With four locations across the state, Sansei is definitely a name that many Hawaii residents would recognize. Inspired by the culinary talents of chef DK Kodama, Sansei has been the recipient of many awards and accolades, including “best sushi.”
Located in the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort & Spa off of Kalakaua, Sansei shares its retail space with another well known restaurant, D.K Steakhouse. Sansei became our choice for dinner tonight due to its popular Early Bird special, offered on Sunday and Monday nights from 5:15PM to 6:00PM. The Early Bird special at Sansei gives customers a staggering 50% discount off all menu items, save for a few specialty items and drinks. The one downside to the Early Bird is that a 17% gratuity is added to the pre-discounted total, which makes for a total net savings of roughly 35% once all is said and done. Nevertheless, the opportunity to sample Sansei’s reputed cuisine at this type of discount was too good to pass up.
Unfortunately, Sansei does not offer reservations during the Early Bird special. When I called into the restaurant the hostess recommended that I show up a tad earlier than 5:15PM to stand in line. From what I hear the lines for the Early Bird special are very long on Sunday nights, but not too bad on Mondays. Despite us going tonight, the slower of the two days, when we arrived at around 5PM there was already a group of people standing outside waiting to get in.
Early Bird Special line at Sansei
At just about 5:15PM the doors to the restaurant were opened and the line of 30 or so hungry patrons was allowed to walk in. While waiting in line for the hostesses to lead you to your table, you pass by D.K Steakhouse. The walls are adorned with the various articles and awards that Sansei has received. Opposite the award wall is a wine cabinet, showcasing some of the great wine selections that Sansei offers.
Once the hostess has confirmed the number in your party, someone is standing waiting to lead you to your table. As you walk in the restaurant to the main dining area, you will catch a glimpse of the sushi bar which has made this restaurant a mainstay in local cuisine.
The sushi bar at Sansei
The main dining area itself is just beyond the sushi bar. Patrons are given a choice between inside or outside seating. As it was still a little early in the evening the sun was still quite bright outside, so we opted to eat indoors. However, if you ever dine at Sansei just as the sun is setting, the outdoor seating patio offers some great views of the ocean.
Once we were settled into our booth, our waitress greeted us warmly and asked us if we had been in for the Early Bird special before. Since this was our first time she briefly highlighted some of the award winning dishes (made obvious on the menu by a colored box on each page) and helped us understand that anything marked with a * on the menu did not qualify for the 50% discount.
Sansei offers an extensive wine and cocktail selection, which requires a totally separate folding menu for your browsing pleasure.
After a quick look at the menu we placed our order for a number of dishes that caught our interest. If you are dining at Sansei for the Early Bird please remember that you need to order before 6PM. The servers in the restaurant are kind enough to come by regularly and check on you, and they will stop by for a “last call” just before 6.
Our food orders were made and brought to our table very quickly. We had ordered upwards to seven different dishes and they were all on our table within 15 minutes of placing the order. It is a common experience to find that food which is prepared this quickly suffers in preparation and quality, but this was not the case with Sansei. Each dish was surprisingly well prepared, even with the extremely fast service! Here is a look at the dishes we sampled:
Takah Sushi Special Roll Named in Honor of Takah Sama
The Takah Roll is an inside-out sushi roll made with shrimp, ahi, crab, avocado, cucumber, and crusted with masago. This sushi roll is very good, creating an excellent medley of flavor. The crust of masago adds a small crunch to the dish, which is a welcomed texture addition to the already great taste. This sushi came as a recommendation from our waitress, and a good recommendation it was.
Shrimp Dynamite
The Shrimp Dynamite is listed as one of Sansei’s “award winning” dishes, and it certainly lives up to the hype. The dish is comprised of crispy sweet shrimp in a creamy garlic masago sauce, drizzled with “unagi glaze.” If you’ve ever had honey walnut shrimp in Chinese cooking, then you will find the Shrimp Dynamite very similar. Each piece is a crisp, juicy morsel of sweet garlic flavor. I would certainly recommend this dish to anyone dining at Sansei.
Panko-Crusted Fresh Ahi Sashimi
Another “award winning” dish, the Panko-Crusted Fresh Ahi Sashimi features fresh island yellowfin tuna wrapped with arugula, flash fried and topped with a soy wasabi butter sauce. The dish itself is certainly a unique take on sashimi. The flash friend panko crust and crisp arugula gives the sashimi a nice bite, followed by a slight spicy kick from the wasabi sauce. I found this dish to be quite good, but it is definitely a more acquired taste than the other dishes.
Sake (salmon) Nigiri Sushi
Maguro & Hamachi Nigiri Sushi
A meal at Sansei would not be complete for me without sampling some of the more traditional sushi. These orders of nigiri sushi come to $2.50 per order after the Early Bird discount, and I’ve got to say that it’s a steal! The cuts of fish are fresh and flavorful. Considering that Genki Sushi charges about $2.70 for an order of maguro sushi, I’d have to say that you cannot really complain about sushi of this quality at the price of $2.50!
Matsuhisa Style Miso Butterfish
The Sansei version of a classic Japanese dish, the Matsuhisa style Miso Butterfish is marinated and seared in sweet miso and sake. The butterfish itself was a very good cut, expertly prepared moist and tender. In this dish DK Kodama shows his ability to master traditional tastes in addition to his unique new creations.
Dungeness Crab Ramen with Asian Truffle Broth
Yet another “award winning” dish from Sansei, this ramen dish caught my attention with the “Asian truffle broth.” The ramen is comprised of black truffle butter stock, thai basil, cilantro and diced jalapeno peppers with dungeness crab. The amount of crab offered in this is quite generous. Sadly, the overall taste of the ramen me with the feeling that something was missing. The soup stock itself was not as flavorful as I had anticipated from an “award winning” dish. Perhaps tonight’s offering was a fluke, but this dish was the only disappointment of the night.
Tempura Fried Ice Cream
We brought dinner to an end with a Sansei’s tempura friend ice cream. Perhaps one of the best tempura fried ice cream desserts I have ever sampled, the dish pleases the palate with its deliciously buttery pound cake crust, wrapped around an inner core of vanilla ice cream. The flavors of the ice cream and pound cake are further complimented by a chocolate sauce and macadamia nut garnish. A very good end to a great night of eating.
Final thoughts: Sansei is certainly a heavily decorated dining establishment here in Hawaii, and after tonight’s sampling it is apparent why. With excellent service and a great atmosphere, chef DK Kodama’s exploration of contemporary and traditional Japanese cuisine pleases the taste buds with flying colors. The opportunity for patrons to dine at Sansei during the early bird special is one that any lover of Japanese or Asian Pacific cuisine shouldn’t pass up. All told the bill for tonight’s meal would have normally tallied around $100, but even with the 17% automatic gratuity added on we were able to steal away with only paying $63. It is my belief that Sansei’s food is a great value even at its normal prices, but at 50% off it is a deal that just can’t be beat. I would highly recommend Sansei (especially during the Early Bird special) to anyone looking for a great dining experience.
| Service: |   |
Above Average + |
| Food: | |
Above Average + |
| Atmosphere: |  |
Above Average |
| Overall Value: | |
Above Average + |
*Star ratings are based in comparison to similar establishments
Sansei, Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort and Spa
2552 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Phone: 808.931.6286
Dinner Nightly
5:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food Review, Fusion, Sansei, D.K Kodama, Sushi, Early Bird special
Other Popular Reviews:
That tempura ice cream was soooooo delicious! Dare I suggest we go there again just for dessert? I do! Let’s =)