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    Sugoi

    4.1 (784 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Hawaiian
    Open • 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Sugoi Photos

    Business Info

    SUGOI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Sugoi

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    Entrance
    Shannon K.

    I haven't been here in years and since I was in the area I decided to do a takeout order to bring to coworkers. Of course I got the garlic chicken! The mini size has a generous portion and the chicken was as flavorful and crispy as I remembered. I walked in around 10:30a and was helped at the counter right away. Service was fast and friendly and I was headed out with hot fresh food in less than 10 mins.

    Large sesame chicken bento
    Raymond N.

    Whenever I go to Waikiki, I always make a stop at Sugoi for their mochiko chicken. Mochicko chicken can be somewhat hard to find because not all Hawaiian establishments offer it, but Sugoi makes it perfectly. For this trip I went on my way to the airport with initial plans to get some bentos to eat at the airport or on the plane. Unfortunately, when I went they ran out of mochiko chicken! I opted for the sesame chicken which is still good! It was my first time ordering their sesame chicken and it tasted very similar to the mochiko chicken which was a plus, though I could tell it wasn't the mochiko chicken I was craving for months. The bento is nice since it comes with a few other small items so you don't get sick of eating nonstop chicken and fortunately the container isn't overloaded with rice. Parking can be a bit tricky since there are other businesses in the area and the place can get busy around lunchtime so it is best to arrive early! Hopefully the next time I head to Oahu I can satisfy my mochiko chicken craving!

    Yakisoba with garlic chicken
    Klemens T.

    Still think they have the best garlic chicken. I normally don't order anything else on their menu except for the garlic chicken regular plate. The plate is a bit pricey, but definitely worth it and the portions are pretty big. The skin is so crispy and the garlic is out of this world. Lots of parking near other establishments. Lots of table to dine on and the restrooms are located in a hallway a few stores down to the left side if you're facing Sugoi's front doors.

    Supposedly a garlic chicken bento box.
    Sidney L.

    My friends and I went there because a couple years ago, I went and ordered a garlic chicken plate and thought it was very good. My buddy ordered a garlic chicken bento and they gave us some garlic chicken, beef and hot dog. This time the chicken was pretty dry and not enough of the sweet sticky garlicky sauce. The beef was dry and very salty. The hot dog was pretty bad. Very disappointed that the quality of food went down hill. Will not be coming back nor recommend it to friends. Too many good garlic fried chicken at other places so this is now off my list.

    Large Garlic chicken plate
    Sunny V.

    One of the best Garlic Chicken places!!! You can order to go or there's an eating area that has open seating tables and cleaning wipes so you can clean up afterwards. The staff is friendly and service is fast. I love this place!

    Mini plate- spicy garlic Ahi (comes with white rice, mac salad)
    Emily L.

    Decided to try this place out for lunch on a Thursday. We did a pickup order. I ordered a mini plate with Spicy garlic Ahi tuna. It comes with white rice and mac salad. But you can upgrade the rice to noodles or fried rice for an extra charge. My fish came with a spicy sauce, and it was delicious! Not too spicy but perfectly spicy. It paired amazing with the Ahi. The Ahi was perfectly cooked too. I was shocked at how good it was. I heard great things about their chicken too, and I will have to try when I come back. Overall, I would return again.

    Chow fun with garlic chicken
    Lloyd W.

    Haven't been to Sugoi since they first open. It's a walk up order counter so service was fast. Went at the start of the lunch hour and they handled the crowd like pros. Ordered the chow fun with garlic chicken. Chow fun with a lot of goodies. It was like chow fun with side order garlic chicken. Didn't realize chow fun had it's own plate and garlic chicken came in its own container. Lunch partner ordered the pork cutlet with mushroom gravy, rice and mac potato salad with some tuna in it. Pork cutlet was thinly sliced with slight crunchiness, gravy to dive for - delicious!! There are limited tables to sit and eat at. Parking get full fast so you may have to park in the large lot and walk in. Pros: Love the abundance of goodies in the look fun. The garlic chicken is the greatest and you can't say "where's the garlic". Tuna in the potato mac salad hits home like mom used to make. Con: Parking is bad. That's it. Would I go back? In a heart beat.

    Jason M.

    We love the grinds here, but today I went change up what I normally get and went with the yakisoba. The garlic chicken is ALWAYS ACTION! But the yakisoba was just noodles with the usual things in it, just lacked and taste! Other than that tho service is always great and quick. Oh and the salad is action and I'm glad my mother in law bought side orders of it! Until next time keep up the great grinds!

    Combo Bentos with Garlic Chicken, Mahi Mahi, and Teri Beef delivered to funeral (where photo was taken).
    Reef A.

    Ordered 100 combo bentos for a funeral reception. It included Garlic Chicken, Mahi Mahi and Teri Beef. Bento tasted okay but not amazing. Chicken was a bit on the dry side. Mahi Mahi was ok. The Teri Beef was pretty good. Was expecting better but overall satisfied. Owner was accommodating to let me order & pay after they closed for the day. Free delivery all the way to Mililani. There is 3% extra charge for credit card transactions so better to pay in cash for large orders.

    Korean Fried Chicken Bento. (The container of sauce is not in the picture.)
    Gerry L.

    One of the guys at our office makes a run down to Sugoi's to pick up bentos for us every so often. As it was Tuesday, the large bento was on sale for $17.75 + tax. Three of us ordered the Korean Chicken bento while others ordered the salmon. My bento contained furikake rice, a split hot dog, a piece of BBQ meat and four or five large pieces of Fried Chicken and a slice of takuwan. I suspect they use pieces of Mochi Chicken or Garlic Chicken because I tried a piece before pouring on the sauce that was included. The sauce made it Korean (style chicken) and made the rice so tasty I had to eat all of it. It's a substantial meal. I ate half for lunch on Tuesday and the other half on Wednesday. For me, that came to less than $10/day, a deal in today's environment. Recommended!

    Spicy Garlic Chicken
    TeeTee M.

    Just got back to the island and bought all the sauce they had in stock AGAIN!! Lol if ur on the island this chicken is a must!! This is coming home with ME!!

    11-8-24. Garlic Chicken
    Lloyd C.

    Some friends recommended Sugoi for their Garlic Chicken. We had to try it out. Sugoi located in the warehouse district close to Young's Fish Market, Kamehameha Bakery, etc. Side of Chicken (Crispy Garlic) [4/5]. This is what "they are known for!" The food took several minutes to fry up. It was piping hot and crispy. There was juicy garlic sauce in the box. The boneless skin-on chicken was juicy and that fried skin...yummy. Several tables for you to dine in. The service was super friendly and nice! We found a new place. Come support local.

    Storefront

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    11 days ago

    Very nonchalant. They look at you judgmental. Not welcoming. Very rushing. Don't recommend at all.

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    25 days ago

    One of the best garlic chicken in the island. Chill little spot.good service food comes out quick.

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    Page 1 of 20

    Sugoi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sugoi

    Do the catered bentos come with utensils?

    Yes they do.

    Does Sugoi serve plate lunches (garlic chicken) all day? I understand they serve breakfast all day...was thinking spicy garlic or mochiko at like 8am in the morning!!!

    Yes, they do.

    Are they open for indoor dining?

    They were open fort indoor dining when I was there on December 2, 2021

    View All 5 Questions

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    Helena's Hawaiian Food

    Helena's Hawaiian Food

    4.4(4.6k reviews)
    0.9 mi•Kalihi
    •$$

    You have to put your name on the Yelp waitlist outside and they will call you. It was a 15 minute…read morewait for lunch on a Wednesday. Our last meal in Hawaii - a great way to end our vacation. The lomi salmon was fresh and added a great cold to our hot dishes. The ribs were tender and paired wonderfully with the white onion. The lau lau reminded me of southern collard greens - tender and delicious. The butterfish was my favorite. It was crispy and full of flavor. The haupia was complementary and it was soft and delicious - not too sweet. Service was quick and friendly. They explain how to eat each dish and what to pair it with. The owner of the restaurant was the cashier. He explained that his grandma opened the restaurant and they've kept it open for 80 years. He was so sweet. You simply cannot come to Oahu and never try this restaurant. Absolutely amazing experience

    I was looking forward to eating at Helena's Hawaiian Food, but unfortunately my experience with the…read moreservice was incredibly disappointing. When ordering, I mentioned that I probably wouldn't be able to finish all of my food and would take the rest to go. Because I said that, I was told I would NOT be allowed to eat inside the restaurant and that my entire order had to be takeout. I was honestly shocked. I was a paying customer ordering a full meal and simply said I would take whatever I couldn't finish with me--which is something people do at restaurants every day. I even added a 20% tip to my order. I tried to explain the misunderstanding at the front counter. I explained that I absolutely wanted to eat my meal there; I was only saying that because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish everything, I wanted to take my leftovers with me afterward. The employee at the front counter with tattoos refused to hear my explanation. Her answer was completely black-and-white: either my order was "to go" OR I could eat it there. There was no willingness to listen to what I was actually saying or resolve what should have been a very simple misunderstanding. Their customer service model simply doesn't make any sense to me. Why should a paying customer be forced to choose between eating their entire meal inside or ordering everything to go simply because they know in advance that they'll need a container for their leftovers? Taking home food you don't finish is an ordinary part of dining at a restaurant. I wasn't asking for anything unusual or special. I simply wanted to sit down, eat the food I had purchased, and take whatever I couldn't finish with me afterward. The interaction felt unnecessarily rude and incredibly unwelcoming. I had specifically come here because I wanted to experience a well-known local Hawaiian restaurant, and instead I was made to feel like I wasn't welcome to sit down and eat the food I had just purchased--even after leaving a 20% tip. Unfortunately, I never even got the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant because of how I was treated. Very disappointing experience and definitely not the kind of hospitality I expected.

    Photos
    Helena's Hawaiian Food - New larger inside dining area

    New larger inside dining area

    Helena's Hawaiian Food - Menu B: Kalua Pig And Pipikaula Short Ribs

    Menu B: Kalua Pig And Pipikaula Short Ribs

    Helena's Hawaiian Food - Inside

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    Inside

    Highway Inn Kaka'ako - Mochiko Chicken

    Highway Inn Kaka'ako

    4.1(2k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    •$$

    Highway Inn is highly recommended for their classic Hawaiian dishes. We made our way over at…read moreopening last Thursday for an early lunch. Our server was very helpful and even brought out a pamphlet explaining each dish. After reading it over, the three of us decided to each try one of the signature Hawaiian combo plates. LAU LAU COMBO (PORK) - 22.99 + poi + lomi salmon The set came out in cafeteria-style trays, almost like a grade school lunch. Our server recommended eating the main entree and lomi salmon with poi, a fermented taro paste. Judging by how it looked, I thoroughly expected the poi to be sweet, but it was actually much more sour, almost like yogurt. I didn't enjoy it too much on its own, but it worked incredibly well with the pork lau lau. The pork was mostly tender and juicy, with a fragrant, leafy steamed flavor that reminded me of the Chinese zong zi my mom makes. The leaner parts of the pork were a bit dry, but the steamed taro leaves helped. The lomi salmon (salted salmon mixed with onions and tomatoes) was refreshing, although the pungent raw onions were a bit much for me. The 'uala (steamed sweet potatoes) had a natural, earthy sweetness that we all enjoyed. Lastly, the haupia (coconut pudding) was incredibly tasty, with a strong coconut flavor that made me sad when I took my last bite. One of my friends got the chicken lau lau, which we actually enjoyed even more. The chicken was delicious, and there was so much of it. Overall, we enjoyed getting to try some authentic Hawaiian dishes at Highway Inn, especially our server and the pamphlet gave us a better understanding of what we were eating.

    My Reliable Hawaiian Food Go-To…read more Highway Inn is my go-to when I'm craving Hawaiian food and want somewhere I know I can usually get into without too long of a wait. Parking is also pretty easy, either in the front lot or the garage at SALT at Our Kaka'ako. I love their fried rice, kalua cabbage, and Hawaiian mix plate. It's reliable comfort food that always hits the spot. My partner usually gets the loco moco and always enjoys it here. Loco moco connoisseur, that one. Good Hawaiian food, convenient parking, and usually an easy meal without too much fuss. There's a reason I keep coming back.

    Photos
    Highway Inn Kaka'ako
    Highway Inn Kaka'ako - KALUA PIG NACHOS,FRIED RICE & SOUR CREAM

    KALUA PIG NACHOS,FRIED RICE & SOUR CREAM

    Highway Inn Kaka'ako - Fried Rice

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    Fried Rice

    Rainbow Drive-In - Solid little place for some local food

    Rainbow Drive-In

    3.8(6.1k reviews)
    5.1 mi•Kaimuki
    •$$
    Locally owned & operated
    62 years in business

    Have you ever tried authentic Hawaiian food? Do you know what they eat in their houses very…read moreconfused? Check out this place homestyle Hawaiian plates with multiple different options and combinations don't judge the food you have to have it. It has subtle flavors deeply, rooted, cultural identity. Simple yet talk talks about history. When you use display, you can see old school Hawaiian folks explaining you what this food means to them and serve you a plate full of their food of different portions. It's plenty of food for one person to eat. They are very welcoming and they will feel proud of serving this to the guest. It's a very old-school vibe since it's Hawaii. It's mostly outdoor seating but this place is always. It's been there around for a while now and I don't think they're ever going downhill one of the best places to try even though they're plenty of other options for you.

    A local Hawaiian recommended Rainbow Drive-In to us, and I'm glad we stopped by. The loco moco was…read moreso good! Savory, satisfying, and an easy 5/5 for me. You order outside at the window, and there's plenty of outdoor seating. Our food came out pretty quickly, too. There's a restroom available; you just need to ask for the key. Definitely a delicious stop if you're craving a classic loco moco!

    Photos
    Rainbow Drive-In - Rainbows mixed plate

    Rainbows mixed plate

    Rainbow Drive-In - Loco Moco Plate

    Loco Moco Plate

    Rainbow Drive-In - Turns out I was wearing my GRAVY ALL OVER shirt so I had to get a pic with my loco moco!

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    Turns out I was wearing my GRAVY ALL OVER shirt so I had to get a pic with my loco moco!

    Waiahole Poi Factory - Fresh, hand pounded poi, traditional staple of the Hawaiian people

    Waiahole Poi Factory

    4.5(1.6k reviews)
    11.3 mi
    •$$

    We had a family event in the area and decided to make a quick stop at Waiahole Poi Factory…read moreafterwards to grab a Sweet Lady of Waiahole! The Sweet Lady of Waiahole is definitely a treat! The warm kulolo paired with the haupia ice cream is such a delicious combination. Also you gotta get it with a double scoop of ice cream! I remember when my boyfriend first introduced me to this dessert, and I was instantly hooked! It's such a unique and satisfying local treat. Definitely a must stop if you're in the area!

    I heard about this spot from multiple people and was excited to see that it fit our itinerary…read moreperfectly! + my boyfriend really wanted to try Poi while we were visiting the Island. There is a really small parking lot available, but we just found parking on side of the street and walked over. There are tables outside for people to enjoy their foods. It can be filled up quickly since lots of people visit this spot. Many people are willing to share space. Single restroom stall available around the building. Staff is super friendly We ordered a plate with Squid Luau, Laulau, and Poi and a single plate with kalua pig. Both plate comes with some sort of coconut pudding? and a very delicious side of lomi with salmon bits in it. The food was so good! Portion was so good and super filling! One note is that we wish there were more squid bits. Overall, a 10/10 would recommend!

    Photos
    Waiahole Poi Factory
    Waiahole Poi Factory - Amazing food. Ho'io salad is a must. Fresh poi is tops. You can't go wrong at Waiahole Poi Factory.

    Amazing food. Ho'io salad is a must. Fresh poi is tops. You can't go wrong at Waiahole Poi Factory.

    Waiahole Poi Factory - The Ohana at Waiahole Poi Factory with members of One Groove.

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    The Ohana at Waiahole Poi Factory with members of One Groove.

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Teriyaki spam musubi, egg + eel + avocado musubi, spam + egg + bacon + avocado musubi

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume

    4.5(5.5k reviews)
    4.6 mi•Waikiki
    •$

    Musubi Cafe is such a fun, local gem, but be ready for a wait. We went early, midday timing, and…read morethe line was already about 15 people with roughly a 30 minute wait. It moves steadily though, and it is worth it. Inside is tiny, just one small table, so this is really an order and go kind of place rather than somewhere to sit and eat. They have every musubi combination you could think of, unagi, avocado, cucumber, egg, bacon, ume, tofu skin, shrimp, you name it. I got the tuna mayo onigiri and wished they had packed in a little more tuna filling, but it was still tasty. I also tried the cucumber spam musubi, which was really good too. We came as a group of seven and everyone ordered something different, and everyone loved every bite. My tip: get at least two musubis per person. A few people in our group got four each and had zero regrets. One thing to know ahead of time is parking. It is street parking only and pretty limited, so plan for that if you are driving. Overall such an easy, yummy stop and a great local experience in Waikiki.

    We came here because it was highly rated and my sister saw it in a viral Instagram video. The first…read moretime, we ordered the tuna musubi, but it had so much rice and barely any tuna. We decided to come back the next day and order the "Double Tuna," thinking it would actually have double the tuna. Instead, it seemed like the same small amount of tuna with double the rice! We ordered around eight of them, so it was especially disappointing to find that they were mostly rice. The portions just don't feel balanced. If someone pays extra for "Double Tuna," they're expecting more tuna, NOT extra rice. Unfortunately, it felt like they were really skimping on the filling, and the quality didn't live up to the hype for us.

    Photos
    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Inside the shop

    Inside the shop

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Teriyaki Spam & Rice with Hawaiian drink

    Teriyaki Spam & Rice with Hawaiian drink

    Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Black pepper spam musubi and inari-egg spam musubi

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    Black pepper spam musubi and inari-egg spam musubi

    Fresh Catch - Ahi Limu and Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl

    Fresh Catch

    4.3(1.5k reviews)
    4.7 mi
    •$$

    Great selection of poke for your palate. I had the Fireball Ahi which was both tender and filling…read more The service was both courteous and helpful for test tasting the desired poke. The restaurant is mainly for takeout since there is no seating inside. Coming back for more great poke.

    To start, Fresh Catch was my favorite poke spot that I tried during our Hawaii trip. We walked in a…read morecouple Saturdays ago for lunch, and the interior had no-frills, seafood-market, straight-to-the-counter-to-order kind of vibes. There was only simple bench seating and high-top counter tables with no chairs. We loved that we could sample some before making a choice. POKE BOWL +2 for white rice Since poke is charged by the pound, I went crazy. "A bit more!" I would say, after one gigantic scoop. I got a scoop-plus of both ahi shoyu and "old school" ahi, which is seasoned simply with sesame oil and salt. I ended up with about 0.7 pounds of fish (both 29.99/lb), which came out to around $22. The rice wasn't great since it was a bit mushy and clumpy, but the star of the show was the fresh tuna. The "old school" ahi was my favorite for its simplicity and addictive sesame flavor. It's one I could easily enjoy without rice. The shoyu was also great, but it got a bit too saucy and overwhelming after a few bites. Overall, I truly enjoyed eating all that fresh poke. It was easily my favorite poke of the trip. ICED LILIKOI PASSION TEA - 5 I asked for less sweet, and it was perfect. It was refreshing and smooth, making it great to sip on whenever I needed a break from the intensity of the poke. I'm so glad I got this to pair with my bowl. Next time, I'll get a poke bowl with the "old school" ahi and furikake salmon. I tried my friend's salmon, and it was nutty and umami-forward, with fatty, rich salmon that I really enjoyed.

    Photos
    Fresh Catch - Visit 09/2025

    Visit 09/2025

    Fresh Catch - 5 different types of poke, side of rice with furikake, and cucumbers

    5 different types of poke, side of rice with furikake, and cucumbers

    Fresh Catch - Hawaiian ahi

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    Hawaiian ahi

    Sugoi - japanese - Updated September 2026

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