Imanas Tei Restaurant

When looking at this restaurant from the outside, you might walk by without noticing. But once inside it becomes immediately apparent that you are in for a treat. This was hands down some of the best food we had during our trip to Hawaii. The sushi, noodles and hot dishes are all delicious. You can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. Worth the visit down a random alley in Honolulu to find this tucked away gem.

Pretty good Japanese restaurant. Location is kind hard to get to , you have to drive through a small alley to get to the middle of the property of where it is located. I went here kind of late at night around 8 pm. We forgot to do a reservation, but they accommodated us at the bar. Until we decided to order the chankonabe, also known as the soup sumo wrestlers regularly eat. They found a table that had a space available. I then saw someone ordered the salmon firecracker nigri sushi ($11 for 2 pieces) and immediately wanted that. Withstanding the spectacle of having the salmon and tobiko blowtorched in front of you; it was damn good. The flesh was meaty with a good amount of fat and the fish eggs had a nice smoky flavour. Intrigued by the sushi, we decided to order a sashimi for 2-3 persons ($40). It was very good, especially the yellowtai and tunal. They were kind of skimpy on the salmon though. Now for the chankonabe ($31 per person). I had high hopes as this was for sumo wrestlers and I expected sumo sized portions. What we got was a single bowl for the both of us that was too small to fit the contents inside. On top of that we had to cook on a butane stove. We waited about ten minutes to heat the food while at the same time manipulating the food inside to get properly cooked. It was good, but a lot of work and definitely not worth the money. I think the waitress sense our disappointment by offering a extra plate of udon. Is it good? Yes. However I went here for the chankonabe and was truly disappointed. Despite being tasty, I will never order that item again. Other than that it was good.

We came here for Nabe (Japanese hot pot) and were blown away. We had buttered fish and tempura rolls for appetizers. We were surprised with the tempura rolls as they had a perfect crunchiness and delicate taste. Nabe was incredible - we had the porridge in the end and it was very satisfactory. I’d highly recommend for anyone who is keen to find out what Japanese hotpot is alike.

Imanas Tei was one of the most underrated gems I've been to on Oahu. The sushi quality was absolutely top notch. While not cheap, the value or quality was outstanding. In addition to the sushi, we tried the katsu and shrimp tempura, both of which were fried perfectly. The entire experience was great, though the service was a tad slow. Not surprising considering it was busy, though. Overall, I'll absolutely be coming back.

Very popular place, make sure you have a reservation. The staffs there are friendly, but since they are very busy, they can’t pay much attention to every customer. Chefs are all Japanese, so plus one on the authenticity. The sashimi was not bad, but the freshness was less than desirable. I highly recommend butterfish miso yaki (remember to eat with rice). Its flavor was very delicate, reminding me of my experience in Japan.

I celebrated my birthday here with my family this week. The waiters and waitresses were very patience. One of the child who came to this dinner had a weird obsession with eating lemons. The servers had no problem with giving him a lot of lemons to eat (more than 10). This place serves food pretty quickly and is delicious but can be quite expensive; however, I would definitely go back. This place is located in an area thst might be hard to find. The restaurant sign doesn't light up at night. Parking is limited. If you come here, I suggest coming early. There are street parking available as well.

Phenomenal sushi. Yes I'm haole but wow that was amazing. Fully recommend the sashimi daily special. Today included toro - fatty tuna belly- incredible texture. Sushi chefs are happy to answer questions at the bar, wait staff is attentive, and a current special on Asahi- $3.50 draft til the end of the month! Artistic, pretty, satisfying, not overly pricey, terrific traditional Japanese decor. Reservations suggested. This place made a Timeout best sushi in USA list five years ago but remains the best I've had. Exceptional at an unexceptional price point.