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Asahi Grill
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
515 Ward AveHonolulu, HI 96814
Neighborhood: Kaka'ako
(808) 593-2800
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
124 reviews for Asahi Grill
Review Highlights
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"Hands down still the best place for oxtail soup." In 57 reviews -
"...and the signature Kapiolani Coffee Shop Oxtail Soup." In 17 reviews -
"what: a local spot with local style food." In 3 reviews
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124 reviews in English
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Review from Sharon H.
4/9/2012
After an early morning walk around Magic Island, my friend and I decided to chance the parking at Asahi Grill and grab a fast breakfast. Fortune smiled, and we scored two stalls right in front of the entrance doors.
Seating was quick and before my tired body hit the chair, I knew I was going to order (a small) Kim Chee fried rice with one scrambled egg. My health-conscious friend chose ham and eggs with brown rice, and a coffee. When the friendly waitress politely asked me, "Is that all?" I felt compelled to order hash browns.
Our orders came quickly and there it was in front of me .... a saimin bowl-sized mound of Kim Chee fried rice covered with a pancake-shaped egg. Bliss. Just the right combination of rice and egg in every mouthful, yum, and just enough "kick" so you could taste the delicious flavors. I didn't want to share, but grudgingly thought I should give at least one tablespoon to my healthy friend.
The hash brown came a few seconds later, a deep fried square that was more grease and crunch than potato-ey-goodness. In all fairness, when I brought it back to the counter they kindly apologized and replaced it with another one which, sadly, was equally greasy. Sorry, but McDonald's does it better! Save yourself for the Kim Chee fried rice or a steaming bowl of saimin, the aroma which we could almost taste since the table next to us was having saimin for breakfast.
I will be back ... again and again and again! -
Review from Krysti G.
Honolulu, HI
3/11/2012
I went here to try the oxtail soup. The parking is small and they share parking with a business next door so there was work vans taking a few of the stalls.
We were greeted and seated pretty quick, the waitress got our menus and took our orders she was nice but seemed rushed. I guess it was because we went during lunch and there was only 2 waitresses running around.
We ordered the hamburger steak plate(see photo) which came with 2 huge hamburgers with gravy and onions, 1 scoop of macaroni salad and 2 scoops of rice. The hamburger was homemade not that flat pressed burgers you get out of a box and it was delicious.
We also ordered the famous oxtail soup, that came with a mound of rice and ginger sauce. Its nice and steaming hot, the broth is very tasty lots of flavor and the meat is so soft, the ginger goes so well with the soup and of course the rice all put together on that soup spoon they give you and you just eat it,,,so yummy!
Its delicious home style cooked food, its comforting flavors will fill you up. I like this place and I will definitely stop by again. -
Review from Nat N.
Good sized portions, comforting food, decently priced.
We ordered the chicken katsu, garlic chicken, and teri chicken sandwich. All were delicious and worth ordering again. The chicken katsu was pretty standard - nothing out of this world but not soggy either. The garlic chicken was crispy and pleasing to our tummies.
The teri chicken sandwich with fries is a good choice for those with a "lighter" appetite.
Tip: if you go when there is a big event at the Blaisdell, go early because everyone has the same idea as you! -
Review from Clifton C.
Honolulu, HI
5/12/2012
I love my Japanese breakfast and since the closing of Victoria Inn have been looking for one as good as theirs. Decided to try Asahi Grill on 5/11/12. Parking lot is small and had to circle the block at 7:30am before a stall was available. Ordered their Japanese Teisoku breakfast with mahimahi and a scrambled egg. Egg was scrambled well. Miso soup was tasty but no tofu in it, only a few strands of somen noodles. It came with a toss salad which was fresh with a nice cucumber and tomato slice on top. Mahi was on the salty side and came with tarter sauce. White or brown rice and tsukemono also included. All in all, enjoyed it! Oh, coffee was weak and they serve coffee mate creamer! Not too crazy about that!
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Review from Lowyn Y.
Honolulu, HI
5/20/2012
I came on yelp for this first time just to write how god awful this place is. I'm sitting here now waiting for my check, and can't imagine why I'd pay what I just did for my experience here. The atmosphere: crap. The service: absolute crap. The food: unbelievably crappy. A McDonald's is even better than this dump. The place is a pigsty, the wait staff are all idiots who couldn't get one thing right (including water service, which says upon request, but was served anyway as we were seated). She then brings all our food at different times, and makes me reach into her arms to grab my own dish because her hands were full carrying another table's order. The food was no better- no words can describe how awful the butterfish was. I don't know how they manage to have two locations.
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Review from Daniel L.
Honolulu, HI
5/20/2012
THIS IS THE BEST FOOD EVER! Service is really helpful and the oxtail is as ORIGINAL the best! :) I recommend eating here for graduations or just anyday dining!
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Review from Gary Y.
Honolulu, HI
5/11/2012
My wife and I went here for lunch. She is a vegetarian so it is often a challenge to find a restaurant that has food that she can eat. She ordered the chicken stir fry without the chicken and enjoyed it. The salad that came with her mea was "sad" because it was only iceburg lettace.
I ate the loco mocco which is usually good. The patty and gravy is good. This time the bottom of the patty was black. The cook must have put it on the grill and forgot about it.
After the food was brought, we had no one check on us to make sure everything was alright. No one filled the glasses with water.
I am still looking for someplace with a great loco mocco. -
Review from Jasmine N.
Honolulu, HI
2/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
You want protein with that? No thanks.
After already eating breakfast I decided to just get the oxtail broth. It came out piping hot and thank goodness because I found a flying bug swimming in my soup. It was still good after overlooking the extra broth.
My sampling of the loco moco and that was yummy too.
The parking lot was tiny and we took the last stall.
All in all it was an a-ok experience.Listed in: Nom Nom
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Review from Kelly H.
I pass this place all the time when I go to ward yet I just decided to try this place today. It is definitely one of those places you never think will be really good (or it looks meh from the outside) but the food we ordered won us over. My sister and I split the loco moco and the opakapaka both of which were "ono"!
I used to die for the loco moco at Rainbows but now that I've tried the loco moco at Asahi Grill, I my loyalty to Rainbows has faded. I'm super picky with my loco mocos because the meat has to be SUPER EFFING TENDER and the dish not too salty. Everything about this loco moco was on point. TD!!!
The Opakapaka was not too salty and not too fishy, it was really good.
My sister's friend ordered the Ox Tail soup (as did the rest of the people in the restaurant, haha) and he really enjoyed his soup. He said he has had Ox Tail Soup at other restaurants and this soup was pretty good haha.
Tip: parking is hard to come by because the lot is super baby. Try looking for street parking on ward or park in the sports authority lot (shhhh... secrets) and walk over. =)Listed in: FOOD I CRAVE from HI, MiXeD plaTE
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Review from Keola m.
Updated - 1/15/2012 10 Check-ins Here
If you are indecisive about where to eat, like I am all the time. Let it be known that Asahi Grill ALWAYS delivers. Quick service and great food.
Ordered Chopped Steak, brown rice and mac salad.
Also ordered a teri steak deluxe sandwich. YUM!
The service is alway quick and I have never been disappointed with the food.
parking may be a challange but, if its the weekend I sometimes park at the bank next door. (shhh) I dont know if thats legal.
btw, There is also an Asahi Grill on Keeaumoku. Between Sorabol and Yogurstory.Listed in: Favorite Places for Hamburger…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2010
Great food. Simple but great taste.
Hamburger Steak with grilled sweet onions and buttery brown… Read more »
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Review from Joe W.
Honolulu, HI
4/18/2012
Only for their so called "Famous Oxtail Soup". I compare all oxtail soup out there to my grandma's oxtail she used to make for us. She put so much time cleaning the oxtail of it's extra layer of fat and boil them long enough so the meat used to fall off the bone on request. The cartilage from the joints were soft enough to eat...NOT in this case for Asahi Grill. First thing I noticed was the portion i got for the price. i got 5 half pieces, so that's 2.5 pieces, plus it was coated with about a 1/4 inch of fat. Soup is why they got the 3 stars. I ended up getting 2 orders just to satisfy my hunger. cost me over $30. For the best oxtail soup, I suggest Pho Bistro 2 on Fern street. It comes Okinawan style when you order from the menu, but i like my oxtail in their Pho Soup. I order mines "oxtail Pho" thx for reading and enjoy
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Review from Lynnell A.
Honolulu, HI
2/27/2012
This review is for the Asahi Grill on Keeaumoku.
So we all know about their oxtail soup ... The broth is amazing the meat is tender & not too fatty ... Yaddah yaddah yaddah ...
One day at work I thought about how much I wanted ramen and shrimp tempura for lunch. But I also had a hankering for oxtail soup. I figure, no worries, I'll just do my famous "just-blurt-out-your-order-without-thinking" moves.
I idly perused the menu and to my delight, I see they have oxtail ramen! It's made from the broth of their famous oxtail soup and a couple of pieces of oxtail. I happily ordered the oxtail ramen and the shrimp tempura "pupu plate"
When my food arrived, I was in ramen nirvana! The ramen came piping hot, the noodles were perfectly done and the oxtail broth and oxtail just made it even better! The shrimp tempura came with three large shrimp tempura (maybe they used prawns?) & various vegetable tempura. They were crispy and not greasy.
Needless to say I had a very very big and pricey lunch. Totally worth it though. I satisfied my ramen, tempura and oxtail soup craving in one fell swoop. The added bonus? Work was more tolerable. Cuz u know what they say ... a happy tummy makes a happy worker. :-D -
Review from Jensen S.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Always wanted to try this places after passing it like 100 times going to Ward.
Just like Kapiolani Coffee Shop in Aiea, which was in Kam Bowl before.
I always get the Fried Rice w/ 2 eggs scrambled. Taste just like Kapiolani Coffee Shop. No complaints. Never tried the Oxtail Soup here but it supposed to be the best. I'm not a fan, I just stick to my Fried Rice. -
Review from Dustin E.
Kapolei, HI
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oxtail saimin. Came here twice this week. This place is not bad as the other reviewers say it is. I enjoyed the flavor.
Parking is tight, but okay.
The menu is simple, but I am happy with the flavor and the prompt service.
Yelp 365 Challenge: 97/365Listed in: Yelp 365 Challenge
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Review from Lisa T.
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
All the times I've visited Hawaii and I never even heard about this place. Holy crap - this place has awesome oxtail soup. Def order the large...don't even think going smaller. It's flavorful and the meat just is so tender and delicious. I love the grated ginger.
Also, tried the spicy ahi poke don (rice bowl with ahi poke and some other stuff). Super delicious too.
What a gem of a place. The servers were friendly. The ambiance is quite "diner" feeling.
I'm definitely making Asahi a regular place to go when I visit!!! -
Review from Melissa C.
Honolulu, HI
4/2/2012
I like Asahi Grill beacuse it is wonderfully located down the street from where I live. Good for breakfast, especially the fried rice. You can always count on the food to be pretty decent. I also like their homemade hamburger..it comes with lettuce, tomato and onion. Cheese if you want.. French fries comes with the plate as well. The servers are ok....not too bad. Parking does suck if they are busy, but its easy to find other spots to park on the side streets around the restaurant.
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Review from Joe W.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I usually come here for lunch and get the oxtail soup, but I tried breakfast here for the first time recently and was immediately hooked to the lap chong fried rice!
The lap chong fried rice is a hefty serving of rice with sweet chinese sausage mixed in. For ~$7, the heaping pile of rice is topped with two eggs (optional) made to order. This meal is great on any day of the week, but it was especially satisfying for me after a long night of..."socializing."
Parking is pretty limited and the parking lot leaves something to be desired, with its giant pot holes and uneven ramps. Despite the small parking lot, I've never had trouble finding parking. Contrary to the exterior, the restaurant interior is kept clean and service is pretty quick and attentive. No complaints here!
Definitely one of my favorite places for good local Japanese and Chinese food! -
Review from Tina H.
12/2/2011
Here was the plan last night:
- Buy a six pack of Hite beer
- Walk six pack of Hite beer over to Ah-Lang Restaurant
- Take a bottle and bring it to the infamous Angry Korean Lady
- Woo her with alcohol and my enchanting charm
- Eat Korean food for the rest of my life
Thing is, this plan needs AKL to be there for it to work. We got to her place and it was completely closed. Devastated, we began to search for a restaurant that would accept our money, our beer, and our quasi-homosexual love spells.
Enter Asahi Grill.
Asahi Grill was like a beacon of light when we started down the dark road. By the time we got to the door and received a "yes" when my friend asked if it was BYOB, it was a glorious supernova of dine-in food.
This place won't win any awards for interior decorating and I'm skeptical about the cleanliness of the tables. The food, however, held its own! We ordered the lup cheong fried rice with over easy egg, a bowl of ramen, and the butterfish. If I were to have these dishes again, I would be satisfied. My butterfish was delicate and buttery. For $15, you get it with soup, rice, salad, tofu, tsukemono, and a mac salad. My friend's ramen had a nice spicy kick to it and the fried rice carried its weight in good flavors. Service was polite, but nothing remarkable. I was just happy they let us in with our beer.
I'd give this place 3 1/2 stars. If your heart's been broken by a certain angry Korean foodie crush, then taking a quick stroll over to Asahi Grill might save your night. The simple, local dishes will keep you satisfied and it's a better back up then Jack-in-the-Box at the corner. -
Review from Robert R.
Honolulu, HI
10/11/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This place features a ton of local favorites, and some of the worst service that I've ever experienced.
The parking lot is tiny, and we had to go around looking for street parking.
I came with a group of 6 and we were promptly seated and our drink orders were taken. It took some time for them to return to take our food orders. I chose the Chicken Katsu curry.
One by one, everyone at my table got their food, except for me! Finally, I saw a plate of Chicken Katsu curry coming out of the kitchen, which promptly made it's way to a newly-seated table of six who had just placed their orders. When I pointed this out to our waiter, he dismissed my complaint and continued about his duties. Almost 10 minutes after the rest of my party had gotten their food, a second plate of Katsu curry arrived.
The food itself was good. I enjoyed my food, although my girlfriend complained that her Ramen was bland.
Come here if you want some decent local food and can put up with inattentive waiters. Also note, they don't do free drink refills, so that was a nice surprise when our check came. -
Review from Al L.
Pearl City, HI
3/1/2012
Went with a friend, haven't been to in years. Ordered Roast Turkey for lunch. Large portions great taste, had stuffing and fried rice. Needless to say I was full, the service was fast. I like this place. Nice mix of people.
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Review from Russel Y.
Honolulu, HI
1/17/2012
I have been going to Asahi Grill since they open a number of year ago. I always order the oxtail soup. However, in the last few years the quality and quantity of the oxtail soup has been deteriorating significantly to the point that I will no longer go there.
In the old days, the soup had a few vegtables, like cabbage and mushrooms. Now they are totally absent from the soup. Also, the peanuts and star spice is lacking or non-existant. The taste of the soup is just salty and taste like there is MSG in there to enhance the beef taste.
The oxtail suppose to be falling off the bone, not chewy and tough. When you have to naw at the bone like your dog, the oxtail has not been cooked long enough and cornors have been cut to get the product out. Additionally, the teaspoon of chinese parsley is questionable due to the 1/8 inch cuts they put it through. I think it might have been regular parsley or some other green tops chopped up to pass for chinese parsley.
The last three or four times I have been there with my wife, she has complained bitterly about the quality of the food and cleaniness of the restaurant. I have been hoping that things would have improved, but unfortuantely it does not appear to have gotten better.
So Aloha to Asahi Grill, -
Review from Lisa T.
Honolulu, HI
10/27/2011
Ate here two weeks ago, and still shudder upon reflection...
Ant trail (yes, TRAIL - not one or two hunters, but a whole line of 'em) on the first table we sat at. Moved tables; no ant trail. Much better...
...Or so I thought!!
Food was junk. Won't even go into that, because the end is all I need to tell ya - ROACHES (yes, PLURAL) on the shelves where dishes and utensils are kept behind the cash register!!!
Saw one, told the cashier. She got it with a napkin and was thoughtful enough to spray and wipe the area. Then she comes back to finish my payment, and ANOTHER one scurries out, searching for his homie.
I signed the slip and said PEACE OUT to the joint, 'cause I ain't never goin' back. -
Review from Chi C.
2/16/2012 3 photos
I have to give this place a fair rating, even though I didn't get the full Asahi Grill experience. I ordered some mediocre dishes (my fault) that tasted just okay. I mean, what did you expect from curry chicken katsu and braised short ribs. Instead, I should have ordered the oxtail soup or the spicy ahi bowl that place is known for. My mistakes. So I'll give it a try on the food again. But what I can rate this restaurant on is the atmosphere. The restaurant is old looking and in need of a renovation. And the clientele are mostly senior citizens.
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Review from Titamas K.
Honolulu, HI
4/7/2012
Oxtail Soup was delicious. Service is fast and the female waiters are nice. On a different day we had the Sweet Bread French Toast, bacon and lup cheong. Nothing that great, should've stuck with the Ox Tail. However, they weren't stingy on the quantity of food. For my side order bacon I got 5 or 6 pieces. Only about 10 or so parking stalls in lot. Not sure what the difference is with Asahi and Kapiolani Coffee Shop cause both wear the same attire.
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Review from Diana M.
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you're looking for legit Japanese cuisine this is the place to be!
Since I don't know too much about it we went safe and ordered the chicken curry. I must say I've had better but I heard their oxtail is pretty good, though!
The service was a bit hard for us to understand but everyone was pleasant so why not, if you're in the King St area and craving real Jap give Asahi Grill a try. -
Review from Rae A.
Honolulu, HI
2/14/2012
I always love the food here, but I might have to start going to the other Asahi Grill on Keeaumoku. I heard that one is cleaner since its brand-new.
When I went to Asahi Grill near Ward this past saturday for dinner, I had a run-in with a cockroach. It crawled onto the table and was drinking from the ring of water left on the table from my cup.
Later, as we were paying our bill I went to grab a mint from the bowl, and realized it was full of ants. Disgusting. I told the waitress, and she said "oh", and took it from the ledge.
Their food is awesome, but I don't know if I'm willing to sacrifice taste for cleanliness.
Creepy crawlies aside, what I enjoyed eating there before this little incident was the kimchi fried rice, teri chicken, tonkatsu, and oxtail soup. -
Review from Yasuo O.
Honolulu, HI
1/24/2012
if you want a simple home style meal, then go for it. the place is clean, fast and for the price, not bad at all. Since everyone is raising prices and making portions smaller, this is th perfect bet for ya. I like it. am a big fan! I dont do the oxtail but i saw a ton of people ordering it. I got the tonkatsu dinner and for the price, you get a good deal. i enjoyed it alot.
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Review from John H.
8/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Every trip back home we need to stop here. I love the ox tail soup!!! Extra cilantro!
Con: Parking sucks. Its too small. -
Review from Sara H.
I can't believe I have never been here before!! This place can best be described as a japanese / local coffeehouse. They serve breakfast items before 11 and then switch to lunch times. I am always in search of a good loco moco and the one served here did not disappoint!! I also had some opakapaka which is surprisingly a normal menu item and was really tasty. A LOT of people were ordering the ox tail soup which looked pretty good and someone even ordered a burger and fries which looked good too! The service was a little slow but the place was surprisingly crowded for a tuesday afternoon.
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Review from kristi s.
Ewa Beach, HI
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
great oxtail soup...yes the portion is not what it used to be but all the same, still great tasting, clean and not fatty.
service if fast and friendly.
parking can be a bit of a problem depending on time of day you go. -
Review from Allyn T.
Honolulu, HI
10/2/2011
I went to Asahi Grill for my niece's birthday party last night. I liked the atmosphere...very family friendly. There is an autographed framed picture of Konishki at the entrance, which automatically makes this a special place.
I had the opakapaka, which was very good. The tartar sauce was interesting and good, but I think the opakapaka was great all on its own. But I think they need to give 3 scoops of rice because there was a lot of fish. And perhaps cole slaw or a tossed salad instead of the macaroni salad.
Choosing the opakapaka was a little difficult, because they have so many other good-sounding choices. I also looked at the ox tail soup and all of the don dishes.
If I lived a little closer, I would probably make Asahi Grill one of my regular eating out places.
Although I was lucky to park in front of the restaurant, parking was a little limited. I asked my brother where he had parked and he said at Central Pacific Bank. -
Review from Nathan E.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yelp, you let me down with this one. Located this place because we wanted to try something different and not so well known. It was sure different. I must say that this must have been one of the worst restaurants that I have been to in a very long time.
I though the food was Japanese, but after actually eating some of it, I don't know what they serve, but you get better food in a school cafeteria. We ordered the Special Sweet and Sour "Pork," the Mahi Mahi, and the Kim Chi Fried Rice.
The pork was absolutely disgusting. It was not sweet or sour, it was super bland and has large globs of fat. The meat is questionable; Maybe it was dog? Who knows, but don't order it.
The Kim Chi Fried rice was bland and not thoroughly mixed well. Again, don't order this. It's probably not even real rice anyway.
The Mahi Mahi was ultry dry (and probably actually chicken). The only good part was to load up on tartar sauce and which it began to taste like the fish sandwich at McDonald's.
The service was terrible. I couldn't understand a word that the lady was saying. She recommended the Sweet and Sour Chicken (Dog?) Special via pointing her finger at the direction of the menu while mumbling something that I couldn't understand. They don't pay much attention to you, even when the restaurant is empty. Be prepared to repeat your-self multiple times and bring your own supply of water or you might go thirsty.
Honestly, I can't see why anybody eats here. Perhaps I ordered all the wrong food? -
Review from Caroline D.
Honolulu, HI
9/21/2011 1 photo
Good local-style Japanese food. I've never tried their signature oxtail soup, but the fried rice is usually good, as are all the Japanese dishes I've tried. (Katsudon is a fave.)
Service is so-so. Several times I've asked for brown rice and received white rice, and if you order takeout, make sure you open up the container to check your order. I once ordered katsudon to go, and the container said katsudon, but when I got home and opened it was greeted by oyakodon. -
Review from Della M.
Honolulu, HI
6/7/2011
Made an unexpected stop here today with the hubs after a super hard gym work out and I was one hungry, hungry hippo. I came in with the intention of getting something relatively healthy, but then I remembered that they were supposed to be famous for their oxtail soup. I am a sucker for oxtail soup, but I really was wasn't trying to eat a big bowl of tender fatty meat after my workout, but after walking into the freezing cold restaurant, well I had no other choice.
Let me keep this short and to the point. If you want truly delish oxtail soup go to the Alley bar and grill in Aiea instead. Broth was good, but warm and not piping hot. The meat was not fall off the bone tender and way more fat than meat. I know oxtails are not exactly lean eats, which is why it's so damn good, but go to Aiea and you will see the difference. -
Review from Bob C.
Honolulu, HI
1/10/2012
Food was disappointing. We went there primarily for the oxtail soup. It was a bit salty, the soup lacked beef flavor. The food came out very fast and it showed as the soup was not hot. Not enough Chinese parsley. A poor imitation of the Kam Bowl one.
Someone In our party ordered the shrimp curry. It was not a true curry, but a stir fry with curry powder and too much vegetables. It looked very unappetizing.
I would not recommend. Pagoda's across the street has much better oxtail soup at similar pricing.
But, service was friendly. -
Review from Manda S.
6/11/2011
This review is for their breakfast food.
We showed up around 9:30 on a Saturday, found parking in their lot and was seated almost instantly! The place was pretty full with local people eating a mix of breakfast and oxtail soup. Everything looked good so far! Our waitress was nice, took our orders quick and food came out just as quickly.
Here's where it starts to go downhill: I ordered the Island Breakfast. Its like your standard eggs, meat, starch of your choice dish. However, everything on my plate was covered in OIL. I'm serious, there must have been at least 2 tbsp of oil covering the plate and coating all of the food. I mean, I don't mind if there's a little oil, that's just the nature of the dish and I can easily blot it off...but I put my napkin in the plate and it was instantly soaked through. It was kind of disgusting. :(
BF and I ordered a side of pancakes to split and those unfortunately were burnt. He ordered the corned beef hash and he said his food was ok. I still don't think I really want to come back. :( -
Review from Jessica M.
Honolulu, HI
3/30/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Everything I have tried here has been EHHH, whatever but I still keep going back. The restaurant and atmosphere just give you the feel of one of those restaurants where you just need to try out all of their dishes until you find that ONE dish that becomes the reason you ever come back at all. I believe I will find that here one day.
But in the mean time, this is what I had a chance to try:
1. Fried Rice. Honestly, people were raving about this. My rice was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo mushy when I ordered it, it was such a BUZZ KILL. I was soo excited to try it! If you like Portuguese sausage, you'll love this dish cause they're super generous with it.
2. Spicy Ahi Bowl. Just don't order this from here. It's so over-priced and the sauce on the ahi is lame. Lame as in it's not disgusting tasting but it's soo forgettable. Don't they know how many other Spicy Ahi's there are out there? They put ZERO effort into the shitty sauce they drizzle over the Ahi which is not bad quality, I must say but still, just go for something else.
3. Tan Tan. I personally really appreciate this Tan tan. This mostly stems from the fact that I have a severe dislike for the infamous Tan Tan from Gomatei/Gomaichi/etc. Those places use a DISGUSTING amount of sesame oil in all their products and it freaks me out. The Tan Tan from here is so much more mellow and enjoyable.
4. Ox Tail Soup. While I have never personally ordered it myself, two of the guy I've went with have ordered it and enjoyed it completely. I also see a lot of people around me in the restaurant order it. My only suggestion would be to order it in the small size and then order something else too.
The worst thing about this place is their parking situation. You'll see the mini lot as you approach the place. -
Review from mark m.
1/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Let me get this off my chest first by saying that the service here is terrible. No one greeted us as we stood by the door waiting to be seated. No one thanked us for dining there on the way out. I didn't see a single smile or laugh from anyone that was working last night. It almost seemed like we were bothering them for eating there.
The food however, was pretty good, unlike the service. She got the spicy ahi don with shrimp and I got the combo teishoku with butterfish and salmon. It came with rice, miso soup, tsukemono, mac salad, and tossed greens. It was a lot of food and I couldn't finish it all. The salmon was grilled perfectly and the butterfish melted as it hit my tongue.
But unfortunately, I don't think I"ll be coming back. Not when there are dozens of restaurants in the same vicinity that actually appreciate the business. In these tough economic times I would think that restaurants would be fighting to the death to keep their customers as regulars.
Oh well, what do I know? -
Review from Shelly i.
12/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is actually a tale of two oxtail soups.... The oxtail soup, which is the specialty of Asahi Grill and the oxtail soup at Morimoto Waikiki. Is it a bit unfair to compare a local style eatery with a fine dining establishment backed by an Iron Chef? Probably...
See the funny thing is, when I was eating oxtail at Morimoto Waikiki, I couldn't stop thinking about Asahi Grill. Of course the converse is also true: when I finally got to go back to Asahi Grill for the oxtail, I couldn't stop thinking about Morimoto's version.
The taste of the Asahi Grill oxtail soup broth is exactly what I'm looking for when I order oxtail soup. It's a little bit salty but perfect with the rice and they have jars of grated ginger so you can customize (I like lots). But... the quality of the meat is where Asahi Grill gets tripped up. The oxtails I've had there are fatty and tiny. What kind of anemic cows are they getting these tails from?
Conversely, you could really believe that the oxtail in Morimoto's soup comes from real oxen. The Paul Bunyan kind. And the price point between the two soups is not that big, $11 for the Asahi Grill soup, $14 for the Morimoto version.
I feel like I did Morimoto Waikiki a disservice when I said their oxtail soup was "meh". Little did I know that I had built up Asahi Grill's version in my head. Still I think if you could combine the two soups (Morimoto's meat with Asahi's broth) you'd be on to something.
Ambiance and service are okay... I got water and hot water (for my tea) refills. If you ask for green tea you get your standard bag of yama-moto-yama.
One final note: be careful if you're wearing slippers in the parking lot. It's not that even and puddles of dark, stinky water tend to form. -
Review from Emily T.
Honolulu, HI
6/17/2011 1 photo
I am one of those people that finds a favorite dish at a place, then I end up getting the same thing all the time, even though I would want to try something different.
At Asahi Grill, it is always the fried rice with egg. For the price, it is pretty tasty. Once in a while I'll also throw in a side of bacon or portuguese sausage when I'm in the mood (wait, who is never in the mood for bacon!) The downside is that there can be inconsistencies with the quality of the food, fried rice sometimes isn't as tasty, and bacon is a little underdone/soggy. But for the majority of the time, it comes out ok.
I normally do take-out, so I call in the order, and it is ready pretty quickly (5-10 min). Calling it in also helps with the parking situation, since there are only a limited amount of stalls and most times I've gone on the weekend in the morning, the lot is full, so I double park, and run in and out of there quickly.
Maybe I'll try something different next time, but for now, when I'm in the mood for fried rice, Asahi Grill is the place for me!
