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.
When it first opened Kunio was a small Japanese restaurant that served traditional Japanese style dishes. It occupied a small space next to Party City in Waikele. In the years since I’ve last dined here, Kunio expended to occupy the suite next door, and is now double its original size. The restaurant still focuses on serving traditional Japanese flavors, but has incorporated some newer sushi styles to keep up with the current trends.
As you walk into Kunio you are kindly greeted by the hostess/cashier. Flanked on either side of this first room are tables leading up to the small sushi bar at the end of the restaurant. There is a second room to the right, which seats an equal number of patrons. We walked into Kunio at about 11:45AM on a Sunday to find that the restaurant was almost filled to capacity. There were only a few empty tables to be seen.
Inside Kunio Restaurant
After being seated at our booth, our server came by and took our drink orders. We just asked for some water and hot tea, and immediately began browsing the menu. Kunio’s offers over 100 different dishes. Many of these dishes can be combined into a “combination teishoku” set. Nearly every type of Japanese food was offered on the menu, including a selection of sushi. After browsing the menu for some time (there are so many things to choose from!) we ordered our food. Soon after small appetizers and miso soup came to our table, followed by our main dishes.
From top to bottom: Crab salad, Hijiki, and Edamame
The special teishoku set I ordered came with a small appetizer plate, featuring three small dishes. The crab salad was made from imitation crab mixed with mayonnaise. The taste of the salad was decent, but nothing extraordinary. The hijiki was prepared very traditionally, and tasted as such. The edamame came boiled, but was tossed in a mildly spicy sauce. A little different from your standard preparation, but the taste was good.
Dynamite Roll
At our server’s recommendation we tried Kuno’s Dynamite roll. Although we had high hopes for this sushi, it turned out to be very similar to your average spicy tuna. The taste was good, but not quite as good as we had expected it to be. Of all the things we ate, this Dynamite roll was the single disappointment.
Nabeyaki Udon
My fiancee elected to try the Nabeyaki Udon, which was served in the traditional black pot. The udon was hot when it arrived at our table, and came with a single piece of shrimp tempura on the side. The ingredients used in the udon were fairly standard, but the big surprise with this order was the quality of the soup broth. The broth was very flavorful, exceeding our initial expectations. It was easy to tell that the broth was prepared slowly and with great care, most likely using seafood to give it a great aroma and flavor. The udon noodles used were quite good, and absorbed the flavors from the broth quite nicely as well.
Ribeye Teriyaki Beef
My special teishoku set was comprised of three main dishes, the first of which was a ribeye teriyaki beef. The beef used for this dish was very soft and tender, retaining much of its natural juices. The teriyaki sauce itself was flavorful, but not too overpowering as to mask the taste of the beef.
Maguro & Hamachi Sashimi
The second dish featured in my set was a small portion of sashimi. Although not quite as high grade or as fresh as higher end establishments, the cuts of fish served were decent. Served on a bed of shredded white turnip, the sashimi was a nice addition to the set.
Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura
The last dish featured in my set was an assortment of shrimp and vegetable tempura. The tempura batter was very light, and very crunchy! The preparation was diligent, creating a crisp coating while preserving the moisture of the contents within. The tempura dipping sauce was served warm, and complemented the flavor of the tempura very nicely.
Final thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised to find that Kunio has grown not only in size over the years, but also in quality. The current quality of food and service exceeds that of its early years. Our server was courteous and prompt, taking our orders quickly and checking on us frequently. The food, while not anything unusual or unique, was very good and for the most part well prepared. I would definitely recommend Kunio as a place to eat over its neighboring food establishments.
| Service: |   |
Above Average |
| Food: | |
Above Average |
| Atmosphere: |  |
Average + |
| Overall Value: | |
Above Average |
*Star ratings are based in comparison to similar establishments
Kunio Japanese Restaurant
94-799 Lumiaina Street, Suite 2F Waipahu, Hawaii 96797
Phone: 808.680.9188
Open daily 10:30AM-10:00PM
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food Review, Japanese food, Kunio, Waikele
Other Popular Reviews:
Everything looks real good