Okay, this place apparently has been around for a very long time, but my friend just brought me here about a year ago. Since then, I've been coming here as my go to place for great Japanese food at a reasonable price. Typical Japanese food, combination plates, sushi bar...but, definitely all super delicious. Their service is top notch; always attentive to their customers. Ambiance is kick back, locals kine. The customers seem to be "regulars", they come in, order their usual and bam, all the sides start coming. Note: they have their own salad dressing which is really delicious and light. I think they even sell the dressing in a bottle. read more

If you're looking for simple Japanese fare sans the fuss, this is the spot. Never long lines or a wait, this hidden gem in Kalihi has served and pleased for years. AMBIENCE: Intimate (11 tables), clean, simple decor. COMFORT: Air-conditioned, restrooms, wide wooden chairs. PARKING: Lots of parking on off days. FOOD: Meals come with miso soup, salad, and side offerings of pickled items. Very tasty; raw fish and sushi (made to order!) is delish! SERVICE: I've been coming here for years and I've noticed that the customer service has improved greatly. read more

Kikuya - Combo dinner is the best value! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

One thing I really like about this place is the rice to filling ratio of their rolls. They definitely put more filling than rice which is a nice change. Majority of sushi places I try puts almost double the rice to filling. My favorite rolls I've tried was the Kikuya roll and the Alaska roll. The Alaska roll had cream cheese which complimented the roll well. The Kikuya roll is a California roll topped with baked scallops. I thought the roll tasted good but was a little on the oily side from the mayo and scallops. The California roll itself was not bad it about standard. The shrimp tempura was good and was fried fresh with a nice batter. I did feel as though the tempura sauce could have used more flavor to complement the tempura. The interior has an old school Japanese feel to it. There's a bunch of parking stalls outside but some of the stalls are a little weird like the lines aren't straight so some cars don't park nicely. The staff is friendly but sometimes it's a little hard to flag down staff as they can be quite busy. Overall I would go back again to their more of their menu items. On a side note, I do feel that if you're a big eater, be prepared to order a lot as the portions are a little on the smaller side. read more

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Good fresh food Excellent service Causal dining , relaxed ambience Definitely will go again read more

They have great combination with everything: miso soup, salad, little side dishes like pickle daikon and your two entree picks like me i order steak and shrimp tempura combo and it comes with all I mentioned earlier. In fact we are on our way now to go eat there... can't wait I am hungry... read more

Just picked up my takeout and as always the order is ready and the customer service is outstanding!! Called In but no one answered but to my surprise the sweet cashier called me back to take my order!!! This is definitely my go to for Japanese cuisine!! The food is always"oishi"!!!!!' Thank you read more

So I'm searching for a good, reasonably priced japanese restaurant so thought I'd try this place. It seemed promising at first, as the tea and miso soup were both very good. I ordered the lunch bento with sashimi and beef teriyaki, and an extra shrimp tempura on top of the one that comes with the bento. The salad was fresh with a tasty dressing and the tempura was pretty good, crispy but could have been a little hotter. The ahi sashimi was fresh and buttery texture but I'm afraid the salmon didn't taste so fresh...a bit fishy taste. Also, not a fan of the beef teriyaki, it was too tough and chewy but had a good taste. So overall I'd say just okay. I'll continue my search..... read more

Kikuya - The beef wasn't very tender - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Shrimp Tempura, miso soup, unagi, EVERYTHING was delicious. Small, hole in the wall but a must go. The service is amazing with such kindness. Definitely recommend. read more

Kikuya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is local style Japanese food. Fly foods are all crispy but oily. May be from pork lard when they cook Pork katsu. Pork katsu was marinade meat. Soba was Chewy and good texture but that mean low Buckwheat flour read more

Kikuya - seaweed zaru soba with tempura - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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=== VERDICT/VALUE 3.5 stars! You would think its location would afford lower prices, but good food make this a solid choice for Japanese food when you're in Kalihi! === 2. FOOD The Lunch Box ($13.95) the best bet and value on the menu: choose two entrees, and it comes with rice, miso soup, salad tsukemono, and your choice of vegetable tempura, shrimp tempura, or gyoza. The Butterfish misoyaki and short ribs look small, but they were tender and well-flavored. The shrimp tempura was relatively light and not over-done. The Tempura & California Roll Combo Set ($13.95): not as good value; here you get three pieces of shrimp tempura, six pieces of California roll, miso soup, and tsukemono. It's tasty, but the price and quantity will likely leaving you wanting. Inari Sushi ($4.50): two pieces of this helped fill me up when the combo above didn't do the trick! === 3. SERVICE & ENVIRONMENT It's an interesting place, reminiscent of small eateries in Japan. You're going want to keep your group to 4 or less given the tight spaces and wheelchairs/strollers are best left outside unless you can come during the quiet times. Parking is plentiful in the complex lot out front. read more

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An old-school gem. I came here with my bff on a Sunday night, thanks to a gift certificate given to me a year ago (btw those expire after a year of purchase!). It's tucked away in an unassuming strip mall, and it stays true to serving Japanese cuisine adored by locals. We got: *agedashi tofu ($8.95): the dashi-based broth was a little on the watery side And three choice combo dinners ($20.95 each) with.. *ahi katsu, shrimp tempura w/ veg, butterfish misoyaki: the ahi katsu was juicy and the katsu was crisp. Same comment for the tempura. And the butterfish misoyaki- HEAVEN. *chicken katsu, mini tempura udon, butterfish misoyaki: didn't get to sample this, but my bff said she enjoyed this one! This meal was very filling, yet didn't leave us feeling sick. It was pretty darn good through and through! Be back for more comfort food, and for the lunch specials! read more

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Great Japanese Food, too bad that we Couldn't dine in this evening, becuz of the Pandemic Covid19, which is totally understandable! We've eaten here at least a Dz times & their Food is good, esp their Combo Dinner with Shrimp Tempura & whatever you heart desires to combine it with! lol. Their portion was a lot for take-out, very filling the Combo was for the both of us, Mahalo Kikuya! Next time we go back there to eat again, we should order some Sushi, although I don't eat anything raw (Lol!), I could still order Inari & California Roll Sushis, while the Hubby can enjoy Sashimi, etc. Hana hou, if you are in the area of Kalihi errrrrr, this Japanese Restaurant is right behind of Diner's, real easy peasy to find on King. St....Aloha! \000/ P.S. - I don't Check-In all the time at some Restaurants! I luv to enjoy my time out Dining & Relaxing of course, heehee! read more

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Went to lunch with my office and we were all happy with the quality and quantity of the food as well as the price. It was really reasonable for the 2-choice lunch box. The fried dishes (tempura, tonkatsu) weren't greasy, but crisp and delicious. My coworker ordered the miso butterfish and sashimi and was happy with the portion size and freshness. The teri beef was flavorful and tender. Great casual atmosphere and they had the tea and water coming throughout the meal. Service was friendly. Also liked that parking was available, even though there are a lot of eateries in this strip mall. Will definitely come back! read more

I came here on a Thursday around noon. It was pretty busy, but I got a table right away. The ambience isn't much to write about. The service was good. The food is what was lacking. Or maybe my husband and I ordered the wrong thing? They have a lunch bento that is huge for only $15.99 and looks delish - but it was mostly cooked items... so I didn't order it. I went there for sushi! So I ordered sushi. The fish was NOT fresh and it was expensive! I ordered the salmon nigiri - 2 small pieces was $7 - the salmon nigiri is bigger and fresher and less expensive at Genki! I also got the spicy ahi roll which was ok... tiny. My husband got the Chirashi and his fish wasn't fresh :(. It was a big let down. Sadly - we won't be back. read more

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Waited over 30 minutes for our food to arrive on top of the waitress getting our order wrong. Two of us ordered Nabeyaki soba which comes with chicken, shrimp, and vegetable tempura. No tempura sauce was brought out along with missing items. Even when we brought it up they still got our orders wrong. Had to take what we had to go cause the rest of the family ate before our order came out. read more

Dinner in Kalihi, Honolulu... When my friend, Jules, asked me if I wanted to join a group for dinner, I said, "Yes" right away because I have been to Kikuya before - both locations. The original location is in Kaneohe on Kahuhipa Street in an industrial area. The parking is very challenging which is discouraging. When this Kalihi location opened, I invited my family to dinner because they don't want to drive over the Pali to Kaneohe. The service was efficient and friendly and they were able to accommodate our large group. Fast forward to 1-30-20: same great service for our group of 7. There is free parking in the lot shared with Diners and Old Saimin House, across from Han Yang. This complex of businesses is right next to Kapalama Post Office. Luckily, we met at 5:30pm because later on, the parking lot filled up and every table was taken. Most of us got the 3 choice special for $19.99 plus tax. I chose the miso butterfish (my favorite), the grilled salmon (healthy and a bit dry), and the shrimp and vegetable tempura (light, lacey breading on a small shrimp). It came with white rice, hot tea, green salad with delicious dressing, miso soup, edamame, and pickled veggies. I was FULL and took home my leftovers! Wow...I forgot how good this place is. It even has a convenient restroom. The interior is clean and more modern than the Kaneohe location. We got separate bills - no problem! 4.5 stars! Note: it's NOT BYOB. However, they let us bring in our own desserts - thanks, Paul and Allen! And - thanks to Jules for inviting Steven, Pua, and Jessica to dine with us! read more

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Dinner out is fun... Dinner out with friends is the best! Dinner out with friends who bring dessert?!? Amazing! Nadine C and Jules Y invited us out for Japanese food at Kikuya and it was such a great experience! Having never been to the restaurant before, and I wasn't sure what to expect...but the restaurant is nice inside and you get a homey, comfortable feeling when you walk in. You definitely get the idea that this is a local spot with a lot of repeat business. The service is prompt here and we really didnt need for anything. Water and tea were always full and are dishes came and went quickly. Our food was also good. We ordered the combo dinners and shared miso butterfish, mixed tempura, ahi katsu, and short ribs. We also ordered a catepillar roll to try the sushi. The butterfish had nice flavor and was cooked perfectly. It was sliced thinner than we normally receive in similar restaurants, but for the price it was comparable. The tempura came out hot and crispy. The portion size was good. It had shrimp, green beans, and sweet potato. The tempura seemed similar to what you would receive at restaurants like gyotaku. I love the idea behind ahi katsu. Crispy outside and meaty, juicy center. Kikuya's version was good, but it was a little on the dry side....the flavor of the dish was tasty with the katsu sauce provided. My favorite dish was the short rib. Juicy, sweet, and salty at the same time. The short ribs were a little more fatty than I am used to having, but I think that's what made it so delicious. Aside from the good food and service, there were great friends and desserts as well. Jules Y planned a really fun dinner that was both fun and relaxing at the same time. She had fabulous welcome gifts for everyone and we were really glad we attended. Allen N brought some amazing homemade tapioca topped with fresh berries. It really hit the spot. Paul C brought Sconees lilikoi and guava bars.....so good. It reminded me that I needed to go back to Sconees soon. And of course Nadine C...always amazing....she brought homemade gau! I would definitely come back here to try some of the other dishes....and bring friends! read more

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Everything from the Sushi Bar, Bentos Boxes were good. Very reasonable prices. But one annoying concern. The oldest server there was polite and timely. HOWEVER, she is wearing the same gloves to clean tables as she is in serving food. AND when she passes the bowls of Miso soup and cups of water... her gloves are touching the inside of the bowls instead of the outside. When passing out water her gloves hands touch close to the lip of the cups. So bring your own water or definitely ask for a straw. And for some reason the tea tasted diluted Hygiene turned me off. Maybe just order take out. then again, idk if i would if she is touching my food read more

just an update on the care and safety measures taken dining in a pandemic. All the staff wore masks and gloves and everything was served in a disposable cup and bowl. Tables was all wiped down and although they was social distancing there wasnt too much people dining in. If you are concerned about how restaurants are handling the dine in situation Kikuya definetely was on it with disinfecting tables and chairs as well as using disposable dining ware and all this with a business as usual "we are grateful" atittude. read more

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Yummy Butterfish! And Excellent service! We were seated right away and the food came out fast for 5pm on a weekday. Will definitely come back and highly recommend! read more

Kikuya - Combo dinner with Butterfish Misoyaki and Tempura Shrimp. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food here is always good. I only wish they take reservations cause a lot of times the wait is long. Only times wait isn't long is when it's late or during the times sushi isn't available. read more

If you are craving local style Japanese plate lunch, this is your spot. The lunch box allows you a couple of options for your meal at a reasonable price. Tough choices, though because its all good. If you're there for lunch, forget trying to have a conversation because it is NOISY. read more

I took my parents here the other day for lunch. I had the butterfish and Tonkatsu teishoku meal. My Dad had the sashimi and Tonkatsu set, and my Mom had the grilled fish and butterfish set. All the teishoku meal sets comes with your option of 2 choices, miso soup, salad, and 1 piece of shrimp tempura. Prices are reasonable and food is not bad. They even have a sushi bar in here. read more

Kikuya - Butterfish and Tonkatsu teishoku - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It's so ironic that I live in Kaneohe but ended up having food from Kikuya in Kalihi first. Wife did a call in order of 3 - 2 choice combos that were delicious. If you go early parking is pretty easy and service was fast and efficient. Several tables were full at 5:30p. Delicious even though she had to drive it all the way to Kaneohe (oddly we have yet to try the Kaneohe Kikuya). read more

Kikuya - Gyoza/butterfish, tempura/teri-ahi, butterfish/tonkatsu combo dinners. Salad, miso soup and rices not shown. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The best place for a Salmon Natto Ikura Don! If you love all of those things, you won't regret coming here! The portions are generous, the fish is fresh, the natto... is natto. We also recently tried the natto salad, which was simple but surprisingly delicious! (Can you tell that we are natto lovers?) I mean, it was just their usual salad and dressing, but the natto really elevated it. My mom and aunt are always super excited to order it when we come here. Make sure to make a reservation if you can. Back in the day, there usually wasn't a wait, but nowadays Kikuya has been gaining popularity and there might be a sizeable line. You want proof that Kikuya is good? Well, this might be TMI, but a couple years ago when we were eating here, we got a terrible phone call where we found out that a family member had a terminal diagnosis and only had a few days to live. We were emotionally wrecked, but we still finished our dinner. And even though coming here sometimes brings back sad memories, we still came back. That's how good the salmon natto ikura don is. The power of raw fish and natto slime overcame our grief... Anyway, storytime over. We love Kikuya. read more

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The food is always on point here! This is our go to Japanese restaurant with great service as well.

A really great value for quality and quantity of food and the price you are paying. One prime example is their 2 choice lunch box bento for the reasonable price of $13.95. This includes miso soup, pickled veggies and soybeans. There are some higher end choices available such as butterfish and sashimi.. BTW, the butterfish was pretty good, caramelize exterior and soft and moist inside. Textbook solid. To address some of the comments in the other Yelp reviews of the portion sizes being small. Yes, I would say the portions are not big, but it's enough so you don't go home hungry. Plus, we all need to keep in mind the escalating food costs for items such as the butterfish, did you see how much it is at Marukai? Other minor things, the hot tea and miso soup was really watered down and the decor needs some updating, as there is some noticeable wear (but we have to be careful about this, may add costs to the menu). Definitely worth a visit. read more

Kikuya - Miso soup and sides - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This was my first time here and I thought it was the cutest place. They totally were following the social distance guidelines only seating every other table and because of this, every table was seated. They have a great lunch special for $15! You get to choose two meats, gyoza or tempura and rice plus you get tea, miso soup and soybeans. The service was friendly and quick and the place was clean. The only reason it wasn't 5 stars is one of my meat choices was Kalbi and I got all fat. Next time I'll get something different. read more

Kikuya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Whenever I am craving Japanese comfort food, I go to Kiyuya. Great prices, portions and preparation. I often get the teishoku where you can mix and match. Parking can be a little tricky but we usually can snag a spot. read more

My boyfriends family introduced me to this place and I honestly love it here! It's a fairly small Japanese restaurant and it can get pretty busy. Parking can be a bit tight especially for dinner. If you have a big party, I suggest you make reservations. Coming here, I enjoy getting the misoyaki butterfish and the tempura. The butterfish doesn't come in big portions but in my opinion it's pretty tasty. Your meal comes with salad & dressing, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. The sashimi set is also one of my favorites! Service was fast, and the aunties that work there are very friendly. read more

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Looking to eat Japanese in Kalihi? Kikuya is the place to go. Kikuya is tucked away in a small food area, across from Superb sushi and down the street from Honolulu Ford. Over the past month or two, Kikuya has been our Friday night go-to. Prices are reasonable, staff is friendly, and there has been no wait. (I do not know how they are at lunch.) They have a variety of hand rolls, nigiri and combo dinners. You can get a 3 choice combo for only $20~! Choice include but are not limited to: ahi katsu, sashimi, miso butterfish, tonkatsu and more. Each combo comes with tsukemono, rice and miso soup. The spicy ahi donburi is pretty decent in size and something I'll probably try next time. In regard to the sashimi, the fish is fresh. The maguro (ahi) is bright red. In regard to parking, parking can be limited since there's four/five other eateries. If you're ever in the area, be sure to check them out! read more

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This is a cute little place in Kalihi. Never been here before, but the food was great! The soba was cooked perfectly- noodles were firm and chewy, and refreshing! I also had an order of amaebi nigiri, fried heads included . Everything was tasty, good portion sizes, and great prices! 10/10 would recommend. Will be back! read more

Kikuya - Amaebi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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After my coworker told me about this place being a steal for sushi, I knew I had to try it one day so when I had the chance to have lunch somewhere in town, I decided to come here. Kikuya is a fairly small, casual restaurant. We were greeted and seated immediately upon entering. As I looked around, I noticed everyone was ordering teishokus. I knew I wanted to try their raw fish but was trying to decide between their chirashi, which I heard was really good, and their salmon natto ikura don. I decided on the salmon natto ikura don without the natto. The don came with miso soup and pickled vegetables. When they brought over the don, I was surprised at how much fish there was. I barely finished the don and the fish was good. Service was good and quick. I definitely want to come back to try some of their teishokus during lunch time. read more

Kikuya - Salmon natto ikura don (without the natto) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went with our family of 10 for an early Sunday dinner. Glad I made reservations... place was full. Love the expansive menu... variety was great for our group ranging from teens to seniors. Complete meal was satisfying... we all left full and happy. Would definitely return. read more

Affordable prices for kickass Japanese food. It's a smaller restaurant near other eateries in the area. It was busy, every table was packed on a weekday evening. We showed up about 745pm and were seated immediately and had a very satisfying meal of Spicy Ahi Rolls, tempura, chicken katsu, oyakko don Donburi, grilled ahi, and udon. Our combo plates came with hot miso soup, salad, rice and tsukemono of pickled cabbage, salted cabbage and edamame. We also had icecream afterwards that was simple but did the trick. Love this place and will go back for more next time I'm in town. read more

Tonkatsu was excellent, full of flavor and very moist; one of the best I've had in a very long time. The miso butter fish was just as enjoyable. Portions very filling and reasonably priced. We'll definitely be back here soon. read more

Oops! I meant to give it 5 stars, not sure why it only said 4. It's 5 stars for sure!! When my kids leave their udon bowls empty and their plates clean, you know this place is awesome! read more

This restaurant really adapted to the new rules, tables are wiped down between customers, all sauces we not on the tables, All the dishes were served on single use containers and plates. I was impressed that this old school restaurant has adapted do well. There are social distanced tables too. The food was as good as ever and the lunch specials are a great deal. They have lots of people working. Definitely need to go back and support them. Tip big! They need to survive. read more

Kikuya - Salmon and tempura lunch combo. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Price is really Reasonable and Food was Really Delicious. I love butterfish here I would like to visit here again. read more

Kikuya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A japanese resturant in the heart of Kalihi. The food was great. I had the grilled Ahi and miso butter fish. Both were very good. Ahi sliced thin with just the right amount of seasoning. My daughter had the samon that she said was great, also sliced thin and also with crispy skin. We also had their shrimp tempura which was also great. Crunchy and fresh. Service was also great. Will be returning when we have a craving for japanese food. read more