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    Gyotaku

    3.8 (769 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Gyotaku Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    GYOTAKU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos

    Spicy Tuna Roll Pack
    Ash V.

    We went here on our holiday because we wanted to get away from our hotel area. This restaurant is super casual and the food was good. Ambience: The ambience is super casual (don't expect fancy-- it is OK not great). Service: The service was good and courteous Food: the food was good quality and well priced. Here is what we ordered. - Spicy Tuna Roll: These were tasty -- okay to order - Midori Roll: My wife got this and it looked very pretty and she said it was good. - Tempura Combo: My younger son got this with with the salmon and he said it was good. - Chicken Katsu with rice: My older son got this and finished it -- this is a high bar as he is super picky! We all got the miso soup and salad an that was good -- the ginger dressing was tasty! I would recommend this if you want Japanese food on the cheaper side and no frills.

    Chirashi with tempura
    Wayne I.

    Gyotaku is a great go-to spot for Japanese food. If you're looking for a deal then checkout their Senior or Happy Hour menu. We ate their agadashi tofu and sushi roll to start. Tonkatsu and Chirashi bowl as entrée. We had tempura as a add-on too. Too much food so we passed on dessert this time. No frill interior. Lots of free parking. Friendly service. Best to make reservations because they always seem busy.

    Crunchy Tenpura Roll & Pokecho
    Kyra H.

    The food here is always fresh and im glad they will always cater to larger parties. lots of space inside and out of the restaurant with very sweet staff members to help.

    The holiday special, Christmas eve 2025.
    Ric C.

    "The Mccully location experience" This location has been a long standing location for good Japanese style grinds. We most recently went Christmas eve to enjoy a holiday dinner this year. On that night they had a special quadruple combo entree that included tempura, teri- short ribs, butterfish and ahi sashimi . Along with rice and a salad as well as tea, it was a lot tasty food. We enjoyed it and it made for a great holiday feast. As busy as it was eating in the restaurant, the staff were friendly and efficient as always. Always worth considering.

    Attending tour orientation luncheon
    Gail U.

    A good casual place to meet friends during the holiday or anytime. We had the first sectioned off area upstairs for our get together with hub's credit union board of directors from years ago. Nice reunion during the holiday season. We had a really sharp and efficient server who took care of our table of 11. One came down with COVID visiting Japan. She handled the bill distribution and collection well. Everyone chose what they wanted to eat, no preset menu which was nice. Those with left overs were given take home containers. My udon and tempura were delicious and just the right size. Beware the green pepper I thought it was a shishito pepper- surprise- it wasn't. Napkin to the rescue. It's okay to say Merry Christmas now.

    Late night specials menu
    Lisa T.

    Saturday early Dinner. Got seated upstairs. 430pm. Not busy. Server Choon Han. Water, utensils, order taken. Tossed salad and miso soup came fast. Ordered the weekly special shrimp tempura teishoku 20% off. Good deal $23.16+tax. Includes 4 shrimp and vegetable tempura, toss salad, miso soup and choice of white or brown rice. Regular price $27.95. Food also came out fast. Tea was not offered. Asked for hot tea, which is complimentary. Had to ask for hot tea and water refills. When were asked for refills, Server seemed to question us about the refills of water and tea. Upstairs wasn't busy. Only few tables. Note: There are Restrooms located on 2nd floor. Due to the service, left a minimum tip. Could hear Server complaining to other coworkers in back room. Note: Rewards program. Download Hearland Guest appl. Need to register online. Give your phone number to Server for points. Also sign up for emails on Gyotaku website.

    Upstairs
    Craig T.

    Update on Gyotaku attended a retirement party today and it was upstairs. I didn't realize upstairs is all for private parties and catering . Our event was held way in the back where there's a private room that can hold about 18 people comfortably. There's also a Japanese door that can open to have a bigger party . Restroom is also located upstairs.

    Specials 10/30/25
    Jo Y.

    Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese art form of "fish rubbing" that uses an inked fish and rice paper to create a detailed, life-like print. Originally developed by fishermen in the 1800's to document their catches, it is now a popular art form used to record the size, type, and beauty of aquatic life. Gyo = "fish" and taku = "stone impression." Hence, the meaning of Gyotaku Japanese Restaurants on Oahu, with this art form displayed on their walls. Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant, known for authentic Japanese cuisine, first opened in McCully in 2001 by owners Tom Jones and Nobutaka "Tony" Sato. Tom Jones has been in the restaurant industry from a young age, trained as a sushi chef in Japan, worked for one of the largest sushi restaurants in Japan, and sent to HI to be Exec Chef at their Waikiki restaurants. The owners opened a 2nd location in Pearl City around 2005, followed by a 3rd location in Niu Valley in 2008. While all 3 locations have similar menus, this review is for the Gyotaku location in McCully. Gyotaku is a casual, family-friendly restaurant that offers an extensive menu of Japanese specialties, such as appetizers, salads, sushi rolls, nigiri, noodles, curries, steaks, katsu, teishoku, and desserts and appear to be pricey from $20 to $40. They do offer discounted meals; however, many of the specials are for certain days of the week, so pay attention to the days of the week and times. Their discounted meals include: * Senior menu of teri chicken, tempura, nishime, sashimi, teri salmon, teri short rib and butterfish from $13 to $17. Portions appear to be smaller to adapt to seniors' reduced appetite. * Weekday lunch specials. Available Mon to Fri from 11a to 2p only. They include oyako, tempura, and yakitori donburis with choice of tempura, and tempura udon from $15 to $20. * Daily lunch specials. Available from 11a to 2p weekdays and weekends. CA delight, lunch box, combo bento from $16 to $23. * Dine-in weekly deals. Usually a % off of certain dishes that are posted in the restaurant. * Happy hour appetizers. 20% off of liquor and up to 40% off of appetizers available daily from 2p to 4:30p. * Dinner early bird specials from Wed to Fri only 4p to 6p for bento box with choices for $19.95. * Kids eat free on Mon and Tues nights only from 4p. * Keiki menu of teri or karaage chicken, tempura, sushi, and tempura udon at $11. We ordered the following from the weekday lunch specials: * Tempura udon. Udon in a piping hot broth topped with kamaboko, wakame, and green onions. Served with shrimp and vegetable tempura (eggplant, sweet potato, nori, shishito pepper, fishcake) on the side. The tempura was light and crunchy, while the udon appeared to be a little mushy in a flavorful broth. * Oyako donburi. Hubby's order of chicken simmered with round onions in sweet shoyu broth and steamed with lightly beaten eggs over rice and topped with green onions and nori, which was delicious! Served with miso soup that was piping hot with wakame and tofu, the miso soup was flavorful. Also served with tossed salad that had shredded carrots, cucumber slices, a large chunk of imitation crab and served with a tart and delicious wafu dressing. At one time, Gyotaku used to offer a delicious katsudon, but is no longer on the menu and wish that they would bring it back. Our server promptly took our orders and was not very friendly. Other staff members who refilled our water glasses and cleared our dishes were much friendlier than our server, who appeared to be doing her job via memorization and rote rather than serving us on a personal basis. At the end of our meal, I saw other diners being served hot tea and had forgotten that it was complimentary and on request, but our server did not offer this to us. There are 2 levels of spacious dining areas. The first level is primarily used for senior citizens and those who have mobility issues using a walker or wheelchair, as the 2nd level is accessible by a stairway only. The 2nd level is normally used by larger groups or for special events and parties. Japanese décor and gyotaku art adorn the walls. As we arrived when the restaurant opened for lunch, there was a lot of available parking in its private lot, but they were quickly taken as it got closer to noon. Spaces are tight. Metered street parking is also available. Located next to Times Supermarket in McCully. Hours of operation are daily from 11a to 8p. Great restaurant for locals of all ages with excellent food quality and prompt efficient service make this a popular place for authentic Japanese cuisine!

    Family dinners or business lunches orders are available here! 4/25/25
    Jackie K.

    Today's lunch was an enjoyable one. 4/26/25. We were seated quickly for our late lunch @1:45 pm. Our server promptly came to our table and asked us if we wanted anything to drink. We were quickly provided iced water and later hot tea. Our order was timely taken by our server. Our bill was given to us timely. We didn't feel rushed or abandoned lol. We ordered the shrimp tempura lunch (4 pieces of Shrimp, 1 piece eggplant, 2 pieces sweet potato, 2 string green beans) and Ninja Don (Spicy tuna, sushi rice, avocado and green onions). Both meals included a salad, miso soup with kelp, brown rice or sushi rice). The portions of food are ample. My shrimp tempura was served hot and fresh. The Ninja Don sauce and sushi rice were way too sweet for my taste buds. The salad is my favorite. The dressing is tasty and flavorful. The imitation crab piece is a nice touch. The miso and kelp soup is comforting and simple in taste. Overall food today: 4/5 stars. Overall Service: 5/5. Our server checked on us consistently and another server refilled our water and tea. Both had the perfect personalities. Table cleared promptly of empty and used dishes. Overall Ambiance: 3.5/5 stars: The restaurant decor, as previously noted in an older review, is dated. The booths and furniture are also dated. But in the current times, such costs would probably not be worth it.

    Udon, tempura, and sushi combo
    Chris Y.

    Expect well prepared Japanese food and gracious service at Gyotaku! Located on South King Street past Times McCully, Gyotaku is a dining experience appreciated by many friends. It certainly helps that parking is readily available in their dedicated lot. At the most recent visit for a birthday celebration, server Mikey was very helpful to my dining mates. There's an extensive menu which can make choosing difficult because everything so enticing. Just note there is a 90 minute dining limit. This is sufficient time to enjoy your meal.

    Snow ice with vanilla ice cream
    Sheryl M.

    Gyotaku is always our go to for dinner because of the comfort, sushi, and other dishes we love. We always order ahi poke platter, salmon carpaccio, ahi poke roll, flaming ahi roll, side order chicken katsu, and side order shrimp tempuras. All of these dishes never disappoint us. We always leave with a smile and a happy tummy!

    Butterfish from the senior menu
    Reef A.

    Gosh, I haven't been here in years but the food and service is great! We got the Butterfish off the senior menu that comes with a salad and miso soup. Everything tasted great but I only wished my butterfish had less bones in it. We also ordered the Caterpillar Roll (new addition to the menu) and it was awesome! For dessert, we each ordered the green tea shave ice with Azuki Beans and Ice Cream - a winner! The menu has been updated with new items and there are specials during different weeks and they have happy hour and senior discounts. The interior looks dated but it's clean and a very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. No loud music playing so you can have a nice conversation. Great place to take a date or your elderly parents to. The service was great. Our food came out pretty quickly probably because we came around 3:30 on a Friday so it wasn't busy yet and there was plenty of parking. Our server was friendly, polite and efficient. She repeated our order to make sure everything was correct and when the sushi roll was delayed she asked us if was ok to bring out the main entree first. She checked on us a few times and offered us hot green tea to warm us up after our shave ice dessert. Yes, definitely will be back!

    Suzie A.

    This is a follow up to review last month. Happy hour is 2:00-5:30pm with 20% off beer/wine and 40% off pupu! Lucky to have Brandon as our server again- and again, he's professional, efficient, pleasant. Same for the young man who is the host who welcomes us with a smile. The busser is very efficient and brought us waters right away and clear plates, bowls like a silent ninja. Food is always great here, perfectly prepped chicken, yummy salad, savory hot miso, and the gobo has a decidedly smoky flavor this time which we really loved. Their draft Asahi is always cold and delicious! Atmosphere is pleasant and parking has been easier to find if you come early, starts to fill up around 6:00 pm. Upon leaving, we also had a nice thank you from the manager, a pretty young lady, who is always busy helping out but still finds time to thank the guests.

    Fish print

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    11 days ago

    Worst food. This is a scam. Not Japanese. Went there and dried rice old fish. Don't understand how they serving this

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    The food is always delicious, especially the Miso soup. Service is good. It's my favorite Japanese restaurant.

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    Page 1 of 20

    Gyotaku Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Gyotaku

    Do they take reservations?

    They will take reservations for 6 or more people otherwise Walk in only.

    Do you have outdoor dining? We have family members that are 85+ years old. Please let me know. Thank you

    Do they take reservations

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    4.3(4.2k reviews)
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    I'm not sure what happened to my original review when I tried this spot 2 years ago but this update…read morewas well deserved! During both visits, the employees were so accommodating. Even with a decent amount of seating, there is minimal space so they ask that you leave your strollers outside. When we called the first time saying our daughter was asleep they arranged everything in order to fit the stroller inside. The second visit, I had an even bigger stroller because it was a double stroller for my daughter and son. When I said my son was asleep they again, quickly tried to arrange space for the stroller until we realized he woke up. I truly appreciate them being so welcoming because I've come across many establishments that are not especially towards kids. As for the food, the first time the tonkatsu was a miss for me. I was comparing it to a popular spot on the island that books out months in advance that I tried just before my first visit here and it just seemed a lot more oily and not as tender. We were actually going to eat at the other business again but with two kids and walking non stop on our trip already, I was so happy we had an option closer to us. Both times, we were coming from Hilton Hawaiian Village. They have the cutest car bento boxes for the kids, and they let you choose the car color. My daughter loved the mini umbrella that came with her plate. My son was days before turning 1 year old so a lot of things ended up on the floor and even then, they were so kind about it. The best thing though for my husband and I AND my son, was the loco moco which we were told was limited and a new item for dinner since it was primarily only served as a lunch option? The flavor of the gravy alone was sooo good and rich. My son ended up eating my whole portion of rice and gravy with no crumbs left behind or on the floor lol. The other katsu items we ordered were nice and lightly coated and were not heavily oily at all. The only thing that I felt lacked was their curry especially in comparison to their gravy. I would definitely recommend coming here and I can't wait to come back. That was one of our favorite new dishes this trip and we come every year!

    Came in 2024 when it was one small restaurant but now they've opened up a second side next door…read morewith plenty of seating. I would still do a reservation just to be safe. We got the pork katsu deluxe set and recommend getting another side of rice for 2 people. The fried oysters are also a standout dish so I definitely recommend that. Service is quick and portions are big so I also recommend splitting a dish or doing family style.

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    Tonkatsu Tamafuji

    4.6(2.4k reviews)
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    Shoutout again to unko Chad from prince waikiki! I knew this place was gonna be hard to get. Even…read moreon youtube, I've seen some local foodies say they got lucky in getting a reservation. Very random one morning after stopping by kona purveyors in Waikiki, I went to the restroom and while my husband was waiting for me he decided to randomly check if they had any reservations available and we were able to get one for the next day! Getting a reservation is definitely the way to go, I've seen people wait in standby however seating is not guaranteed since they prioritize those who have a reservation. The service was amazing! They are constantly checking up on you to see if you need anything else. I like how they offer different kinds of miso soup. I personally had limitations due to my shellfish allergy, but it was amazing! The katsu we ordered was one of the biggest one that they offer. It's crazy how big the katsu was and surprisingly it was super crispy, light, and even juicy in the inside! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to try katsu in hawaii!

    We were really excited to try Tonkatsu Tamafuji since it's always so popular and busy, and we love…read moreJapanese food. The atmosphere and decor were great very warm and inviting and the service and overall vibe felt authentic. However, our experience with the food was disappointing this time. The tonkatsu we received was overcooked and slightly burnt, which gave it a bitter taste and made it hard to enjoy. For the price and reputation, we expected better consistency in quality. Overall, while we appreciate the ambience and understand why it's well-loved by many, this visit didn't meet our expectations, and it's not our favorite experience.

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