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Honolulu, HI

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Okata Bento

4.3 (177 reviews)
InexpensiveJapanese, Hawaiian
Closed • 12:00 pm - 4:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

Okata Bento Photos

Business Info

OKATA BENTO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Okata Bento

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Restaurant front
Henry D.

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.

Sadly closed this Friday
Sean C.

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

Jenn L.

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.

Chicken katsu and Teri hamburger mix plate with a Teri chicken sandwich.
Jason G.

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.

Burger (Top) & Cheese Burger (Bottom)
Daniel C.

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)!

Teri beef (close up)
Rod U.

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.

Larene U.

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

Looking from the counter window area towards 12th Ave. mauka.
Ric C.

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.

Chicken katsu bento

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Okata Bento Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Okata Bento

Would you describe Okata Bento as a delicatessen, or more like a drive thru local hamburger stand?

A counter style plate lunch type business with a Japanese bent because of the bentos and donburi.

What's your favorite dish at Okata Bento?

My favorite is the Tonkatsu and Char Siu chicken, but I like the Hamburger steak too.. As you can see I like everything!

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Kaimuki Shokudo

Kaimuki Shokudo

4.1(489 reviews)
0.1 mi•Kaimuki
•$$

We got the lunch set and chose the hot soba, salmon sashimi, and sukiyaki beef, a great option if…read moreyou're in the mood to try a little bit of everything! Everything hit the spot, and I loved being able to enjoy a variety of flavors in one meal. But the real reason we came was to try the pumpkin crunch honey toast , and it did NOT disappoint! It gave me major Cinnamon Toast Crunch vibes with a hint of pumpkin, and the combination was fantastic. Sweet, crunchy, and such a fun treat! Definitely a spot I'd come back to, highly recommend if you're looking for a satisfying Japanese lunch and a little something sweet to finish!

I miss shokudo tofu salad :( my favorite item on their old menu…read more I went closer to closing and service was good, food was solid, their late night special is pretty good for the price! Cheese gyoza - 7/10 cheese was nice an crispy and sauce was yummy, gyoza itself was regular nothing too crazy special Chicken karage - 8/10 crispy, moist, tender, solid karage Cucumber tako salad - 10/10 so yummy I love tako and I love cucumber salad, was nicely marinated! Ahi nachos - 10/10 so good! Their fish to chips to sauce ratio was excellent. The ahi was minced which I'm not the biggest fan of but the seasoning was good so they are forgiven haha! Hamachi hand roll - 9/10 hard to go wrong with hamachi

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Kaimuki Shokudo - Just an opening 11/15/25. The restaurant was filled within minutes. Featuring Yelp Elite All Star Donna O.

Just an opening 11/15/25. The restaurant was filled within minutes. Featuring Yelp Elite All Star Donna O.

Kaimuki Shokudo - Their famous " Honey Toast"

Their famous " Honey Toast"

Kaimuki Shokudo - Chicken kaarage

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Chicken kaarage

Japanese Restaurant Aki

Japanese Restaurant Aki

4.0(287 reviews)
0.1 mi•Kaimuki
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Delicious yakitori and side dishes! Would skip the sushi, but that's technically from their partner…read morerestaurant so I'm not counting it towards their stars. Restaurant Aki is consistently busy, so I'd recommend making a reservation if you want to come. Their yakitori menu is vast and every bite we had was great. Of the side dishes, some of our favorites were the soft shell crab and fried baby octopus. They're currently promoting their new omakase restaurant with options to order small sushi sets. We got a 9 piece seared one, but none of the bites were very impressive and the fish didn't taste very fresh, despite supposedly being flown from Japan. Maybe it was a slow plane, LOL! Would definitely skip this on a future visit, and we likely won't be trying their omakase spot.

We tried the restaurant side and we were thrilled that they served the sushi there too for us to…read moretry. I really wanted to love this place, but the sushi just didn't do it for me. That ruled out trying the omakase side in the future. The yakitori was really good though! The veggies tasted best with the teriyaki sauce, and the meats with the shio. A standout was the pork with shiso and the gizzard which was a flavor bomb. Service was really good and the staff were nice. The space was also very nice, I felt like I got transported to Japan and it was cool. Will I go back? Yes, for the yakitori. Did it blow me away? Not quite. Is this the best yakitori I've ever had? Definitely not. So jury's out. You can decide for yourself.:)

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Japanese Restaurant Aki - Inside

Inside

Japanese Restaurant Aki - Hotate from Aki's Premium Sashimi

Hotate from Aki's Premium Sashimi

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HIGOTO Japanese Eatery - Misoyaki butterfish bento

HIGOTO Japanese Eatery

4.6(272 reviews)
0.6 mi
•$$

TL;DR Refined…read morebentos, musubis, and other Japanese dishes to go. ----- HIGOTO Japanese Eatery (HJE) is a solid option for takeaway Japanese food. I had HJE on my radar for a while and was finally able to stop in for lunch in the first week of July 2026. The restaurant is located in the same shopping plaza as the Kaimuki Times. In fact, it's on the ground floor next to Times. It's tucked behind some large concrete walls next to the parking lot, but just keep your eyes open and you should be able to find it. I ordered the Fish Lovers bento and a Cheeseburger musubi, both with the mulitgrain rice. The Fish Lovers bento was PACKED with offerings, including chikuwa, ahi katsu, shrimp tempura, miso butterfish, grilled saba (?), and grilled salmon, plus an assortment of wonderful side dishes. The Cheeseburger musubi included a beef patty topped with cheese, plus multigrain rice all wrapped in nori. I was a big fan of both my choices, and I would definitely order them again!

We went to this place late. Everything was sold out nearing closing time. But there were just a…read morecouple of bentos and musubis. So we bought what was there. I was so upset with myself, because I wanted to go here weeks ago when I found it by accident on Instagram, lol. Next time I will not forget. So the bento that was left was the chicken Kara'age. I wasn't expecting much since it was the last meal available. I decided to try it after organizing my clothing in my closet. Honestly I wasn't hungry, but it was approaching 5pm which was very late for me, lol. I nuked it a little to get it warm removing all the cold items out first then ate the side dishes first I thought mmm, not bad. But then came the chicken and I was mesmerized by the first bite. I thought okay take a few more bites then judge it. So I thought maybe I was starving, so I dipped it into the sauce it came with and my mouth started to have a party inside! The dip reminds me of Japan and the red rice is exactly how my Okinawan mom used to make it. Well, I'm sold and if this is the least wanted plate of the entire day I can't even imagine how spectacular the others must taste. The lady at the register was so kind and apologized several times for being sold out. I totally understand but she definitely meant the apology I can tell. Reminds me of Japan again and she was wearing a mask which is a Japanese custom these days. There is a little table outside for seating of three I think. This place is small but don't be fooled, I heard and seen the massive line this awesome eatery can get. Go early and the wait will definitely be worth it.

Photos
HIGOTO Japanese Eatery - Musubis & bentos

Musubis & bentos

HIGOTO Japanese Eatery - Fish lovers bento (closeup of miso marinated items)

Fish lovers bento (closeup of miso marinated items)

HIGOTO Japanese Eatery - "Sauce katsu" bento

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"Sauce katsu" bento

Minatoku Kitchen

Minatoku Kitchen

4.4(108 reviews)
1.8 mi•Mo'ili'ili
•$$
Takes reservations
Free parking

They were incredibly kind and welcoming to families with children, and they even surprised us with…read morea gift of Japanese-made toys! The kids absolutely loved the French fries, made from freshly cut potatoes Everyone at the restaurant was so friendly and welcoming, which made us feel completely relaxed and comfortable. We definitely hope to visit again! Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience!

This place was recently featured on Cheap Eats with most of the items under $20. My wife & I went…read morethere for lunch & everything we ordered was great. To start you would first order & pay for the food at the counter. Which also means that you'll be tipping at the start rather than at the end, but you do get good service here as everyone was nice. The menu is either on the wall or on paper menus at the counter. The place is small with about 7 or 8 tables. (Note - This place is credit card only, although I did overhear that they might take cash, but cannot offer any change.) We ordered their Karaage Chicken & the Presidential Curry plates. The curry plate included 2 Karaage Chicken pieces & 3 Tonkatsu pieces. The Tonkatsu was very tender & the Tonkatsu sauce was strong, but very flavorful. The curry itself was very good. We missed out on their Stewed Hamburger Steak & Taco Rice as they apparently sold out. In fact I was lucky enough to get the last portion of the Presidential Curry, but I'm sure they would make more for the dinner crowd. We liked the food so much that we also ordered as takeout for dinner their Beef Gyudon Bowl & Pork Ginger plate. Both were good. They also sell assorted Musubi at the counter. Parking is street meter parking ($1.50/hr), or wherever you can find. They are located on the corner of South King & Hausten Streets right across from Longs (formerly Star Market). The only disappointment I had was that their Blue Fin Sashimi was only available for dinner. I guess I have to come for dinner & I will. This is a great place for good Japanese food.

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Minatoku Kitchen - New shabu-shabu!!

New shabu-shabu!!

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Okata Bento - japanese - Updated October 2026

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