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Dinner in Honolulu, Hawaii... Thanks to my friend, Marissa, for setting up this fabulous foodie adventure! I had never heard of Nanzan GiroGiro, but have passed by this restaurant for years - without stepping foot inside or even realizing what it was! This was such a unique 6-course kaiseki experience! Each month, the menu changes, so customers may return and have new creations to see and taste! We found free street parking since we had 5:30pm reservations. We were the only ones there for the first hour or so... then, every seat was taken! It was awkward at first because all six staff focused on us. Later, we realized how lucky we were to get everyone's attention and clear explanations of each dish! I liked everything... especially the scallops, black cod, lobster bisque, and mushroom tempura! The beautiful ceramics and modern environment enhanced our meal! Thank you so much for my friend's complimentary dessert for her birthday! She really enjoyed the chocolate mousse!
What a gem of an authentic Japanese restaurant! I know it's been around for a while but it was our first time and what a delightful experience. A low key experience with high end flavors. Each dish was flavorful and presented beautifully. Service was friendly and low key and atmosphere relaxed and calm. Such an oasis! You have a choice of the 6 or 9 course meal which changes on the last Thursday of the month. The difference on the 9 course meal were 2 more "premium" entrees plus a dessert. We chose the 6 courses and were very satisfied. Will definitely be back!
Always a delight to have dinner here. Matsumoto-San and staff are excellent! We've been dining here for 10 years. Not as often as we'd like. This dinner was one of the best! Check out the menu... amazing flavors and freshness. Probably one of the best places to dine!
The February tasting menu was such a beautiful experience from start to finish. I did the 6-course option and every dish felt intentional, creative, and deeply thoughtful. The chef, originally from Kyoto, brings such a refined perspective to each course. You can feel the discipline and artistry behind the flavors -- but also a quiet boldness. Nothing felt predictable. Every plate had a unique twist that made me pause and really taste. What I especially loved were the explanations before each course. The storytelling added so much depth -- hearing about the ingredients, the inspiration, and the technique made the meal feel immersive rather than just delicious. And the presentation... stunning. The dishes and cups themselves felt like individual works of art. The ceramics were so unique and carefully chosen -- it elevated the entire experience. It wasn't just dinner, it felt curated. Service was exceptional. Attentive, warm, and polished without being stiff. The pacing of the 6 courses was perfect -- never rushed, never slow. This is the kind of place you go when you want to appreciate craft, creativity, and intention. Truly memorable.
Kaiseki 5 six course set menu, very delicately handcrafted by the Chef who has been serving this restaurant for 15 years; each course is unique, artistically presented, with balanced flavors Service 5 friendly, attentive Ambience 5 spacious, clean, minimalistic
Been to this restaurant several times in the past and the food and service have mainly been great. Reservartion is through text or email but you can also use Resy if you have the app. You'd get charged if you cancel reservation less than 24 hrs from reserved date/time. You'd get seated most likely around the squared bar-type area onlooking the entire kitchen/prep area. There are two or three tables in the back which may need to be requested in advance. No strict dress code as of yet, I've seen a range from relaxed casual to business/formal attire. Main downside is lack of parking nearby.
I'm only giving the dessert lounge 3 stars, not the restaurant as a whole, since they share the same establishment. The chef was extremely friendly and welcomed us with open arms. We went around 12:30 and there was only 1 other person in the restaurant. We ordered the Dubai chocolate crepe and an apple tart I believe. The crepe had a great flavor, and it was heavy and thick. The crepe is thin, the filling can be a little overwhelming and overpower the dish. The Apple tart had a very different flavor. The apple was cinnamon flavored and the texture was nice. I did love the crust as it was more crispier, and broke easily, which I liked. I feel there could be some potential here, just needs to tweak a few things, but overall it was a good experience!
We had this on our to try list and had made reservations on Resy a week before our mid-March Hawaii trip for Saturday at 6:30pm. Parking is street parking only and we were able to find a spot about a block away. The dining room has a U-shaped kitchen with 25 bar seats sits with three tables for four on one side. Since we opted for dining room seating, we were sat at one of these tables. The two kaiseki choices is a 6-course or 9-course menu. The 9-course menu includes two additional mains and a dessert. We opted for the 6-course menu since you can add any ar all of the three courses during your dining experience. Our servers were personable and described each dish as they were brought out. Our menu consisted of: Starter - Kauai shrimp Broth - Tai snapper tempura somen noodle Grill - Black cod Small carbo - Blue fin tuna from Japan Main - Duck breast Broth & Rice - Sawara Japanese Spanish mackerel grill Pickles - cabbage, cucumber, ume Each course was served in its own beautiful unique ceramic dish, which enhanced the dining experience. All the courses were delicious with Kauai shrimp, black cod and blue fin tuna as my favorites. Since we were celebrating a birthday, we were appreciative of the complementary dessert for the celebrant. We felt quite satisfied with our courses and did not opt for any of the three courses, Caviar, lobster, tomato bisque, Wagyu tenderloin or Orange cheesecake for an ala carte add-on. The restaurant updates their menu monthly. Hope to be back during our next visit to HI to taste a new menu and will opt for bar seating.
Here you can have an extraordinary experience and enjoy delicious food. We visited Nanzan Giro Giro in Honolulu to celebrate a friend's birthday, and it was absolutely wonderful. Each dish was beautifully presented -- truly like edible art -- and every course felt thoughtfully and skillfully prepared. Parking is street parking around the restaurant (first come, first served). If you don't find a spot nearby, there are additional street parking options within a short 5-minute walk. We went on Valentine's Eve, so it was busy, but perfect for a special occasion. Highly recommended for birthdays, anniversaries, or anyone wanting to experience elegant, traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine in Honolulu. At Nanzan Giro Giro, the experience goes far beyond the food -- the dishware itself is a work of art. Each piece is thoughtfully selected to complement the food it holds, with textures, colors, and shapes that enhance the presentation and elevate the entire dining experience. The way the ceramics interact with the ingredients feels intentional and elegant -- almost like viewing a curated gallery of edible art. The dishware helps tell the story of each season and course, adding a visual harmony that makes every bite more memorable. Whether simple or intricate, each plate contributes to the beauty of the meal and makes dining here feel truly special. The menu changes every month, with the next month's menu being displayed on the last Thursday of the month. [Note] If you enjoy savoring multiple flavors in one dish, you'll love authentic Japanese cuisine. Authentic Japanese cuisine has a light base of dashi, kelp, and bonito. The sauce, as shown here, is typically mixed with miso or soy sauce and vegetable puree. The combination varies depending on the dish. There are also simple grilled dishes. Foie gras and other Western seasonings are sometimes added. These are considered secret ingredients and are left to the chef's discretion. If you only enjoy butter, lemon, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, ketchup, gravy, animal fat, tomato sauce, olives, and balsamic vinegar, this restaurant will offer a completely different tasting experience. February menu. 6 course menu $88 先付 Start 椀 Broth 向付 Mukoduke 小鉢 Kobachi くずし Main 食事 Broth&rice 香の物 Pickles A la carte 進肴 15 of 9 炙りカンパチ、ポン酢出汁ジュレ、ズッキーニ貝割れ著荷おあげさん、ほうれん草 seared Kona kanpachi, ponzu vinegar jelly zucchini myouga ginger radish sprout, cook fried tofu, spinach ロブスタートマトビスク和え、卵豆腐、西京味噌出汁、ライム Lobster and tomato bisque, Egg tofu, kyoto white miso soup, lime 本鮪、にんじん、蓮根なます、大葉、カリフラワーソース、山葵 Blue fin tuna, carrot lotus root pickles, shiso, cauliflower sauce, wasabi ホタテと炊いた大根ソテー、牛蒡すり流し、マイクログリーン Scallop, cook daikon radish, gobo burdock soup, green 銀鱈幽庵焼き、胡麻豆腐天、ケール豆乳ビシソワーズ、舞茸天、山葵 black cod, sesame tofu, kale sauce, maitake, wasabi 鴨、フォアグラソース、出汁茶漬けご飯、三つ葉 Duck, foie gras sauce, broth and rice, Mitsuba 白菜浅漬け、胡瓜糠漬け、梅肉、わさび hakusai cabbage, cucumber nukaduke, ume puree, wasabi The following is an a la carte menu that can be added: 以下は、アラカルトで、追加可能メニュー 前菜 オナガダイ、あん肝ピュレ、奈良漬け、キャビア、もなか Onaga snapper, ankimo monkfish liver puree, naraduke squash pickles $38 caviar, Monaka sandwich 強肴 和牛、塩昆布ごはん、大葉、山葵、香味醤油 $38 Beef from Japan, konbu seaweed with rice, shiso, wasabi, onion ginger soy sauce 甘味 Desert チョコレートムース、レモンクリーム、苺ソース $12 Chocolate mousse, chocolate soil with lemon whipped ganache and strawberry gel matcha その他は、9品目のメニューあります。 2026 February menu. 9 course menu $168 先付 炙りカンパチ、ポン酢出汁ジュレ、ズッキー 二貝割れ茗荷 Starter おあげさん、ほうれん草 seared Kona kanpachi, ponzu vinegar jelly zucchini myouga ginger radish sprout, cook fried tofu, spinach 椀 ロブスタートマトビスク和え、卵豆腐、西京 味噌出汁、ライム Broth Lobster and tomato bisque, Egg tofu, kyoto white miso soup, lime 向付 本鮪、にんじん、運根なます、大葉、カリフ ラワーソース Mukoduke Blue fin tuna, carrot lotus root pickles, shiso, cauliflower sauce 小鉢 ホタテと炊いた大根ソテー、牛蒡すり流し、 マイクログリーン Kobachi Scallop, cook daikon radish, gobo burdock soup, green くずし、銀鱈幽庵焼き、胡麻豆腐天、ケール豆乳ビシ ソワーズ、舞茸、山葵 Main black cod, sesame tofu, kale sauce, maitake, wasabi 進肴 オナガダイ、あん肝ピュレ、奈良漬け、キャ ビア、もなか Onaga snapper, ankimo monkfish liver puree, naraduke squash pickles caviar, Monaka sandwich 強肴 和牛、塩昆布ごはん、大葉、山葵、香味醤油 Beef from Japan, konbu seaweed with rice, shiso, wasabi, onion ginger soy sauce 食事 鴨、フォアグラソース、出汁茶漬けご飯、 三つ葉 Broth&rice Duck, foie gras sauce, broth and rice, Mitsuba 香の物 白菜浅漬け、胡瓜糠漬け、梅肉、わさび Pickles hakusai cabbage, cucumber nukaduke, ume puree, wasabi 甘味 チョコレートムース、レモンクリーム、苺ソー ス Desert Chocolate mousse, chocolate soil with lemon whipped ganache strawberry gel 抹茶 matcha green tea
Awesome seasonal menus they keep rotating and it's always amazing! Definitely recommend if you want to try what the chef meticulously designs and creates for this amazing experience. Definitely if you're looking for something unique and to have a great time. Good spot for dates or just a nice night out. The entire staff is amazing and would definitely come back!
If you don't know , now you know. lol Food was off the wall. It was amazing, course only. Menu changes every month, reservations are highly recommended. All of the dishes plates , bows , and cups. Are all custom made. Super superior restaurant, very clean kitchen, it's actually open kitchen you can see the head chef cooking everything in front of you. Gotta give it a try here on what ever occasions.
The Wagyu dish came submerged in a clear, sticky, slimy liquid that had the exact texture of mucus. I honestly wish i have never tried it. It tastes weird just like raw meat wrapped in mucus as if someone sneezed on it. It didn't help that the mucus didn't have any flavor adding to the wagnu other than ruining the texture I was actually excited when I saw the tempura black cod on the menu, because normally tempura is crispy on the outside and tender inside. But instead of leaving it alone, they decided to drizzle a sauce all over it. The sauce wasn't flavorful, didn't add anything, and only succeeded in making the whole thing soggy. It completely ruining the texture and masking whatever natural flavor the fish had. These are just a couple I picked out and the course did not have anything I could remember how it tastes like after five days. These two dishes are just so bad I forgot to take pictures of that's left of the course. Just don't go. I'd rather eat at home. my dad's cooking is way better than this. I used to complain about his cooking. What's even worse is that the dessert showed that whoever designed this menu not only has no taste (just putting random stuff tgh) but also cared nothing about the customer. U can see in the image that the dessert is just cheap industry produced cake that I can buy in Costco or target for one dollar each. Strawberry sauce is okay but what is going on with the cake. I don't even eat this kind of cake when I am broke. Ok maybe it is just those two dishes. If u don't care what u eat and don't expect much from ur food. This place is good for you. I have expectations unfortunately. I only give two stars when I originally put 1 star only bec I give 1 more star for service. I also need to deduct 1 star for the terrible dessert.
Can't believe this is our 6th year in Honolulu and we have yet to try this place which has been around for 15 years! It's such a gem! We were a little worried we might not be full after but we left with a full stomach. It was such a unique meal and everything was great and tasty. We chose the 9 courses and it was amazing. We are definitely coming back soon!
2 years ago
===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
1 year ago
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
Such a fun 9-course culinary experience. Reminded me of some of the kaiseki meals back in Japan. I was stuffed after 9 course and probably should have gotten the 6 courses. However the beef and foie gras sauce dish that accompanied the 9 dish was amazing.... Just not sure if it was worth $100 extra. :) The pacing between courses could have also been slightly slower because I often felt I was trying to finish the course since they had brought out the trays to next course already. Most of the seats are around the bar center counter in the restaurant but because we were in a group, we were seated at one of the three back tables. I found the tables a bit close together so probably better to go with even larger group of 6 minimum to secure the space. Service was super friendly! read more
2 years ago
Very delicious meal close to the big mall on Honolulu less then 2 miles from Waikiki worth the visit but Uber/Lyft would probably be easier to get to this restaurant read more
5 years ago
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
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
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
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
4 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
5 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
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
4 years ago
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
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
4 years ago
I was really excited to try this place based on the reviews and the interesting menu. Sadly, it did not live up to expectations. The interesting ingredient combinations did not result in any good flavor combinations at all. First, parking was ok. It's a bit confusing because most spots in the immediate area are marked "private parking" and the limited restaurant parking was already full. We parked a block away at metered parking which was plentiful. We ordered the 9 course ($165) and 6 course ($88) menu plus one kid's meal ($25 plus $15 for dessert). All of the items had interesting ingredient combinations like okra egg and lotus root sesame tofu, not none served to highlight any of the star ingredients or flavors. The lotus root sesame tofu ended up being this nasty gooey slob (it was also included in the kid's meal and mine didn't want any of it and neither myself nor my partner wanted it either!). Three of the six courses was soup-based. We like soup but didn't really come for a soup tasting. The most disappointing dish was the main course, pork with heart of palm (again combo didn't work). It had a strong bland straight boiled pork flavor. The only dish that was good was the duck course with foie gras sauce (included in the 9 course menu). The abalone was tough. I've had abalone at other places that prepare it so well. Lastly, the dessert was a hodgepodge of random things that didn't go well together (almond cake, chocolate mouse, apricot jam, and raspberry macaron) - none of them stood out. We were also given a dessert for my child that we didn't order but I paid for it since we ate it even though it wasn't great. The service was good and friendly. The open kitchen concept was good, but food except for the duck course was unimpressive. Lastly, the bathroom was maybe one of the worst restaurant restrooms I've seen on this trip. It was practically public restroom level...pretty nasty and the sink faucet was broken. read more
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
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
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
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
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
4 years ago
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
1 year ago
4 years ago
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
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
2 years ago
3 years ago
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
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
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
4 years ago
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
More info about Nanzan GiroGiro
560 Pensacola St
Honolulu, HI 96814
Ala Moana
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(808) 524-0141
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https://www.nanzangirogiro.com
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