Restaurant Review: Yanagi Sushi While I've been coming to Yanagi Sushi for decades for their teishuko lunch combinations, with either two or three dishes, the competition (Rinka, Maguro-ya, Izakaya Nonbei, Tonkatsu Tamafuji) with much better quality & taste is now swaying me away. To be fair, this review and *** rating is only for their non-sushi & sashimi items. Recommended Order & Rating: Misoyaki Butterfish = A Unagi = A Broiled Salmon = B Chirashi Deluxe = C Mini NY Steak Teriyaki = C Not recommended: Chicken Teriyaki = D Assorted Tempura = D Tempura Udon = D https://www.yanagisushi-hawaii.com/ read more

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Yanagi was a welcome change after a disappointing and overpriced Japanese meal elsewhere a few weeks prior. Yanagi has been here forever but I hadn't been in ages. We had no reservations on a weeknight at 6pm but were offered seats at the sushi bar which we gladly accepted. I had forgotten how huge the menu was and was surprised to see that the dinnertime combination meals were about the same price as the disappointing family restaurant that we'd been frequenting. I was sure that a 2-item combo would be enough ($31) but for a few more dollars, I went with 3-item for $37. These days, that's about the same price or just a tad more than other spots and the three items themselves (tempura, CA room, tonkatsu) were enormous and served with miso soup and a nice salad. There's even more greens on some of the items/plates which I really appreciated. Even a big eater like me had plenty of leftovers to take home, which made for a nice lunch in the office the next day. Pro tip: Valet parking is free but can get full. Street parking starts at 630pm along Kapiolani Blvd! read more

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Got treated to Yanagi Sushi and it was pretty good. I ordered the seared blackened ahi, oysters, and got to try the tempura, misoyaki butterfish and other food. The service was attentive no issues there. I was surprised by the portion of the seared ahi, they give a lot of fish and a ton of daikon! It was almost swimming in the ponzu sauce as well. I really liked this dish but it was have been perfect if they sliced the ahi thinner, and reduced the amount of sauce overall. Some of the ahi were just huge chunks and it wasn't very appealing. The oysters were really fresh. I enjoyed these the most. The shrimp tempura didn't have much flavor. The misoyaki butterfish was good but not the best. They should broil it more to get that charred flavor. This place was pretty busy even at midnight. I'm glad I got to try it out. read more

Yanagi Sushi - Seared blackened ahi! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food was overall great BUT the service was absolutely garbage. We arrived at 6:30 pm (without reservation) and were greeted with utmost rudeness as if we were not welcomed. They were giving side-eyes to a point where we felt like we were homeless. We were told to leave at 8:10 pm without first welcoming us. And the host didn't want us to show the seats again and felt absolutely unwelcome and beside he constantly reminding us to leave by 8:10 even though their store has two hours seating policy. The waitress lady did not explain anything and whatever questions we had, she impatiently told us to just check the picture repeatedly. When we asked for a pair of chopsticks, the another waiter gave us a side-eye. Overall, the atmosphere was very terrible. Just giving two stars for the food. read more

Yanagi Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I love Yanagi's. Quality sushi, great food, amazing clean atmosphere and service. Every time I go, Bryce (or Brice) is our server, and he is a great waiter. He gives us recommendations on what I should try next and is very attentive to our needs. There is a lot of parking in the front as well as the back of store. Wait isnt usually bad for walk-ins as well. Yanagi's feels as if you were in Japan. It is always a blast eating there. read more

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The sushi was pretty tasty, and it would be wise to get a reservation. However the night I went , they were able to seat me right away. It's a little hole in the wall, and I was surprised so many celebrities have been here. The service was decent, and food was great. I wasn't use to the seaweed they used for the seaweed salad though. read more

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Luckily the 2 times I came here, there was no wait. Upon walking in, I felt as if I was in Japan again - from the décor and atmosphere, it was very comforting. If I lived in Hawaii, this would definitely be one of my go-to late night spots for Japanese food. I love their late night specials - everything is so good and reasonably priced, including the sake. You can't really go wrong with what you order - everything we ordered was delicious which included the: Katsu, Blackend Ahi Sashimi, Fresh Salmon w/ Sweet Round Onion,Oyster Shooters, Miso Soup, Fried Baby Tako, and Chicken Karaage. Also love that they give you a little side dish on the house before your meal comes (edamame, bean sprouts and a shrimp).  Service was excellent here. read more

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I met a former high school friend who I have not seen in more than 35 years. This is special sushi with a wonderful, cultural experience, that doesn't even talk about the fantastic fish we had and warm Service. We had salmon cheeks we had Tuna we had raw shrimp scallops.. We actually didn't eat sushi rice so I can't tell you how the sushi rice was. Of the quality and freshness of the fish was outstanding. Reuniting with a friend from the past eating sushi, knowing that you've worked hard and played hard appoint in life where the food in that moment taste it all the better read more

Yanagi Sushi - I've never had better fish anywhere and that includes Japan - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is extremely unpleasant, with unwelcoming and rude service. They did not apologize for taking the wrong order and insisted it was our fault, claiming it was not their responsibility. We were very shocked that the waiter took our plates away without saying anything and did not check if we were finished, even though we left the food there. The service was terrible! This place should be closed down!! read more

Yanagi Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious! Always fresh and nice warm setting. There is a wonderful Happy Hour as well with discounted items.

Make sure to call in for a reservation! They don't really do walk-in especially during peak hours and even when they do it'll be a long wait time. They also do valet parking! First thing I noticed is that they serve high quality green tea that they will refill as you eat. Another thing is that there is a two hour limit for each table because of how busy they are, which I don't think is a huge problem for most groups. For us, we only took 1.5 hours, but towards the end it seems like they were rushing for us to leave. All their rolls were excellent. The fish on the rainbow roll was fresh, the eel on the honeymoon roll was soft and juicy. We also added a spider roll towards the end, we did 8 pieces, but we definitely should've done 4 because those pieces were huge. Besides that we also had sushi deluxe and the miso butterfish. Miso butterfish was super flavorful, soft and flaky. It went great with some plain white rice. For me, I wasn't a huge fan of their tempura or their udon. The tempura was a little bland even with the dipping sauce and that didn't go well together and the udon was a bit too salty for my taste. read more

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Perfect for lunch meetings and late night happy hour. Service is good too. I suggest making reservations.

I can't remember the last time I ate here, maybe back in the 80's after clubbing? The place looks the same and hasn't changed much since back in the day. The only difference I saw is they installed some kawaii curtains between some of the tables (maybe from covid). Parking is in-house valet so you only need to tip, there is NO self parking anymore, or maybe we went on a weekend so was busy. Suggest to make reservations, I've tried to go there before without reservations and they will not take you or you have to wait over an hour or more, so make reservations before going. Our buss help was so helpful and nice, our server was all business, not much personality (luck of the draw), but she did what her job was, so it was fine. Forgot how big the menu is and took some time for us to figure out what we were ordering, etc. We ended up ordering Omakase Sushi, this was delish, accept was not familiar with some items on the platter not problem hubby will eat it, The Dynamite it was okay, mixed tempura was okay, didn't like the batter, karaage chicken this was standard nothing special, and grandma had a nabe this looked good. Next time we will ask for some suggestions, don't think we selected the popular or best items on the menu, first time in ages so rusty on ordering from their menu. read more

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Hate to be writing this one, but I let the hype of this place get to me. Yanagi Sushi came highly recommended, so I tried making reservations one night and was told they were out of reservations. Wow, so the next night I had my girlfriend make reservations. When we got there, there was zero parking, but luckily there was free valet. So this place must really be hot fire right? Eh. I ordered the omakase, but they were out so I had the Nigiri Deluxe Combo which was like $18 cheaper. It had everything from tuna, salmon, Cali rolls, maguro--lots of stuff! It wasn't that good. Normally on my dates if I really liked something, I'd offer a bite to my girlfriend--I didn't even do that. I want her to experience the great flavors I'm having, but this wasn't it, captain. Aside from the parking, the saving grace was the free ice cream at the end. They had some exotic flavors, and no lie--the green tea one was one of the best green tea ice creams I ever had! I probably won't be coming back though, especially if what I actually want to order isn't gonna be available despite closing at 1am. read more

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We visited Yanagi for lunch for the first time and it was a wonderful experience! Parking is valet only. The front lot gets busy and crammed as a FYI but I was told they sometimes park cars in another area. Upon entering the restaurant was busy as waitstaff walked back and forth and there was plenty of chatter from diners. The walls are filled with photos of visitors - many whom I assume are famous. They were very kind to give us our own room as we had an infant in our party. Didn't get a chance to look at the other dining area but they were decently full around 1pm. We were given each a wet wipe towelette and small sectioned dish of bean sprouts, edamame, and something else I am blanking on. We ordered the teriyaki chicken and chicken katsu combo, nigiri lunch omakase, calamari, toro, california roll, baked roll w/unagi, and marinated fish. This was plenty of food for 4 adults and we left with a to-go box. All of the seafood was fresh, dishes were flavorful, and we were all satisfied with our meal. My husband and I really enjoyed the lunch omakase nigiri! We would happily dine in again. read more

Yanagi Sushi - Lunch omakase nigiri - YUM! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Nice butterfish appetizer and oyster shooter. Spider roll is delicious!Sashimi is very fresh .

Looking for Amazing Japanese food with a flare of Korean here's the spot. Best of both worlds I can guarantee you'll have a hard time deciding as everything looks and taste amazing. Best advice-Call and make a reservations valet service as long as your dining in It's always busy read more

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Food, service, and prices!! 52 years old and I have traveled the world. This the freshest, best tasting sushi I have ever had! EVERRR!!! Nothing else to say except, try them. Prices and portions are better too! read more

Gillian: We are a group of talented visionary artists. We had some difficulty locating the table, but the corner we were sat in was cozy. The sashimi was fresh and service was good. Kalani: great food. Cozy setting. Lisette: Good voibes Kim: bomb food ! very authentic ! Quality service. We almost ran out of space on table. It was like a jigsaw lol but we had a good time Kristle: food good Alex: ‍ excellent Me: a very peaceful place if you like peace and quiet.(no music) sashimi was fresh and delicious. Dining available in little rooms created an intimate setting. Mm yummy yummy. read more

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Sheesh $33 for 2 choice teishoku. And they have the nerve to upcharge for certain items. If the food was high quality then I wouldn't post negative reviews, but Yanagi is a 3 star restaurant in my opinion. Restaurants nowadays price gouging the public. So annoying! at the very least, offer kama'aina rates. read more

Great Japanese restaurant and very popular place . Always enjoy going there when I landed to Honolulu . Very appreciative that open lunch hours . Highly recommended read more

Yanagi Sushi - Big Futo Maki my favorite. It's always good to go to lunch time . Chef is friendly and nice . I love going there for lunch . Great sushi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Looking for a good Japanese restaurant for the family, this is the place for you. The service is good and it can accommodate large parties. Great place for vegetarians as well. Their Misoyaki butterfish was really good and the portions are really big. Their sushi is fresh and selection is good. We had the steak as well. read more

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Another great place to get sushi for your cravings. Came here to celebrate my friends bday so we started with a round of their cocktails which were delicious. They were not strong but tasted so sweet. I had the chuhi which was about $8, not too bad. Now onto the food, the sushi was soo yummy and came out really fast. My favorite had to be the calamari which was crispy while still having that chewy but not too chewy inside. The rainbow roll was also really good because we got to try different types of fish. And the volcano roll which was broiled so that the top was a little cooked. The service was super quick, and our servers checked up on us often (sometimes too often haha). We made a reservation which I would highly recommend but be aware that they have a 2 hour seating limit which they do enforce. They also have free valet parking, just gotta tip the valet drivers. I will definitely be coming back! read more

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Came here for a quick lunch and luckily got seats! We enjoyed the deluxe sushi set and teriyaki beef with miso butterfish. Will definitely return again soon! read more

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Food: Yanagi has been a staple for families in Oahu for over a decade at this point and been going here since I was a little Kid. The Quality really depends whos your sushi man for that night and I still feel like its worth it for for a late night sushi spot dinner or if you have a big party. Also the Koreans all know that Yanagi secretly has some of the best kimchi on the island. The Maui Onion Salmon which was one of my favorites growing up isnt the same anymore I'm not sure why.. Service: Great service the staff are super efficient here. Ambiance: Great spot for families or if you need a late night spot for some dinner and drinks. read more

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Might be the freshest sushi we've ever had. We walked in without reservations. They managed to find us a table in the back - because someone didn't show up. Bonus for us. Make the reservation! Order everything. There wasn't anything that wasn't amazing. read more

Yanagi Sushi - Volcano roll - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Friendly staffs, good service. We always dine at the sushi bar. Soju are overpriced, sashimi and nigiri are fresh but for the price not really worth it. Thinly sliced sashimi and nigiri. We always spend between $300 to $400 for 2 of us. read more

We are sushi snobs and all the places we looked at near Waikiki looked overpriced and touristy, so we were happy to find Yanagi, a more local place recommended by a concierge at the Hyatt. We were able to get an early table last minute, at 5:30 on Friday, and we were advised that we only had two hours. No problem, we're hungry! The place is super old-school and we loved the vibe. Cavernous booths and pictures all over the walls. It's obvious this is a Honolulu staple. Our nigiri sushi was good, not amazing, but fresh and reasonably priced. We especially loved the Uni and the Toro. The sake menu was great and we enjoyed a nice cold dry sake and cold beer, always great after a long day in the humidity. It was a short Uber ride from Waikiki and we took the bus back home. It was definitely worth the extra time and effort if you are a visiting sushi lover. read more

Yanagi Sushi - Uni, from Japan - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I can honestly say that this was my first time ever eating here. There were a few attempts after late night football games or concerts but 1. They were always so busy and we didn't have any reservations or 2. There was never any parking. Even when opening back up again for dine-in, this place is PACKED! And they have a bunch of take-out orders lined up by the front, so good for them! Word of advice, get the combo sets so you can try a little bit of everything! And what surprised us at the end of the night was the mango sorbet! It didn't quite taste like a strong mango flavor, but it had a hint of peach or lychee in it, that was so refreshing! If anybody ever figures out what that aftertaste is, please let me know! I'm not sure when they'll be open for late night specials but I heard those times were amazing! Hopefully it's not a thing of the past. read more

Yanagi Sushi - NY Steak Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I have no idea how I haven't reviewed Yanagi Sushi yet. I love Yanagi...it's my go to Japanese restaurant when I don't feel like driving outside of Honolulu or its late at night. It has a old school feel and you know they've been around for many years as you can see the walls are lined with pictures of celebrities that have dined there through out the years. I love my teishoku meals, so when I dine in, I will almost always get the teishoku meal...it's just a matter of whether I get two or three choices. Typically, I'll order beef teriyaki and vegetable tempura. It's the standard Japanese food, but it always hits the spot, especially if the tempura is cooked perfectly where it's light, crispy, and not oily. The teishoku meal comes with salad, appetizers, tsukemono, rice, miso soup, and ice cream. They have a huge menu so there is a variety of sushi, sashimi, nabe, donburi, and many side dishes and appetizers to choose from so even the pickiest of eaters will find something they'll enjoy. While the regular prices can be a tad on the higher side (about $30+ per person), one of the great things about Yanagi is their happy hour and late night specials...you can find some great deals on food and beer if you dine in at the right time. read more

Always wanted to try here! 1st timer and quite impressed! The variety of sashimi was fresh and delicious! Had the salmon with round onion (recommended) and was not disappointed! Ate practically the whole plate myself! We did a walk-in at around 5:50p on a Saturday and were sat right away. The restaurant was filled with customers but the noise level very welcoming and not too loud. Customer service was wonderful and the mama-san that took our order was funny and cute. Would definitely come back again! read more

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To the terrible server with the glasses and the black mask. You sucked. I asked for a strawberry daiquiri, and he said the bartender couldn't make it, so he did, and if it sucked, "MY BAD." You're customer service was ass. My friend & I ordered the omakase, and he didn't even ask if we wanted wasabi or not. I also mentioned that it was her BIRTHDAY. She didn't get anything. She don't want no damn ice cream. Our server was standing right behind us and he looked miserable. If you're attitude is trash you're not getting tipped as much as you think! Everyone else working was nice and friendly except for him! 0/10 read more

We have been here before but was over 5 years ago. Reservation for 5 at 6pm on Friday. Every table was full by the time we finished (about 1.5 hours). Time limit was 2 hours which seemed to be OK. We had a private room, ambiance was nice and the food overall was OK but the quality of the food overall was average. Maybe they were full and too busy to details (such as sake and hamachi nigiri were not fresh). We thought our first time here in the past was much better. Just want to suggest not to sacrifice quality over being too busy. read more

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Amazing sushi and great service! Love their late happy hour. It is great to be able to have a later dinner and food with great quality for reasonable prices. read more

the parking is kinda sus. there were like 2 cars behind us in the lot unsure whether the valet was working kr not. i dont think theres any background music playing in here. at least in the section we were sotting in. we were seperated by another party with a shower curtain. it was kind of uncomfortable because we could hear their conversation about p diddy and epstein. the food was ok. my friends got rolls and nigeris ala carte. fancy pretty rolls were ok (volcano &honeumoon). think the more basic rolls were better (spicy tuna roll). i got the sushi combo wirh sashimi. the otoro and salmon were really good, but the sashimi was mid. i think just getting rolls next time. wouldnt recommend the cocktails. i got a chi chi and friend got the red one. its like shaved ice that doesnt mix with the ice well. after a while i wad just chewing on icr. read more

Yanagi Sushi - chi chi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I am extremely picky with my sushi. Because of that, I hardly go out of my way to eat it. I've done the top tier of Midori, Doraku, Sansei (bleh), Sushi ii, and Ginza. All of them had something in common: great quality but too pricey to go back, mid-quality with little portions, or just too much of a hassle to get to with reservations only. I'm glad I gave Yanagi Sushi a chance because these were my highlights- -Arrived 8:50pm on a Saturday night to sign up for the 9pm special happy hour. We were seated at 9:15pm. -Service was no nonsense: quick, prompt, and efficient. -Sushi was FAT and thick sliced brimming with freshness. Even the tamago was the best I had. Every morsel felt like the cliche melt in the mouth, no fishy aftertaste, that left me begging for more. -Even the non sushi items we ordered, like the tonkatsu, was top tier for a $9 side item. Wow, it was evenly breaded and crispy. -There's a lot on the menu, it can get overwhelming. But stick with sushi and I'm sure you'll be happy. -Don't skip out on the ice cream, because the green tea I had was enough to feed two people. Here are some tips that are going to inconvenience some people. -if you don't make reservations, you're going to have to wait. 9pm happy hour is popular, there will be people waiting to get in as soon as 8:30pm. -parking sucks but it's doable. The lot out front may be crowded but along the corner there's metered parking and street parking. If you're eating with someone, just have someone to put your name in and go find parking. Or take an Uber. -Yanagi is old and the building shows. While the inside is old school retro Japanese and there's photos displaying a bunch of celebrities, I would avoid looking up at the ceiling. There's definitely some grit up there that may be stains or mold. A deep clean or Renovation of the restaurant would be nice. Overall, despite me having a medical emergency the same night I went to Yanagi (unrelated! Not food poisoning, just dehydration and medication conflict) that caused me to upchuck, I'm still writing this review in admiration on how I'm looking forward to go back (without ending up at the ER) on late nights with my family and friends. read more

Yanagi Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Located on Mauka side of Kapiolani in the same place it has always been near Straub and Blaisdell Center. Parking is tough so they have valet parking. You can try find nearby parking but if not the you have to go with the valet. I asked my friend where is the freshest sushi and he said still Yanagi. I have 9 pictures of the current menu and it is fresh but it does come at a cost (see photos). You get what you pay for. All of the sashimi/sushi was indeed fresh. The food was great. The service was a bit abrupt. They also are pretty strict with the 2 hour time limit. I guess they were busy but would have been nice to hang out longer. The combination plates are a good option if you do not want sushi (see photo of teriyaki, tonkatsu, and tempura udon). The toro was great. Poke is definitely better, fresher (see photo), more expensive, and different than at other places or at the grocery store. The toro was fatty indeed. The seared salmon was very good. Too bad for the cost. Overall still very good. read more

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Came here at the invite of a coworker, of he which he raved about their fresh and delicious sushi. Did not disappoint. Their menu is extensive with a lot of bento/combo options, but really you can't go wrong with any of the choices. To kick off, the sashimi platter was SO fresh and came with thick slices. The maki and nigiri plate was equally as delicious, and I was almost hesitant to share (but had to be on my best behavior cause work dinner ). I was also able to sample the fried pork cutlet, the assorted tempura, and a hunky slice of salmon. All were very good and hit the spot. To end it off I was able to cleanse my palate with some green tea ice cream. In terms of ambiance, the restaurant makes use of its small real estate with booths and room cut outs sprinkled throughout. The service was on point with super friendly servers. Parking can be a hassle as it's a small lot, but manageable. read more

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Love yanagi, great selection of Japanese dishes and always the best quality. The staff is great and works fast! Be sure to make reservations if they are taking it cause if not you'll be waiting for 1+ hours, but it's worth the wait! The late night menu is the best deal for the quality of food!! read more

Yanagi Sushi - Ahi tataki, fresh salmon with onions and honeymoon roll - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great fresh food. Service terrific ambiance authentic. Must go for epic Japanese food