Katsu

Amazing pork cutlet place, arguably one of the top I have had in the States. The wait is long and slots in online reservation system is reserved very quickly, plan ahead before you visit. The pork cutlet is must have, the shrimp tempura is very good too. I suggest you also try all 3 different types of grains that they offer.

This is the most authentic Japanese Tonkatsu restaurant I’ve ever tried. It’s also quite the popular spot as reservations fill up and you walk in for us was a 60-75 minute wait. However, once you sit down the experience is priceless. All their sets come with your choice of miso soup and rice. On top of that you get complimentary pickled veggies and unlimited shredded cabbage to eat with your fried foods. I went with the classic pork loin set but the tenderloin was also delicious. For your meat, the dipping sauce starts by grinding your own sesame seeds then pouring some sweet and spicy sauces over them. The cabbage comes with a miso dressing and a sesame dressing that were both flavorful. The pork was the star of the show and super tender. After finishing a big plate I was so stuffed and smelled like fried oil but it was worth it. Such a cool restaurant to try!

Wow the food and service are amazing here! We just randomly picked somewhere with high reviews after returning snorkeling gear nearby. We almost gave up as we saw the waiting list, but luckily we were seated within 15 min and I am so glad we did wait! (We arrived at ~1pm on Sunday). The signature katsu is delicious and comes with large portion. You also get to grind your own katsu dressing at the beginning; don’t know whether it’s a Japanese ritual but it’s pretty interesting! They also walk around and provide unlimited salad and dressing refill. We were really full but only finished 2/3, and I saw everyone was asking packing box at the end haha! Overall, outstanding experience and feels authentic with affordable price!

Avoid on the weekend! We came at opening time at 5pm on Sunday without a booking and there were around 15-20 people waiting outside and they said we were unlikely to get a table. We arrived again the next day on Monday at opening time at 4pm and there was only 1 party ahead of us for waiting for booking no shows. At 4.15pm they called us and we were able to have an early dinner. Though by the time we finished our dinner at 5.30pm the restaurant was quite empty so imagine you could come around then and still get a table on a weekday. Food was quite delicious. My partner got the 300g of pork loin and it was much better and tastier. I got the 180g and it was too lean and not as good. Unlimited cabbage and choice of different rice and miso soups! The kayak is quite hot and the bottom can get soggy quickly due to the steam. Flip the pieces a bit to allow more airflow.

We took a chance and walked-in and luckily, we got seated right away. We ordered the pork loin katsu set (300g) and it tasted heavenly. The meat just melts in your mouth - it was by far the best katsu I’ve had! The white miso clam soup and the mixed rice was super good too. It definitely made our last night in Honolulu and we’ll definitely keep coming back to this place. 11/10! ⭐️

The wait was about an hour for us to get seated and once we got our food, it meal was delicious. There were many side dishes that paired well with the meat and got us full by the end of the meal. Overall, for the experience, the wait and cost was well worth it. The only downfall was I wish our servers were more attentive or came to check up on us as we were in need of water refills and other assistances.

This place is good but few things bothered me.… 1. The ventilation is not good, meaning everything you are wearing, including your hair will reek of fried smell, I showered and cannot get rid of the smell. My eyes started tearing from the smoke…I asked the waiter to open the entrance door, she did not do it. Be aware. 2. The donkatsu breading is too thick. 3. Shrimp katsu was over cooked. 4. Wait is 1hr 30mins -2hrs if you are walking in. Couple things I loved.. your cabbage salads are refillable and the yuzu soy/sesame salad sauce is absolutely delightful. Side picked dishes are refillable too. If I need to get my donkatsu on in hawaii I would head back to Ginza Bairin.

Read the reviews that reservations had to be made months in advance (heard the worker say 6 months (?) over the phone) but they do have very limited walk in spots / can walk in wait for a possible cancellation/ no show spots. We got there a little after opening time ~5-10min and there were already names down for walk in time and people also waiting for a no show. We were given choice to either choose to pick reservation for 6:45 (got there around 5) or wait 5 min for a cancellation as the group had 5 more minutes left in their reservation time before it was too late. We chose the wait 5 min and luckily got in! Food is delicious 🤤. At first, the price seemed too much for tonkatsu sets. But they give you pickled side dishes, rice, cabbage salad, miso soup, and we got hot tea to end everything. If we could have, would have tried it again for different sets! Tonkatsu is super juicy, tender, and crispy You get to pound your own sesame seed and choose from 2 tonkatsu sauce. Forget the name but the one with sauce pouring over that sizzles - it tastes good. But the crispy outer layer gets soggy so do be aware of that. 💯 recommend. If you don’t have reservation go walk in quick because it’s very popular