I drive past here all the time and never really noticed it, but my aunty took my mom and I here on a sunday at 6pm and it was life changing. They have good covid protocols, they are wearing masks and gloves and they have plexi-glass dividers between parties. The menu is Kaiseki- style, pre-fixed for the month based on what is seasonal in Japan. This is one of my favorite ways to eat because you get to try so many different things. There is a 9-course meal ($143) and a 6-course meal ($78), where the difference is two courses and the dessert course (you can add for $15, which of course I had to!). My mom and aunty both got the 9-course, but one of the extra courses had lobster, which I am slightly allergic to so I only got the 6-course, but my mom shared the other course with me :) It is sooo much food, but honestly every course was so delicious. Beautifully plated and somehow a lot of differently flavors so beautifully woven together without being overwhelming. Some of my favorites of the night were the starter, which was yellowtail with a kale soup and yuba soymilk paper. The yellowtail melted in your mouth and the kale soup was soooo refreshing. I could eat that all day. I am not a huge foie gras person, but when I tried the sauce on my mom's unagi, it was sooo good- rich yet delicate! I also really enjoyed the Oshinogi course- 3 pieces of blue fin tuna, at different levels of fattiness- this was so so delicious. The broths of soup dishes were also so good- light, yet flavorful. The dessert was also nothing short of amazing- who knew raspberry lemonade and azuki bean would go together? Loved that it ended with matcha to balance out the sweetness. Overall, this was an amazing experience and I want to come back next...every month!! read more

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My partner and I enjoyed the omakase with sake pairing and the food was absolutely divine. Everything was delicious and the chefs were extremely friendly and offered insightful comments about the origin of the food and why each sake was chosen. The room is small and more intimate which helped us enjoy our food without distractions. read more

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===TL;DR=== - Kaiseki style dining (pre fixe menu): 6 course: $78/ pp or 9 course: $143/ pp (I chose the 9 course) - Reservation recommended! - Let the chef know if you have any food allergies ===TMI=== If you can't decide what to eat, you're at the right place - let the chef decide that for you. If you want to change it up a bit instead of your traditional Omakase experiences, highly recommend this place. They host a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner with seasonal items varying month over month. I love how accommodating they were in terms of reservation times. I would get a text from them, providing live updates if they had cancelations or if we want to move our reservation time up if their schedule opens up. read more

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My husband and I came here to celebrate our 1yr anniversary. I selected the 6 course set meal while my husband chose the 9. We were greeted by friendly staff and seated promptly. The courses were served one by one, perfectly/purposefully timed, and each were delicious. The chef seemed very dedicated to cultivating tasty and beautiful dishes. They even gave us some dessert on the house~ read more

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Been here 4 times! I always forget to leave the review on this restaurant! I always come to this restaurant every time I visit Oahu. Love their menus and they change their menus pretty often. What I like about this restaurant is they provide very good service and food is always on point! And course menu always make you full. I probably don't recommend you getting premium course menu as I think they are usually not worth it imo! But always had great experience dinning here. Def number 1 restaurant in Oahu for sure! read more

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What a GREAT way to start our vacation! Had dinner with good friends here and this is one of their favorite places. Everything here was unique and created with each component that played a role in the dish, as well as with unique components such as sweet potato egg tofu!!? Delish!! We had the 6 course tasting menu which changes monthly. They are super careful and plan out where you sit and placed shields between parties so I felt very safe and had a great time! First we started with sake and opened with a delicious tea - can't recall what kind but it was one I had never heard of. Also little known fact - all their ceramics were custom made for their restaurant! Check out the little seal on my sake cup! Our meal included: * Starter - Japan Bluefin Tuna, burdoc roots puree, spinach, radish pickes and shisio * Soup - Black cod yuan, sesame tofu, lotus root ankake soup, mitsuba cayenne * Mukoduke - Duck, sweet potato egg tofu (delish), eggplant, Shiso, mustard seed pickles * Oshinogi - Guji Amadai Snapper, Foie gras sauce open sand, zucchini pickles * Main - Beef, Pork, heart of palms meat ball, Kona Abalone, Abolone soy, Kabocha pumpkin soup, greens, oaga fried tofu, bell pepers * Rice - Tai snapper and the broth, radish rice (that had some bits of crispy parts), wasabi, bubu arare * Pickles - Hakusai cabbage, cucumber and ume puree * Sweets - Brown sugar custard, honey pepper soymilk and peach cream We also ended our meal with whipped matcha tea!! What a great meal - great experience - with great company and we got to meet and talk to the chef and owner. I didn't realize he also has a restaurant in Kyoto! Highly recommend this place - parking may be a bit challenging but it's doable - just come a bit early. read more

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A Happy new year 2023 1st restaurant I picked that is Nanzan Girox2 3 years ago, Coronavirus pandemic started. My 1st choice was Nanzan Girox2. 2022 end of the year My doctor told me that I can't eat the rich foods because my cholesterol is extremely high. I have begged my doctor n he told me, okay once month I can go Reastaurant My choice Nanzan Girox2 again January menu 6 course excellent again But this review I would like to inform The Crockery exhibition by Ito Nanzan at this restaurant on 2/21 n 22. Nanzan Girox2 is good foods, great service & nice atmosphere But not only that, their dishes are very unique & colorful & original All crockery, Nanzan Girox2 are created by Ito Nanzan who is the owner of this restaurant If you have a time please go this crockery exhibition I promise you it will be the great experience n fun to see his professional skills PS I will be a way from Hawaii 3 months, missing Nanzan Girox2 read more

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Visit on 2/15/21 AMAZING experience! I would come here again in a heart beat. + Extremely friendly/awesome service + Really great price point that is quite affordable for anyone who wants to spice it up but not by too much + Creative dishes that is suitable for pretty much anyone and everyone Parking: street parking. Nothing else is really open around this area, so it does get a bit dark. However, the restaurant is brightly lit so you should feel safe. Menu below is for February 2021. Everything was SO GOOD! Starter: cod roe tempura, ikura salmon roe, hiyamugi noodle, shiso, green fried tofu, ginger uma dashi Broth: snow crab tempura, carrot egg tofu, cream broth, yuzu citrus Fish: sea bass teri, gobo burdock roots sauce, wasabi, lotus root Main: pork grill, sesame tofu, vook daikon radish, kyoto white miso soy milk soup, green Meat: duck, cauliflower puree, bell pepper vinegar Rice: beef, onion soy sauce, foie gras sauce, wasabi, rice Soup: red miso soup, yuba soymilk paper, sansho pepper Pickles: nappa cabbage, ume puree, cucumber nukaduke Sweets: + cheese cake, grilled apple, soy powder honey ice cream, black soy beans, coffee mouse + kyoto tsujiri matcha green tea NOTE: The restaurant owner is an avid pottery (?) artist. Everything used during your meal (tea cups, bowls, plates, etc) are all hand made! If you want to purchase any, you can ask the employees there to help you. They also have some on display in the corner. Overall, highly recommend. It was $68/person without dessert, and with dessert it's an additional $15/person. read more

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I'm a huge Kaiseki fan and was very happy I was able to make reservations this time around for Nanzan GiroGiro. We had a choice of either the 6 course for $78 or 9 course menu for $143 and decided to go with the 9 course. Might as well go big or go home! Some of the highlights for us were the Hamo eel, Hamo broth and noodle. The eel and broth were tremendously sweet and appetizing! The black cod, kona abalone and sesame tofu were also delectable especially the sesame tofu. I felt the pork and duck dishes were a bit on the dry and chewy side. The chef did excel on his sauces as I always tried to lather everything up so it didn't go to waste. But it was a hit or miss with many of his courses. As for the pricepoint, I felt I have had much better in Southern California with n/naka and also in Japan. But food taste is very subjective, so to each their own! read more

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Note: this is a COVID era takeaway review. The restaurant offers a dine in option as well as takeaway. Perfected takeaway kaiseki experience. It looks like a bento. It is NOT. This is the same food served in the restaurant's dine in kaiseki experience. The same seasonal ingredients. The same complex flavors. "Courses" flowing with the same progression of complimenting and contrasting flavors. The best part, it's half the price. Sure, there is no beautiful plating, the temp contrast between courses may be lost, and you might need to microwave the tray for 10 seconds as you near the end of the meal but did I mention, it's half the dine in price? IMPORTANT: for the true kaiseki experience, eat each "course" individually following the included menu. Menus change monthly. Some highlights to showcase the complexity of dishes: Carrot egg tofu - Silky smooth carrot puree is added to house made tofu and egg creating a light, creamy, mousse like block oozing sweet carrot flavor. Smoked dashi and a crisp piece of dashi imbued lotus root add a balancing earthiness. Salmon - Flash soy marinated then grilled crisp on the outside, well done to lock in the flavor on the inside (not dry). It sits on a gobo / dashi puree. A soy simmered slice of lotus root adds texture. Fresh grated wasabi brings all the flavors together. Duck breast - Fat removed, perfectly roasted sliced duck breast sits on a smooth umami supercharged cauliflower puree. House made deep fried sesame tofu (crisp on the outside, bit in and soy milk burst forth) compliments, its richness cut by a mouth bracing sweet sour sauce of roasted bell pepper pure and rice vinegar. Foie sauce rice - Closing course. Perfectly cooked rice from Japan topped by an insanely good sauce of pureed foie and dashi. All the beautiful livery notes of foie made better by the umami backed dashi. Natural glutamates make the flavor explode. The entire meal (add a couple bottles of sake) experienced in the comfort of home across two hours. Follow on IG for monthly menus. DM, email, text, or call to order. It's been getting better and better and now Nanzan Giro Giro's takeaway offers the most unique Japanese takeaway meal that should be experienced. read more

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I've been here a couple times now and Nanzan never ceases to amaze me. Consider it a relaxed kaiseki meal; each dish is delicately created with the utmost detail of flavor, ingredients, presentation and best of all - taste. The open kitchen design brings a nice atmosphere and all the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate in recommending this place and I'll keep coming back as often as I can. read more

We went to Nanzan for my friend's birthday and the birthday girl got a free dessert! That was really nice. We had the six course set menu and almost every single one of them brought a bit surprise! I would highly recommend trying out the April menu. Just to share a few photos as a teaser. Don't want to ruin all the surprises. The waiters were very friendly and they lowered themselves when talking to us to make sure they were at our sight level. They also helped us move the table to get a better lighting. If the owner or anyone from the restaurant is watching, I recommend redesigning the lighting layout. The dishes and the tableware were so much more beautiful when they were in the right lighting. Another thing is the bathroom... I felt like when I entered the bathroom door, I entered a different world. It was not very clean and it smell... It could be great to do a bathroom remodeling so that the entire experience lives up to the quality of the food. read more

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We love going to Japan but due to the pandemic Hawaii was the closest to Japan we will get. One of our friends highly recommended here. We texted and the restaurant was able to accommodate us last minute. The menu just changed and we were so excited!!! We were torn between the 6 and 9 course. We didn't want to be too full so we chose the 6 option with the wine pairing. We would usually choose sake but we chose the wine pairing option. Everything was truly amazing. Each presentation was so pretty and the dishes were beautiful. And the wine pairing went so well with the food. We were also celebrating our anniversary and they decorated our desserts. We love the open kitchen option so you can see everything in action. And not to mention, the service was exceptional! Everyone was so friendly. Although I really wanted to try the uni and lobster on the 9 course, I am glad we went with the 6 course option because I was so full. read more

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Place is a must go if you love Japanese Kiseki! Food was amazing and service was great! My favorite dining experiences in Waikiki! I had the 9 course and it was a lot of food and would have been satisfied with 6 however two options were Tori and wagyu katsu therefore couldn't resist. Highly recommend and it's fully worth it. read more

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It was just "OK." I feel like it was overhyped and I expected more. It was fish heavy and although I like fish, I also like a variety of meats/protein. I don't think I would come back. read more

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This place totally exceeded my expectations. The parking is right in front of the restaurant but limited so we had to park on another street but didn't have an issue, it was also still early around 5pm so we may have got lucky. We were greeted once we entered and seated immediately. I was a little opposed when I noticed we'd be seated next to other people, but honestly it wasn't that bad and we ended up talking stories with the people next to us, however if you go when the sun is close to setting it gets pretty hot, maybe from the sun and extra body heat around. Once the sun set it felt cool again. We decided to get the 9 course since it had stuff the 6 course didn't have. It was definitely filling, everything looks small but don't let it fool you! The menus change monthly, and this months one was amazing!! I'll post pictures of everything, all I have to say is everything in the course was amazing!!! I loved everything. We found out that the owner is also an artist and creates all of the dish ware that the food/drinks are served on. They also have a little art gallery on the side with the dish ware to purchase. 10/10 would come again! read more

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Nanzan GiroGiro offers a 6- or a 9-course menu, with some single-dish options. Our course 9 dishes $168 +a starter - nothing special +a broth - steamed tai snapper with lotus kale tofu, tai broth - the soup is not warm. It is cold. +1st of 9 courses - caviar, anago eel, scallop, foie gras sauce, wasabi? Nothing special +2nd of 9: ... +pickles are also included as part of the dish. However, they serve just three pieces of cucumber and a small amount of cabbage in a soy sauce dish. It's a shame I couldn't take a picture. +rice +and, dessert - Honestly, It seems they prepare these in advance and serve them little by little. This is not omakase but rather dishes that consist of pre-made food ( all fish is dried or overcooked) served in small portions while charging a high price. Service is okay! The dishes come out incredibly quickly, So, when we asked the server to slow down the pace, they did. The server said they would let the chef know, but I'm 99% sure everything was pre-made. The dishes are much colder than expected, even those that are supposed to be served warm. In conclusion, it's not worth the price. If you're willing to waste money on the experience, then I'd recommend it. read more

Saw an influencer posting about this place and was so excited when I managed to snatch a reservation two days before. Opted for the 9 course and that was a mistake! Should've just stuck with the 6. The 6 course would've been a better value for what we got. Everything was not bad but overall not impressed. read more

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Nanzan GiroGiro is a kaiseki inspired Japanese Restaurant in Honolulu. The interior is beautifully decorated with minimalistic approach. How do I explain my experience here. Its good, eatable, good course meal but it lacks this one factor in each category. Its just very mediocre, but I would not say this restaurant is bad in any ways. The course went through nicely but presentation really lacks the sensual factors to satisfy both eyes, nose and the palette. The meal flow was excellent but overall it could use extended menu other than the one they have now. The extended menu really is just add on of few items but I think if they make the kaiseki meal into more presentation art than the food, it would make the experience much more sensual. I would definitely eat here again times to times, as they offer a great decent Kaiseki meal in Hawaii. But I guess my expectation for the Kaiseki word in general, I'm used to much higher level dining experience. read more

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Came here for my birthday dinner. (October 10) Usually, I go to my dinner same place(suppose to be 12th year) but during Covid, they suspended and not yet reopen. So, I looked for another restaurant this year. BINGO!!!!(*´`*) This restaurant comes from Kyoto, Japan. They have only course which changes every month. They use local ingredients and also some ingredients come from Japan. So, you enjoy Hawaii ×Japanese Kaiseki. October Menu ・First Course:uni, ahi, chamame, eggplant, Brussels sprout, and sesame sauce ・Soup:lobster bisque, cheese egg tofu, white miso with Yuzu kosho soup and Kupu micro ・Muko:duck, mountain potato, mitsuba, shiso, green onion sauce, noodle, umadashi ・Main:beef, monchong, kabocha tofu, foie gras sauce, wasabi, water cress, yuba ・Kobachi:ikura, seared scallop, shungiku, eringi mushroom, shiso, tosaわvinegar sauce ・Broth and Rice:hamo eel and the broth, maitake pea sprout tempra, corn rice, wasabi, nori Pickles:napa cabbage, ume purée, cucumber nukazuke ・Sweet(usually not including course, this time complementary for my BD):chiffon cake with semi dried fig cream cheese, coffee caramel and cherry sauce, golden kiwi with lilikoi custard Japanese style is one dish is small, but when you finish the course, I'm sure you already full(or enough). The restaurant is open kitchen and counter seat around it. Also they have some table seats but I recommend to have seat at the counter. You can enjoy watching how they cook. All staff are so nice, friendly, and professional. Their dish wear is from potter Nanzai Ito, and each dish is unique and beautiful. My mouth was home sick because I cannot go back to Japan, but for now no more!(lol) I did enjoy all dishes and satisfied my BD dinner! Hope come here every month!! Have to make a reservation for dine-in. (Seat is limited) For now, during Covid, they do both dine-in and take out! read more

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Came here for the first time on 6/25/20 for the July 2020 tasting menu and it was a great experience. 6 course tasting menu. They ask you if you're allergic to anything and some dishes you may enjoy or not. No choices a preset menu that changes monthly. Experience was wonderful! As you walk in they give you hand sanitizer and seats are mostly at the island where you can watch them cook. I loved some of the dishes. Parking is limited here! read more

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3/14/22 No one died. No one got sick. Well sorta kinda, but not really their fault. Everyone survived to live another day. Might take some extra overtime though to repair the hole in my wallet, but whateverz.... didn't lose the roof over our heads. Blessed be God for keeping us safe driving to and from too. No car accident. No one ran us over as we walked from our car to the door... ...but that is not to say we didn't suffer here. First thing I noticed as I walked through the door was it was hot and humid. Thermostat read 81deg. Nice. A little light sauna is umami too right? After we sat no one came by for 10min. Okay.... maybe I should start with this: it's $80-140ish / person not counting drinks. So, you know... we're not talking Denny's k? Eventually we ordered: 1. Wine Pairing "9 Course" $77 (4 oz paired with selected courses): Let me warn you--they only pair 2/3rds of the dishes. I've never had a situation like this at 20+ Michelin star restaurants, and I even asked why we were missing drinks. Forgot the answer. Ripoff. But I will say most of the wine was delicious at least. So, when we sat down, the table next to us spoke completely in Chinese but I did hear them say that it was really hot. I eventually asked the waiter if they can turn on the AC, and they did. Much better. The table didn't realize we asked, but I heard them later say in Mandarin that they felt much better. You're welcome. Alright so from this point on, the capitalization is exactly as it is on the menu. I left it because I thought such great writing from their 5yr old should be recognized!!! (I did fix their commas though to improve readability--but trust me, it was originally quite artful too.) 9 courses menu March 2022 $143: 2. Seared yuan Scallop "Potato Egg tofu, Mountain potato, Cucumber, Shimeji, sesame seed, vinegar jelly, Green, lime": The scallops were extra dry and dense, like well aged beef--in the best way. Unfortunately the rest didn't add flavor. Tofu was plain and rustic and the vegetable lacked seasoning. 4/10 3. Red snapper minute cook "and the Broth, Zucchini, pea sprout, Lime zest": Flavorless soup--if anyone attempts to call this unami, call bullcrap on them. It's basically lightly salted water. Hell, I think the salt itself overpowered any residual flavor that could have been hiding. The fish was dry and overcooked, the plating messy. 3/10 4. Japanese Blue fin tuna "Abalone&heart of palms, Chives, cream, wasabi, Shiso": I think the sashimi was marinated due to its silky texture, but the flavor didn't seem affected. The abalone was remarkably tender. Notably, the plating was again messy and my dish looked different than my gf's though they were supposed to be the same. 6/10 5. Beef "Onion, Ginger, soy sauce, Lotus, puree rice, Local Radish, Wasabi": Steak was cooked perfectly. Congee had good texture and light flavor. Alas, I dunno, it didn't feel suitable for the price--needs something more. 6/10 6. Black cod soft roe "Black cod, sesame tofu, micro red, Green Parsnip, White miso soup, Yuzu kosho pepper": Was alright. The cod roe was nice to eat but didn't have any special flavor. the cod fish was okay, not very silky. Tofu was cool--the sesame in tasted like peanut. Overall felt pedestrian like my gf's casual stew. 6/10 7. Duck "Gobo, Foie gras sauce, Green, Shungiku puree, mustard seed": Now we're talking! Duck was tender and juicy. Whatever the green stuff was it was too strong so I pushed it aside. Couldn't really taste foie gras but the sauce was delicious. The first dish worthy of the price. 8/10 8. Lobster "Egg custard, Tomato Bisque, Uni sea urchin": The lobster was extremely overcooked. The chawanmushi was silky but full of holes, which shows the chef's lack of technique. Uni was too tiny. 3/10 9. Seared Japanese Ono Sawara fish "Rice, Yuba, Broth, Mitsuba": No notes. 10. Hakusai cabbage "Cucumber Nukaduke, Wasabi, Ume puree": No notes. 11. Sweets "Red beans Mochi, Orange confits, Quinoa sugar, Sake Lees Ice cream": I enjoyed the plating, and I especially loved the combination of the unique "ice cream" with the dimsum-like warm fried stick. The ice cream was something like a puree, and had a unique texture--a bit gritty and creamy at the same time. 8/10 Also on the menu: "Please understand that your table is booked for 2 hours. Thank you."--seriously? What a low-class thing to say for a meal costing me $380 after tip. 6 courses menu March2022 [yes] $78: My gf got this. Same as 7 items from above. Oh yeah!... 12. Kid's Meal, on the house (black cod, special sesame "tofu" and rice?): Oh I should note, they have GREAT food for kids. And even extra fancy plastic silverware so they don't hurt themselves. THAT was indeed cool of them. Maybe the best kid's meal ever--and it's FREE! 10/10 1/5 #honolulu #japanesefood #japanesecuisine #hawaii2022 #oahu read more

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probably my favorite restaurant in honolulu, i try to come here most times that i'm visiting. i just love the simplicity of the restaurant space, the clean flavors of the food, and the attention to the details that the servers provide. have generally been seated on the bar itself, so you can watch the chefs work, but also have sat in the few tables in the back. between the two, esp for first time, i think the bar is where the action is at. the amount of food is generally perfect for me on the 6 course, but they also have a 9 course menu. dessert is an add-on for the 6 course, and you can also add-on a wine pairing for either tasting, which i always do. i always enjoy the sashimi/first course, but i also enjoy the soup/rice course as well. definitely make a reservation, and if you have any food allergies, you can let them know in advance, and they are very good about that. highly recommend! read more

This was one of our favorite meals during our trip to Oahu. Fantastic Kaiseiki meal with top notch service, ingredients and culinary. Each dish was simple yet rich and it was great to watch it all go down at the kitchen counter seats. Will definitely come back next time we are in town! read more

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I liked it, I didn't love it ... (don't hate me) I think I have the absolute worst luck when it comes to Valentine's Day. This year, I was bedridden with food poisoning (no, I did not inflict this upon myself). I'm glad they allowed us to reschedule. I love that they're accommodating to food allergies. I love the healthy concept ... I just think it was a little too healthy for my liking. Overall, I enjoyed everything, except the first course (it was a little too abstract for me). Every detail had lots of thought and energy devoted and I appreciate the staff and wonderful service. Maybe you'll enjoy this place a little more than I did. I wouldn't say this is my cup of tea (although the tea was really nice). Thank you, next. Thanks for reading my reviews! Let me know what I should try next!! read more

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Excellent food, service and experience. Fixed Kaiseki style menu that changes monthly. We had the 9 course option. Everything tasted great. Each course is small but very high quality and creative. The service was superb. Multiple servers brought the 9 courses and explained each of them as they were served. The servers were very friendly and some of them took the time to chat even though they were so busy. The only minuses were the odd restroom setup with the shared men & women's sink and the scarce street parking. Best to come early to get street parking. The food was excellent and so were the friendly staff so I'm thinking of coming back. read more

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Well-crafted dishes throughout the entire dinner, absolutely fantastic. Nanzan GiroGiro offers a 6-course and 9-course meal, the main difference being the 9-course provides the Duck Fois Gras, Lobster with Uni, and the Sorbet dessert. If you are considering Nanzan GiroGiro, I would highly recommend choosing the 9-course meal. The 3 additional dishes made all the difference - the duck was perfectly cooked and paired with the tomato vinegar sauce. Throughout the dish, you'll chew on mustard seeds which provide refreshingly small notes of spice. The lobster with uni was extremely decadent. The uni teleporting you to the sea while you chew on the meaty lobster covered with lobster bisque. The dessert was an incredible ending to this meal. A "toast" covered with brown sugar butter, paired with mango, strawberry, melon sorbet, and lemon custard. The sorbet (which was great on its own) was elevated by the bitter notes from the dark brown sugar butter with a toast-esque texture. *My only complaint would be that some of the employees frequently touched their loose facemask and then handled the sake bottles, which was concerning only since they would touch the mouth of the bottle when the cap was removed.* Despite that, I'll definitely be returning and encourage all of my friends to stop by when they're in town! read more

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Definitely worth a visit even if you aren't hugely into Japanese food mostly because the chef and staff are so accommodating. They had no problems doing a few substitutions. The price is rather high but so is the quality, taste and presentation. Dishes come out at a nice pace and while not huge by the end of the night I was full and satisfied. The tableware is amazing. I got a bit nervous when they said one bowl cost several hundred dollars. read more

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Great sushi and great service. Not over the top fancy fusion that everyone is doing these days. Tasteful pairings and a set menu that changes monthly. Parking is harsh but so is everything in Honolulu. Setting was cozy and comfortable read more

This is a Japanese fusion tasting menu restaurant, not focused on sushi/raw fish omakase. The menu changes every month and I had a chance to taste the 9 course tasting menu for June 2022. Overall the menu was heavily focused on soups (both warm and cold). There were also a number of items involving pureed vegetables. All items were pristinely prepared. As a tasting menu however, I felt the items lacked variety. As someone who finds great joy in experiencing a variety of textures in my food, I was quite disappointed by the tasting menu. Some of the courses were also so oily that I could not finish the portion. I would have been more satisfied with more variety in textures throughout the tasting menu. Service is good. Location is near Ala Moana Center. The temperature in the restaurant was warm, I was sweating the whole time. read more

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Dined indoor on: August 19, 2021 at 7:30pm 9 Course Dinner ($143) I was first introduced to Nanzan GiroGiro in 2013! One of my friends highly recommended it! Since then, I've dined here about 4 other times and I've been to all of their restaurants around the world (Tokyo, Kyoto, and Paris)! My most recent visit was in August 2021 and I dined solo during my work trip! It's always such a treat coming here! I LOVE kaiseki! I did the 9 course dinner. They also have a 6 course option available. Their menu changes every month! The staff here is super friendly and wonderful to chat with! You will not be disappointed with your dining experience! Food is amazing! I love the dining space and its open kitchen! So fun to watch them plate your courses! I love their dinnerware too! I've bought several pieces while traveling in Kyoto! Other facts: I had made reservations via email and was able to get a spot! They also have kid's meals available for kids under 12yo for $25. They take COVID very seriously. When you're seated they have you fill out a contact tracing form. They have little clear partitions between you and the other party. read more

Food and service were excellent. Ambience is not there for a fine dinning experience. The restroom is like a gas station bathroom.

Covid Era Review - Same great food, same great service. Please make reservation and follow their update for the monthly menu. One of the hidden gem in Honolulu that aren't overpriced - yet. read more

This September menu is really good I would say so far the best one over all before experience. Service is great, will give 5 star for the lady who is serving us. Only small negative is parking slightly short in parking spaces. read more

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Honestly saying, food was good and tasty and I liked the vibe in the restaurant. However, I expected more of "Sushi" type of Omakase but foods served there was more of cooked dishes. Amount of food hmm... was okay for me but not like 'Oh I'm full'. However, I can't complain that the price was cheap enough for course meal. Chef seemed dedicated to serve good food, just wasn't my expectation of Omakase. If I lived in Hawaii, I'd go for anniversary for the vibe. read more

Nanzan GiroGiro - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I have had Kaiseki (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) back in Japan a few years back and really think this place comes close to it! Upon entering the establishment, you get pretty much a chefs seat no matter where you sit and you see the chefs bustling to make a perfect meal. I brought my family of 4 here (all adults) and they were truly amazed. The restaurant switches their menu every month so it makes us want to go back for next months! Pricing is affordable compared to the more expensive omakases. Loved it. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was the bathroom. I love fancy restaurants with fancy clean bathrooms. I must say they will have to up their styling in this room. read more

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We've been enjoying Chef's dishes for years now and he never fails to amaze and satisfy on a number of levels. Delicious, creative, beautiful food served in ceramic ware hand made by artist Nanzan Ito. Menu changes monthly with ingredients reflecting the current season in Japan. Never had a problem finding street parking. Service is impecable and friendly. 10/10 on the beverage topping scale. read more

Nanzan GiroGiro - Yuan Grilled Sakura Trout from Hokkaido, Gobo (burdock root) Sesame Tofu, Ankake Broth, Junsai (water shield) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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After living near Nanzan for years before getting to eat here, I always wondered, "what is this beautiful, white, mysterious restaurant that I keep driving by?" and I'll tell you the wait was worth it. I've been here twice already and have not been disappointed at all. It's really nice to sample the Kaiseki style of Japanese cuisine which is soooo different from the sushi, ramen and Japanese bar type food that I love. Each month's menu changes based on what's in season and is a beautiful combination of Japanese artistry with French-style techniques. Not all dishes that I tried were perfect, but how often can you say that, especially with a menu that changes so often? It's easy to master something if that's the 12th month in a row you make it. ;) My only complaint this time was that after getting the 9 course tasting menu with accompanying wine pairing, I felt a little short-changed when I noticed by other party member's wines which were 5 oz pours were much larger than mine, which was supposed to be 4 oz pours. After speaking with our waitress, I guess too many lightweights couldn't make it through the 7 or so full pours without um, re-tasting(?) some of their previous courses, if you will. After inquiring, they were happy to up my pour to match what was advertised. With their beautiful presentations combined with ever changing mix of favors, I'm looking forward to the new menus to come! read more

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Food is good, service is amazing but I think it's a bit... overpriced if I'm being honest. We came here to celebrate my friend's birthday. Between the two of us the dinner was over $150/person (about $380 total). The courses are definitely thoughtfully made but I wasn't blown away, and at that price point, I expect to be blow away. Also, if you prefer restaurants that really focus on the bringing out the essence and flavor of the food (like me) as opposed to more gastronomy-focused-type, I don't think this will be your favorite restaurant. For example, we added the uni course as we both love uni but the uni plate didn't taste much of uni, if that makes sense. Service is amazing for sure, so if you have the means to spend and like to enjoy a leisurely meal, absolutely go for it. If you don't have such means, I think you could try other places (or 3) for this price point. read more

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Hubby and I came here as Belated Valentine's Dinner! What a treat! Here is the quick and dirty low down if you have never been: - Reservations are STRONGLY recommended. Just call and reserve - Be ON TIME. Don't be on island time, they might give your spot away. Plus, parking is limited. - Don't expect a menu. Just trust the chef. It will be awesome. - Price wise, yes it is pricey. Worth it, very much so. Ig was one of the best meals I have had. So anyway, hubby made reservations. I kinda felt bad, because there was a very big chance he would have to eat fish. He's not a fan of fried fish. Anyway, we were seated and showed what the courses would be. We also decided we would have dessert. (Go big or go home. Might as well) Our courses came one at a time, and each time we were blown away by the playing, unique flavors, great taste. It was just phenomenal. What was really mindblowing was my husband enjoyed the courses with fish!! Hallelujah!!! He actually ate fish and liked it! After dinner, we were stuffed! It seemed like small plates, but they were filling. We remembered we also got dessert. The moment we saw it, you best believe we made room. They also gave us a hot cup of matcha tea to wash it all down with. Service was impeccable. They introduced each course and the inspiration behind the dish. They also had a suggestion on how to eat it. Food was amazing. If I could, I would have kicked the bowls clean. I know, how lady like of me. My husband surprised me the most! He loved every dish, even the fish ones! The food was unique, had great presentation and everything tasted delish. Ambience was very intimate. The tables are shaped like a U. Everyone sees the chefs making EVERYTHING. You see it from start to finish. Overall, this was our favorite dinner date of the year! If you haven't tried this place just do it. read more

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