Rinka
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Rinka is a Japanese restaurant located down in the Ward area. You can park for free at the Ward theater parking lot, and then just walk across the street. We came by for lunch to celebrate a friend from the mainland. They have a nice election of lunch specials including sushi, sashimi, Unagi which run in the $35-$40 range for the regular, deluxe options are in the $60+ range, but they also have more wallet friendly options, including the tempura and chicken karage, pork cutlet which run in the $20 range. All the lunch specials include rice, a small udon, and some side vegetables. We ordered the sashimi lunch special. Fish was very fresh and Service was excellent. Would definitely like to come back to try some other options.
Wowow what a great Japanese spot. Perfect for celebrating any event and in the heart of Ward. Large sized sets to choose from and my friends and I tried the udon set, the hamachi Kama set, and the Wagyu sukiyaki set. The sets come with your entree and also some side dishes, udon, sashimi, tempura, salad, and rice! So good and filling! Albeit a little pricey at $40-50 a set, it will fill you up. They have a cold or hot udon option for your sets. Tempura is nice and light and the shrimp is delicious. And sashimi tasted fresh. Service was on point as well and will satisfy your Japanese cuisine craving! Come check them out!
TL;DR Delicious, but pricy, high-quality Japanese offerings. ----- I'm a fan of Rinka, but I feel like the 4.1-star rating as of July 2026 is pretty appropriate. The food is great, but there are so many options for Japanese cuisine in Honolulu that it's hard to stand out, especially if you are on the higher end of the price spectrume. I've visited Rinka twice, and both times were to use a Resy credit. I'm not sure if I would seek out a meal at Rinka if not for those recurring credits. The retaurant is conveniently located in the heart of Kaka'ako behind Whole Foods. I recommend parking in the WF parking lot and taking the stairs or elevators down to the bottom floor. My first visit to Rinka was for dinner with my family and I ordered the Wagyu Sukiyaki set, which was fantastic. The set included the high-quality wagyu sukiyaki along with tempura, sashimi, salad, pickled veggies, rice, miso soup, and couple other small side dishes. Everything was delicious. It's expensive, but I was very full after my meal. So I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off. My second visit was for lunch. I ordered the Tempura lunch set and a la carte Japanese cold soba. Again, the meal was delicious, I was very full, and I enjoyed every bite. All that food plus tax and tip set me back $50. I'll continue to use my Resy credit at Rinka until a better option emerges.
Highly recommend the sushi sets for lunch at Rinka! Stopped in for a lunchtime double date on a Sunday in early March and was able to get seated without a reservation. I got the Sashimi Set, which came with rice, mini udon, chawanmushi, and 2 small side dishes. The fish was fresh and I liked the variety of foods in the set that all complemented each other. The meal was filling. Service was friendly, and the ambiance was lovely with plenty of seating.
Just ate here for dinner, had to use a Resy credit. Had reservations for two at 5:30 pm. Service was good, wife and I were seated promptly, given waters, and didn't have to wait too long for orders. Vibes were nice but I agree with prior reviews that tables feel a tad low and close together. I can see this place getting crowded during dinner hours, or if they get a lot of takeout orders. I ordered the blue fin bowl, wife ordered the homemade soba with tempura, and we ordered two sake flights, the "traditional" and the "light." The food was decent--I appreciated that my order included udon, a small salad, and tempura. Sake flights were pretty good. All-in with a 20% tip, it came out to ~$175, not including the Resy credit ($50 with Amex gold). With the Resy credit, I can dig it. Without it, I'm not sure. The food is tasty and portions are good, but it just feels like I've had more impressive sashimi/sushi for comparable prices elsewhere.
Rinka never disappoints! Of course, we had made reservations, so the host walked us directly to our seats. Service was friendly, knowledgable, and accommodating. Food presentation was outstanding and portions generous, and every item so ono. The prices make me wince a bit and keep me from making Rinka and weekly stop, but for a memorable special treat, it never disappoints.
My friend and I had dinner at Rinka bc I had a $100 Resy benefit on my credit card. In addition, I have had good experiences with Resy restaurants. Positives: Our waitress Hailey was super nice; The food came out quickly; Clientele was all locals, including a fair number of J clients Negatives: The tables are tiny and the seats are low. The table was as wide as my body. We had a hard time squeezing the food on the table. One of the ladies that sat on the inside had to hang out quite a bit outside the width of the table bc she was too close to her friend; Secondarily, even a woman a foot shorter than me said the chairs were low (I'm 6'2"); None of the food had a wow factor and it seemed expensive. Our tab was $157 for four items inc 2 beers b4 tip; 3.5 Stars overall bc of the good service. I will likely not return bc of the small seats and just ok food.
This review is overdue, but I absolutely had to share it because I was so impressed with Rinka's dinner menu! I used to think the dinner menu was a bit too expensive compared to the lunch menu, but after tonight..., I believe it was worth it. The variety of Dinner Sets were all sooo amazing! The portion sizes were awesome, and the flavors/freshness of the food were all outstanding. Did I mention how the portion sizes were amazing? Yup Everything tasted great..., and I really mean everything! It's hard to find a casual/semi-upscale Japanese restaurant like Rinka. Our server was very kind and helpful because it was our first time dining with Rinka during their Dinner service hours. I got to try a piece of the Bluefin Tuna Toro sashimi and it was WOW! WOW! WOW! Appetizers were fantastic as well! Great for sharing and tasting different items. This is a place I'd want to introduce to my friends and family for a great dining experience and a higher quality food selections. Very satisfied with our dinner service on this night!
Coming in on a rainy day, we got stuck at the entrance door as so many food take-out people are blocking the door, that customers can't come in. The hostess is doing a bad job making sure customers are well taking care of. Then, we were sat at a small table in a bad location when the whole restaurant was empty. Additionally, we were being told by the same hostess that we only have an half an hour to eat... What THE HELL!!!! Let me get out of this place.
The food is consistent and very nice staff! So far I never had any bad food. The sushi and rolls are always good and the salmon skin salad. This time I tried the mountain yam and mentaiko roll, I would definitely order again! Quick service and great food! No complaints here!!! Restaurant is nice inside and parking is easy at WF.
I've dined here a few times and food is always yummy. My fave is the jewelry box and the blue fin tuna bowl. It's so fresh. Both come with side of udon. Lots of food. It's easy to make reservation on open table. Parking at Whole Foods.
Thank you to our servers who worked hard serving our group a delightful lunch, as we celebrated a dear sister's birthday. The food was fabulous as usual! First time trying the eggplant side, which was tasty, and again had the candied sweet potato side. I ate everything in sight (and for the first time, almost finished my rice bowl)! I blame the yummy green salt condiment for that;)! Mahalo to the evening crew who let us continue our service project for the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Heart Ball this coming Saturday (on the outside seating tables, while they prepped the restaurant for dinner service). They even kindly kept us hydrated, while we wrote hundreds of thank you cards for AHA. This venue is perfect for lunch and dinner, small to medium groups, and families. We absolutely love coming here!!!
We arrived earlier than our reservation and were quickly led to our table. Dinner and drink menus were already placed on the table which was great. Restaurant ambiance is nice and modern with an open feel to it. There are many options to choose from on the dinner menu and I would say that this is a great place to go on a date or for a fancier sit down restaurant. We ordered the nigiri set, tempura set and cutlet set. I loved how they placed all the little items in separate bowls and placed it all together nicely on the tray. Everything tasted superb and was great quality! Parking is available in the structure.
Wow! Great sashimi dinner for me and grilled Burikama dinner for her! And, reasonably priced! In Honolulu? Yes! We loved our dinners at Rinka! First timers. Parking is easy in the Whole Foods parking garage. Then just a short walk to the restaurant. Service was good. Yet they brought out my sashimi dinner before her Burikama was grilled. It would have been better if they held my sashimi dinner until her Burikama was ready. Ambiance is modern. No linens. Paper napkins. This keeps their cost down and they pass those savings to their customers in reasonable prices. Well done Rinka! Highly recommended! read more
19 days ago
Showed up for a late lunch on a Sunday and didn't realize it is open from 11-3PM then reopens at 5-9PM. So then I returned for dinner right at 5 when it opened for the evening. This restaurant is also on RESY and I wasn't able to get a reservation online for the night. Luckily we were able to be seated right away! And the waiters and waitresses were very friendly and prompt. There were not many people there, and the ambiance was nice but relaxed. Shared the Chicken Karaage, a spicy tuna roll, qnd Washugyu Yakinuku for two and it left us very content. I enjoyed the White Yuzu Ale with the meal. The chicken was crunchy and came with a nice side salad, and a small bowl of extra seasoning- which I definitely recommend using on the chicken. The spicy tuna roll had 8 pieces, and came out fairly quick. It tasted fresh as well. The Washugyu Yakinuku comes with a plethora of small sides including tempura (shrimp and some vegetables), salad, pickled vegetables, and two slices of salmon and tuna each. The Beef is to be cooked by yourself over the flame, which lasts only 20 minutes so be sure to do this right when you get it. The beef tasted fresh and delicious but a bit fattier than expected- there also is a small bowl of sauce that comes on the tray and I recommend dipping each piece of meat in the sauce after you cook it to your liking. There is a lot of free parking in the vicinity at the Whole Foods parking garage or the parking garage attached to the movie theater across the street. To note- I have had their takeout here once as well and in my opinion I believe their food is better at dine in. read more
First time dining here so didn't know what to expect. Staff was very friendly from the moment we walked in. The restaurant had a more modern feel than what I would consider a traditional Japanese restaurant to be. Nice tho. Everything on the menu looks and sounds amazing. Uni & ikura really stood out. I mean just look at that photo! Sake flight was good. I feel the pricing is a bit on the high side. Also (just my opinion), the whiskey selection could use an upgrade. read more
Rinka is a Japanese restaurant located down in the Ward area. You can park for free at the Ward theater parking lot, and then just walk across the street. We came by for lunch to celebrate a friend from the mainland. They have a nice election of lunch specials including sushi, sashimi, Unagi which run in the $35-$40 range for the regular, deluxe options are in the $60+ range, but they also have more wallet friendly options, including the tempura and chicken karage, pork cutlet which run in the $20 range. All the lunch specials include rice, a small udon, and some side vegetables. We ordered the sashimi lunch special. Fish was very fresh and Service was excellent. Would definitely like to come back to try some other options. read more
Wowow what a great Japanese spot. Perfect for celebrating any event and in the heart of Ward. Large sized sets to choose from and my friends and I tried the udon set, the hamachi Kama set, and the Wagyu sukiyaki set. The sets come with your entree and also some side dishes, udon, sashimi, tempura, salad, and rice! So good and filling! Albeit a little pricey at $40-50 a set, it will fill you up. They have a cold or hot udon option for your sets. Tempura is nice and light and the shrimp is delicious. And sashimi tasted fresh. Service was on point as well and will satisfy your Japanese cuisine craving! Come check them out! read more
TL;DR Delicious, but pricy, high-quality Japanese offerings. ----- I'm a fan of Rinka, but I feel like the 4.1-star rating as of July 2026 is pretty appropriate. The food is great, but there are so many options for Japanese cuisine in Honolulu that it's hard to stand out, especially if you are on the higher end of the price spectrume. I've visited Rinka twice, and both times were to use a Resy credit. I'm not sure if I would seek out a meal at Rinka if not for those recurring credits. The retaurant is conveniently located in the heart of Kaka'ako behind Whole Foods. I recommend parking in the WF parking lot and taking the stairs or elevators down to the bottom floor. My first visit to Rinka was for dinner with my family and I ordered the Wagyu Sukiyaki set, which was fantastic. The set included the high-quality wagyu sukiyaki along with tempura, sashimi, salad, pickled veggies, rice, miso soup, and couple other small side dishes. Everything was delicious. It's expensive, but I was very full after my meal. So I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off. My second visit was for lunch. I ordered the Tempura lunch set and a la carte Japanese cold soba. Again, the meal was delicious, I was very full, and I enjoyed every bite. All that food plus tax and tip set me back $50. I'll continue to use my Resy credit at Rinka until a better option emerges. read more
3 months ago
Highly recommend the sushi sets for lunch at Rinka! Stopped in for a lunchtime double date on a Sunday in early March and was able to get seated without a reservation. I got the Sashimi Set, which came with rice, mini udon, chawanmushi, and 2 small side dishes. The fish was fresh and I liked the variety of foods in the set that all complemented each other. The meal was filling. Service was friendly, and the ambiance was lovely with plenty of seating. read more
Just ate here for dinner, had to use a Resy credit. Had reservations for two at 5:30 pm. Service was good, wife and I were seated promptly, given waters, and didn't have to wait too long for orders. Vibes were nice but I agree with prior reviews that tables feel a tad low and close together. I can see this place getting crowded during dinner hours, or if they get a lot of takeout orders. I ordered the blue fin bowl, wife ordered the homemade soba with tempura, and we ordered two sake flights, the "traditional" and the "light." The food was decent--I appreciated that my order included udon, a small salad, and tempura. Sake flights were pretty good. All-in with a 20% tip, it came out to ~$175, not including the Resy credit ($50 with Amex gold). With the Resy credit, I can dig it. Without it, I'm not sure. The food is tasty and portions are good, but it just feels like I've had more impressive sashimi/sushi for comparable prices elsewhere. read more
14 days ago
Rinka never disappoints! Of course, we had made reservations, so the host walked us directly to our seats. Service was friendly, knowledgable, and accommodating. Food presentation was outstanding and portions generous, and every item so ono. The prices make me wince a bit and keep me from making Rinka and weekly stop, but for a memorable special treat, it never disappoints. read more
My friend and I had dinner at Rinka bc I had a $100 Resy benefit on my credit card. In addition, I have had good experiences with Resy restaurants. Positives: Our waitress Hailey was super nice; The food came out quickly; Clientele was all locals, including a fair number of J clients Negatives: The tables are tiny and the seats are low. The table was as wide as my body. We had a hard time squeezing the food on the table. One of the ladies that sat on the inside had to hang out quite a bit outside the width of the table bc she was too close to her friend; Secondarily, even a woman a foot shorter than me said the chairs were low (I'm 6'2"); None of the food had a wow factor and it seemed expensive. Our tab was $157 for four items inc 2 beers b4 tip; 3.5 Stars overall bc of the good service. I will likely not return bc of the small seats and just ok food. read more
This review is overdue, but I absolutely had to share it because I was so impressed with Rinka's dinner menu! I used to think the dinner menu was a bit too expensive compared to the lunch menu, but after tonight..., I believe it was worth it. The variety of Dinner Sets were all sooo amazing! The portion sizes were awesome, and the flavors/freshness of the food were all outstanding. Did I mention how the portion sizes were amazing? Yup Everything tasted great..., and I really mean everything! It's hard to find a casual/semi-upscale Japanese restaurant like Rinka. Our server was very kind and helpful because it was our first time dining with Rinka during their Dinner service hours. I got to try a piece of the Bluefin Tuna Toro sashimi and it was WOW! WOW! WOW! Appetizers were fantastic as well! Great for sharing and tasting different items. This is a place I'd want to introduce to my friends and family for a great dining experience and a higher quality food selections. Very satisfied with our dinner service on this night! read more
Coming in on a rainy day, we got stuck at the entrance door as so many food take-out people are blocking the door, that customers can't come in. The hostess is doing a bad job making sure customers are well taking care of. Then, we were sat at a small table in a bad location when the whole restaurant was empty. Additionally, we were being told by the same hostess that we only have an half an hour to eat... What THE HELL!!!! Let me get out of this place. read more
2 months ago
The food is consistent and very nice staff! So far I never had any bad food. The sushi and rolls are always good and the salmon skin salad. This time I tried the mountain yam and mentaiko roll, I would definitely order again! Quick service and great food! No complaints here!!! Restaurant is nice inside and parking is easy at WF. read more
I've dined here a few times and food is always yummy. My fave is the jewelry box and the blue fin tuna bowl. It's so fresh. Both come with side of udon. Lots of food. It's easy to make reservation on open table. Parking at Whole Foods. read more
Thank you to our servers who worked hard serving our group a delightful lunch, as we celebrated a dear sister's birthday. The food was fabulous as usual! First time trying the eggplant side, which was tasty, and again had the candied sweet potato side. I ate everything in sight (and for the first time, almost finished my rice bowl)! I blame the yummy green salt condiment for that;)! Mahalo to the evening crew who let us continue our service project for the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Heart Ball this coming Saturday (on the outside seating tables, while they prepped the restaurant for dinner service). They even kindly kept us hydrated, while we wrote hundreds of thank you cards for AHA. This venue is perfect for lunch and dinner, small to medium groups, and families. We absolutely love coming here!!! read more
We arrived earlier than our reservation and were quickly led to our table. Dinner and drink menus were already placed on the table which was great. Restaurant ambiance is nice and modern with an open feel to it. There are many options to choose from on the dinner menu and I would say that this is a great place to go on a date or for a fancier sit down restaurant. We ordered the nigiri set, tempura set and cutlet set. I loved how they placed all the little items in separate bowls and placed it all together nicely on the tray. Everything tasted superb and was great quality! Parking is available in the structure. read more
Dinner at Rinka using our Amex Resy benefit. We got their Miso Butterfish & Blue Fin Bowl selections. Both meals included a small Shrimp Tempura dish & a choice of hot or cold Udon. The Miso Butterfish meal also included two slices each of Ahi & Salmon Sashimi. The Blue Fin bowl included some pieces of Uni & lots of Roe. They were both very tasty, but I'd lean toward ordering the Miso Butterfish again. Service here is always great and they have lots of free parking at the parking structure right above Whole Foods Market (WFM) on Queen St. The restaurant is on the first floor outside of WFM. You can park on any floor and I recommend you use the other elevators located (Ewa side) opposite of the ones on the WFM side. Extra Note - If you are planning on using your Amex Resy credit for a gift card, the minimum amount you can buy at this restaurant is $50. read more
11 days ago
Got the sukiyaki and loved it! Good portions and lots of side options. Pricey, but very high quality food. Went with a big group but didn't wait too long for the food. Service was very friendly and welcoming! If you're looking for a nice fancy authentic Japanese restaurant, this is the place for you! read more
4 months ago
Great variety of sets! I got the sashimi regular and my partner got miso butterfish! We loved all of the okazu/ sides and different options to compliment the meal. Everything was so fresh and loved how light the tempura tasted! read more
rinka is one of my go to's for lunch on the weekends, since i don't have time during the week to go. they offer affordable lunch sets that usually come with chawanmushi (my absolute favorite thing in the whole entire world), udon, and/or mini appetizers. I will usually order a set that comes with all three because they are just that good. I am also obsessed with their strawberry pudding. Service is always great. Servers are always attentive, filling waters and teas, and making sure that we are okay and enjoying everything. Travis and Jon are the best! this is a great spot for casual lunch or even business meetings. can't wait to go back! follow my foodie ig: smolgirlfatass read more
Sets, Sets, Sets, Sets, Sets, Sets! Sets, Sets, Sets! Sets all around! Get your sets at Rinka! Sashimi, sushi, unagi, sukiyaki, udon, tempura, and etc. Rinka never rang a bell until reading some of the older reviews that it was previously located on Makaloa St. between Don Quijote and Wal-Mart. Also surprising that it's been over SIX years since it relocated to Kaka'ako, along Halekauwila, near Whole Foods, on the street level of the Ae'o condo. Time flies cause I swear all these condos just popped up lol. The most convenient parking is in the Whole Foods or Ward theaters lots. Just a minute away. Inside is not too big, but open and spacious with high ceilings. We got seated at the sushi bar with front row seat of the open kitchen and sushi chef (and also a view of all the super fresh and beautiful fish and seafood!). Had to get the Sashimi set (Chutoro, tuna, hamachi, salmon, shrimp, and scallop). All sets come with two small (one bite) sides of your choice. Mostly consists of tofu, vegetable, seaweed dishes. Choice of multigrain or sushi rice (or salad). Udon and Chawanmushi (both can be substituted per the server). Both were simple and good. All the sashimi was ultra fresh, excellent quality, and well prepared. The Beef Sukiyaki was a generous amount of food! Beef was fresh and tender. Sukiyaki sauce was a nice balance of sweet and savory. Nice amount of Chinese cabbage, onions, scallion, and oyster mushrooms. Raw egg was nice. Just wished the pot was a bit warmer. This set came with Miso Soup instead of Udon compared to the Sashimi set. Soup was good. Clean. The sides were okay. Simple and light. Got Agedashi Tofu, Fish Cake with seaweed tempura, simmered eggplant, and ohitashi. Wished they were warm. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience with quality food. Comfortable and welcoming seating at the sushi bar. Service was excellent. Attentive, friendly, and informative server. The sushi chef was very friendly and nice, and also offered to help take a photo for us. He'll always greet and thank every guest entering and leaving. Prices were reasonable for Kaka'ako. I'll definitely come back for more sets, sets, sets! read more
8 months ago
This has always been my go-to lunch spot. I would highly recommend a reservation at every time of day, as they have limited staff and will not fill all tables, especially during lunch. Their set lunches are the best deal. They have a variety of items to choose from and you won't go wrong with anything. I loved the Jewelry Box, as it was an assortment of fish over rice, was served with udon, chawan mushi, and two sides. We also ordered the tempura which came with rice, chawan mushi, miso soup, and two sides. Honestly, this is the best spot for traditional Japanese set meals. Service is good and food came out quick. They mixed up our bill with another, but got it sorted in the end. Overall, one of my go-to spots! read more
Usually order takeout for lunch or dinner. But decided to sit down in the restaurant at the sushi bar for dinner. The restaurant itself was busy for a Tuesday night. Nice ambiance, a little noisy. The menu has a lot of teishoku sets to order that aren't available for takeout. Many choices of ala cart items also. We got the unagi + tempura teishoku for $65 or so a pretty pricy set IMO. The unagi was a good sized portion and of great quality. The tempura came with 2 big shrimps and some veggies. Teishoku also comes with udon and some banchan. Overall a great set and delicious, but pricey. Also ordered the tempura teishoku. Came with 2 shrimps + veggies, 4 piece sashimi, and udon. The batter is thick but not oily. The shrimp are a good sized also. Overall a great set for $38. More reasonable than $65 for unagi Also, THE BLACK SESAME TOFU. BOMB. Need more of that!! Would probably only order takeout because the takeout menu is a bit more reasonably priced. Great quality for food and the service was great. Friendly staff and quick. read more
This spot is a total sleeper hit -- incredible quality Japanese food at great prices. Their lunch menu is straight-up FIRE! With how busy it's gotten, I highly recommend making a reservation beforehand. We actually got turned away once because of the crowd! Food: 5/5 Top Picks you can't go wrong with: - Seafood Jewelry Box Set (海鮮宝石箱御膳) - Grilled Unagi Eel Set (うなぎ蒲焼き定食) - Seafood Chirashi Set (海鮮ちらし御膳) Each set comes with udon (うどん), chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し), and your choice of two small sides (小鉢二品). Absolute value and quality! Ambience: 4/5 Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, plus bar spots for solo diners. Bathrooms are small single stalls, but there are enough of them so there's no wait. Bonus: a private room in the back for gatherings or small parties. Service: 4/5 Consistently attentive and friendly over the years -- zero issues every visit. Parking: 4/5 Usually plenty of space in the old Dave & Buster's parking lot just a short walk away. read more
Came for lunch the day after Christmas with family. Parked at Whole Foods and took the elevator down. Had a reservation made a few weeks prior via OpenTable. Service was friendly and attentive. The unagi was slightly disappointing as it didn't taste as good as expected. However, the sashimi was great! Fish was fresh and tender. Matcha ice cream was alright, taste was not as strong. Mochi balls were good. If I were to return, I'd probably stick to ordering a sashimi set. read more
8 days ago
It was a great experience! I recommend making a reservation in advance, as it can get busy during lunch and happy hour. The food quality was excellent with beautiful presentation and the service was outstanding. We were seated in a private room, which was quiet and perfect for some privacy, yet our server checked on us attentively throughout the meal, going beyond just taking orders and serving food. Overall, it's definitely worth visiting. The experience, combined with great value, explains why this place is always packed whenever we visit. read more
I was pleasantly surprised by this establishment. The atmosphere is every casual and clean. The prices are quite reasonable for the portion of food that they provide. You don't have to order a lot of items because the sets come with an entrée and other small add-ons; including salad. The food came out quickly and the presentation was delectable. The sashimi here was good. I say that because when you order sashimi ala carte, the quality is definitely different than the sashimi that comes in the set meals. It was a little concerning. The wasabi that's given when ordered ala carte seems to be fresh wasabi but when you order the sashimi in the set, they give you the fake horseradish. Not sure if that was on purpose or they do that to cut costs. For most people that might not be an issue. It just bothered me a little and I wish I could give this place 4.5 stars for that small minor detail. The parking here is more than adequate. Located in the Wholefood's parking lot, the stalls are spacious and plentiful. The area is pretty safe and you won't be far from your car. The restaurant is located right down stairs--with less than a 5 minute walk. The service is also very respectable. The waiter was very courteous and attentive. There was never a moment when we needed to flag down the waiter or ask for a refill on our water/tea. If you're ever in the Ward area, this is definitely a place you need to try. From the delicious and fresh sashimi (when ordered ala carte) to the perfectly cooked Tempura, this place will definitely satisfy your Japanese food craving. Just don't pay attention to the wasabi--lol. read more
Slightly pricey but very delicious Japanese staples. My grandparents love coming here for lunch and have tried most of their lunch sets by now, all of which are good. Their tempura is crispy (with huge shrimp!) and the nabeyaki udon is huge - like two meals worth of food huge. I love that you get to pick two sides from their wide selection, though they all sounded excellent and it was a hard choice! The eggplant side was our favorite, though all the ones I've tried are good. While there are lots of good Japanese places in town, many with slightly lower prices, Rinka is a great place for a nicer lunch and delicious food. read more
Our first visit to Rinka, very nice restaurant, modern and clean. We were welcomed as we entered and quickly showed to our table. The staff was very helpful in answering questions about items on the menu. The food arrived quickly and boy was out delicious. Everything looked pretty and tasted good. Parking was suggested at Whole Foods Market. I would have parked at Ward Center for a shorter walk to the restaurant. read more
Restaurant: Super clean; floors, chairs, tables, air (no funky smells). Staff: Very helpful and accommodating, pays attention to all diners, regardless of service section. Addresses food allergies promptly, if stated in online booking. Servers have heads on swivels! Food: Excellence in flavor, portion size, variety, appearance, preparedness, presentation, and price. I don't dine alone. I like this restaurant and am excited when the opportunity arises to eat here. I would like to try the Cream Crab Croquette next time. read more
First time here tonight, and really enjoyed my meal here with my friends tonight. I was referred by Resy,, and Amex platinum gives a credit if you use your card here. I ordered the wagyu sukiyaki and it was a really big meal.it had wagyu beef strips, tempura, sashimi, a bowl of sukiyaki over a small pot. It was AMAZING! One of my friends has the chicken trio, an. My other ordered the same thing as me. We all enjoyed it very much. Can't wait to go again soon, read more
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2 months ago
23 days ago
Japan in the middle of Ward?! This place seriously took us back to being in Japan. The food & service was unmatched! This place is located in the same building as Whole Foods on the street level. Reservations were super easy, I booked online through their website. We came here for our 5 year wedding anniversary and it was AMAZING! We came here for dinner and were so impressed with the quality and shear amount of food served. I literally had 4 boxes to go. When I saw the picture of the simmered flounder on the menu I knew I had to get it. It looked like something I had in Japan & I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'm so glad I tried it. The moist white meat fish, the sweet, shoyu sauce, the tofu, it took me back to having it in Japan. This also came with so many sides: udon, rice, sashimi (ahi & salmon), salad that was topped with salmon flakes, candied potato, yuzu kinpira gobo, and assorted tempura (2 shrimp, 1 potato, & 1 shishito pepper). Everything was so delicious and thoughtfully prepared. My husband got the blue fin guns set and he was taken back to Japan as well. Everything was super fresh, not fishy at all. He does not like uni or ikura but he said it tasted so good here. It came with chutoro & otoro with are his faves in Japan. His also came with so the sides mine did. It is a bit pricier for dinner but we can see why. Each meal comes with so much food. I ended up taking 1/3 of my fish, half my tempura and more than half of my udon home. Lastly, we had to get dessert. We got the yuzu cheesecake which was so light & refreshing as well as the caramel pudding. That was super creamy and savory from the dark caramel. I preferred the yuzu cheesecake but, I'm glad we tried both. Before we even left the restaurant we both agreed we wanted to return for the lunch menu so you know we'll be back! read more
1 year ago
What's Great on the Menu Rinka's menu is impressively diverse, with something for nearly every kind of Japanese food lover. There are delicate appetizers like black sesame tofu with uni, homemade silken tofu, and ahi poke with half-boiled egg. For sashimi and sushi, they carry Hawaii-caught and local cuts: tuna akami and chu-toro, yellowtail, fluke, abalone, all with clean plating and fresh flavor. If you like your meal hearty and comfort-oriented, the Gozen (set) meals are excellent -- think things like unaju (grilled eel), beef sukiyaki, tempura, grilled butterfish, or grilled Japanese ribeye, all accompanied by miso soup, pickled vegetables, and a couple of small sides. Lunch offerings include teishoku style sets, which are generous and well-balanced without being overly pricey. The ambiance matches the menu: sleek, open‐kitchen vibes, good lighting, sushi bar, private dining option -- nice both for casual dinners or when you want something a bit more special. Parking & Ease of Access One of the great things about Rinka is that parking is relatively painless compared to many Honolulu options. * Parking "in the same building as Whole Foods" makes it much less stressful -- you avoid metered street parking or walking long distances. During peak dinner hours the garage can get busy, but typically still easier than street parking. If you arrive a bit before prime time, you'll likely have a smooth entry. Overall Rinka hits that sweet spot of quality + variety + accessibility. If you want good Japanese food with both fancy side (sushi, sashimi, premium fish) and comfort food side (sukiyaki, hearty sets), this is a solid pick. Add in the ease of parking and a pleasant atmosphere, and it makes for an excellent dinner destination. Highly recommended -- especially for special occasions, family dinners, or when friends from out of town want something memorable. read more
1 year ago
I recently tried this place for the first time, and the food was amazing. I got the miso marinated butterfish teishoku, and everything in it was great. The butterfish was super tender and tasty, the sashimi was melt-in-your-mouth good, and the tempura was perfectly light and crispy. The restaurant itself is very open and inviting, with modern decor. It took quite a long time for our food to arrive (about 30 minutes), which was the one downside. Our waiter was very apologetic, but couldn't explain the delay. Maybe the kitchen was really busy with a private party in the back, but I also wondered if they might have forgotten our order initially. Still, the quality of the food made up for this. It's pricey, but you get what you pay for! read more
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Ask the Community - Rinka
Is the jewelry box available for dinner? I thought it's only for lunch fir some reason...?
Dinner 👍
Is there a byob policy? Corkage?
You may BYOB as far as wine is concerned but there is a corkage. You should check with the restaurant on the current charge and if you wish to bring any other kind of beverage as their policy may be updated.
Are they open for lunch? I was trying to call them during lunch but no answer.
Yes, I went for lunch. Made reservations online 👍🏻
Is there outside seating available?
Yes! Like sitting outside BUT, you may not get the constant attention from servers. Also, fan noise can get a little loud. But, we like it outside!
The reservations options include "sofa" seating. I don't recall seeing sofas, where/what is that?
Our sofa sheets are along the wall on the left as you enter us restaurant. These tables are with a sofa and chairs.
Not sure how to find this place...drove around WholeFoods but couldn't find it. How do you find this place?
We are 1st floor of Ae‘o. Next of straub. Back side Theatres and Whole foods.
Are there vegan options? Yelp says "yes" but the server gave a firm "no" when asked about vegan options.
We are sorry, we do not have vegan options.
Hi does anyone know how much corkage is to bring our own sake? TY!
The last time I went there which was about a month ago. The fees were $5. Not sure what it is now. Hope this helps.
Where is the parking?
I'd recommend parking in the Whole Foods Market Parking structure (entrances on Queen Street AND on Halekauwila Street). Japanese Restaurant Rinka is located on the street level on the West side of the building or near the A'eo Condominium garage.
Are they related to Obento Rinka?
Yes, Obento Rink started as an offshoot of the original restaurant. Same great food! Limited offerings at their Obento locations.
Reservations necessary? When's best time to go walk-in?
They currently only take walk-ins. We went today with a party of 8 at 11:45am and there was no wait.
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18 reviews that are not currently recommended
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