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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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
I go crazy for a Japanese lunch set. Rinka does them especially well. I got the sukiyaki set, which comes with sukiyaki (beef, konjac noodles, cabbage, and tofu), a soft boiled egg, rice, chawan-mushi (a savory egg custard), miso soup, tsukemono, and two side-dishes of your choice. Every dish on my tray shined and was cohesive with the rest of the meal. The sukiyaki was especially delicious: the dashi rich and the broth itself was not too sweet. My only "complaint" is that portions are quite big. I think Rinka could knock a dollar or two off if they made portions a bit smaller (I couldn't finish my chawan-mushi, miso soup, or sukiyaki). Either come hungry or bring someone with a big stomach! So far, I've tried their sukiyaki, udon, crab-cream croquette, and sashimi sets. All are incredible and I would encourage others to be repeat customers as well. Employees are friendly, but the restaurant is often quite busy at lunch-time, so don't be offended if it's difficult to get the attention of a server. The restaurant is clean and definitely feels more upscale than a traditional bento place. I will obviously be back :) read more
Ordered Crab cream croquettes gozen for lunch takeout. The foods (main dish, salad, 3-4 kinds of small dishes and miso soup) are so delicious. The order is well balanced and packed. You can feel Japanese authentic hospitality here. Thank you very much for a great takeout lunch! read more
My friend and I made a reservation for Rinka at 11:30. It was such a perfect place to just talk and catch up with each other. They allow you to pick two sides from their list of sides before receiving the main course. Both of the sides were very delicious and as soon as we were done with them the waiter came with our food. The Sukiyaki set was amazing... I would probably come again especially since this is reimbursed through the AMEX platinum card haha read more
4 months ago
1 year ago
Highly recommend this restaurant at Ward center for lunch. Great for business and friend lunch. Not loud with good spacing between the tables. Def get the lunch special but get there early before it sells out. So much food for a great price. Clean place and friendly staff take care of you. read more
Service was awesome. I can't remember our servers name but she was friendly and helpful. We had a reservation for 5pm so it wasn't very busy at that time but I would say by 630pm it started getting busy. We had just ordered sushi, enoki mushroom tempura, karage chicken , snow crab croquette, sake and whiskey. Everything was delicious. Would definitely go back again . read more
I've been coming here for the past 4 years, conveniently located downstairs from us. Fish is always fresh that when I go back to the mainland it pales in comparison. Very hospitable the moment you walk in and when you leave. Everyone and the kitchen staff make you feel right at home. I always get the chawanmushi. It's one of my favorite starters whenever it's on the menu. Silky smooth. Perfectly balanced flavors. My recent favorite is their tempura set meals. You can choose from soba noodles to udon (hot OR cold). DD goes with soba after eating soba noodles in Tokyo last summer. It reminds her of Japan. The fact that is was a hot day and I just played over 2 hrs of tennis, I went with the cold udon. So glad I did because it was perfect. Not too over cooked and the dipping sauce was light and refreshing. The beer is chilled and on tap. Note: I don't even drink beer but again, it was hot. I stole a few sips from Hubs and it was perfect. We've pretty much tried many things from their extensive menu. You can't go wrong with what you order from scallops carpaccio to sushi rolls to salmon belly to nigiri. You can tell how meticulous they are like a certain sense of pride is added whenever a dish leaves the kitchen or sushi bar. read more
5 months ago
1 month 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
I love this place. Rinka is my go to spot for the best sukiyaki! I usually come during the lunch time for the sets. Each set comes with your 3 choices of pupus. The food normally comes pretty quick. The service I have received are normally great! And the ambiance is very relaxing! read more
Pro: Great location. Conveniently located in the heart of Kakaako. Authentic Japanese cuisine Fresh fish! I loved the food! Clean & modern decor and spacious dining area Ample parking by Whole Foods Con: Poor customer service. I just called this restaurant a few days ago to inquire about a large group reservation and did not have a good experience. Not at all interested in gaining business but won't budge on their private room hours 5-7 or 7-9. Period. Pricing. They tried to upsell me $125/pp Courtesy (lack of)- upon arrival they checked on reservation they couldn't find and insisted on finding the proof though the whole restaurant was nearly empty. Really? I heard from others but I had to see it for myself. They were right. Great food. Unfriendly service. read more
10 months ago
My sister and I were craving sushi after shopping and we decided to try Rinka. We didn't have a reservation, but were able to get a table at the ending of the lunch hour. We both got set meals that came with bowls of udon. We also wanted to try the chicken karaage, but they ran out and we opted for tempura (which was still delicious!) and it came with matcha salt! What's not pictured if our sides that we had to pick at the beginning. We each picked two sides and they came in little bowls that were enough for like 2 bites maybe. It's a little on the pricey side, but super tasty and this place could be for a casual lunch or special occasion. read more
1 year ago
Authentic Japanese cuisine. Foods are very good. Very hospitable staffs. Place is clean and orderly. Price is quite high because of the location, Hawaii. But they really serve good authentic Japanese foods. It's worth plus the place is nice and relaxing. read more
This spot was recommended based on toddler/kid-friendliness and we happened to stumble upon it one evening and ate here. Super spacious with indoor and outdoor seating, and in an area with a parking lot. They had an Ingenuity booster for my toddler and utensils and plate too. She loved her avocado roll and the yakitori platter. The menu is pretty expansive so many options from sushi to noodles to rice to grilling and hotpot too. I got the grilled wagyu set and my husband got a chirashi bowl set which left us super full and satisfied. Fish was very fresh and grilling my wagyu was delicious, except the popping and splattering of the oil from the tiny grill got all over my arms. Wish there was a way to block it as it did hurt and got in my clothes too, even when kept further away overall left full and satisfied. Recommend for family meals with kids for sure! read more
2 months ago
Came to Rinka on a Monday night for dinner and had a great experience! We ordered the Seafood Jewelry Box, the Motsu Hot Pot, and the Miso Marinated Butterfish. Everything we tried was fresh and flavorful - the sashimi was especially good, and the hot pot had a nice level of spice without being overpowering. Portions were generous across the board, which helped justify the slightly higher prices on the menu. Most of the set meals come with a solid mix of sides: things like noodles, tempura, salad, and/or sushi/sashimi so you definitely get a full meal. Service was friendly and attentive! Parking was easy in the Ward area, and the restaurant is located in the same building as Whole Foods. read more
Baby and Mommy Date Night Dinner...this is our new Date Night spot since it's easy for parking, close to the playground if got time (this time we stopped by the dog park to wave at every single dog) and they are usually pretty empty early. Res is always a good idea though...we were put in the back corner which is perfect since it's a straight shot to the restroom and don't disrupt other patrons. They set up a booster which is perf for us. As soon as sat, ordered a chawan mushi since takes a little while and comes out super hot so need cooling time for baby... and me since I steal some bites. Also got an April special - Chutoru, Hotate, Amaebi nigiri all with uni on top. Baby has eaten all before but she getting picky so gave it back to me. Good, no need share! We got the Shokado which is much bigger in real life than in the picture. - Hot Udon - baby loooves their udon. I got a couple noodles. - Rice - Sashimi - YUM. 1 leaf shiso and some ogo. That was mine. - Dragon ball - no clue what it's called but looks like an egg with pokies. It's oki sweet pot. Pretty good, and I don't typically like sweet pot. - Little salad - yum. - Shrimp Tempura and couple veggies - baby and I split 1 shrimp and she ate the potato. Batter so nice and light. - Tamago - baby ate that but i had a bite. Yummy - Salmon, Unagi, Beef, Shrimp, Abalone, something else, tsukemono - Ate all the next day. Delish. We both left full and we still had enough for 2 meals the next day since other than sashimi things, nothing got finished. I did spend over $100...but that's b/c nigiri. Totes worth it. read more
1 year ago
As I am always looking for a good excuse to use up our Resy credit on our Amex Gold cards, I was delighted to find this restaurant on the Resy platform. Easy reservation on the app and we came hungry for some quality Japanese cuisine. Service was very friendly and responsive. It was a very clean and modern environment. Interior decor was not too showy although I thought it was a bit odd that it did not feel like a Japanese restaurant. It felt more like a modern Italian restaurant. Just me. Matcha beer was new for me and it was pleasantly bitter. Echigo beer went better with sashimi for my taste. We ordered: Hamburger Steak Bluefin Tuna Bowl Chirashi Bowl Deluxe Pork Cutlet The sets were beautifully presented in their own tray and all of them were very fresh and tasty. Prices are high but you get what you pay for. Would love to come back for their sukiyaki. read more
9 months ago
Come to Rinka for lunch!! It'll be the best deal, you get so much food + sides. The best thing was the chicken karaage and nabeyaki! read more
6 months ago
The service and food were amazing!!! New favorite spot!!! Personally, I do like their lunch menu more than their dinner but the quality of the food has been great!!! read more
6 months ago
Came here for lunch for my coworker's birthday. The ambiance is nice, the server/service was fast, and the food (I got the pork fillet lunch box set) was good. I also love that you get to choose your 2 types of sides with the box sets. For the portion sizes and quality of the food, they are very reasonably priced. read more
Possibly a hidden gem at Ward Village. Been here a couple of times and came out impressed. Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 5/5 Food 5/5 Made reservations each time and we were seated at the private dining area. Nice selection of items. We tried a few rolls and appetizers. Also personal bento trays. The bento trays are sufficient for an adult. We enjoyed the miso, tempura, sashimi, noddles, etc. Miso was cooked perfectly. Tempura was not overly oily and sashimi were fresh. Softshell crab roll was good as well. Dessert were good as well. Portions are small enough for you to just satisfy your sweet cravings. Service is excellent. I was concerned that the server may not check up on us since we're not visible from the main dining area but she made sure to come back repeatedly refilling waters and asking if our food was ok or if we needed anything. We've enjoyed our dining experience and would return again. read more
1 year ago
Had dinner at Rinka last night with a good friend since I hadn't been in a while. Noticed the menu's changed a lot--definitely feels more expensive than before. Food was just okay, but the service was really great! My favorite dish was the black sesame tofu. read more
1 month ago
Highly recommend having a reservation in advance! We decided to try this place on a whim while on vacation and they were fully packed but had a slot for us at 7:30. Unfortunately, we had little kids with us whose bed time is fairly early and if you have smaller kids, you'd know going out late is a big no no. The staff were really accommodating as we got there early and asked if we could be sat earlier if there was a cancellation. They offered us to sit outside for a no wait. It was windy but humid so we took our chances. Lightweight regretted it but that was our problem not theirs. Really appreciated the accommodation. Thanks so much team rinka! Food was good for the set, but I still left hungry. I honestly think you can get better on the island, but it was worth the experience. Presentation was A+, service was top notch. Fishes were really fresh. There was a parking garage in the same vicinity free of charge. read more
1 year ago
This was the most disappointing chirashi I've ever had for the price and quality. I ordered the premium chirashi for over $65 a bowl, and it came with barely half a spoon of uni that smelled terrible "Sewer smell from bad uni". The tuna slices were paper-thin and not fresh at all. My wife and I spent over $140 for two bowls and still left hungry. To make things worse, we were seated outside because I brought one of my kids and they claimed to be fully booked. Yet, for the entire time we were there, half the restaurant sat empty. On top of that, we had to deal with flies landing on our food, waving them away every time we tried to eat. It completely ruined the experience. We were also given cheap chinese togo packet soy sauce, while guests dining inside received house-made soy sauce a ridiculous contrast for a supposedly semi high priced sushi restaurant. If this review gets deleted again, I'll repost it with screenshots. Customers deserve to know the truth before spending this kind of money. so keep deleting it, instead of apologizing. read more
6 months ago
We love Rinka! We've gone multiple times since our first visit. Although it's a bit on the pricier side, the portion sizes and quality make it worth it. We've tried a variety of dishes and have been satisfied with all of them. They offer many Japanese dishes, so most people will likely find something they enjoy. The main dishes usually come with several sides, which is a nice touch. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience and will definitely be going back! read more
1 month ago
2 years ago
Got take out for lunch and I didn't know how massive this bento is! Definitely a good amount of food! The tempura had oroshi (grated daikon) and tempura sauce, and then green tea salt. I was super happy with the green tea salt as it went so well with the tempura. The tempura had an amazing variety and was super good. The sides were also so delicious. Very impressed with the bento! Will definitely try the other bentos next time! read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
I come to Rinka regularly, and it never disappoints! This time I ordered the salmon skin salad and the salmon belly set, and both were amazing! The salad was super refreshing& the salmon skin was perfectly crisp and balanced with fresh greens The dressing is also outstanding. The salmon belly set was rich and buttery, cooked just right, and such a comforting, satisfying meal. What I love about Rinka is that the quality is always consistent, the portions feel generous for the price, and the service is attentive! The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, and, it always feels like a great experience! Definitely one of my go-to spots in Honolulu for fresh and authentic Japanese food. Highly recommend! read more
1 year ago
Disappointing Service & Incomplete Order Unfortunately, our experience here was really disappointing. Our server forgot part of our order--we never received our appetizer the corn or the bacon asparagus we ordered. By the time we realized, we were already eating our meals and he was nowhere to be found. The burger was just okay--thick, but not juicy, and the red sauce on it was overly sweet, which threw off the flavor. I ordered the hamburger à la carte, which was large enough, and added a side of rice. Together, it made a full meal. Our server went missing after taking our order--I think he was handling a large party in the back. Still, he never checked on us, even after we had finished eating. We waited 15 minutes with no water refill and no one following up. No other staff offered to step in, and we couldn't even wave anyone down. After 20 minutes, we were still sitting there, completely ignored. Eventually, we flagged down another server who was clearly busy, but he still apologized for the missing items, cleared our dishes, and we ended up paying with him. Meanwhile, our original server was still MIA. As for the rest of the table: -- My son said his 3-piece chicken meal he said it was fine. -- My husband had the pork cutlet, which he said was okay, but he left unsatisfied. That said, the ambiance was bright, the restaurant was clean and roomy, and the chairs were comfortable. Overall, between the forgotten items, absent service, and underwhelming food, we expected better. read more
Date: 1/3/25 Time: 12:00pm What they got right: Food quality, efficiency, and value for lunch sets. Also, free parking! Areas for improvement: Can't think of any. Recommend? YES! My crab cream croquette lunch set ($18.75) came with miso soup, side salad, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard with shrimp & chicken), white rice, pickles and a choice of 2 side dishes. I felt it was A LOT of food for me! But I ate it all because it was that good. The croquettes were creamy, crabby tasting and crunchy. This is my favorite lunch set. read more
2 months ago
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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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