I’m always in search of new places to grab a quick and inexpensive lunch that tastes great. Sometimes this is a hard combination to find, but today I discovered a great little place right next to Long’s in McCully. I recall having dined at Restaurant Yamagen a long time ago, but I could not recollect if I had liked it or not. After grabbing a bite from this small Japanese restaurant, I will certainly remember it for future lunches!
The only real complaint that I would have about Yamagen is the parking situation. The restaurant is located right next to Long’s McCully, but only offers a small driveway in which two cars can park. There is street parking available, but on a road as busy as King Street, it isn’t always an easy task finding an open stall. We were lucky enough to grab one of the two parking stalls in the driveway, which works perfectly for take-out orders.
When you look at Yamagen for the first time, it does not leave you with much of an impression. The building itself is old, and a glance at the interior of the take-out window reveals that the innards of the building haven’t been renovated recently. Yamagen offers a small outdoor eating area for lunch, and a small seating area inside for dinner. As far as ambiance and atmosphere goes, Yamagen is more akin to a “Rainbows Drive-in” feeling, than the traditional Japanese restaurant.
Yamagen offers a simple lunch menu, featuring 11 items, which all cost $6.00 with tax already included! The person who took our order indicated that they do offer a few items from their dinner menu as well, but those items are a tad more expensive than their lunch offerings. We decided to try two plates from their lunch menu. It is good to note that during lunch Yamagen only accepts cash. After paying for our orders, here is what we got:
Chicken Katsu Curry
For my lunch I decided to try the chicken katsu curry. The plate comes with rice, tsukemono, and potato salad. I’ll have to admit that the portion given was larger than I had anticipated for just $6, and the taste did not disappoint. The curry sauce itself is rich in flavor, with just the right amount of saltiness. This curry had a little thicker consistency that I am used to, but it was nothing that detracted from the taste. The chicken katsu was crisp and tender, giving the plate a great crunch along with a tasty curry sauce. I enjoyed this plate very much, and would certainly order it again.
Combination Plate: Fried Chicken & Vegetable Tempura
My fiancee decided to order the combination plate, which featured Yamagen’s fried chicken and vegetable tempura. The fried chicken was moist, tender, and well seasoned. You get quite a bit of chicken pieces, too! The vegetable tempura was a combination of different vegetables formed into little chunks which are deep fried. The overall taste of the tempura was good, although I would have liked it to be a bit crunchier.
Final thoughts: Although certainly not the most fashionable or trendy spot, Restaurant Yamagen exemplifies the old saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” While the menu itself is limited, concentrating on mostly traditional Japanese dishes, the food itself is well prepared and comes at a very reasonable price. The portions offered were larger than expected as well. Overall I’d say that Yamagen is a great place to get a fast take-out lunch that is both cheap and delicious. After this experience with Yamagen’s at lunch, I will surely make it a point to return to sample their dinner menu in the future.
| Service: |   |
Above Average |
| Food: | |
Above Average |
| Atmosphere: | |
Average |
| Overall Value: | |
Above Average |
*Star ratings are based in comparison to similar establishments
Restaurant Yamagen
2210 South King Street
Phone: 808.947.2125
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food Review, Japanese food, Japanese restaurant, Take-out
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Lol, you know whats funny? I’ve been to this restaurant twice and I ordered exactly what you and Judy did. Weird.
You should keep writing reviews and keep making me jealous.
Or just keep writing them so I will have more things to read during my long long breaks at the internship.
Congrats! You two ordered my husband and my favorite 2 things from Yamagen! (although all their stuff is goooooddddd!) I wish they sold their vegetable tempura as a side or something because I could just eat a whole plate of that alone with rice!