Kahala Sushi @Zippy's: We used to frequent visit here for take out sushi. Sushi was decent 15 years ago. We stopped coming here due to we found better places to visit. Recently we received a gift card for Zippy's and for the first time we learned this place is a part of Zippy's! Lunch take out, 20+ minutes wait but sushi was decent still. But the set menu volume is so much, and additional rice and miso soup. I recommend you order individual sushi's what you really care for. I rate 3.5 read more

Originally our plan after hiking Kamaniki Ridge in Kalihi was to check out 5 star buffet for lunch but unfortunately we didn't make it time so my friend suggested we check out Kahala Sushi in Zippys (Whattt?) He reassured us a couple times that it was good and that he always went with his family. Well he was born in Japan, works at Ginza Bairin and loves Japanese food so of course its gotta be pretty legit. So off we went to Zippys for some sushi. Kahala Sushi is the sushi bar in Zippys. It was around 1:45 so the place was pretty quiet besides one other couple sitting at the sushi bar. I ordered the sushi set A that came with a miso soup. It was a pretty basic set with tuna, salmon, ikura, ika, tako, ebi, maguro, and tamago. Like mentioned by other yelpers, the pieces of fish are HUGE with only a little rice which I always prefer when eating sushi. You definitely get what you pay for, as my bill came out to around $20. The sushi chefs are Japanese which was also a pleasant surprise. I'll definitely be back to check it out again, maybe try one of the bentos next time! YELP 365: 153/365 read more

In between Mitch's & Sasabune, there is Kahala Sushi. It's my go to when the fancier sushi bars are crowded. Outrageous amounts of salmon, toro and hamachi make it special. I literally need 2 cut the fish in 3-4 pieces. Spicy ahi and poke ahi remake also winnahs! The general loves the fresh nori...crunch, crunch! Sit at the bar and see Hashi. read more

Kahala Sushi - Yummy poke ahi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Who would have thought to find good sushi inside Zippy's huh? Only at the Kahala and Pearl City Zippy locations. Their neta (raw fish) on the nigiri is HUGE. So much so that I have to order a bowl of rice to go with my nigiris. But any decent sushi bar in japan, this is the norm. Contrast this to Imanas, where the neta is teeny, tiny, but the women seem to like it better that way. I've had non-nippon women say that the Kahala Sushi nigiri is 'gross' because of the huge slab of raw flesh they get served in their face when the sushi chef hands it over to you. Their eyes get big. Scared. Yum. More for me. :D Always order the amaebi (sweet shrimp), and then they bring you the fried shrimp heads shortly thereafter. Hamachi is always fresh. I like edamame (boiled salted soybean pods) but I don't order it here, as its $6 for a small plate. Just eat my Costco frozen 3 min. microwave bag when I get home. :P A bit on the pricey side if you have a good appetite. The combination A & B sushi plates are a good value, but kinda on the boring side for me. Like the amaebi is $9 for 2 pieces of nigiri (including the fried heads). So then you eat the fried head, with the antennae and black beady eyes of the shrimp staring at you (why did you order me?), and you tell your date that the shrimp brains is the best part, as you bite into its fried crunchiness. Imagine the look on her face now, I don't have to. I saw it. :) And I didn't even order the Uni or Unagi yet... I think I have mercury poisoning by now. No wonder I'm getting senile so soon. Should not have watched the movie 'The Cove' last week. Now that's all I think about when I crave sushi or poke. :( read more

Location: In Zippy's at Kahala, across from Kahala Mall. Parking: Park in Zippy's structure and go inside. After reading the reviews and going to try this place, these are my thoughts based on Sushi+Sashimi Combo and individual orders of Hamachi, Nigiri, Anago and Unagi nigiri: 1. Not as affordable as you might think. I think reading Yelp reviews about the price affected my judgement. The nigiri 2 piece cost on average $7 and only goes up from there. I was looking at their menu and thinking...wow...who said this was affordable? Most of the teishoku was above $20 ( I was expecting affordable to be around $15). They do have "specials" though. 2. You do get pretty big slices of fish. The sashimi slices were too thick. I like my raw fish but chomping on the massive cuts made me feel nauseous, too much fishyness at once. maguro had way too many layers of connective tissue. 3. Quality is not bad. 4. Service is nice. 5. Miso soup is crap. Overall conclusion: Not bad. It's okay. I can see why people are happy there's someplace other than Kozo Sushi in Kahala now though. Should've gone to Sushi Masa. I might be back to give this place one more shot for teishoku. My total bill was $60 read more

I had eaten here before and I enjoyed the noddles. So last night I decided to dine in for some dinner. The waitress was decent. I asked for some tea and she came out with a nice cup of hot tea. If I didn't inspect the cup before drinking the tea I would have been drinking straight out of a dirty cup that still had a previous lady's LIPSTICK stuck to rim! Right then and there I would have stood up and left. But since I was hungry I decided to just stay. Be aware of how clean the utensils and sliver wear are before eating or drinking. read more

Kahala Sushi - Here is the fresh cup of tea the waitress gave me. GOOD thing I checked the cup before drinking! BTW that isn't my lipstick! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love their sushi! Really nice large fresh cuts and soo reasonable. Had better sushi here than at Sasabune!

I'm not sure why there is so much criticism of the prices at Kahala Sushi, as it is pretty much in-line with any other sushi place in its class. I think it is because the sushi bar happens to be located inside of Zippys that people expect it to be similarly priced. By that logic, people would be happier if it were lower priced and lower quality simply because it is more in line with people's expectations. Gotta love the internet... Many of the other reviews of this restaurant seem to only compare it, price-wise to Mitch's or Sasabune. I'm not sure if it is to build credibility by name-dropping two of the most elite sushi restaurants on the island or what, but I can think of a few other places with similarly-priced sushi (within a dollar or so for Nigiri) to Kahala Sushi: Tadashi, California Rock n' Sushi, Maguro-Ya, Mr. Ojisan, Doraku, Odoriko, and Sushi King, to name a few. The price for chirashi and sushi/sashimi combinations at Kahala Sushi are also similar to these restaurants, and in a lot of cases less ($23 for Chirashi at Kahala Sushi, $27 at Tadashi, for example). In my opinion, the complaints about price in these other reviews don't hold up, because by those standards pretty much any of the other restaurants I've named above would also fail the "price test" when compared to Mitch's and/or Sasabune. With that said, If you have the mental fortitude to overcome the fact that this sushi bar happens to be inside of a Zippys and if you can stand being in the same room as the common-folk who happen to eat at Zippys(/sarcasm), you can find yourself a pretty decent sushi meal, both here and at the sushi bar inside of the Pearl City Zippys. The pieces of fish served for nigiri are quite large, as are the temaki orders (especially the two soft shell crab hand rolls for $10). The chirashi is also good value for $23. It isn't all good, though. Like another review mentioned, the miso soup is pretty blah. Also, the service can be spotty as they seem to be understaffed at times. As with any restaurant, all it takes is one bad experience to earn a low rating. I've eaten at Kahala sushi a number of times, and I think I am safe in saying that it's a pretty decent place to go for Sushi in East Honolulu, especially if you like big pieces of Hamachi. read more

Kahala Sushi used to be one of my favorite sushi places back in college. They had decent quailty sushi for an affordable price. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed during a recent vist there. Overall, the only way describe my visit there tonight was that it was very uncomfortable. There was only one sushi chef making sushi and the restaruant was packed - when we got there,there were only two seats left at the bar. Given that the place was so packed, I understood that the wait for our food would be long. What I didn't expect was that there would be 2-3 waiters/waitresses crowding around the poor sushi chef demanding for their orders. For example, one waitress from the Zippy's dine-in side was terrible andi would come in every 5 minutes demanding for her order. The first time she came, the chef said that he had many orders in front of her and that it would be about 15 minutes. The waitress had a little hissy fit and kept asking the chef why couldn't he make her order faster. She came back every 5 or so minutes thereafter, continuously asking where her order was and asking why the chef couldn't work any faster to get her order. I really wanted to scream at the waitress and say, look around lady, the sushi side of this restaurant is packed and everyone wants sushi. You just have to wait your turn! I seriously felt so sorry for the sushi chef and it was a very uncomfortable experience to witness. I really think that Zippys should not let people order sushi from the take-out or eat-in side of the restaurant. Either that, or they definitely need more sushi chefs to make sushi. After this experience, I really don't think I'll be coming back any time soon. read more

This is a small sushi place located inside Zippy's. Small, intimate, and very good food. Three people in our party had the chirashi sushi, which was very fresh and tasty. I had the tempura zaru soba, a delicious lunch for this hot weather. Tea and water refills were prompt and the service friendly. Will definitely be coming back here. read more

Kahala Sushi - Tempura zaru soba - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This used to be my go to, for reasonable and good sushi, with generous portions and daily specials. I had moved a little further away and so hadn't been back in a few years, but my nephew came for a visit and we took him here, since he's a teenager and we thought he could eat his fill without breaking the bank. First the the size of the sushi counter had been greatly reduced, there was only a single chef, and maybe 4 seats, and it was a very different experience than back in the days of my favorite sushi chef the cranky but great "Koichi-san". Ah well it was still pretty good, we had chirashi, and various nigiris, including decent uni and hamachi, and tenpura, but overall the experience was a shadow of it's former self. Back in the day when it was packed almost every night, it was vibrant, with a staff of three or four behind the counter, Koichi served us a complimentary mystery alcohol from a bottle with a real snake, preserved and curled up in the bottle of the bottle! From Okinawa he revealed. It was awesome. read more

I love this sushi bar. Don't be afraid that it's in the Kahala Zippy's. The fish is fresh and very reasonable for the price. They give large portions of fish on the nigiri sushi so you can't eat the entire piece in one bite. That's a good or bad thing depending on the type of sushi lover you are. I personally enjoy the unagi and sake. The hamachi is also good. If you don't want to order nigiri ala carte, they offer sushi sets. They also have sets with udon and other types of entrees. I love this place! read more

This place has the best sushi East of Wilhelmina Rise. Seriously. Okey, that's not really fair since there aren't many sushi restaurants in that area, but this place is pretty good. I would have rated it higher before. Used to go here a lot, but there has been a change in attitude in the place. What was once a laid back, take your time has become get in, get out as fast as you can. Wait a minute, I forgot! We're in Zippy's. They aren't into long leisure meals, they want as many customers as possible! Ahhhh, profit!!!! I'm not saying that the current employees are bad, they are friendly, but the previous employees would really talk story with you. As for the food, the fish is very good and at least the sushi man is truthful and generous. read more

If anyone has stopped by this place, you would think it'd be as cheap and good as Zippy's food (since it's located inside Kahala Zippy's). WRONG. Kahala sushi is perhaps one of the best Japanese/Sushi Bars on Oahu. Although the price is kinda steep (2 pieces of hamachi= lil over $8), you get your money's worth for all the dishes. As a former employee of this place, I know the preparation and dedication that goes into each slice of fish or each piece of tempura. For those who are looking for a traditional nigiri cut, this place isn't for you. The nigiri are huuuuuuge, fresh and delicious. If you sit at the bar and start up a small talk with the sushi chefs, they will appeal to your requests, and who knows...maybe even give you fresher cuts. read more

Disappointed. Hoping for authentic Japanese food. Local tasting miso soup and poke was previously frozen kind. I really wanted to send it back but was with my client so I didn't say anything. My client (from Japan) ordered tendon. First bite he said " ah...dame da." ( meaning not good). read more

I like to think this place is a hidden gem but I'm sure a lot people are aware of Kahala Sushi. If not, they are located in Kahala Zippy's, and the place is great to grab some sushi and udon. The fish to rice ratio is amazing with their Nigiri sushi and they also offer ala carte items if you want to dabble with options. Nice place if you're wanting something simple, mellow and unpretentious. Worth a try! read more

Kahala Sushi - Chef's Special Teishoku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

*Amy Winehouse jumps out of her grave!* "I said No! No! No!" If you like sushi served with a side of children screaming and old people coughing inside of a Zippy's then look no further! From the street it's designed to look like a separate business... hey... and for all I know it is. But that doesn't change the fact that you're paying $40 a person for standard sushi meal and a drink inside of a Zippy's. Our waiter was excellent... it's not your fault man. Keep up the good work. read more

My husband (yes my WHITE husband lol) wanted sushi. This guy never liked sushi before we met and he thought it was disgusting (that's because his first experience with it was at Disneyworld... weirdo I know). So anyway, we wanted sushi but it was like 8pm and most places that I know would be closing. We decided to escape Makiki and roam around for sushi... my dog was driving me insane. So we went here... I didn't know where else to go for late night sushi runs. I came here a few times when they first opened but hadn't been back since. Honestly, I know there's better places for sushi but we wanted casual and fast. The dude was starving. However, we came here and I was really disappointed. My husband loved everything but I ordered their spicy tuna donburi. That thing was DISGUSTING. I had trouble keeping down the first bite... most of it made its way to his plate. It was stringy and gross and I don't even want to think about it because it'll make me hurl again. I think the husband ordered their Kahala special with sushi and sashimi. The cuts weren't the greatest... kinda stringy and not the best coloring ever. But he likes sushi and sashimi and he's not too picky. He loved the hot wasabi action. I thought it was kinda pricey for the quality of sushi they provided. However... I must say I do like their service... they're really nice there but it doesn't make up for their crappy foods. read more

who knew you'd find good affordable sushi in a Zippys. Not sure if they're an outside contractor or an experimental test concept by the Higas but the business model surprisingly works. This place is good for those nights when you want sushi but payday is still days away. The sushi is of comparable quality to the mid-upper tier of sushi joints in Honolulu. This is a place that knows how to cut fish..no wimpy nigiri here! The way the slices of fish drape over the rice and extend an inch in both directions is exactly how I want it! The selection is not huge but all your favorites are represented. Best part is that you can still have your, wonton min, chili nachos and napples too! read more

Never mind that this establishment is inside Kahala Zippys. This is hands down my favorite place for chirashi. The huge pieces of sashimi and variety is excellent. The price is comparable with the other sushi places in town. The ume shiso maki is also a favorite. The rice to fish ratio on their nigiris is perfect. If a place has too much rice I usually don't go back. I've dined in at the sushi bar, dined in on the Zippys dining room and done take out. I've never had a overly bad experience. Granted, when I call for takeout they are sometimes a bit short and it takes awhile. The other great perk, I'm able to pick up donuts/pastries from the bakery for dessert or even breakfast the next morning. read more

Wait service was bad tonight. No team work. Three or four waiters can be standing over the one sushi chef while you are disparate for water and attention. Normal local Japanese food quality. Sushi quality little bit better than average. But it's next to the takeout so very noisy. Not the Zen experience you usually get elsewhere. Though the convenience of having a Napple or Jello square keeps us coming back. Tip: get takeout or sit on the dining room side of Zippy's. read more

My wife and I eat here at least once each month Because it's very convenient and the food has been consistently good. There are less expensive places but we're very happy that this place is here. read more

Decent quality steps above your conveyor belt sushi places, however the price is very prohibitive for what you get. There are a lot of other sushi options around the same price with similar or better quality, better service, better atmosphere. Still visit here occasionally when the family requests it. read more

after months and months of naggin to go here, I finally broke down and had the wifey choose here for lunch today,,, i was really expecting a kozo like experience. I was blown away at this sushi bar, as the others have said the fish slices was HUGE, the rice tiny and just the right amount of wasabi, i'd even go as far as to say this is one of the best sushi places on o'ahu, they also have booths and serve regular japanese foods although we didn't try any, so i have no idea about the taste but if it's anything like the bar,,,,, 5 star,,, kinda pricey but well well worth it. lunch for 2 without drinks, $80,,,, i'm a fan and will be back read more

Well, this is a first for me -- having to write a scathing review on Yelp! So, I'll just state the facts. Yesterday (TU 5/26/2015), my husband and I attempted to place a take-out order 5 or 6 times, but no one answered. Finally, a young woman answered my husband's cell call, and proceeded to place us on hold for 9 minutes or more -- by which time we had driven to Kahala Sushi, just a few blocks from our Kahala home. When my husband went inside to place the order, he still had his cell on hold, showing the girl with whom he had spoken (who lied about being alone), as well as a male "manager." He told them that this horrible customer service was just unacceptable, placed our order, and told them what time he would return to pick it up. The "manager" said, "Is there a problem?" To which hubby responded, "There will be if our order is not ready when we return," and left it at that. // Picked up the kids at Punahou, and returned to retrieve our order. Uneventful. // Had dinner. // At 4 a.m., hubby and I both awoke with rocketing diarrhea and projectile vomiting, preceded by stomach-crippling cramps. It reached its full impact at about 7 a.m. this morning. Now, 12 hours later, I still am too ill to drive anywhere for food, or to pick up the kids. THIS IS THE WORST CASE OF FOOD POISONING THAT EITHER OF US HAS EVER HAD!! And the worst part is that we both believe that 1 or 2 of the people with whom hubby spoke when he placed the order in person INTENTIONALLY TRIED TO MAKE US VERY SICK -- AND SUCCEEDED. State Health Department involved: Earlier today, we filed formal complaints with the State Health Department regarding the individuals involved, and the events that transpired. We believe that they likely committed a criminal act. We are now cooperating with law enforcement to the extent requested by such. Since neither hubby nor I ate anything else at all yesterday, except for our usual bottled waters, and since we both ate ALL of the sushi and sashimi, and nothing after, we are 100% certain of the source of the poisoning, and are pretty certain that their malfeasance was intentional. And that's a CRIME. // DO NOT EVER RISK YOUR HEALTH BY EATING THERE, and if you do, don't get anyone mad at you -- because God only knows what they put into our food in retaliation.// If I were able to give them zero or negative stars in this review, I would, but 1 is required to be able to post. A word to the wise is sufficient. Stay away, and stay healthy! read more

I should have written this ages ago, but anyhow... Kahala Sushi has become my favorite. They are known for huge cuts of fish that drape over the rice... Good taste, fresh fish, friendly chefs, fair prices. Just sit at the bar and let the chef make stuff for you until you're full! read more

This is the place to go if you live on the eastside and too lazy to drive into town or Waikiki, it's good but not great but fullfills any craving for Japanese you might have. To me it's more authentic than Niu Valley's Gyutaku which I would characterize as pseudo-Japanese, and the sushi here is actually made by a sushi chef rather than the cook in the back, not knocking it just saying. The service is pretty good although this place also services Zippy's dine in so sometimes even when they don't have a full restaurant the food takes time. read more

Really, I don't understand how this place is rated so high. Food: Katsudon 2 out of 5. No flavor, too salty, smothered in onions but no sauce. Wufudon/tempura special 1 out of 5. The alcohol wasn't burned off on the donburi sauce, and it tasted like alcohol. Soba 1 out of 5. Bland at best Teriyaki chicken 2 out of 5. Really hard to mess up this dish...no flavor. California roll 3 out of 5 prob the only decent dish. Service 0 out of 5 I'm big on service and this restaurant lacked any of it. We had to physically go get the waitress to order food. It took 15 to 20 minutes for the miso soup to arrive. Another 10 minutes for the ca roll. Another 10 minutes for the other food. We were the only customers at the time. We then had to physically get the waitress for a refill on drinks. After being done eating for at least 10 minutes, we got tired or waiting for the check and asked another employee for out bill. This restaurant is weak. Don't waste your time. read more

Overall rating [3/5] Food quality [3/5] Service quality [4/5] Atmosphere [3/5] Cleanliness [2/5] When you don't feel like cooking dinner, where do you go for fast, affordable food? For my grandparents, the answer to that question is Zippy's. Yikes. I wasn't in the mood for Zip's tonight, so I wandered over to the Kahala Sushi bar while we waited to get seated. The nice thing about Kahala Sushi is you can order it while you're seated at a Zippy's table. The Sushi location itself is small (only 6 mini booths and 2 tables), so ordering out is a must. The lady who I talked to at the bar was nice, giving recommendations about what's good. Unfortunately the food wasn't as nice as the staff. Maybe I'm subconsciously comparing Kahala to my lunch at Ninja Sushi earlier today, but I wasn't turned on by my meal. The miso soup that came with my combo was watered down and almost flavorless. Only one tiny piece of tofu too. I ordered chirashi over sushi rice. I forgot to take a picture but the presentation was very nice. The amount of fish was generous (2-3 pieces of each), but the cuts weren't so great. I had a fair amount of fat in my hamachi, ahi, and salmon pieces, and my tako was dry like it was a day old. The bowl my food was served in was also dirty, with something crusted on the lip...Overall, this isn't a bad place to come if you're in need of a quick sushi fix or you want something different while eating at Zippy's Kahala. But if you're looking for ono, quality sushi, I would venture elsewhere. read more

This is probably my favorite sushi place ever. I've been coming here for at least ten years with my family because it's the best sushi on the island. Pricy, yes, but worth every penny. The guy who has been making my sushi all these years, Yasu, is a gem. The fish is always delicious, fresh, and nicely sized. The hamachi kama is a good dish as well. Admittedly, I've never had anything but their nigiri, sashimi, tempura, and hamachi kama, mostly because I don't go into a Japanese restaurant looking for anything other than fish. I highly recommend this restaurant. You pay for what you get. read more

A hidden gem! The udon is simply to die for. The broth has a subtle taste, but is far from being bland. In Japanese food, it's hard to get the broth right without it tasting too shoyuish. But this place has got it right! The tempura is a winner....crispy and cooked in fresh oil. And the sushi..........AWESOME! And the sushi chefs are actually Japanese from Japan! read more

Normally good food here, but this time I ordered the hot soba with tempura. The dashi soup for the soba was salty, salty, salty!!!! Ugh! The waiter took it back, saying that the cooks tasted it and was making a new batch. It came back just a tad less salty, but tasted like Shoyu and green onion. That's it. Never ordering that again. read more

This is an awesome mid-range sushi restaurant! Their chirashi sushi is excellent and the size of the fish on top of their nigiri is huge (just like it's supposed to be)! This is where I get my sushi fix without having to break the bank. read more

Big time sleeper of a sushi bar! Sushi at Zippy's? You bet! My understanding is that the sushi operation is a separate vendor that shares the Zippy's location, that's why you'll only find the sushi bar at the Kahala Zippy's, and one in Pearl City (eh, get plenty of Zippy's in Pearl City...it's the one closest to Daie). You'll find cheaper sushi all over town, and higher quality but more expensive sushi in Waikiki. For middle of the road sushi, this place is hard to beat. The place is great for sushi with the biggest damm fish toppings this side of Tsukiji in Tokyo. I mean you feel like asking the chef for more rice to go with your fish! I went there once with a friend from Japan and they asked the chef for a knife! Anyway, they also serve other donburi dishes, udon and a couple of teshoku dinners. The other food is okay, more typically "Hawaiian" Japanese food than real Japanese food. Also interesting is that you can also order off the Zippy's menu. This way you can eat your sushi while your kids chow down on chili or zip packs. read more

Update on Kahala Sushi: Bottom line: Much improved! We'll be thoroughly convinced after one more positive experience. We're not certain if a real sushi chef was preparing our food the time that we had a disappointing meal. When reflected on it it was possible that it came straight from the kitchen, since we were sitting at a booth, not the bar. Anyhow, their previous chefs were excellent, but they no longer seem to be there. The new sushi chef is polite, skilled, and is hopefully helping to choose the fish. read more

I am really Disappointed, space I have been coming to Kahala sushi for many years. It used to be a five-star type of service and food. I keep on giving them the benefit of doubt and keep on coming back. Before the portions of sushi were really generous. It used to be huge cuts of fish. But no longer, it seems that they've changed the chefs. Now the cuts are no longer exceptional. Last night my date and I were the only ones in the restaurant. It took longer than 15 minutes to take our order. From a first-class restaurant to a place where the seats were torn and unsightly. All I can say is that they should bring back the old chefs or have the old chefs train the new chefs in what made Kahala sushi's name. Very disappointed camper. read more

This is THE spot for quick, delicious, fast and GENEROUS cuts of sushi. It is like the official sushi hangout for my friends and I. Freshest Hamachi I have had since the fish market in Tokyo. I don't know if the chef does it for everyone, but because we were regulars, he always slid us extras and special things he was trying. I love this place, it's no ka best! read more

Maybe we just ordered the wrong thing, but I did not like Kahala Sushi. First of all, after standing by the "please wait to be seated" sign for 3 minutes (while 4 servers passed by), the sushi guy waved us to sit at the sushi bar. Green tea and water was brought out promptly by a server but after that we just sat there, with no menus for about 5 minutes. Finally the sushi guy asks us what we want...but how can we know what we want with no menu?! The people sitting next to us gave us their menu since no workers there thought it would be necessary for us to have one. We finally ordered a few things...california roll, spicy tuna roll and hamachi something w/green onion. The california roll was average. The spicy tuna was gross. It was like tekka maki but w/tabasco to make it "spicy". The hamachi was a handroll with tons of green onion. It was really good and plentiful...the best part of the meal. After the poor service for the average and EXPENSIVE sushi we decided to leave and get Zippy's chili to go. I'd rather spend the same amount or a more money and go to a real sushi restaurant. read more

I've been to Kahala sushi twice now. First, the good points: the price to value is quite good...while the ambiance is basically "we tacked this place onto the side of a Zippy's" this typically wouldn't bother me. In general, if the food is good, I'm perfectly happy eating in a dive. The food here is pretty solid. Nothing that will blow your mind, but it's decent mid-tier sushi, udon, etc. that is reasonably priced, especially if you order a combination meal. The problem here is the service. I don't want to say they're hostile at all. But, while the place isn't fancy, I'm still paying close to $20 bucks for a meal. I don't want to stand at the hostess stand where it says "please wait for a hostess to seat you" while three different hostesses completely ignore me for 5-10 minutes. I don't want to have to ask where my food is after 15 minutes. Sushi doesn't take that long, sorry. I want somebody to ask "how is everything" at some point during the meal, and maybe offer a smile or two. In contrast, on each of my two visits to kahala sushi, I feel rather unappreciated...the general feel is "we'll get to you when we're ready". There's no call for this. My favorite food on the island comes from a food truck, and the owner there provides such warm and wonderful service that I'd probably go back even his food wasn't better in its class than I've had in New York and San Francisco. Welcoming service is possible. Indifferent service will get you lots of stars knocked off, even if your food isn't half bad. Such a shame Kahala Sushi...with a little more effort, you'd be up at 3-4 stars. read more

Wow. Zippy's has sushi? Well, actually it's Kahala Sushi WITHIN Zippy's. Unlike Zippy's they're not open 24 hours. Still - you're technically at a Zippy's location. Went with some folks to Kahala Zippy's - I've seen the building with the Zippy's sign right under the freeway before for ages but this was the first time I'd actually been to it. Inside it still sports a fast food look - there's a small dining area for those who want to get sushi - separate from the regular dining area and we were the only ones there aside from one other table of people. I got the sushi combination B - which was a lot of sushi for one person but I scarfed it down with my beer. Never thought of Zippy's as a place to get either sushi OR beer so I thought that was pretty cool. I got sunburned earlier in the week so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it but I think their AC was blasting pretty darn cold too because I had to drink a lot of tea just to keep warm. Quality was decent and prices weren't bad. Would definitely come back. At the northwest corner of Waialae and Hunakai streets - adequate amount of parking in the parking structure. read more