Sushi Murayama

We made last minute reservations on a Tuesday night to sit at the sushi bar because one of my coworkers loves this place. We ordered ala carte — the scallops, ahi and hamachi were so fresh. The Unagi and Ikura were also good. We also ordered tempura — the portion is huge and put our stomaches over the top — we couldn’t finish. Good thing it came out last. The sushi chefs are very attentive and pace the food out well.
My husband wants to go back and even recommended that his friends go. Sadly one of them had poor service — think this is because they were not at the sushi bar. Their service was really slow and the waitresses did not fill up their water or hot tea. Though they said the food was excellent. Highly recommend making reservations to sit at the sushi bar rather than the tables and going during the weekdays.
As we were finishing our meal — the owners of MW restaurant sat at the sushi bar. If they’re eating here — must be good!

came for lunch and ordered :
spicy tuna don 18.50 $
butterfish teishoku 18.50 $
for the teishoku you get miso soup, salad, rice and piece of butterfish .
no tsukemono here, which is kind of weird.
taste was ok… little too expensive for my taste

We had a really nice omakase at the sushi bar. I’d never heard of this place so I kept my expectations low. Verdict: Very good! Here’s what we had:
–Ahi marinated in soy sauce. The ahi was super fresh and tender.
–Ahi wrapped in nori.
–Great housemade ginger
–Flounder with monkfish liver on top. The flounder was on the chewy side and I couldn’t really taste the monkfish.
–Beltfish. Surprisingly tender and tasty.
–Colorado scallop with Canadian uni. Best dish of the night! The scallop was cold, firm, and fresh. The uni added a creamy finish.
–Tempura Argintine shrimp and tempura hamachi. Very good but I’ve had better tempura elsewhere. I originally told the chef that I couldn’t eat shrimp. When he caught me eating the shrimp, he totally called me out on it. I couldn’t help it! It looked so delectable. I told him not to worry, I could take the consequences, of which there were none thank goodness. Am I even allergic to shrimp anymore, I wonder?
–Mirugai sauteed in sake and butter. Really good. The mirugai was tender and flavorful.
–Mirugai. Crunchy goodness.
–Aji. Ok in my book. Aji nirigi is usually a «B» for me.
–Saba with konbu on top. I’m not a saba fan but this was nice.
–Salmon with ikura. Nice pairing.
–Wagyu. I was stuffed to the gills after the salmon but my husband decided he needed a dessert so wagyu seemed fitting. He said it was glorious.

Reviews on Unilocal are usually spot on and this one is no exception. Hole in the wall place, passionate hands on owner and the results are evident .
Ordered the veggie Maki and the veggie hand roll. Hit the spot right away. Checked on how the food was thrice during the meal. Water refilled promptly. Who cares about the décor when the food is outstanding? When in Honolulu please stop by and you will not be disappointed.

Don’t you hate it when a place is hyped up and when you go there, you leave disappointed? You won’t have to worry about that when you dine at Sushi Murayama. I left this place with a full stomach and huge smile on my face.
Sushi Murayama is located in the new building on the corner of Sheridan and Rycroft. They are on the 3^rd floor and a bit hard to find because they don’t have a big sign. Once you exit the elevator or come up the stairs, it’ll be the second unit on the right through the tinted windows.
You’ll enter then notice tables to your right and left with the sushi bar in front of you. I would recommend sitting at the sushi bar if it’s available. We came for lunch and luckily we were able to sit at the sushi bar. The place is very clean and organized. Décor is simple and modern.
My friend ordered the same dish I did which was the ½ Maguro and ½ Hamachi Don. The owner recommended their Shrimp Tempura or Miso Butterfish to accompany our meal. We didn’t want to choose so we ordered both. The lunch special also came with a Miso Soup. They have a good sake selection and beer if you’re not into sake.
Talk about generous cuts! They were huge and the quality was amazing. It was so fresh and beautifully presented. I think there was more fish than rice. The Shrimp Tempura was so sweet and one of the best I’ve had in Hawaii. It wasn’t thin or small pieces of shrimp, these were plump and perfectly battered. The Miso Butterfish was also very good! Nothing is bad here.
Customer service was great here. Our server and the owner took time to talk to us and entertain while they worked. Found out the owner was born in Japan but moved to be raised here when he was 3. It was great hearing him switch from proper English to Pidgin many times over the course of the meal. Only in Hawaii lol.
I cannot wait to come back here for dinner to do their Omakase or take Rod U’s recommendation of trying one piece of everything! Make sure to get validation if you parked in the building. The first hour is free with validation and $ 2 per hour thereafter. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Must go if you like sushi!

I’ve heard lots of good things about this place, and have drooled over many an Instagram post. We decided to swing by on the off chance they’d have something available, and they did — as long as we didn’t mind sitting on a shared table! Of course we didn’t; we were thrilled! This was about 6:10PM on a Wednesday.
OMAKASE ³⁄₅
It’s $ 75 for 10 courses. Personally I like to do this everywhere I go because I don’t know how to order any kind of fish beyond what you can find at Genki Sushi.
Maguro wrapped in 3“x4″ nori sheet (no rice for this one)
Hamachi
Horse mackerel
Flounder
Scallop with ume
Tiger prawn with shiso leaf
Oyster shooter
Hamachi collar in soup? I could be wrong.
The tiger prawn is likely the only one I’d order again. I also enjoyed one that tasted a little smoky that wasn’t mentioned. It had longitudinal lines running down the fish, possibly cut, possibly seared?
I was disappointed to see that there was no uni or amaebi or otoro or salmon. We ended up ordering 2 uni nigiri which was REALLY amazing. It’s $ 7 per piece and was very well worth it. There were many little pieces of uni, uniformly colored.
For $ 75/​pp I guess I can’t complain. If I were to return, I’d do an ala carte thing. Or maybe I’d sit at the bar so we can talk story with the chef and order what we really like.
SERVICE ³⁄₅
We walked in and were greeted immediately. Although the servers were often busy, there was almost always someone posted at the front desk (which is always appreciated). Behind the desk was an ice box that housed the beer. We were never parched. That, was awesome. Any interaction with the transport of omakase dishes to our table was horrible. It pains me to say that they placed the plate on the table and walked away a handful of times. This may be due to the fact that they’re busy as heck, though. Sit at the counter if can!

I officially love this place!
First off, the parking is FREE VALET for the first hour in a really nice building next to WalMart. The valet men are really nice and told us how to get to the restaurant.
We were there early, so we just walked around and looked at the variety of different businesses that popped up in the area. It’s a very classy looking place, so I didn’t feel scared to walk around. (Even the bathrooms have passcodes… And the codes are different on every floor, so yeah it’s pretty secure)
It’s a little hard to find the restaurant, but just look for the blacked out windows with a little «Sushi Maruyama» above the door handle. When you walk in the door, you’re greeted by the whole staff. They say us down and immediately started helping us. They are really busy but just be a little patient and you will see the results.
Okay, now to the good part. We were first timers, so we didn’t know what to order right off the bat. My suggestion for first timers would be to go with the OMAKASE (about 9 courses). You put full trust into the sushi chefs. But Chef Ryuji was excellent and very entertaining. He even explained what we were eating and how to eat it… along with a few jokes. Haha! We also ordered the NATTO shooters, Wagyu musubi, otoro nigiri, and black sesame gelato. The bill was a little pricey but completely worth it. Save your money and make a trip to this special place. Everything was delicious and I will surely be back!

Impressive. A seafood lover’s dream.
I’ve never written a review update within weeks of posting the original but the most recent visit has showcased whole new side to this eatery.
With the opportunity to have the chef to ourselves for the first hour and with a sushi expert who has lived in Tokyo for the past 20 years we pushed the boundaries of his ingredients and abilities. What a meal.
Important tips to sharing this experience:
1. Pass on the omakase. Unlike most sushi restaurants, omakase is intended to give a broad taste of the food. It has some of the best ingredients of the day but pedestrian (mixed tempura, miso soup, chirashi etc…).
2. Order by the SINGLE piece. The price is adjusted accordingly. You can try more.
3. Do not use any soy sauce. Each sushi is dressed with infused salts, miso, or aged soy as the chef sees fit.
4. Constantly ask the chef for what is the best and different. This assures the most unique and freshest products. All below were air flown, first day in from Tsukiju Market.
5. Be blind to the price. Let’s face it, the best cost $$$$. This meal for four included 28 SINGLE pieces of sushi at $ 12/​piece.
The end result of these tips (highlights):
Isobayaki Hokkaido Scallops — Flash grilled (rare at the center) U8 scallop topped with shichimi pepper. Strip of nori provided to wrap and eat. No rice. Incredible sweetness balanced by the gentle heat of the pepper.
Anago Nigiri– Extremely fatty. Cooked with a torch (crisp surface), topped with matcha salt. Toasted nori strips provided to wrap. Bitterness of the torching harmoniously blends with that of the matcha. Aggressive salt boost the natural flavor of the eel.
Sayori Nigiri — Fillet is coiled tightly and served extremely chilled. The temperature contrast when it is put in the mouth is intriguing. A clean, oceanic, gentle fish flavor vanishing into nothing as the fish is consumed. Naked with no sauces or salts.
Shima Aji Nigiri — Torched because of extremely high fat content. Cooked fat releases great aromas before the richness of the fish coats the palate. Beautiful clean, not cloying finish akin to raw A5 that goes on and on. No sauces or salts.
Choshi Tai — Mind blowingly complex. Firm flesh that literally melts in the mouth. Complex oceanic finish. Blows away the best otoro. A real treat considering the $ 48/​lb wholesale cost. Simple grating of salt.
Though the chef defends his large cuts of fish, this does yield an off balance finished dish. It is impossible to get the entire piece of sushi in your mouth. If you do, be sure your dining companions don’t make you laugh.
A chef who knows how to tease the best flavors out of seafood. Outstanding.

Gimme that uni and otoro! #omnomnom
After months of having this place bookmarked, I finally made reservations for lunch for a friend and I. As soon as I walked in I was promptly greeted at the door and seated at the counter in front of Chef Ryuji. He was full of jokes and good laughs the entire meal. We now have a bunch of inside jokes I’m sure he’ll tease me about the next time I dine there.
I couldn’t decide what to get as I wasn’t really feeling a donburi or teishoku. Just knew I really wanted some uni and otoro. Told chef Ryuji my dilemma and went with the omakase.
I had scallops, Hokkaido uni double stacked on sweet shrimp. Omg! Taste bud frenzy! Also had the black throat snapper. Ooh boy, I think I have a new favorite. Sooo buttery. So delicious! Also had the otoro, muzinasu eggplant, and for kicks because of our inside jokes, he gave me the Red snapper sperm sack!
The portion size of the cut of sashimi are comparable to Saburo’s in Portland! And I’m not the best with chopsticks, so it was definitely a feat trying to grab the bite size serving of rice served with the big cut of fish.
(If you’re ever in Portland, must go to Saburo’s!) ;)
Now I seriously put these names down word for word the way Chef Ryuji told them to me, so if they’re under a different name on the menu, please forgive me! :(go scold him and tell him smelly said so! :P
For dessert, we had the black sesame gelato! Yuumm!!! Just enough sweetness with the perfect amount of black sesame to fill your taste buds.
Will definitely be back for more! For the food, ambiance, and good laughs with the Chef!

Gosh, we felt so spoiled with these THICK pieces of fresh sashimi. Seriously, this was an excellent lunch. Our group went on a Saturday afternoon for my boyfriend’s belated birthday lunch. We learned that Saturday afternoons were recently added to the hours of operation since April 2^nd, so we felt pretty lucky to have gotten a reservation before the masses knew. Lunch was a little slow, but understandable — it was only Chef Ryuji and his young daughter, who assisted with serving the meals.
The place was quite cozy, with a few communal tables and around a dozen of sushi counter seats. We sat at a table, but since lunch was not too busy, we were able to talk to Chef Ryuji, who shared the stories behind his recipes, my favorite being his grandmother’s ice cream (you’ll see it on the menu). We didn’t order it, but it’s basically papaya, haagen dazs vanilla ice cream and red wine. Tempted to try it at home.
We ordered the sashimi combo, otoro, macadamia nut poke, tempura and butterfish teishoku, hamachi zuke don (chef’s recommendation for the day), black sesame ice cream with drizzle, and natto ice cream. Dishes were superb, still in shock about the size of the sashimi — I had to take a few bites and was quite full at the end. Especially enjoyed the combo and otoro.
Verdict: Definitely a must-​try and make sure to make reservations ahead of time. Despite the lack of signage outside of the restaurant and the indistinct location, Chef Ryuji’s dishes speak volumes and it is truly no surprise that he has many loyal customers.

Oh wow! Amazeballs! Gaku and Sushi ii has been my 2 favorite sushi spots on Oahu, but now I must add this place to my top 3! (Hard to say in a specific order though Lol.)
First time here and was amazed by the service plus the quality and the big slab of fish they give you on the nigiri. We didn’t get the omakase, but got most of the dishes that chef Ryuji recommended which were all delicious. The huge slices he gives you for each sushi was unreal! It was hard to try and eat in one bite. They don’t have as much appetizers as Gaku and Sushi ii, but you will not be disappointed with their sashimi or sushi selection.
Chef Ryuji is very talkative and funny, you can tell he loves his job and servicing the customers. His favorite thing to say was «you put shoyu, I cry» because he wanted you to eat some things just the way it was served. I guarantee that you will love this place. And for the huge piece that you get for each sushi, it is well worth the price. I can’t wait til I go back again.

A rewarding and fulfilling dining experience catered by Chef Ryuji! The sushi here is a must try!
Atmosphere: Located in the new 808 building tucked away on the 3^rd floor. There is both table and sushi bar seating available. Try to get a seat at the bar for the full experience. Chef Ryuji is very entertaining and makes it so much more enjoyable as he describes each dish in detail by engaging the mind and palate. The walls are decorated with waves and sea life.
Service: The waitstaff were all very attentive, we never to wonder where they were. Chef Ryuji was also very aware of the tempo and had the next tasting item ready for our mouths. I think it was purposeful because I enjoyed tasting everything before the inevitable full feeling set in. Overall, we felt welcome the whole evening.
Food: We ordered the Omakase which I highly recommend. We had so many dishes served that I lost track, don’t worry I took plenty of pictures… I enjoyed the tempura hamachi and ebi, hamachi collar soup, uni and shredded ahi on rice, snow crab. Most importantly the rice was absolutely perfect. Every grain was cooked to perfection and each grain could be tasted in my mouth as if I had picked them with my own sweat and tears from the rice patties in Osaka. We finished with black sesame gelato served with a black sesame syrup. The gelato was the best black sesame I’ve found on the island so far.
Intangibles: I may sound a bit excited but I have to admit the experience with Chef Ryuji takes the food and full dining experience to the next level. I know not everyone can experience but if you get a chance you will have no regrets! Will definitely be coming back soon!

Ryuji Murayama sent me into sushi euphoria. A fabulous meal in a friendly atmosphere, what more can you ask for.
The five star experience started when we walked in and gave them our name for our reservation and it was booked incorrectly. It should have been for 4 people, but was booked for 2 people instead. They could have easily just apologized and said we could not accommodate you, but they figured out a way to fit us in. Great service!
As we peered through the menu, I deferred the ordering to my buddy since he had eaten the omakase at his last visit and he has a decent palette.
Everything we ordered was delicious, there was not one dish that disappointed. My favorite definitely was the tiger prawn nigiri. Priced at $ 13.50 a piece, it was as large as a Maine lobster tail and it tasted very similar to lobster. But the prawn was butterfly cut beautifully, slightly grilled and heavenly.
The sashimi platter had large cuts of very fresh fish and the tamago is out of this world. I understand it’s just and egg, but sushi fans know, good tamago makes all the difference.
What I like about Sushi Murayama is they serve quality sushi and a variety of cooked items as well. Others around us were ordering tempura, karaage and other things and it looked really good!
Located in the new 808 building across from Hmsa, free valet parking in their nifty automatic lift system, and modern new clean bathrooms even though it is communally shared amongst all the tenants.
It’s a shame that the restaurant cannot accommodate more people, making reservations an absolute must, but Sushi Murayama I definitely will return soon!

Good: very fresh fish (mostly). clean, modern ambience.
Not so good: huge caveman portions of fish that are a bit much for a single bite. Noisy chefs. Uni was inedible (please taste prior to serving).

By far the best sushi in the world. If you are looking for raw, real fresh Japanese meal this is the place.
Customer Service amazing.
Sesame seeds gelato amazing (seeds imported from Okinawa)
I will be back. I must be back
Thank you Chef

Oh my! Omakase! We were a little late for our reservation, however, we still got to sit at the sushi bar, and Chef Jeff served us. Chef Ryuji reminded us that it’s been 68 days since they opened shop, and Chef Jeff had persevered with him in this new adventure. Since it’s our first time and all the Unilocal reviews raved about their omakase, we just had to try it. We didn’t know what to expect, but were very pleased with the outcome.
FOOD — Daily, they have a set menu for the omakase, $ 75 for about 10 to 11 dishes, ranging from cold appetizer, hot dish, sashimi, nigiri and hand roll. Here’s what we have the liberty of trying: crunchy sea cucumber, ahi sashimi wraped in nori, baby squids, salmon with ikura, shrimp & hamachi tempura, diced snapper with lemon ginger sauce, grilled giant scallop wrapped in nori, aji nigiri, torched mackerel, oyster shooter, mirugai nigiri, and negitori roll. No shoyu for any of the nigiri since the Chef drizzles the nigiri with their house lemon ginger sauce. We were very lucky since Chef Jeff said that it was a value meal that night, we got 12 dishes. On top of the lemon ginger sauce, they also have homemade ginger that accompanies the sushi. It’s the best I had. The dessert is not included, but you must try their black sesame gelato. So ono!!!
SERVICE — Chef Ryuji entertains customers in Japanese and English. Servers were friendly and attentive.
PARKING — Located in the 808 Center, they have the automated parking system, where the 5 level elevator parking lot can hold over 70 cars. Free valet parking when you dine.
VERDICT — Must try before it becomes crazy and you can’t get a reservation for half a year.

The place is located on the third floor of the building with an elevator. It didn’t take long to find though.
I really enjoyed the juicy cuts of fish on rice. Hamachi and a snapper special were favorite. Only if they weren’t topped by a completely ono misoyaki butterfish! $ 4 for two grilled to perfection chicken sticks — what a deal. Food prepared by pros :)
It was pretty busy but it was a Friday night. We were asked if we had a reservation but were seated immediately at a shared table with no one next to us. I’ll try to make a reservation next time.
The service is polite and fast. The chef is a comedian of which I previously read on Unilocal.He asked us if we don’t want the fish penis he put on our plate which was a curved piece of ginger: D He was really engaging the guests and staff.
It was an enjoyable Friday night date to share.
Cannot wait to be back!

— Service: Terrible
— Quality of Sushi: Great
— Omakase $ 75
This restaurant is located right behind the Wallmart, inside of brand new 808 center on the 3^rd floor. They have free automated valet parking which reminds me of Japanese parking system. The restaurant is clean and simple.
We had a high expectation since it has many good reviews, but the service was terrible. Right on the spot, the server totally forgot my drink. Not only that the chief forgot what he had served. I was looking some customers who were sitting at the counter had much better and faster services. I felt we were forgotten since we were sitting on the small table on the wall for two. At that point, we were not in the good mood. On top of everything, the chief made jokes by making tiny and regular Futomaki… He served one more Futomaki after he made us share the first one. I wouldn’t have minded the chief making jokes and laugh with him if everything was great. (I will give him a credit for making such a small sushi as an art.)
The quality of sushi was great! I believe a lot of local people will love and appreciate the thickness and the quality of sashimi. (reminds me of upgraded version of Kulu-​Kulu) I hoped tempura was more crispy tho.
I would go back again to have a second chance and only order a la carte. Since this place is fairly new, I believe the service will improve later on.

After a recent visit to Sushi Maruyama, I am no longer a virgin. Yeah, I admit I was a 40(+) year old omakase virgin!
I’ve always been afraid of going to a serious sushiya and having to face my fears and eat (gasp!) uni and ikura or other things I don’t even want to think about. I’ve tried uni and ikura before but don’t really enjoy the taste of either. After reading the reviews about how Chef Ryuji asks if you don’t want to eat certain things, I figured the time had come to take the culinary plunge. And I’m so glad we did!
The quality and freshness of everything we ate was superb. I usually don’t eat raw scallops based on past subpar experiences, but the ones here (from Hokkaido) changed my mind! They were sweet, firm and quite tasty. The tuna, Japanese papio, and hamachi were all excellent as well. The most memorable nigiri for me were the giant shrimp that were nearly as big as the 12-​inch platter they were served on! They were sweet and almost like lobster in texture. It was funny to see the tiny rice ball under it! I’m sorry to have such bad sushi etiquette, but there is no way I could have fit that whole thing in my mouth! I’m not skinny but not a seal, yet.
The meal was nicely finished with a hot dish of braised kurobuta, and then refreshing yuzu sorbet. A nice way to end a decadent meal, and for a comparably affordable price. Sitting at the bar in front of chef Ryuji is also very entertaining. I appreciate his respect for his profession and his customers, while still having a great sense of humor to make you feel at home in what is usually a more serious dining experience. Arigato Chef Ryuji for a great dinner!

Sushi Murayama really is as great as everyone says it is, maybe even better!
We came here with sky-​high expectations and they surpassed that.
We RSVP’d at 7:30PM and got seated at a «community» table, which usually I’m not too fond of, but hey, if its for sushi, I’ll do it lol.
Anyway, we ordered the Omakase, because after seeing all the reviews, I knew I could put my trust in the sushi chef.
I have no regrets, no regrets whatsoever. There were about 10 courses I believe, I may be wrong, I lost my head somewhere after eating such great dishes lol.
Everything was perfect to a tee. The flavors, the freshness, the huge cuts, the quality of fish, the balance, the service, the atmosphere, the people, the entire friggin’ restaurant was perfect. I literally went into food bliss after my first bite. I just.wow.
The Omakase was $ 75, which I thought was a bit steep, but after my meal, I get why it was so steep. Because its friggin’ worth it, duh! Anyway, the Omakase, in my preference, is probably the best way you could go if you want to try all the exotic cuts they have. I just wish I got a piece of uni or something in it, that’s all): The Omakase was the perfect amount of food to get you full, but not feeling sick about it. My favorite was the ika w/​quail egg & mentaiko, soooo good.
It’s a small restaurant, so reservations are probably a MUST. Even after finishing my meal, I was already looking forward to coming back lol. It was just perfect.

Arrived for first seating of the evening. Staff was on it, Asahi draft was cold & crisp, and the food was amazing. A friend treated us and we went with the omakase — amazing!
Ahi, hamachi, ika, calamari with quail egg, shrimp, tempura… it kept coming and each dish was just as good as the one before it.
If you’re thinking of coming here… do it. You won’t regret it. Just make sure to make reservations in advance or prepare to wait.

We got to try this place out a couple of Fridays ago for dinner, and it was a great evening. We called sort of last minute to try to get a table and they told us they didn’t have any available until 9pm. At around 8pm we were on our way to another sushi restaurant and they called us to let us know that there was a table available. We decided to take the offer and headed over to Sushi Murayama.
The restaurant is located upstairs of the new plaza at the corner of Sheridan and Rycroft. We did have a hard time locating it but once we found the entrance there was a teeny tiny label on the door that said «Sushi Murayama,» so we knew we made it to our destination. We got seated fairly quickly and then ordered. We decided to go with ala carte items and got an assortment of sushi. My faves included the amaebi, hamachi, and chutoro. We actually wanted otoro but they were out that evening. Anyway, I loved that the sushi was super fresh and tasty, and the portions were pretty big compared to other sushi restaurants. The meat to rice ratio was probably the largest I’ve ever seen, with the meat hanging inches over the sides of the rice. My husband also ordered uni which he enjoyed (I’m not a fan of uni so I always have him eat my portion).
The funniest part of the night was seated across the restaurant there was a chick that was barely even able to hold herself up, and she was leaning up against some guy with her head on his shoulder. She obviously had a bit too much to drink. We witnessed this shortly after being seated so it wasn’t even 9pm yet. Later that evening we noticed that she had disappeared, and then after dinner (maybe around 9:30pm), I made my way to the restroom outside of the restaurant, and in the hallway was the girl completely passed out on a bench. It was the funniest thing because she was so k. o’ed with her arms outstretched and her midriff completely exposed.
Anyway, not only does this restaurant have good food but it seems like a fun place to go with a group of friends and have a fun night of drinking and good sushi. The décor of the restaurant is also nice and modern and the restaurant seems to be suited for groups of people looking for a good time. Just make sure that you don’t drink too much and end up passed out outside of the restaurant. Or if you do, make sure your friends will be nice enough to carry you to the car rather than leave you all alone passed out on a bench.

When a restaurant can change your mindset from «Let’s leave NOW!» (not even 15 min from arriving) to «When are we coming back here!!!» (when leaving at the end of our meal), you know they’ve done something right.
Sushi Murayama is located in the 808 Center on Rycroft (near the HMSA building and Walmart on Keeaumoku). It’s on the third floor of the building. Be sure to go up the stairs located in the middle of the building. If you go up a stairwell in the back, you’ll end up at some kind of door that looks like a janitor’s closet. Can you tell I know from experience? Lol… though that stairwell gives you a good view of the neat parking garage in the building. Cars moving up and down on lifts to park your car on different levels… fun show!
My brother and I had reservations at 7 pm. Make sure you make reservations… otherwise don’t even bother coming. We arrived about 5 min early and the restaurant was packed (being that it is a small place), but still had a few places the two of us could sit. However, we were told that they were not ready for us, so we were told to wait outside for a least another 10 minutes. When we eventually were allowed in, they sat us on the 2 seats at the bar that were empty since we arrived. From that point on, we felt completely ignored. None of the chefs acknowledged us and no servers came to take any orders for at least 10 minutes. My brother was ready to leave, but I told him that I really wanted to try the place because it was getting such great reviews. We flagged down a server and got a chance to place our order.
From that point on, the night went pretty well. We ordered the omakase, as well as a few other items from the menu that looked appealing.
Items in our omakase:
Maguro zuke in sweet sauce — wrap in nori by yourself
Black Throat Snapper — seared… don’t use shoyu… think this was my favorite!
Shrimp tempura and baby Hamachi tempura — beware of the small bones in the hamachi! Of course it would be ME to find them… my brother had no bones in his
Cho-​shi kimidai — $ 36/​lb for this!!! Holy moly… but taste it and you’ll know why
Chutoro — thick and delicious… not let down here!
Scallop with sea salt — they don’t skimp on making sure you get your share of the scallops… each piece was a whole scallop
Sayori (half beak) — this dish was the most fun!
Big eye ahi and blue fin tuna and Uni over rice — I’ve never been an uni fan, but now I am!
Calamari cod fish and quail egg — an addition my brother ordered onto our omakase… he said it was good
Other orders:
* Macadamia nut poke — just okay… it is what it is
* Salmon sushi — 7 thick pieces of delicious Tasmanian New Zealand salmon… loved it!
* Black sesame seed gelato — looks like dirt, but is a lot more pleasant than it looks… after much thought, we agreed that it was reminiscent to the flavor of peanut butter
The quality and thickness of their fish makes you feel like royalty when eating here. I made my small dish of wasabi and shoyu at the beginning of the meal as I usually do at any other sushi place, but ended up not even using it because every dish was already so delicious in itself that nothing else was needed.
We had Chef Ryuji. He was fantastic! He really tried to explain each dish that was served (e.g., ingredients, origin, prices). Unfortunately, the restaurant was really noisy so we had a difficult time hearing a lot of what he was saying. He was a lot of fun, though! What impressed me most about him is how he really gets to know all his customers. He looks at what you’re ordering (if ordering more than just the omakase) and adjusts the omakase so you don’t have duplicates. He told us that since we ordered the poke and salmon dishes on the side, that he would give us less dishes in the omakase, but much higher quality types of dishes. We were totally fine with that because what we got was superb! He also mentioned that he did that because he could tell I was really picky and wanted to make sure I was satisfied with my meal. My brother cracked up when he heard that because Chef Ryuji was right on target. Do I have a sign on my forehead that says, «Impress me NOW?» or something? Lol…
So yes this place is pricey… yes it’s pretty noisy and small… yes you need to flag down people to get attention… but their food trumps all of that! The food is THAT amazing that my picky self can overlook all those other factors and still give them 5 stars. It IS worth every penny!

Sushi Murayama is the hot new restaurant in town opened by Chef Ryuji Murayama. Omakase (chef’s choice) with Chef Ryuji at any of the sushi bars of his previous places of employ has long been one of the premier dining experiences in Honolulu. It is clear that Sushi Murayama was built to focus and refine this experience. Indeed it has only grown better.
Chef Ryuji is an artist who pushes the sushi dining experience to the limits. It never ceases to amaze us how after almost two decades of regular dining with Chef Ryuji, he has never failed to serve us something new. Even more amazing is when we have looked over at other people dining at the sushi bar to compare courses and see they are usually eating completely different items. I think it is likely that they are also looking back at us and thinking the same.
It would be an injustice to attempt to describe even a fraction of Chef Ryuji’s sushi creations so I will make the bold statement that he is one of the best sushi chefs in the world and let my photos of his work — just a small sample of his creations that we have experienced over the years — speak for themselves.
Chef Ryuji only serves the freshest and highest quality seafood and fish, often sourced directly from Japan. Items and ingredients that do not meet his high standards are not served and probably do not even make it into his restaurant. For example, on my most recent visit he was not serving saba. Even though saba can be found nearly anywhere, Chef Ryuji’s saba was not available and a substitute was not acceptable to him.
I saw another review of Sushi Murayama that opined that the sushi here is not as «inventive» as other sushi establishments in town. Well sure, Sushi Murayama does have a very excellent menu to order off of and I would guess that is what the reviewer did. For a truly custom meal, sit at the sushi bar, tell Chef Ryuji you are up for anything and embark on a dining adventure. But be warned, Chef Ryuji can produce some exotic fare.
I would describe Sushi Murayama’s atmosphere as both contemporary and intimate. The dining area is sized to avoid feeling crowded and features modern décor and tables made of mango wood which enhance the overall feel. The sushi bar very prominently oversees the entire dining area, as it should in a sushi restaurant. Sushi Murayama offers a large variety of whiskeys, beer, shochu and sake to compliment the menu and make everything even more excellent.
In closing as I write this, Sushi Murayama has 46 reviews averaging 5 stars. There are a lot of Unilocal heavy hitters serving up 5 star reviews. I wish Chef Ryuji every success. Here are 5 more stars from me.

There’s been a lot of hype around Sushi Murayama and whenever there’s a lot of hype about a new place, it makes me excited, curious and cautious at the same time. Well I can tell you right now, there is nothing for you to be cautious about, and there is everything to be curious and EXCITED about! Sushi Murayama was everything that people are buzzing about.
The restaurant is tiny but has a simple, modern feel to it. The tables are communal, unless you have a large party that takes up an entire table. We had a group of 6 and had an entire table to ourselves. It is located on the second floor of the new 808 Center, across from Walmart. When we went, there wasn’t any signage other than a label maker label right above the door handle that said «Sushi Murayama».
Our group ordered everything our hearts desired — uni, otoro, salmon, Ikura, saba, king clam, oyster shooters, pressed sushi, tempura, koebi karaage, rib eye, drinks… and more. There wasn’t a dish that I didn’t like. Some we even ordered seconds of. The cuts of fish were generous and extremely fresh. The fried items were perfectly crispy without being too heavy or greasy. My favorites of the night were the koebi karaage, otoro and salmon with marinated ikura. In actuality, everything we had was outstanding. All this for under $ 100 a person. Much less than $ 100. I couldn’t believe the value that this place has to offer.
Within a week, I had to bring my family back and my kids really enjoyed the koebi karaage, that is after getting over the shock of seeing the heads and more so the eyeballs of those cute tiny little shrimp still attached to the succulent bodies. They also surprisingly loved the natto sundae at the end of the meal. The unexpected combination of shiso leaves, natto, ice cream, corn flakes and jack daniels sauce was mind blowing. Who would’ve thought that throwing those five things together in a bowl would be the best thing ever. Apparently Chef Ryuji did, and he nailed it!
If you have not been to Sushi Murayama, go now, before reservations start booking up months in advance. I have a hunch that with the quality, freshness and pure delicious-​ness factor this place has to offer at such an affordable price, it will be hard to get a seat. Just remember to invite me the next time you get a reservation! ;)

Great food/​sushi chef, rude hostess.
Came here for lunch on a Friday and since I wasn’t able to make a reservation in advance, made sure to show up as close to the time they opened for lunch as possible.
Restaurant was basically empty when I arrived, but the hostess was still unfriendly and unwelcoming. When I explained I only needed two seats, she asked sternly if bar seating was ok. I said that was fine, but I was already pretty uncomfortable.
In contrast, once I sat down, the sushi chef/​owner greeted me warmly and asked me how I was doing. He was so friendly that I asked him if we had met before, and he laughed and joked that all his customers (whether first-​time or long-​time) are like old friends. The restaurant is clean and everyone in the kitchen seemed genuinely happy to be there, which was nice to see.
My friend and I both ordered the butterfish teishoku. It was a really flavorful, generous portion and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We also ordered salmon and uni nigiri, which really took the experience over the top.
When it came time to pay, my friend and I split the tab down the middle. My card was declined (most likely because of a worn magnetic strip since I called my bank to check afterwards). Instead of handling the situation with compassion or tact, the same hostess was extremely short with me and made subsequent payment uncomfortable. I paid with a different card but left with a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall, the food here is exceptional and fairly-​priced. The owner is talented, invested in his restaurant, and cares about his customers. Go for the butterfish or the nigiri or probably anything on the menu. Make reservations.

After reading so many 5 star reviews & I was super excited to try Sushi Murayama. Reservations are strongly recommended & as others have mentioned, specify a table if you want it, otherwise you’ll be seated at the sushi bar, where you’ll hopefully be seated next to fun, lively people.
My friend made reservations for our group of 3, and when we arrived, there’s no sign except a small label on the glass door that reads Sushi Murayama. We were greeted by the hostesses & seated at the end of the sushi bar, next to some friendly, lively guys & another couple. It’s fun to sit at the sushi bar & talk to the chefs too.
The dinner menu is two pages but has a nice variety of items. Most of the second page (about 75%) is the alcoholic beverage menu.
We had: Onaga with plum salt (Chef’s recommendation), oyster shooters, enoki in butter, salmon nigiri, tamago nigiri, maguro nigiri, hamachi nigiri, uni nigiri, pressed Saba sushi and tempura butterfish. The generous cuts of fish were very fresh & tasty. Uni had a lovely sweet yet delicate briny flavor. Tempura Butterfish served with a dashi dipping sauce, was crispy on the outside and tender & succulent on the inside.
For booze, they have almost a full page of options beer, sake & sochu. They have Asahi beer on tap which my boyfriend enjoyed & we had ume pon, a plum with an orange citrus flavor.
For dessert, we shared the black sesame gelato & yuzu sorbet. Those were the perfect palate cleansing finishes to our meal.
Service is pretty quick & friendly. The sushi chefs checked in to see how we enjoyed the sushi & made recommendations too, which we enjoyed.
Overall 4.5÷5 stars
We used valet parking which is free for the first hour & $ 2 each additional hour. Your car is securely parked garage that can only be accessed by the valet. It’s pretty cool so see your car rotate & come down in the elevator lift.

Cut it out! Just stop it already! Enough rave reviews for Sushi Murayama or I won’t be able to get my chubby tummy into the door (hey — for lack of a reservation and not cuz of my girly girth)!
I finally had a chance to make the migration from Kapahulu to Keeaumoku just to visit Ryuji. I don’t venture in the area very often — too many cars that don’t know where they’re going, people crossing the street with their eyeballs on their mobile devices… you know what I mean!
So we get there, get settled, unwrap the oshibori, I got my first sip of hiyazake and the fire alarm goes off! Yow! Just goes to show this place is hot, hot — ha! Sorry, lame joke. Luckily, there was no *real* fire… at least not yet…
Once the pre-​dinner show was over, the star attractions could be unveiled. We started with soy-​marinated maguro wrapped in a sheet of nori, topped with «tappuri» green onions. Ok. Good way to start!
Then it was super-​big Argentinian shrimp and some kind of mild, juicy whitefish tempura. This was what I call a purist’s kind of tempura — no daikon oroshi in a shoyu kind of sauce. Just a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of flaked salt. I was close to letting out a soft moan… I said close! Not yet!
Then came the sushi with Jeff as our sushi chef. Shimaji = Japanese papio was first. Owner Ryuji is busy managing the flow in the restaurant. Kaori-​san was also quite busy taking care of the customers!
Next Jeff served konbu marinated hirame sushi. It was flavorful and lively without being overwhelming. That was followed by scallop sushi with an unreal ume topping, fresh saba with ginger juice, battera style (vinegared rice), then amaebi sushi with uni and ikura. Soft moan.
Out if the corner of my eye, I spotted Ryuji-​san slicing meat! What?! It was Matsuzaka beef! We needed some of that — lightly seared and served sushi-​style. Decadent. Louder eye-​rolling moan. ‘Nuff of dat!
The last sushi morsel was seared ika sushi which seems simple but I love it again with that squeeze of citrus and a light sprinkle of salt.
I had to have several slices of cold cucumber with chunky hatcho miso to cleanse my palate. A great way to end my sushi course.
But yes, dessert isn’t to be missed so we had the combo of yuzu sorbet, bubu arare and shiso julienne AND black sesame seed gelato. We also had chichi mochi as the finale.
By that time it was close to midnight (nah — only 9:00) but after all that food, I was ready to say goodbye to 2015 and usher in 2016 from the comfort of my bed! Happy New Year!
Needless to say, this place is hot! But don’t tell anyone else for now…

The best meal I’ve ever had in my life. There were complete moments during this meal… it wouldn’t even be right to call it a meal or dinner. It was an experience where we were completely shocked at how good of a tasting we found ourselves to be in. The ingredients, preparation and presentation was a sensational harmonious orchestra.
Our night did not start out on the right foot on this New Year’s Day 2016. We had reservations at 8pm, was told to wait outside but were forgotten. We were the only ones waiting. 20mins later, the hostess apologized and we were bought to our seats at the bar. We’ve all had our share of brain farts and we’re all human but try calming down a hungry wife is never an easy task.
We met Chef Ryuji and he thanked us for waiting. We didn’t know he was the head chef but he calmed the wife down so thank you. We browsed through the menu but Chef Ryuji suggested the omakase which we selected.
What we had was truly amazing. Sorry was taking notes but there was just so much info but here’s a summary; Big eye tuna, Hamachi, Red snapper, Baby hamachi tempura and shrimp tempura, Long needle fish, Big island abalone, Blackthroat seaperch, Skipjack, Giant scallop, King salmon, pressed Mackerel, snow crab soup, uni toro don and sorbet.
Sitting at the bar was great and getting to know Chef Ryuji and his background, family and cracking jokes was another highlight of the night. So many jokes and we’ve learned a great deal about the origins or thought processes behind each dish.
Chef Ryuji has crazy out of this world skills and is clearly on display as you enjoy your dining experience. GO NOW before it will be a two month wait to get a table. This will be our must go-​to restaurant every time we come back from San Francisco. Truly outstanding!

Make way for the new sushi bar in town — Sushi Murayama. This place spiked some high remarks and reviews during the first couple of days it was open, so (duh) I had to try it.
We sat at the sushi bar, which was definitely prime seating. We got to watch the preparation and talk story with the chef. I find the stories about the various dishes, the restaurant startup, and some of the liquor they carry quite interesting and believe it’s part of the whole dining experience. (OMG they have Tantakatan — a Japanese shochu made from perilla leaves AKA shiso leaves.)
OMAKASE
Pretty much the way to go at any sushi bar. Omakase is a great way for the chef to showcase his style and creativity; and it’s also great for the guests to try a nice variety of dishes. And because it was my first dining experience at Sushi Murayama, I felt that Omakase was the only way to go. Every dish was carefully prepared and thoughtful. I felt that they really did a great job of highlighting the natural flavors of the fish as well as thoughtfully accenting with some delightful bursts of flavor.
PARKING
Free valet (+ tip) or try your luck with sparse street parking.
RESERVE SEATS
Make a reservation in advance because they get pretty busy and fill up quickly.
VERDICT
If you’re down for sushi, Sushi Murayama is a must-​try. It definitely stands up nicely to some of the other popular sushi bars in the area. I will be back.

There are many Sushi Bars/​Restaurants in Honolulu to choose from, I’d seen Unilocal pictures from a very new establishment so when we had the chance we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Sushi Murayama is a relatively small sushi bar/​restaurant located on the third floor of the new designed 808 Center on the corner of Rycroft and Sheridan street with free valet parking. The parking itself is very cool as there are car elevators that move your ride up several stories. great use of space and looks like they can fit quite a few cars in the building.
Food: Varied menu items including sushi, sashimi, grilled items, and more. I went with the Omakase (chef’s choice) which starts at $ 75. This being our first visit, I asked our server to alert me when I got close to that $ 75 line. I wasn’t sure if that was going to be 5 sushi or 15 sushi into the serving so figured I’d ask instead of being surprised at the end of the meal. Not a problem, the Sushi Chef there was more than accommodating. Every singe selection in the Omakase was outstanding, but a few really stood out. The Otoro of course was melt in your mouth delicious. The Black Tiger Prawn nigri was so large I thought it was a lobster tail, the meat was so fresh and sweet, it was crazy good. He also prepared a Wagyu Beef nigiri. at first I didn’t know what it was. so tender and flavorful. served slightly warmed I thought it could have been a some sort of fish belly. chef came by to ask how I liked it and surprised me when he said it was Wagyu Beef. Besides the regular beer/​sake/​shochu drink selections,
Murayama also had a nice selections of whiskeys including several from Japan. They had a Japanese whiskey flight but three one ounce servings for $ 100 was a little more than I wanted to spend this evening.
Service: Being a new restaurant, they are probably still working out some of the newness but I thought the service was very good. We weren’t able to score a seat at the sushi bar. so the servers at times had to ask the chef what omakase selection they were serving. Tip. if you plan to order the omakase then try to get a seat at the bar so the chef can explain what he’s serving. Also, make reservations. we saw several parties come in only to be turned away since they didn’t have reservations.
Atmosphere: Trendy, cool, hip, clean, modern. Their tables can accommodate up to 8 people so they tend to use them as communal tables for smaller parties. you can chat with your neighbors and look at what they ordered. I didn’t count but I think the sushi bar can sit around 12 — 15. The sushi chef is very friendly, makes everyone feel at home (some sushi bars are a little intimidating to sit at), and provides recommendations from food to drink.
Value: It’s a trendy sushi bar serving very high quality and unique ingredients so it’s going to be on the pricier side. There are cheaper options on the menu so I can see their menu catering to a wide range of budgets.
Overall: Not easy to find since it’s on the third floor in a new building but it’s worth visiting. The valet parking also removes any parking concerns due to the lack of on street parking in the area. We will most certainly return in the future. gotta try that Natto dessert!

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: Excellent fresh fish and friendly service and ambiance.
We stopped in because of the ratings which are all so true.
This is what we ate:
*Ahi poke with garlic chips
If you like garlic and ahi this is the dish for you. The poke is sprinkled with a generous amount of garlic chips. The ahi is fresh and served with onions and radish sprouts.
*Sashimi combo
Ahi, hamachi, sake and squid
Generous slices of fresh fish served with onion slices and bonito flakes.
*Ootoro nigiri
A generous amount of rich and delicious Ootoro! Decadent and fresh!
*Uni and ikura
Fresh and delicious,
Rice is good quality and the nori is
crisp.
*Beef tongue
Thinly sliced and tasty. A little tough and chewy but good.
*Kuro buta sausage
Delicious and tasty. I wish I had it for breakfast with eggs and rice.
*There is valet parking. Please be patient as the parking attendants are working with limited space and a new conveyor parking!

Standard local-​style sushi/​izakaya joint featuring dishes that highlight well-​balanced Japanese flavors with a contemporary Hawaiian-​style twist.
Ahi Garlic Chip Poke — Sizable portion of simple poke generously sprinkled with garlic chips, nothing too wild or over-​seasoned, but a good starter to enjoy with drinks.
Sashimi and Sushi — Everything we had was fresh! The Hamachi sashimi was great, the uni was sweet and vibrant, and we really enjoyed a delightful white fish (nodoguro?) nigiri special that I would surely order again.
Beef Tongue — I’ve yet to come across beef tongue that I do not enjoy, and this was no exception.
Butterfish Misoyaki — Standard flavor with nice texture.
Black Sesame Gelato — Simple and nice.
Like others have mentioned, the sashimi and sushi portions were on the hefty side so I was full after sharing so few dishes. Overall, nothing was super OMFG awesome, but everything was good; I would recommend this place to friends and I will likely return to try the omakase.
Service is friendly but a little shaky, which is totally understandable because it’s a new restaurant. Not a big deal at all. As for the parking… when my friend inquired with the valet attendant about SUVs, the response was «I think it will fit.» When in doubt, park at Walmart.

It’s like a Tale of Two Cities.
It’s clean and modern, yet unpretentious. Cozy, yet comfortable with nice high ceilings. Chef is Japanese yet speaks English (well, pidgin). Sushi quality is excellent, yet moderately priced and fast.
I’ve bounced around a little bit, but this is likely going to be my celebratory sushi spot. 3^rd floor of 808 Center, hidden away behind tinted windows and no signage (if you get there before dark, it might as well be invisible).
Bae and I got there for a 5:00pm seating (opened a little early because of a 12-​seat party). If you have to go late or early for the bar seating, it’s well worth it.
On to the food: We ordered a few of our favorites and then Chef Ryuji started making suggestions so we converted to an omakase style.
No pressure though and he took the time to explain each dish and how best to enjoy it.
Everything was so good, it was hard to choose, but some of the highlights were:
–Uni negitoro handroll — it was alike an ice cream cone with uni and negitoro to the last bite in a crisp Kyushu nori — borderline gluttonous — WARNING: only for the specialist of occasions.
–Saba (super buttery and without the sometimes overwhelming vinegar preservatives)
–Shrimp tempura — I normally don’t get fried foods at sushi bars, but it was recommended and came out surprisingly sweet and juicy. I would suggest getting at least one fried or grilled item if it’s your first trip.
Most of the sushi is served one piece at a time so that you can try a huge variety. Enjoy.

+Free valet parking
+Nice clean, trendy interior
+Fresh, high quality ingredients
+Attentive and personable chef and owner
+Quick to get sushi & sashimi when sitting at the counter
–Small space (4 tables and a L shaped sushi bar)
–Reservation needs to be really specific… explanation below
–A lot of employees doing??? not quite sure…
–A little a miss with organization… explanation below.
Tip: if making reservations, be specific if you want a table or to sit at the sushi bar in advance.
Looking through Unilocal at the hot and new section I found Sushi Murayama and asked my mom if she had wanted to try it. She had previously found the fondness for the old Odoriko chirashi (sashimi served in a separate box from the hot rice), but now that the new Odori-​Ko doesn’t serve chirashi anymore, thus the quest begins again for a new place my mom likes…
I called the restaurant on a Thursday to make reservations for an early dinner on Saturday. The gal answering the phone did not seem to be able to answer if there were reservations available, so she took down my name and number and called me back later that night. Reservation for 2 people, 5:30 pm (time they first open for dinner) is set for Saturday.
I input the directions to the gps and start to drive over — I pass the new 808 center on Rycroft and then take a left onto Sheridan, kitty-​korner from the walmart lot to the valet for the 808 center. They don’t seem to have any parking stalls — only valet, because its like one of those car elevator parking garages … sort of like what they have in Japan.
I hand over my car keys to the attendant and he directs me to the elevator to go to the 3^rd floor for Sushi Murayama.
It was a few minutes before 5:30pm — we walked around the 3^rd floor looking for the restaurant. Hair salon on one end; Hair salon on the other. A few new businesses under construction still with no signs — we looked more carefully at the doors and the small trio standing outside one door. Found it — the label maker printed sticker indicated that was the place.
The hostess unlocks the restaurant and signals for us to enter — there is less than a half dozen of us and she proceeds to show us to the middle of the sushi counter. We look at the empty table for 2 on the side of the sushi counter and ask nicely if we could sit there instead — as I know my mom doesn’t like to sit at the counter. The hostess asked if we had reserved a table — I said no, I only called for reserving 2 people — I didn’t know I had to reserve a table specifically. She then says no, all the seats in the restaurant are already assigned. My mom and I look at each other… I can tell she is slightly disappointed… She doesn’t like people walking around back and forth behind her…
The hostess compromises and is able to move us down 2 seats on the sushi bar… I guess that’s better than being squeezed between 2 sets of unknowns… at least a little more elbow room.
We take a quick glance at the binder menu. Since my mom already knows what she wants, we just wait for the server to come back. Order some hot tea and our 2 chirashis — one small ($ 25) and one regular ($ 45).
The Sushi chef receives our order and is slightly engaging in conversation with the other chef and the other patrons at the one side of the sushi bar. The other side of the L remains empty. The two tables behind us are also empty. Only one of the 4 tables has patrons sitting at it, yet somehow there seems to be 2 chefs, 2 servers, 2 hostesses, a man wheeling out garbage behind us and another guy at the grill prepping hot foods… so many workers for just us 8 patrons. You would think 1 for 1 service at this point… but alas… we patiently wait for our hot tea and water and gaze again longingly at the empty table as a couple on a date night is seated beside me at the sushi bar and ask also if they can have the empty 2 seated table… I just think in my head… I just asked that too …
The chirashi bowls are quick to arrive from chef Ryuji (I slightly recognized him from Tokkuri-​Tei, when I had gone there last year for an Omakase with friends). Doing a visual comparison of mine to my mom’s, the differences seemed to be a little bit of Uni (from Boston), a little bit of Awabi, and a an extra piece of sashimi. I began to enjoy my sashimi, digging under the pieces of fish to get a compliment of sushi rice from the bottom. Nice thick cuts of fish. Wasabi looks like the fresh grated one and not from the tube kind.
I make it about half way through my chirashi bowl and was asked if I had gotten my miso soup yet. Miso soup? No, I had not — I pause and slow down eating. I’m at my last bite then I finally receive my miso. I eat the nice tofu from it and give up on the hot afterthought…
I order the black sesame gelato ($ 5.50) which is great. From start to finish, dinner was approx. 1hr.
Overall great quality, not an exceptional ‘deal’. Nothing super unique… just a new place.

I loved everything about this place except for the table seating. The restaurant is small so I guess they had to make the most of the seating area. They have about 15 – 20 sushi counter seats on an L shaped counter (Get the counter if you can). The rest of the space consists of 3 large tables that seat about 8 – 10 people. These are communal tables so plan to get cozy and intimate with your tablemates, as the seating is literally shoulder to shoulder. Luckily the seats next to us were empty but the rest of the table was full with two other parties.
The sushi is fresh and he gives humongous cuts, literally 3x the size of a normal nigiri. We literally had to cut the fish in half to get in our mouth without looking like a pig. Otoro, sake, hamachi, uni and shima aji were all excellent. For our hot items, we had the rib eye and miso butter fish. Rib eye was cooked as ordered and tasted good as expected from an izakaya. The misoyaki butter fish was excellent. It was well marinated and tasted phenomenal. This was my personal favorite of the night.
Ryuji has quite a following of loyal customer, so this place is packed. Make reservations for the sushi counter at least couple days before you go. I hope they reconsider re-​doing their table layout, with a few 2 tops, 4 tops and an 8 topper. Your customers will be much more comfortable. I could feel the couple next to us was not comfortable with another party sitting right next to them.
Yes! for another great sushi spot in town.

Sushi Murayama is the long awaited sushi venture by Ryuji Murayama. He’s been serving up fine cuts of fish for the past 20 years and if you like sushi you need to try it here.
Not only will you find everything to be fresh and at the peak of flavor, you will appreciate the artistry he puts into every dish. His new joint promises to be a draw also to the whisky and sake connoisseur crowd with extremely rare bottles from around the world.
To top it off try the off the menu natto ice cream dessert if you are feeling brave… or buzzed.

Soft opening on Black Friday, 11/​27/​2015, sushi affecinados can rejoice that Chef Ryuji Murayama, formerly of Tokkuri-​Tei, has now opened his sushi restaurant in 808 Center. A brand new building located next to Wal-​Mart Keeaumoku. Located on the 3^rd floor with a great view of Friday night fireworks, Sushi Murayama is a beautiful restaurant with lots of great lighting, mango tables, contrasting dark paint, concrete, and wood. Parking is valet only in Honolulu’s first automated parking system (like in Tokyo).
Sushi and fish speak for themselves. Chef Ryuji has great relationships with the top suppliers of fish and shellfish in Hawaii so he gets the best. I am a huge fan of his kanburi (buri season soon!). Will post a more detailed reviewed later.