Hidden gems - Japanese restaurants in Honolulu, United States not to miss (Updated March, 2024)

Hidden gems: Japanese restaurants in Honolulu

Discover the city's hidden treasures—remarkable spots that are relatively undiscovered but offer exceptional experiences. Our selection criteria? A rating of 4.5 or higher with fewer than 150 reviews. Explore these lesser-known yet outstanding places that promise a delightful visit in Honolulu. This list contains 19 places from Japanese restaurant category.

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Within Honolulu

i-naba Hanaleiʻi Honolulu Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar

Restaurant

5.00 (26 reviews) (~2.44 km from centre)

Daiichi Ramen Kapolei

Ramen restaurant

👍👍 The best ramen. I got the tan tan. I got the awesome combo deal of ramen, curry rice, and shrimp katsu. Also got the lemon ice tea. The best meal ever. I will come again and recommend to others. Broke da mout but not da bank.

$$ $$

4.90 (17 reviews) (~23.78 km from centre)

Got'z Grindz

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 Wow! Great selection of Musubi's. Can't go wrong here.

$ $$$

4.80 (122 reviews) (~12.86 km from centre)

Ahi & Roll

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 I buy take outs at its Fort Street address. The food & people here deserve an excellent grade, the food being nicely prepared, tasty & plenty and the people fast & friendly. The person in front greets you always with the right attitude & smile. Plus, it has extended hours too to stay open. Yes, I wh...

$$ $$

4.80 (91 reviews) (~0.83 km from centre)

Hanale by Islander Sake Brewery

Japanese restaurant

👍 $120 for a sushi omakase experience plus BYOB is honestly a great price for an 18-coursed meal. Hanale is very unique for the Downtown Honolulu area and it has been on my radar for quite some time! The original location in Kaka'ako specialized in house made sake with food pairings but this restauran...

4.80 (71 reviews) (~1.06 km from centre)

Mana Musubi

Japanese restaurant

Popular shop known for handmade musubi, a snack made of rice, seaweed & a filling such as spam.

$ $$$

4.70 (112 reviews) (~2.26 km from centre)

Kokoro-tei

Japanese restaurant

$ $$$

4.70 (107 reviews) (~3.43 km from centre)

Hi One Sushi

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 Great people and great atmosphere. I come here a couple of times a week now. The poke bowls are fresh with fresh veggies. Course A comes with udon, nigiri and a small poke salad. Great meal for when you’re hungry and want variety.

4.70 (78 reviews) (~0.75 km from centre)

Irifune Restaurant

Japanese restaurant

Casual, kitschy joint for island Japanese eats, including poke & stir fry, plus ice cream crepes.

$$ $$

4.70 (61 reviews) (~0.61 km from centre)

Saito & Pho Japanese & Vietnamese

Vietnamese restaurant

👍👍 Very clean and friendly place with amazing vermicelli!

$$ $$

4.70 (47 reviews) (~12.22 km from centre)

Teruya's Andagi

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 Great bentos and andagi! Loved my shrimp tempura roll/onigiri thing 😅 For some reason, their fried chicken was one my favorites on the island even though it is not crispy anymore... Just come get a bento, you won't regret it. Very nice people too

$ $$$

4.70 (35 reviews) (~1.11 km from centre)

Rakumen Ramen

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 We went to night 5/15/2022 and all the portions are huge. We ordered a family meal and other items so we spent more but we went with friends for that purpose. Their prices are actually perfect. We ordered extra drinks for afterwards as well. Only left with 1 take out box. Side note their salad is hu...

4.60 (59 reviews) (~23.7 km from centre)

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya

Ramen restaurant

👍 So... so close to a 5 star review! The good... tasty broth with just enough oil to give it a nice mouth feel. Flavorful choshu pork. A whole egg with the yolk cooked but not hard - a first for me. This was their Tanaka ramen (with mushrooms that I had to look up, but are a nice addition). So why the...

$$ $$

4.50 (131 reviews) (~23.64 km from centre)

The Blue Fish Waikiki

Japanese restaurant

Modern Japanese venture preparing signature rolls, sushi & cocktails in a splashy space.

4.50 (96 reviews) (~3.8 km from centre)

Akira Japanese Restaurant

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 Omakase course tonight @$100 per person. Different from other Omakase restaurant. This is more like a full course KaiSeki set menu. Great value. Tasted the same as eating in Japan. House Hot Sale only @$9.5 for two people!! The Japanese hot tea 🍵 taste great is free of charge!! We will be back with...

$$ $$

4.50 (91 reviews) (~1.21 km from centre)

Nabeya Maido

Japanese restaurant

$$ $$

4.50 (80 reviews) (~3.2 km from centre)

Margotto Hawaii

Fine dining restaurant

👍👍 Amazing in every aspect! Definitely a great place to bring a foodie for special occasions. Food is expertly prepared using the best quality ingredients and presentation is on point. I'd recommend getting a cold + hot appetizer + pasta + main and save room for dessert! We tried the cold cauliflowe...

4.50 (79 reviews) (~1.47 km from centre)

Dell's Kitchen and Bakery

Takeout Restaurant

👍👍 This is definitely an unexpected experience. I ate there with a friend of mine this evening and did not know what to expect other than food. Much to my surprise it is extremely clean. The manager Rika took my order. Very kind very patient and gave answers to every question I had. The service was exc...

$$ $$

4.50 (79 reviews) (~2.81 km from centre)

Mamaya

Japanese restaurant

👍👍 If you are looking for a quick, inexpensive, ready to go, delicious bento, look no further. Mamaya has all that you're looking for to get in and out if you're in a hurry or if you are looking to sit. There is a small area to enjoy your bento. I had the Katsu Don, which was done very well. The restau...

4.50 (11 reviews) (~23.48 km from centre)

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Hidden gems: Japanese restaurants in Honolulu, United States