This is a great hideout for a quiet but formal formal Japanese dining. All is made from scratch. Perfection is the word. The ingredients are fresh and exquisite, as some flew in from Japan. You won't feel you aren't in Kyoto. Thank you. read more

i-naba Hanalei'i - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Had the best first omakase experience! Since it was only my friend and I there, it felt like a private dining experience. The omakase area is very clean. The food and service was amazing. Chef Teru was super friendly! The lunch omakase is reasonably priced for the amount you get and how the quality of the seafood. The lunch omakase was $78 and it came with 10pc nigiri, miso soup, and dessert. But I the chef gave us a little more food that wasn't part of the menu I believe which was really nice. Highlights from the omakase were the mackerel, chutoro, otoro, uni (omg this was so sweet and creamy), and scallop nigiri. The miso soup was pretty flavorful and not too salty. For dessert we ended with a yuzu sorbet which was really good super light and refreshing . Would definitely come here again read more

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I loOOOVE tempura so I was so excited that we found this tempura omakase !! We were the only ones in that seating so it felt like a private dining experience & we always love watching how the food is prepared & the technique that goes into it. We both agreed this was probably the best tempura we've ever had. The batter was always PERFECT: super light & never oily & everything was cooked to be tender & juicy. It was actually a lot of food like for the last 4 rounds I was giving my partner half of mine cuz I was so stuffed. He was really full too! So def worth the $$ read more

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My boyfriend took me here on four year anniversary and it was wonderful! The chef is straight from Japan and hasn't been in Hawaii long before he started doing omakase here. He carefully crafts each piece nicely and gently showing how dedicated he is to the craft. My favorites were the fatty tuna! My stomach did end up feeling upset this day probably because I was eating a lot of seafood on our trip but he took care both my boyfriend and I. The chef only knows Japanese so we tried our best to communicate with him via a translator app. It really was a personalized experience and I'm glad we also had real wasabi. read more

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Lunch in Honolulu, Hawaii... I had tried to dine here in the past, but didn't have a reserve, so... This time, I called about half an hour before I could get to i-naba Hanalei'i... And got in! Yay! Thank you! I remembered that there was a small, free parking lot behind the building. There's also metered street parking. Located across the street from Washington Intermediate School, this restaurant is divided into two sections: sushi on the left and teppanyaki on the right. We chose Teppanyaki. We had the cozy, clean Teppanyaki room to ourselves. There were only counter seats. The chef did minimal conversation and was efficient, skillful, and courteous. It was fun to watch the chef prepare the food! I coughed a bit when he was cleaning the grill as we were eating. However, the food was beautifully presented and tasted great. We ordered the US Prime Tenderloin Steak. It came with a nice broth, delicious stir-fried veggies, and fluffy, fresh steamed rice. The steak was tender and sliced thin. We could change it up with the homemade ponzu sauce, side of Wasabi, ume, and salt. When I return, I'd like to try the sushi room! read more

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The privacy was epic... Plan B isn't always a negative direction as the original was an unexpected fail checking out the availability with lunch at I-naba Hanalei'i worked out perfectly with a call prior to arrival. Finding them on busy South King Street can be the biggest challenge especially if you're driving but they're located right across Washington Middle School basketball court so keep to your left and you'll probably see the Y. NAKAMURA BUILDING before the restaurant sign and right below that building sign is the driveway which will take you to the back of the restaurant where there are a few parking available. Cute brickwork is where the restaurant is at and once you enter it transport you to a Japanese villa with sliding doors and we decided on the teppanyaki dining where we saw our setting already place and ready for our arrival is quite impressive. With menu in hand I decided on the US Prime Tenderloin Steak which is 1/4lb and all teishoku is served with salad, rice and miso soup. With the chef working silently his magic placing our salad, sauces and water while he cooks our veggies that accompany our steak dining like this is a nice quite space where it's not all noisy and with a full restaurant filled with others is quite refreshing and a nice break for some quite time is something that I'm not used to. Thank you Nadine C for the suggestion as I've seen this place driving by countless times but never imagine the magic behind these unassuming doors is a magical place that givings dining a new experience for me. Thank you! read more

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Just to clarify, there's two sides to i-naba Hanalei'i, with one side being the omakase sushi side, and the other side is the teppanyaki side. Make sure when you make your reservation to know which side you are reserving for. It's a bit further away from the touristy areas of Waikiki, and you have to either drive out yourself, or take a rideshare to get there as it's on a random street in a more local area around Waikiki. It's certainly mostly just smaller businesses around here, and not going to be your typical tourist area. Both rooms aren't going to be very big, for the omakase side, nor for the teppanyaki side. However, the omakase side is definitely smaller than the teppanyaki side. If you're planning to do the omakase sushi side with a large group, make sure it's not more than 6 as it'll start getting too crowded in there after that. We arrived at the spot for lunch this day. There's very few parking spots in the back behind the building where they have their own private lot, and there's also street parking along the road. I won't speak too much about the experience, as I feel this is one of those that's better experienced yourself, but all I want to say is that this was probably one of my favorite meals during the entire trip. The sushi chef we had today was very friendly, and also greatly catered to our appetites. Just like many chefs in Japan that offers an omakase dining experience, they are attentive to watch their diners, and adjusting and matching the various portions of our food that day. The chef will also listen to specific dietary needs when asked, and will find ways to provide a way for certain adjustments in the food. Things such as adjusting portion sizes for some of the fish, adjusting the ingredients in certain courses, and other considerations that comes from an attentive sushi chef when serving guests. Much like their teppanyaki counter-part next door, the experience was part of the meal. The portions here, particularly for the price, was a great value. Even though omakase is usually very expensive, at i-naba this was not an issue. There was a great variety of food offered as well, and all of which were fresh, tasted great, and by the time the meal was done we were all fully satisfied, pun intended. If you feel like a nice sushi experience down in Waikiki, but want something a bit more lowkey than the busiest area, I recommend dropping by here. It is a bit of a drive out, but totally worth it for the omakase experience here. read more

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Food, excellent presentation, love the diverse seafood not just fish. Service, excellent and ambiance, beautiful. Must experience for yourself. read more

The best omakase I've ever had. Thank you Teru. It was one of the highlight of our wakiki trip. read more

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This gem of a restaurant is the closest you'll get perfectly fried tempura. You'll have to fly to Japan if you want better. After eating at I-Naba for their fresh soba and falling in love with it, we had to try I-naba Hanalei'i for their tempura. WOW! From eel, uni, scallops, to mushrooms and asparagus, everything was cooked masterfully. It's bar seating with maximum of 8, so it's intimate. We had the bar all to ourselves and enjoy every second of the meal. The chef and the waitress were super welcoming and friendly. To end the tempura omakase course, you get a choice of kakiage.(ours was chopped shiso leaves with chopped prawns ) , tencha (kakiage served with rice and a tea broth) Zaru soba, or 4 pieces of sushi. We had one of each and it was as delicious. This place is hands down the best tempura place outside of Japan, and the intimate setting made it even better. Great food and service and can't recommend it enough! read more

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Inaba Hanalei offers sushi omakase on one side of the restaurant and teppanyaki dinner courses on the other. We opted for teppanyaki and had a choice of three menus: Lobster course, Abalone course or Fish course. All courses begin with a seasonal appetizer and seasonal soup. Next is the course you opted for. In our case, it was lobster and abalone. The entree is 1/4lb US prime tenderloin steak with an option to upgrade to Wagyu. The steak is served with roasted vegetables and your choice of garlic rice or soba. The teppanyaki dinner ends with a delicious hot rum sauce topping on ice cream. While there were no steaming volcanoes, it was nice to have a front row seat watching Chef Nobuhiro Kobayashi expertly prepare our meal. If you are looking for a quality teppanyaki experience, Inaba Hanalei is for you. read more

I-NABA Hanalei'i Honolulu is across from Washington Middle School and has a private lot in the back of the building. It's free parking but if it's full then there is street metered parking on King St. When you enter, sushi is on the left and teppanyaki is on the right. This review is for their sushi option. It's been around for the past 8 months. The sushi counter seating sits 7 people and is a cozy atmosphere. They immediately bring out water and offer green tea. There is a drink menu for alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks as well. You can't do sushi without alcohol so of course I had to order a High Ball to start followed by lots of sake. We did the omakase option and added on items after to fill our sushi craving. The omakase came with Chutoro, Tai, Shima-Aji, Maguro, Shiba, Aji, Ikura, Blue Fin Tuna Roll and Miso Soup. We added on Uni and Barracuda after the omakase course. Everything was fresh and quite good. The service was great and they even walked us out to thank us for coming. Our sushi chef mentioned that they have been very busy after the social media post. A friend of mine couldn't get reservations when she was on Oahu for a few hours and she called ahead of time to try get a seating but was unsuccessful so reservations are highly recommended. Great sushi option on King St! read more

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We do an annual sushi dinner for my husband's birthday and Chef Kakazu made this one unforgettable! We had his full attention in this intimate 7 seat coHe provided us with such carefully prepared delights! This was definitely TOP TIER omakase! Good value for Hawai'i and definitely our favorite place so far! Rivals Japan dining experiences! Everything was so fresh and the Chef was so gentle and kind and GENEROUS! We will be back to celebrate our sons' birthdays later this month! Recommending to our friends. read more

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Me and my friend just walked in. We didn't have a reservation and they were kind enough to let us in and sit on the sushi side. Their lunch menu is a great deal! $42/person for 10 sushi and miso soup. I definitely think it is worth it! Also it was delicious!! The chef didn't speak fluent English and that was okay! He was kind enough to try tell us what kind of finish we were eating. He even had a paper that showed it in English if you are curious on what kind of fish you are eating. The ambiance was nice! It was just me and my friend for a while but as we finished our course, a couple came in and the chef started to help them. I highly recommend coming here for lunch. I look forward on eating on the other side of the restaurant next time. :) read more

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Chef was amazing! I think someone may have called in sick - Chef handled it as a single man operation like a pro! Food was great - as always

This hidden gem is located near the original i-naba on King street. We have been here twice for lunch. They have two different concepts - a small sushi bar and a teppanyaki section. My parents heard of these amazing lunch specials and we had to try them both! The teppanyaki lunch specials are three set choices - gyu katsu, hamburger steak, or a teppanyaki meat set. Super affordable and the quality is great. I think I would recommend going for the teppanyaki meal. Portion is a bit on the smaller side but it is a great deal for lunch. The other concept is their sushi bar, where they have a $40 omakase lunch special. You get 10 nigiri, a hosomaki roll, and miso soup for only $40! Each fish is cut in front of you by their sushi chef. There's great variety and a steal for what you get. We went for a birthday and they even brought out complimentary yuzu dessert for us. Since there are only about 7-8 seats at the bar, it is really cozy inside and the service is good. They also do have dinner meals which are pricier and would be good for a special occasion. We have yet to try, but would highly recommend their lunch sets/specials! read more

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Dropped by for lunch: we were the only guests in the restaurant. We had beef Katsu and hamburg steak lunch (both $35). Both come with salad, donabe rice, miso soup, and pickles. Foods are tasty and the chef cooked two hamburgs in front of us. Donabe rice (no longer offers garlic rice) is rice cooked with Japanese earthenware pot: it was tasty. Although the chef asked us if we wanted the second serving and we said no at that time, he took the pot back to the kitchen. Well, in Japan, a good kappo restaurant makes onigiri (rice balls) with the left over donabe rice because that donabe pot is cooked for the guests: but this chef didn't even offer that. Moreover when we finished the lunch, he raised the volume of music and offered the tea later. It was as if he wanted us to leave as soon as we finished the lunch. It was a disappointment even though the foods were good. Gochiso-sama. read more

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First of all, sorry I have no pictures of our fantastic night of sushi/sashmi. It was a fun evening since I was with my nephew who would never had Omakase and my husband who has been to Japan many times. Our whole party had a wonderful meal, each course was intentional and perfectly served. Chef was very nice and seemed pleased to have everyone enjoy his creations. I wish my Japanese was better because I could not fully express how great everything was. I was so wrapped up in the experience, I did not take any pictures however, as each night will feature what is fresh in that moment there's probably less utility and seeing what served on any one seating. I love the clean straight lines and the mellow zen of the whole atmosphere. This is not the place to go to if you like very fancy cutting edge innovative style sushi but if you want wonderfully fresh dishes served with style and grace this is your spot. read more

i-naba Hanalei'i is made up of a small sushi bar as well as private small dining rooms with a teppanyaki grill for a unique dining experience. My mom and friends planned a surprise bridal shower for me in one of the teppanyaki grill rooms. We enjoyed a delicious meal of hamburger steak from the grill. They allow you to bring in your own alcohol but they do charge a $40 corkage fee! The food was delicious and the private dining space made for an enjoyable intimate event! read more

Had a good experience for a price. Not very impressed with the lady chef's skill because our lobsters were over cooked, too hard and dry, not mentioning overpriced set dinner when compared with their competitors; oh, the servers weren't around most of the time, thus, our drinks weren't timely replenished. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons that we were the only customers occupied one of the two tables in the restaurant; however, steaks wise, they were superb, even for regular, not wagyu steaks. Notwithstanding what I commented about a few flaws, it is still one nice eatery to check it out. read more

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Stubbled into this place and was very surprised and pleased. They happened to be doing a prefix coursed menu and Yoshi was prepping on the Teppanyaki grill. Ended up being one of the better meals I'd had in a awhile. Some really interesting flavors and tastings. Food and service was exceptional and Yoshi made sure to make it feel special. A must try! read more

I came for the first time to try this new sushi restaurant. I walked in without reservation and chef Yoshitaka "Maru" Hoshimaru he greeted me and seated around the small sushi counter. The place is small but very authentic Japanese. The fish is very fresh direct from Japan. There is a set menu of Omakase, one is $100 and another $120. The fish was very fresh and savory, it melted in your mouth without any soya without dipping. Chef Maru served different kind of fish in hisOmakase menu. This is family owned restaurants in Japan, LA and it has been in Honolulu for 3 months. Quality food is worth a visit. Best to make reservation. read more

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We were recommended this place for their lunch Omakase and so we booked a couple weeks in advance for our trip to Oahu. When booking I made sure to tell the person on the phone that we have a infant with us and if it was okay, they were totally fine with it. On to the experience.. In total the experience was about 90 minutes The chef shared what was being offered which was the lunch Omakase and shared a menu of beverages which included all sorts of Sake, Sake flights, beer and standard beverages. Each of the 10 pieces that came out were legit and I kept thinking, all of this for $42? This price point just blew my mind. The ginger was fresh and was never empty. The ginger had a hint of vinegar which was different but in a good way. The miso soup was packed with flavor and included a shrimp head. The six piece toro sushi roll was also a good addition to complete the meal. All in all the experience was great! The 10 piece Omakase, miso soup and 6 piece toro sushi roll was a STEAL at $42! I would highly recommend this place! read more

i-naba Hanalei'i - Omakase - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Five stars for the lunch omakase! Super delicious high quality sushi experience. It felt like I was in Japan again. Very relaxing and quiet with a few seats at the sushi bar. The sushi chef provided a written English translation of what we were eating. He was kind and professional. I can't wait to go back again! read more

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Aloha, there's a 1/2 year newbie in town that you've probably driven by and haven't noticed the name change, at least it took me all this time to find. Trust me, you'll want to stop in and treat yourself to some amazing sushi, just look at my pictures, wow. So ono! Great quality sushi! Everything from Japan. The toro totally melts in your mouth! Best ikura I've ever had, smoky flavors. And the rice is so Oishi! i-naba Hanalei is located in the former Onodera on King St. great quality sushi which you'd expect as a sister restaurant of Inaba just a few doors away where great home-made noodles are served. 2 different counters to choose from, sushi or grill. Tonight's sushi Omakase consisted of 15 sushi with 3 appetizers and soup, oh and dessert, priced reasonably at $120 for dinner. Chef Maru expertly carved up fish from Japan and his wife Tomoko kept our glasses full, nice selection of sake, Sochu, beer and wines too. If you like high quality this is your next stop! Enjoy! Call 808-753-0163 read more

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inaba is a popular Japanese restaurant chain that is known for their soba - They also opened up this restaurant that offers teppanyaki and tempura dishes! Make sure to reserve in advance I got the dinner teppan abalone course ($95) which includes teppan roasted veggies, hokkaido uni and kinmedai sashimi, roasted abalone that was absolutely heavenly , I also upgraded to the wagyu tenderloin steak ($40) that was so tender and delicious, I love eating it with the garlic chips! Of course we ended the meal with some delicious soba and ice cream I also got to try the tempura and garlic rice and they're both so good! Overall a great meal, best place to experience traditional Japanese teppanyak read more

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Always the best experience! Excellent value for the quality and ambiance. My favorite secret Japanese omakase!!

After dinning here last night for my Husband's birthday, I feel like I have been living in a hole... how come I have never heard for this restaurant before???? My husband LOVES teppanyaki so my daughter and I picked this spot for his special night (per a friend's recommendation). We have gone to many teppanyaki style restaurants... all which have the little show of smoke trains, flaming volcanos, and noisy spatulas. We do not want the show anymore and we are looking for amazing quality food. I-naba provides the high quality we are looking for and more. You get a show but in a different way. The show is that Chef Nobu is a master at his craft. It is so entertaining to just sit there and watch him prepare your meal course by course. Side Note: I usually take pictures of all my dishes so that I can share them in my yelp reviews however I was so mesmerized by the food experience that I did not remember to do so. (I hope to take pictures next time!) The food is high quality and the flavor speaks to that. Every dish is hand crafted to perfection from the very beginning to the very end. The dining experience is very intimate and the staff members are kind and attentive. You pay for what you get and you are not disappointed at the end of this food experience. We all left VERY happy and we have already started thinking about who we would like to bring with us next time for this special experience. Mahalo to Chef Nobu and all the staff! read more

i-naba Hanalei'i - Amazing end to the meal - I appreciated the cute happy birthday song they played in the background for him as well! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was a truly delightful dining experience. The dishes were exquisite and creative! The ingredients were fresh! The service was attentive and thoughtful. And the value was exceptional. I will definitely be back again. read more

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i-naba Hanalei'i is owned by the same company as i-naba. They are located a block from each other on South King Street. i-naba Hanalei'i is known for their tempura, soba, and teppanyaki. My review is for their teppanyaki. I ordered the $39 teppanyaki gozen. It comes with 2 pieces of sashimi, roasted vegetables, fried rice, sea urchin hand roll, 1/4lb Washu beef steak, miso soup, and pickles. It may sound like a lot of food, but it was the perfect amount. I requested to have my steak cooked medium rare, but it was served medium. Other than that everything was good. Service was five stars. The chef didn't have a personality and didn't talk with diners, but hey this is not Tanaka of Tokyo. Free parking is available behind the restaurant. Note: allow additional time for your dining experience. There was only one Chef and he was cooking for eight other people. read more

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Everything was awesome of course !!!! barracuda was the best fish I ate there . There are only 7 seats at the sushi bar which means it's comfortable . read more

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Highly recommend this place! Our family tried the lunch special hamburger steak sets. Great value considering the level of high service, clean decor and dishes (this is a nice touch at some Japanese restaurants), and the fact that the hamburger steaks are cooked right in front of you! Hamburger steak, for those who don't know, is kinda like a Japanese Salisbury steak, but usually thicker and more tender. A staple in TONS of restaurants in Japan. So I'm always looking for good hamburger steaks in the US, but since most Americans don't know the dish, there isn't a high demand for it. Midoh has a great one in LA and Rowland Heights. The assistant manager was also our chef. She was friendly. For lunch, they have a limited menu, but our food was great. For dinner they have an expanded teppan menu with many meats and other options. If you know food, and also the Honolulu food scene, you probably know that the main Japanese Inaba restaurant is really special overall. Please support this newer sister restaurant and be kind! Btw, I'm not related to this restaurant in any way. I just eat a lot. read more

i-naba Hanalei'i - That's the lunch option hamburger steaks cooking on the teppan grill in the background - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Congratulations I-Naba for new location!! i-nana Hanalei'i Honolulu!!! We visit here for lunch today! Lunch special $22.50 Includes Salad, Rice, and Miso soup Upgraded to Miyazaki wagyu add $40 Recommend to upgrade!! It's so worth to upgraded and super DELICIOUS!! Yeeeees!! Garlic rice!! Delicious!! Recommend to upgraded this as well!! Worth extra $5 PROMISE!! Definitely coming back soon!! read more

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I-Naba Hanalei'i Honolulu is a great place to try Teppanyaki Omakase. The meals are served in the counter seating with chef preparing the meal directly from the teppanyaki grill. They have other branch of location where you can enjoy soba and tempura. This particular location focuses on Wagyu and Teppan course of seafood and various teppanyaki dishes. The overall meal was very enjoyable from start to finish. The wagyu meat was perfectly cooked and was very enjoyable to pair with the wine we had brought. The 1996 Lafite was just beautiful wine and we paired this with the Inaba Teppan Wagyu cuts. The balance of these two were just beautiful and complementing each other. I mean as you see in the picture, it is what it is. Nothing is extra ordinary special but its a great teppanyaki restaurant. I really enjoyed the hamburger as well, which is a one of the secret menu here. I think I would return here just to eat the hamburger. read more

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This was a 15 course Omakase for $120. Nothing too fancy here. The food quality was good, and the best part about this place was the small personal setting. This small room probably only seats 6 people comfortably. Definitely a great place to have a small party/get-together. Chef and waitress were very friendly and attentive to providing great service. read more

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Located on King Street Mauka of Zippy, they do have a small parking lot in the back. Upon arrival, we were nicely greeted and seated. The sushi place is really nice, it can seat about 8 people, according to the chef, the place is only 8 months old. We came here to try to lunch sushi omakaske, everything was so fresh, for $42, you get 11 pieces of sushi and a miso soup, you can review my photos, (toro, sweet shrimp, ahi, scallop, etc) I think it is a good deal. Chef Maru is nice and friendly, so had a nice conversation with him during our lunch. The other part of the restaurant is teppanyaki. We will have to come back to try. FYI, they do not offer Sushi on Sunday and Monday, I guess Maru is off on those days. Went we left, the staffs walk us out to the door and say good bye to us and thanks us for coming. We love this place so much that I already made more reservations to go back, recommended read more

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Came for the $40 Omakase lunch. The space is super nice, also got lots of parking in the back. You get a ton of food in an intimate space. Drinks were great they have a nice pineapple drink as well as an ume lemon drink. Sushi was good. read more

Like Being In Japan Dear haole tourists, If you are looking for clanking spatulas and flying eggs, go to Benihana. i-naba Hanalei'i is the real deal. From the moment you enter this tranquil space, you are transported to Japan. My wife and I both had the Tepan and Tempura set, with the upgrade to Wagyu. In addition, we were served sashimi, roasted vegetables, chawanmushi, garlic fried rice, miso soup and pickles. Desert was included but we were beyond full. Outstanding food and service. An absolute must for those that appreciate an authentic Japanese experience! read more

Omakase heaven! One of THE BEST on the island!! Chef Maru is kind and so great with his technique! I'm such a very picky sashimi and sushi eater that I will only return to the same establishment if the fish is fresh and service, outstanding. I'm almost afraid to share this as I dont want to start having to wait for a reservation. You will NOT be disappointed by the amount of food, value, and quality of everything that he serves!! read more

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Such a hidden gem. An amazing spot for omakase with wonderful service, fresh fish. It feels like you stepped into a shop in Japan. I will be back for a special occasion. read more