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Honolulu, HI

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Minatoku Kitchen

4.4 (108 reviews)
ModerateJapanese
Closed • 10:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
Updated 2 months ago

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MINATOKU KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Dogs allowed
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Minatoku Kitchen

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Lyla D.

After an unusually challenging physical therapy session, my husband decided to take me out to lunch instead of heading straight back home. Although he didn't have any restaurants in mind, I quickly looked at my Yelp Bookmark for a nearby eatery. I suggested Minatoku Kitchen, whose Osaka, Japan-experienced chef featured affordable and authentic bentos, mille feuille tonkatsu, chicken karaage, and more in the Mō'ili'ili neighborhood. We fortunately found metered street parking near the entrance of Minatoku Kitchen and strolled in. As soon as we opened the door, two female workers welcomed us in a friendly and exuberant tone, "Irrashaimase!" Seeing there were empty seats available, we informed them that we planned to dine in, as one of the workers gestured toward seating near the doorway. She quickly brought us menus and glasses of iced water as we took our seats. While we were deciding on our menu selections, several other customers entered, ordered, and picked up takeout meals at the counter. Since this was our first visit, we both ordered the VICTORY COMBO ($18), which featured a hefty plate of 3 pieces each of mille-feuille tonkatsu and karaage chicken, a large scoop of fluffy and tender steamed Japanese rice, a small scoop of Japanese potato salad, fresh tossed greens with Asian dressing, and a small ramekin of tonkatsu sauce. We were impressed with the shatteringly crisp and golden-fried panko coating and tender layers of the mille-feuille tonkatsu. The panko crust hugged the tender meat slices and did not slide off when cut into. Also, the karaage chicken (thigh meat) was flavorful and juicy from its marinade, which contrasted beautifully with its crispy battered crust. We wolfed down our fresh, hot, and not-greasy fried lunches, although I did give my husband one piece of chicken karaage and tonkatsu. We were impressed by the friendly and attentive service, and the food's flavors, textures, and aromas matched the rave reviews from fellow Elites. Minatoku Kitchen was affordable and its ambiance is comfortable and cozy in this neighborhood.

Lunch Menu as of October 2026
Kelly D.

I love me a good Chicken Nanban plate! Not only did it have good flavor but the chicken was so crispy! They have such a wide selection of lunch plates, as well as musubis so I feel like there's something for everyone. Another winner for me was their NikuMaki Musubi -- ginger pork wrapped rice roll. Super sweet staff who look passionate in what they do so I hope people get to come by often! Parking isn't the greatest since they only seem to have street parking but you can easily call in your order and get takeout if needed

Miso salmon plate ~$19.00 + tax
Madisyn S.

Minatoku Kitchen is a great little neighborhood spot in Moʻiliʻili, especially if you're looking for a late-night bite or a casual place to enjoy Japanese bar food with friends. I stopped by and ordered the Miso Salmon Plate to go, and it was delicious. The salmon was flavorful, cooked well, and made for a satisfying meal. I'll definitely be back to try more of their izakaya-style menu. One of the biggest perks is that they're open until midnight, making it a great option when many other places have already closed. The restaurant has a cozy, intimate atmosphere. It's not a large space, but it's perfect for a small group of about 5-6 people who want to relax, chat, and enjoy drinks together. The only downside is the parking. There isn't much available, and while it may be tempting to park at Longs across the street, be mindful of where you leave your car and follow any posted parking restrictions. Overall, Minatoku Kitchen is a hidden gem for late-night Japanese comfort food, drinks, and a laid-back atmosphere. If you're in the Moʻiliʻili area, it's definitely worth checking out!

Menu
Ashley F.

Minatoku Kitchen is a late night, almost izakaya style Japanese restaurant because their portions are smaller, meant to be paired with alcohol. For what it is, it's not bad and I think we ordered 6 items which came out to $25/person. The reason why I chose 3/5 though was because the menu items were a hit-or-miss for me, and the mediocre ones made me feel like it was something I could have made at home, but better. I'll talk about the worth-it items below, won't bother with the rest. Chicken Nanban (4.5/5): Crispy chicken meets kewpie mayo tartar-esq sauce. Yakisoba (4/5): I just like noodles, and their yakisoba was a good portion size for $12. Overall, it was okay and I feel like they do well because they are open later than most places; definitely not my first choice for Japanese food on the island.

Victory combo - pork tonkotsu and chicken karage
Janice U.

This place is quaint but parking is difficult as it's mainly street parking which is hard to find. We did take out because we didn't have reservations. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was very tasty and priced well. I enjoyed the many layered tonkatsu and moist karage chicken The portions were perfect. I would like to come back again pending parking

Tuna with wasabi
June S.

Visited this restaurant during happy hour (3-5pm) and it did not disappoint! We were the only ones in the restaurant for dine-in so the service was quick. The interior also made us feel like we were in Japan. Off the happy hour menu, we ordered the Tofu Salad, Tuna with avocado and chili oil, and the Tuna with wasabi. We also ordered the Presidential Curry, which was a curry rice dish with chicken karaage and their mille feuille tonkatsu. For the price, the portions of the tuna were very generous. I also really enjoyed the curry dish. I liked the way that the katsu was cut, every bite was crispy. It was a great value meal. We will definitely be back to try some other dishes!

Dan A.

President's Day is a federal holiday on Monday.16.March.2026 - and Minatoku Kitchen came up with a delicious ( and economical ) meal in celebration. Customers requested an affordable and hearty bento ( per their IG ) and they served up the Presidential Curry. Thank the heavens they didn't call it the Tump Curry...the roux would have to look orange. Also, you'd have to get a Diet Coke with the meal. It features three pieces of their Mille-Feuille Tonkatsu, two pieces of their Chicken Karaage, and their signature 24-hour simmered curry all over a bed of rice. $22 and bargain for what you get, as I am stuffed...and I can eat a lot. I got an extra side of tartar sauce for $1.15. It was very good, especially their karaage chicken, as good as any that I've ever eaten. Curry is good, if a bit mild, as it is neither sweet ( as one would expect from Japanese curry ) nor spicy like Thai/Viet/Indian curries. You can find Minatoku Kitchen on the corner of South King Street and Hausten Street - across from Long's. Side street parking ( good luck ) or the lot at Long's. Ordered via the Clover app. It was ready as I walked in a couple of minutes before the time I requested.

Three Flavors Fried Chicken
Amanda K.

They have 4 stalls out front, they aren't marked but you can park there. We've come during the day and recently came at night. During the day the menu is different we've tried the karaage bento, gyudon and ton-katsu. The ton-katsu is the layered type and all are delicious! For dinner my husband got the dynamite salmon which was just cut up salmon with mayo and onions he said it was alright he wished there was some kind of spicy or something added. I got the yakisoba and it was really sweet I ended up adding salt from the chicken appetizer to lessen the sweetness. They also allowed our dogs which is why they get a 5 stars.

Stewed Hamburger Steak Bento
Raymond K.

Since we moved, I've passed by there numerous times, but never went in. Looking at the menu, one thing caught my eye: Stewed Hamburger Steak Bento - ground beef | ground pork | onions | salad | mushrooms | handmade mashed potatoes | handmade demi-glace sauce | handmade pickles | 100% Japanese Koshihikari rice I know what local-style hamburger steak means to me, but "stewed hamburger steak" sparked my curiosity. Initially I intended to order to go, but after I paid (it's credit card only - no cash), she asked if this was takeout or eat-in. I changed my mind and said I would eat there. There were no other customers at the time, so I sat at one of the tables. Within what seemed like a couple of minutes, she brought over a glass of water and the food to my table. When I paid, I didn't factor in table service, so, feeling bad, I look through my wallet but only had two dollar bills and the rest were larger. I got a five out and asked the server if I could get change. She replied that she was sorry they didn't have change. My mistake, at that moment, I had forgotten about the no cash policy. Back to the meal, the hamburgers appeared to be two fair-sized meatballs. They had been stewed in their version of demi-glace sauce. There was a small portion of what looked like potato salad, some edamame, and a vegetable salad with a vinegary dressing. I couldn't easily make out the rest of the ingredients in the list. To my taste, the meal was fairly good. Before leaving, I cleared my table of the plastic fork and disposable chopsticks. No one was at the counter, so I placed the empty plate and glass of water near the counter with the small bills - my way of apologizing for my lack of change.

Meh
Robert S.

So the woman working here was extremely nice but limited English. I asked for a curry recommendation and she pointed to a sign on the counter and I said ok. Well, turns out it was a combo of fried shrimp, salmon, pork and chicken karaage style with a big dollop of a mayo based sauce. I'm sure some people think its delicious but it wasn't my cup of tea. Just wasn't in the mood for deep fried food and not a big fan of the white sauce. Plus, no curry that I hoped for. Anyway, I suspect I would have liked a different menu item just got the wrong thing.

Posted menu 6/27/25
Jo Y.

The pandemic made many rethink their priorities in life, including Yoshimi Koizumi from Japan. He opened Minatoku Kitchen in McCully on 8/11/2023, wanting to prepare and serve food with sincerity, kindness and compassion according to Japanese customs and applying these values to the local community. "Minatoku" is a Japanese word that means "everybody can get benefits." The pandemic forced people to stay indoors, with the only thing that provided pleasure was food. It was Koizumi's belief that no matter what the difficulties in life are, when you eat delicious food, you forget about your troubles. Hence, his plans were for his restaurant to bring joy via food. Thus, Minatoku Kitchen was born on this premise. Koizumi brought in a chef from Japan who had 20 years of restaurant experience in Japanese, Chinese, and Italian cuisine. It was important that the preparation and presentation of foods interpret the kindness and attentiveness of Japanese culture, and that the local community would enjoy the taste of Japan. In addition, Koizumi wanted to give back to the community by creating job opportunities lost by the pandemic and to offer his diners value to menu offerings. The restaurant started in offering lunch bento boxes that included pork chops, teri chicken & pork, karaage, curry, taco rice, stewed hamburger steak, chicken nanban, gyudon, ebi chan, tofu steak, miso salmon, pork ginger, tonkatsu. Many of these bentos also had sides of edamame, handmade mashed potatoes & pickles, and high-grade rice from Japan. With its lunch bento boxes being successful, Minatoku Kitchen then started Happy Hour held from Fri to Sun from 3p to 5p, and includes: edamame, fries, tofu, konbu, kimchi, eggplant, salad, fried chicken, tonkatsu, yakisoba. The next phase was offering a dinner menu that includes the Happy Hour menu and entrees of chicken nanban, battered pork belly, grilled chicken, miso sablefish, tuna steak. With my initial visit, I had the following: * Tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was very flavorful and prepared with thin layers of pork belly, with a crunchy panko batter. It came with a green salad, potato salad, garlic edamame, pickles, and rice sprinkled with a few black sesame seeds. The high-grade premium rice is from Japan called Kubota rice, is freshly milled in HI. The rice was amazing - bright white, all whole kernels, and so sweet! * Ten-Musu. Freshly made, so the shrimp tempura was crispy and combined with the premium rice, it was very flavorful! * Konbu musubi. Tasty musubi with lots of konbu just below the nori that is wrapped around the sweet premium rice. * Niku-Maki musubi. Thin pork belly wrapped around premium rice and shaped like a log, which is a unique and tasty musubi not found elsewhere. We enjoyed the tonkatsu bento and the musubis! Everything was delicious, and you can tell a special effort was made in the use of the ingredients and its presentation. It appears Koizumi wanted to progressively introduce different variety of foods via different phases, i.e., lunch, happy hour, dinner phases. But I was a little confused, as menu offerings can be ordered throughout the day. Plus, there are signs of new items being introduced that are already part of the regular menu. And a few mis-spellings in the menu due to English as a 2nd language. But no matter, the intent of Koizumi to introduce foods to the local community that reflect kindness and attentiveness of Japanese culture and for locals to enjoy the tastes of Japan. The front staff employee who took our order pleasantly explained their menu items when we told them that this was the first time for us. She explained that the menu is inspired by Japanese home cook with a focus on quality, and the Honu Koshishikari rice that they use is a high-end brand from Japan which has a pleasant aroma, good sweetness, and perfect texture. She gave us suggestions as to what was popular. Hours of operation are Mon 10a to 3p, Wed/Thurs 10a to 3p and 5p to 12m, Fri/Sat 10a to 12m, and Tues closed. Located across the street from CVS Longs and in the former Hide Chan Restaurant spot, the small eatery has a few tables for dine-in. I would imagine they would be quite busy with the college kids with the University of HI located nearby. Credit card only; no cash used. The restaurant has 4 free assigned parking spaces located in front of the restaurant. There is a large sign on the building showing where these 4 spaces are. I think a couple of these spaces would require that you jump the curb. Other than these spaces, there is metered street parking. We look forward to more delicious tastes of Minatoku Kitchen with its existing menu and ongoing new menu offerings, as I have a growing appreciation of authentic Japanese cuisine! Wishing Koizumi much success with this business venture!

I love nikumaki bacon wrapped rice!!! Where ever I see it.. I buy it!
Donna O.

Minatoku Kitchen took over the former spot of Hide Chan. They have some grab to go musubi and plates you can order. At night they have happy hour and is open for dinner. There's some tables inside for dine in. I tried some plates and musubi and they were all good. Keema curry was something different to try but my favorites now is the pork belly wrapped musubi (NikuMaki)!! I always love those bacon wrapped musubi. Some makes it different. Most time they run out and person who makes it may have gone home since I come out late in the afternoon. The plus side of going late so I won't have a problem with parking. Now you can park in the small drive way. There's a picture posted on the window of how you suppose to park and fit 4 cars. I've been lucky that most time it's just my car! I love is the ton-katsu plate. It's deep fried Mille feuilled pork belly! There was about 5 good size pieces along with their Japanese rice, green salad, potato salad and garlic edamame and pickles. There's not too many Japanese restaurant in the area which serve tonkatsu. Sad to see Sakura Terrace and Minato restaurant closed! I must say if you haven't tried here , you should at least try the NikuMaki . Best to call early to reserve it , not like me. Usually it sold out but on my last visit I was surprised they had four left and I grabbed all four!! Try the ton-katsu if you like layered ton-katsu ! I didn't know it was layered until I saw a photo on Yelp! So crunchy and tender! Love their Japanese tonkatsu sauce. Support small local business so they can stay in business!

Chicken Nanban bento lunch $14.50
Maria H.

Chicken nan ban? From Minatoku? Yes, please! Tasty tender thighs crispy and perfectly fried every time. And the potato salad is the yummiest ever.

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5 months ago

コストパフォーマンスが良いお店。なのに味はほんとにおいしかったです。カジュアルな雰囲気でありながらおいしい日本食が、リーズナブルに食べれる良いお店を見つけました。ハワイではこういう日本食のお店は少ないので、これからも長く続けて欲しいお店の一見です。

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Yoshimi K.

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9 months ago

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11 months ago

good food, good prices & great service. Adding to our dining rotation! we'll be back for sure!

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1 year ago

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7 months ago

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10 months ago

Their bentos are quite tasty and reasonably priced. Our order was ready for pick up on the requested date & time.

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9 months ago

The food was amazingly good. The service was great. Highly recommend this place to anyone.

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Food was excellent; like food made in Japan. Service was great. Good portions, reasonable.

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

Delicious authentic Japanese food. Reasonably priced, excellent service. Will be returning.

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2 years ago

Came across this little hole in the wall gem. The service is always awesome & the food is spectacular.

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2 years ago

Great food and nice people! Clean, nice little Japan style restaurant. They have the best musubi and ahi avocado poke!

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Page 2 of 3

Minatoku Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Minatoku Kitchen

Totoya

Totoya

4.6(341 reviews)
1.8 mi•Kaimuki
•$$

From start to finish, we had a wonderful time at this pleasant little spot. The staff is kind and…read morewelcoming. We were lucky we got here before the Friday lunch rush. Otherwise, be prepared for a bit of a wait. Our bowls were well balanced, flavorful and delicious. You could tell ingredient was selected and treated with care. The shrimp was incredibly sweet and succulent. We enjoyed the homemade soy sauce, fresh wasabi and yuzu ginger as well. My partner got the egg yolk shoyu dipping sauce, which added a layer of unctuous richnesss to the bowl. They are currently byob and Waialae mini mart is just a few doors down. We had a lovely time and hope to come back soon.

I had a disappointing experience with the restaurant's reservation system. I had an 11:00 AM…read morereservation, but when I arrived, the restaurant was not open yet, and a line had already formed outside. I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to check in with the restaurant first, but the people waiting in line would not let me through. When the restaurant finally opened, the staff did not ask who had reservations or make any distinction between guests with reservations and walk-ins. Everyone was simply seated in the order they entered. This left me wondering what the point of making a reservation was if it did not provide any clear benefit or priority. I hope the restaurant can improve its check-in process and communicate more clearly with guests who have reservations, so everyone can enjoy a smoother and more organized dining experience.

Photos
Totoya
Totoya - Mixed bowl with crab miso soup and extra nori and salad and shoyu egg on da side

Mixed bowl with crab miso soup and extra nori and salad and shoyu egg on da side

Totoya - Nagomi (smaller version of the Miyabi)

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Nagomi (smaller version of the Miyabi)

Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - kurobuta tonkatsu

Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro

4.3(4.3k reviews)
1.0 mi•Waikiki
•$$$
Free parking
19 years in business

The highlight of our Hawaii trip! We loved Ginza Bairin so much that we went TWICE during our trip…read more We visited on our previous trip to Hawaii, and it was an absolute must-revisit this time around. If you're visiting Honolulu and love Japanese tonkatsu, do yourself a favor and put this place on your list! The absolute star of the show is the Specialty Kurobuta Pork Loin Katsu. Out of this world! Kurobuta pork is basically the Waygu of the pork world. This pork comes from the Berkshire pig which produces more flavorful, more tender pork. The pork is perfectly cooked, incredibly tender, and coated in a beautifully crispy breading. Every bite is exactly what you want from a great tonkatsu. And PLEASE, don't sleep on the unlimited refills of cabbage, miso soup, and rice! The rice deserves its own shoutout. Ginza Bairin serves premium Tsuyahime white rice from Yamagata, Japan, and it is hands down the best rice I've ever had. The grains are plump, fluffy, and delicious, with that wonderful texture that makes you keep reaching for another bowl. Shamelessly admitting that I ate THREE bowls of rice, and I have absolutely zero regrets. My husband doesn't eat pork or beef, so he ordered the chicken katsu and said it was the best chicken katsu he's ever had. That's a pretty impressive endorsement, especially from someone who eats chicken katsu regularly. Families with little ones, this place is fantastic! They're incredibly kid-friendly, with child-sized cups, forks, spoons, and plates. Even better, the kids' meals come in the cutest little blue or pink car-shaped trays that my son absolutely loved. You can choose chicken katsu or shrimp tempura, served with rice, cabbage salad, macaroni salad, and a kids' juice box. It's thoughtful touches like these that make dining out with a toddler so much more enjoyable. The service was amazing, too. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and attentive, making the whole experience even better. A few helpful tips: - Make a reservation ahead of time if you can, but walk-ins are welcome, too. - There are two "restaurants": the main dining room primarily accommodates reservations, while the other side is mainly for walk-ins. Don't worry, the food is impeccable on both sides! - Free validated parking for up to 1.5 hours is available at the Bank of Hawaii Waikiki Business Center underground garage, which is a huge plus in Waikiki. Ginza Bairin checks all the boxes: exceptional food, premium ingredients, generous refills, warm service, and a genuinely family-friendly atmosphere. The fact that we went twice in one trip says everything. This is one of those restaurants that stays on your must-visit list every time you return to Hawaii. Already dreaming about that pork katsu and another three bowls of rice!

This is my favorite tonkatsu place by far, and we love this place for it's Kurobota katsu, but you…read morehave to get here early to try it. They only have about 20 orders available daily, so we always make sure to make early reservations for dinner. It's a small place, so seating can be limited, and although they do take walk ins, you really should make a reservation. Free validated parking is available next door in the parking garage beneath the Bank of Hawaii building. I really like how light and crispy their tonkatsu is here. And the Kurobota katsu just melts in your mouth! If they don't have that available their Bairin Pork Tenderloin Katsu is always excellent too! My girlfriend also likes their Katsu-Dons. Sets come with free refills of rice, miso soup, cabbage, and pickles. Last night they also had several new wagyu additions to the menu that we haven't seen before, along with a wagyu beef nigiri that we had to try and thoroughly enjoyed. Service here is fast and very friendly! We have always enjoyed coming here and the staff take great care of their customers. They also offer a Kamaaina discount for locals with a Hawaii ID, which is really fantastic for people like us who live here and enjoy this place!

Photos
Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu

Tonkatsu, katsu-don, gyukatsu

Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Special Katsu-don set

Special Katsu-don set

Ginza Bairin Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro - Katasu-don

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Katasu-don

Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Jyukusei pork tenderloin katsu teishoku

Tonkatsu Tamafuji

4.6(2.5k reviews)
1.3 mi•Kaimuki
•$$$

Wen to this place with my husband last night , the food was very good and beautiful place ,read more

TLDR: Highly anticipated and successfully delivered, with incredibly fresh food and that comes to…read moreyour table with a little extra touch I booked this place extraordinarily last minute but seeing that I was going solo I was able to get a space open during my ideal time! Best believe I would not be late. Food: Shrimp Tempura: 5/5 - I think this is the best shrimp I've had, ever. The tempura was fried to quintessential perfection. Seasoned, light, not greasy and a decent size? My god Experience: 5/5 I'm calling this experience because they do something different here which is you get to grind your sesame with mortar and pestle to create your sauce which I think is a genius interactive element that not only adds to food knowledge but also makes you present. You are partially eating what you create and I like that immersiveness. Part of what also makes it cool is the open kitchen concept. Being seated in the middle of the bar i was able to watch the chefs' process from start to finish which is always such fun to see. Otherwise the service was really good! Ambiance It was what I would call an elevated casual. Not too loud or feeling like you need to be very quiet. I think the price was fair for what I got and all its fixings but its definitely not cheap. With that being said though I do think its extremely worth it if you can get a seat!

Photos
Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Battering the Pork

Battering the Pork

Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Making the sauce

Making the sauce

Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Mix Katsu Set

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Mix Katsu Set

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Ice cream and mochi

ABURIYA IBUSHI

4.5(457 reviews)
1.0 mi•Kaimuki
•$$

Our favorite izakaya on Oahu! We first came to Aburiya Ibushi a few years ago and we always come…read morehere to eat on each trip. For me, the must haves are their potato salad that comes with this curry seasoning (although go easy on how much seasoning you get with each bite as it's salty) and the oxtail ramen. The oxtail ramen is honestly one of the best ramens I've had - so flavorful yet not heavy at all. This time, we didn't get any of the chargrilled dishes but in the past we have and they've all been fantastic. The shima hokke kamameshi was really good and filling - we had enough to take with us for leftovers. It's a smaller restaurant so highly recommend making a reservation. There's been time where there's been open tables but they have a sign saying they cannot take guests without reservations. Parking is street parking and depending on what time your dinner is, it can be hard to find parking. We often end up taking an uber to avoid the hassle.

This place is definitely a little hole in the wall! I honestly didn't even know it existed until my…read morefriend mentioned it. Overall, the food was good! I wouldn't say it's necessarily a place I'll keep coming back to regularly, but I did enjoy trying it. Here's what we ordered: 1. White Peach Chu-Hi: This was really good and refreshing! I enjoyed it and would definitely order it again. 2. House Potato Salad: Honestly, this one was a little strange to me. It tasted almost like potato salad mixed with taco seasoning. Not quite what I was expecting, and I don't think I'd order it again. 3. Grilled Mochi: This was good, but nothing particularly special or memorable to me. 4. Grilled Roast Beef Kamameshi: Definitely my favorite dish of the night! The meat was so tender, and I always love that slightly burnt, crispy rice at the bottom. We decided to add the egg, and I'm so glad we did! It went really well with the meat and rice. Such a satisfying dish! 5. Grilled Shio Sanma: This was good too! I'm not sure I know enough about Japanese cuisine to fully appreciate or critique this dish, but I enjoyed the texture. It had a nice combination of slightly crispy and soft textures. Overall, I'm glad my friend introduced me to this little spot! While I'm not sure it'll become part of my regular restaurant rotation, I enjoyed the experience and thought the food was good.

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ABURIYA IBUSHI - Storefront... just like we're in Japan!

Storefront... just like we're in Japan!

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Their famous potato salad.

Their famous potato salad.

ABURIYA IBUSHI - Potato Salad

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Potato Salad

Izakaya Tenkichi - Beef tempura

Izakaya Tenkichi

4.6(278 reviews)
0.2 mi•Mo'ili'ili
•$$

AMAZING!!! This is our ohana's favorite Izakaya, EVER, in Honolulu especially... The service is…read moreexceptional especially with Masu who made my birthday and our second son's birthday an incredible experience twice!!! They are lovely and spirited and you can tell they love what they do which even makes it so much fun and enjoyable. The food is incredibly fresh and delicious and my entire family could not stop ordering which expanded my bill but what the heck- price point is great. They have excellent tempura, sushi not found elsewhere, saba which was so yummy and even my favorite kitsuni and sukiyaki udon. The flavors of the chopped cabbage salad was delicious making you crave more along with their cold udon which we couldn't get enough! I don't know who many dishes we ordered but ALL were amazing! I love the family atmosphere for both young and seasoned, large or intimate- all my favorite . It's so lively and yet I feel like we were back in Japan filling our bellies with incredible Japanese cuisine. Domo Arigatouuntil next time- Bon Appetite

Awesome spot, service was pretty fast and I was able to get a seat around 6pm despite not having…read morereservations but it did start filling up pretty quickly so I recommend doing reservations; I came here based off a friends recommendation of the place. The negitoro bowl is such a simple dish ingredients wise but they do something to it that makes it feel so homemade and delicious. I've had better hamachi (cut was like very very slightly not as fatty as I would like, though that may be personal preference, but for the price point it was an excellent appetizer. I wish we ordered more tempura because it was so perfectly cooked. We got the sweet potato and squid tempura, with the sweet potato being my pick for must-have when coming here. The staff look super happy and were very accommodating! We saw 4 different people bring plates, gave us recommendations on the salt/tempura sauce combos for the tempura. Will definitely be returning soon!

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Izakaya Tenkichi - Steep stairs. Much easier to navigate going up. Going down after some adult beverages? Better use the handrail

Steep stairs. Much easier to navigate going up. Going down after some adult beverages? Better use the handrail

Izakaya Tenkichi - Yuzu Cheese Cake ($5.50) - really sweet, especially with the granola. Would recommend getting a different dessert.

Yuzu Cheese Cake ($5.50) - really sweet, especially with the granola. Would recommend getting a different dessert.

Izakaya Tenkichi - Dinner Menu (1 of 12) as of 3/5/2026

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Dinner Menu (1 of 12) as of 3/5/2026

I-NABA - Uni, ikura and hotate don with zaru soba

I-NABA

4.4(813 reviews)
0.8 mi
•$$

Came here for lunch right after they opened. It was super packed, but luckily was able to get a…read moreseat. The service was amazing. Servers were constantly checking up on us and making sure we were okay. I got the zaru soba with tempura. The soba was delicious and the tempura was crispy and light. I also enjoyed the edamame rice that came with the meal. I saw they had fried mochi with zenzai. It was so yummy and a perfect way to end the meal. The mochi was crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The zenzai was not too sweet and paired perfectly with the fried mochi. Will be back next time the soba craving hits!

This was our 3rd time having lunch here and probably last. There are better places to spend our…read moredining out dollars for Japanese food. The standard soba size is on the smaller side and the tsuru dipping sauce doesn't taste as good as the competition. I think Kikuya has a better soba and dipping sauce and their shrimp tempura at Kikuya is twice the size and has a better flavor. Also there is a 3.5% add on for using a credit card and the prices on the receipt do not reflect the menu prices and after calling them to ask why they basically couldn't explain it. Very strange practice. The menu said that the upcharge to go from a standard to large soba size is $3.75 and the receipt said $7.50. That is quite a difference. The servers are a mixed bag. The younger ones seem more service oriented, or less burned out. I know there are lots of loyal customers, but we haven't found the food taste, quantity and price to be worth it for us. A soba lunch for 2 runs around $75 with tip, credit surcharge and tax. Kind of high for not a spectacular meal.

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I-NABA
I-NABA - Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice

Tempura Zaru soba with edamame rice

I-NABA - Hana soba

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Hana soba

Minatoku Kitchen - japanese - Updated October 2026

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