Was walking around the Kaimuki and came upon Okata Bento, a true hole in the wall establishment, only for take out. As the sign says, please be patient as everything is made to order. Everything is cut to bite size pieces which makes it great for us. The bentos along with your choice of entree, came with rice, shredded cabbage, kamaboko, luncheon meat, fish, egg, and takuwan. If you're hungry order the regular size one. Everything was very tasty . They are only closed on Sundays, at least that's what the sign says. read more

Owner/cook Lyndon Okata opened Okata Bento, an iconic, old-school, hole-in-the-wall, Japanese take-out plate lunch and bento shop on Dec. 1981 in Kaimuki. (Thanks to Yelper Craig T. who reminded me that it has been awhile since I last visited Okata Bento.) Initially started as a food truck, Okata Bento serves bentos, plate lunches, donburi, and sandwiches that are known for their quality and reasonable prices. Each bento comes in 2 sizes (medium & large) and has a layer of topped with furikiake, mahimahi, luncheon meat, egg roll, takuan, kamabako, and shredded cabbage; choices of entrée are teri beef/chicken, char siu chicken, mahi mahi, chicken/pork katsu, mix bento. Each plate lunch comes with 2 scoops rice, shredded cabbage, and mac salad; choices of entrees are the same as the bento and also hamburger/teri burger steak, loco moco, and luncheon meat/eggs. Donburis come in 2 sizes (mini & large) and include oyako, pork/chicken katsu, gyudon. Sandwiches include a variety of burgers, teri beef/chicken, mahi mahi, chicken katsu, luncheon meat/egg, grilled cheese. Hubby and I had the following: * Oyako donburi. Topped with sliced onions, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and a mixed egg on rice, it was not overly sweet, but simply delicious! * Large bento mix of teri beef/chicken. Cut to bite-size pieces (great for toddlers), the soft and tender chicken and beef were glazed with slightly different teri sauces that seeped through the rice, making it very delicious and flavorful! We enjoyed the sides - egg roll, takuan, fishcake, shredded cabbage, mahi mahi, and luncheon meat. Yes, a side of mahi mahi even! And real luncheon meat, not spam! * Teri cheeseburger. Tasty homemade burger topped with cheese and flavorful teri sauce, which was a little messy to eat with the teri sauce oozing out of the bun, but am not complaining because it was so good! The food items are simple, delicious, and old-school or how we remember them being made many years ago. No fusion cuisine, no additional add-on ingredients, but what it was, pure and simple. This is a one-man operation. Owner/cook Lyndon will write your order on a notepad, take your payment (cash only), and prep/cook your order. As all requests are made to order, there may be a wait if there are others before you. Lyndon is efficient, as he has been doing this for years. Prices are very reasonable and below market prices for what you get. Note that Lyndon has no plans of going digital, as he believes it would increase prices. This is literally a hole-in-the-wall takeout shop only. Once your order is placed, you wait outside on the sidewalk until your order is ready, as there is no room inside. Old school eateries such as this have mostly disappeared, as owners have retired without any interest by others to take over due to the hard work and long hours required. And this includes Lyndon, who has two grown children who are employed in respectable jobs in New York City. Hours of operation are Mon to Sat (generally) 12n to 4p, Sun closed; since Lyndon is the sole worker, he determines his work hours, so don't be alarmed if it's late to open. Located at the top of Waialae Ave next to Cowcow's Tea and between Center St and Koko Head Ave, the restaurant does not have its own designated parking. Parking is available in the municipal lots across the street or metered parking along Waialae Ave. We do not go as much as we would like to due to the sometimes long waits and lack of parking, but we enjoy the delicious offerings of Okata Bento. We hope to go more often before this shop disappears if owner Lyndon decides to retire. Yes, this is how it was years ago and brings back good kid-time memories! Support local! read more

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Update on Okata Bento today for lunch decided to pass by the establishment if there was a meter parking I would stop . Luckily right in front of Bank of Hawaii there was a parking so I parked . I ordered a cheeseburger for my wife and a mini chicken Oyako Donburi. I loved their Donburi very plain which is good only onions, mushroom, eggs and of course the chicken Katsu on top . The sauce was not too sweet just right how I like it . My wife said the cheeseburger was very good she said old school type of homemade beef patty little crispy on the end. The bun also crispy left on the flat top grill for a few seconds. The sauce was all mixed in . Just a reminder cash only and if you're in a rush this place is not for you . It's a one man show the owner cooks on the grill and takes your order . He also cooks made to order so it takes a little longer . Also parking can be a hassle if there's no metered parking available you'll need to park in the municipal parking across the street . Support local read more

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I found out about this place back when they were slinging $2 burgers but inflation has finally caught and now they sell $5.25 cheeseburgers if you add tomatoes for $.75 and another $.75 for onions you have a $6.75 cheeseburger. I added a macaroni salad which I think was a 4 oz Mac salad that costs $2.50 for maybe 4 bites The burger was good, not spectacular but good. It was a bit pricey for what you get but it is cooked fresh and hot. If I'm in the area and just a snack, I would support small businesses and drop in to order some food. This is a take-out only restaurant and has no where to sit and ate. read more

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Very old school spot in cut on waialae. One of the best oyakodon. That's my jam. Small spot, if gets busy might have a wait but worth it.

I sadly came to find Bento Box Closed today. after reading reviews I was excited to have the experience for myself. I can not post without giving a Star rating so I find myself leaving a 3 cuz I can't really in good conscience comment other than I was excited to come & now sadly disappointed. But I look forward to my return read more

Okata Bento - Sadly closed this Friday - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Okata's Bentos never disappoints. The service is great. The bentos are delicious, generously portioned, and consistently fresh. Best of all, the prices are excellent for the quality and amount of food you get. It's hard to find meals this satisfying at such a fair price these days. Highly recommend if you want good food, great service, and real value. I'll definitely keep coming back. read more

We found a literal hole in the wall food joint. We walked down a little hallway and ordered out of the window the man cooked it right in front of us. We ordered to Teri burgers. We could smell it right through the window. It was super quick service and very straightforward. I got two thumbs up for my son, would go again. read more

Super ono !!! But open hours are very spotty and phone seems to be always full and cant take messages . Free Parking is a little difficult here not much available but worth looking for one . Bring someone with you so that they park and wait in the car at the paid stalls The Teri beef and char shui chicken Bento is delicious and everything else read more

Wife loves it here and she raves about their plates.I was fortunate enough to try the double Teri cheeseburger and I think I shed a tear while eating it cause it was unbelievable tasty and flavorful.Will always come here if they are open and I'm around the area.Aloha to you Okata bento read more

One of my fav local spots. It's just a vibe. Sometimes the hours posted aren't accurate - they'll just be open for however long they feel like it and they accept cash only, but if you catch them while they're open it's worth! Really good freshly made food for a good price. I will always come back here! read more

The OG spot for bentos on waialae (no joke, they've been around for 40+ yrs!) whenever I'm in the area, love to grab tonkatsu or teri-burger and head to the beach to enjoy. Remember to bring cash, as they are a cash only establishment - there is a FBH across the street so you can always pull out cash at the atm. read more

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This is always a great spot to visit. If you are expecting it to be ready quick, then I suggest you go when you have more time because they make the food to order so it is always fresh. The prices are reasonable and the taste is consistent. My favorite is the burgers as it reminds me of the "old back store" that used to reside in back of Washington middle. Iykyk. Love the green river and grape drink. Their Oyako donduri and char siu chicken are also yummy. Can't say there isn't anything on the menu that I didn't like. Give it a try, you won't regret it. read more

Best ever. Been coming here since 80s. Everything food wise is the same. Have patience, Lyndon is a one man cooking show. Well worth the wait. read more

Okata Bento - Chicken katsu and Teri hamburger mix plate with a Teri chicken sandwich. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My friend and I used to explore the Bay Area for good burgers. We're not looking for any fancy burger where you add a ton of toppings/sauces and the calorie count is like a million after everything. What we enjoy is a good old fashioned burger or cheeseburger (doubles/triples). Nothing like an old school burger because of the beefy taste of the patty. He recently came to Hawai'i to visit and raved to me about the burger/cheeseburger he had last visit to Hawai'i. As he was describing where he got it from, I didn't have a clue on what he was talking about. He also didn't recall the name of the restaurant. After he searched for it and found Okata Bento, I was shocked I didn't know this place existed. Okata Bento is a true hole in the wall restaurant in the Kaimuki area. It's more of a small hallway with a window to order from and that's it. Their menu is simple and the prices are quite economical. The only thing that was odd about the menu is that they have burgers but don't offer fries. It's all good because I drove down Waialae to pick up an order of fries elsewhere. Okata Bento offers burgers, plate lunches, bentos, sandwiches, drinks and a hotdog. They are cash only and they don't make your food till you order it. I was second in line when they first opened up around noon but the kind person in front of me let me order first since I was in a rush. Since my friend raved about their burger/cheeseburger, I decided to order them. It took about 25 minutes before I got my name called out to pick up my order. After I picked up an order of extra crispy fries elsewhere, I headed home to eat. The burger/cheeseburger was smaller than expected but they tasted good. Their beef patty was soft and juicy! Maybe I came in with high expectations but their burger/cheeseburger didn't blow me away. It's still good for what it is and definitely worth the price you pay. I think next time I'm going to get a bento since I see so many Yeeps raving about them. Great hidden gem in Kaimuki (next to Asuka and across Coffee Talk)! read more

Okata Bento - Burger (Top) & Cheese Burger (Bottom) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The home of the 2D bento since 1981. Not joking, no matter what angle you look at it, buggah is flat. Doesn't mean it's not good. Simple, local kine grindz from another era. Fried luncheon meat, not Spam, kamaboko, takuan, rolled egg, a piece of fish and whatever you ordered sliced up in bite sized pieces all atop a bed of rice and slivered cabbage. Marinades are strong. The old school flavors bold. The fish is always overcooked and rubbery but so what? It is exactly what it should be. Nore: All proteins available for the bento can be ordered as a plate lunch (two scoops rice, mac salad but none of the other bento sides). Mac salad can be ordered as a side for the bento; $2. Inexpensive. Everything $10.50 or less. Cash only. Odd anthropological observation - On a recent Saturday, over half of the customers were Zoomer tourists. Watching how they interact with each other and their environment and trying to figure out their bizarre abbreviated language is wildly entertaining. 2D but spanning four generations, impressive. Not destination worthy rather a back of your mind neighborhood place that always satisfies. read more

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No other words except that this is one of the best places in Kaimuki and that Mr. Okata deserves all the support for his one-man show. Truly a gem in the heart of Kaimuki read more

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Let me just start off with giving this guy 5 stars. Why? Even if I didn't taste the food, I can tell this guy had determination that deserved 5 stars right away. Anyone that can keep a place running for around 40 years deserves all the kudos he gets. To top that off, he is still cooking his own food! To the left of his small ordering area, he has articles about him - yes from 1982! Most of the people reading this might not even be that old. This is pure dedication. Not only that, he is not greedy. His prices seem out of place nowadays. I mean, I paid close to $7 right down the road for a single hot dog. At Okata, this can get you any double hamburger or two teri burgers here. I've been walking by this place but never looked. It's an old sign, weathered and beaten and it looks like a single hallway with a door. I never thought to turn into it and look to the right. In the middle on the right is the ordering window/opening. When I went there, someone had ordered earlier and she said it was good and she usually gets the bentos. Well, when I went to peek, I saw this guy making 4 beautiful teri burgers. Now, I am actually not a fan of teri burgers, as I grew older, I just didn't want that sweet taste anymore, but these were beautiful and I can tell skill when I see it. I already had 3 hot dogs from Muki Dogs (and they are VEGAN hahahaha). But I figured I'd get a bento for my son from this place, just to try. But as soon as I saw these beautiful burgers being made, I knew that's what I was going to get! YES!!!!! Well, as I was waiting to order, another lady came and as an order was being picked up "she said CAN I ORDER, I WANT TO ORDER". Well, I didn't even order yet and I was at the window. I would have let her order if she was really in a rush, but he calmly asked me what I wanted. I ordered 3 teri burgers! YES I DID! The lady impatiently walked in as I walked out and she ordered something. Well, after a while - longer than you might think because yes, he cooks to order like real food the order was close to completion. As I waited I read his stories on the wall. A very interesting and a very dedicated guy. Apparently his two kids are in New York. One is a designer. Anyway, he calls out something about a cheeseburger and asks they want lettuce. OK, this is the lady's order. She says she doesn't care - she just wants her order. Again, he calmly calls out my name and hands me my 3 teri burgers while she is impatiently waiting for her burger to be finished. He's a pro. He knows how things operate. Now to the food. As I said, I am not really into teri burgers, but I can tell this one is good. It was a little too sweet for me, but I know it was the taste of 40 years of cooking local food. This guy takes pride in his food and I am going back for sure. Enjoy these places while you can. read more

They (or he) didn't answer the phone for half an hour yesterday so I haven't tasted the food. The pictures look so good. But either he went back to selective hours, or it was just so busy that the phone orders weren't important. Called from 10:30-11am. Still wanna try the food. read more

What makes a community special, small town Kaimuki, a business that helps to weave the unique character of this east Honolulu spot. Okata Bento has been a backbone small business in Kaimuki town for decades. The owner Lyndon is a one man dynamo who sometimes has an assistant to help. The one consistency has always been his attention to a quality food product. We have always been partial to his bentos, others enjoy his delicious sandwiches while others enjoy the classic plate lunches. Nothing fancy, basic, delicious offerings- when you go to Okata Bento you know what to expect. Whenever our son comes home for a visit, a stop at Okata Bento is always on the list. These are difficult times and small operations do not have the deep pockets of big box stores to survive for a long period. Thank you Okata Bento for being a strong link for what makes Kaimuki Town a special place to live and visit. Support local businesses, let's help them get through the pandemic. read more

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I have been a customer since the early 1980s. Everything on the menu is excellent, and I eapecially like the Bento which had teriyaki chicken plus a small piece of fried fish and a half slice of fried luncheon meat, all perfectly seasoned and served in a bento box on a bed of white rice and chopped cabbage. This is a real old school Hawaii-style bento. It all tastes and looks almost exactly like it did in the '80s and that's a good thing! Highly recommended! Please note that they may not always answer the phone if you try to call-in a phone order. Keep in mind they may only be a one or two man operation (dad and son) depending on the day. They have to prep food, cook it to order, and serve as cashier for each purchase. So you have to be understanding of this cherished-legacy of a Kaimuki small business. If they don't answer, just drive over and park in the metered stalls on street. Then stand in the short line (sometimes no line) to place your order. The prices are very reasonable and the food tastes great. It will be well worth your while! read more

First time trying this place and I'm all my years of eating chicken katsu this is the smallest piece I have ever received. Small amount and also super small pieces of chicken. See photo for size comparison. My sauce packet was bigger than my katsu. Also my daughters piece of mahi was smaller than a chicken nugget. Food did taste good but don't think I need to go back here. read more

Okata Bento - Chicken katsu bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I can't believe it's taken me this long to try out Okata Bento's ono grinds. My wife is from the 'hood, my kids both live off of Waialae Avenue and my mother's care home is up the street close to the Kaimuki fire station which means that I am driving pass Okata Bento almost on a daily basis. As I drive pass heading Diamond Head or going the other way on Waialae I always glance over at the Okata Bento sign and tell myself that I'll head there one day. Well, that one day finally arrived after picking up food at Happy Day for my mother. Our order was going to take a while so my wife and I decided to do some walking to kill time and sneak in some light exercise. We had intended to go to Noods but the line was kind of long so we peeked into Okata Bento. The owner, Lyndon, was manning the grill and I could smell good food coming out of the small pass through window. Teri chicken and mahi combo for me, mahi sandwich for my wife. While waiting for our foods, since every order is cooked to order, I had a chance to listen in on small time chatter between Lyndon and his regular customers. Lyndon has an obivious regular following! The food? While the servings were not massive it was plenty at a very decent price. I could tell that Lyndon was not using pre-made commercial sauces. Check out the photo I posted of the Flux Hawaii article on Okata Bento. It is spot on and I will be back to try his katsu next... read more

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Hidden "Hole in the wall" place. It has character. Yes, it's a bit divey... but the food is good and the price is great! Only thing is that there's NO parking. It's ok, plenty of metered street parking. Fee-based parking lots across the street (About 2+). I ordered 3 mini bentos. Chicken teriyaki, combo bento with tonkatsu with charsiu chx and another combo tonkatsu with Teri chx. All orders are MADE TO ORDER. So please have patience, looks like a ONE-man crew. read more

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Okata Bento is a hole-in-the wall place. Have done take out from this place since the 80s. Very good food!! Kudos to the owner (a one man team). He' is very nice and pleasant. read more

I'm a sucker for Mom & Pop shops! It's just so nostalgic of the Hawaii I knew and loved growing up. I'm stunned as to why I haven't tried this place earlier!! Everything truly is made to order and it's a small place, so please be patient. If you're on a time crunch, I would definitely call in advance. You can grab some Cow Cow while you're waiting lol Yelp BFF and I were in the neighborhood. Neither of us have been here, so we thought to give it a try. I ordered a mini loco moco and BFF got the mini tonkatsu and teri burger. The loco moco comes with a side of mac salad. The loco moco was ok. The tonkatsu was so cute with all the extra sides. The teri burger was pretty good. I like mines saucy and sweet and it was just perfect! Everything tasted like a hug :) Definitely worth a try. I will be back! Thanks for reading my reviews! Let me know what I should try next!! read more

Amazing. Great deal, great food. All around amazing. It's just a cool place filled with history and a great owner! Service is prompt and the meat is always well seasoned. read more

Although I've passed by this place many times, this was our first time getting food from here. I've always seen folks waiting around outside and it's must be because it takes quite a while to make the food if you order at the window. (Took almost 30 minutes.) To be fair, there is a sign letting you know that food is made to order and to be patient. Portions are on the smaller side but fair for the price. We got the chicken katsu donburi (good), Teri hamburger plate (ok, burger was a bit well-done and sauce strong/salty), and char-siu chicken bento (didn't care for chicken, small hard pieces of chicken and the sauce didn't taste like char-siu flavor to me, but liked the egg and luncheon meat). On the fence if I'd go again, but might just to try other dishes. Definitely call ahead to order. read more

Located in Kaimuki, Okata Bento is right on Waialae across from coffee talk, it's a small hole in the wall takeout restaurant. The menu is decent, and the food is made to order. I had the burgers here a couple of times, and it's nothing special. But it's not bad. My wife had the mahi-mahi sandwich, which is okay also. There are two difficulties for eating here. One is everything is made to order, so you might wait 20 minutes before you can even order, and then have to wait for it to be cooked, which if you consider this from another light it's actually a strong point! Your food is fresh and hot when you get it. Second challenge is finding a place to park. There's really no parking on Waialae so you might have to park a block away and walk. More 3.5 Stars than four stars...wish yelp had an option to give a 1/2 * All in all it's a decent burger, but a real challenge unless you can find parking and have the have time to wait. read more

Okata Bento - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've always heard about Okata Bento, but never got around to trying it. Finally, we decided to try it for lunch a few weeks ago. Okata Bento is a small one-man show. We parked around the corner in the parking lot behind the Bank of Hawaii Building. It's actually designated parking for Pipeline Bakery which was closed that day. If you're lucky, you can find street parking or you can park in the metered lot across the street. We arrived early, around 11:45, so I tried to call in an order so it would be ready to pick up as soon as they open. Unfortunately, I called several times and was not able to get a hold of anyone. They also open at 12"ish" meaning it could really open around anytime. It was a bit inconvenient to wait, not knowing when they would really open. I would recommend arriving around 1 pm to ensure the shop is open. After going back and forth to our cars, we finally got to order around 12:30. It was blazing hot outside, and unfortunately there was no shade or breeze. I wish they had a better ordering system. It's really hit or miss, so you just have to go there at the right time I guess. For food, I ordered a mini loco moco bento and a mini bento with tonkatsu. The bentos are pretty affordable but they are on the smaller side. After placing our order, the food took around 10 minutes to prepare as everything is made to order by one man! He takes orders in pairs and prepares everything, so it can take a while to get your food. I wanted to try a bit of everything so I decided to get two mini bentos. I don't eat a huge amount for lunch, but the two mini bento's are equivalent to a normal plate lunch portion at another restaurant. The loco moco is on the bigger side and comes with a homemade patty, egg and gravy all over rice. The hamburger patty was a delicious japanese style patty. It was juicy and tender! And the gravy was probably my favorite part. I thought the flavor was really rich and so delicious. Although loco moco is fairly easy to make, I thought this was one of my favorites to date! My mini tonkatsu bento came with a slice of spam or luncheon meat, egg, takuwan, kamaboko, and fried fish. This bento was way smaller and the meat sizes were almost miniature looking. The chef trims off the fat on all the meat which is why the pieces are so small. Everything was delicious - the flavor was great and the pieces weren't oily at all! I would recommend a large bento or a plate lunch though if this will be your lunch meal. The food was delicious but ordering ahead is hard and the shop can be unpredictable at times. I would love to see an online ordering system or something to help minimize waiting time! read more

Okata Bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is a tiny little place. One man does everything, so if you don't phone order it could take a bit to get your food. We had the mahimahi and chicken katsu plate with toss salad and rice. Both were cooked well and tasty. We also had the Teri chicken and char siu chicken plate with toss and rice. The Teri chicken was great, the char siu chicken was okay. I might not have known it was char siu chicken if I didn't order it. It tasted fine just not super char siu-ish. We also had the tonkastsu with rice and toss. Tasted great, crispy and almost no fat, which is how I like it. We've eaten there a handful of times always consistently well cooked and good taste. He is a very nice person also. The only thing is that the plates are on the smaller side. So if your starving, you need to either order more food or maybe not eat there. But we will certainly eat there again. read more

1. The workers are so very nice. 2. Be patient as everything is made to order. 3. The food is tasty. 4. Street Parking Only 5. Limited hours read more

Okata Bento - Large Bento - Teri Beef & Mahi Mahi - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best hole in the owner super nice mahi-mahi burger was perfect and the mini hamburger steak thanks so much for the Ono food

chicken katsu bento box sub toss salad = $10 ! one man in charge of everything, so much respect for him and enjoyed his food very much read more

Okata Bento - katsu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was asked the other day my favorite burger place. I couldn't give an answer. I am not going to name who I thought wasn't my fave. Today I went to Okata Bento and now I can name their Teri Cheeseburger as my favorite! The bun is so soft, and the Teri and mayo juices on the burger make it outstanding!!! The chef was polite and friendly despite it being busy and hot. Thus making it all the more reason to get 5 stars! Mahalo!!! read more

Okata Bento - Teri Cheeseburger - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Called for over 1/2hr to place my phone order only to get a busy signal:( i finally got through and ordered a char siu/mahi-mahi bento... I think i was too excited to try this place(?) it looked really good but it was just meh‍. Char siu chicken tastes nothing like it's name, mahi was ok, and I prolly enjoyed the luncheon meat the most lol. At least there was parking right around the corner. Would I return? Maybe if I was in the area. I'd try the hamburger steak next. read more

Okata Bento - Char siu chicken/mahi-mahi bento. Doesn't taste like char siu chicken:( - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It was great ! We love the price point and portion of this hole in the wall place on our way back to city. I had tonkatsu and beef teriyaki. It was just right amount and it was delicious! We also ordered chicken teriyaki and hamburger steak with gravy. We ate every bit of it. It was a great find read more

Okata Bento - Tonkatsu and beef teriyaki with extra rice no Mac salad - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My absolute favorite bento place hands down! This is what I crave after returning home from the mainland. My go to is the teriyaki chicken bento. The chicken is cut into small pieces and coated in delicious teriyaki sauce! It comes with an egg, luncheon meat, takuan, and a fish over a bed of rice and shredded cabbage. I'll post a pic below. I've also tried the Teri cheeseburger....my god...so good #droolemoji Since this is a small hole in the wall bento restaurant, the hours can be unpredictable and are not always exactly what is posted. Sometimes they open later than posted or are closed over a weekend. I can understand, since it's a small business. It's definitely a good idea to call your order in as the orders can be backed up. Sometimes the phone is off the hook when he's really busy, so you have to keep on trying. They even have really cute shirts and merch. I can't wait to get my hands on a shirt! Overall I love this place so much! I will be back a million and one times :-) read more

Okata Bento - Teri cheeseburger coated in sauceeeee - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I'm a bit torn on how to review mom and pops such as Okata Bento, especially when it's a one-man show like it is at Okata Bento. It's a little hole in the wall on Waialae, right by Pipeline Bakery, Asuka Nabe, and Cowcow's Tea. It took a few tries to get through to call in my order for two teri cheeseburgers, one double, one single. I was quoted half an hour which seemed long to me but after seeing it's a one-man show, I completely understood. So note to you all, call in your orders. After getting there, I waited as he took a couple's order in front of me. After they left I stepped up to the counter, but as he was busy working on orders, it took a few minutes before he noticed me. I didn't want to be rude since it was just him and didn't want his food to burn so I just waited. Not a big deal. After about 5 minutes, he noticed me waiting there... I paid, got my burgers and left. Oh, another note: cash only! I have heard great things about the teri burgers, and maybe it's just me but I found it too saucy (is that a thing?). I thought the prices were cheap but after noticing how tiny the burgers were, I think it's priced just right. Not cheap, but not expensive. The flavor was okay. Not great but not horrible. I had to go with 3 stars, not for the waiting. I didn't mind that at all and I understand completely, but more so for the flavor. Like I said, it was just okay. I don't think I would go out of the way for it, but if I was hungry and in the area, then sure I'd go back again..and maybe try a bento next time. read more

I read all a lot of the reviews and I agree that this place is authentic and yummy yum. I like the Flavors the slice if fish cake, the egg, the slice of savory ham but the Teri chicken was good. The hai fish to me was like chicken. He asked what sauce I like I think he put it on the fish? Because I didn't get any sauce. The chicken tonkatsu was good and I wish I had gotten two packs for sauce. The cons is PARKING. We drove around and then we finally dropped me off to order the food as hubby went to find parking. Lucky I was the only one and he took my order after that he only makes food to order. That has its good and bad. read more

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