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This place had great flavor and the food was on point. I had ordered the omakase, which is basically a tasting from the chef's best stuff of the day. The toro (fatty tuna belly) was delicious, but then again when is toro not delicious. They had also given a few pieces of unni (sea urchin). The clams are a fantastic treat. Slightly briney to remind you it's from the ocean, but not so that it feels like they got it from the ala wei (dirty stream that runs next to waikiki). The full factor was about a 6 out of 10. I was full, but I had to pay for it.
The one problem I had was that the waiter had no clue what was going on. We had ordered two orderes of omakase and this single plate came out with two pieces of everything and he told us that was our order. In actuality, it was only one order. I would chalk this up to a freak coincidence, but in general that night he wasn't on his best a-game. It didn't seem like anyone else was having as much trouble with him, so I won't hold it against the restaurant.
This was the first place ever that I've tried Seafood Dynamite, and I've been forever been using it as the measuring stick for other dynamite dishes but nothing comes close.
Unagi and miso butterfish are always awesome, and of course, nigiri. Toro and hamachi for the win.
If you're unsure what to order, ask your server what would they eat on their lunchbreak that day. That's how I found out about the toro.
Walked into Imanas Tei with my BF and we were startled by the workers greeting us with "Irasshaimase!." This restaurant is small but the food here is tastiness topped with a sprinkling of delicious! If you love Japanese food then you'll want to grab a cot and park it right inside of Imanas Tei so that you can dwell 24/7 in the delightful den of yummy nummy!
We ordered potato salad, grilled clams, butterfish, spicy tuna roll and fried chicken. Loved the grilled clams and after I devoured my little seafood friends I slurped up the garlic broth they were cooked in. The butterfish was tender and each bite melted in my mouth. The spicy tuna roll was hooooot but the burn was worth it! The plate of fried chicken was huge and salty artery clogging good.
Our waitress was a little old lady who was super sweet and on it! We left with our bellies full and I almost jumped out of my jeans when the staff yelled "Irasshaimase" as we left. I appreciate the enthusiasm guys but one day someone is going to keel over from the shock!
Fresh fish and beer *nom nom nom* This is a great place for sushi. Creators of the seafood dynamite. Everything I ate was nommy! I definitely need to come back and try the shabu shabu. Anyone?
Went here last weekend after hearing rave reviews and wasn't disappointed. First, however, there was a 1hr+ wait, they only take reservation BEFORE 7pm, so plan accordingly. The wait staff was very friendly. We ordered the beef shabu shabu, which was ok. Honestly, there is really nothing that special about their shabu shabu, its not bad, just not great. We also ordered the Miso Katsuu and spicy tuna rolls. Both were awesome. The miso katsuu was the best I've had since Japan, in fact, it reminds me of the place right by my apartment in Japan. The spicy tuna was also excellent, I've had a lot of spicy tuna and I would say this is one of my favorites. Next time, I'm going to pass on the shabu shabu (which was good) and just going for the sushi and katsuu. Highly recommend.
Imanas has the bestestestestest sushi in Hawaii! Hands down!
The sushi here is so fresh, I swear this was just caught by the waiter fishing in back of the restaurant. Each bite of the unagi, mirugai & ebi was so perfectly juicy & fresh. Nothing could make it more heavenly. I loved the fact that they used just a tiny bit of rice with a huge chunk of the seafood.
Just when I thought that was good enough, the Agedashi tofu with miso paste & the teriyaki chicken were also cooked to perfection.
Obama should definitely make a stop over here on his next Christmas vacation to Hawaii.
This was my favorite meal of our trip. SOOOO TASTY. We have izakaya places where i live, and I've been to Japan, but this place is the best izakaya that I've had outside Japan.
The seafood salad was simple but really good, tasty and different dressing. The sushi we ordered was really fresh and had great flavor and texture. (Ikura, Unagi, and Hamachi nigiri) The Salmon Kama and the Hamachi Kama were both great, large portions with lots of flavor. We had Toro sashimi which was very reasonable for the amount we got, and melt in your mouth delicious. I loved it, I didn't even have to chew it, just let it melt under gentle pressure from my teeth.
The service was very nice, and very personal, even though they were busy, the hostess came over and asked us how our trip was going and talked with us for a bit. Very much appreciated.
Parking was a bit of a challenge, but we eventually found a spot.
Next time I will definitely order a nabe dish, it looked really tasty when it came out, but an open flame and a big bowl of boiling hot soup wasn't going to be too compatible with a 2 year old.
Overall, as far as Izakaya goes, it was very reasonable too. Definitely not cheap eats, but yum yum!! I'd easily go back and would definitely recommend this place. Thanks Yelp!
my japanese teahcer recommended me to the imanas. so my BF took me there for dinner. there was a 30 mins wait since we didn't have any reservation. but it was worth the wait. i love their service and the food of course. so we returned there for the second time few days later.
the first time we only tried their sushi, which was good, especially the uni sushi. that became my BF's favorite. the second time we tried their chanko nabe (hot pot) it was soooooo GOOD! it comes with so many different things in the hot pot (meat, fish, vegetables, udon, king crab, shrimp, mushrooms, rice cake, tofu....) it's good for two people. i also love their grilled squid.... i think they didn't have it on the menu (only fried squid) but you can ask them. it's really good.
Great Sushi here! Always fresh, wonderfully prepared, and excellent presentation. You know the place is authentic if all your FOB friends from Japan go here to kau kau.
What I liked best was that it had a large menu with lots of options. Whatever you're in the mood for, Imanas has it.
What I didn't like was the awkward seating... so if you want a table you'll have to make a reservation (duh)! A little on the pricier side too but nothing too outrageous.
Great place for izakaya. Worth checking out if you're looking to impress someone.
I would give it five stars because their food is really delicious, but they need to improve their desert menu. They only have two items: azuki ice cream or green tea ice cream. But I guess you could walk up the street and have mochi ice cream or a sundae at bubbies.
so delicous but like a lot of people here, the wait is totally a bummer!
but omg way way worth it! the vinegarette oysters are delicious, the sashimi very fresh and the nabe is so ono!
the service is very friendly and fast. my new favorite restaurant! can't wait to go again!
For sushi in Hawaii, this is as good as it gets. Bar-none! What more can I say
Great place. Haven't gone for a while because its to hard to get a table. I was debating that I probably should give this place a bunch of 1 stars so the lines start to die down and I can get a table there whenever I want. :-D
Shame on me that I didn't write the review right away. Now I can't remember all the dishes:
Miso sauce fried tofu - so yummy. This & a bowl of rice, and I have a meal.
salmon belly - how can you go wrong, other than the fact we had this & didn't have room for the butterfish belly. Sigh...next time.
fresh sake sushi - fish was ok...I would've been happier if it had been salmon belly as I'd asked for
Spicy hamachi "salad" that you roll your own sushi out of. Also very good.
Tehre were a couple other small things but I can't remember what. 1 beer, 3 people, and the bill came out to $45. That's a pretty good deal. Wish I was home more often.
Went there friday night, with my husband, at around 7 p.m. and had to wait about 30 min. not bad for not having a reservation. We finally sat down and ordered about 8 dishes between us because we wanted to sample everything that looked good. This is what we ordered:
Hamachi kama ( yellowtail collar)
oyster 1/2 dz. w/ ponzu sauce
grilled butterfish
ama ebi
uni
rib eye steak
chicken salad
hamachi sashimi
everything was soooooooooooo good. I can't stop thinking about how fresh and authentic the dishes were. This is my new fave place to dine. The ambiance is nice...mood lighting and fab place for hang out with bunch of friends or just a nice dinner with ur significant other.
I originally loved gaku, but this is my first choice
The food here is excellent, the beef shabushabu is a bit pricey, but very good, service is top notch. A bit difficult to see/find as it's tucked back off the street, but worth the look. Limited off street parking, an it shares a bathroom with the neighboring restaurant.
I'd recommend the fried chicken, and any of the sushi.
If you don't order the shabushabu or chanko nabe, it can be a relatively inexpensive meal.
The best Izakaya in Honolulu, no doubt. I just wrote a review for Sushi Izakaya Gaku, they are a very close second.
Imanas has an awesome menu. Very diverse and something for everyone. If you have someone in the crowd that's not big on sushi, no worries, there's something here for them and it will taste amazing. Beyond diversity, it is also a creative menu, there's dishes here we've never heard of before. If you are into fish and sushi, it's damn good too.
Service is good but can be much better. They are extremely friendly and they do try but there's plenty of room for improvement if they want to hang on to my top rating!
Parking is fine... stop whining people! There's more than 6 or 7 stalls in the lot like someone else mentioned and if those are full there's parking lots and street parking all over this area. Never had problems with a space.
Price is a little more than Tokkuri Tei and less than Gaku. For the overall quality, prices are just right.
Shabu Shabu here is excellent and probably the best value. Meat is excellent. Love the mochi and undone at the end. Even the sake is great. Poke and spicy roll.
Delicious!! Went with my parents and it was like we were transported to a restaurant in Japan. Our waiter was really helpful and helped us order. We ordered the Chanko Nabe - sooooO much seafood. Delicious broth. I ordered the Hamachi Kama - yum! We also ordered the sushi A set...the pieces of fish were huge placed on little pebbles of rice.
And because I'm always checking the bathrooms....the women's has the TOTO system which sprays your you-know-whats and there's a seat warmer (which I don't know what is the purpose in HI). You must try it out if you've never....
This review is for Teri C. Hi Teri!! I'm writing a Hawaii review! And Teri if you are ever out in Honolulu, you must go here. I know you will like it!
We stopped by here, based on a recommendation from a client of my sister's. My sister had tried it during a past business trip to Hawaii and now we were all with her in Hawaii, and she was dying to go back! That says a lot. She loves her food!
The restaurant is pretty tiny and is linked to another Japanese restaurant next door. They share a bathroom, and my husband entered the wrong Japanese restaurant after having used the bathroom, looking for us, thinking he stepped into the twilight zone. But no, there are two Japanese restaurants here. Anyways, that's just a warning. Also, another warning, the lines here can be long. I think we waited for about 1 hour. They don't take reservations either. Oh and one more warning, parking in this area sucks.
Me, being the vegetarian, had the udon, fried tofu with miso dressing. The house salad was HUGE, and shared by our table of 6. I also had the kappa maki. Good consistency, rice was spot on, wasabi in the roll.
The meat/fish eaters loved the Dynamite. It was like a fish/seafood casserole baked with some sort of mayo sauce. That was the most memorable. But the meat/fish eaters loved every bite of everything else they ordered.
The service was great. So friendly and accommodating. And because we waited so long, we got our bill and it looked like they discounted it.
Would give it 4.5 stars if I could.
One of the best Izakaya style restaurants in Hawaii, just a notch below Tokkuri Tei and Gaku Izakaya, IMO.
Parking is a challenge. Only a 6 or 7 stalls service the entire restaurant. One must find alternate ways to park your car if you wish to dine here.
But it's worth the effort because the sushi here is fresh and the food for the most part is fabulous.
I had the omakase (sushi only) and am extremely knowledgeable about fish. Here's my thoughts. The fish was very good. Nothing was a 'wow' for me though so I must admit that I was expecting better. I also found the rice to be a bit too cool as it really should be warm and nearly falling apart when picked up with the chop sticks. The rice was more of a ball of rice tightly packed... not idea. In addition, the fish was all brought out at the same time. Bad move, it should be brought out piece mail and then immediately consumed seconds after it's cut. I had a much better experience at Sasabune and Izakawa Gaku. With those restaurants in town, I don't see myself coming back here although the meal was tasty.
Favorites were:
- Chanko nabe: wide palette of ingredients, rich and flavorful broth, excellent udon to finish.
- Butterfish misoyaki: marinated and grilled to rich, savory, and unctuous perfection; the mild bitterness of the charred skin nicely complemented the accompanying pickled daikon.
- Geso: crisp, with a proper crunchewy tentacular texture.
No complaints:
- Grilled beef tongue: super thin slices of chewy beef that tastes you back, and better than I expected with the lemon garnish.
- King crab dynamite: not big on the heavy mayo dishes, but still tasty.
- Spicy tuna roll: Could actually taste the freshness of the fish, but I think my spicy tuna meter may be calibrated to a more plebian scale.
Nice ambiance, friendly, helpful and attentive waitstaff. Slightly expensive for fairly small portions (except for the chanko nabe). Easy to mistake entrance for Imanas on first visit. Limited parking.
After all the rave reviews and hearing from all the Japanese transpants that this is their favorite restaurant I decided to take my family here. It was good, but maybe not the best place I've ever eaten. The things that really stood out to me was the Spicy Ahi Rolls, Spicy Clams, and Lobster Dynaminte.
The butterfish, fried gobo, garlic clams, fried tofu in ponzu sauce, garlic steak, and regular dynamite were all alright, but nothing special. And the Chanko Nabe definately did not live up to my expectations.
All in all it was a good experience, but I think I'll only come back when my Japanese friends go. Still trying to find that one Japanese Restuarant item that keeps me coming back. Till then I'll just be dreaming of that sukiyaki I had in Hakone.
One of my new favorite restaurants!!!!
Imanas has a wide selection of dishes to choose from, and the prices are pretty affordable! My boyfriend and I came here for his birthday, it's important to make reservations if you want to get seated quickly...the restaurant opens at 5 and there were some people that actually wait outside the doors before they opened! The parking isn't all that great, but you can find street parking nearby.
The service is excellent and the waitresses are friendly!
We ordered:
-katsu sticks (DELICIOUS)
-2 misoyaki butterfish (YUM)
-potato salad
-2 servings of hamachi nigiri
-2 servings of salmon nigiri
-2 bowls of rice
-geso karaage
-Green tea ice cream
The total for all of this was only $60. Not bad, I say! We left very satisfied and full!
Dining at Imanas Tei has become an annual tradition for my trips back to the island. Talk about the best sushi restaurant and those in the know will surely mention Imanas. The family owned establishment features the same friendly faces on each of my visits and amazingly they recognize my mug despite only eating at the restaurant 2-3 times a year (only during my vacation in Oahu).
Now the important stuff: everything on the menu is worth a try. The spicy garlic clams, the oh so absolutely delightful butterfish, the fried baby shrimps, the fresh maguro....ok I'm getting hungry just talking about it, simply fabulous.
See you in April Imanas!
I have had one of the most enjoyable meals in my life here at this simple, low key and local Japanese restaurant. I do not say that lightly as I live in New York and am an obsessive foodie who lives to find great meal experiences. I would gladly trade every meal I've ever had at Nobu, Tomoe and every other Sushi or seafood restaurant for a meal at Imanas Tei.
Why has this place made such an impression ? Besides having excellent sushi masters and chefs they have the freshness of their fish cannot be compared. My cousin from Hawaii explained to me that the fish was caught that morning, auctioned that afternoon and prepared that evening with little to minimal refrigeration and zero freezing during this time. It makes for the softest, lushest and tastiest fish I have ever eaten and my cousin's Japanese wife says that it is the most authentic Sushi in Hawaii.
I've had dinner here in the small private back room and also at the sushi bar which is fun as you can let the Sushi master make suggestions.
Been three or four times and always best izakaya food in honolulu. Went last night but had to wait 45 minutes for a table of 4 at 7pm, but still great experience.
Favorites from last night in no particular order:
1. Basil Tako was surprisingly awesome (but after dinner it's all i could taste in my mouth unitl i got a mint )
2. Dynamite w/ mushroom and scallops was perfect
3. maguro poke is great
4. beef stew (didnt order so i dont know the name. sorry!)
5. flounder sashimi (amazingly fresh)
6. clams w/ butter and garlic
7. ikura (which i usually dont like because its fishy or gross at most places but imanas has really fresh and tasty ikura)
8. spicy tuna roll
We wanted to sit at the bar but was told it was full for that evening and we couldnt make reservations as well so we walked in but thank goodness, they were able just to accomodate the 2 of us within minutes. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant but it is kind of small and hard to accomodate big groups. I totally love the sushi here and the uni was sooo sweet and delectable..mmmm! The salmon skin handroll is definitely one of the bestthat I've had and it was a chockful of yummy stuff with tobiko and some daikon shoots. We saw another table ordering the sushi combo and that looked good. I guess if you want variety and not too particular about what types of nigiri u want then definitely go for that. I loved the clam miso soup too...it was just sooo tasty and the clams were tender. I would definitely return to Imanas Tei again!
I love the shabu shabu here! The sushi and sashimi are always super fresh. Nice selection of cold sake. Imanas is my absolute favorite restaurant for Japanese cuisine. Service is fast and friendly. I'm always laughing when I leave because they are very enthusiastic with their "doomo arigato gozaimashita!!" The staff starts shouting it several times and bowing as you walk out the door. I'm glad they show their appreciation. I've been to so many places where the hostess didn't even thank us or acknowledge us on the way out. That really puts a damper at the end of your dining experience.
Too bad the parking is crappy and there's always a wait. They are also closed on Sundays. :( Oh well, the food is definitely worth the wait and parking headaches.
Imanas Tei is sleek inside. They make you feel ever so welcome. About a dozen people welcome you the minute you step in the door. Sweet! The menu is several pages and they don't insult your intelligence with stupid descriptions or false photos. Actually, I'm getting so accustomed to that way of marketing that it made ordering really hard. Everything looked good on paper and there was no way to differentiate what would be a hit or a miss.
Hubby had the assorted sashimi special and I ordered a number of cooked items. Our favorite of the night was the fried tofu in yuzu sauce. It was served in a beautiful bowl that really highlighted the dish.
The bidet wasn't working in the ladies bathroom, which was fine with me. I only wanted to see it, not really use it. What was odd was the heated toilet seat. If I were in drizzly & damp Seattle I would have appreciated it a bit more, I'm sure.
11/3/08 Update...
Imana's NEVER LETS ME DOWN....Been going a couple of times a month..sometimes weekly and it has been consistently delicious!..Never had a bad meal or service here!
**********************************
My latest FAVORITE Place!!! Love the Dynamite, grilled mirugai, chanko nabe, clams, butterfish, soft shelled crab......so far most everytihing! This is the kind of place you want to share so they never go out of business, but then don't want to share cuz you always want to be able to get a table....
They DESERVE your patronage! Great Food, Great Hospitality....Worth the hassle of finding parking....
They take reservations only until 7PM...after that, it's first come first serve....worth the wait!
I find if you go with a larger group, like 6, the cost per person is not too bad....if you go with only two, then we end up spending about $40+ per person...guess it's because we want to eat everything....so go with a big group then you can taste everything and share...
SOOO good. the shabu shabu there is really good. sushi is very good. i felt like i was eating sushi in japan again. the service is very good too the owners are very nice. and must try japanese restaurant in Hawaii. its always busy whenever i go there.. i suggest making reservations.. parking is also really tight.
I had to pick a restaurant that my wife wanted to take me for my yakudoshi, so after reading the good reviews, I decided on Imanas Tei. I was expecting a lot from here, and overall, it was pretty good.
We were stressing out about the parking because of the reviews. We arrived at about 5:10pm, and were lucky to find a stall, but by the time our last guests arrived, they had to park in the public parking lot behind Puck's Alley.
Because we had a party of 10, they put us on an odd shaped table in the middle of the restaurant. We had a problem with having an infant because the restaurant is pretty cramped, so we couldn't leave him in his stroller. So I guess the reviews about it not being good for large groups and kids is correct.
I had the chanko nabe, which was very good. The broth was very tasty and there was a lot of meat, fish and vegetables crammed in the pot. I also had sashimi, and it was probably the best sashimi I have had in a while. The maguro and salmon seemed to melt in my mouth! My wife had the shabu shabu, which was pretty disappointing for her. My aunty had the hamachi kama and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, the food was good. The service was very good at the beginning, but kind of fell off towards the end. Our glasses of water were empty most of the time, and only half of our group was asked for dessert.
I thought that for my standards, it was a very good restaurant. But because not everyone in our group was satisfied, I couldn't give it five stars. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone and I will be there again.
A fantastic izakaya that wonderfully emulates places in Japan.
I've never been to Imana's, even though I've heard of the place several times over the years. One night, the decision was made to go to Imana's. I must stress that you have to call to make a reservation before 7pm: after that time they will not book any more reservations. We missed the deadline by two minutes, and had to wait outside for about staring at the front door for about 40 minutes: the Japanese story of Hachiko the dog mournfully waiting years for his lost master come to mind. However, it was all worth the wait: we also got a Tatami table in the back too!
Everything tasted really Japanese. I know that is a curious statement; but the food tastes the most like meals in Japan than many of its peers. They offer a wide array of different selections, and we dove into them head first. The Seared Ahi sushi we ordered was mind-blasting: delicious and wonderfully garnished. This Clam in Broth dish that we ordered was superb: the broth gave a great explosion of flavors. The Ribe-Eye Steak had this great sauce that felt like a hybrid of a dressing and a steak sauce. Their Beef Tounge and Dynamite dish were great too. There was so much more we sampled. Tons of Ahi dishes, Tofu Tempura, and The Spider Roll was okay. However, I have to say that their Uni and Chicken Kaarage were disappointments: the Uni tasted not too fresh (too much like stagnant Ocean) and the Kaarage's batter was bland and it was pretty flavorless. However, the pluses of the other dishes way overrule these disappointments. Overall, I would say that their sushi is okay, but their other izakaya dishes are where they really shine.
I'm looking forward to sampling their Shabu Shabu and Nabe offerings. Many of the tables are set up for hot-pot dinners. Given how good their other food was, I have high expectations. I caught myself gawking at other tables who ordered Nabe.
The ambiance of the place is very contemporary Japanese, and the achieves the look it was going for. It is very good for groups or for social, casual dinners. The layout is pretty good, and it feels very comfortable. There also is a sushi bar if you don't feel like having a lengthy sit-down; or if you don't feel like waiting for a table.
Wide varieties of great food make this place the best izakaya in Hawaii.
I love their Chanko Nabe here - It's so delicious. Assorted vegetables, meat, and seafood in a savory broth... what's not to miss. At the end - once all the ingredients have been cooked and flavored the broth - you get your choice of udon or rice and egg which they mix into the broth. The rice and egg is good - it creates a sort of savory porridge.
I dined with two other friends and the Chanko Nabe [two orders] and a few side dishes were more than enough for all three of us. It was the best dinner I've had in a while.
A little bit less casual than your typical izakaya, Imanas Tei is tucked away in a hard to find location but once you find it, you will be quite happy you made the journey.
The space is an immaculately gorgeous room with open-ceilings. Imanas Tei's specialties are the chef's miso paste (available with eggplant, black cod, and butterfish) and their karaage which is fantastic (I had the chicken). Soon enough with the help of either your appetite or the excellent servers, your table will soon be covered in Izakaya kobachi (small plates).
I've become quite the sushi connoiseur in California. My dad took me here telling me it's one of the best. Sure, the food is good, but I wasn't particularly fond of their fish.
I definitely h ave to give them a lot of credit for inventing the first Dynamite. I had it at Imanas 7 years ago, and soon after every sushi joint had it too. The Dynamite in 25 other sushi places I've tried doesn't come close to beating Imanas Tei.
Nice ambiance.
I could eat there everyday. I love the salad dressing on the toss greens, agedashi tofu, tonkatsu skewers, sushi, grilled fish, teriyaki chicken, chanko nabe (love the fishcake and udon), the butterfish, the japanese vegetable dishes that I can never seem to find time to make like kinpira gobo and the list can go on.
While it is crowded and there is no parking..just plan to park at pucks alley, make reservations before 7pm or figure on eating at th sushi counter.
Not good for parties of 10 and a baby! Tables were too small to accommodate the shabushabus and chanko nabes! Wasn't happy with the shabushabu, no taste and for 28.50 per person, we thought it was too expensive. Chanko nabe was good but I think they use MSG because those that ate it were really thirsty later. Felt rushed, didn't offer dessert, just handed me the check. Later when I got home, I realized they didn't have a receipt for me! Someone ordered the Hamachikama and loved it so if I go next time, I will try that. Not sure if we will though because the parking really does suck there. Our reservations were at 5:30 and we got there at 5:15 and there was 1 stall left after we took ours....
Honolulu, HI
Category: Japanese
Honolulu, HI
Category: Sushi Bars
Honolulu, HI
Category: Japanese
Honolulu, HI
Category: Sushi Bars
Honolulu, HI
Category: Sushi Bars
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