On the corner of Kapahulu and Kaimuki Avenues is a small yet stylish yakiniku restaurant named Toraji. This location is just one out of more than two dozen, but the rest are located in Japan. Much like Gyu-kaku on Kapiolani Avenue, Toraji is one of a new breed in stylish yakiniku establishments.
The restaurant is very well decorated, featuring dark and mild tones. The walls are decorated with various art forms, including hanging garlic and red peppers. The edges of the booths feature large jars of marinating vegetables. Lighting in the restaurant is a bit brighter than similar restaurants, but remains dim and semi-intimate. Toraji does offer a small private dining area on the other side of the restaurant for parties.
Parking for the restaurant can be found in back on Kaimuki Avenue, but is very limited. You can double park other patrons in this small lot, but you must inform the hostess or your server if you do so.
Cooking your own food, whether in a hot pot of broth or over an open flame, has always held some sort of appeal to diners. At Toraji customers can look forward to cooking their food over a charcoal grill, instead a heated metal grill that you find in most yakiniku restaurants.
Another growing trend in restaurants, Toraji offers its own branding on chopsticks and hand wipes. These items are stacked upon a small plate for your food, as well as a small plate to fill with sauces. Toraji offers three different sauces at your table for dipping seafood, meat, and vegetables. There is usually no right or wrong sauce, it all comes down to your personal preference.
We sat down quite late in the evening, just after 10:00PM. Other than a few parties just finishing up, we were the only ones in the restaurant.
Toraji offers a wide selection of meats and other traditional yakiniku dishes like Bi Bim Bap. Along with the food menu is a drink menu which is also quite extensive.
The menu can be quite daunting, even for those that frequent similar restaurants. There were a few items unique to Toraji’s menu that I had a few questions about, and our server was able to answer them promptly.
The seafood combination plate includes shrimp, scallops, crab, and squid. The items are just lightly seasoned and garnished with sesame seeds. After a quick squeeze of the lemon we threw the items on the grill. Overall the seafood here was fresh, with only the scallops offering a hint of a “fishy” taste. For these items I made use of the ponzu-like sauce offered on our table, which offered a nice citrus flavor to compliment the seafood.
One of the more unique items offered on Toraji’s menu is this plate of beef in a dark miso paste. The miso has a strong yet delicious aroma that fills the air when placed on the grill. The miso adds a great amount of flavor to the meat, and seems to help tenderize it as well. Each bite is a tender morsel of flavor! I would recommend this dark miso dish to anyone dining at Toraji.
The Ishiyaki rice menu offers various takes on what is more commonly referred to as bi bim bap. The flavor and taste of this rice dish was good. The only disappointment I had was not being able to leave it in the stone pot for longer. Our waiter immediately mixed the rice and served it into two smaller bowls. Many fans of this type of rice, including myself, prefer to leave it in the stone pot for a few minutes longer to create a crunchier layer of rice.
Final thoughts: Toraji offers a menu of good tasting yakiniku items. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very chic, creating a nice eating environment. Service was a bit rushed for us (perhaps because it was at the very end of the night), but was efficient and competent overall. The only real downside I see to Toraji is the price of its menu, which is slightly higher than other establishments like Gyu-kaku. Even with an entertainment card discount ($16.00) the tab was still close to $40 for two people without alcohol.
| Service: |    |
Average + |
| Food: | |
Average + |
| Atmosphere: | |
Above Average |
| Overall Value: | |
Average + |
| Price: |  |
$20+ per person |
Toraji Yakiniku
949 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
Phone: 808.732.9996
Tags: Bi Bim Bap, Dark Miso, Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food review, Toraji review, Toraji Yakiniku, Yakiniku
Other Popular Reviews:
The miso beef looks delicious!