In the mood for some good sushi, I went online to see what sushi restaurants were open for lunch on a Saturday. To my dismay I found that the establishment I had originally thought of, Sushi Sasabune, was not opened. I reached back into my memory and recalled a sushi restaurant that a friend of mine had recommended months ago. He had mentioned that it was near the airport, in a location where you would not expect to find excellent sushi. This restaurant was Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi Bar, and after my first experience, I can say with great confidence that I’ll be back! Read the rest of this entry »

It is a sad truth that Hawaii, with all its Japanese culture and people, is lacking when it comes to tonkatsu specialty restaurants. Save for a few establishments, we do not have the selection of delicious tonkatsu you can find in Japan. Cafe Imperial is one of the few tonkatsu specialty restaurants you’ll find right here in Honolulu that serves up great tasting food. Read the rest of this entry »

Located in the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki, Hakone has gone through a few menu changes over the years. Currently offering a sushi and ala carte buffet on the weekends, Hakone is a great place to enjoy a buffet of Japanese cuisine with a nice view of the ocean. The view is particularly beautiful at sunset. Read the rest of this entry »

A very popular Japanese izakaya restaurant, Tokkuri-Tei has been on our list of places to visit for a while now. Located on Kapahulu Avenue next to Zippy’s, this small restaurant garners a lot of attention, and a lot of customers. Read the rest of this entry »

A fairly new addition to Japanese restaurants on Oahu, Shochan has been located at Puck’s Alley for the past four months since its opening. Hailing from the Hiroshima region of Japan, this restaurant does not serve your usual Japanese food, but rather a dish called okonomiyaki. Read the rest of this entry »

Situated on the hill just above the Kaimuki Community Park is a small Japanese restaurant that has made a reputation for itself serving delicious “maguro themed” dishes. This restaurant is aptly named “Maguro-Ya”, meaning “maguro store.” Read the rest of this entry »

Shokudo Japanese is a relatively new hip restaurant located right next to Angelo Pietro on Kapiolani Avenue. This restaurant is another addition to the growing base of izakaya-style establishments that have become quite popular in recent years. Read the rest of this entry »

Whenever I think about eating a nice hot bowl of Nabeyaki udon, or enjoying a bowl of delicious oyako donburi, Jimbo’s always comes to mind. This little restaurant located on King Street has had a long standing tradition of serving excellent food, but it is known best for the quality of the udon noodles that it makes and serves. Read the rest of this entry »

From the outside Izakaya Nonbei is not the type of restaurant you’d imagine would be worthy of any national recognition. The old building off of Kapahulu Avenue that houses this restaurant could probably use a little renovation, but this is one place that truly cannot be judged by its appearance. Inside customers are treated to an excellent menu of Japanese dishes, worthy enough to put Izakaya Nonbei in the October 2002 edition of Gourmet magazine. Read the rest of this entry »

Rarely do I get to venture to the Leeward side for anything other than business. But this past Sunday was a beach day for me, and after spending some time at Ko’olina, my fiancee and I were quite hungry. We decided to try out Kunio, a restaurant in Waikele Shopping Center that I have not returned to in years. Years ago this small Japanese restaurant was half the size it is today. Over time it has grown in size and reputation. Read the rest of this entry »