This place was amazing. Get the omakase for $60 and a couple of beer. We will be back every time we are in Honolulu. read more

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Finally got to try this place for the first time and it did not disappoint. The ambience is very cool and hip and yet lively. The focal point is the grill located in the center of the restaurant with chef behind grilling yakitori. The smoke was sucked into this giant vent so you don't smell like BBQ after dinner. Everything is delicious and quite unique, but a bit expensive as each skewer cost about $3.8 and some cost almost $7. However they just started happy hour $5 @ 5p. Selected items and drinks are all $5! - Chick liver Pate was good. Nothing extraordinary -Mountain yam fries with ume dipping sauce is interesting and tasty -Sukiyaki is my fav...pork wrapped veggie and dip into egg yolk -Tsukune is the best I had in Hawaii -Chicken wings are delish and they took out 1 side of the bone so it's easy to eat -The Chicken Ramen is also delicious and it's even better in that special "cup noodles" bowl! The broth was very creamy and rich in flavors Our wait help was very nice and always smile. Service was good but they forgot 2 of our orders...which is why they get 4 stars instead of 5. Will certainly come back and hopefully no hiccup next time! read more

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Located in the heart of chinatown, btw, not fully redeveloped so there is a lot of "homeless" cruising the streets. Just be aware of your surroundings. Beautiful atmoshere, friendly staff. Once you understand that the plates are "tapa" or small kine servings, then you can order accordingly. Tasty food, slightly overpriced by 20 to 25% compared to other eateries. But worth the experience of trying the restaurant. You might like it! I ordered the shooter, sea urchin, for $12.50. pretty pricey for one swallow. a couple of one skewers for $3.50 @. so be prepared. bill came up to $60 and change, with tip of $70. No drinks, just water. Went home and made ramen to finish off my evening. read more

This was my favorite yakitori restaurant in Oahu.... until we had some unusual service. We easily spend over 200 for 2 every time we have been here and appreciate the covid precautions. Once at dinner we were discussing how a friend of ours had recently contracted covid and the employees were listening in and asked us to speak to the manager who asked if any of us were recently infected with covid. We explained we were speaking about someone else that wasn't here. He asked when we last saw them.... which was over a month ago. It did feel kind of weird to be questioned by the restaurant about something like that. Like we didn't have enough sense to spread Covid intentionally...? Hmm....the food is good here but for Hawaii yakitori standards it can be on the pricey side. There are lot of cheaper options for regular yakitori lovers. I miss certain dishes that that have removed from there menu which they explained was because of covid...? I unfortunately most likely won't be returning unless those items items return.... read more

My friends have suggested Yakitori Hachibei quite often and we've tried to come a few times but getting a late minute reservation had never been easy. With one of my friends in town for a visit. YH was on his list of places he wanted to eat at before leaving town. We made a reservation for a late meal at 9:30pm. We got there early at 9:15pm and saw four seats at the counter open. We checked in thinking that was the area reserved for us and were told our table would soon be ready. We thought maybe just a formality and they didn't want to sit us early. 9:30pm came and we were told it would be a few more minutes. This made us scratch our heads because the same four seats were still open. At 9:45pm the "host"apologized for the delay, said it would be a few more minutes OR we could sit at the window. I said sure we'll take those seats that have been open since we came at 9:15! He sat us down and gave us some menu's. Since we were all pretty hungry and and thirsty we out in our order. We waited about five minutes before our drinks came. The restaurant was now clearing out. Tables were opening and the host asked us if we wanted to move. It made me think what's the big deal with them not wanting us to sit here at the counter??? We told him no and that we were fine. The Yakitori started to come. It was tasty and I guess you could say "fancier" than other Yakitori restaurants but seriously, this is stick food. Stuff you get on the streets of Japan. It's good but I'm not going to call up everyone i know to make this a must eat place. Maybe it was the unnecessary delay in sitting that ruined it for me but I was left with a pretty blah feeling after dinner. By the way for four of us the bill with tip was over $400 in less than an hour of being there. Maybe they would have done better with us if they sat us earlier. Their loss. read more

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My go to spot every time we're in Hawaii! I love the skewers here! Make sure to make reservations (they're now on opentable) and request the bar top so you can see all of the skewer grilling action. I love the gizzards, heart, Foie gras, chicken thigh, Wagyu, tsukune (minced chicken, chive and onion). The ramen is amazing too! I love the rich chicken broth and the cute cup noodle porcelain container the dish is served in. I wish I could take it home. :) The ahi jalapeño poppers and uni shooters are also must haves! read more

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everything about this place is correct. all i can say is, hell yeah. do it. do it today.

There are so many options! The happy hour menu is great. Definitely try the crispy rice spicy ahi-delicious combo. I really like Shishito peppers, so I ordered the shishito peppers with bleu cheese (generally not fan of bleu cheese). I was surprised by the flavor of the two. Very tasty. Service was kind of slow, so our group was done eating but ended up waiting awhile for one person's order. It's a small place, so I recommend making reservations in advance if you want a table and/or are with a group. Will go again to try more on the diverse menu! read more

Outstanding. We were supposed to dine at a different restaurant and our reservation had to be cancelled because of a booking error. As a gesture of apology, the restaurant owner called me and personally made a reservation for us at Yakitori Hachibae, saying it was his and his wife's favorite spot in town. I was touched and couldn't wait to try the place. Well. Let me just say it did not disappoint one bit. The service was exceptional, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food. THE. FOOD. I had never had *real* Japanese wagyu beef before. A4 Wagyu is on the menu. They even had A5, which I would like to try now. The beef just melts in your mouth. Also must must try the cream cheese tofu. Sounds weird I know, but I read about it in a review and it was to die for. This would be a perfect place to take friends or a date. The lighting is pretty and actually quite romantic I think. The servers are so kind and accommodating. They seem to take Covid very seriously-- you have to show a vaccine card to get in and get your temperature checked-- and I appreciate that they want to protect their staff and their community. I recommend this place one hundred percent. read more

Yakitori Hachibei - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Absolutely worth all the effort to get a reservation! We went with the omakase and it was superb! Excellent service to go along with the food. Seriously, if you can... make the effort to eat here! By far the best yakitori restaurant I have ever tried. Robert, we appreciate all your advice on how to get a reservation! Can't wait to come back the next time we are on Oahu! Do yourself a favor and book early on open table if you can, but if for whatever reason you are unable to... try setting an alert and be fast to react if they get a cancellation. Worked for us! read more

For the price and for the service, in my opinion... not worth it. Some of the food I really liked (crispy shiitake, mozzarella, carpaccio), but the other stuff was only ok, and pretty small portions. Something that upset me was that I ordered the "foie gras" skewers. The skewers were placed on our table without comment. Then after we had eaten much of it, our server came by and said, "oh there was a piece of heart on the bottom of the skewers." Why is there a piece of chicken heart on a liver skewer? Why did she say nothing when it was given to us? It also didn't mention that on the menu, as far as I remember. The instant that I tasted that bottom piece of the skewer, I knew it wasn't foie gras. I did not want to have any chicken heart. Lastly, I ordered three oolong-shochu drinks. I don't know how much alcohol they put in there, but it must have been next to nothing. read more

My wife and I are so full. One of the best restaurants we've been to on island. We went for the $60 chief course meal and it was fantastic. Highly recommend getting it and trying all the unique Yakitori! read more

By far one of the best restaurants I've been too. From the food to the ownership, this place is high class. Yakitori Hachibei is my go to! I'm so thankful for the great service Robert and his staff provide, thanks Robert! read more

amazing Butabara sukiyaki Chickin ramen Hakata yakitori style Let me try Owner chef yashima is genius‼ read more

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If I lived in Honolulu, I would not write this review because I would hate to crowd up my new favorite yakitori place in the US. If I could, I'd be here every night. The true art form could be realized with the liver skewers - perfect softness while rich and creamy. This is something most places cannot achieve. Skewers are seasoned with salt before going on the grill and nothing else which brings out the true flavor of the meat. The shrimp skewer can be eaten whole, every part is delicious. Hachibei prides on executing on traditional Japanese cooking art while iterating on the art with a fresh perspective. read more

Yakitori Hachibei - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for a happy hour called prior to find out they did not take reservations for happy hour. When two coworkers and I arrived at 515pm they asked did we have reservations. We said no and they said they were fully booked but yet had seats in front of the robata. It was awkward seating because they put us at the very end of the space. The food was delish! That was the saving grace and the servers felt bad for us three being cramped into the end of the table space too. The drinks were on point too! During the hour of happy hour the place became fully packed and occupied and I know why now! read more

#1 spot on Hotel Street for tasty food and trendy ambience. New and trendy is not hard to find in the Hotel Street corridor with new places popping up and drawing in the young crowd. I was happy to re-discover this section of Chinatown to remind myself that it can be enjoyable to venture to this part of town for a meal with friends. Suffice it to say, I'm crazy for Yakitori Hachibei and made a few trips back since being first introduced to this new Japanese restaurant. Full disclosure, I don't like yakitori and typically can't figure out what to order at yakitori restaurants. But Yakitori Hachibei offers a full range of menu items worth exploring, ranging from Japanese food enthusiast favorites, such as agedashi tofu, to beet and goat cheese salad (not your typical Japanese dish). The chicken namba is heavenly, especially for those who relish tender chicken and tartar sauce. If you lived in Tokyo and hunted for friend chicken bento you'll know what I'm talking about. The ambience is great for a big-kid meal. The interior is trendy and you'll forget you're in Honolulu. You don't need to speak Japanese here, but it could help you get the message across of what you'd want to order. Be forewarned that service can get sluggish when this place fills up - and it's always packed. But I find it well worth the wait, unlike the nonsense you get at new tonkatsu joints. Don't be a chicken - give Yakitori Hachibei a try. read more

Good but not great. Everything was fresh! Food takes some time to come out. I really like the concept of sticking to the natural flavors of food. No fancy sauces and the food is seasoned lightly and not overly saturated in salt. The food is definitely fresh. My favorite was the broth from Hachibei's play on "cup of noodle!" At first I wasn't initially pleased with the ramen but as I got further into the bowl of soup I really enjoyed the flavor of the light chicken broth. Again, fresh and tasty. Prices were a bit steep and I'm unsure if it's worth going into downtown where parking can be tough and the grime of Chinatown. I'm glad we tried the place but not sure it's enough to bring me back. Service was awesome and staff were very attentive but food came out very slow, definitely don't go there hungry. read more

This was our first time here. We had reservations for 5:15pm which is during happy hour (5-6pm). I would definitely recommend you come during happy hours because the prices during regular hours are much more expensive. They have a price fix menu as an option. They specialize in small plates and the menu is quite extensive. I can't remember the specific names of the dishes we ordered but tried the chicken, pork, abalone, calamari, shiitake mushroom dishes. All in all the food was ok nothing really stood out. The place is rather small and they limit your dining experience to 2 hours. read more

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Yakitori Hachibei was delicious and lived up to the hype (my friend who made the reservation had been raving about it). Two of my dinner companions ordered the set course, while I ordered a la carte. The skewers were high quality and well made and I enjoyed them all. I find skewers can be somewhat hit or miss, but at Yakitori Hachibei the skewers were the highlight of the meal. I highly recommend trying a variety of them (both meat and veggie ones). One of my other favorite dishes was the steamed egg, which was super silky and smooth. I got the chicken noodles in the ramen cup (featured in a bunch of photos on the Yelp page) and the dish was tasty but I was so full at this point that I didnt enjoy it was much as I should/could have. I'm glad I tried it but might not order it if I went again (unless I was craving noodles/broth) and opt for just skewers and smaller dishes instead. That being said, the broth was yummy and I liked the type of noodles they used. Another standout for me was the dessert. We ordered some kind of pudding I think (I don't remember the exact name but it was some soybean pudding? I attached a photo). It was delicious and I could have eaten multiple servings even though I was so full by the end of the meal. read more

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Happy Hour Review~ As far as drinks go, get the Mint Honey Lemon Chuhai. It is simple, refreshing and the perfect way to relax after your 9-5. I definitely want to try the Fresh Pressed Lemon Chuhai with salt next time around, it sounds delicious! I had to try the Yamaimo French Fries because I couldn't imagine the gooey substance in fry form, but I honestly wasn't too impressed. It's thickness made it hard to take in any kind of flavor, making it a bit bland for fries. I would describe this creation as more of a yamaimo tempura! Nonetheless, it was definitely worth the try since I love yamaimo. The poke is seasoned just right with a Japanese flare. Pretty standard for any other happy hour poke in HNL! The real winner in this Happy Hour Menu is the Goma Salmon! Although not very filling, it is worth the $5. Overall the Happy Hour at Yakitori Ichibei is okay (3 stars). The $5 per dish definitely adds up because the portions are small and not very filling. However, the Yakitori and other menu items are what make this restaurant great (4 stars +). I definitely have to give this restaurant another try and dive deeper into the menu! read more

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My wife and I love yakitori and we've had it all over in San Francisco, Los Angeles and even a bunch of times in Japan! Believe me when I say this is the best yakitori I've ever had in my life! I thought it was better than yakitori alley in Japan! And when I say yakitori, I'm referring to it in its purest form of grilled meats! The quality of the meats are top notch (not your standard chicken from Safeway/vons) and highlighted, it's perfectly seasoned (which some yakitori places vary- too little salt, overpowering sauce, putting sauce when it should be just salt, etc) and they have all the best cuts of meat. If you're an experienced yakitori eater, you should try the heart, tongue (special item not in menu), gizzard, liver (fois gras), pork belly, Achilles (special item not on the menu) main artery (yes the artery from the heart of liver which was special item not on the menu). Our server was amazing and since he knew we knew yakitori well, he recommended a lot of next level items not on the menu. There's also other items be like the corn karaage (really good), uni tempura (cool idea but prefer pure uni), seafood (pretty good) and veggies, chicken ramen, chicken wings, etc and all solid but where this place hits the hardest is the legit yakitori with all the rare cuts!!! Keep in mind that my wife and I will eat anything and don't get freaked out by anything. Think Andrew Zimmerman - bizarre foods type stuff. So if you're a legit foodie and have some courage, you'll love this place! You can thank me later! read more

If you want true authentic yakitori house this is not for you. This is an izakaya. Limited yakitori options, tasted decent but not great. Also there was a moving cockroach on the floor... read more

What a great dining experience at Yakitori Hachibei yesterday! Every dish was prepared to highlight the main ingredient. We had two salads, grilled corn (so good), shiitake, chicken two ways, pork belly two ways, ribs, sukiyaki, and finished with goma pudding and matcha ice cream. Staff are amazing - helpful and explained the dish preparations. Beautiful ambiance. Owner Robert came out to talk story, too. Definitely going to visit this place again! read more

I haven't been here recently but I saw that I had given this place 4 stars on the past, but I meant to give Yakitori hachibei 5 stars for the last time we dined there right before a show. It was soooo delicious! Love this kind of dining! Just keep ordering as you go! The two types of chicken wings, uni shooters, Tako, grilled veggies, the roasted musubi... loved it all! I'm Not sure why I had written the 4 star reviews before .. either things got better or we ordered more of a variety of things. The ramen and ribs were the only things I might've wanted to taste differently, but hey that's their version n everyone has different taste buds;) read more

Fantastic service! We stumbled across this restaurant on Yelp the other night while in town. Even though we were seated outside it was a great experience. The service is the best we have ever had in Hawaii. Our server and Mr Yamazaki were wonderful! The food was all very tasty. To be clear you will not get quantity for your money, but you will definitely get quality. You will walk away wanting more. This is one our "A" list for places to take friends and visitors! read more

Went to this place just by browsing what was in the area due to a culinary adventure that was taking place. The Wagyu....woah. You're gonna need 2. read more

i love this place. i love the vibe, i love their sukiyaki skewer and their chicken gizzard skewers. whenever i go, i like to share a few appetizers with friends and get our own skewers. i also love the salt lemon chuhai. it's freaking delicious. highly recommend for a cute date night or a semi-small group of friends. this space is small and make the reservations way in advance. i've never been able to walk in. read more

Yakitori Hachibei - sukiyaki yakitori - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This newcomer to the hip Downtown scene that has exploded with great restaurants certainly stands up to the high standard of great food. My favorite by far was the chicken liver fois gras. Even for those who are normally turned off by liver (which is often overcooked, dry, and with a strong iron taste), this could be what changes your mind. The yamaimo fries were delightfully unique and still retained their firmness inside. The butabara was much more tender than I had expected though it was only seasoned on one side so if you want flavor, be sure to put the seasoned side down on your tongue when eating. I was also excited to see a very good shochu selection, especially Manzen, which was impossible to get in Hawaii (and is difficult to get in Japan too). Here's where they don't get the last two stars and this is a big deal to me. The service was poor. What I've come to expect in Japanese import restaurants and Izakaya here is that extension of the Japanese standard of service. Not just the "irashaimase" as you enter, but also the attentiveness and thoughtfulness of service. I waited at least 10 minutes before anyone brought me a menu. Once I got the menu, it was another 10 minutes before I was even able to get anyone's attention to order a drink. In any other similar establishment here (and not just Japanese places), the menu would have been brought when I was seated, someone would have come to get a drink order within 3-4 minutes, and I would be sipping on a cold beverage within a few minutes of my order. I was seated for 23 minutes before I was served my drink. There is a standard of service with izakaya where the servers are distant (to give privacy to conversations) but are always observant and sensitive to customer needs. The slightest nod or even a look in their direction is a signal that the customer wants something. The servers were busy looking at someone's phone, chatting about something else, and almost always had their heads faced away or down. Here's the kicker. I had come in about 5:00 without a reservation, expecting a group of about 6. Unfortunately, some of my friends couldn't make it, so we ended up with 3. I was told that as I was seated, that there was another reservation coming in and that they could only accommodate me until 6:30. That was fine with me since we were planning to just get a few bites and move on to a different place anyway. Throughout the service, I was reminded at least 3 or 4 times that I only had until 6:30 and was pressured to order food so that the table could be cleared in time. I did order a good amount of food, which came just as everyone was arriving. The server also offered to box up my food at least twice well before the 6:30 mark. Eventually, the owner came over to tell us that we didn't need to rush and gave us his card, asking us to call him the next time we want to come in. Too late at that point, but a good gesture anyway. They have a LOT to learn about service and I hope that someone reads this. The food is excellent but no restaurant will stand on it's food alone. I'll probably be back at some point and I hope that they're able to provide the level of service that I've come to expect from similar places around town. read more

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It was absolutely delicious - there was something for everyone (meat, veggies, seafood) and everything was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and skewered. Between five people we probably got to try 75% of the menu. At the end of the meal, we got to meet one of the owners and he was an absolute delight. The whole experience was incredible and felt very safe. read more

This is the first restaurant that our family visited since the pandemic started over a year ago. Choosing this as the first restaurant we wanted to patronize was a choice that we didn't take lightly, thus our expectations were somewhat high but cautious. We were not disappointed! COVID protocols were implemented and did make us feel comfortable and safe. Face masks/covers are required, temperature checks for all patrons, physical distancing throughout, hand sanitizers available, individually wrapped utensils and a plastic pouch to store your face mask/cover while you eat. The service and food was excellent! Everyone was very friendly, attentive and professional. The food was very comparable to what we've had in Japan which is certainly satisfying. Overall the food was very tasty, tender, moist and juicy! I don't think you'll go wrong with any of the choices you make here. The dining atmosphere also reminded us of the small restaurants that line the small streets in Japan where you receive personal service in a quaint restaurant. We will certainly dine here again! read more

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We had high hopes for this place as we love yakitori...however the service left lots to be desired. We started off with beer, sake, and water...all of which was delivered by staff other than our waiter as she seemed very frazzled with the 4 tables she had. At one point, she actually "ran" from the register to a table...it's not a big space, so use your imagination...it was quite a site. The beet salad was very good as was the Kona Kampachi Carpaccio. Yakitori was well prepared and to the right "doneness". We ordered the avocado yakitori but never received it. As I had a cold and was exhausted , I didn't realize this until I got home and looked at the receipt. So, I called the restaurant and asked to "balance" the check by not entering the tip that I had put it. We will see tomorrow if this gets done...I'll post a follow up. All in all, the food was good but nothing special. The decor and ambiance is very nice. If the service was up to par, then the price would be justified. As it stands, there's better options out there. read more

Yakitori Hachibei is easy to miss among the other more flashy or popular and larger eating establishments off of Hotel St. Don't judge a book by its cover, Yakitori Hachibei, though simple on the exterior, does pack a punch of flavor in every dish. You can taste the quality and care put into each dish. Take advantage of their happy hour from 5-7!! read more

First of all, the service is above and beyond! Every piece of yakitori we ordered was perfectly grilled, from the pork belly to the wagyu. The tofu cream cheese concoction was amazing. The spicy ahi on crispy rice and the ramen were also delish. Oh, and the corn, the corn!! I don't think you can go wrong with anything you order. I recommend anyone who visits HONOLULU to make your way to this family owned straight outta Japan restaurant. read more

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Delicious food and very friendly staff and owner. Felt at home and taken care of. EVERYTHING we tried was soooo tasty. We are definitely coming back!! read more

11/21/17 For drinks... 5-6pm $5 drinks and apps pretty good deal.. Now that they are on Open Table making reservations are way easier. We learned they have a 2 hour time limit, what? So if you are planning to stay a longtime, book 2 reservations..lol..I definitely would go again. Food is tasty, small portions but good! Ramen broth is really really good! read more

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I've walked past this place for almost a year every day and it always smelled so good. Finally went in with 2 friends to experience their happy hour. Service was good & our waitress was very nice. Considering everything was $5 can't really complain on the portions but if the portion is the same normally & cost more I would say no. My favorite was the yuzu chicken wings, ahi poke & sukiyaki skewer. I tried the mint honey lemon chuchai & it tasted more like lemonade. The Japanese whiskey made up for that disappointment. Service was good and the waitress was very informative. I would only suggest going for happy hour. We each had 2 drinks each and shared 7 choices that tapa portion sized. Ended with a $92 bill. If we hadn't eaten a late lunch & had a doughnut earlier we would still have been hungry. read more

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My favorite Yakitori spot when I wanna eat Yakitori and have nice wine. It's just like eating in japan! Owner is nice, staff are well trained and we always have a great experience. read more

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Great quality, good service (by the older Japanese woman); my stomach is satisfied. If I were slightly richer, this would be my go to spot. So why not 5 stars? I am hyper vigilant when it comes to Japanese restaurants because of my self-diagnosed PTSD from managing sushi restaurants. So my constructive criticism is this: for your servers, if they can drop off plates they can pick up plates. Our poor server was the only one that looked like she had any hustle to her. For the kitchen staff, more specifically the woman with the curly hair, for the love of god please stop her from touching her hair and not washing her hands. Or washing her face in the hand wash sink sans soap. It's an open kitchen, everyone can see. I want you to succeed because I love your food. So just a few notes for the future! read more

Had dinner with my wife here. We ordered a lot different skewers. My favorite is chicken oyster which is so tender and juicy, full of flavor! Bacon wrapped scallop is very umami! The sukiyaki on skewer is a great idea, love it! Great place! read more