Restaurant Kunio

Really love the freshness of the sashimi. We opted for the Chirashi this time and it was super fresh and delicious. The sushi chef did a great job in the choices of fish. And the cuts of the pieces --- thick pieces. See the attached photo. We sat at the bar and watched the chefs whip up delicious rolls and other sashimi dishes. We look forward to going back and that time, we will order some of the special rolls.

I have always liked Kunio. They are consistent, and food is good. I have been here several times already and one of the better places to have japanese food. I have lived and recently been to Japan, so it's pretty good. Definitely not on par with actually eating in Japan, but it's one of the better ones in Hawaii. And you don't have to run to the bank to take out a loan for this place.......lol....I recommend this place.

The restaurant is very unremarkable from the outside. My friend that lives near by said the queue outside is always long so she never tried to get in. We went there together during the week, in the evening. It was worth waiting (in the end I think it was around 20 minutes). Inside Kunio the vibe is very nice. When we first went there the male waiter was very hospitable and we loved the service, the second time woman serving us was in a rush and we got the check before even asking. But the most important thing - food. Sushi was amazing, worth the price. Definitely gonna be back when in Hawaii.

Update: food does not taste the same. Floors seem oily, lot of flies about. Just don't seem that restaurant is not well kept. Mon-Thurs from 2-5pm they usually have a special. To bad that in order to get it the sushi bar has to be open. Past several visits there during the time frame sushi bar was closed.

We had the lobster meal with ribeye + sashimi and triple combo with tonkatsu, teriyaki beef and miso butterfish. Finished off with green tea and adzuki red bean ice cream. Everything was really good, rib eye was extremely tender. The only thing I would have opted out of was the tonkatsu, a bit dry on its own. Could have used a curry sauce or cheese on top. Thanks for a great meal, in less than an hour.

UPDATE: 07/24/22. - Inside Dining allowed. - No vaccine check or ID needed. - Consistently good food. Costs a bit more but worth it - Usually a wait at lunch or dinner times, around 15 to 30 mins. More during Mother's day, etc. UPDATE: 10/5/21. * WARNING FOR INSIDE-DINING *: You can't eat here unless you show your vaccine card AND photo ID. Miso butterfish is always good 😋