You guys, the food is incredible and the vibes are immaculate. Come check it out. I got the pork katsu bento for lunch. It was much larger than I anticipated (a good thing) and all items were fantastic. The pork katsu was a complete knockout - so tender, juicy, and flavorful. Rice was cooked perfect and the salad with dressing was wonderful too. Service was great - the lady working the counter was so sweet. Restaurant was clean and cute with the records and Japanese decorations. They even had a little toy shop for the kids. Food took about 20min, but well worth it! I'll be back. read more

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Tried them for the first time for their egg salad promo and boy was it worth it! Definitely comparable to Japan. Slight crunchy pickle texture in egg salad, big nice and light and the bread was perfect texture. We also got katsu on the side, and the batter was on point. Light and not too oily. Delicious with the katsu sauce. You know I had to do the trend of katsu in the egg salad sandwich! That was tasty! Will go back for the pork cutlet plated and other specials! read more

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Casual, laid back eatery on Waialae. You'll receive a cheery greeting as you enter. Order at the counter and pay before you find a seat. Drinks on your left. Water and self service grab your napkins, chopsticks and disposable little cup. Excellent ton katsu. As it is layered then fried, very easy to bite into. No knife needed. Breading is crispy, melt in your mouth. I shared a big piece with hubs and taking rest home- I know what I'm having for dinner tonight. Hubs said his shrimp burger was good. Located across the street from the old Queen Theater on Waialae. read more

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I have been wanting to try Nani Ai Katsu for the longest time. The outstanding Yelp reviews were a major factor. Today I had an opportunity to, since I was visiting a business sharing the same parking lot. I arrived a little after 11am. I ordered the Kasane "layers" Tonkatsu Bento. My order took about 10-15 minutes as it was made to order. It was freshly cooked and packed. I was home by car in about 20 minutes. The Bento definitely looked delicious and well presented. I transferred the food to a plate to enjoy. I think the combination of the just fried tonkatsu, the thinly layer pork and the steam from being in the enclosed takeout Bento box, caused the Tonkatsu to fall apart. That was a huge disappointment. When I went back on the Yelp reviews, that has happened before in reviews. My somewhat "deconstructed" Tonkatsu was still tasty but disappointing. To be honest, I have had better Tonkatsu in other take out Bentos. Nani Ai Katsu is a family owned business. You can tell they put a lot of care into their food. Unfortunately, it didn't work out with my meal on this first visit. I'm all for second chances and going back to try one of their other offerings! read more

Nana Ai Katsu - 100% Kurobuta Kasane Tonkatsu when I got home. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Texted my takeaway request for a Kasane Tonkatsu Bemto and a small Churry. A what, you ask? Not a curry...not a churro...but a mix of Japanese curry and Japanese (?) chili. You can call in or text, 8087720146, your order. I don't know of any app they might be affiliated with...or any online option. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the Churry and may offer it Friday. Their IG post stated availability only this Thursday and Friday. A bit disappointing but mitigated by the excellent katsu bento. The only quibble: they don't provide enough sauce. The thinky layered pork - mille-feuille style - was tender and the panko crust crisp. I haven't been to Nana Ai Katsu in a while and had forgotten just how fantastic their tonkatsu is...damn. read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm going to start with the best part..the tonkatsu. Hands down, made with perfection. Very tender, freshly made, and the katsu sauce was on point. At this price point, it couldn't be any better. We also ordered the Takoyaki and that was pretty good too, just a little too much batter for my preference but that's just me. Staying at this price point is well worth the value of the food because you will basically serve yourself. Don't get me wrong, the lady who greeted us and took our order was super friendly and energetic, but staying at this price makes sense because not only do you seat yourself which is a no biggie, but we had to ask for water when we realized we weren't being served and had to get napkins. Only chopsticks are on the table you sit at. We sat near the little koi bucket and as the sign says, the koi really do greet you which was super cute. Respect the koi should you choose to sit there lol. Definitely multiple returns for me. Oh, and they do close at 2p so make sure to at least get there by 1p if you would like to take your time to enjoy the deliciousness. But check their hours because they have different times on certain days. read more

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Food is so ono here. Service was quick. There are a few tables if you like to dine in. Ebi burger was so ono. Tonkatsu was delicious. It is one of hubby's favorite place for tonkatsu. read more

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4/2026 We have loved Nana Ai Katsu from the beginning of their Ohana Hale Marketplace in Ward! Absolutely love that they moved to Kaimuki much closer to us now! Service is always awesome LeiAnne is always friendly and smiling! Consistency... food is always top notch and focused on quality! Chef Mike always puts out quality food! There's never been an off day! Our favorites- Kasane Bento, chicken katsu bento, takoyaki, shrimp burger and when they have specials - menchi katsu burger, churry! They also have Japanese sodas for sale! They do dine in and take out. Tip: call or text ahead of going there so that you don't have to wait too long. They have a little shop inside with all kinds of Japanese snacks and toys cash only! Love that it's been consistently good from day one quality and service! Support local businesses so that they can keep in business! read more

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I really want to like this place. When we got our food, I was surprised by the portion size. However, the katsu meat is really thin and the breading is thick. The sauce they use for the katsu is a familiar taste; they use bull-dog sauce. The dressing tastes like the dressing from Sams Club. I don't remember it being this way. Maybe they changed? I feel like Koromo and Tamafuji are better. I guess maybe this place is considered a take out spot? It's pretty much serve yourself water, bottle drinks only and order at the counter. The place is clean and wasn't busy. You're most likely going to have to get street parking or go to the paid parking area and walk around a little bit. If you want an OK katsu place, I guess this is the place. read more

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The place for delicious, reasonably priced katsu dishes. Love the Uzumaki Shiso Roll Bento - so good! Casual, cozy, and friendly atmosphere. read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Uzumaki Shiso Roll Bento w/Moshi Sparkling Yuzu Soda - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was having a friend get together and wanted to get something quick and easy. Nana Ai katsu was right down the street. I texted them my order: numbah tree chicken katsu bento, papa size tonkatsu bento, and my favorite the katsu okonomiyaki (without fish flakes). The order was ready a little after 530. The chicken was jidori breast, but sometimes it's jidori thighs. I really enjoyed it and my friends did too! Parking is in the municipal lot where you can enter through Nana Ai rear entrance. The parking ended up being free for me because I guess there is a grace period of 10 maybe 15 min? So convenient and so easy to preorder ahead, pop in for your takeout and be on your way! read more

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Finally got the chance to pick up some food here a little while back and gotta say, all my friends that told me how good the food here is was right. The items we got were the Papa size tonkatsu bento, the Numba tree chicken katsu bento, the Uzumaki shiso katsu roll bento, and an order of Takoyaki katsu. These were all fantastic but the one that stood out for us was the tonkatsu. The kurobuta pork is thinly sliced and layered then panko fried. The thin layers really made the texture of the pork super soft and succulent. I've never had tonkatsu like this before and it was amazing. The chicken katsu was a standout as well. This katsu is made using jidori chicken and was moist and flavorful. Honstly everything we ordered were standouts. The bentos come with rice, potato salad, some edamame and takuan. Also included are some ground up sesame seeds and great tonkatsu sauce made in Japan...not the kind of tonkatsu sauce a majority of places here serves which is a mixture of ketchup, sugar, shoyu, and worchesteshire. They also use a short grain Japanese rice (koshihikari) which really has a nice flavor and texture. Their attention to detail for all parts of their dishes is top notch! One thing I was a bit bummed out about was they didn't have any Churry (chili-japanese curry mix) and didn't have the Saba katsu either. When I called in my order the day before they said they wouldn't be serving either of these for two weeks. A good reason for us to come back here when those items are available. read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Papa tonkatsu, numba tree chicken katsu, uzumaki shiso katsu roll, takoyaki. All oishi! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Honorary 6 Stars! I first visited Nana Ai Katsu in 2022 and they weren't fully open to the public yet. We got some take out, ate at a park nearby, and had our minds blown. I loved all the food and wanted to make a return visit this time in 2025. We didn't have a car and it's a little off the beaten path, but it was a reasonable bus ride away. We arrived 30 minutes before close at 1:30PM and unfortunately they were out of their pork and chicken Katsu. A nice consolation prize was the Spam Katsu and the Takoyaki. The Katsu here ridiculously good. There is the normal panko exterior, but underneath, there is a shell of crispiness that I can't recall at other restaurants. This was on both the Spam Katsu and the Takoyaki. Both were also seasoned really well. Takoyaki had an interior similar to a croquette. Staff is very friendly as well. Really nothing bad to say about this restaurant except their food is so good that items run out. read more

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Great food. Tonkatsu is one of a kind made in layers. The layers of meat make it super tender and it just melts in your mouth. It is super crispy and just perfect. The only thing keeping me from giving them 5 stars is that the service is a little weird, not sure how to explain it. Also the hours are strange so sometimes it is hard to catch them when they are open. read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've never tried Nana Ai Katsu, until my foodie co-worker asked me if I have been, she mentioned they got the best katsu ever and of course I have to make time to try it out. I also saw a Instagram reel from (@Tommy Eats) of the cute shop, featured pop up shop with treats from Japan by the owner's daughter. I love shops like this and I wanted to support her. Luckily my dentist was near by so I got to stop by just to check out the pop up shop, I got some some snacks for my son to try and he loved it. I went back again ( another dental appointment) and wanted to get him more of the same snacks but they were out. The goodies are cute, unique and cheap. Items varies and new items comes in every month, I asked the owner about it. Such a great entrepreneur! Now more reasons for me to visit Nana Ai Katsu. I finally get to try the katsu/bento, burger during this recent visit and OMG, WOW.. I fell in love. We arrived after 12:30 pm on a Friday, they were busy and only 3 items on the menu were available. Almost sold out, but happy I was able to try the bento & burger. I wanted to order the noodles and spam musubi but that was already sold out. There was a little wait for a table. We ordered at the front counter and waited for a table, self serve utensil, water- which is Menehune water dispenser. The shrimp katsu is huge, filled with 2 pieces of katsu and I can see the shrimp after cutting the burger in half. The shrimp bento is fancy in the bento container. We really enjoyed everything! Although I wanted to try the chicken, pork, and spam katsu musubi and they were all sold out, means I will look forward to more future visits and something to look forward to. I love the bottled drinks @$5., ( non alcoholic) that they have available, I tried the Yuzu ginger . I want to try the rest of flavors next time. Nana Ai Katsu is such a cute & welcoming shop, I loved the decor and welcoming vibe. Nana Ai Katsu is located at the Kaimuki, plenty of parking in the lot. Opens from 11-2 lunch and 5-8pm dinner. They are very popular so plan accordingly, this is my newest spot for katsu fix comparable to the other popular tonkatsu place without the wait. LOVE & Recommend! read more

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Looking for a place that makes you feel that you are eating in Japan? Then you gotta check out Nana Ai in Kaimuki. They use Kurobuta pork and Koshikari rice-and it tastes great. So if you are looking for great food at great prices then checkout Nana Ai. Plenty of paid parking in the back of the restaurant-we paid $2.25 but would have been cheaper if we didn't go someplace else afterwards. read more

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This place has very limited hours making it difficult to go there. We ordered take out. We had the kasane tonkotsu, shiso roll katsu and the shrimp kastu. The store was small with limited seats and a lot of nick nacks being sold on the side like Japanese candy and rubber toys. Sort of odd to me. We took it home and had it family style. The Tonkostu was delicious as I enjoyed the layered feature and crunchy exterior. The shiso roll had an extra umami taste and shrimp tonkatsu was interesting as it was a shrimp paste rather than actual shrimp. However it was quite tasty. The only thing I didn't like was the rice as it was mushy. Overall very delicious and I would go back for more. read more

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A small hole-in-the-wall spot about 10-15 minutes from Waikiki, this place came highly recommended by locals--and it totally hit the spot for our katsu craving. Now, this isn't your high-end tonkatsu joint, but don't get it twisted--the food is delicious! Served in a simple disposable container, the katsu comes out perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Just a heads-up: unlike traditional Japanese tonkatsu restaurants, there are no refills on the cabbage. But the trade-off? No reservations needed, quick service, and unique offerings like the shrimp katsu burger and spam katsu musubi. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area and looking for a casual, satisfying meal. read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

09/11/25 Anytime my kids come home, it's Nana Ai Katsu for dinner. Delicious, easy and filling. The bentos are perfect!...nice crispy, tender tonkatsu with sauce and sesame seeds, Japanese potato salad, rice with furikake, takuwan and hash. So easy, order and pick up. read more

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This was not my first time having their food, but my first time dining in :) My dad and I came here for lunch and ordered the katsu bentos. Their katsu is made with 7 layers of thinly sliced pork that makes it super tender and juicy! They have some tables to dine in if you want or you can take it to go. The katsu was piping hot when we ate it! It was pretty filling, so I ate about half and took the rest home so my mom could have some :) read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is nicely done kasane tonkatsu, where thin slices of pork are layered or stacked before being dusted w potato starch, dipped in egg and coated in a crunchy panko batter. It isn't going to be meaty and juicy like a really nice piece or whole pork, but it works fine and satisfies. I can make their Papa size tonkatsu into two meals. Their brick and mortar operation allows you to dine in. There are self serve utensils and water, with comfortable seating. Since the food is served in disposable containers they are still best as a take-out choice. If you dine in take a look at their daughter's pop-up. Now that she is older they've given her a dagashi-ya where she can make some spending money. Dagashi is inexpensive sweets and treats - nothing fancy. You put your money in a honor box. Get yourself a treat and support Nanami. This is not high end tonkatsu. There is chicken, shrimp, and spam also made into various katsu. But stick with the mille-feuille pork and you won't go wrong. read more

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The tonkatsu bento here is so yummy! Crispy, perfectly fried pork with a savory sauce, served with rice and sides that complement it perfectly. Totally satisfying and worth ordering! read more

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@fortunefoodfinds: "KATSU later! A Kasane "layers" Tonkatsu Bento, Premium Spam Katsu Musubis, n' a Shrimp Katsu Burger from Nana Ai Katsu in Kaimuki. Crispy n' comforting katsu, that the keikis can enjoy too!" Staff: friendly Interior: cozy, limited seating, was able to fit our stroller, offer self-serve water using coffee mugs, has a lil' snack/toy shop to the side Exterior: on Main Street, easy to find Wait time: 20 mins Parking: metered street or back lot Overall comments: the last time I had Nana Ai Katsu was when they were located at the OHM in Ward, which means it's been forever! Was excited to try out some of their current food items. My 4 y/o loves musubis so ofc we had to get their spam katsu musubis that came with tonkatsu sauce n' we all loved it. Da hubz had been eyeing their shrimp katsu burger n' we inhaled it, soo g0o0d! Had to get their kasane tonkatsu bento n' it was unique with the layers. You can tell a lot of heart was put into this. Appreciate a well-made meal! read more

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AHHH-MAZING KATSU! I can't think of something we got here that I didn't LOVE! The portion sizes are so humongous, meat is SO juicy, service was excellent, AND they have the cutest little japan knickknack store inside (so kawaii) If you haven't already planned your next pre-order I would recommend doing that ASAP bc this is some katsu you don't want to miss! read more

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This resto is so kawaii!! Delicious katsu specialties in this super cute town of Kaimuki. The lady is so nice! There are all kinds of Japanese goodies here to buy. Go check it out! read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Moshi!! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came back again and was pleasantly surprised! I wanted to try something different. So I ordered their Uzumaki Shiso & Porkbelly Katsu bento as well as their Yakisoba Katsu Okonomiyaki. Both plates were delicious. Clearly, it made me super full and very satisfied. My favorite was the Shiso & Porkbelly Katsu! I loved the flavor combined flavor of the Shiso leaf with the pork belly. It's refreshing and hardy at the same time. Lastly, the breading had a perfect crunch and the rice was nice and fluffy!! Overall, They make the food pretty fast, customer service was great, and food was amazing! I'll be coming back :) read more

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One of the best pork katsus I've ever eaten!! So juicy and flavorful! It was around $18.50 for my bento. The first bento on the menu. Everything was 'ono and service was great. Just gotta order at the cashier and they'll call you when you're ready to pick up and eat. There's even a cute little shop inside with cheap Japanese candies and toys. Highly recommend! read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Katsu plate - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My son loves the spam musubi and chicken katsu! I tried the tonkatsu and it was soft, juicy and so yummy! And the owner is very sweet and welcoming every time. read more

Came here from a local's recommendation on their shrimp katsu burger. It was outstanding! The cashier was super sweet and friendly and I love the quaint decor -- felt very authentic and Japanese. There's even an honor system to paying for the candies and snacks inside the store too. We took the one burger to-go to try on our way to our other destinations and man it hit the spot! Freshly warm and crispy! Once you bite into it, the cheese starts melting with the heat inside; just yum watch out though, if you eat right after you get it, it can be a bit hot. It's $10.99 not including tips. Highly recommend! read more

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If you're ever going to a small gathering and want to bring the best platter, bring the Reid Platter! My family ate it for super bowl Sunday (which they're smartly open on that day but only sell platters), and it was da bomb! It includes 10 spam katsu musubis (the kids love it!), 18 takoyaki katsu balls, and plenty of tonkatsu pieces! Oh and now can I forget the teriyaki sauce that goes good with everything!All for $73.75. To be honest I'd say it can feed 5-7 people, but it was soo one! Loved the staff too. It was my first time ordering takeout from them and they were patient, kind, and informative despite them being bombed with out phone call take out orders. I definitely plan on going back to dry their dishes, but it's a place that you should check out too. 5 stars!!! read more

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We've been wanting to try Nana Ai Katsu for a while. Heard about it through my fellow Yelpers. They certainly lived up to and surpassed our expectations. We tried the Kurobuta Kasane Tonkatsu wonderfully crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside couple with their own Tonkatsu sauce it was amazing. We also tried the Spam Katsu platter. Battered and Panko crusted, deep fried to perfection coupled with their premium rice and Tonkatsu sauce totally satisfying. Since there were 3 of us we also tried the Ebi Katsu Burger. 2 Ebi patties with cheese and mayonnaise coupled with their Tonkatsu sauce it was delicious. Service was excellent. Friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. They have a cozy dining area, but they do a lot of take out business. read more

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Back Again and Still Blown Away! I couldn't stay away! I came back just a few days after my first visit, and it was totally worth it. This time we tried the shrimp burger and takoyaki, and once again... I CANNOT GET OVER IT. The katsu here is unbelievably crispy every single time. I don't know how they do it, but I'm obsessed with everything on the menu. We also had the chance to chat more with the owner, and she is an absolute sweetheart. Learned a bit about her family and even got a recommendation for a great embroiderer in Osaka (what a lovely personal touch.) Between the incredible food, warm service, delicious beverage selection, and those little personal touches, Nana Ai Katsu has my katsu heart. I can't wait to come back (again and again). Mahalo for another amazing meal! read more

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Katsu on another level... If you're bored with the traditional katsu you must give Nana Ai Katsu a visit and shame on you if you haven't lol! Located right on Waialae in Kaimuki there is street parking which is the most difficult find though there are a couple of municipal lots nearby the search is very much worth the effort. With items like the Kasane which means layers in Japanese is exactly that layers of kurobuta and one of my favorites uzumaki shiso which is shiso leaves rolled between pork belly and is coated and fried...yum! This visit has me eyeing #4 Noodle Katsu Okonomiyaki as growing up visiting family in Hiroshima it's all I've ever been immersed in and is the comfort food for me to this day. There's no meat but the crunch level was intense and drenched in sauce and mayo this heavenly bite was me eating in silence while I saver each bite. The vibe here is very busy here and phone orders are very recommended but the staff and kitchen handles it all with such flair as I see folks walking in one after another and to advise us about the wait time is very much appreciated. Irene Ai this Katsu spot along with my besties and here we cheers to a lucky meal celebrated with a full belly and happy heart. Thank you! read more

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Really delicious shrimp burger -- I got it because it reminded me of the shrimp burgers I get in korea from Lotteria! Amazing katsu -- It was really juicy! Also love the koi fish near the front door read more

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Nana Ai Katsu has been on my to try list forever now. I never made my way here till now. Boy was I missing out! I got the roll with shiso in it....sooooo good! It had so much flavor! Nice and tender pork with crispy exterior. It left me wanting more! Hours vary, so make sure to check first. Parking is street or paid parking lot in the back. There is a sit down area if you want to dine in. I will definitely be back again! read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Uzumaki shiso roll - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A tonkatsu bento that can't be beat. A perfect to-go meal and an even better dine in experience. This place used to be in Ohana Marketplace, which served as a business incubator. I'm glad Nana got their own restaurant from their humble small stall. This is a juicy thinly sliced multi-layered pork katsu that is very juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Fatty pork, the wagyu of pigs has lots of inter muscular fat. Never a dry, tough bite for this tonkatsu. The bento is so good! No other place has katsu like this. It's even better if you eat it fresh in the restaurant. Order at the cash register. Everything is treated like take out. They will call you when it's ready to pick it up at the counter. Order a drink and find a seat. It's self serve, clean up your own mess. Their tipping system reflects the percentages that you'd expect for that type of service or don't tip at all. That's really up to you. Sitting in air conditioned space beats just sitting outside. Maybe they are a purist here, but a curry katsu option sounds good...I would order it. read more

Nana Ai Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Located on Waialae Ave, they have some street parking in the front or lots of public meter parking in the parking lot behind the restaurant. When I for dinner and was surprised to see Churry on the menu at first I thought it was chilli like most other places serving chilli, but this one had a twist of a chili with a curry flavor which was very good and tasty. They also serve there specially made tonkatsu and panko breaded spam musubi which was enjoyed by my Kesha & Matt! Pets are allowed they even have a board where customers of pets are posted! Family run local business read more

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I got food from here 2 times in a week, it was both takeout and I didn't pick up so I can't comment on the ambiance. The food was great and the portion size is on point and the price is right for sure! I highly recommend this place if in the mood for tonkatau! read more

Nana Ai Katsu - The bento box - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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