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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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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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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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Aww, man, just had dinner here again for the first time in years! Why don't I come here more...
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Aww, man, just had dinner here again for the first time in years! Why don't I come here more often? First, the sushi is sooooo fresh and yummy. Also had their shrimp tempura and a starter called something like andurage (sp?) tofu.
Second, the servers are so sweet and helpful. I brought my 20 month old and didn't want her to eat raw fish, so our server suggested miso soup with rice. It was perfect and I said to my friend, "How come when I make miso soup it never tastes this good?!?"
Lastly, the best reason to go is the early bird specials. I think it's between 5-6.30pm, but call and double check. There's a humongous triple combo for $12. And $1/piece nigiri and $2 handrolls. SOOOOO ONO!!
Only catch: they're closed between lunch and dinner, from 2-5pm, so make sure you call for hours.
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It has actually moved to the Mariott. Its still the best sushi I have ever had and I have had a...
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It has actually moved to the Mariott. Its still the best sushi I have ever had and I have had a lot of sushi. My friends and I agree Sansei literally has the most amazing sushi in the world. Genki's and sushiman don't even begin to compare. Nor does Pagoda or any other restuarant in terms of good sushi. The best part about this place is that all their sushi is half off on two days between something like 5 and 6 (check website for details). The catch is that one you have to be a resident of hawaii, and that you must order by a certain time. Lines start to form about a half-hour before doors open. I once got there forty-five minutes prior and was first in line. They come out about fifteen minutes prior to take sushi bar requests. Despite many people not liking to eat at the sushi bar, I would say take it because its so much better. If you take sushi bar you get seated first and when you want to order you tell it straight to the sushi chefs. Thus, your order is alwaysin first and if you think they're slow you can just tell them without ever tracking your waitress or waiter down. Also, I'd say in teh wait outside the restaurant look at the menu and know what your immediately going to order. WE typically go in rounds of ordering because everything is typically shared family style. We go with four rolls off the bat for four people and tell the chefs immediately when we get in. If you don't get your initial order in quickly you probably will regret it when the chefs get backed up with tons of orders. Thats the basic advice. You'll be super glad you went here. Seriously, the sushi is the best in the states.
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