time, but street parking can definitely be a challenge. Keep supporting these classic, longtime eateries! read more

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I guess I didn't review this place just check in I guess. Well today my brother and husband and I went for lunch. Got the miso butterfish and it was good 2 big pieces. My husband got their teishoku lunch "E". Sashimi tempura, miso butterfish, toss salad, Mac salad. Side order of fried oysters.My brother had teishoku lunch too. Cant remember what he had. But it all was good. Parking is a challenge here only 4 stalls in the front of restaurant other than that you have to look for parking. We was only 5 mins late and all stalls where taken. They open at 11am for lunch. If you looking for home style Japanese food then this place is for you. Try them if you hungry for Japanese food. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Miso butterfish - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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So glad we found Yagura's for lunch! Food was so ono! We had combo plate A and everything was perfectly prepared and presented. Definitely worth a stop. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

NEVER AGAIN This place used to be old school Japanese owned and operated. Now, it is Chinese owned and chefed. Service was seemingly caring with young girls manning front of house, but it turned out to be rushed and busy. My husband's food came and I waited 30 minutes for my yosenabe. Waitress said it was taking long because it takes so long to cook. Girl, it's broth, small pieces of chickenand fish, and noodles! It don't take long to cook! Meanwhile two tables that came way after us got their bbq chick and teishoku. Someone just forgot my order, just admit it. The worst offense? The broth was flavorless, except for the tofu and butterfish. The tofu was sour. Then tried the butterfish and spit it out immediately! It was spoiled. Took a wiff and it smelled like it went bad. Couldn't eat that, so turned to the udon noodles- all were about 2" long. Never seen such short udon. Probably old too. Be safe and stay away. read more

We were running around town on errands and wanted to grab a quick lunch before visiting a relative at a nearby hospital. We had tried at a place in Makiki but they are closed on Tuesdays. Bummer because I had that place on my list. I decided on Yagura since they are close by and we could be done and go to the hospital right after we were done. As we got to the entrance we see that the restaurant closes at 2 pm and reopens at 5pm for dinner. My watch read 1:35pm, oh boy. We were seated quickly and the waitress kind of hurried us to place our order. We ordered a Chicken Katsu Jyu which to me is like an Oyakodon bowl, only with Chicken Katsu. We also ordered a Tonkatsu Jyu. Both came out rather quickly. We were served miso soup and Japanese pickles with our meal. Also, hot tea. The restaurant is cute and clean. The service was good even if we came in late. We parked in the front of the restaurant in their parking lot. Just a note, we did leave the restaurant at 2 pm and heard the lock click as we got in the car. LOL read more

Yagura Restaurant - Tonkatsu Jyu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Love this restaurant! Been coming here for many many years. I don't know why it took me so long to write this review if you're looking for good old homestyle Japanese cooking, Yagura has you covered. Some of the dishes there reminds me of my grandmother. Their Ahi Nitsuke for example, a tender peace of Ahi simmered in a sweet Soy based marinade, or the Misoyaki Butterfish, instantly transports me back to my childhood. When food can do that you know this is a great restaurant. Parking can be a problem as there are only 5 stalls in the front of the restaurant. You will have to find street parking which can take several trips around the block. My Pro tip would be go as soon as they open to guarantee a parking stall. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Salmon teshoku with assorted tempura - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious--flavors very comforting!! I tried a "mini" combo meal and I was surprised! Priced right! Yummy and generous serving. I can't wait to return and try other combos!! Service very polite and attentive! Restaurant clean and homey. Side room accommodates larger groups. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Mini Shrimp Tempura Curry with Wakame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

How? From the miso soup to the rice...everything is made with care and excellence. Since 1984...there is a reason they are still here. Can't go wrong. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Wall art - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Only recently I've been coming here with my mom at least 3 times. It's an average size neighborhood Japanese restaurant on Liliha Street with only 4 stalls in front so if we happen to drive by and see there's parking, then we decide to dine in. Lately my mom have been craving Japanese food and mentioned she wanted to eat Japanese food. She is simple and knows that I like to choose expensive places but I don't mind taking her nice places especially on special occasion since she hardly dines out. This place is not bad and we just finished with her doctor appointment on Liliha Street and decided to come here. I read Yagura has been here since 1984! Wow more than 40 years. The restaurant has a variety of menu items and I don't see pork tofu everywhere so we both tried pork or chicken tofu on our first visit. On other times, we had the combination teishoku. The vegetable tempura was not lacey but crispy and the bbq chicken isn't marinated well but cooked Japanese style with the skin crispy! The restaurant seemed small from the outside but its long resting a lot of booth seating and long table. They even have a private room to the left for parties. They open for lunch and dinner but close in between. We always go close to closing but we tend to eat fast lol. There's a lot of near by workers who dine in with their coworkers. There's not too many near by dine in restaurants except for Jane Fountain. Service was good and fast. We automatically get a pot of hot tea and water. Our meals came with miso soup with tofu and wakame. Our two or three choices came in the teishoku container. I got got a pot of rice since I had the three choice set. The pork tofu is not bad. The other dishes were average. Although it may not be our favorite Japanese restaurant or our go to place for Japanese restaurant, but it was near and My mom always seemed to enjoy the food and the prices was not bad. For take out, you can order bentos. Nice to see this neighborhood Japanese restaurant is still in business since 1984. Please support small and local businesses read more

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Went here during high school years many years ago. Good friend & I were happy they were still there. Got there before they open @ 11am. Happy we got 2 of the 4 parking spaces they have in front, otherwise you have to find street parking. The restaurant looked the same, don't remember really , old school Japanese decor. The 2 servers were friendly & patient as we looked over the '' lots of choices'' menu. We ordered a combination Beef Teriyaki & shrimp & vegetable tempura, sukiyaki & a custom VegetableTempura& side of Curry & rice . Our server was nice to offer my friend this entree, as he has dietary restrictions.The food came out with all the side, namasu, mac salad , green salad & dipping sauces. Food was delicious & filling & good portions! Mahalo to the excellent chef! Had green tea & mango ice cream for dessert! Gotta return for our Japanese food Fix! Excellent customer service & great food @ reasonable prices! read more

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We were looking for a restaurant in the Liliha area after dropping off our son at volleyball practice at HBA. I had Yagura saved in my bookmarks, so we gave it a try. This was late 2024. There are only 4 parking stalls in front of the restaurant or street parking. When we entered the restaurant it was like walking into an old school Japanese restaurant like Wisteria. The waitress said that we could sit anywhere, so we sat in a booth in the middle of the restaurant. Service at Yagura is quick and polite. Your water and tea come right away to your table, and the waitress are quick to take your order. After you've placed your order, a lacquer bowl of rice comes along with miso soup, green salad and pickled cabbage. Entrees are usually brought to your table before you finish your soup and salad. Meals are reasonably priced and quite filling. Fast forward to November 2025. Yagura has become my son's favorite restaurant, his go-to dinner spot before volleyball practices on Friday nights. If you've seen my photos throughout the year, you've seen photos of my son's favorite meal posted on Yelp often. He orders the 14 piece ahi sashimi teishoku plate and eats two servings of rice from the lacquer rice bowl. We usually get to the restaurant at 4:30 (a half hour before opening) and grab one of the 4 parking stalls. Doors promptly open at 5:00, and we are inside and ready to order. We are in and out of the restaurant in 45 minutes in time to get to volleyball practice by 6:00. Everything that I've tried at Yagura, from the sizzling teri chicken or New York steak, to the tempura and yosenabe, have been delicious! Great service, great food, relaxing atmosphere. read more

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Came here for our mom's birthday dinner. Limited parking fronting restaurant, then street parking. Made reservations and got seated right away. Simple, cozy Japanese restaurant... impressive 60years in business. Multiple-page menu to choose from. Water and hot tea provided right away. Our dishes came out timely and was a lot... needed room for all the side dishes, entree & shared rice. We were full and packed the rest of our Nabemono to take home. We all enjoyed. read more

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A neighborhood Japanese restaurant that you have to go to especially if you don't live in the Liliha area. This quaint Japanese restaurant is special. The menu is fairly traditional for locals but everything is done well. The servers are so nice and efficient. They checked on us multiple times during our meal without feeling intrusive. They even offered to change out our tea for fresh hot tea halfway through our meal. We went for lunch. I ordered the combination lunch with Teriyaki chicken and vegetable tempura and my sister got the Tonkatsu Regular Teishoku. Both came with tsukemono, a green salad, miso soup, and rice. My combination lunch also included a small serving of macaroni salad which was very tasty. The assorted tempura included kabocha, green beans, carrot, Eggplant, sweet potato, and round onion. The server noticed I didn't finish the round onion piece and told me a nice pro tip that I can always order a substitution the next time, but to be honest, I was too full to finish it, not because I didn't like it, so that was very nice of her to tell me this for the next time. They open at 11am and close the restaurant between 2pm-5pm. Their dinner hours are 5pm-8:15pm and are closed on Sunday and I think they are also now closed on Thursdays (saw a sign posted on the door), too. Call the restaurant to double check. The only thing is their limited parking - 4 stalls in front and street parking. We went on a Friday at 11:30am and there was one stall open -lucky us! read more

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This is one of my favorite places on Oahu. Everything on this vast menu is a gem. Friendly staff, amazing quality , vintage Hawaii atmosphere and a great value makes Yagura one of my absolute favorite places to eat when you need a comfort meal. read more

Today I got to try the Chicken Katsu Jyu at $15.95 and it really was good. Also, the service was very friendly and helpful. read more

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Today was a holiday so pick up my sister and brother-in-law had lunch at Yagura on Liliha I guess it was before pandemic that I came here because my review is gone . Or could it be the Yelp ghost Daniel . C favorite friend lol. This Japanese restaurant is very old school style because they have a rice bowl container that you can serve yourself instead of having a rice bowl . Prices are very reasonable and the food is also tasty . I had their Chicken tofu the only thing I have to comment on is that the chicken they leave the skin on so it's rubbery. Also it's very plain no Shintake mushrooms or bamboo shoots . The service was very friendly and fast we ordered and in no time our food came out pretty quick. Maybe because we're the only ones in the restaurant at that time until 5 mins later than customer was trickling in. Our meals includes miso soup, macaroni salad and tsukemono. Limited parking 4 stalls in front of restaurant and street parking . Restroom available along with a small private room for function. Support local read more

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Established in 1984, hole-the-wall Yagura Restaurant in Liliha has maintained its consistency over the years by offering the same local Japanese homestyle comfort foods for the past 50 years. Now managed by its 3rd owner, Cindy of Chinese ethnicity, one would never think that ethnicity would make a difference, as the menu offerings have stayed the same after so many years and are better than ever. The restaurant is geared to locals and not tourists. The restaurant name, Yagura, means in Japanese, a castle, tower or scaffold, in reference to a structure. Perhaps it was aptly named for this restaurant that was a stand-alone structure in an older local neighborhood. This old school Japanese restaurant offers popular local dishes that include: misoyaki butterfish; tempura (fish, shrimp, veggie); fish (sashimi, ahi, salmon, saba); chicken (curry, bbq; chicken tofu, katsu); beef (steak, teri); tofu (pork, chicken); and pork tonkatsu. Dishes are served as: donburi; cold/hot noodles; combos; regular teishoku; nabemono (hot pot of yosenabe, salmon, chicken, sukiyaki); and bentos. There is also a kid's meal and dessert of Dave's ice cream. Menu offerings are more local-style home cooking than traditional Japanese cooking. BYOB. One of the more popular and delicious dishes is the bbq chicken that has a lightly floured and crispy skin, and the chicken served with a light teriyaki sauce. Menu items appear to be costly; however, some menu portions are generous and filling. We've tried the following: * Chicken sukiyaki. So delicious and flavorful, with chunks of chicken, tofu, green onion, cabbage, bamboo shoots, long rice, udon, and a raw egg that cooked on its own in the hot broth. The portion was massive that we shared this between the two of us and still had leftovers. It comes with a choice of tossed or mac salad, tsukemono, miso soup, and rice. The hearty miso soup was loaded with wakame and tofu, with no skimping of the soup. As with the sukiyaki, the miso soup was served piping hot and was so tasty going down. The freshly hot cooked rice is served old style in a lacquered rice container that is shared with diners on the table and includes free refills * Oyako donburi and tonkatsu donburi. Both donburis were perfectly done, so flavorful and tasty! Generous portions of eggs, tonkatsu, round onions, and freshly cooked rice topped with nori in a sweet teri-like sauce. The donburis included the loaded miso soup and pickled tsukemono. Delicious! A hot pot of green tea is placed on the table and refilled as needed. The friendly staff of two during the lunch hour when we visited are very friendly and accommodating. One was owner Cindy, and the other was Teri, who has been working there for 21 years! No wonder Teri is so knowledgeable about its menu offerings! The restaurant interior is dated, as if you're in a time warp, going back to the '70's and '80's. A typical small neighborhood restaurant that has survived the times, you'll find lighted paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, vinyl booths along the wall, manual menu boards, lacquered rice containers to be shared at the table, and retro olive-green teapots with woven bamboo handles. The restaurant is clean and comfortable as if you were dining at your grandma's house. Perfect for private parties, there is a side room near the entrance that seats 30 to 40 people. Hours of operation are: Mon to Sat 11a to 2p for lunch, dinner Mon to Wed 5p to 8:15p and Fri/Sat 5p to 8:30p, Sun closed. As others have mentioned, there are only four free parking stalls fronting the restaurant; otherwise, there are metered parking stalls along Liliha Street, but they can be taken, even in the evening hours. While there is a private room, keep in mind that parking is limited, so carpooling is recommended. A nice local Japanese restaurant that has stood the test of time, we would definitely return when we have a craving for local-style Japanese dishes despite being a little pricy. The challenge is getting one of the four parking spaces in front, and if there is none, we'll go to our Plan B, and return the next time. Support local! read more

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I've been wanting to eat at Yagura for years and years but never got around to it until recently. I suggested this place to my friends because it's so hard to find authentic hole in the wall Japanese restaurants nowadays. We had the hardest time finding parking because there's only about 4 stalls right in the front of the restaurant. Otherwise you have to find metered parking but be aware of the times/days you're allowed to park there. It's a small restaurant with maybe 7 tables and a side room for possibly a small party. Luckily when we got there, there were 2 tables still open so we got seated right away. They bring you water and a pot of tea. I had a lot of time to look at the menu while we waited for our friend to come so I kept thinking what I should settle on ordering. I ended up going with the yakitori jyu and a side of ahi sashimi. The jyu was so tasty and the chicken has crispy skin. Best choice ever! And the sashimi pieces were huge and not stringy. I really enjoyed this place and hope to be back soon. When I'm not starving and don't mind looking for parking. But great place for a "homey" Japanese food feeling! read more

Yagura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lunch in Liliha, Honolulu, Hawaii... After mom's doctor's appointment, we were kind of hungry. I searched my Yelp app for a nearby place to eat and found: Yagura Restaurant I dined here many years ago... possibly with my father... maybe over ten years ago? So, I knew that it was an old school establishment... a real throwback in time! Since we arrived at opening time (11am), we parked in one of the four free stalls in the front of the building. When we entered the restaurant, we were immediately greeted in a cheerful manner and were seated in a booth with vinylbench seats. Cups of iced water, a pot of hot tea, and utensils were brought to us. Menus were already on the table. Mom ordered a pork tofu teishoku meal. She kept commenting on how large and delicious the portions were. I had one of the specials: butterfish and tempura. Everything was great! The tempura batter wasn't too thick nor too lacey. The butterfish was moist and flavorful. The miso soup was on the salty side, but it helped me eat all of the rice! I also devoured the tsukemono and fresh green salad! The hot tea was a nice touch! I'm so glad that we visited Yagura. Mom didn't remember ever dining here. I'm glad that she got the chance! Note: there's a large room available for a party of more than 20 people! read more

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Food was amazing Hole in the wall place. Very mom and pops place. The service was outstanding will go back. First time going not my last time. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Miso soup tsukemono rice - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lived here all my life and this was the first time trying here. The food was ono and loved that they gave you a pot of rice so you didn't need to keep asking for more rice lol. We got the combination dinners which were bigger then we thought. Wished the tonkatsu was thicker but still good. Tempura was crispy and the atmosphere was classic old school Japanese restaurant read more

Yagura Restaurant - Yogura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Yagura is amazing! The food is delicious and I love the old school environment. Love love love this timeless restaurant.

We love so called hole-in-the-wall restaurants. This one is a favorite our concierge at Hilton Hawaiian Village. He's dead on! Great food, unpretentious setting, just good service and yummy food like in Japan. read more

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My grandpa used to bring me here throughout my childhood and I remember always getting the shrimp tempura! I came back recently with my family and I don't think they have the same menu item I used to order, but I got a lunch combo and it was *chef's kiss* I will say the pork tofu was a little on the salty side, but nothing a scoop of rice can't balance out LOL I was impressed with the quality and size of their sashimi pieces. Parking is difficult because there's only about 4 stalls in front of the restaurant, so if it's filled you have to find street parking. Will be back again for sure! read more

Yagura Restaurant - Pork tofu, tempura, and sashimi set - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best Japanese restaurant in Honolulu. Excellent service & friendly staff. Haven't been to an eating place with good food excellent customer service and fantastic service. Delicious foods that are served with a friendly staff and food displayed beautifully displayed. Recommend everyone to visit them. Lunch or dinner. read more

We love Yagura. Old style home cooking. Great flavor and outstanding service. Hot tea and ice water upon arrival. Only con is parking though fairly good street parking which is good. read more

Haven't been here in a long time but we decided to come to celebrate my moms birthday. This place hasn't changed since I was little. The decor, the workers and food, everything. It brings back a lot of memories from over 20 years ago. I got the dinner teishoku e which had misoyaki butterfish, assorted tempura and ahi sashimi. A lot of my family got the chicken on the sizzling plate. The food didn't take too long. The butterfish was delicious and what surprised me was how good the ahi sashimi was. I usually don't care for ahi sashimi that much, usually I will eat salmon if hamachi so actually I was going to let someone else eat it but no one else wanted it so I tried it and was glad no one else wanted it. There are I think 4 stalls right in front of the restaurant so come early if possible. read more

Yagura Restaurant - Chicken on sizzling plate - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Reading another Yelpers review, decided to add mines... Ordered holiday meals before.... Everything ready, easy! Very pleased!! Its a convenient location so sometimes I get tired of my lean chicken and veggies... and crave a little chicken donburi, hubs would like some beef or fish. Its all been good, service is always friendly and quick. Nothing but praises for this neighborhood family fave I haven't been dining out because I need to find restaurants who can OMIT MSG and lots of sodium Understand lots of food must be pre marinated, or spiced ahead of ordering However....IF YELPERS know of restaurants that CAN accommodate this lower sodium, NO MSG type meal .. that would be awesome! To me, most food is delish just by their cooking methods ( grilling, broiling.. and light application of seasoning and sauces) Would be nice if the extra salt, shoyu and sauces can be left on the side for those who want more salt read more

Brother-in-law and wife decided on Yaguras to have lunch. I, for one, was thrilled. The shrimp tempura was excellent the last time we were there. Today, I opted to try their pork tofu. with a side order of deep fried oysters (3 pieces) and a side order of vegetable tempura (7 pieces). The tempura was excellent. Oysters were on point. Crisp on the outside and jucey on the inside.The pork tofu was disappointing. The broth was too sweet for my taste. Tofu was not silky but firm. Plus, side it was served piping hot. If you want to try a Japanese mom and pop eatery, this is the place. read more

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Nabeyaki Udon is delicious. Also their Katsu Don. That's my two favorites. Always served hot & fresh. For the best Japanese Food go to Yagura. My tummy is always happy. read more

Finally discovered our favorite Japanese restaurant on Oahu, and of course it happens to be a little hole-in-the-wall on Liliha Street! I happened to be craving nabeyaki udon, and after calling several places and being told that we needed reservations, I finally stumbled upon this place and they said, "come on in", no reservations needed. This appears to be a family-owned restaurant who takes pride in making good authentic Japanese food at a reasonable price! Their place is so unassuming that you could easily drive right past it if you're not looking for it. They only have a few parking spaces out front, so get there early! I ordered the nabeyaki udon for $16.50 and it came out piping hot! It had all of the usual suspects, including egg, chicken, shrimp, spinach, kamaboko, etc. It was delicious and definitely a winner! Hubby ordered tempura soba for $13.95 and kept saying how yummy it was. I wish we had more of an appetite so we could try more things. The restaurant is on the small side, with one long table down the middle and booths on the side. They also have an additional room that appeared to be a party room. No one was seated in there when we arrived. Lots of people came in for take-out orders. Service was outstanding, as if they were your family, and the food came out really fast. Their menu is extensive, offering everything from curries to noods, teishoku dinners, sukiyaki, donburi and specials. You really can't go wrong. Definitely check this place out if you're in the area and craving authentic Japanese food. You won't regret it! read more

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Quick service, good food, nice and cozy seating, I like the booths. .

Still a kamaaina fav. Efficient, polite service and yummy favorites... sushi, great misoyaki butterfish, yummy shortribs not to mention the best green tea ice cream! Ambiance is busy and fun... you'll often see someone you know there. read more

This place is a humble gem! Very old school local Hawaii Japanese vibes. Inside is clean, the air conditioner is cranking and the service is fast and friendly. The food is awesome. Honestly, I've liked everything a lot and the portion sizes are good. The food comes out hot and fresh and their sashimi melts in your mouth. The veggie tempura has a lot of variety. The tonkatsu is crispy and hot. Teriyaki chicken is sweet but has a complexity that tastes like there's a bit of sake and mirin in the marinade. The salmon Kama is a little small for my taste but the miso butterfish is one of the best I've had. I can't wait to go back and try more things. Bonus- I appreciate the hot miso soup, side salad and hot green tea that are served with pretty much everything. It'd be fun to have a small group dinner there bc there's a side room and it's BYOB ;) The only downside is their parking lot is tiny. Good luck with street parking. Walk or bus it there if you can! read more

Yagura Restaurant - Veggie tempura and salmon Kama teishoku. Served with miso soup, salad, pickled cabbage, Mac salad and rice! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii