Why didn't I think of this business??!? Who's not a sucker for musubis with the finest ingredients and made into an edible package?? Mana Bu's offers tons of selections of the musubis which will satisfy any taste. I came here on a Saturday mid-morning and picked up some Hijiki Mix, 10 grain rice ($1.50) musubis. Perfectly made with the right amount of salt. I could have eaten a few of these but gotta restrain myself! Check out all the different flavors like Curry Veggie and teri Spam. Look for the Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors parking lot and go get your carb fix on! Only if I had a taco truck and drive around with this stuff, I would be a thousandaire! read more

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As was driving on Punahou, towards King St. I was amazed at the business the new Subway was doing... location, location, location. I turned the corner and saw the bright glow of orange; and did a sharp left. MANA BU's. It was before noon, so I thought I would be in luck. Oh well, about 15 musubis left. I saw spicy cheese and my mouth started to water. Picked up konbu $1.40 each, spicy tuna mayo $1.60 each and oooohh spicy cheese @ $1.50 each. And who was at the register? Mr. Manabu himself! Well I found this out cause he was wearing a name tag. I asked him "what does Manabu mean" and in a cute, quiet Japanese accent he said "to study". I told him he must have studied well cause I've had these musubis before and they are simply delicious! Everyone says "it's the rice", whatever it is, Mr. Manabu does it well. I couldn't wait to taste the spicy cheese one (of course not before taking a picture). Wow, you have to try this for yourself ,not too spicy, I think he said there was masago inside; the texture of the rice and the nori (not to crispy-where it falls all over the place) were perfect. I tasted my second musubi; the spicy tuna about 5 hours later (stored in a cooler) and it was just as yummy as the first! PARKING: Street parking, or two small adjacent lots. CASH ONLY! read more

Mana Bu's - Mana Bu's - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I do love this place!! I've been coming here for a long time but haven't been back for awhile....until today!! And I was SO excited that they changed their hours and that there was my favorite......ICHIGO DAIFUKU!!! (Delectable melt in your mouth mochi with the finest, creamy azuki bean tightly caressing the sweetest, richest strawberry goodness in the middle!! Seriously SO good!! I love it and I would always come too late and they would be sold out but I guess today was my lucky day!!! I also LOVE their custard :) You should definitely try it! I don't like the brown liquid it's in, but the actual custard is melt-in-your-mouth crazy good!! I always get the Tuna w/Mayo, the 10 Grain Spicy Ahi, and Baked Salmon.....those are my FAV!! I love the 10 grain rice blend!! Just like in Japan!! I tried a new flavor today.....curried tuna!! MMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! My new fave!! I love this tiny little hole-in-the-wall. There's almost always people in there, I love the variety, and the painstakingly detailed love that goes into each musubi!! I love Manabu!! He's just always so happy and polite!! Go early so your favorites don't run out and try everything!! Happy Musubi!! Banzai!!! Cash only and very good deal for what you get! I give this a 5 star because of the variety and the marvelous flavors of everything!! And that it's homemade!! read more

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Come early and bring cash they run out fast. Some of my personal favorites are the curry tuna and the salmon onigiri on ten grain.

If I had one wish, I'd wish that one day it would rain musubis from Mana Bu's. This place is legit...too legit to quit. As soon as you walk in, you're greeted with a cheerful hello and a smile! The most sweetest girls working at Mana Bu's. The musubis are amazing! When you're short on time, want something yummy, this is your go-to spot. The best time to go would be around 8ish when they have majority of their musubis available. The perfect rice texture, the right amount of salt on the nori and the fillings, oh the fillings! The most amazing ball of goodness!! They've got a musubi for everyone. My absolute fav is their spicy tuna mayo! Oh my gosh it's so ono!! Tuna with a hint of mayo with habañero flavored masago. With every bite, I kept wishing that my musubi would never end. Next time I know to buy 2 or even 3 for myself...it's that good! read more

Mana Bu's - ...Spicy Tuna Mayo musubi ~ tuna mayo with habañero masago... - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Located in the back corner of a strip mall, Mana Musubi isn't really someplace you stop unless you know about them. And boy are you lucky if you do! Each musubi is handmade FRESH in the morning before they open at 630am. Sometimes there's a line right when they open because they sell out that fast. Each musubi is individually wrapped as well, making them great for gifts, easy snacks for school, or coworkers. Large orders can be called in ahead of time too just in case you want to make sure that you get your hands on your favorite flavors! They do close once they sell out. It's cash only so remember to bring your paper lol read more

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Best musubis I've had. The rice is perfectly flavored and has the perfect consistency. The only drawbacks are that the musubis tend to run out faster than they can make them and the line to pay is long! read more

So... I've been coming here since they've opened because I work in the next building over. The owner (Manabu) and his wife are the sweetest ever! You hardly see them now because they are in the back making the musubi's. You only see their cashiers/helpers greeting you as you come in, thanking you for your purchase, and greeting you as you leave. I've never been greeted so much in one establishment! Almost makes me feel bad walking out empty handed! hahaha Their musubi's aren't like the normal local style / 7-11 musubi's (thank God). They actually use quality rice and quality ingredients. Manabu really used his expertise and culinary knowledge in creating the perfect little riceball. Tip: Get here early, they sell out FAST! Tip: If you planning on buying a lot for your office, call in a pre-order... that way the rest of us have a chance to buy musubi Side note: Their coffee is yummy! Not sure what coffee they use, but it's organic and no need sugar... just 2 vanilla cream and done! read more

Apparently the musubis are coming with surprises inside! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/h4Us8HumW9DyYar2-wTlMA?select=bCDJhJAxrKkhfNbaSKbxYQ#pQnaDIJLcMcBZKH_VHYqUA I am so disappointed. I actually really like mana bu's but after this, I definitely won't go back. They aren't my only option. I'm really surprised because it looks so clean and the employees there dress really professional as well. However, as I was taking another bite into my delicious tuna mayo, I bit something hard. At first I thought it was a bone but never would I have thought that I would spit out a deco pearl that looked like a piece of rice. It probably fell off someone's nail art or cell phone case. I really hope they reevaluate their food safety training for employees. I didn't even get to finish my musubi afterwards in fear I'll find something else :( read more

Mana Bu's - What I found in my musubi. It's a deco pearl. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ok let me update my review since the last one was just based on musubi. I finally came back when there were Mochi at 7:45am. I guess what happens is that they start making the mochi at midnight and make a certain amount of Mochi because it takes a long time to pound that mochi. =] I was able to get my hands on 8 Mochis! =D Mochi - Fresh Strawberry covered in Red Bean inside soft Mochi. Yum! Wow I love red bean & mochi, but to come up with the idea to add a strawberry! The flavors are accentuated so well with the strawberry. It made the soft mochi with a mix of the sweet red bean with the soft and juicy texture of a strawberry. It was very good. Now I know why the mochi are sold out by 8 am! Coffee Gelatin - Hawaiian Coffee which was good, but not as strong. Okay. Custard Pudding - Soft and tasty. Yum Overall: Mochis & Spicy Tuna Musubi! =D read more

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After reading Jenny K's yelp review. I had to try out the other MUSUBI KING (Iyasume is the other King) in Honolulu. Now, you will need your car to drive on over to Mana Bu's (not walking distance from Waikiki). If possible, I'd suggest having one person dropped off, and one person tackle the teeny tiny parking lot. There is one way IN and one way OUT. Ugh! Remember to COME EARLY or they will run out. I was there around 10am and my options were very limited. The man helping us was so kind. He was constantly apologizing for running low on options. Here's how they are similar: 1) Cash only 2) Too much rice and not enough filling. I want MORE filling!!! But, I guess it leaves me wanting more and more :) Here's how they differ: 1) Cheaper 2) Musubi are labeled; which is a huge PLUS by the way. 3) More options 4) Organic ingredients in some musubi 5) Not as accessible as Iyasume. 6) All the musubi are triangular w/ seaweed wrapped all the way around, and filling in the middle. We got one of everything left in the store: TERI SPAM-LITE ($1.50): The gold standard, but with lite spam. Good! BAKED SALMON ($1.60): Lightly seasoned baked shredded salmon. Yum, but very little filling :( SPICY TUNA MAYO ($1.70): My FAVE of the three. Heck, it was my favorite musubi of the ENTIRE trip. Tuna is cooked w/ a nice kick. Delish. I love MUSUBI. They are the best GO-TO food for a day out on the beach. We bought an insulated bag, ice pack and a few musubi. We were well fed. read more

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Visited twice this week for the first time. Just happened to be in the area getting my printer fixed and walked over to check it out with my son. Our favorite place, Gaba musubi is no longer and I haven't found a place comparable. Went in with the 13 year old son and he got two musubis with meat. I got a curry and tuna Mayo. I appreciate that they list the ingredients because I'm gluten free. I tell my son that the most important thing in a musubi is the rice. If it's too mushy, it's over. They do a great job with the rice and my tuna Mayo was really yummy. Just the right amount of filling to rice. I enjoyed the curry one as well not had a little bit of a kick to it. My son enjoyed his musubis and we decided that this place was one we would want to try again. So this morning we went and they were running low on musubis already. He got the Teri spam musubi and I got the baked salmon and there was only brown rice tuna Mayo crunch (with ume). The rice was still good but the filling was definitely less than my Tuesday musubis. There was very little salmon and I judge this by how much rice I still have left to eat without any filling and that was about a third. The tuna Mayo barely had any filling either. The taste was still yummy. The removal of one star was because of the inconsistency of the filling but as long as the rice is good, we'll be returning. read more

Adding on to my previous review.... Manabu's is still my favorite musubi spot on the island, so I forgive them when they close at random without warning (and this seems to be more frequent lately). They don't appear to have a social media page nor do they update their website, so when you see a sign hanging on their front entrance, you know they're closed. How old school! They have updated their musubi times: 7 for most musubi 7:30 for all musubi plus their desserts Now I no longer have to make up an excuse for being late for work! Manabu's has been incredibly consistent about their products and their service. Cash only, minimal price increases since my last review (to keep up with rising costs) and a few changes to their menu (spicy tuna w/cod roe added, no more eel musubi). Same old goodness; still worth visiting! read more

This place has VERY limited hours and I'm usually stuck at my desk in the office when they open (10:30 a.m.). Last week, I snuck out of the office to give Mana Bu a try. I'm not a musubi officionado so I will tell you what the boys had to say. Boyfriend: Tastes like the ones gramma used to make, but they are supposed to put tuna or something inside. Translation: Local people always change traditional recipes and add unhealthy ingredients like Mayonaisse. Then it tastes better. But, this is traditional stuff. So it doesn't have the mayo-goodness. Boyfriend's brother: Meh, I think you should give it 2 stars. It's ok, but I wouldn't wait in line for it! Translation: This guy is always too picky about his food so I added a star to his review. I mean, he ATE all 3 musubis (salmon, ume, baked teriyaki) plus a teri corn. Beggers can't be 2-star-raters....unless they get their own damn Yelp account. read more

Mana Bu's - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

They're back!!! Got a dozen Musubi for a friend and check this out - a gift box with tissue paper for only $1.50. Hours read more

Mana Bu's - Dozen Musubi in gift box - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you're a riceaholic like myself, you definitely need to try Mana Bu's plethora of musubis. It's like a small boutique just for musubis! They have a variety of 35 musubis they make daily. Each musubi sells for a little under $2 each. Sure that may be a tad bit pricey for a musubi...but you can tell they use quality rice and ingredients! Be forewarned though....GO EARLY! They sell out quickly, so if you can...go once they open. So far, my favorites are their Shiso & Wakame and their Baked Salmon. The only one I've tried so far that I don't care for is their Baked Miso Yaki musubi. I can't wait to try their desserts, the pictures on here look mouthwatering! read more

Mana Bu's - I didn't care for the baked musubi, but I always get the other two. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Gahhh I love this place so much. Many thanks to Tracey M.! South King street is filled with eateries that sell delicious food for great prices, and Mana Bu's is definitely one of them. Every morning from Monday through Saturday, this tiny shop is packed with patrons buying Mana Bu's well-known musubis and Japanese sweets. In the past month, I was one of those people rushing into the shop and buying at least two musubis and a custard. Unfortunately, this habit of going there twice a week had to end when I saw the number on the weight scale slowly increase. However, I still go there whenever I feel like I deserve a treat. Below are a few recommended items: Spicy tuna musubi Salmon 10-grain rice musubi Custard Azuki bean with mochi Coffee jelly Overall, you have to come here if you want to try the best musubis on the island! Since there is a huge demand for their musubis, the shop closes around 10:30 am -11:00 am so come early! Don't forget, cash only! read more

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Tried Mana Bu's for the first time this past week and was impressed with their musubis! So far I've tried the Spicy Tuna Mayo and Curry Tuna Mayo. The Spicy Tuna Mayo is by far my fave because it also has a lot of red spicy tobiko inside with the mayo and tuna, yummy! I went in the store for the first time on Wednesday morning around 9:00 AM and thankfully they weren't all sold out. I also really like their musubi signs because they're so specific with what brands they used for the rice, nori, shoyu, etc. Mana Bu's makes your experience amazing because the staff are also very friendly in the morning so it starts your day off nicely :). The parking is limited and is probably hard to get when there's a morning rush. Also remember to bring cash because they don't take credit cards! read more

Mana Bu's - Spicy Tuna Mayo: $1.70 - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

You need to get there pretty early so that you get first pick of all the goods that are laid out! And by early I mean before 8:30AM If not then you will be dealing with the scraps that are left :( read more

So the funny thing is I don't like rice. However, I do enjoy sushi and musubi. I have wanted to come to this place for such a long time. I just never got here due to they are open when I work or I didn't have any cash (cash only folks). The staff is very friendly and helpful. I felt like I was in a little musubi store in Japan. I went on Saturday, about 10am (an hour after opening), I didn't get to try their salads and veggie stuff or baked musubi, not sure if it was sold out or they didn't make any since it was the weekend. But they still had quite a good selection ranging from the spam to tuna mayo to ume to spicy ahi. One of the things I liked is that the little sign in front of each each musubi said what kind of rice was used and the ingredients. They have, white, brown, organic and 10 grain musubi varieties. The musubi range from $1.40-$1.95 or so I believe. For the quality you get, I think it very reasonable. If you are driving on King St, it's on your left side right after the Kalakaua intersection. If you aren't paying attention, you may miss this place. Only down side is that the parking lot is small and hard to maneuver in. It's funny how most good places have this issue. I really enjoyed my 10 grain kombu musubi. I can't wait to come back and try more musubi! read more

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Just imagine - musubis of all types offered in a cute, boutique shop. These balls of rice that are hand-shaped into triangles and filled or mixed with different items. You can find the traditional ume or something as exotic and unique as ground beef sukiyaki. Some may call this a musubi shop - I call it musubi heaven. The first thing that attracted me to this shop is their presentation. The shop itself has a warm, welcoming feeling, using hues of orange and yellow. The shelves have wooden platters that the musubis are presented in. Each musubi has it's own little sign that tells you what it is and what ingredients were used to make it (it can get as detailed as what brand of shoyu they used!). As a former sales associate in a retail store, I can appreciate good merchandising and product placement. This store is GOOD as merchandising - they make sure the top three shelves have the musubis (not too high or low so its hard to see the signs or hard to reach) and the bottom shelf usually had a boxed plant for decor (no musubis that low - less chance of getting hit by a foot when walking by). Plus, they actually turned the signs and placed the musubis at an angle to face the door so you see the front of the musubi and the sign when you walk in. Gotta appreciate good product placement. Another thing to point out - they are ORGANIZED. If the sign says "Teri-Spam musubi" the musubis on the platter are ALL teri Spam. They also organize the musubis by the type of rice they used in the musubi - white, brown, and ten-grain. I do love organized stores - makes it so much easier to shop. The main event - the musubis! I had four musubis today, but before I talk about those rice balls from heaven, I have to tell you - the packaging of the musubis are genius! All the musubis are wrapped in a clear cellophane, but what makes it so amazing is that they only use one sheet of cellophane and one sticker to keep the cellophane closed. They wrap the musubi in such a way that when you take off the sticker, the cellophane comes undone and presents the musubi like a little gift from heaven. Ok...now the musubis: All the musubis I had were with white rice. They made the white rice in such a way that the rice was chewy and moist but not overcooked (i.e. super mushy rice) or undercooked (i.e. hard, crunchy grains). This shop as achieved the perfect texture for rice! TERI SPAM - their take on the classic spam musubi. Tasty teriyaki sauce with a thick slice of spam hidden in the middle of the musubi. SHISO & WAKAME - my favorite musubi. The rice has a slight purple coloration from the shiso. Shiso has a unique flavor that can be rather pungent, but Mana Bu's shiso musubi captures a slight shiso flavor and is not pungent at all. GROUND BEEF SUKIYAKI - I think this musubi is in the trial phase, but it is delicious! Imagine taking a very tender piece of beef teriyaki, chopping it into small pieces, and stuffing the chopped pieces into a rice ball. Then, wrap that rice ball with nori. I loved it! Very tasty and tender filling. TERIYAKI - it was one of their baked musubis so it was less moist than their other musubis, but still good. It had some sesame seeds in it with a light taste of the teriyaki. When asked who sells the BEST musubi on the island, I would say Mana Bus. While I need to wake up early and get there when they first open just to get their musubis (they will close when they sell out and they only make x amount of musubis and their musubis sell FAST), I definitely think the effort to get these musubis are worth it. Tips to remember: - Come early; once they sell out, they close. - Cash only read more

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Mumm! What else could I say when my mouth is stuffed with a Musubi? Or I could spray you with the rice but then I'd be sad because I just wasted some :-) just joking! Well it's really hard not to start eating them as soon as you walk out the door because they taste so good, I like the salmon ones and the tuna mayo which for me it's usually for breakfast when I am out for a bike ride I ride past and have to turn around and get some. It's hard if you go late because they're all gone :-( and it's crowded unless you go early. Yup some of the best Musubi around! read more

These musubis remind me of the kine my grandma used to make. The salt to rice to nori ratio is perfection :D. All the goodies inside are just extra perks. I always grab the teri spam or konbu for my coworkers as a pick me up. Musubis bring smiles to peoples faces. Thanks for all that you do, Mana Musubi ;) read more

I have to have been living under a rock not knowing about this place. I've been coming here several times this past year and my niece just loves their musubis. The quality of the rice and ingredients are amaze and yummy. The staff is very nice and always greeting you when you enter the store. You should go early because they run out very fast. If you know you're going to want musubis ahead of time (at least 24 hours) then you should order it from them. They don't take phone orders so you'll have to either fax or email the order form available online. OR, if you are already in the area, you can walk in, fill out a form and give it to them right there. I always order ahead because I have a big family. If I was only able to pick up 4 musubis for my house, you can bet there will be a competition to the death for the musubis. read more

Mana Bu's - Musubis for the plane ride - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Just got done eating here an hour ago, and mmmm I stlll have the taste of it in my mouth! (Good and bad thing... It's making me want more). The boyfriend and I came here around 11am, and was greeted with the best attitude ever! The girl working the front was all smiles and thank yous and have a good days! It was our first time so we took a look at what they had to offer. Fortunately, everything was pretty much there! We got a spicy tuna, curry pilaf, unagi, and one of the other 10 grain ones. Musubis in general aren't cheap for the size, but the ones here were decent priced considering if you go to Shirokiya they're either the same or more expensive. We got to the car and read some of the quick tips saying that the strawberry mochis are bomb and usually run out... So we actually looked at each other and said, "wanna go back and get some..?" LOL! So we did! We went back in and got two of them since they were still there. The girl was even surprised that they didn't run out already! They seemed pretty pricey for 2.30 each (strawberry sized). We got home, took some pictures for Yelp, and started eating. Mmm so good!! The mochi is so juicy and fresh tasting! Perfect amount of sweetness and the strawberry is perfectly ripe! Totally worth the 2 bucks! The musubis were also really yummy. Not harshly seasoned, they each were made with slightly sweet rice, and the curry one wasn't overwhelming with the taste of curry (which was good!). The two musubis each and mochi was actually pretty filling also. It was our first time there, and definitely won't be our last :) read more

Mana Bu's - Their yummy strawberry mochi! Really small but yummy! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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They reopened on May 1st. Same owner but new management! I went to there around 10am, most of the Musubi were sold out, but they are bringing out freshly made Musubi! I have to go there much earlier to get some side dishes next time I believe they are now open at 6 am, Monday-Saturday . read more

Mana Bu's - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Good things come in small sizes.... Lol well that's the case for Mana Bu's musubis! I walked over a little after 9 on Saturday and the place is packed! They have little baskets right by the entrance, grab one and stock up! They have around five stands with 3 shelves each with plenty to choose from! There's even some with brown rice if you're looking to be a little healthier. They all range from $1.40-$1.80 at the most. I got 5 choices: Baked Salmon, Salmon & Tobiko, Spicy Tuna Mayo, Teri Spam, and Beef Sukiyaki! The Salmon & Tobiko and Spicy Tuna Mayo are soooooooooooooo bomb! I could easily eat 3 of them in one sitting. Every bite of it is so savory. Not like 711 musubis where it's soggy and end up having to throw away the end part of the rice because it's just so bland and bleh... I also bought their Custard Pudding and Azuki Bean w/ Mochi! Pretty cheap, both under $3. I love my sweets and both were so delicious I was tempted to lick all the insides left in the containers. Cash only here! I bought over 12 things and only spent $24. Great deal in my eyes. The staff is so nice. They take the basket from you while waiting in line and organize/bag them for you very quickly. Only a 5 minute walk from my house so I will definitely be back every week :) read more

Mana Bu's - Spicy Tuna Mayo, Baked Salmon, Salmon & Tobiko, Teri Spam, Beef Sukiyaki, Custard Pudding, and Azuki Bean with Mochi! Yummy - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My most favorite Onigiri in the island. I have not tried all but tried a lot. I love them all. A few years ago when I tried their Onigiri, two made me so full. Nowadays, I could eat 3 easily. Either my appetite got bigger or their Onigiri got smaller. I know they use the wooden mold. The size should be the same... umm. I like their new system of providing different Onigiris at different time, so they don't run out right away. But it is always safe to go there early. All the Onirigis are gone by noon. PS. I love their pudding too! PPS. I love their name too! YELP 365 - 132/365 read more

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Mana Bu's has many things that I expect when I visit a business: Cheerful attitudes, service with a smile, and musubis! Okay, I don't expect every business I visit to have musubis, but wouldn't it be great if they did!? Manu Bu's opens early and closes early. If you're not much of a morning person, like me, the workers do help. There's nothing like being groggy, grouchy, and not in the mood for sunshine, and a happy person, full of energy, jumps in front of you, and says "good morning!" I don't quite know how the employees are so energetic so early, but I had to try their musubis, hoping there was a secret ingredient in there to wake me up. It definitely wasn't in the musubis, but my mood certainly changed after being greeted in such a nice way. One of my favorite Japanese foods to eat is hijiki rice. Not only does Mana Bu's make hijiki rice musubis, but they do it 10-grain style! If you're wondering what 10-grain style is and how the heck could they possibly fit so much into so little, they have a sign. "All grains are mixed and boiled" and include the following: organic red lentils, organic flax seeds, organic quinoa, organic amaranth, organic millet, yellow lentils, pearl barley, pressed barley, brown mochi rice, brown Tamanishiki rice, plus white mochi rice, and brown mochi rice. Malia H. has a great picture of this here: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/h4Us8HumW9DyYar2-wTlMA?select=1KIuQHTYSQaPZFz0BKC6tw#KG7TSQg_EU5VvffiXpW-Sw On my most recent visit, I had the 10-Grains Hijiki musubi and 10-Grains Shiso & Wakame musubi. At only $1.60 each, I could eat this everyday of the week and not break the bank. Besides these two musubis, they have a plethora of other musubis and goodies. There's a refrigerated section that holds several side dishes that appear to go well with musubis. They also have a drink fridge and handy baskets if you go overboard and want one of each of all 35 varieties. I try to come here as much as possible, but I can't make it too often. Fortunately, this makes this place a treat for me. I might get bored if I ate here every morning. I love yummy carbs, and I don't feel so bad when it is from tasty rice rather than from greasy or super sweet foods. There is no seating area and it is take out only, but I think that is how musubis were meant to be eaten: On the go! This place is a must for anyone who loves expertly seasoned rice and happy people. If you don't like rice or happy people, this place may not be for you. read more

Amazing musubi! Convenient packaging, and amazing variety. Employees were helpful and kind. Very cute shop.

Quaint musubi shop. Went on a Thursday mid morning and luckily they had my favorites ume, spam, and sausage. If you're looking for quality in cute packaging and great service you should try Mana Musubi! read more

FINALLY made it out to Manu Bu's!!! I have been wanting to try this place forever... but was never up early enough to swing by. The BF and I had plans in town so we stopped by early enough (8AM) or so we thought was early!... but there was still a decent selection of items remaining. There is a small parking lot but we ended up parking on the street which was easy and convenient. They also only accept cash... you have been warned! The cute little triange shaped musubi's come in many different varieties. There are waaaaaay too many varieties for me to name, sorry! I tried the 'spam lite' which was... okay. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=fr4ADXwKtwGdwnYRJCU7bw&userid=IXdmrbRu0veA-OuaP0URwQ My BF tried the 'organic rice - salmon' which he enjoyed. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=eRCxMRhXiSHRDQKWUREmCg&userid=IXdmrbRu0veA-OuaP0URwQ We also tried another salmon musubi (can't remember and I guess I didn't take a picture) and it was deeeeeliiiciiiioousss!!! Of course the one I loved I can't remember and I have no picture of... fail! We also got a couple of the strawberry mochi (last 2 left!) Definitely worth the $2.20 price. Super soft melt in your mouth mochi... yummy! http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=i6ztYD6xBRTTL1WhWsv2qQ&userid=IXdmrbRu0veA-OuaP0URwQ I'm glad I got to try this place out. The rice is definitely what makes this place! It's truly perfectly cooked rice, and you can tell a difference with the quality of the rice! If I was going in this direction I would definitely stop by! read more

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I heart Mana Bu's. The place is small and simple, just like the musubi. On my first visit, the owner greeted us with a genuine smile and was very nice. I tried a few musubi, and they were just perfect. The rice was cooked perfectly, and the seasoning and ingredients all complemented each other to form the perfect little snack. I was surprised at how simple, yet amazingly delicious, each musubi was. The next day I eagerly got up early, went to Mana Bu's, and stocked my shopping basket full of musubi; one or two for breakfast, then a couple for lunch on the beach, then some snacks for when I had late night munchies. Ingredients are listed in front of each tray of perfectly wrapped musubi, and Hawaiian sea salt is used as a natural, and the only, preservative. There is a myriad of musubi to choose from. There are musubi's made with organic rice, brown rice, and 10-grain rice. There are savory as well as sweet musubi, and also baked musubi available to choose from. Mana Bu's makes 34 different musubi, but they are not available all at once. My favorite is the Tuna Mayo Musubi. A tuna mayo musubi sounded a little odd to me, but I was intrigued. The salmon, ume, curry, miso (and the list goes on) musubi I've tried is all very good, but the tuna mayo is on another level. I also highly recommend their strawberry mochi, which was fresh and delicious. I look forward not only to my upcoming trip to Oahu, but to visiting Mana Bu's again. :) read more

Manu Bu's truly honors rice with its preparation of musubi. It's seriously musubi elevated to a higher level and made with care. You'll see a lot of spam musubi in Hawaii but this isn't quite the same. There are much more different fillings and types of rice used. Sometimes, the flavors are subtle and delicate. Make sure to get several different kinds so that you can try them all. For around $1.50 each, you can eat for cheap. We arrived around 11:30am so a lot of the good items were gone but I still picked up some goodies. Come to Manu Bu's if you are one of those people that can just eat a bowl of rice plain because you simply love rice. Otherwise, you won't appreciate this place for what they offer. read more

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Make your way down here early! They open at 6:30. Amazing handmade rice balls of goodness await you No plastic! Only cash~ Also offers delicious sweets But they only come out at 8am! U'nless you have somewhere to get to wait around till 8 to grab... Strawberry mochi, coffee jelly, and custard :p Some of my fave rice ball flavors: Spicy tuna mayo Baked salmon and tobiko Curry palif Mentaiko read more

Mana Bu's - Strawberry mochi! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We like the musubis but do not try to use their "on-line" order form. It's not fill-able so I printed, wrote in my order for only 8 items and emailed it back. Only to be told I needed to place my order 24 hours in advance. I don't see that anywhere and using this form was a big disappointment and waste of time. Owner said to come in when I wanted to (7am Saturday) and there should be ample to choose from. Having no other choice, I went in and did not have all that I wanted. Like I said, waste of time and again disappointed we didn't get what we wanted. read more

Go early! Run, don't walk! Bring cash and some change! Seven musubis will cost you $13.56. If you appreciate quality Japanese rice, you will love this place. My favorites include: tobiko salmon and kimpira gobo pilaf. Under $2 per musubi made daily. Once they sell out, they close for the day. read more

Freshly made, quick and easy, and the perfect snack to get you through a strenuous hike! That is what Mana Bu's meant to me. This place is known for their musubis. It's a bit away from the main Waikiki area; walkable from the main hotels (about 30 minutes) but easier to get to with a car. Located on a one way street FYI. I got here pretty early (6:30am) and walked and already saw a handful of people looking over the row of musubis. I was also greeted by 2 ladies at the door and behind the register. So nice! The shelves were not fully stocked yet, probably because it was so early...so I didn't have a chance to try all of the ones I wanted but I ended up getting 4 musubis: Baked Salmon, Shiso-Wakame, Veggie Curry Pilaf, and Teri-Spam. All were great. The rice was warm and fluffy and stuck together. Perfect size so you aren't overwhelmed after just a couple. No need to throw away the rice here because you are gonna want to savor every bite. Of the 4, my favorite was the Shiso-Wakame. Sounds simple enough: herb and seaweed. The flavor was a good balance of salt from the wakame and the herbaceous taste of the shiso. For less than $2 each, it is a great deal to get a freshly made musubi that you feel good about eating. Worth a try if you are on the go or just need a quick snack in the morning or afternoon. I suggest going a little later so that you can get more of a variety. read more

On my last 3 days here, I was determined to make it to Mana Bu's for the first time. I started waiting in line 45 minutes before opening, armed with my list of 12 musubi to bring home. Instead I brought home 18. In our panic due to the amount of patrons, I grabbed what I could. So fat. I know. However, what I really came for was the Strawberry Daifuku. Come early because they only make 8 per day! Judging by the amount of people, I'm sure everything was sold out within the hour. Easily. The girls who work here are extremely friendly and patient with all of the hungry, grouchy people. Seriously, it takes a special person to deal with the crowd. Long review short, be good one morning, wake up early, fight the crowd, and get homemade/quality musubis that are made with love. read more

Mana Bu's - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Mana Bu's is famous for their triangle shaped onigiri's; they are made with love and traditional Japanese meticulousness. If you're interested in having a full selection, keep in mind most of them start to sell out at around 11am, and they close once they have sold out (cash only). The baked salmon is the most popular and comes in different versions (e.g. with sesame, roe, etc...), and I think tastes best with roe because they don't put much salmon to begin with, and it's a bit dry and sparse otherwise. If you prefer more of a flavor punch like I do, and don't mind creaminess, I would get the spicy tuna. My favorite though was the Gombu, I don't really know what I was eating I just know it was good and the best one hands down of all the ones I tried. I think the Gombu is the only one I would return for. Get teriyaki or plain spam musubi's at 7-11 or Iyasume, they're just not as good here IMO. Mana Bu's makes some quality specialty onigiri's, definitely a must try! read more