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    Irifune Restaurant

    4.2 (365 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed Closed

    Irifune Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    IRIFUNE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Bento. This is such a fantastic deal at $14
    Todd M.

    This is an awesome Japanese lunch spot. Everything here is delicious. There is always a line so if you know what you want and don't want to wait, call it in!

    Rebecca T.

    Wow great lunch food with prices around $15. Friendly service, not necessarily quick if you're in a hurry because the food was all made to order which is great! Got to try their chicken karaage ahí combo. Wow the karaage was fried to perfection. Hot crispy and juicy, with a sweet drizzle of sauce on top. The ahi was fresh and it's delicious with the ponzu dressing. A small lettuce salad was included. At least I got a bit of veggies in my meal. Only outdoor seating. The public concrete benches outside always had flies, just glad there were no flies at the tables bothering customers. They also emptied the trash can pretty promptly once it's full. Clean and well maintained grounds.

    Entrance
    Angela L.

    Wow!!!! This place is better than I could've imagined! Cute Japanese takeout spot in the downtown area. Food: I got the karaage chicken and sashimi combo. With tax and tip, total was $15. Great deal for what you get- quality and quantity! Chicken was crispy and juicy and fresh. Has a sweet chili flavor. Sashimi was buttery and savory. Perfecto! Service: Ran by a friendly Japanese couple. The chicken is fried to order (I heard the fryer!) but also really quick. I don't think I waited longer than 5 minutes for my food. Free self serve cold water. Ambiance: Great spot with lots of wind coming through. Awesome vibes, super down to earth. They have quiet jazz playing that adds to the ambiance. Can't wait to come back for the daily specials!!

    Alex O.

    Irifune is a great eats that is a small walk off the normal downtown strip. I've been here every so often and they have never disappointed me in terms of price and quantity. Their servings are large to make me full without putting me into a food coma. Their prices have changed a little with time but are still reasonable - especially for what you get. Karaage Chicken & Sashimi Combo: 7/10. Yes, this is one of their standard lunches and as of 8/1/25 is still $14.50. The Sashimi is sitting in a pre-mixed shoyu ginger sauce with diamonds slices. The Karaage has a slightly sweet chili sauce that complements the chicken well. Lastly, they have a standard salad with that slightly tart white dressing. This amount of food for $14.50 is great. While it is a bit further away that most eating establishments and it takes a little bit for them to cook- the food here is worth your time.

    Karaage chicken combo with Ahi Sashimi $14
    Marc T.

    Small local mom and pop store with that hole in the wall taste can't find anywhere else. Best karaage plate lunch I've had so far on island MUST TRY That and the ahi ‍

    Roy H.

    I haven't been here for a year, but every time I've been here, the food is always so delicious. I had the Katsu Curry Yum. Tender chicken and the curry, if you like Japanese curry , is sweet and ono.

    Hamburger steak with ponzu sauce
    Val S.

    When I get a chance, I head over to Irifune for lunch. Get there early because they get busy and run out of some items on the menu. I got the hamburger steak with ponzu sauce and my friend got the ginger pork. My hamburger steak was delicious. The ponzu sauce complimented the hamburger steak. The portion was a good size. It also came with rice, fries, and veggies.

    Shrimp and vegetable tempura dripping with grease and uncooked.

    I just purchased and entirely inedible bento box for $14. I should have opened it before I got back to the office. The batter is laden with grease and still managed to be completely doughy and uncooked. There is also only 1 shrimp. They knew when they put it in the box they were wrong for this.

    Irene M.

    Shut up there here! Well they've been tell us to eat since 1974 but had no idea they relocated to downtown and was thrown to see them and just had to give them a hey! Menu filled with all the local Japanese favorites like Mushroom Chicken, Ginger Pork and Chicken Katsu Curry deciding on what to order isn't the easiest when you're hungry though the Hamburger Steak simply had me drooling as it's made with ponzu sauce and at $10.75 you just can't complain. Wow my gosh cute chunk of hamburger. Had an egg on top... an over easy egg to be precise with a daikon oroshi or grated radish with ponzu a classic way to enjoy meat for Japanese came with a few side of fries three pieces of green beans, a scoop of hapa rice, and salad with vinaigrette. I did wish that I knew about the egg because I don't like mines over easy but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This laid back open patio works amazing with the cool breeze though the decor isn't what you're here for, the patio style seating does just what you're here for to just shut up and eat. Thank you!

    Joyce L.

    This is takeout place with some outdoor sitting near HGEA office in Mililani Street in downtown. It was probably just me but I was pretty confused reading their menu. I wish that they clarify what entree includes like some side salad and big portion of white rice. Initially I was going to order the bento but changed to tofu stir fry. The counter lady wasn't too happy when I did that. Tofu stir fry came tofu, round onions, and seemed like left over stem from Choy Sum for $11 something. It was an affordable lunch but I rather pay little more for better food.

    Bento $12
    Nicole I.

    Quality Japanese restaurant food for a decent price! The wait can be very long since lots of downtown employees come here for lunch. I got the bento for $12. The tempura was incredible and so fresh. I especially liked the fish tempura. Great service too. I recommend coming before or after 12-1 pm because the line can get long and the tables fill up quickly. I would definitely eat here again!

    Bento
    Cassandra H.

    I work nearby and on the days that I don't bring home lunch this is one of my favorite places to go. It's a hole in the wall place thats easy to miss. And the service is quick. Fish can be expensive but the prices here are super reasonable. I normally get either the bento or the chicken katsu curry. Both are really flavorful. Both dishes used to be $10 but they recently raised it to $12. Which is still such a steal in today's economy. They do have outdoor seating which is nice because not many places do.

    Candace F.

    Definitely a great lunch time option! Located at the edge of downtown the prices are definitely less and the food very tasty. The menu boosts Japanese favorites at reasonable prices. I have tried the chicken katsu curry and found the katsu with its crispy texture, salad and rice at just the right portion size. The tofu plate is my favorite as the exterior is fried with perfection with sauce dribbled over the top. Everything is delicious and about $10 a plate which is much cheaper than the places around the downtown area. There are daily lunch specials and everything is fresh . Will definitely return!

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    Yummy, comfort food. Simple ingredients and menu. Staff is so polite. Price is reasonable.

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    Limited menu hole in the wall. Online it looks more robust than reality. Tired location

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    Page 1 of 10

    Irifune Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    4.6(304 reviews)
    4.3 miKaimuki

    Amazing amazing amazing! Service was amazing and everything ran so smoothly. The ambiance is calm,…read morecozy, and intimate as you're sitting at the chef's bar. The food -- amazing. The soup pairing just makes sense and this is such a comforting meal for me since I LOVE sushi and miss Japan.

    The five star rating is two fold. First is that the food was absolutely delicious. The food…read morequality and portions were perfect. The fish was fresh and flavorful. And how do I know that it's fresh? Because as we were at the restaurant, deliveries were being delivered nonstop. My kids devoured the salmon bowl with the salmon roe. My 8 year old's bowl was wiped clean. My 7 year old had only 2 slices of salmon and a few ikuras left. The 5 year old polished off her few pieces of salmon and roe along with her miso soup. And momma's Fukuju? Absolutely demolished. I should have ordered it with extra ikura because the quality and flavor that it provided to the bowl was something that I've never had before. I am usually not a fan of ikura, finding it too salty, but the ikura at Totoya was perfectly balanced. Second, the service was great. I had to give it to the lovely staff who were able to keep it all together when a party of 5 adults and 7 kids (aged between 5 to 11) rolled in, and of course the kids all chose to not sit with their respective parents. The food came fast and kept the peace of very hungry children. The place itself is a small little restaurant with just bar seating, no more than 16 seats, so definitely cozy. My friend sitting all the way on the other side of the bar said she could hear my conversation perfectly well, even though all the kids were loudly chatting. We will definitely be back the next time we make it out to Honolulu. Thanks to the restaurant again for providing such a memorable meal. It was all I could think about on the flight home because it was that good.

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    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - kurobuta tonkatsu

    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

    4.3(4.2k reviews)
    2.6 miWaikiki
    $$$
    Free parking
    19 years in business

    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!

    Such a great tonkatsu experience as if I was in Kyoto on a quick trip. The restaurant flavors felt…read morevery traditional and genuinely Japanese in the best way. I got the pork loin with shrimp combo (the mixed portion instead of the large), and everything was perfectly crispy, flavorful, and satisfying without feeling too heavy. One of my favorite parts was grinding the sesame seeds myself in the little ceramic bowl with the wooden grinder, then mixing in the tonkatsu sauce. It made the whole meal feel interactive and intentional, and the sauce was SO good on the pork loin. I also ended up getting a refill of the cabbage because the sesame dressing they served with it was honestly addictive. I went around 8 PM to avoid the dinner rush and was pleasantly surprised I got a table pretty easily. Taking my time with the smaller mixed portion made the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable instead of rushed. Overall, really delicious food, great atmosphere, and one of my favorite meals I've had in Waikiki so far. Pictured are the before and after of my dish. Probably a better "go with friends place" than a date.

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    Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu

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    I-NABA - Uni, ikura and hotate don with zaru soba

    I-NABA

    4.4(797 reviews)
    1.8 mi
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    TL;DR This might be…read moremy favorite Japanese restaurant in town. Undisputed soba champion. ----- I'm surprised I haven't written a review for i-naba yet. This place has been a staple for my family ever since we moved back to O'ahu a few years ago. Bottom line? The soba noodles here are utterly fantastic. They are, in my humble opinion, the best on the island, and some of the best soba noodles I've ever had. I don't think anywhere else in Honolulu comes close. You come here to eat soba. Period. In addition to the soba being phenomenal, the other offerings at i-naba are also similarly great. Their tempura in particular is outstanding. I typically order the Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Bowl & Soba or the Dx Tempura Bowl & Soba. Plus an upgrade to a large size soba! The tempura is sooo good. It's crispy, light, and airy. The jumbo shrimp is especially succulent and tender. And the ingredients are always perfectly seasoned with the sweet and savory house sauce. Yummmy! If you're looking for the best soba and awesome tempura, this is your spot!!!

    Everytime I asked my Japanese clients which Japanese restaurant they enjoyed most in Honolulu,…read moreInaba consistently came up. And now I know why. I finally had lunch here a couple weeks ago and damn was my tempura and soba set broke da mout. The soba is housemade with a chewy consistency that I love. I had it cold with the dipping sauce and wow wow wow. So good. My friends suggested I get the shrimp and vegetable tempura as well which amazingly stayed crispy the whole time I savored each bite. Probably 30 minutes. Light crisp batter on perfectly cooked shrimp and veggies. Damn it was good. The service was great as well and I cannot wait to go back. Nice warm atmosphere and there's a free parking lot. It gets busy during lunch and dinner, so get there early or make a reservation. Enjoy!

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    Kaimuki Shokudo

    Kaimuki Shokudo

    4.2(442 reviews)
    4.2 miKaimuki
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    Sunday April 19, 2026 first time, coming here at the 11th Ave. location…read more We were looking for a place for lunch after Planet Fitness Kahala and walking around the Diamond Head Triangle Park. Metered street parking or they have a paid private parking lot. As it was Sunday, we found a parking on Koko Head Avenue and walked there. We were seated right away at 2:30pm and they close at 3:30pm. Then dinner is at 5:00pm. Service was fast and friendly. We ordered right away. Food came out shortly after. It looked good and it tasted good too. The purple potato salad with the 2 sweet potato chips was different and really good! After lunch, we decided to order 2 Kirin beers and a bottle of Iichiko with green tea. We drank 1/3 of the bottle and decided to save the rest for the next time. We will be back again. Support local businesses.

    Great Japanese fusion restaurant with interesting dishes!…read more We ordered the quail eggs, corn, unagi ochazuke, blue cheese shishito peppers, and watercress salad. The peppers might not be everyone's cup of tea but it was certainly unique and interesting. The ochazuke was a favorite! Service was great and ambiance was cozy. Pretty busy on a Friday night. Although I miss their honey toast, I still love their new menu!

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    Kaimuki Shokudo - Just an opening 11/15/25. The restaurant was filled within minutes. Featuring Yelp Elite All Star Donna O.

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    Izakaya Tenkichi - Beef tempura

    Izakaya Tenkichi

    4.6(241 reviews)
    2.4 miMo'ili'ili
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    We went in the with no reservations but they were able to sit us down for a bit to grab some drinks…read moreand a few appetizers. This place took me back to Japan! The employees were awesome and attentive and had good recommendations. I got a calpico grapefruit soda with alcohol. It was delicious, but pretty sweet. Definitely worth a try if you like sweet drinks. My favorite was the calpico shikuwasa soda with Soju! It was so delicious. It was sour and sweet in the perfect way. Tasted like a creamy sour lemonade. I would come back just for this drink! I also really enjoyed their rolls and sushi. I got a few rolls and hand roll and they were all delicious and fresh. I cannot wait to return again!

    The atmosphere was very fun and laid back! It's a great place to get drinks with family and friends…read moreand pick on izakaya and sushi dishes. Fun tip: If you purchase a bottle of sake, you get to randomly draw a prize! Prizes range from a free scallop sashimi to a "hug" from a staff member lol the staff members were all super friendly, but were a bit busy and rushed. The food was good. The dish they're known for, the ikura bowl, was the best standout dish to order. The other items were good but were a bit pricey for the quality and the portion. Overall, a spot I would return to again to try other dishes. My family had a good time there. Tips: the staircase getting up to the restaurant is steep, watch you step and be careful if drinking alcohol lol parking lot is paid and can fill up fast during prime dinner time. Street parking is hit or miss. Reservations are highly recommended.

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    Dinner Menu (1 of 12) as of 3/5/2026

    Irifune Restaurant - japanese - Updated May 2026

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