Aki-no-No

This is my second favorite restaurant because it almost has everything drinks food and etc

$ 85 (with tip) bought a sushi set, hotate nigiri, grilled scallops, bacon-​wrapped enoki (four pieces), agedashi tofu, and a glass of Asahi. All were delicious! Only, I like really crispy bacon and the bacon around the enoki was on the chewier side (some places manage really crispy bacon enoki). Regardless, one can never go wrong with enoki mushrooms wrapped and grilled in bacon.
The restaurant itself is cozy. Our table was near the sushi bar and directly in front of the tv which was on some Japanese station (Kiku? Or am I just saying Kiku because I grew up with my grandparents always watching it?). The service was great and I had my tea refilled diligently, resulting in me downing five cups of tea by the end of the meal. My friend and I committed a restaurant no-​no (i.e., sitting and talking for half an hour before even cracking open the menu) but we were catching up after nearly a month apart! But the staff was still kind to us despite us doing that. The restaurant is clean, too. I’ve never been to Japan but it makes me feel like how I’m assuming it’d feel to be there, haha!
Since the restaurant is on S King, I’m guessing parking will be found on the street or in nearby lots (like behind The Nook). Or if you’re like me, you can abuse your parking pass and park at UH and walk down — just about ten minutes or so. I’d definitely go back to Aki!

Fish was sub par, not very fresh and we paid 36 dollars for the sushi plate alone. It wasn’t worth the money and the atmosphere was dark and dingy feeling. The plates were mismatched, and the décor was dull. The owner seemed friendly though and the service was super consistent. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone and for sure not going back.

I got the Chirashi bowl here and it was delish! My favorite dish here is the Agedashi-​mochi. It’s like your typical Agedashi-​tofu but BETTER.
There’s no parking so you kind of have to get creative or lucky as to where you’ll park… Street it is…

OMG! This place is tucked away in the corner of University Square. The rainbow roll is the best. It has everything… a California roll with sashimi and ebi on top. It’s actually the best I have tasted so far. See the photos posted.
Got there at 5 pm, there was no crowd. I suspect it will get busy later in the evening because the food was excellent and menu extensive. It’s a small cozy place and staff is very pleasant. I would definitely return to this restaurant and recommend it to others.

A good variety of food items: sushi, grill, broil, deep fried to steam. You name it and it’s probably on the menu. However, It does make selection difficult. Overall, the food gets a 4.5 stars for its consistency in flavors. Service is good, at least it’s not as bad as some of the fellow Unilocalers rated. I guess if the food has its consistency, the service should have the same delivery. Hence, I would give the service a 4 star. The prices are moderate. Some of the items are little pricier than most so I would also rate the place $$ to $$$ or 4 star for its pricing fairness. Will I go back? Yes, I always feel this is a steady performer in the izakaya restaurant business. However, with competition being fierce in the izakaya biz, they should step up their game!

Aki yes yes!!!
Ahmazingggg food! Amazing service! Amazed me all around!!!
Came to this hole in the wall-​unassuming place per my friend’s suggestion and I left über happy! Minus having to take any ubers! This cute Japanese spot has it going on! It’s a simple izakaya style bar with friendly staff and seriously tasty food!
Love ~ everything!
It’s izakaya style small plates + sashimis + noodles and so on. So much good stuffs, I skipped/​missed entire last page of the menu with all the rice and noodles. Probably a good thing because I almost needed a fork lift to get out there after eating so much!
Agedashi tofu ~ super fluffy and tasty!
Spare ribs ahi ~ om nom nom. Crispy tasty stuff! I prefer raw ahi but this was amazing.
Grilled scallops ~ fresh with eggs on some!!!
Spicy tako poke ~ crunchy, chewy, spicy fun.
Ikura ~ hmmm hmmm!
Nigiris ~ tasty!
Kahuku shrimp ~ get about 7 pieces.
Tempura sampler ~ another amazing dish! So light and airy.
Seaweed salad ~ perfect way to end the meal.
I’ve also had some miso soup and eel as we sat on the sushi counter. Got to watch them cook, roll and fry up our many plates! Super attentive staff! Ate enough for days! Definitely going to sleep happy tonight. Can’t wait to go back and try some more stuff. And their soba looks amazing! Too bad I didn’t have enough room left! Akinono is so ono! Sign me up!

Loved everything about this place.
Ambiance:
Quiet, typical sushi bar style
great for dates or small group settings. not particularly good for young children
Service:
Very attentive staff. I believe there were 2 – 3 servers there when we went for dinner
Food:
Loved everything! didn’t want to share lol
We had the Bacon wrapped Enoki, Chirashi and Geso Karaage. everything was perfect
I’ve had Geso from other places where it was very chewy or hard to bite apart. this one was crisp and yet moist. easy to eat
The Enoki was.omg. so good! Next time I’ll have to get 2 orders
Tip* Make reservations just because it is a small place and does fill up fast on peak hours

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants on the island, which says a lot because there are a LOT! The staff is always so friendly and genuine and the atmosphere almost feels like being in Japan because a lot of Japanese people stop by and the workers talk in half English half Japanese and are so full of energy so it’s always a fun time. My family and I always get the dynamite (which takes a little while) but it’s izakaya or pupu style so you just order a lot and share with everyone! I also recommend the pork belly kakuni, beef tongue (very generous pieces), salmon chazuke and pretty much any nigiri! So Ono!

Aki is my favorite hidden jem. In fact the less people who know the better. Everything is yummy especially chingensai hot sake and Asahi on draft. All night awesome

I’ve been wanting to try Aki-​no-​no for awhile now but for some reason, we just never got around to it. Finally, we were able to make it down here and it was a little disappointing.
First off, we didn’t know where to park and after reading a few reviews we parked in the back in the reserved parking stalls. Went inside and asked the waitress to be sure and she recommended to park in University Square instead. So we moved the car, and since they validate and cover the first two hours, it wasn’t a big deal and was actually closer than I expected.
For a Saturday night, the place was kind of empty with just a handful of other customers. The servers were really nice, probably the best thing about Aki-​no-​no.
Started off with a pitcher of Asahi, $ 20, which they have on tap. Ordered a California roll, a spicy ahi roll, ika karaage, chicken karaage, bacon wrapped mushrooms, and hamachi sashimi. The California roll was pretty basic, as was the ika karaage. Hamachi sashimi was good, but the chicken karaage and bacon wrapped mushrooms were not very good and I probably wouldn’t order it again. We ordered another California roll and tried the miso butterfish. The miso butterfish was really good but at $ 13 for a small piece, not really worth the price.
Overall, I thought the service was really good but the food was overpriced for taste and portion. Our total was $ 108. I’m sad to say, but we probably won’t be back.

My favorite aspect of this restaurant is the service! The waiters and waitresses were very nice and always kept my water full. I cannot stress enough how important my water is to my meal. It’s so disappointing when you reach for your water and its full of ice. I am very appreciative of their attentiveness.
Food was very tasty as well. I had the pork belly kakuni with some tsukune. Very flavorful and the pork kakuni had delicious melting meat and a great broth as well.
I will definitely be back when I’m feeling for some tapas and bites!

Ooh this is my favorite late night izakaya to come to late at night with my friend Wakana. This is our special spot after a long night at work! We usually order two of everything, because we like the same foods and are usually so hungry we don’t want to share. Hence, we each have our own serving of certain dishes! For our usual dinner, we like to get ankimo, agedashi tofu (my favorite agedashi tofu in Hawaii! It’s so simple but they make it perfectly), ahi with grated yamaimo, tsukune, bacon asparagus, bacon enoki, uni for me and amaebi for her, mentai-​yamaimo roll, mentai-​chazuke, yakisoba, potato salad (Japanese potato salad is the best! It’s that kewpie mayo) and nikujaga! I’ve never found something here that I didn’t like! Everything is delicious and tastes like home cooking. Very reasonably priced, considering we come here and eat like animals and don’t break the bank.

I’ve downgraded my latest visit because I didn’t think the food was as great as last time in 2011. We sat at the bar, the service was good and the food arrived promptly. We had the dynamite (ok), hamachi nigiri (just ok), uni nigiri (just ok), agedashi tofu (good), salmon nigiri (just ok), and hamachi collar (very good). I was pretty disappointed with the quality of fish, which did not taste fresh, firm, or fatty. The uni was a B grade.

Aki No-​No is like a hidden Japanese restaurant. Their entrance is literally a single wooden door! I’m pretty sure a lot of people wouldn’t even notice there’s a Japanese restaurant there! XD
Me and my friends decided to come here for two friends’ belated birthday dinner on a Sunday night. We made a reservation at 5:00 PM that day… Arrived exactly at 5:00. There weren’t anyone in the restaurant yet, so we were the first ones! We parked in their parking area which is kind of behind by this alley way. I think you can park on any spot except for #39 and #44.
As soon as we walked in, they greeted us and immediately knew who we were. We brought in a birthday cake and told them to put it in the fridge for us and they agreed. They also politely told us there’s another reservation using our table at 7:00 that night and asked if it’s okay to leave at that time. We were hesitant at first but reluctantly said ok. When we made the reservation, we told them there will be 7 people. However, 3 of our friends were running late and didn’t arrive until 6:00. The 4 of us started ordering and eating first and the other 3 came later and ordered later which gave them less time.
I don’t remember what we ordered because we ordered a lot. But this place is quite pricey and is not good if you’re not into Japanese food, not here for drinking and have a large group of people. Our bill came out to $ 235 total and we weren’t even full! Definitely not worth it in my opinion. The portions are very small… :(
The servers are very nice though, except for the fact this one server kept telling us the time we had left before 7:00.
I don’t think I would come back here again… Maybe next time, if someone treats me and I can drink lol. Not saying the food is bad! The food is good but it’s just it’s not that worth it for the price… Maybe the alcohol is worth it? :0 It will be better if you come with less people!

My friend took me here for my birthday & I fell in love… with this resturant of course. I’m not quite sure where to park though? Good thing my friend drove ! Hehe. The place we parked at, he had to pay, which kinda sucks since the food is already a bit pricey here.
The service was good. they were attentive & quick to bring our food & drinks. Although it was pretty empty when we were in there which kind of surprised me.
I had schochu with oolong tea one of my favorite drinks. It was good & nice & strong too! The food was amaaaazing ! Fried moi was so juicy. We had 3 different types of sashimi which were all so good. The fried shrimp which you can eat while was yummy as well ! The oysters were a bit on the smaller side but they were good & the sauce that came with it was yummy as well. I loved the cow tongue. It was cooked so well which made it the best tongue I’ve ever eaten ! My favorite dish was the natto & grated yams !! I wanted more !
I will defianatly be back to eat & drink here !

Location:
Aki-​no-​No is across the street of 7 – 11 and near Kokua Market.
Overview:
The food is delicious, but has the serving side of a fancy restaurant, which goes against how much I’m willing to spend on a good serving of food. Most of the dishes are $ 11 and up and can only serve one person so at the end you’re paying $ 20 and up just to feed one person.
Food Review:
My boyfriend and I had the following:
1) Bacon fried Enoki (5 stars): The bacon was crispy and wrapped with the enoki, which was cooked perfectly. The smoked quality of the meat contrasted with the enoki mushrooms which was cooked perfectly.
2) Nabe (4 stars): The serving was meant for one person, but my boyfriend and I shared it. It contained shrimp, salmon, and other ingredients. The broth tasted healthy and tasty, but a little bit on the bland side (we prefer our friend’s homemade nabe with the ponzo sauce and special sauce).
3) Sushi (3 stars): My boyfriend got some sushi that I forgot what it was, but it was okay, not the best for the price he paid.
Conclusion:
The service was good, but the food portion and price for the food left me and my boyfriend feeling unsatisfied since the bill came out to $ 60-​$ 70. It wasn’t worth the price since we were both hungry still. I would recommend Aki-​no-​No to people if they have money to spend, but not if you want a large portion of food for a lower price.

.. . This review is a continuation from my previous review of Kohnotori. A long review short, that place was as horrible as horrible can be, and as bland as bland can be, that left me and my friends still hungry, so we crossed the street and came here.
We weren’t sure if it was open because the front was totally empty, but there were two separate seating areas: bar and table. We were seated on the very corner of the table side, which felt like we were segregated, probably because we weren’t regulars, and had a Local Irishman with us lol. The seating was very comfortable and cozy. Apparently, this place either REALLY likes this singer, Yuni Ito, or she’s related to the owner, and we figured out the latter is the answer – owner’s Daughter. She’s cute, and reminds me of a classic Final Fantasy character :). Is she single? I wonder if I get free food if I’m her boyfriend lol. Anyway, the menu is pretty extensive with sushi rolls, nigiri, appetizers, sashimi, and etc. The first thing that I noticed immediately is they have Beef Tendon! There were a lot of items that looked very appetizing:
Let me get this out of the way first, their wasabi is the best wasabi I have ever had in my life. I love getting that intense hit that puts me nearly to tears, and the first bite did that. The first bite was so amazingly intense that I took less the second time, and it still he good. Each and every time, the wasabi hits you. It is SOO AWESOME! Moving on now…
Beef Tendon — The tendon was simply braised in a stock to the perfect tenderness: not too chewy and not too tough. Throw in some chopping green onions, and it was the perfect bite of food.
Beef Tongue — Happy to get redemption for the awful beef tongue at Kohnotori. The meat was thin and tender, and incredibly tasty. They have a little glob of soybean paste, which complimented the tongue perfectly.
Spicy Tuna Roll — The tuna was very fresh that you will notice immediately after putting it into your mouth. The rice was good and the other components inside were good as well. Have I said how great the wasabi is?
Fried Chicken Gizzards — They were fried well, and were delicious. It had a good chewiness to it, and the batter was light and crispy.
Menchi Katsu — This was kind of like fried meatloaf than a hamburger steak because it was soft and light, and fried very well, but the true star is the katsu sauce. I don’t remember ever having such a tasty, light, and well-​balanced katsu sauce.
Salmon Maki — A simple maki, and the fish was fresh. Even though it’s maki size, you can really taste the freshness of the fish. The rice and nori were good as well. Perfect bite.
Fried Ahi Ribs — Meat off the bone is always good, even with fish. Don’t expect much meat, but these were tasty, well-​cooked, and nicely battered.
Gyoza — They were bigger than your typical gyoza, but when it arrived, it looked limp. There wasn’t enough filling, and the wrapping wasn’t done too loosely. Besides that, the filling was tasty, wrapper was thin with a crispy bottom, and the gyoza dipping sauce was very good.
All the food was very good. They were all fresh, at the perfect temperature, high quality, and well-​prepared. On top of the good food was the amazing sauces, and the best wasabi ever.
The service was good. The food came out quick, and they were friendly and very attentive. I think they weren’t sure what to make of us beforehand, but when we’re ordering tendon and tongue, and gizzards, they knew we weren’t fooling around and warmed up to us quickly lol.
Overall, I am more than happy that I came here, and it definitely made up for whatever the heck I ate at Kohnotori. The food, service, ambiance of the place, and Yuna Ito posters all made this a great experience. The prices are decent. Not super expensive. I’ll definitely come back and introduce other friends to this gem.

Parking: turn right on the small street that the restaurant is on and there is ample parking in the back
The cost: $ 40 per person
The food:
Ahi belly
Bacon wrapped enoki
Ika geso karaage
Bok Choy with garlic chips
Tako poke
Sake ochazuke
Steamed opakapaka
Restrooms: yes inside the restaurant
This place looks like a small corner restaurant from the street. Inside it feels homey. Although it looks somewhat narrow the space actually feels quite large. They can be a little slow with the dishes. The standouts were the bacon wrapped enoki, ika geso karaage, and sake ochazuke. The sake ochazuke just feels like home. Rice, tea, nori, and salmon is perfect any night.
Overall, great place to grab drinks and some small plates. Fun fact: Yuna Ito the Jpop star is the daughter of the owners. So don’t be freaked out by the slightly stalkerish amount of her posters throughout the restaurant

Authentic Japanese Izakaya on the corner of King and across from Kokua Market.
One of our go-​to spots for after 9pm dining– the menu is very homely and made to order. Calling ahead is also recommended as they get busy sometimes.
Everything is ala carte, so order a couple things that look good.
Great service where most servers are bilingual in English and Japanese.
My favorites include:
–Nabeyaki Udon: Served in a hot stone bowl with tempura, kamaboko and veggies
–Sake Ochazuke: Grilled salmon atop rice and broth
–Vegetable Tempura: Assorted veggies with tempura sauce
Now I’m not a big sushi fan, but my boyfriend says their fish always tastes fresh and not bad for the price.