Business hours listed open till 2pm so I call at 1:30 to place a to go order only to be told they are closed for the day. WTF? Don't list your hours as closing at 2pm if you're going to tell customers you're closed 30 minutes before your listed closing time. read more

Their bentos were so good. We ordered 2 bentos and those were freshly made. The staff were so nice too. It's pretty small place but it's only takeout kind anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Only the problem could be parking. There's lots of street parking so should be fine but if there's no opening it could be hard to get food. read more

For Christmas Eve, our managers bought us lunch, very generous of them. I had Hamburger bento. I love the way they cooked hamburger with Demi-glacé sauce. Japanese hamburger is very detailed, what to put inside hamburger patty, and/ or how they make. It's not just ground beef adding salt and pepper. I watched Kokorotei's Instagram video how they made hamburger, it's very interesting! After watching, I found out why their hamburger is different and so tasty. I love potato salad, Atsuyaki tamago and Macaroni too. This bento reminded me of, I used to eat at hometown in Japan, feeling nostalgic. Kokorotei is my favorite Japanese food. I definitely want to try other menus!! read more

Kokoro-Tei - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Looking for a healthy, delicious Japanese bento? Look no further! I've been coming to this hidden gem takeout place near Beretania and Isenberg (same building as Teddy's Bigger Burgers with a convenient parking lot on the side) for years. It's a favorite of my work colleagues, and we regularly place and pick up orders (phone or online) when we eat together. They have a wide range of tasty seafood, meat, and vegetables bentos, but the true stars are all the homemade sozai (vegetable side dishes) they make each day. As such, my favorite bento is the Salmon and Healthy Vegetable (with multigrain rice), so I get plenty of the sozai. Other recommendations include the Ginger Pork Bento, the various Nori Bento, and the Hamburger Steak bento. read more

Bentos just like the Hoka Hoka bentos we had growing up in Japan. Clean, quick, efficient, healthy & priced right! Good quality & appropriately portioned. If you're not into carbs this might not suit your diet. It's balanced portions though and the rice here is cooked the way it's suppose to... not too hard, not too mushy, but just right. Always consistent. You can count on the take out bentos being consistent and reliable, no surprises. Good rice with okazu & small sides to satisfy your palate, can't go wrong. Nori bentos are the classic can't go wrong but the healthy bento is also great with all the little souzai to satisfy your taste buds with healthy no meat, low fat options. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Gyudon-beef bowl $13.98 - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've come here a few times already and have yet to be disappointed. The food is sooo good! Affordable Japanese bentos that are cheap but taste great! My personal favorite has been their gyudon and oyakudon. Very tasty and nothing overly complicated. The sides are usually things I would find in bentos from Japan. I like trying different things every time I visit. Food is always made to order so I never have to worry about it being cold. Great place to pick up for an office or even for a nice picnic day. I appreciate most of their menu items don't cost more than $11. You'll always find something here for everyone. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Gyu-don plate - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Kokoro-Tei is located on Beretania and share the bldg with Teddy's and Little Caesars. Lots of free parking by Teddy's. This great establishment is a Japanese Bento take-out only fast food restaurant. Their food is exquisite and the prices are the legit "Cheap Eats!" Be sure to check their "Daily Specials" menu. It's my "go-to" whenever I'm in the town area! I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

Reasonably priced delicious bentos. Ready on time. Nice customer service. Recommended. We had 2 mega bentos. Ginger pork and chicken yakitori read more

***Open for take out*** Doing our part to support local small businesses during the pandemic. See pics for the current times & the Mom's Day special! For daily specials: https://www.instagram.com/kokoroteihonolulu/ A great spot to pick up a bento! High quality at reasonable prices. The bentos were made upon ordering so the rice & cooked items were still hot when we got them home. =) I'm a fan of the brown & multi-grain rice - definitely worth paying for. Originally wanted ginger pork (my fav!) & decided to get unagi. The unagi was yummy! Sorry, I gobbled it up before taking a pic. Easy parking either in front on the street or the parking lot (enter after Teddy's or from Isenberg). read more

Kokoro-Tei - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I work super close to Kokoro-Tei and our office decided to do a lunch run and it definitely made my day! The bento was only $12 and came with such a variety, I got the Nori Salmon with Corquette and it was super ONO! The salmon was tender and moist, and the croquette was very fluffy and filled with vegetables galore. In the bento, you also get bonito flakes under the nori which was a great surprise. Overall, the office loved the bentos and I we are definitely going to make a run again very soon! read more

The bentos remind me of Shirokiya's thirty years ago The sozai selection is broad enough to allow me to find a complement to whatever bento I choose. read more

Always great quality! You have to stand outside now, but the food is worth it! There is usually parking available in the lot, so that is a plus! read more

Dinner in Moiliili, Honolulu... Dan O. suggested that we meet here for dinner... What a coincidence! I had this bento place bookmarked, too! We figured that we found out about Kokoro-Tei because of Daniel C.'s recent review... haha! We blame Dear Daniel! Angel and Jules joined us to make it an even more fun outing! Mmm hmm! First, the good things: free parking lot with 20 dedicated stalls for Kokoro-Tei and Teddy's Burgers. Good air conditioning! Yummy food at reasonable prices! Not so good thing: no restroom. Wow...if I had dairy by mistake and didn't have any medication with me...oh oh... I enjoyed my Healthy Salmon with veggies bento. It was packed to go in a plastic box in a plastic bag. There were 3 small tables with 2 chairs each, so we opened our packages and dined in. I especially enjoyed the tsukemono, pumpkin, nori, and tender salmon! Overall, the decision to meet here at 4:30pm (opening time) was a great one! Thanks, friends, for a wonderful experience! read more

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I've heard so many good things about this place from so many people. When a few Yelpers wanted to have dinner here, I jumped at the chance since I've never been here before. It's located on Beretania, next to Teddy's Bigger Burgers. They have a parking lot with 20 stalls available. The restaurant itself is on the small side. It's more of a take out place with only three small tables to eat at. They sell mostly bentos and curry. The miniature sizes are around $8 and the regular sizes are around $13. I got the mini Nori Shrimp Salmon Deluxe. It came with two pieces of fried fish cake, two pieces of fried shrimp, and a piece of broiled salmon on a bed of white rice. The bento was authentic and yummy. Since everything is made to order, it was fresh. The salmon was cooked perfectly. The mini was perfect for me. It was just enough food to fill me. I would have left overs if I ordered the regular size. I can't wait to come back to try something else off their menu. read more

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We come here from time to time when Mink is in the mood for Japanese bento takeout. It's not often but when we do come, we enjoy the food and customer service is always friendly. Kokoro-Tei is located in the complex with Teddy's Bigger Burgers off Berentanja across the park. There's ample parking in their private lot and street parking if you can't find a stall. The interior is modern and they have a menus all over. Mink really enjoys the photos of their menu to help her decide on what to order. The place is mainly for takeout but they do have 3 areas you can sit at if you want to dine in. Over the years, we have tried numerous items and variations of their combo options. Usually the bento is enough for two meals for Mink. Being the piggy that I am, eating one bento will just make me content. Mink tends to gravitate toward ordering the Teriyaki Beef, Salmon and Fried Chicken. I like to order their Pork Tonkatsu Curry Deluxe, Hamburger Deluxe and Ribeye Steak. Good little spot with tasty food and definitely worth checking out. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Teriyaki Beef & Salmon Combo - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Let me start by saying, I'm no vegetarian but, I LOVE the vegetable bento from Kokoro-Tei. The okara, okra, hijiki, and sweet potato are so delicious! Friendly staff, cheap prices, and lots of parking. You really can't go wrong! Go check it out if you're in the area. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Vegetable Bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious food every time! I love their chicken karaage! My family also gets the katsu and the salmon and there are definitely no complaints! The service is friendly and efficient. The store is pickup only so no place to eat but the decorations are cute! read more

Such an interesting bento... I feel like I haven't had anything like it! I feel like the best thing about it was the sheet of nori on the rice with bonito flakes underneath. The tsukemono and the gobo were also super flavorful! If I did takeout from here again, I would probably order the same thing. Salmon- Was healthy! No flavor, but not overcooked or anything. Might prefer some kind of sauce or something.. or salt idk. Fried fish- Pretty good! Crunchy outside. Chikuwa- Never had this before, but I knew I liked fish cake. I liked it! If you don't like rubbery texture, you won't like this. Takeout tip- I feel like if you were to do takeout and then eat it a while later, it won't be good bc the fried fish would be soggy. We ate it almost immediately after, so it was good! I like that this bento is the perfect balance of carbs and protein. Actually lots of protein for a great price too. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Nori Salmon Deluxe - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

One year later, kokoro-tei still got it! Ordered through their easy online ordering and my food was hot and ready within 15 minutes! I drove all the way to Kailua with the bentos and our food still tasted like it was just made! Love this place :')) read more

Kokoro-Tei - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great ladies run this place. Affordable, traditional bentos!. Tasty and affordable. I personally like the kara sake bento. Also ask for potato salad on the side. Super tasty read more

Best bentos at a very good price. The super deluxe nori bento has a little bit of everything in it. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Super deluxe nori bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Was served a bento from this business at a mtg. Very good. So, decided to try it again. Ordering is simple. Order online, schedule your pickup time, pay. Easypeasy! Parked in that lot shared with Teddy's on Beretania Lots of pkg! Several ppl picking up their orders with me. Nice customers too...everyone helping each other holding door open when your hands are full. As soon as you open the door, take one step in and there is a table with a friendly person to pass you your online order. Assume she will also take an order(?) Didn't even take a minute to receive my bentos to go! Had the ginger pork bento and the nori bento with fish and karaage. Karaage is nice (not tiny dried out bits like some places). Nice size, tender & moist. Ginger pork is my fave so far. Will try more entrees and combos in future. I like to drop off lunch to friends...this place makes it easy!! read more

Fried chicken bento so tasty and good. The rice was perfect, nice pickle added a nice flavor and texture. The other bentos, Veggie and Salmon looked great. We had them delivered and they arrived fresh and hot. Will order again. read more

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Ordered about 11 mega bentos I think it was called back in the beginning of this year for a baby shower lunch and got the two choice tonkatsu and I believe veg croquettes it was sooo tasty and filling! Everyone was satisfied. I have been going recently and I still love it! Cheap bentos you can find what you like lots of options and daily specials or go for the bigger bentos if you like try more than one main and the side dishes are so yummy! They also sell side dishes - need to call and ask which ones they have for the day I love Thier shiraae tofu! Namasu and tamago I like $4 something for small and it's pretty small portion for small and price but I understand some side dishes take a lot to prepare. The large is $6 something. I like to buy couple or several side dishes so when I'm lazy and eat at home I just eat with rice and cook a protein whatever I have but I get the tasty side dishes to eat it with lol. I wish they didn't have to close in-between lunch and dinner and just stay open though. read more

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Small Japanese bento shop in the Moiliili area, on Beretania near Teddy's Bigger Burger. Their menu has a variety of bentos and other Japanese dishes, along with daily specials that are different each day. There is a parking lot right after Teddy's Bigger Burger. The price is reasonable and food is tasty. Give this place a try if you are looking for hot and fresh bentos. read more

I'll be honest. I didn't know how I would like this place as bentos usually don't have enough food in them to be worth the price that people charge. With this place, man 12 bucks for regular bentos and I think it's 2.50 for multigrain rice, which i got, is so delicious. I ended up getting the veggie plate with multigrain rice and boy I was actually blown away by how good it was and my wife had the steak bento with multigrain rice and she loved it. The quality of food here is awesome. This is one of the most affordable and best tasting places that sell bentos I've had. I'm def coming back here when I can. Next time I'll post a pic of the food I get and add another review! If you love bentos but hate paying the 20 dollar price tag for half a bento with mostly rice, this is def worth the try!! read more

Such good value for what is it!! The Fried Oyster Bento Box I got was delicious. Fish was a little dry but can't complain at this price point! Definitely would recommend to anyone who is in the area and looking for a lunch spot. read more

Kokoro-Tei - Fried oyster bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Go here now! I had been to Kokoro Tei several years ago but had forgotten about it. I just went again and everything is so reasonable and beautifully presented. It reminds me of being in Japan. Bentos run/start around $8, slightly more for steak options. There's ample to choose from. Just a few workers and also just a few small tables, it's mostly a take out joint. There are a few stalls parallel to the street to park in, just in front of the restaurant or I believe you can park at the end in the small lot. It's located next to Teddy's and Dominos. read more

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I've had this place bookmarked for quite a while and I'm glad that I finally got an opportunity to go. It was pretty much because I couldn't find parking at the other bento place. And I wasn't about to drive around for a third time. I went there on Friday afternoon and they opened at 4:30. I arrived there a little early so I waited a bit before they opened. While waiting, I got to check out their pictures and menu items in the yelp app. All of it looked so good and I couldn't wait to go inside. Once inside, I noticed that they have their menu items all over the place. It took me a while to decide what to eat because they all sounded so good. I ended up getting the Nori croquette salmon bento and my husband got the Mega Bento B and his two selections were the hamburger and ginger pork. Service was really fast and I got both bentos in no time. When it was time to eat the bento, I was ready. It was pretty interesting because my bento had huge nori pieces on it with katsuo under it. I've never seen a bento like that before. But my husband assured me that, that's how they do it in Japan. Ooh I felt special then, felt like I was in Japan eating like the Japanese there. The bento was so good. One of the best bentos I have ever had. The croquette wasn't oily and the salmon was cooked perfectly. They even put a couple of pieces of chikuwa in there. My husband really liked his bento too. I got to taste a sample of his and it was good. Still like mine better though, haha. If you haven't tried Kokoro tei, go on down to check them out. They're right next to Teddy's on Berentania and the best thing is that they have parking! read more

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A convenient place to get a delicious bento. Order ahead and pick up. Easy. Great service, fast service. Made to order. A good lunch stop on a busy schedule. read more

Bentos! lots of Bentos! yay! Quick and tasty what more could you ask for? Ok I seem to gravitate to the Nori Kara Deluxe Bento quite a lot but all the Bentos are great! Great when you want to grab something quick and have a little picnic or sit somewhere and have lunch. Prices are reasonable, service is quick and the food is freshly made so I'm a fan. Parking seems to be not a problem either on the street or in the parking lot shared with Teddy's Bigger Burgers. If you are planning to eat there though there are basically only two tables fit for two people as this is a pickup and go type establishment. read more

Delicious bento! I haven't been to this place yet but I was told it was a cute place! It's located by Teddy's off of Beretania. I got the vegetarian bento and it was very good! It came with a bunch of assorted vegetables and was really quite good! The rice was delicious and the portion size was perfect. I can't wait to try some of the other bento with meat. I will definitely try this place again! read more

Kokoro-Tei - Vegetarian bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Cat is now out of the bag. Why are you still buying Zip Pacs? Finally, food that actually look like the pictures! Not your typical salty bentos that hide the taste. Not thin slivers of fish. If you just want to try, sample the nori bentos. I recommend spending a little extra laundry money for multi-grain rice. It's perfect with that blanket of nori on top. That's right. No kiddie snack size wafer. This nearly covers your bed of rice. Made to order that doesn't take long, unless you last minute during mealtime like everyone else. EASY on-line ordering. Customize your meal. View monthly calendar for each day's special so you can plan! Next to Teddy's UH. Perfect college strip eatery for the college parent pocket. Free parking on street in front or lot next to Teddys. Bring your own bag or box if you're ordering more than you can carry. read more

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Hands down the best bento ever!!! I love this place!! So far this is the best Japanese bento on the island!!! It's definitely a hole in the wall, didn't know about this place until we were around the area. Its located right next to Teddy's Burger. Limited parking stalls so be ready to park side street parking necessary. Luckily, we haven't had an issue yet. Prices of the bento are reasonable. There are lots of choices to choose from and the quality of the food is great! The lady in the front is very friendly and the service is great. The place is very efficient and it's a grab and go deal. Limited seatings. Extra plus is the food are freshly made when you order it. We will definitely be back, almost every week. read more

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Good food. Very quick and prompt service. The bentos are well priced, a little bit expensive but they make up for it with their attention to detail. It's a great place to buy bentos for events because their menu is not too big, I would make sure to call ahead! read more

Soo good! Make sure to order in advance or else you will wait a while. They also have daily specials but you need to order in advance. Parking in the back . read more

Kokoro-Tei - Croquettes with gravy plate - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ok, Rachel made me do it. And boy! do I owe her some thanks for the mere suggestion via her review. Situation Report: Lunch, or what to have for lunch is the hardest question of the day for me. I happened to read Rachels' Review of Kokoro Tei and I said "Self= You know what you're having for lunch" and off to Kokoro I go. Price- Unbelievably reasonable (others may say unbelievably cheap) Just to give you an idea I ordered (2) salads, (2) bento, (1) special, and my bill was $30 Quality- I've had bento meals from other japanese type locations and even bento meals in Japan and to that note, Kokoro is as authentic as it can be (lacks the "super sweet" flavor you often find in Hawaii and carries the rich Japan taste of slightly sweet and savory Quantity-Hefty servings; so much that one bento turned into a lunch and dinner for myself. I must have been living under a rock not to try this place. Better late than never I'd say as I'm going to make this place my go to meal when I travel. Parking lot available that is shared with Teddy's and Domino's. I had no problem getting a parking stall at the deep of the lunch rush. Order ahead of time if you are on time constraints because each meal is prepared as ordered so you will have a wait for prep time and also, there was a line (when I was there) and I'm sure that line is rather common in Kokoro. (ps- my pictures did not do justice to the food; sorry!:) 89/100 Yelp Review Challenge Los Angeles read more

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I was craving for a flavor Japanese bento and search on Yelp for a food bento place. I came across this bento place so I decided to order two bento froM them. I chose the nori salmon deluxe and the Nori kara salmon. They cost around $8-$10 each which is very reasonable for the amount of food that came with it. They both came with fishcake, salmon and either fried fish or fried chicken. The fishcake was light and crispy. Salmon was a little bit dry but flavorful. The fried white fish and chicken was crispy and fresh. Overall the food was delicious! read more

Kokoro-Tei - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Their Ginger Pork bento is soooooo good!!! They can get busy at times so best to call in your order instead of waiting in line. read more

This is one of my favorite places for cheap and yummy bentos. It's located in the university area where teddys and dominos is. There's lots of parking but just don't park in the residents spots. My favorites here are the steak, hamburg, and seafood mix fry. I used to just walk in but as of late they haven't had the seafood fry for some time. So I try to call it in first so I don't have to drive down there and end up disappointed. They have larger plate lunches for 1.80 more, but the bentos are more than enough food really. Credit cards are accepted but there's a minimum amount you have to spend. I usually buy two bentos so I'm in the clear. read more