Totoya is a Japanese sushi chain and so happy to see it now in Hawaii, with multiple locations in…read moreAiea, Kaimuki, and Piikoi. We went to the Kaimuki location to see what the hype was about. I had their signature negitoro matsu bowl and it was absolutely divine! I was always hesitant to eat negitoro because of the negi or green onions in the name, but it tasted like a finer, soft ahi paste with ikura and uni. Delicious, although can be pricy at $30+ per entree. Highly recommend for authentic, negitoro experience.

Negomi bowl - The salmon and scallop were very fresh. Rice was made very well…read more Service - service was good but they don't seem to remember which one order which. Kinda weird.

Came in 2024 when it was one small restaurant but now they've opened up a second side next door…read morewith plenty of seating. I would still do a reservation just to be safe. We got the pork katsu deluxe set and recommend getting another side of rice for 2 people. The fried oysters are also a standout dish so I definitely recommend that. Service is quick and portions are big so I also recommend splitting a dish or doing family style.

Let's be real here, I had no idea what to expect because I have never eaten at a restaurant of this…read morenature before. But let me say this, Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu, you are DELISH! We had a 7pm reservation that I booked through Yelp. We arrived a few minutes before our time, and was quickly seated in a "cozy" little table for 2. This place is crackin' though. It's loud and energetic. Mostly because it's a small little place down a side street on Beach Walk. The staff is super friendly, and the food is even better. I had the pork and shrimp katsu set, and my husband had fancy pork katsu set. We also had edamame to start. Everything came out sizzling hot and to perfection. I should also mention, this place is clean. The staff was constantly cleaning tables and menus. I'm giving Ginza only 4 stars because no one ever came to refill our drinks. I know it's such a small thing, but I accidentally ate some of the spicy mustard that was buried on my plate under the salad. My mouth was ON FIRE! I drank all my Diet Coke and my husband had already finished his drink too. So ya, I was dying...lol! Overall though, I would 100% eat at Ginza again

Shoutout again to unko Chad from prince waikiki! I knew this place was gonna be hard to get. Even…read moreon youtube, I've seen some local foodies say they got lucky in getting a reservation. Very random one morning after stopping by kona purveyors in Waikiki, I went to the restroom and while my husband was waiting for me he decided to randomly check if they had any reservations available and we were able to get one for the next day! Getting a reservation is definitely the way to go, I've seen people wait in standby however seating is not guaranteed since they prioritize those who have a reservation. The service was amazing! They are constantly checking up on you to see if you need anything else. I like how they offer different kinds of miso soup. I personally had limitations due to my shellfish allergy, but it was amazing! The katsu we ordered was one of the biggest one that they offer. It's crazy how big the katsu was and surprisingly it was super crispy, light, and even juicy in the inside! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to try katsu in hawaii!

Not my first time here. We tried to get reservations but I think they had some glitches as they…read morejust recently reopened after expanding/moving to the new space. Since we didn't get reservations we had to do walk in. The waitlist didn't seem bad when we first signed up but it took forever to finally get a table. It was a hot day so we were waiting outside, for nearly an hour. There were only like two or three parties ahead of us on the waitlist. We finally got seated and the people right after us on the list got seated at the same time (they put their name 15 min after us). I would not recommend the waitlist, since it's not consistent. The food itself is always delicious. The new space was nice (and larger). Our server was very nice also. We both got tonkatsu. I got the mizore and my partner got the sizzling one. I appreciate the choices of rice and miso soup. I really enjoyed my Shiso rice and the white miso soup. I think even though I enjoyed the ground daikon but I also think I would've been happy with just a regular tonkatsu, similar for the sizzling platter.

this place is fantastic, great staff, delicious food! fast and efficient getting in and out.read more

One of our go to spots when we're in town. Always long lines here, so go either early or late for…read moreyour meal time. If you do end up standing in line when it wraps around the building, don't worry the line goes a bit faster than it looks. The go to here is the nikutama. It's their best seller for a reason. That slightly sweet broth enriched with fresh thick noodles and accoutrement just hits hard.

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

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

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

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

This review is overdue, but I absolutely had to share it because I was so impressed with Rinka's…read moredinner menu! I used to think the dinner menu was a bit too expensive compared to the lunch menu, but after tonight..., I believe it was worth it. The variety of Dinner Sets were all sooo amazing! The portion sizes were awesome, and the flavors/freshness of the food were all outstanding. Did I mention how the portion sizes were amazing? Yup Everything tasted great..., and I really mean everything! It's hard to find a casual/semi-upscale Japanese restaurant like Rinka. Our server was very kind and helpful because it was our first time dining with Rinka during their Dinner service hours. I got to try a piece of the Bluefin Tuna Toro sashimi and it was WOW! WOW! WOW! Appetizers were fantastic as well! Great for sharing and tasting different items. This is a place I'd want to introduce to my friends and family for a great dining experience and a higher quality food selections. Very satisfied with our dinner service on this night!

My friend and I had dinner at Rinka bc I had a $100 Resy benefit on my credit card. In addition, I…read morehave had good experiences with Resy restaurants. Positives: Our waitress Hailey was super nice; The food came out quickly; Clientele was all locals, including a fair number of J clients Negatives: The tables are tiny and the seats are low. The table was as wide as my body. We had a hard time squeezing the food on the table. One of the ladies that sat on the inside had to hang out quite a bit outside the width of the table bc she was too close to her friend; Secondarily, even a woman a foot shorter than me said the chairs were low (I'm 6'2"); None of the food had a wow factor and it seemed expensive. Our tab was $157 for four items inc 2 beers b4 tip; 3.5 Stars overall bc of the good service. I will likely not return bc of the small seats and just ok food.

If you're looking for some delicious Japanese pub food and beer, Aburiya is what you want and what…read moreYOU NEED. Service was excellent, food was excellent and the staff was so fun and eager to hangout with tables :) Ambiance did remind me of Japan, just with American sized portions XD

I just want to add that every time I come here the service is great. I took my good friend from…read morethe mainland here for dinner - it was his first time in Hawaii and he was so impressed with the food - but more than that I was so grateful how well they took care of us. This Izakaya is so chill and it definitely feels more like a homey vibe - definitely something you'd see in Japan. My homie enjoyed the beef flank, jellyfish, and the unagi kamameshi. All wins on his end and he also enjoyed the matcha next door. :) definitely a must-visit spot when you're on the island. If my LA friends loved it then your outer-island friends will love it too.

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

Overall delicious and good quality…read more I felt the tempura a little bit oily. Hamachi was fresh . The dressing for the salad a bit salty. Service was really good though.

Having that high rating with over 1500 reviews was certainly intriguing. We're lucky we stayed…read moresuper close and bumped into this Musubi cafe. It's busy since relatively early in the day but ordering process was seamless and they got the order pretty quick. Your number would be called when everything's ready. Their menu was rich that you had tons to pick from. Price was decent for the size as well. Our picks were the salmon ikura and spam shrimp avocado. Both were so good and our highlight would certainly be how they nailed the sauce.

Such a cute cafe! It's very affordable and mainly eat grab and go musubis for snack or breakfast…read more There's plenty of musubi types and they all range from $3-6. My favorites are the avocado/eel-egg and inari (bean curd)-egg Musubi. The teriyaki and black pepper musubis are also delicious. I love that it's made to order so everything you get is fresh and hot! I recommend going in evening because it's less busy. I tried coming back the next morning and the line was out the door. They have a cute speaker system to call out your order number lol. Everyone is so friendly here. I wished I visited this place a lot sooner! It was conveniently located from my hotel and the beach, ~10 min walk.