Akasaka

By far the best sushi I’ve EVER had.
The whole time I was there, I thought I was at Jiro’s restaurant in Japan. We got the chef special and left absolutely stuffed full of the most amazing sashimi that’s ever touched my lips. There were 5 of us, and we split the bill. Including a $ 150 bottle of sake (so smooth) between the five of us, it ended up being about $ 110/​plate before tip.
10 000 000% worth it.
I would fly back to Hawaii from the east coast just to have this sushi again

Saw this place on the Unilocal IG & decided to check it out. Called at 5 to make a reservation for a party of 5 at 6pm. This place is in an alley way (google map it). When we arrived surprisingly the whole restaurant was empty so of course the lady helping us tended to us more than needed. We ordered:
Fresh oysters: It did taste fresh but about the same as other places.
Misoyaki Butterfish dinner: Comes w/​rice, miso soup & salad. Very tasty & melts in your mouth.
Sizzling scallops dinner: Comes w/​rice, miso soup, & salad. IMO best plate we ordered.
Rainbow roll: Taste just about the same as other places.
My boyfriend loves to order uni & o-​toro (I can’t tell you how that tastes because I refuse to try it!)
Our bill came out to $ 187 and the lady gave us a $ 5 coupon to come back which is nice but honestly, I could stick to eating at Yanagi.

This place can be really hard to find if you are not familiar with the area. It is hidden away in the midst of parking lots and bars. It is near the beginning of Kona street and Atkinson.
Call before going to see if you need a reservation. I called and was told a party of two can come at anytime. Once we got there it was about a 1
5 – 10 minute wait to be seated.
This place sets you inside a very wood style décor. We sat at the sushi bar and got to see all of the fresh sushi coming out.
The fatty toro came in such beautiful and large cuts! You can really get the buttery flavor when you combine a little shoyu, wasabi and ginger together.
Second must try is the miso butterfish! There were very few bones with the cut I had. They did a really good job in minimizing what you have to pick out.
If you are looking for a great place to eat that is hidden away from the main attractions, this place is a great one to check out.

The sashimi and sushi are super fresh and great quality, and the chawan mushi is even better than what my grandma used to make. Friendly, helpful staff can answer any questions you have about the menu and how to eat things! The teishoku lunch plates are great quality for your money, and very filling. If you do a teishoku and stick to water or tea, you can keep it in the $ 20/​person range. Close enough to Ala Moana to walk, so skip the crowds at the food court and come enjoy the old-​school Japanese atmosphere here!

In between strip clubs, in the alley. Hidden behind Jazz Minds bar. Surprisingly good food, but not cheap. To be full, you will spend $ 30+ here easily per person. Excellent scallops, worth every penny. Excellent miso butterfish. Fresh and high-​quality sushi. Udon broth here is homemade and very delicious. They open until Midnight, great place in between jazz/​adult entertainment venues: P From the outside and the surrounding you would not expect such high-​quality sushi hidden inside.

Love this place… great for sushi or other japanese dishes-​tempura, udon, love their yaki scallops. the service is great and the food is yummy. the parking sucks but usually we find a stall. we came here after xmas eve mass and got a $ 5 gift certificate for xmas…

When I want sushi, this is where I go. No place else. When I dine out with friends I care about and the choice of restaurant is up to me, I bring them here.
My favorite part of eating here is the staff, who are always friendly and attentive. I’ve eaten there so many times, they can usually predict what I’m going to order when I walk in the door. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable.
I’ll keep going there for as long as I can.

Very tiny, authentic Japanese restaurant located on Kona St. Stopped in for a post work weekday lunch with the hubby around 1:30. The restaurant was empty when we first arrived however 3 other patrons trickled in while we were there. They close at 2:30 and reopen for dinner at 5 but we never felt rushed. We were able to enjoy a nice, relaxed meal. We ordered one teishoku tonkatsu/​tempura combo plus ama ebi, maguro, hamachi and tobiko nigiri sushi. The tonkatsu was ok but we wouldn’t order it again as it was bit on the tougher, drier side. We are fans of Kimukatsu so that is the standard by which we judge katsu. The tempura was very good with a nice crunch, not heavy or oily. It featured 2 good sized shrimp and a nice variety of veggies. The nigiri… ooooooh the nigiri… THIS was definitely the star of our show! Nicely sized pieces of fish and ebi, not too much rice and fresh, fresh, fresh. OISHI!
At Akasaka, it’s all about the quality. Our bill inclusive of one beer came out to $ 75, without gratuity. A bit steep for an weekday lunch for 2 but the food was so fresh and delicious and the service was wonderful so it was well worth the splurge.

I’ve been to Akasaka a couple of times at this place is really one of those hole-​in-​the-​wall hidden gems. It really is hidden! If my bb didn’t take me there, I don’t think that I would find it! They are located behind Jazz Minds off Kapiolani Blvd and they have their own parking lot in front of the restaurant.
You enter into a dining room and the sushi bar on the right. There is an area that you can dine in that’s slightly elevated that’s along the far wall from the entrance. I like it there because it’s a little more private. Make sure to remove your shoes before going up. If they get busy or have a large group, you can request to dine upstairs. It’s simple but very private that can seat about 20 people.
I’ve had several items from here and everything is good. My favorite is their miso butterfish dish. It’s my favorite miso butterfish in Honolulu as it just melts in your mouth. My bb said the sushi and sashimi there is fresh. I don’t really like raw fish so I’ll take his word for it. Even though this is a hole-​in-​the-​wall, don’t expect those kind of prices. It is a little pricey but if you spend a certain amount there, they give you some gift certificates to come back. Great food, good customer service and a nice restaurant to dine at.

Sushi five stars !!
I highly recommend this place. The nigiri has been fantastic. Sake, Maguro Toro all top quality. Very good service on a quiet sat night.

Hidden gem and sushi was freaking delicious here. The owner is very nice and hooked us up with free green tea ice cream. I’ll definitely come back here.

If you are looking for a humble small little place with one of the best sushi in town– you gotta stop by.
This place is right in between two strip clubs and what feels like a back alley and is pretty small– don’t let that throw you off though. Once you get in you’ll be greeted and sat quickly if your lucky. This place is small and gets filled up pretty quickly from the regulars who were lucky enough to discover this spot.
We were able to get a smaller table in the room with the tatami mats which was perfect for our 10 month old daughter. It did not look like they had high chairs so I would call to double check before going!
I got the take regular and my boyfriend got the salmon skin roll, unagi and avocado roll and the unagi dinner plate. We also ordered the scallops which the waitress recommended. Everything was delicious! Every bite was clean and had a full bodied flavor that was just perfection!
Definitely recommend for small parties or a cute casual date night! YUM can’t wait to go back!

Best authentic Sushi in all of Hawaii. Ray is amazing, great seasoning, presentation, and freshness. Don’t expect sloppy rolls of spicy tuna. There’s no such thing in authentic Japanese sushi.
This place is a hidden gem, it’s next door to a strip club. Lol!!!

Definitely 5 stars for food.
I give 4, because between 2 servers, they didn’t seem knowledgeable about the omakase. That being said, their hospitality and friendliness went above and beyond. (**sidenote: omakase is best eaten at the bar with the chef, as is sushi in general, but we had a stroller ;))
To begin: don’t be fooled by the location. The dingy spots are where you usually find the hidden gems. When you pass the sports bar, the massage parlor, the tattoo parlor, the strip club, the other strip club, and then the jazz club, you’re in the right place. In spite of the seedy digs, I HIGHLY suggest walking. I barely could from how full I was when we were finished.
They offer 2 Omakase, but couldn’t differentiate between the 2 for us in detail, other than saying the pricier one was super premium fish. Other omakase experiences I’ve had, they list course by course, and typically the cheaper is American fish while the premium is Japanese. Also, when we did order (the cheaper version) they brought everything out on one board, instead of course by course, and they did not identify what we were eating for us. We could pretty much figure it out on our own, as we always order omakase where it is offered, but in my opinion it is part of the experience. I believe we were served 8 pieces of fish. With it came a truly legit seaweed salad (no neon green here) to start, another really good dish, I just can’t recall (SO much food), a miso soup toward the end, and green tea ice cream (also real) to finish. I am a green tea ice cream QUEEN, and I didn’t have room for it. Blasphemy.
Before all of this we of course tried the sizzling scallops. Don’t be foolish by not doing the same. It’s the signature dish. Enjoy an Echigo, and call it a success.
We will be back, no question.

Overall impression:
An authentic hole-​in-​the wall Japanese sushi experience that you will thoroughly enjoy. Just be ready to pay for it.
Average price: probably $ 25 – 40 for dinner. Widely variable based on what type of sushi and sake you want
Positives:
–feels authentic
–small and intimate ambience
–air conditioned
–sushi is close to the best quality I have ever had
–open late
–staff are nice
Negatives:
–parking difficult (a few free stalls)
–in the middle of the red light district, so at night, feels kinda shady
–pricey (but definitely well worth the value)
We went here at about 1015−1130pm on a Thursday night. It’s definitely a hole in the wall place located right between a few strip clubs so it felt sort of eerie to be there at night. The parking lot has only 2 stalls marked specifically for akasaka, but at least it was free!
When I got inside, I immediately felt like I was in Japan. They have a izakaya style sushi bar, a few small tables, and then a more secluded spot with smaller tables and cushions where you could sit on the ground.
We ordered the matsu special-​7 pieces of nigiri sushi and a role of teppa maki. We also split a small hot sake. The total price came out to $ 36. I have to say though, this was close to the best sushi I have ever had in my life. Once you’ve had this stuff, you can’t go back to eating genki and kuru kuru! Every piece of fish was so buttery, soft and flavorful. I can still taste it in my mouth. The fish to rice ratio was almost 3:1, with a much larger portion of fish compared to the rice (which is always nice in my book$$$). The hot sake was very delicious and we got the cheapest one so I’m sure the more expensive ones were much better.
My friends had the spicy ahi role, which I heard was superb, and the sizzling scallops (I forget what it was called). They loved it. Heck, even the free soybeans were better than I’ve had at other places!
Overall, I had a great time. You should definitely come here. They do everything well.

When you’re craving sushi and scallops, this is the place to go!
Overall the ambiance, service and food here was quite impressive. The specialty here is the butter scallops, which I would highly recommend. We also enjoyed the chefs sushi selection, but the butter scallops were the highlight of the meal. The sushi here was definitely top notch, and the variety was also impressive. I think it’s also worth mentioning that it did take quite a while for our food to arrive, but I suppose sometimes good food takes time.
One opportunity for improvement at this restaurant is the price point. I don’t normally have an issue with expensive food, but i have to admit I nearly panicked when I opened the menu. This place is definitely at least a $$$ shop, so don’t be surprised when you are spending around 100 $ for you and your date.
Enjoy!

We have been coming to Akasaka for its fresh sushi and delicious food for the past year, and something happened yesterday made us never want to go back again.
The night of April 11^th, we went to Akasaka for dinner around 10pm. We sat at the bar and was served with chef’s special by sushi chef Raymond. Basically, he makes us anything he wanted, and this was the second time we did this. Both times, the food was creative and delicious. We believed we found the one Japanese restaurant with the sushi chef that we can keep coming back to… but events took a dark turn when we were paying with our credit card.
As my husband was signing the check, Raymond asked us to tip him individually $ 20 dollars in cash, and tip additional 15% in tips on the check to the restaurant, reason being, all the chef specials are his own creation, uniquely his, only he can create in this world. Also, Akasaka doesn’t share tips with him unless we tip him in cash separately! Very bold and aggressive.
Silly me, pulled out $ 20 cash, put it on the bar, it disappeared within one second. Then Raymond said, remember to put 15% tip down on the check…
At the end, we paid over 40% in tip. We left quickly, before the dishwashers, the produce sellers, the fishermen rush out to try to get their tips in cash.

Nestled on an alley way by clubs is this hidden sushi restaurant. My favorite! Everything is amazing! Sit at the bar and watch the sushi chef. Service is great.

Such a long & overdue review for Akasaka. We came here for dinner on Valentine’s Day, and since the boys were planning day, they decided to be men & wait til last minute to book a reservation for dinner, which resulted to everywhere else being booked, so we resorted to here.
This place is literally a hole in the wall, tucked in between two strip clubs. Parking is okay, they have reserved stalls for the restaurant. We arrived as soon as they opened for dinner & it’s fairly small but it surely had a Japanese feel to it. The waitresses were really nice, and suggested a whole bunch of us to try since it was our first time there.
Food is GREAT. You can really tell the difference between the fish that they have here compared to Genki, which we go to a lot cause it’s cheap. The fish is FRESH, literally melts in your mouth… SO GOOD!!! I’m actually getting hungry thinking about it, haha. By the time we paid for dinner, they gave us chocolates & the owner even gave us a gift certificate for the next time we come in which I thought was awesome of her to do so!

All the fish was delicious and fresh; the sake was probably the best I’ve ever had from any Japanese restaurant anywhere.
Minus one star, because the prices were higher than I was expecting for a «$$» restaurant. I guess that’s okay, because the fish was quality, but a bit of a surprise.