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Sushi Sasabune
Category:
Japanese Restaurants
1419 S King St
Honolulu,
Hawaii 96814
Yes, it's expensive, weird neighborhood, smallish space, bossy chef, no cell phones, etc.
But...
More 7 months ago
Yes, it's expensive, weird neighborhood, smallish space, bossy chef, no cell phones, etc.
But it's the best sushi in Honolulu. Yes, you can go to Yohei for "good" sushi and Mitch's for "good" seafood. But Sasabune is for people who know sushi. In particular, I am an uni person. I know it, I try it everywhere, in every city I go to - I've even had it at...Zippy's. It is far and away the best at Sasabune. You can go west one block to Izakaya Gaku, actually pay a higher price for uni and get less meat and less freshness. They are severe but if you're there for the food and not to be king, you won't care.
The menu changes with availability. I remember they used to have some sort of blue-tinged prawn from Santa Barbara (amazing) which was later swapped out for some similar creature (also fantastic). I've had the hamachi, the saba, the usuals. They're so fresh, you will have felt deceived by the taste of those fishes in other sushi bars.
If you want your "corn sushi" or "Philadelphia roll" you are stupid lost. I have been many times and when I call to make a reservation, I am unfailingly warned that there are "no California rolls, no katsu. just sushi." This is sound advice to naysayers. If you can't tell the difference and the warm rice is the only thing exceptional that you can discern from the food, you are better off at Genki Sushi or Sushi Man.
Pros: Food
Cons: Price
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YOU KNOW THE SAYING 'GO WHERE THE LOCALS AT' . IF YOUR VISITING HAWAII- THAT'S WHAT YOUR DOING-...
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YOU KNOW THE SAYING 'GO WHERE THE LOCALS AT' . IF YOUR VISITING HAWAII- THAT'S WHAT YOUR DOING- YOUR NOT SLEEPING ALL DAY IN A HOTEL ROOM, RIGHT? ROOMS ARE NOT 'LUXURY' BUT BEAUTIFUL KOI FISH WELCOME YOU. IF ANYTHING, THE RESTAURANT IS WHERE YOU'LL END UP SLEEPING . . . AFTER INHALING SOME 'LOCAL' FOOD.
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The atmosphere is great! Love the location. Love the food! I esp. like it btwn 5-6pm on Sun and...
More 3 months ago
The atmosphere is great! Love the location. Love the food! I esp. like it btwn 5-6pm on Sun and Mondays when everything is half!
Pros: Sushi is to die for!
Cons: None
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Yanagi Sushi
Category:
Japanese Restaurants
762 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu,
Hawaii 96813
(808) 597-1525
i have heard about this place for almost as long as i've lived here and did not get to try it out...
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i have heard about this place for almost as long as i've lived here and did not get to try it out until last month. holy CRAP! this place is sooooooooooooooooooo good. now, i'm not a sushi expert, but i know bad and good sushi when i eat it. and this was up there with sansei (although they're a different style) and superb sushi and definitely better than genki (i should hope so, since they're more expensive too). i have yet to try sushi sasabune, but i can't wait, if they're better than yanagi.
let's see, i can't remember what i had exactly, i just remember it was ALL GOOD. i think one nigiri dinner combo and one misozake (sp?) butterfish combo? i don't think you can go wrong with this place. i have heard you need reservations for dinner.
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Awesome place. My high school executive council went here because our teacher was ooober rich and...
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Awesome place. My high school executive council went here because our teacher was ooober rich and paid for all of us. Entrees get a little pricey and don't expect to pay less than $40 a person. However one time I went there was a great deal for a lobster Tail at $30 and that was good only that they ran out of the metal cracker things (only cause everyone in the restaurant was eating lobster. However, their appetizers also are amazing. I personally love the stuff mushrooms on a mash potato type setting.
Get a table that over looks the water and get it at sunset because then the view is just breathless. If you are looking to impress a girl definitely take her here and get a seat overlooking the sunset. You'll be very impressed. Also, you'll commonly see prominent people in the community. When I went with my council we got to see the mayor and meet him and that was exciting.
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Todai Restaurant
Category:
Lunch Spot
1910 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu,
Hawaii 96815
I love to eat. Other than the survival factor, there are many reasons why I love to eat. I love...
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I love to eat. Other than the survival factor, there are many reasons why I love to eat. I love different tastes and textures on my palate. Todai's satisfies EVERYTHING: sweet, salty, bitter... There is NO POSSIBLE WAY that one person can eat everything that they offer in one night. Trust me, I TRIED! I started out with the sushi bar and loved just about everything there, especially the spicy ahi. I LOVED the big platters of ahi and salmon sashimi. VERY FRESH. Then I worked my way over to the hot food, the tempuras. I BARELY had room for that WONDERFUL banana crepe that their staff make right in front of you. The banana crepe is one of many fillings that they can put in your crepe. Honestly, you have to go AT LEAST 3 more times to get a good idea of everything that they have available in their buffet.
Pros: Lots of selection, so good for large groups because everyone will find something they'll like.
Cons: The first time I went there for an aunt's birthday, they had shabu shabu. I PREFERRED THE BUFFET.
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We frequent Kobe Steak House regularly. Compared to other tepanyaki restaurants such as Tanaka of...
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We frequent Kobe Steak House regularly. Compared to other tepanyaki restaurants such as Tanaka of Tokyo, the Kobe Steak House offers a better quality of meat. Rather than miso soup, they serve a clear fresh mushroom broth which is heavenly. The down side of the restaurant is that it is very smoky. I often wear a tee shirt and shorts there, because I know my clothes will come out smelling like smoke.
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Yanagi Sushi
Category:
Japanese Restaurants
762 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu,
Hawaii 96813
...time and time again I've strayed to other sashimi places in hopes of finding some variety in my...
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...time and time again I've strayed to other sashimi places in hopes of finding some variety in my life. What am I left with? Finding myself returning to Yanagi Sushi each time and even having given up the seemingly futile search for a *better* sashimi place.
At their worst the sashimi might not be the tastiest nor the freshest but even then the quality KILLS most other restaurants. The only one I've found comparable in terms of quality is Rokkaku, located at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. My dad (the pickiest person I've ever known, who should have been a food critic instead of a business owner) will agree with me.
They are almost always packed on any given night at any given time. They are open late Mondays through Saturdays, which is great for late-night cravings. One night after going to a sake tasting where they offered ONO (really really good) food we still ended up going to Yanagi to eat!! If our bill comes out less than $100 we weren't really hungry. It's not that they're expensive, because they're really not if you take quality and service into account, but it can get pricey. The last time we went we doubled our order of sashimi even though we weren't *hungry*... the serving amount is more than decent. Again, a great value.
They have combination dinners which are more than filling and you can pick from a wide variety of selection -- New York Steak, fried chicken, sashimi, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), butterfish, saba (mackerel), udon, tenpura... all off the top of my head but I know I've missed a few. They also have a lot of sashimi. My favorites are hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), and uni (sea urchin). Their green tea is very good, sake selection is okay. Beer is great at a good price, but I've never tried their wine. They constantly walk by and there are a lot of them ready to help you. All you have to do is get their attention. The water is rarely empty
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Better tasting, cheaper and less commercialized than the Benihana a couple blocks away. This is...
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Better tasting, cheaper and less commercialized than the Benihana a couple blocks away. This is definately a case of being rewarded for venturing off the beaten track. Oh, and you have to stop and see the parrots at the littl gift shack down the street - they charge for photos but are soooo cute!
Pros: food, friendly staff, awesome mai tais made wait for table OK
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Pagoda Hotel
Category:
Japanese Restaurants
1525 Rycroft St
Honolulu,
Hawaii 96814
Rooms are clean and maintained and the staff is nice. While the parking is a little bit of hassle...
More 1 year ago
Rooms are clean and maintained and the staff is nice. While the parking is a little bit of hassle since you have to park across the street, this location is ideal.
It's situated away from the crowds of Waikiki and close to Ala Moana Center. If you can forgoe the glitz of Waikiki and their fancier hotels, this is a great place for families with kids.
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