Sushi Sasabune

Last night’s dinner at Sasabune was one of the top 5 meals of my life. 100% a core memory restaurant that I will remember and reference regularly. I found the place on recommendation from a friend of a friend who used to live in Tokyo but now lives in Honolulu, and I am SO happy we went (and didn’t listen to some of the reviews). Some important things to note: 1. This is not your regular sushi experience. You do not pick your rolls, the menu is pre-set (much like most Michelin restaurants). Do not go in with the expectation of dipping each roll in soy sauce—you will be disappointed. 2. Each piece and plate is thoughtfully crafted, follows some traditional sushi techniques, but feels more like a fusion of new and old. An example would be a roll with tuna belly topped with minced tuna that was marinated in tomatoes and sweet onions. 3. The fish is sourced from all over the world. We had South African lobster, PNW oysters, local fish, fish from Japan—too many to remember. 4. If you can, sit at the bar. 5. Brandt was our sushi chef and our server (since we were at the bar). I can’t give enough praise and accolades to this man—he was absolutely wonderful. He had such care and thought in every discussion we had with him. The way he talked about each roll, how it was prepared, where it came from, etc, elevated each piece even higher. 6, Try to get into the experience. Take the recommendations of how to eat each roll. Everything created here is done with intention, so eat the way it was intended. If they tell you it pairs well with Wasabe (which is real wasabe, by the way) eat it with wasabe. If they tell you to eat something fast; eat it quickly. 7. If you can, try everything. 8. It is NOT cheap. I think our meal was roughly $500 for the two of us. But for us, it was worth EVERY a penny.

What an amazing experience! Had a reservation at 8pm but they were able to seat us a little early. Ordered the chef's selection sake to complement the chef's choice style dining of omakase. Everything was beautifully prepared and delicious. I liked some things more than others but it was all worth trying and very filling. Definitely a pricey bill for 2 people but super worth it. Note that you can stop the food coming and not get sake if you're trying to lighten the tab.

We try to plan a dinner at Sushi Sasabune whenever we visit Oahu. Having dined at some excellent sushi-ya in Tokyo, I think Sasabune delivers a very authentic Japanese dining experience. The price is in line for what you expect from a sushi restaurant that uses high-grade ingredients. The omakase menu is always a pleasure as you never know what the chef has planned for that evening. It is a little pricey but worth it. The quality of the fish used and the techniques employed are truly excellent. The pacing of the dinner was good. I never felt that things were coming too fast or too slow. Service was excellent and it was nice having each dish explained in detail. As we were leaving the restaurant I approached the chef to let him know how much we enjoyed our evening. He was very friendly. I told him I thought his restaurant was even better than XXXXXX, a famous, hard-to-get-reservations sushi-ya in Tokyo. He laughed and humbly said, "Thank you. It's just different. Just different."

Oh man, this is my favorite place I have been for sushi ever. When they say “trust me” you should! We had about 14 courses and the rice was properly seasoned, warm, and the fish fresh, and innovative! There’s one dish where they peel the tuna apart layer by layer so each bite is just the most tender, buttery tuna you’ve ever eaten. Everything was amazing and you should just go. Cost was around $120 or so for 14 courses, and I’d happily pay that price again and again and again.

This is an OMG restaurant for sure. They don’t have the best decor and dining environment. Food presentation was okay. BUT everything tastes Amazing. Every sushi is warm and delicious. They are not the ones that had been sitting somewhere for a long time. Instead, when you eat them, you can almost feel the temperature of the chef’s hand. One thing to note is that you need to be prepared for 16 sushis plus two starters, a hand roll and a bowl of miso soup. This can be a lot for a small person like myself. You have the option of stopping at anytime but it will be a huge pity. You can also tell them to use a bit less rice. Doing this might change the balance of the sushi but for me it is better than having to miss out some of them.