Did the lunch omakase with a friend. The service was very nice, very quiet space with subdued ambiance. It was challenging to get through all of the courses, but I succeeded. There were standouts and overall we loved the meal. A local id gets the 10% service fee removed which was nice. I would recommend the $150 lunch omakase - I don't think the $50 abalone dish was worth the upgrade. read more

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Had an amazing omakase experience at Sushi Ginza Onodera. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, which made the whole experience feel welcoming rather than overly formal. Every piece of sushi was beautifully presented not overwhelming. You can really tell the chefs put a lot of thought into the balance of flavors and textures. One of my favorite bites was a sashimi piece topped with something that looked like finely grated cheese (not sure what it actually was), but it melted perfectly with the fish and added a really unique savory flavor. The chefs and staff also had a good sense of humor. At one point they served kinki fish and jokingly explained that the English translation sometimes gets called "idiot fish," which got everyone laughing at the counter. The omakase is definitely on the pricier side, but the quality, presentation, and overall experience made it very satisfying. If you're looking for a refined sushi experience with great service and beautifully crafted bites, this place is worth the splurge. read more

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First off this was such an amazing experience and my first time at an Omakase! The ambiance was clean and intimate with limited seating at the counter. My boyfriend and I went here to celebrate a late Valentine's Day dinner. Upon arrival we were a little late and then I had realized I forgot my antihistamine pill since I am allergic to shellfish and certain fish so I was pretty upset. But the staff were very accommodating and gave us the option if we could go get my medicine and return before 6 or join the next seating at 7:30. So we decided to come back at 6 and I was able to fully enjoy dinner with them subbing out the few courses that included shrimp for extra precaution. Everything was very delicious! My favorite would probably have to be the fatty tuna or flounder. Only thing is I wish we had known that there was a Kama'aina discount. I think they had just assumed we weren't from here since we mentioned we were staying at a hotel read more

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Whoa. An amazing experience for sure. Very pricey, but very much worth it. Service is impeccable. Every dish was plated beautifully and the flavors were so interesting. We ordered the $300/person omakase. We received a lot of different plates and sushi. My favorites were the kinki, ebi, Spanish mackerel, hearts of palm soup, but everything was delicious. read more

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Disappointing experience. The whole meal felt like a fast-food experience rather than a fine dining one--we rushed through the entire menu from the first course to the last in just 40 minutes. While the staff were okay, the service felt incredibly rushed. The food quality simply wasn't there, especially given the price point. No high-end fish was served, and the only course featuring uni was a huge letdown--it wasn't fresh, had already melted, and I even found a piece of shell in it. To make matters worse, the seating is so cramped that you are practically sitting on top of other guests. Throughout our meal, we were subjected to a very strong, unpleasant odor of cigarettes and weed. Definitely wouldn't recommend. read more

Sushi Ginza Onodera - uni - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy Sushi Ginza Onodera Omakase and it was by far my favorite omakase to date. From the incredible variety of flavor and preparation to the amazing hospitality, this is a one of a kind experience you do not want to pass up. Thank you so much, Chef Yusuke! read more

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This is the same restaurant chain located in various states across the US and also in Japan. They've been awarded Michelin stars are other venues and would probably have one here if Hawaii had the Michelin Guide. We came for dinner (reservation only) and had the $300/person omakase. They follow traditional Japanese standards and do not/will not accept gratuity. You simply pay the expected $300 and any add-ons + tax and that's it. Staff also remind you of this once the bill comes. Service was AMAZING. Staff was spot-on with my needs and gave me what I wanted even before I asked for it. For example, I was close to finishing my green tea and was going to ask for a glass of water. Lo and behold, a glass of water appeared before me seconds before I was about to request one. The food was excellent and fish were all very fresh. There were only a couple pieces of nigiri that I didn't care for (just personal preference). Prior to starting the course, staff asked if we had any dietary restrictions. I was also asked whether I liked certain fish/shellfish, and I honestly replied that I didn't care much for shrimp. They then proceeded to customize my meal so that shrimp did not show up on in any of my omakase courses! I was so stuffed, I couldn't order any of the extra add-ons at the end of the meal. We sat at the counter, but saw that there were a few rooms that could accommodate small groups. Friendly reminded to not wear any scents at the bar! I speak for myself as I personally have a sensitive nose and an unfortunate aversion to strong fragrances, but I'm sure there's others out there that might have the same issue. PSA: future patrons, please be considerate of others and not wear smelly perfumes/colognes. TY! read more

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Wow!!! Food, service and the ambiance were amazing! This place made me feel like I was in Japan. Everything was excellent!!! This is my favorite restaurant ever! read more

Great sushi made by real sushi chefs, some local and some Japanese!! Hawaii will always have the best sushi aside from Japan!

The entire experience was amazing! Delicious food, masterfully prepared, engaging chefs, incredible wait staff. The restaurant is beautiful! Thanks for a great evening. read more

The best sushi omakase you can get in Honolulu without breaking the bank, or your cedit card, is their lunch. Currently offered only on saturday and Sunday, strictly by reservation. Yes, there are several sushi omakase at lower price points that are highly thought of, but Ginza Onodera's quality handily beats them all. The counter will seat 8 pax maximum, and conveniently their hole-in-the-wall garage next door holds 4 vehicles so buddy up! You can check in early but you won't be seated until a few minutes before the start of the meal so wait in your car and listen to Apple Music, or stand on the noisy street in the wind. Once seated service will be attentive and efficient. Don't speak Japanese? English is spoken by everyone. Every dish will be explained in English, often with pictures and English names for the neta on a notepad - you have no excuse not to caption your pictures! What is served will change frequently, day to day in many cases. The order of neta served will also vary with what they get in and the itamae's skills and preference. Dinner is a bigger production than lunch with the evening's neta being displayed, but don't expect theatrics at this Honolulu outpost. With few exceptions, usually supplements, flavors are also not piled on in layers. Each piece is not going to be picture perfect and uniform though you can see the itamae's precision and economy of movement as he shapes each coursed nigiri. No gas torched aburi neta - they flame sear over charcoal in the back and you can taste bits of smoke and char at times. People will comment about not being "wowed" by the taste of some items, or they don't enjoy the texture, or it didn't look like the pictures they saw. Each itamae has a unique style within the requirements of Ginza Onodera. Mine's was sufficiently proud of his kohada to serve it near the beginning of the meal. Very few diners appreciate the tedious work and skill it takes to make a standout kohada, and few diners appreciate its taste. The kohada had just enough sour bite to complement the salty sour akasu rice. It was a preparation of your tastebuds for the fattier items following. An akami zuke and a nakaochi nigiri were equally standouts - the akami marinated just a few minutes to add richness to the lean meat, the nakaochi shaped using a shiso leaf to add a faint bright fresh scent. Elsewhere, I've seen a huge bluefin tuna head displayed with a paper tag indicating the date the whole fish was shipped and its whole weight. I've seen a huge live spiny lobster paraded in front of me before being unceremoniously dispatched to the back to be served as sashimi. I've seen diners covetously wanting to handle a two person knife used to cut a whole bluefin tuna. None of that here ... hopefully. But if it happens, enjoy the theatrics. Otherwise, this is an extremely good omakase with it's best value at lunch. read more

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WOW!! Sushi Ginza Onodera left me speechless! Good, service, quality, price, just wow I made a reservation on Yelp BFF's birthday for an omakase luncheon at the sushi counter. It's $150 per person for the Sora course, which comes with an appetizer, 10 piece nigiri, 5 premium nigiri pieces, tamagoyaki, miso soup, and dessert. They were also very thoughtful about my food allergies. Here's the list of what we ate: Appetizer - chawanmushi 1. Kue (grouper) 2. Ottoro (fatty tuna) 3. Buri (yellowtail) 4. Sumi ika (cuttlefish) 5. Aji (horse mackerel) 6. Kinme dai (golden snapper) 7. Maguro with yuzu 8. Sugurai (conch) 9. Katsuo (bonito) 10. Kohada (gizzard shad) Premium nigiri 1. Salmon roe 2. Kegani (hairy crab) 3. Saba (mackerel) 4. Tuna tartar 5. Nodo guro (black throat sea perch) They also gave us a small portion of uni (my favorite). Some of the nigiri I was familiar with and it was my first time trying others. Overall, I loved everything that was presented. Expect to spend approximately 2 hours at lunch. After dessert, the sushi chef and staff brought out a small piece of cake and sang Happy Birthday to BFF. At the end, the chef gifted us 2 pairs of chopsticks. It was such a memorable experience. The next time you are planning to celebrate an event, Sushi Ginza Onodera is the perfect place. Thanks for reading my reviews! Let me know what I should try next! read more

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Soooo good service and food! I'm very willing to come here again. This level doesn't exist in LA. I love SushiwGinza in Hawaii. read more

Sushi Ginza Onodera - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The service is super friendly and the ambience was clean and authentic. We enjoyed the omakase. We were really impressed by how very accommodating the staff were to the two couples that came after us. They were both late. We have seen other omakase places were the chef doesnt allow them to come but Sushi Ginza Onodera was very professional and courteous to all their patrons. One patron had to run back to their hotel room as they were allergic to fish. The staff offered to allow them to the join the next seating in the private room area or come back by 6pm. The sushi was solid but didn't blow me away compared to the other omakase restaurants available on island with the same or lesser price tag. We came here for my wife's birthday which I noted on our open table reservation but no mention of the celebration which we have come to experience at other places. I enjoyed the amaebi. My wife enjoyed the Spanish mackerel. I had the sake tasting but nothing really blew me away unfortunately just like the sushi. I really wanted to like the place more since my friend is a regular and raves about it. I will say it was a nice touch that after the omakase chef explained the dish, a server would come with an iPad to show you the fish. Heads up -They asked if we were from here and knew we wete local but we didnt know to ask for the kamaina discount which is 10%. It would have been nice if they would have just asked us for our ID when they knew we were Kamaina. read more

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Very good omakasei sushi and also upgraded to toro steaks. Service was okay but not needed since I sat at the counter but the presentation was great to watch! read more

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Wife took me here for a birthday lunch. I've never been to such a fancy omakase restaurant before! They have a few really tight stalls on the side but there is street parking and some other small pay lots in the area. The service was impeccable, I really felt welcomed and taken care of. We sat at the bar and got to watch the chef work his magic! He told us what every fish was that was being served and then the attendant would come by and show us a picture of said fish. All the sushi given to us was so good! Very buttery and melt in your mouth. I liked the amount of wasabi he put between the fish and the rice. The rice itself wasn't quite like normal white rice or even sushi rice, can't explain it but it was good. We had 15 pieces of sushi in total along with miso soup and a dessert. They came out with a surprise cake for my birthday which was super sweet of them. read more

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Unbelievable experience. Such mastery and the fish was out of this world. Close your eyes and let it melt in your mouth. Such nice people... wow. I will be back. read more

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Another great omakase. Traditional, no torch or extraneous toppings, this is fish and rice done expertly. Beautiful sake glasses to go along with reasonable pricing at least versus SFO. The sushi steak was excellent but different than expected. Framed as a sliced steak it could have passed as meat. Excellent. Hard to complain about anything. read more

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If you want a traditional omakase experience, this is the place to go. Our party of 5 came here for lunch to celebrate my birthday. My son treated us to this amazing meal - instead of the lunch omakase, he opted for the dinner meal. I counted 20 courses and dessert. Some of the dishes were as follows: Chawanmushi Octopus Otoro steak Bonito different types of sashimi Uni Squid Yellowtail Negitoro wrap (tasted like a loco moco) Black throat fish We were seated at the counter and was able to see the chef prepare the dishes. Our chef was funny. He said heʻs orginally from the Haneda, Tokyo and was photobombing some of our pics. The rest of the staff were very attentive also - making our experience there a relaxing and wonderful. At the end, the staff sang happy birthday and I got a yuzu cheesecake plus 2 pairs of chopsticks from the chef (those wooden chopsticks are so good to pick up sashimi). read more

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Golden eyed snapper Chutoro Gizzard shad Bonito King salmon Mackerel Yellowjack Cuttlefish Bluefin tuna Sweet shrimp Tuna tartare Sea perch Uni Eel Tamago The service is excellent. But the fish is not special as I thought, generally very ordinary. read more

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Food is very good. Service excellent. Very attentive. Ambiance beautiful very old school Japanese sushi bar. A bit too formal for my taste. Plus they give you your sushi one piece at a time all prepared to eat. If you like a little more wasabi or soy sauce you are not allowed to change how it's prepared. You eat each piece according to how they prepare it and to their speed to make each piece. I do not like my rice pre flavored in soy sauce. I generally love to sit at the sushi bar but in this instance it was interesting but not fun. I'll try a table next time. read more

We visited the restaurant tonight to celebrate my friend's bday and brought our own sakes.The waitress didn't inform us that there would be an $80 corkage fee per bottle. We were surprised when the bill came out showing $160 for two bottles. Had we known about the charge, we would have ordered your sake instead. It doesn't make sense to me that we weren't advised of the fee ahead of time -- I feel the waitress should have made that clear. Also, I noticed there was an automatic service charge added to the bill. It feels a bit unfair, especially since we didn't know about the corkage fee in advance and btw no restaurant would charge $80 per bottle, they rather say you cant bring in your own bottle or cant bring in whatever they carry‍ read more

The first question I'm sure Yelpers will ask when they see my rating: Why didn't you give this place a perfect five star rating? My brief answer: It's excellent but trades setting, the show of making sushi, and the art of up-selling for a truly exceptional experience. I'll explain infra. For perspective, I've eaten sushi in Japan and other major cities and travel extensively. Food: We ordered a ten piece prix fixe for $200/person. The offerings ranged from very "low end" cuts of sushi to a few medium grade items. The sushi portions were just a little smaller than what I would classify as average. Some items were very good and some were disappointing. Examples of disappointing items: 1. Cold Japanese steamed egg- I wasn't expecting a cold steamed egg, and the combination of texture, temperature, and flavor wasn't very good. 2. Squid- beautifully prepared but squid is a poor man's sushi. 3. Mackerel- I view mackerel as bait fish for real sushi (I've been deep sea fishing in the Pacific and used mackerel as bait). 4. Shrimp- I didn't even eat the shrimp. Chef was surprised, but it didn't go to waste. My wife ate it and said it was just ok. 5. Miso soup was good but served a bit tepid. On the positive side, the singular piece of tuna was good quality and very tasty. It wasn't Oh Toro fatty, but it was good. Service: Good but micro managing service. The staff wants everything to be perfect from its perspective. For example, one patron at the bar wanted to share his sake with his wife. The waitress sternly corrected the young man and said no sharing is allowed. The show: Sitting at the bar was interesting to see master sushi chefs at work up close. Comfort: Sitting at the bar for two hours on an uncomfortable stool with your knees jammed into the counter with barely any room between patrons was horrible. Also, if you're unfortunately seated at the bar with less than stellar bar-mates, the whole experience can be excruciating. Ambiance: Formal Japanese ambiance with a very modern, clean vibe. Value: If you want to pay for a show rather than sushi, by all means Sushi Ginza Onodera is worth it. Also, expect up-selling after the prix fixe. Another menu with additional items is offered after the meal. For $36, we ordered two very small tuna rolls. They were good but not exceptional. If you are an epicurean focused more on food than show, skip Sushi Ginza Onodera and go to Gaku or another sushi restaurant in Honolulu. At the end of our meal, including one beer, an extra tuna roll, and our prix fixe, our bill approached $500, and I needed a snack later that evening. For the same money you can eat like a king, including indulging on some Oh Toro bluefin at Gaku and be truly satiated. In sum, concerning value Sushi Ginza Onodera is low on the value spectrum judging solely by food. For the show and experience, I see some value added but this metric largely drives my four star rating (along with lack of comfort as a lesser metric). Overall cleanliness: perfect Bathroom cleanliness: perfect read more

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If you're looking for a "pin-drop quiet, eyes-widening, every-bite-counts" omakase in Honolulu, Sushi Ginza Onodera is it. We came for a special night and left floating. From the first piece, you can feel the craft: perfectly seasoned, slightly warm shari; pristine fish treated with classic Edomae technique; and that crisp nori that shatters just as it should. Standouts for us were the buttery toro, briny-sweet uni, and a silky, lacquered anago that I'm still thinking about. The chef brushed the ideal amount of nikiri on each piece, explained where it came from and how it was prepared, and paced the meal so nothing ever felt rushed. Service is gracious without being stuffy--attentive tea refills, fresh ginger (not candy-sweet), real wasabi, and thoughtful recommendations on sake. The room is intimate and calm, letting the knife work and the rice do the talking. It isn't cheap, but it's the kind of "worth it" that sets a new bar for sushi. Tips: book the counter if you can, arrive on time for the set seating, and trust the chef. Do the full omakase--you'll thank yourself when that delicate tamago lands at the end. Five stars, zero notes. I'd fly back to Oʻahu just to eat here again. read more

The second best sushi experience in Hawaii bested only by Sushi Sho. In general, outstanding quality short grain rice beautifully seasoned by brown rice vinegar based su imparting a gentle nuttiness. Impeccable quality seasonal ingredients air flown from Japan. Be it live seafood or the sweetest potato, ingredients are treated simply with traditional Japanese cooking methods that bring forth micro flavors and brought together in harmonious ways. Seafood is incredibly fresh or properly aged as appropriate (remember, fresh ahi is tasteless). An example, a stellar Hokkaido ankimo topped with fresh yuba sat atop an almost smoky kabayaki style sauce and edible flower. The earthy smokiness elevates the mineral notes of the liver while cutting richness. The crisp yuba a textural foil. The flower, adding mild lemon notes. Another example, miso marinated grilled gindara (think of miso butterfish) is paired with the sweetest Japanese potato reinforcing the sweetness of the fish with acidity from a lightly pickled ginger shoot. VERY IMPORTANT: If you want to enjoy the proper Edomae sushi experience (starters followed by a rapid progression of sushi with rice at body temperature and seafood at the correct temp, often room temp), versus your sushi brought all at once on a platter, make reservations at the counter. See FAQs below. Japanese proper service that can be as fun and welcoming as you allow it to be. Difficult self parking next to the restaurant or street parking if you can find it. Time and time again, Ginza Onodera does not fail to impress. * * * * * * * * FAQs updated for 2023: -- Are reservations required? YES. Reservations are made through their website. Lunch: Sat / Sun, 11:00 or 13:00. Dinner Thurs - Mon, 17:00 or 19:30. You must preorder your omakase course when you make your reservation (Lunch $100, $150. Dinner $300, $350. You must choose to either sit at the counter, a private room (western style table and chairs), or a private tatami room (seating on the floor). Max party size is five. Credit card required to guarantee your reservation. $250pp fee for same day cancellation or party reduction size. Tip: Want to enjoy but don't want to spend the $300 - $350? Make a lunch reservation. Less courses than dinner but you can add any item from said courses ala carte. -- Does everyone in the party need to order the same course? Yes. -- What is the difference in the seating areas? The counter is serviced by the sushi chefs. You will get the proper Edomae sushi experience. Private rooms have servers. Depending on the optional sake pairing you choose, the sushi course is either served all at once or in two flights. -- Are there drink pairings? Yes. Two choice sake pairing $30, four for $60. Very well chosen that pair perfectly with the courses they are served with. Outstanding, array of glassware from across Japan. A well chosen list of sake by the bottle also available. Average price $150. -- What is the real cost of a meal? On recent visits, dinner for two, $900; lunch for three $750 each time ordering the top course for the meal, sake pairing and tax. THE RESTAURANT DOES NOT ACCEPT GRATUITY. read more

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(Very Late Review) I've been to a couple of omakase experience and this place has been top 5 memorable and delicious. We booked a tatami room for 4. It was spacious and comfortable. From their personal sake glasses to their table napkins, I was in love. Every single piece of nigiri just melted in my mouth. Random, but my party was really digging the glass they served the beer in. It was super lightweight and felt lowkey like glass but it was a special type of glass they shipped from Japan. (Need to find in the states). By the end of the meal, they served the most delicious desserts. Waitresses were attentive the whole night and gave great service. In a heartbeat I would come again. Service - 5 / Ambiance - 5 / Food - 5 / Price - 4 read more

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Omakase is $350 a person and tips are not accepted! Every course was great, loved the contrast of dishes throughout the dinner and variety of nigiri! Attached some of the pictures but not able to put all. Service was exceptional. Cannot emphasize how great the whole staff was as they worked as a team. Also we did have to drive and parked in their garage of a handful of spaces (ride share or if you are walking distance!) and at the end one of the staff actually went out to hold traffic to let us out! Ambiance was great, very clean, intimate, and get very comfortable read more

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Save your money folks! I got to my reservation promptly at 5pm. Sat at the counter. No introduction of chefs or menu to be served. Dining was approximately 2hrs of absolute silence. Rice was under cooked and the fish was fresh but very plain with minimal soy added. Same exact fish and quality at Kiten their sister conveyor belt sushi restaurant at half the price. Omakase should be an amazing informative experience. This was not the case. read more

What an AMAZING experience!!! It was my first time omakase and Sushi Ginza Onodera certainly delivered. First of all, the staff truly treat you like royalty from start to finish. As each course is presented to you, a staff member comes to your party with a binder with pictures to describe the fish that you're having. Although not gonna lie, there were times where they were a little late and my sister and I thought they weren't coming so we just started to eat without their introduction. And then it was really awkward when the staff came to explain the fish while we were stuffing our faces with the course in question lol. But anyway, I really enjoyed that I could ask the staff and the chef questions about their sushi preparation and I even got to know a little bit about the chef himself too. Though the ambiance was very formal, the conversations that took place made it feel very homey and comfortable. I'm sure I don't already have to tell you that the food was absolutely delicious but for those in the back: THE FOOD WAS SO GOOD! The only thing that was not good was the green tea LOL it's super authentic like it is literally water with some matcha powder dissolved in it so it was quite bitter. My sister and I were waiting for our ride after our meal, and the staff let us wait in a separate private room so that we wouldn't have to wait outside in the cold, and they even gave us some hot tea while we waited for our ride. Overall, I felt very cared for and I was so happy after dining here. I feel like from now on, every time I go to Hawaii, I will absolutely have to come here! So worth the pretty penny!!! read more

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This place is fantastic. Chef is very traditional and great to talk to. No complaints just great food

Took my girlfriend to Sushi Ginza for her birthday and it was a great experience! I made a reservation online about 3-4 weeks in advance. A week or so prior, I called to confirm my reservation (since I didn't need to input any credit card info online). Wanted to mention my girlfriend's birthday and our allergies to crab. I reserved for two spots on the counter for the $250 per person omakase (checking again, looks like prices might have bumped to $300 a head). Sushi Ginza Onodera is definitely the priciest omakase I've tried so far. They have a few spots right next to their store front to park. I believe 3-4 spots. Otherwise, you need to find street parking. Staff greeted us immediately and lead us to the sushi counter where we were served by head chef Takeshi and assistant Nami. Our server was Yumi and she was extremely helpful and attentive. Each time the chefs would serve us a piece, she would pull out a binder to show us which fish we were eating. It is truly a sight to see chef Takeshi and Nami serve us delicious cuts of fish. My favorites were the flounder sashimi, bonito, otoro, and sea perch. Their freshly grated wasabi and in-house ginger were so good! Bathrooms are very clean. I believe there are two separate private dining rooms you can reserve as well. They only have 2 seatings for dinner. I think one at 5 and one at 7:30. We had a 7:30 reservation. After we finished eating the main course, the staff surprised us with a small cheesecake for my girlfriend's birthday! Very thoughtful of them! We also ordered off of their dessert menu (included in the omakase). The location is a no-tip establishment...so in essence, the tip is baked into the price tag. With the beer and omakase, it came to a little under six bills. Again, hefty price tag, but definitely great to experience once in awhile. Staff were very friendly and courteous. After we pulled out of the mini parking area, chef Takeshi and our server Yumi were outside as well waving us good bye and thanking us for visiting the restaurant. Thank you Sushi Ginza Onodera for the great experience. Special shoutout to chef Takeshi, Nami, and Yumi for providing such a great experience! Follow the adventure @shoyuthebest on IG! read more

Somehow forgot to write a review for Sushi Ginza Onodera during our last trip out in December. As we haven't been able to travel out to Tokyo for the past 2 years, I've been looking to satisfy my sushi craving and am happy we decided to dine here. Made reservations close to a month out in order to ensure we had seats at the sushi bar. We were the first to arrive and secured a parking spot in the lot next door. Parking spots are a bit tight and wouldn't recommend parking large suv's or vans in the lot. We were seated on the right side of the sushi car and started off the meal with a beer. The waitress asked if we wanted any of the add-ons in addition to the normal omakase. We decided on the otoro steak along with the hairy crab. Needless to say the meal was outstanding and loved the engagement from the sushi chef. This was the best meal we had during our last trip. Looking forward to our next visit in a few months. read more

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Super friendly staff phenomenal highly enjoyable people and ambiance, well worth the flight just to go here and enjoy surprising food!

This is my new favorite omakase spot in Oahu! The overall quality and delivery of each dish was spectacular. The meal started off strong with a uni chawanmushi, and each dish after that did not fail to impress my eyes and my tastebuds. I appreciated that there was something special about each bite. For instance, the tiger shrimp. We were given Hokkaido soy sauce and Hokkaido salt to enjoy the shrimp, one bite for each. There was another shrimp dish (raw), that was infused (chopped) with Sakura leaves. The flavors of the Sakura leaves complimented the sweetness of the shrimp. Each bite was a taste of happiness, but our fatasses ordered a futomaki too-- we were lucky enough to be accommodated to this request, as this took 30 min to prepare. The size of that thing was huge!! I could only eat one piece, and took the rest to-go. I also give a huge applause to the dessert. The red bean was a perfect pairing to the matcha pudding/flan dessert. read more

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The restaurant was small and quaint, it only had about 7 seats at the sushi counter, which is about the entirety of the restaurant. The staff there are phenomenal and extremely nice. They really care about the service they provide, constantly cleaning your area, filling your drink, and even show you a picture of the fish for each piece. The restaurant was omakase style, and you have the option to add a few more pieces to it at the end. They served about 15 pieces, along with two apps, and dessert. The sushi itself was overall good, 3-4 outstanding pieces, and the rest were good. Not a single piece was fishy, nor an undesirable texture. My only complaint is that the eel had small fish bones in it. Overall, solid sushi place. As a side note, they refuse to accept tips, as traditionally it's included in the price. read more

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To be honest it was pretty good, but for the same price I think there are better options. I've been to maru sushi and sushi sho 3 times and each time we try some place I feel that sushi sho is better. This place was good, I really liked the quality of the fish -- the shrimp the uni the fish were all very high quality but I just didn't think for the price it's the best option on the island. They show you what you eat on iPad and I think that was nice. read more

Sushi Ginza Onodera - All our items - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Come if you want to impress someone. I grew up in Japan and was thrilled to bring my husband here to experience a sushi experience and well I won't come back. Service 5 stars. Freshness and quality of ingredients 5 stars. Overall 3 stars, read more. Reservations are required and there are two options 5pm or 7:30pm. You can book online and there are all kinds of rules so make sure to read them. They also call two days ahead to get your credit card details and to confirm if you are coming. There is a limited summer time special called Natsu of $200 a person for Japanese egg and 10 piece of sushi, and dessert. This is the menu I selected on the website. The normal menu is $350 a person for egg, 5 appetizers, and 12 pieces of sushi. This was a unique experience and some great quality fish, but there are a few misses for me at this price range. Seating: we were sat at the counter with the chefs. It was really neat to watch them make rice balls for the sushi, prep the fish, shred the fresh wasabi, and slice the ginger, care of the ingredients, and their knife skills are amazing. But, the chairs are very uncomfortable. If you have long legs or tall you will be uncomfortable. I have 33" inseam and my knees hit the counter and I had to push my chair back to be more comfortable, but even that, after 1.5 hours the chair back was bothering me. There are 8 chairs at the counter and you are stuck with whoever is randomly assigned. It would be better if only 6 chairs were at the counter so groups can have more space. There is not much room to move and the people we had were obnoxious. We had people that because they were paying such high prices, they needed to brag, but we are all paying the same price. Then we had a mom/daughter where the daughter did not want to be there and was throwing a tantrum. When making a reservation, I recommend to select a table or tatami mat room for privacy. I selected what was available and regretted it. The staff are all super attentive to the point of being in your face micromanaging. If you do get up, they staff are right there asking what you need. The first time you take me to the bathroom, don't need help second time. They are all dressed in tuxedos for men and kimono for the women. Very beautiful and professional staff. This was a unique experience and I enjoyed some of it, but would not come back. If you need to impress a date or business meeting and want to impress this is the place. Food: we went with the Natsu menu. All dishes were elegant and beautifully plated. They use very high quality ingredients such as fresh wasabi root. We enjoyed watching them prep this ingredient. The pickled ginger was the best I ever had. I enjoyed learning new techniques for make sushi at home. The knife skills were very impressive. The Japanese egg arrived and it was stone cold. It was not a pleasant dish to eat. This was a miss for me, I have never had Japanese egg dish so cold. The other misses were serving mackerel, squid, and shrimp. I love these items but these are considered poor man sushi in Japan and was shocked to see these items as part of this tasting menu. I am not an uni fan, but this is the best uni I have ever had outside Japan. The upsale at the end, if you want more sushi here are some additional expensive items. The tuna sushi roll in my opinion should be the starter and not the horrible stone cold egg. Arrival: either Bus #2 or Uber. We opted for Uber. read more

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This was my favorite meal during our trip to Oahu! The reservation system is a little arcane, but once you're in, you're set! Make sure to check a couple weeks in Advance to make a reservation online. When we got there, there was a little parking garage that is free for guests. The spots are labeled for guests at particular seatings. I would highly recommend reserving at the bar as opposed to room seating. Watching the chef prepare our meal was like watching edible artwork being created! Also, I always just love the interaction w the chef, staff, and other patrons when sitting at the bar. :) We did the extreme kiwami course ($250 each) and then my husband added the tuna steak to his course ($50~$60 addition). Overall, everything was delicious. The sake pairings were great! We had a great evening w everyone and even ended up going out w the two other couples at the bar for a second round. Lol! Staff was incredibly professional and kind. Def would recommend and would come back! read more

Sushi Ginza Onodera - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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From our experience on 8/15/2021: My SO booked Ginza Onodera as our anniversary celebration months in advance and had requested bar seating so that we can interact with the chef. However, we instead were given a private room - which, although we were a bit disappointed at first - ended up being a unique and intimate experience. Great and thoughtful service. We were given envelopes to place our masks in. Every dish that was brought out to us was explained thoroughly, and we got see pictures of the type of fish via tablet or prints in a binder. As we were getting up to leave, I was pleasantly surprised to see the chef as well as the rest of the staff stand by the door to see us out. Got their Kiwami at $250/person. It included various appetizers (5?), 10 nigiri pieces, a Japanese steamed egg custard, a miso soup and dessert. We also got the O-Toro Steak for an additional $50, and it was absolutely amazing. It looked and tasted like an actual steak - but it melted in our mouths like fish. We ate the nigiri with our hands, fish on the bottom so we can taste it first, and closed our eyes before each bite to thoroughly focus on explore the various flavors... truly an experience. Other highlights: - Baby Snapper - rice is bomb - Bluefin Tuna, marinaded in special soy sauce and dashed with yuzu zest. - Japanese Horse Mackerel, "tiny fish - one fish for 2, not caught by net so no damage to body and silky flavor" - Green Tea Coconut Blanc Mange - creamy, flavorful, and not too sweet! I wish I took notes on each dish - more reason to go back though hehe For full transparency: also got Asahi Draft Beer at $10 and an Iced green tea at $5 as well. Would love to try the location in LA next time and at the counter for a fully interactive experience. read more

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Just 2 miles from Waikiki Beach and obscured to most tourists, Kapahulu Ave is a foodie's paradise and Sushi Ginza Onodera is its crowning jewel. We have been to Japan half a dozen times so the food no longer wow us, but we still found the service & the ambiance impeccable. On weekdays they are only open for dinner with tasting menu starting at $250, on weekends they offer lunch course starting at $100. We RSVP well in advance and were given 1 of the 2 private rooms. This was shocking as we never could get a table on previous visits to Honolulu or for its sister location in NYC. After the shoes came off we found ourselves in a tranquil dining room that oozed shibui (minimalism). The lowly $100 course included 12 pieces of nigiri, soup & dessert. Our server patiently explained each tasty morsel, its origin and how best to enjoy it, at times using the Ipad menu photo to illustrate. There were 3 types of tuna including the fattiest otoro, yellowtail, red perch, snapper, shrimp, uni, etc... The brown sugar sorbet was excellent, house-made cake was moist & ultra spongy, but it may not be for the western palate due to the shrimp flavor. All the items were exquisitely plated , no dipping sauce required and as usual it's best to eat with your hands. From start to finish we were treated like VIPs. We never felt rushed even though it was a 1 hour experience, we were there for extra 20 minutes, who wants to leave? We may had more exotic omakase (e.g. Kikunoi Roan in Kyoto) but this was still a top notch experience. At the end our server as well as the chef both came out to thank us and walked us outside. Tipping is not accepted as they will consider that an insult. read more

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