Urawa Japanese Fusion

Urawa makes the best poke in all of Oahu!!! I can only say this because my wife and I have tried a lot of poke!
They’re located in Moanalua, which looks like a converted warehouse. If you go in the main entrance, they’re located around on the right side. They lady behind the counter was very nice. Definitely a must-​try place if you’re in the area, and they’re located very close to the airport!

The best of all Japanese restaurants!!! What more can I say. Everything is authentic country style Japanese. Thank you to the owner and top chef of this great restaurant. famous miso butter fish and wafu steak. Plus all my favorites.

We used to live in the area but now we don’t. You can taste the quality of the ingredients. It does take longer than you would expect but quality takes time! Their tempura is so light and tasty. Authentic Japanese food. The lady at the counter is very friendly. Can’t wait till the next time.

My first time here in a year… usually because I don’t have the time to wait. This is definitely not fast food — unless you get something in the pre-​packaged section.
Tonight, I looked over the refrigerated case and the soba salad looked great. In a red bento box, one side had a good portion of cold soba with a container of shoyu-​based sauce and the other portion had a green salad with a container of miso dressing. It also came with green onions and a little packet of wasabi for your liking.
My family could eat soba for three meals a day. The only problem is: I wanted three soba salads and there was only one. I asked the nice ladies behind the counter if there were anymore… they told me that they could make it for me, but it would take 7 – 10 minutes… that was fine. Let me go and drop off my kids at gymnastics and I’ll be right back.
I also ordered salmon musubis and konbu musubi (all $ 1.75 each and healthier than spam) — again made-​to-​order — so the musubis were warm and yummy! And… I really wanted a side of protein for the soba salads… but they didn’t have any on display.
I asked the lady if they offered «side order» of tofu — and she said… «hmmm, let me check…» not a second later, she brought out a good-​size portion of cold tofu (with a shoyu-​based dipping sauce — which tasted like somen sauce) — $ 2.99 *what a deal — except I’ll have my cold tofu with shoyu, thank you.
The ladies were so kind — they ended up making me three fresh soba salads (not giving me the pre-​made one that was in the case).
Overall, healthy, made-​to-​order food and excellent customer service. There’s nothing more I could ask for… and I will definitely return when I have the time to spare!

I asked for spicy salmon with brown rice. After 20 mins of waiting (and they weren’t busy at all), I got two pieces of breaded fish. Maybe my understanding of spicy salmon was different, but I wish I knew theirs was breaded. Where is my brown rice? It was my first time here, I probably should have gone with their specialty butterfish or spicy ahi don instead. Oh well.

Urawa is located on the right hand side when you walk in to 99 ranch. My favorite thing to order is their miso butterfish. It’s made to order so you have to wait 10 – 15 minutes for them to cook it. I always get the bento which comes with rice and small sides as well.
It’s better to go there for lunch thought since they are closed for dinner sometimes. The lady who works there said sometimes they have to close for dinner when they have to cater at other places. The prices are reasonable and the service is good which is what keeps me coming back.

Urawa is located on the same side as the little produce market and Mary’s Mediterranean kitchen in the 99 ranch food court, opposite of most of the other food establishments. It offers prepared bentos and okazuya style side dishes that you can choose from to make your own bento.
I had the somen salad. It had a great salad dressing and even though it was in a prepackaged bento container, it tasted freshly made. I will definitely be back to try some of the okazuya offerings.
I like that this place has opened up in the old 99 ranch because I was getting a little tired of getting chinese or vietnamese food. And even though I love Mary’s Mediterranean Kitchen because it adds some variety too, I like that there is a japanese style deli open relatively late and I can get my Japanese fix at 99 ranch.

«Do you feel like you’re cheating? Cause I feel like I’m cheating.»
We go to Moanalua 99 for the variety. However, we always end up at the same place (I love you, sweet sweet ladies at the Korean Bar-​b-​que 99 with your fish/​crack jun and refillable fountain drinks!!). Which is counterproductive, if you’re going to the food mall cause there’s choices. Yeah, we know. Lately, it’s been over to Urawa’s pretty frequently.
PROs:
+WHO is the chef?: The teri chicken has a great char to it. The fried veg tempura is GINORMUS, and if you get there early, it is all kinds of crunchy and lovely (but if you’re late or hitting the middle of the lunch rush, it can kinda get a little greasy). The namasu remains on our top hit list. Nishime is old okazuya style, and although you don’t get a lot, the veg are very well cooked and seasoned. Mochiko chicken is not overly breaded, and doesn’t even look like most mochiko chicken you see around; mochiko is very light and airy. The butterfish is STUPID good. Yes, really.
+Sumo portions!: They’re still handing out pretty big portions of most stuff, although the fish was smaller portions than the last time we went. But the plates are definitely enough for two to share, I think, unless you’re hostage hungry. Went with just the ONE choice entrée this time, and was thankful that I did. Still felt stuffed, though, and I was sharing with the little one.
+Value: Picked up couple of styrofoam mini musubi combos from the discount warmer case for about $ 3, cause we thought the kids in the group would dig it. Came with about a cup of chicken, takuwan, and a huge musubi – deceptively a lot of food for the size. It was like the Tardis – you thought it was one size till you opened it up and then, BAM! Food everywhere. Nobody finished theirs.
+VISA/​MC/​YES YES YES: They accept credit cards still, and from what I could see, no minimum purchase required.
+CATERING: Yep, they do, and they have a catering menu too at the front counter. Sweet!
+Fresh fruit, anyone?: They have a bunch of fresh fruit bowls in the cold case on the far left. Pretty reasonable prices for what they look like. I haven’t tried them yet, because I’m stuffed full of fish and chicken, but they look good and it’s nice to know they’re there.
CONs:
–Can? WHY?: Still no fountain drink. Cans only, but they do have juice if you have kids.
BOTTOM LINE: If each visit is like this, we’ll probably keep going back. Only 4 stars cause we really want that fountain drink, ya know? Ultimately, yeah, we be grinding here. But I still feel like I’m cheating when I don’t go to Bar-​b-​que 99 when we’re here. Sigh. Torn between twoooooooo lovers, feelin’ like a foooo-​ooool…

THE BEST miso butterfish in the island… melts in your mouth. This chef used to be the chef at the Kacho Restaurant in the Waikiki Parc (sister hotel of Halekulani). The fried tofu, calamari, nishime are also winners. He used to serve his bento’s and stuff in Don Quijote’s. Very extensive menu. Portion size to price is excellent. You all must give it a try and write a review.

Believe it or not! A new restaurant named «Urawa» opened in Moanalua 99 about a month ago.
Most of you that frequent Moanalua 99 are in shock. You never heard of Urawa… right? That’s because man is a creature of habit and very few people go to the right or back section of Moanalua 99.
Let me explain.
If you enter through the main Moanalua 99 entrance that faces makai, there are the left section and the right section of Moanalua 99. Watanabe Bakery, Mary’s Mediterranean Kitchen and Take’s are located in the right section.
If you enter through the ewa entrance, there are the front section (aka the left section) and the back section. If you enter through the ewa side you are probably headed for Mini Garden Express, Bee’s Dessert House, Diem 99 Café, BBQ 99 or Sumo Ramen & Curry.
Chances are, you won’t be heading to the back (aka right) section because it is a long walk to the back from the ewa entrance.
Last December, I met one friend in the right section of Moanalua 99. There are a lot of empty tables in the right section and it is the perfect place to meet for quiet conversation with a friend. As we talked, I noticed that a new restaurant was under construction in the space next to Watanabe Bakery.
In January, I went to Mary’s for lunch in the back section. I like Mary’s because they have a lunch special that includes a drink. While I was eating I saw that a new restaurant called «Urawa» Japanese Fusion was open. I thought to myself, for a restaurant that just opened, nobody was standing in line. Now that’s the problem with the right or back section. Very few people venture to the right or back section. It’s the left or front section that attracts 75% of the crowd at Moanalua 99.
A few weeks later I passed by Urawa after buying a box of donuts from Watanabe Bakery. What I noticed was that Urawa served ready to eat, cafeteria style food. I wondered why nobody was standing in line, so I just passed by.
This past Saturday I just had this insatiable urge to use the bathroom while driving on the freeway. So I headed for my favorite place to pee, Moanalua 99. I prefer the restrooms in the right section, when I really need to pee.
As I walked towards the exit, the Urawa sign caught my eye. I decided to take a more serious look at their food.
This is what caught my eyes:
Mix Plate
Choice of two entrys
Meat or Fish
Comes with rice, vegetables and salad — $ 8.95
So I decided to try their mixed plate.
The two entrée’s I picked were beef cutlet and corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.
I chose brown rice and decide to try their potato salad because I love a good potato salad. The plate also included nishime.
What caught me by surprise was that my selections were piled into an extra large, 10″ X 9−½″ X 3−½″ foam container. It wasn’t the typical 9″ X 7″ or 8″ X 8″ container that a typical lunch plate is served in. For quantity, this place rocks. $ 8.95 is a bargain for this mix plate.
From the standpoint of taste the beef cutlet was OK; I mean the taste was there but the meat was not cut thick.
The corned beef and cabbage, potato salad and nishime were very good. You can’t go wrong getting these.
I think if you live or work in the Moanalua, Salt Lake, airport, Fort Shafter and lower Kalihi area or if you are a big tita, sumo wrestler, heavy equipment operator or a cop over 50; you should head to the back (aka right) section of Moanalua 99. Bypass Mini Garden Express, Bee’s Dessert House, Diem 99 Café, BBQ 99 or Sumo Ramen & Curry: The mix plate at Urawa is a must try.
Oh and if you are on the freeway and really need to pee, head on over to Moanalua 99… and don’t forget to order a mixed plate at Urawa, on your way out.