Owner/cook Lyndon Okata opened Okata Bento, an iconic, old-school, hole-in-the-wall, Japanese…read moretake-out plate lunch and bento shop on Dec. 1981 in Kaimuki. (Thanks to Yelper Craig T. who reminded me that it has been awhile since I last visited Okata Bento.)
Initially started as a food truck, Okata Bento serves bentos, plate lunches, donburi, and sandwiches that are known for their quality and reasonable prices. Each bento comes in 2 sizes (medium & large) and has a layer of topped with furikiake, mahimahi, luncheon meat, egg roll, takuan, kamabako, and shredded cabbage; choices of entrée are teri beef/chicken, char siu chicken, mahi mahi, chicken/pork katsu, mix bento. Each plate lunch comes with 2 scoops rice, shredded cabbage, and mac salad; choices of entrees are the same as the bento and also hamburger/teri burger steak, loco moco, and luncheon meat/eggs. Donburis come in 2 sizes (mini & large) and include oyako, pork/chicken katsu, gyudon. Sandwiches include a variety of burgers, teri beef/chicken, mahi mahi, chicken katsu, luncheon meat/egg, grilled cheese.
Hubby and I had the following:
* Oyako donburi. Topped with sliced onions, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and a mixed egg on rice, it was not overly sweet, but simply delicious!
* Large bento mix of teri beef/chicken. Cut to bite-size pieces (great for toddlers), the soft and tender chicken and beef were glazed with slightly different teri sauces that seeped through the rice, making it very delicious and flavorful! We enjoyed the sides - egg roll, takuan, fishcake, shredded cabbage, mahi mahi, and luncheon meat. Yes, a side of mahi mahi even! And real luncheon meat, not spam!
* Teri cheeseburger. Tasty homemade burger topped with cheese and flavorful teri sauce, which was a little messy to eat with the teri sauce oozing out of the bun, but am not complaining because it was so good!
The food items are simple, delicious, and old-school or how we remember them being made many years ago. No fusion cuisine, no additional add-on ingredients, but what it was, pure and simple.
This is a one-man operation. Owner/cook Lyndon will write your order on a notepad, take your payment (cash only), and prep/cook your order. As all requests are made to order, there may be a wait if there are others before you. Lyndon is efficient, as he has been doing this for years. Prices are very reasonable and below market prices for what you get. Note that Lyndon has no plans of going digital, as he believes it would increase prices.
This is literally a hole-in-the-wall takeout shop only. Once your order is placed, you wait outside on the sidewalk until your order is ready, as there is no room inside.
Old school eateries such as this have mostly disappeared, as owners have retired without any interest by others to take over due to the hard work and long hours required. And this includes Lyndon, who has two grown children who are employed in respectable jobs in New York City.
Hours of operation are Mon to Sat (generally) 12n to 4p, Sun closed; since Lyndon is the sole worker, he determines his work hours, so don't be alarmed if it's late to open. Located at the top of Waialae Ave next to Cowcow's Tea and between Center St and Koko Head Ave, the restaurant does not have its own designated parking. Parking is available in the municipal lots across the street or metered parking along Waialae Ave.
We do not go as much as we would like to due to the sometimes long waits and lack of parking, but we enjoy the delicious offerings of Okata Bento. We hope to go more often before this shop disappears if owner Lyndon decides to retire. Yes, this is how it was years ago and brings back good kid-time memories! Support local!