Sushi Sasabune

Hubby and I went with friends and sat at the bar and had the O malaise. Hands down the best sushi I’ve ever had! The different types of fish literally melted in my mouth. I highly reccommend this restaurant!

Ok almost forgot the review. My husband and I are Nobu junkies for starters. Let’s just say we will not be frequenting at Nobu nearly as much as we have in the past. We would go to nobu for the freshness however the price was costly. Now, we stumbled upon this rare gem. We got three times as much for. Fraction of the price and was so amazing. My favorite is the salmon eggs and they took a different twist on it. It appears the salmon eggs were infused with miso we loved it. My husband did the 11 course American as we went for lunch and the Japanese was only for night time. We made our reservation a week in advance and the wait was so worth it. When you order a la cart you are only able to order 1 order of everything but a minimum of 4 to do the a la cart. This was great cause I was able to try stuff I normally wouldn’t. This was a great concept as now I will continue to order outside the box. I may do the 11 course next time when they say TRUST ME you really must trust them. The prices were reasonable and the food was amazing. I am saddened that I hadn’t found this sooner. I could have gotten more for my money by ditching nobu and making my reservation here.

The best sushi place I’ve had. Omagase id the best. Very fresh and Yummyyyyy. Arigatogosaimas

Five stars all around. Great food and great service. The wife was a bit worried about the use of wasabi but the chef was more than accommodating to her taste buds. Thanks again for a great night!

I stopped by for lunch while taking a short trip to Honolulu. After being seated at the sushi bar, the chef sent over the first two teasers to prepare me for the awesome sushi omakase to come.
The sushi came out 2 pieces at a time, I sampled fish from places around the world, there were some excellent local offerings as well. If you enjoy fresh fish, and sushi. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Kona Awabi– OISHI as usual
Chu Toro & Oh Toro– PERFECT!
Katuo– Outstanding and flavorful!
Salmon & Scallop– I only enjoy Salmon from SASABUNE super yummy. Yuzu Kosho Jelly topping Scallop is a bomb!
Oyster, King clam, and Amaebi– All three sushi is fantastic!
Ikura — Outstanding!
Unagi & Anago — Both are perfectly prepared!
Miso soup– So flavorful! Always good to end with the course!
またまた、大変美味しかったです！
いつも新しい美味しさを探求し続けるSEIJIさんに頭が下がります！
ごちそうさまでした！

Sushi Sasabune may give Jiro a run for his money. This was hands down the best sushi I have ever experienced.
I made reservations a month in advance, and was called a few days before since we had two children dining with us. They informed us that they did not have a children’s menu and that omakase was the only option. No problem here — my two teenagers are more than happy to engulf any and all sushi.
The experience was like none other. Every course of the omakase was perfection. The toro sushi was indescribable. Such flavor and melt-​in-​your mouth texture — umami. The rice was seasoned perfectly with the exact temperature and texture to enhance the fish without taking a bit away from it.
The fish was the freshest that I’ve ever experienced — perfect preparation of each piece — with just the right amount of sauce draped over each one. Timing of each course was spot on — good speed, but not rushed.
This was an unforgettable experience from start to finish.

What can I say that hasn’t been said. This place was amazing. I wish I would have gotten slightly more food with the Omakase but it was absolutely amazing. Trust the Chef! I was in sushi nirvana. It melted in my mouth and worth every penny spent. Will definitely return

This place is our «go to» for the best sushi on the island.
There is usually an option of Western versus Eastern Omakase course. We usually get the Eastern, which has more shellfish, such as Uni which we love!
There are usually 13 – 14 items in the course.
Quality is superb. Service is excellent. The sushi pieces are individually created by the chef and come pre-​seasoned with the perfect amount of wasabi, shiso leaf, etc. which complements the flavor of the fish perfectly. The rice in their sushi is the perfect temperature and texture as well. It is clear that every element of the food here is meticulously prepared.
Even my friends from Japan say it is the best sushi they have ever had.
I highly recommend this restaurant.

First be warned that:
No use of mobile. Which I think is pretty cool since I made for cool conversation with the people around us.
Amazing!
It was like a dream that I wanted to go forever!
We sat at the bar and we were glad we did. The set menu was spectacular from start to finish. The way they described every single dish and the way it melted in your mouth was bliss. I was extremely full, but I had to order seconds of everything due to how much of a fat boy I was that night. I didn’t get the feel of the sushi nazi people mentioned but I didn’t want to change anything since everything tasted amazing.
I would highly recommend coming here and sitting at the bar once. It is a little pricey but worth every penny!

I now consider myself a sushi snob after Sasabune. We sat at the bar for Omakase and it was absolutely life changing. The other reviews talk about having a choice between Eastern and Western but we did not. As soon as our party of 5 were sat the sushi chef started serving us immediately. 13 courses and $ 800 later (I didn’t say it was cheap) we were absolutely stuffed and satisfied. From Toro, Albacore, shrimp, oysters (raw snd baked), salmon, eel and the list goes on. Note: the uni in the picture was not included in the Omakase and we ordered it separately.
It is true however, the sushi chef tells you «how» to eat the sushi. How to pick it up with your chopsticks and how to put it all in your mouth in one bite. I didn’t find it pretentious however. I felt they were genuinely trying to educate us on how to maximize the experience.
If I could afford another visit I would. Until then, I will continue to dream about this evening.

This was the best sushi I’ve ever had (and has pretty good ones before!).
I went at lunch time and got the omakase. Everything I got was really good!
I highly recommend this place. Do call in advance for reservation.

Excellent sushi but I don’t think it’s worth the price. Still prefer Imanas Tei. My brother was visiting from Shanghai and he’s in the seafood business so we wanted to do some «market research «. Hahaha. We sat at the bar and had the omakase. The service was excellent and the sushi chef gave us detailed description of each plate.

I meant what I said in my previous review: IM GAGA OVER THIS PLACE!!!
Service is impeccable. Prompt and courteous wait staff. Very well informed on the dishes that are being served and the origin of each fish or shellfish you are consuming.
Food as always is a knockout. After I had my baby (I was on a seafood ban during pregnancy) one of my first treats to myself was coming to sasabune to enjoy some quality seafood and sushi. It was still so amazing! So much so that I brought my husband there two weeks later lol he also loved it! We had the western omakase, which basically means more fish vs the eastern omakase which has more shellfish. Dishes are so creative and savory. There were a few things that sounded weird (a crab sushi with a masa? Or topping made from crab INNARDS), but once I tried them, they were absolutely mind-​blowing. You really need to «trust them» as their slogan says!
This will be a go to spot when I feel like spending some pretty pennies on even prettier sushi!

I definitely got my sushi fix here. Better to get a reservation, since this place can get filled pretty quickly. My husband and I had the omakase. Let me tell you, I never get the omakase anywhere because I’m so particular about my food. But the sign there wrote «trust me», so I thought I’d give it a shot.
The waiter were attentive. The food were serve quickly. Empty plates were taken away just as fast. There were 14 plates of food. The first two were appetizers (crab stuffed squid and albacore tuna in ponzu sauce). Then came a variety of sushis, all were garnished with something so no need for soy sauce our wasabi :). The last 4 plates were cooked foods (baked lobster, crab hand roll, unagi with tamago, and shrimp miso soup).
This place is a must try when in Honolulu. I would definitely come back the next time I’m in town.

Dinner for 2.
— Ambiance (³⁄₅)
Your cliched sushi bar… not at all what I was expecting.
— Service (⁵⁄₅)
Very fast omakase service– courses came really quickly, and dishes were cleared just as fast.
— Omakase, $ 110pp
— Canada Albacore, Baja Bluefin, Ponzu Sauce (³⁄₅)
Really fresh, melt in your mouth fish but it was drowning in ponzu, and the sauce kind of ruined it for me.
— California Squid Stuffed with Louisiana Blue Crab (³⁄₅)
The squid was really tender and the sesame seeds on the outside gave it some nice flavor, but the blue crab was mush. It would have been a lot better if they had used lump blue crab meat.
— Baja Bluefin Sushi (⁴⁄₅)
To this point, it was the best bite of the meal, but it was curious that Sasabune was already repeating fish selection.
— Mediterranean Sea Bass w/​Sweet Onion, Halibut w/​Plum Sauce (⁵⁄₅)
Inventive pairing and due to the milder flavor of the fish, the combinations worked together well.
— Japan Hamachi, Hawaii Skipjack (⁵⁄₅)
Melt-​in-​mouth delicious, really happy to see some local fish finally.
— Hokkaido Scallop w/​Spicy Jelly, Scotland Salmon w/​Cream Cheese & Smoked Roe (¹⁄₅)
What a fail. The spicy jelly just… didn’t work. The goopy texture really interfered with the scallop. And, salmon with cream cheese? Really? It tasted like a bagel with smoked salmon. No bueno.
— Goose Pt. Oyster w/​Oyster Sorbet & Horseradish, Baked Oyster/​Clam/​Octopus Medley (⁴⁄₅)
I give this course a high score, based solely on a really cool interpretation of a raw oyster. The «sorbet» made the oyster ice cold and really enhanced the flavors. The baked oyster/​clam/​octopus medley was a confusing mess. Let’s not talk about it.
— Norwegian Mackerel, Argentina Shrimp (²⁄₅)
The mackerel was forgettable, and the shrimp, while tender and delicious, had a really strange sweet sauce slathered on it, which made the shrimp a bit unbearable.
— Baked Jamaican Spiny Lobster Tail (⁵⁄₅)
Cooked perfectly, still slightly rare in the center.
— Hawaii Opah, Alaska Snow Crab (³⁄₅)
Cool to have opah, but frankly both were forgettable.
— Negi Toro (³⁄₅)
Good flavor, but seriously… stop trying so hard. Why would you chop up toro? Made me sad.
— Japanese Sea Eel with Tamago (⁴⁄₅)
Really delicate tamago!
— Canada Albacore w/​Sweet Onion Handroll (¹⁄₅)
A puzzling end to the meal. First, the albacore was a repeat, so was the sweet onion. And together, it kind of just tasted like… tuna salad. What a dud.
— Value (⁴⁄₅)
13 courses for $ 110 is good value on its face.
— Final Word
A bit upsetting to pay $ 110pp for fusion-​esque sushi that delivered strange flavors.

With bomb sushi and attentive service, I am definitely a Sasabune fan!
For one of my last meals in Hawaii, I wanted to make sure I went somewhere nice and special. I searched and settled on Sasabune because of the rave reviews and I’m glad I went. The restaurant is not in a particularly fancy area, but once you step inside the automatic door, the décor transports you to a fancy Japanese sushi bar.
I had settled on ordering the omakase since even the sign stated the special of the day was the «trust me.» It is essentially a 12 course meal of what the sushi chef believes to be the best sushi of the day. The waiter explains there is an option to keep going beyond the omakase or order a la carte, but honestly, by the end of the 12 plates, I was pretty stuffed.
Even if you do not do omakase like I did, you are able to order the following dishes a la carte. If you follow the picture I have posted, you can see what each looks like. Here are the options that came out with the omakase when I went:
Albacore sushi with ponzu — drenched in a ponzu sauce, the thin slices of albacore are well paired. However, the sauce was a little too much and felt like it detracted from the albacore. From other reviews, this appears to consistently be the first dish for all omakase orders.
Blue crab inside baby calamari– roasted sesame seeds paired with the slightly toasted flavor from the blue crab all wrapped in a tender piece of calamari made for a surprisingly great combination.
Toro with wasabi — fatty tuna that’s melt-​in-​your-​mouth-​good! the tuna was slightly seasoned with soy sauce with some light heat from wasabi
Halibut (Left) — a sweet sauce on top to balance the heat of the wasabi combined with a soft piece of halibut; Snapper (Right) — citrus flavor with mild heat paired with the chewy piece of snapper
Skipjack tuna (Left) — overwhelming smoky flavor from the tuna with a tinge of bitterness; Yellowtail (Right) — melt in your mouth goodness
Scallop (Left) — nice big piece of scallop with jalapeño to add flavor; salmon with yogurt and roe ® — smokiness of the salmon and saltiness of the roe cut by the yogurt made for a delightful bite!
Trio of oysters — Raw with roe (Upper left) — roe infused with soy sauce that made for a simple counterbalance to the oysters; Raw with wasabi hot sauce (Lower left) — despite the description, there was not too much heat and was my least favorite; Cooked with ponzu sauce (Right) — standard cooked oyster with a slightly sweet sauce and scallions for some contrast
Spanish mackerel with ponzu (Right) — saltiness from mackerel was paired nicely with the sweet ponzu sauce; Shrimp with fermented shrimp on top (Left) — shrimp slimy against the chewy fermented shrimp was interesting and not sure if I actually liked
Snow crab (Right) — rich crab slice with a tartar like sauce; cucumber with roasted taste; octopus with soy and sesame (Left) — tenderized well; sesame seeds
Baked lobster– the lobster itself had a nice baseline butteriness to it with a nice sear and cooked with a sauce
Negi toro– one of their most well known dishes and it was one of my favorites! when it comes out you can see the marbling and as you bite into it you can taste the richness of the tuna
Unagi on Japanese omelet– the omelet comes out piping hot with a good piece of sweet nice unagi that together melts in your mouth
Minced hamachi hand roll– warm rice contrasted against layers of hamachi and green onion was a simple well done dish, but felt like a little bit of a let down considering some of the more interesting flavor profiles that came out in the other dishes.
There is parking in a nearby lot that you have to pay for or street parking (if you are lucky). The service was very attentive and great at explaining all the dishes as they slowly came out.
Overall, I would highly recommend Sushi Sasabune for the omakase or even a la carte for their great sushi!

Wow this place was great!
We landed, and were craving sushi. We got exceptional sushi, great service, and a nice touch down in Oahu!

Sushi Sasabune was an awesome way to end our gastronomic adventures in Oahu!
We received a call to confirm our reservation the morning of our meal. Since Sushi Sasabune doesn’t serve tempura, teriyaki, or California Rolls, the restaurant staff wanted to be sure that we knew what we were getting ourselves into: authentic Japanese deliciousness.
We ordered the omakasae or «trust me» and were pleased with the array of dishes. After 13 plates, you have the option to continue with the chef’s choice, order any other items (repeats or something new), and/​or order desert. We opted to get the check since we were already full /​satisfied with what was served. Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy all of the dishes, I could appreciate the labor and artistry involved in preparing each item. I was, however, pleased that the wait staff checked to see whether any members of our party had allergies. Here’s the breakdown of what received:
Canadian Albacore in Ponzu Sauce — This wasn’t a very spectacular opening dish given that the albacore was swimming in ponzu sauce. I thought that the dish would have been better with less sauce, but the sauce did disguise the slightly fishy taste of the albacore.
Baby Squid Stuffed with Blue Crab — This was one of the more interesting dishes we received. I would say that this dish is more about texture than taste, even though the squid was brushed with sesame seeds and a sweet soy-​based sauce. I liked the idea of using the squid as as a substitute for nori, but would have preferred the dish to be warm rather than cold.
Toro — I don’t think it’s possible to screw up toro, and this was no exception to that rule. The pre seasoned toro was served over hot rice and melted in our mouths. There was a hint of wasabi to give it a kick. This was one of my favorites.
Halibut /​Red Snapper — The halibut was syrupy sweet and slightly spicy while the red snapper was soft and tender with a slight hint of citrus. Both were good.
Skipjack Tuna /​Yellowtail — The skipjack tuna had a smoky flavor with a hint of citrus. It was almost as though the fish had a bbq sauce, but that was probably due to the presence of liquid smoke. I found the yellowtail light and refreshing after the smoky flavor of the skipjack tuna. The two paired together nicely.
Scallop /​Scottish Salmon with Soymilk Cream Cheese Roe — The scallop was meaty and tender and topped with jalapeño pieces. The salmon tasted like a mixture of the sea and smoke — like grilled salmon but not. The roe wasn’t overly salty. This wasn’t my favorite preparation of salmon, but it was interesting nonetheless.
Three Oysters (raw with roe, raw with chili, cooked with ponzu) — Having never had oysters, I would have to say that the flavor of the raw oyster with chili kind reminded me of cucumbers. This one was a bit chewy. The raw oyster with roe was salty but tender. I preferred the cooked oyster, but the people with whom I dined preferred the raw ones.
Red Shrimp with Red Shrimp Paste and Goat Milk /​Spanish Mackerel — The red shrimp had a unique texture, though I didn’t particularly enjoy it. There was a bit of wasabi that enhanced the flavor, but otherwise, it was mostly chewy and slimy (thanks to the paste). The spanish mackerel had almost too much wasabi but was very soft.
Octopus with Sweet Vinegar Sauce /​Snow Crab — Normally I find octopus chewy and tough, but this preparation super tender. The cucumbers that accompanied the snow crab had a smoky flavor.
Baked Lobster Tail — I’ve never had lobster, but I would describe this dish as having the chewiness of squid but the taste of shrimp. It was definitely a good introduction to lobster!
Negitoro (signature dish) — This was the restaurant’s signature dish, but it wasn’t my favorite, as I’m not a fan of sushi with ground, minced, or mashed fish. I would describe this dish as having a taste like raw meat almost like beef tartare.
Sea Eel with Egg — The egg had the perfect amount of sweetness and was very warm (freshly cooked). The eel was tender, but I thought it was hard to enjoy the taste with so much egg. Nevertheless, this was a solid dish.
Mixed Hamachi Hand Roll — I enjoyed the crunchiness of the nori, but thought that it could have been a little more crisp. The crunchiness of the nori complemented the warm rice and the hamachi. This had light flavors and wasn’t too spicy.
Our dinner lasted over an hour, which was surprising given several reviews where people mention feeling rushed. I would recommend making reservations for dinner, as most tables had reserved signs when we arrived. You can order the omakase at either the table or the bar. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant, but there is also parking on nearby streets that become free at either 6 or 6:30PM. And, please be aware that you aren’t allowed to make phone calls in the restaurant, but can take photos and text.

I came here for my birthday a couple of nights ago and what an experience! Right when I walked in the host was very good. He was almost a mind reader. I told the name the reservation was under and then attempted to ask where the restroom was. He instantly left his podium and directed me before I finished my sentence! When I came back, I attempted to tell him that my sister was and her fiancé has almost arrived but he beat me to the punch again and told me that he knew.
If you have a party of four or more people, you can only order the Omakase. Omakase is where you leave your order in the chef’s hands. He makes wonderful dishes for you to try. I personally love Omakase because I like to be surprised with food and there are not many foods that I am not willing to try. One thing to keep in mind is that they will continue to bring food to your table until you tell them to stop. You are charged accordingly.
The first dish was Canadian Albacore Tuna. This featured several pieces of thinly sliced sashimi style fish. I really liked this because the fish melted in my mouth.
Next we were presented with blue crab stuffed calamari with eel sauce. This was surprisingly soft as well. I was afraid that it would be rubbery or chewy, but this was not the case. It was a delicious dish.
After that we got a variety of nigiri. I don’t remember exactly what order everything came. We ordered $ 100 Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose champagne and I got a little inebriated.
I did take notes and pictures and the next dishes included Sushi Sasabune’s signature dish of negitoro. Negitoro was heaven in mouth! I don’t usually like negitoro after having it at lesser restaurants, but the negitoro here is amazing! It simply melted away when I put it into my mouth!
More dishes included katsuo with ginger, yellowtail with dashi, halibut with ume, red snapper with dashi, toro, aji, shrimp, scallop, Scotland salmon with rainbow trout caviar, Seattle oysters three ways, Hawaiian octopus, snow crab, and finally for dessert, green tea ice cream. Everything was delicious and I loved everything. I was fascinated at the sourcing of their fresh food with food coming from Canada, Japan, Seattle, California, Scotland, and Hawaii. I was also impressed with how the raw items were served cold as they should be, but over warm sushi rice. Other places that I have been to usually serve everything cold.
I was so full at the end because my mom is less adventurous than me and kept passing all the things she did not like to me. I was almost eating two dinners! My sister is also less adventurous and my nephew does not like a lot of foods so they were able to order à la carte after some persistence with the wait staff. If the wait staff does allow you to order à la carte, be prepared for limited selections because they have to conserve things for their Omakase. You can only order a few of each item.
The wait staff was very polite and knowledgeable. The restrooms were really clean and I was surprised to find cloth towels to wipe my hands on rather than paper. Parking is located in the paid lot in the back, or is free on the street after 6 pm.
The grand total for four adults and one child came out to a little over $ 500 before tip. It was pricey but so good!