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Okonomiyaki Chibo Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
2201 Kalakaua AveSte A305
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-9722
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
144 reviews for Okonomiyaki Chibo Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The okonomiyaki with mochi & cheese was so good."
(in 23 reviews)
"I recommend adding yakisoba to it."
(in 39 reviews)
"Our teppanyaki chef was professional yet friendly."
(in 24 reviews)
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144 reviews in English
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Review from Kristina W.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I think dinner here was the highlight of my trip to Oahu. I usually don't even like Okonomiyaki but this place just knows how to make it right!
This past time, I ordered the Okonomiyaki with 3 ingredients - Pumpkin and potatoes (1 ingredient), bacon, and scallops! I was in HEAVEN! The pumpkin is the shiz for sure. You might have to ask the waitress for pumpkin since it's not explicitly listed on the menu, I think it's included in the vegetables ingredient, but trust it's yum!
Quick tip - I have been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. I would recommend coming here for lunch on your first time because the menu is pretty much the same for Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba (The 2 staple dishes) so you can order the same dishes for like half the price. Dinner is pretty expensive. Okonomiyaki runs about $21 for 2 ingredients and $3 for each additional so you might end up paying about $30 for 1 sizable Okonomiyaki. Sounds like a lot to pay for a flat pancake but I assure you, it is worth the splurge! -
Review from Dana P.
I came here for Happy Hour during the early afternoon only to find that their Happy Hour menu sucked. My bf and I didn't want to be rude so we ended up staying and ordered few items.
- Lava ... mixed drink (not on Happy Hour Menu) ~$6
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Hen & Coke - $5?
- Edamame - ~$5, not worth $5.
- Buttered corn with bacon - $6, not worth the price.
Watched the chef cook canned corn, added butter, and cooked some sliced bacon and placed it in the corn and butter ... so easy to make and ingredients are not expensive.
I wouldn't come back here for the Happy Hour Menu. -
Review from Amy M.
San Jose, CA
12/30/2011
We saw their ad at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and decided to try this out especially since we were familiar with Okonomiyaki having tasted it for the first time in Japantown in San Francisco (where we used to live for 5 years).
We knew that there was going to be a wait, so we put our names in around 6 p.m. and it was called by 6:45 p.m. (If you get there before 6 p.m., the wait will be around 20-30 minutes instead.)
We sat at the "table" and we ordered their Special $80 dinner for two. It included several choices so we decided on: Ahi Poke, Spinach & Tofu in spicy sauce, Steak and Grilled Shrimp, Okonomiyaki Chibo, and Green Tea Creme Brulee (dessert).
The Chef cooked our food in front of us. He was professional about the whole thing (e.g. didn't rush or anything but took his time to make sure each dish was prepared when we were ready to have them). We were not disappointed. Each dish was delicious and by the time the Okonomiyaki Chibo was presented to us, we were full that I couldn't finish the last piece of it. Then the dessert came and we each received one; we thought we would have to share, but no, they each gave us our own dessert. Cost for the entire meal: $80 plus tax. Not bad at all.
If you are in town, I recommend you give this restaurant a try. -
Review from Rod U.
12/12/2011
Contemporary Waikiki eatery that serves some of the best okonomiyaki in Hawaii.
To the uninitiated, okonomiyaki is either a crepe stuffed with seafood, beef, cabbage, and possibly some yaki soba then topped with a delicious sauce and bonito shavings (Hiroshima style) or a stuffed pancake made of the same ingredients and dressed in the same manner (Kansai style). If you think its strange, just imagine what Asians must think of the American hamburger with its thick, greasy, ground beef patty in bread oozing cheese, veg, bacon, and a fried egg. Bam!
Both styles of Okonomiyaki are offered. Both excellent. The fresh, seafood (prawns, squid, and scallop) and beef are never overcooked. Soft and moist without imparting excessive liquid to the dish. The sauce is excellent. Its strong sweet, sour, savory goodness works to cut any blandness from the wrap or flour cake without overpowering the seafood.
I have never tried any teppanyaki item other than the Okonomiyaki so I cannot speak to them.
Service is very good. Chefs are engaging and put on a great show.
The drawback? I always thought okonomiyaki was street food but I guess it matters what street. Since its on Kalakaua Avenue (akin to Rodeo Drive, 5th Avenue, or the Champs Elysees) the price is, ummm fair at $20+?
Recommended. -
Review from Michiko H.
Honolulu, HI
1/28/2012
Me and the hubby went to Chibo's for our anniversary. In the beginning getting there was difficult because the map online is incorrect, but once we finally got there we were seated right away.We decided on the Okonomiyaki course special for 2. It was so neat to watch the chef cook our meal and even better when we ate our Okonomiyaki! Tasted just like how it is back home in Japan.Loved the shrimp scampi, and poke! So fresh! The only thing is the drink menu is limited in variety and they don't offer much, still love there food! Will be coming back soon!
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Review from Kameron K.
San Francisco, CA
We were going to get some tonkatsu, but on our way there we ran into a street sign that said "okonomiyaki"
We had to go.
If you have never had okonomiyaki before, its basically a big pancake/omelet type food. It usually comes stuffed with seafood/meat and topped with sauce.
I haven't had okonomiyaki since I went to Japan in 2004. My boyfriend had never had okonomiyaki and has always wanted to try. We ended up going into Chibo, which was actually pretty nice inside and plenty of seating. There wasn't any rush since it was a weekday during lunchtime so we got pretty good attention.
We basically ignored most of the menu and went straight for the okonomiyaki on the menu.
I ended up with the "make your own" with scallops, kim chee and tako (octopus). My boyfriend got steak, prawns and vegetables. They also give you the option to have bonito flakes and Japanese sweet mayonase on the top. They both took a while to come out but were actually pretty good.
Mine was actually pretty good, although I wish there was more tako in it. My boyfriend loved his. The okonomiyaki was actually pretty big compared to how they usually come.
I felt a little sick at the end though, too much eggs...Listed in: Best of Oahu
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Review from Joey F.
Kent, WA
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is cray! The Okonomiyaki with mochi and bacon is superb! The white onion and shiso rolled in pork is delicious as well. Happy hour is a fantastic time to go too. Prices are very reasonable for the quality served. Good times.
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Review from Claudia M.
Fort Shafter, HI
12/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very friendly service, delicious food. I ordered the terriyaki chicken. It was soooo good while my friend got the island fish which was sooooo good as well. The only issues i really had was the small portion size. I was a little disappointed with how small the portions were. Also, I thought it would be like Benihana when they perform a little show with you. But I still love the food here :)
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Review from Alex O.
Yucaipa, CA
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I found this restaurant using yelp while I was on vacation in Honolulu and it was the first time I had ever tried okonomiyaki. I have to say, I was very impressed. The price isn't too bad if you order only the okonomiyaki. On its own it is a very hardy meal for one person. I ordered mine with the chefs recommended steak, shrimp and scallops. I couldn't have been happier with that combination.
The cooks and wait staff here are very friendly, the beers are cold and large and you can fill up on amazing food without going broke. Yet another restaurant in Honolulu that will be getting a return trip from me in the future. -
Review from LynZ M.
Gig Harbor, WA
12/4/2011
Wished I would of ate at the other "Teppan Yaki" restaurant a few doors down or somewhere else in Waikiki. I understand that the meaning of Teppan Yaki is "cooked before your very eyes" and that can mean a number of things.. At the same time I still don't consider this real Teppan Yaki, at least not the type that is entertaining. The chefs looked pretty miserable and didn't do any type of a show. I didn't see any great knife skills either, just a lot of shuffling food around with spatulas. Service was decent enough and the food was just alright.. Overpriced and small portions.. Overall a lukewarm experience and not really what I was looking for...
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Review from Arthur S.
7/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Okonomiyaki is becoming a more and more extinct dish on the islands. In order to keep this wonderfully delicious and healthy treat around the island we need to help in reproduction so more people will know about okonomiyakis profound effects! This is the last standing Okonomiyaki place that actually specializes in Okonomiyaki. Its a real hidden treasure, located on the second floor of the royal hawaiian.
After a stressful week nothing brightens up my week more than Okonomiyaki making. Throwin down that egg mixture on that hot grill and watching it sizzle, placing a nice helpful serving of chewy noodles, laying down those ever so sexy strips of bacon. After that bacon is laid down i cant but help but sprinkle bonito and drizzle sweet sexy Okonomiyaki sauce and mayo all over this steamy hot dish. After that I'm dividing up into pieces, enjoying every single bite. Its still fiery hot. It teases me and burns my tongue and we go back and forth for a few minutes. I cool my taste buds with tea. Lying there i can tell it wants to be devoured. I continue on. This time it tells me its cooling down.I watch as its bonito slows its pace. It gives into me. I man munch the last piece. The grill grows cold. There's room for a newer Okonomiyaki to take its place.
This luscious dish is prepared right in front of you. The chefs don't have the same flashy routines that benihanas or tanaka of tokyo. So don't expect a an onion ring volcano spewing out fiery oil. But they know what they're doing with their mini spatulas. The ingredients are simple and healthy. Eggs, Vegetables, Noodles, and Bacon. I feel light as a feather just thinking about it.
The ambiance is also nice. Sit down in front of the grill and watch the chefs slice dice, flip and serve. There's also booths for groups. Its been nice and quiet every time I've went. (usually in the afternoons).
Service- Waiters are pretty attentive and cater well to the needs of the customers.
Okonomiyaki- In Hawaii I'd give it a 4/5 only because as i mentioned this is the only places that specializes in it. Ive had better Okonomiyaki outside of Hawaii, and personally i think the place that used to be open on university, made better Okonomiyaki and at a cheaper price. Until a newer place opens up this will be my Okonomiyaki go to joint.
A little pricey, but if you've never tried it before, the price is worth the experience!Listed in: Kamikaze Food Piloting 101
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Review from Lily Z.
11/20/2011 3 photos
Okonomiyaki, live music, and booze. What's not to love?? It was the Mr's first time trying Japanese pizza, so he didn't really know what to expect. It's definitely not anything like Italian pizza. It's smaller in size but thicker (think deep dish). We ordered the okonomiyaki chibo. I think it was around $10 which wasn't bad considering it had seafood on it.
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Review from Kevin A.
6/15/2011
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO SAY THIS...BUT THE ONE IN OSAKA IS WAY BETTER
There I did it. I roll my eyes all the time when people say crap like this and here I am saying it. BUT... I'm not doing it to be an ass and sound well traveled, just to make the point that the Hawaii Chibo location does things differently than their sister locations in Japan, to a fault.
First, I was surprised that they offer teppanyaki. I can think of few things that are less Japanese than teppanyaki, but okonomiyaki is probably too obscure for many tourists while flying knives and onion volcanoes are familiar crowd-pleasers.
Second, the ingredients weren't as good. In Osaka, the ika came in amazingly tender, long strips. At this location, just tiny minced pieces.
Third, the mayo distribution was all wrong. Instead of being drizzled over the okonomiyaki, the chef ladled it on top of the plum sauce and mixed it in.
Finally, this stuff is expensive! This is suposed to be Osaka street food, but I suppose they need to charge more due to their astronomical Waikiki rent.
Overall, it was still good okonomiyaki, but I wish they maintained the same practices and standards as their locations in Japan. -
Review from Gina B.
Honolulu, HI
I just can't express how much I love this place LOL!! Every single time I've come here, I'm never disappointed but they always seem to exceed my expectations. In other words I'm always satisfied!!
My husband and I decided to go for a late dinner and drinks. It was time for another visit to one of our FAVS!! On the weekends they have late night specials after 10pm-2am. We arrived a little early so we can get our drink on before ordering dinner. After 2 bottles of Sake and other drinks we are ready to order. The server (actually bartender, since we sat at the bar) is nice enough to give us a suggestion, Pork Kimchee (Super GOOD, I was tempted to order another one) and we also got our usual ...Yakisoba and Okonomiyaki (mochi cheese and bacon). They also had LIVE music which was great entertainment!! It wasn't too loud unlike other places where you'd need to yell at each other to have a convo! We were feeling good, having fun... full and satisafied!
Overall, I feel like this restaurant has it all. I've always experienced great service, especially since the staff is so helpful, friendly and easy going.
Food and Drinks is awesome!! Prices are reasonable for that location (tourist area) Atmosphere and ambience is great, restaurant is clean and spaceous! It's a great place to go with family or a group of friends...Eat, Drink and be merry!! =)) We'll be back... Just got vouchers from http://Akamaibuys.com, Great deal....check it out now!! -
Review from Emiko T.
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was quite the conundrum finding the restaurant (and little did we know it was as easy as just going to the Royal Hawaiian Center as opposed to looking at a map which made it appear as if it was behind the police station). So don't be noobs like us: go to the Royal Hawaiian Center, third floor (near Senor Frogs--which you should probably NEVER go to) and you'll eventually stumble across Okonomiyaki Chibo.
Since it was a Wednesday night, we were able to get seated within 15 to 20 minutes but I think on the weekends this place might be packed, perhaps due to their late Fri/Sat happy hour. We were seated in one of the booths (unfortunately not at the grill) but nevertheless we were starving and were anxious to get our pancake on.
Our service was very attentive, including the most frequent water service I've ever seen. I'm not sure if my glass ever got down to the halfway mark. The okonomiyaki came out fairly quickly too and so while we saw some other people around us who were clearly getting slower service, we must have lucked out with our waitress and busboys. To start we ordered the sake sampler which served 3 different sakes (one sweet, dry, then very dry). It's a good choice for sharing between two people if you're not trying to get completely faded before the arrival of your monster-cake. I ordered a custom okonomiyaki with vegetables and prawns. This was definitely super tasty but probably would have packed more of a punch with either some red meat or the mochi and cheese combo. (I should have listened to you, fellow Yelpers!) But nevertheless it was still amazing and delicious. In fact get crazy--experiment with the different combinations. If you want a tang, perhaps get kim chee and if you want to have an even more filling pancake, get meat. All of the okonomiyakis we ordered were incredibly thick and fresh off the grill. The prawns in mine were big and I loved slicing into the slabs of kabocha. There are so many textures and layers to this huge indulgence that you may not be able to polish one off by yourself. However you most likely will, especially if you come equipped with a BIG appetite.
The only negative: super overpriced. Then again, you're fully acknowledging the disposal of your money in Waikiki so just watch out. My okonomiyaki cost $17. Yikes. The sake sampler cost $15. Ouch. Forking over that much money somehow seemed worth it though. If ever you have the chance to get treated out, this is an awesome place to help with that craving for some Japanese comfort food. I'm already craving and thinking about the next custom-made okonomiyaki I want to order...chock full of mochi and cheese.
Yelp challenge: #40/365 -
Review from beth i.
OOOH-WEEE! This place is awesome! They are also open late on the weekend, so you can come after the dinner rush!
We came around 930 pm on a weekday and you can waltz right in and grab a seat at the teppan grill. There are also some booths, but half the experience is watching the chef artfully craft your okonomiyaki. Who doesn't like a fried noodle and egg pancake drizzled with teriyaki sauce with bonito flakes. Better yet, watching the way those flakes dance on it a hot okonomiyaki. :)
We also ordered the mahi mahi which was some of the best mahi I've ever had. It was perfectly cooked in front of us and so moist and tasty. It also came with assorted veggies -- zucchini, mushrooms and onions.
To say the least, the food was really delicious and the service is so friendly and efficient. Our chef was also personable and chatted just the right amount. Not too overbearing and gave me some time to chat with my date. :)
Validated parking is in the Royal Hawaiian parking lot and is so convenient to get to the restaurant from the structure.
I'm in love...with an egg pancake...Listed in: Nihon-riyori
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Review from Lana N.
5/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here after a quick search on Yelp of whats nearby and open late and cheap. Considering it was happy hour, I'd say this place is more $$$ than $$ though. Came here at 11pm for their late night happy hour specials and still dropped a good $40 (+) on 2 happy hour dishes and a drink!
Food wise, get the Okonomiyaki Chibo (seafood) and skip the Loco Moco, BLECK! Overall, the service is great and I'm sure there are a lot of other better items on the menu... but I'm sure you can also find better and less overpriced food elsewhere in Waikiki/Honolulu. -
Review from Tina I.
Honolulu, HI
5/19/2011
Came here on a Sunday with my friend before a spontaneous shopping escapade at Royal Hawaiian's Forever 21. I always knew I wanted to try it because okonomiyaki has always been one of my favorite foods. We got there around 6:00 and had no problems getting a seat at a nearly empty big table in front of the hot plate. There were so many different items to choose from but we both decided on Okonomiyaki "Chibo" course, which came with an appetizer, soup and desert for $29.75.
One aspect my friend and I both really enjoyed was that despite cooking in front of you, using fancy knife skills, the chef wasn't obnoxious like those at Tanaka's or Benihana. I love Tanaka's but sometimes it's just too much and when you've seen the same "show" they put on time after time, it's hard to pull off authentic "Ooohh"s and "Aaahh"s. The chef pretty much kept to himself and smiled occasionally when we made comments about his super fast and fancy chopping skills.
The appetizer came with three mini dishes - marinated seafood (shrimp, squid, etc), edamame, and some other delicious dish (oops I don't remember lol). Since my friend asked to replace the squid on her okonomiyaki with bacon, the server replaced her marinated seafood with ahi poke - which was very thoughtful. The soup was a beef soup; a traditional Japanese beef consomme soup. That was also very delicious and a nice change from the usual miso soup at other Japanese restaurants.
The okonomiyaki itself took a really long time to cook but we were in no rush and it ended up being absolutely delicious. It had beef, squid, shrimp, and scallop. My friend and I both ordered the yakisoba underneath the okonomiyaki and it added a great touch to it. MAKE SURE YOU GET ALL THE SAUCES because mmm they were delicious. It wasn't dry, not too chewy, and huge. We ended up eating 3/4 of it (making trying on clothes afterwards a semi-struggle). Definitely recommend this place to drink, eat and be merry! PHEW SORRY THAT WAS SO LONG I'M DONE NOW. -
Review from Denise L.
San Francisco, CA
My boyfriend and I both have never had okonomiyaki and we have no idea what it is. I wanted to try it based on all the high yelp ratings and we decided that this was the place to go for a celebration dinner. Uhhhh--in my opinion, this was the weirdest "dinner" entree I've ever had in my life. Basically, okonomiyaki is like a sticky, salty, pancake thing. It is mushy and gushy in your mouth. The flavors are good, but I guess just not what I expected at all. I think it is one of those types of food that's an acquired taste...or more like texture.
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Review from Ariana L.
7/13/2011
Overall, an enjoyable dining experience!
Initially going here I was hesitant because it was located in Waikiki. All that was running through my head was "tourist trap" but I was luckily proven wrong!
We were given the choice of a booth or in front of the grill so we obviously chose a front row seat to the action. After some time to consider what we wanted a waiter was promptly there to take our order.
I wasn't in my normal beast mode so I simply ordered the Teriyaki Chicken off of the teppanyaki menu and both the rice and miso soup separately as sides. My friend ordered the fried mix vegetables with sirloin and squid and paid extra to upgrade to a set, which included a salad, rice, tsukemono, miso soup and sherbert for dessert.
Fortunately the food was so good! My chicken was cooked with zucchini and onions which were perfectly cooked and everything was tasty. Miso soup was good, a bit on the salty side though.
Service was great. Grill cooks were friendly and waiters were always sure to have our water and tea glasses filled.
Parking in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center is a bonus because with validation the first hour is free and every hour after that is only $1. So we actually did some walking around Waikiki after our meal and picked up some dessert pastries at the Panya downstairs.
I would definitely come back and want to try their happy hour menu too! -
Review from John N.
7/12/2011
I personally have a love-hate relationship with okonomiyaki. The taste varies so much that I can either not eat it or totally devour it. Chibo was a recommendation from my sister, who loves okonomiyaki, as the place to go.
Now, first things first, this place is located at Waikiki. You may groan about it if you're kama'aina that this place is located in the "I hate going there because of traffic and parking" area. Don't use that as a reason why you don't want to go. It's located at the Royal Hawaiian so that means you can get validated!
The ambiance is quite modern for a teppanyaki restaurant. The grill counter area sits right next to a full bar. Service and fast and very attentive.
We opted to go for the Kau Kau Special(I believe this isn't part of their normal menu sets) for two. It consists of your choice of salad(we got poke), pei soup, garlic prawn, filet mignon, special okonomiyaki, and one dessert.
Our teppanyaki chef was professional yet friendly. He was also friendly with tourists who came after us. I like that in a teppanyaki chef. One by one, the food came.
Poke Salad: Didn't feel for it. The poke and the salad were a bit bitter.
Pei: Never had seafood+egg soup thing, but it was good!
Garlic Prawn: ONOOOOOOOOOO and teppanyaki'ed perfectly!
Filet Mignon: Great!
and last but not least, the okonomiyaki. We had everything piled on it and it was great. It was cooked and warmed slowly so when it was time to eat it, it had perfect consistency. The only problem is that we were already kind of full. We should have asked for the okonomiyaki first. This place totally changed how I view okonomiyaki. Gone are the too sweet ones I find elsewhere.
The dessert wasn't anything special as we got the green tea ice cream, but we were already so full from the meal, we didn't really have the room for dessert.
This place is a solid 4 star, and the only two reasons why it fell short of a full 5 star is the fact the salad was way too bitter and I wish there was more of a show with the teppanyaki. -
Review from youngmi a.
Boston, MA
10/12/2011
i became obsessed with okonomiyaki after first seeing it in ranma (yeah, i'm a nerd). it's so hard to find in the US so i was super pumped to find it in hawaii. it does take awhile to cook but be patient and you will be rewarded. we ordered the mochi and cheese to split since they're so huge. i also feel that it's got a really rich flavor so i can't imagine eating and entire one on my own (although the little grandmas next to us downed a beer and okonomiyaki each). we also got an order of yakisoba which was bursting with fresh veggies and chicken and definitely lived up to its hype.
we were lucky enough to be seated at a teppanyaki grill and it was a real treat to watch the chefs work. they're true artists! i feel like watching your okonomiyaki being made is a big part of the whole eating experience.
and like others mentioned, it is definitely not behind the police station... google map fail!! it's farther down at the royal hawaiian center. -
Review from Joshua B.
My girlfriend and I were feeling a bit peckish, when we happened to walk by Okonomiyaki Chibo. The delightful smell wafting through the air pulled us closer to the front door, but when we saw it was happy hour we knew we had to go inside.
Our nostrils did not lead us astray. We were immediately greeted, and sat in a rather nice looking booth. (I posted a picture of their booths, but their awesome setup doesn't convey through the picture very well.) Our server was at our table immediately, and returned quickly with our drinks. This kind of attentive service just set the tone for the whole experience. The service here was really very good! She was quick, polite, and very observant. She was constantly refilling our drinks if they got even a little more than half way empty. Superb service.
What of the food you ask? Well, the food was amazing. Each bite is bursting with delicious flavor, which is good enough to drive a full person to clean their entire plate. Every appetizer and dish has its' own unique delectableness, that only serves to compliment the dishes around it. The only fair way to describe this place, would be telling you to try it for yourself.
If you are afraid of the price, try their happy hour specials. (Honestly, if you are eating out in Waikiki, you probably aren't afraid of the price.) If you are feeling adventurous, order a lot of food and share it with someone you care about. That's the best way to try a little of all their amazing stuff. -
Review from Jen H.
Honolulu, HI
7/19/2011 6 photos
Typical fancy style okonomiyaki restaurant in Waikiki.
Came here a few times, once for V-day because all the other restaurants were booked to the max. The wait and service were just myeh.
I like their okonomiyaki because you can customize it, the portions are huge and it is impossible to finish (for a small Japanese girl). One gripe I have is that one okonomiyaki is about $20... yeah its kind of expensive. I made an equally delicious one at home for about $10. But, if you like to eat out and are too lazy to make one yourself, then this place is good. Especially because you can't go to many restaurants in Hawaii that serve okonomiyaki (its not that popular for some reason). I personally like Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, but I like Chibo because of the fact that you can get yakisoba with it too.
One must-get appetizer here is the spinach with cheese marinara sauce... so delicious! cheesy goodness. -
Review from Nikki A.
5/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
My first time to this place with my bf. I've hear about it and I love Okonomiyaki so I wanted to try it. We got there around 5:45pm and were seated at the grill. It was still happy hour for 15 more minutes so we ordered the $9 steak and $5 pork wrapped shiso. My bf also got a 22 ounce Sapporo.
I then looked at the menu and ordered a bacon and scallop okonomiyaki. This is $16 and my bf ordered the grilled assort. seafood for $21.
They cooked it infront of us. Its not the entertaining tipe of cooking, but nice to watch your food being made. We got the happy hour items and it was sooooooooo good. The sauces to dip the meat in were awesome and the meat was so succulent.
We ate both happy hours entrees so fast. Then we watched the Okonomiyaki and seafood being made. It did take a while since they cut the shrimp tail off and make other patrons food at the same time.
However, when we got it, it was sooooo delicious we ate everything! Everything was so fresh and the different types of sauce made everything good!
The only thing was trying to leave. It got sooooo busy by the time we finished she never came back to ask if we wanted anything else. We just kind of sat there watching the guy make other peoples food. She didn't come by because I guess she was servicing guests on the tables outside of the grill area. Thats the only thing I didn't like. Other than that the food was fabulous!
I want to go again! -
Review from Sandi W.
San Diego, CA
9/23/2011
Yakisoba.....that's all I have to say.
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Review from Tamara R.
San Diego, CA
10/24/2011
YUMMMM! This place was recommended by a friend who did not steer us wrong. I love watching the chef cook in front of us, and the "Okonomiyaki Chibo" (pancake lookin thing) with plum sauce was AMAZING. I could have eating 4. Our appetizers were amazing, octopus and think sliced filet mignon, sorry I don't remember actual menu names. The only thing I didn't like was the rare ahi mixed in some mountain yam sauce. It looked.... gross and soggy =( And I LOVE ahi. Either way, I wish we had one in San Diego-- it was BOMB.
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Review from PATRICK Y.
Santa Clara, CA
2/7/2011
Teppan Okonomiyaki done right b4 u! The Flavor is right, the Service is NOT! Our chef in the middle of cooking our order, walked out and returned late which yielded an BURNT-0-yaki. We called him on that and
he actually hesitated to redo it, until we really insisted. As for the burned one? it was heavily mayoed n sauced and sent to the innocent, unknowing couple who ordered the same Chibo...........
Bottom Line: If you're not Japanese, expect to be dis-serviced, (Night n Day in terms of service for Non-Japanese) -
Review from Kim M.
The late night FOOD menu rocks! (late night kitchen is open Friday & Saturday nights from 10pm-1am; bar stays open until 2am)
Chibo has the best loco moco I've ever had.
It's made with PREMIUM quality meats! (all the premium-quality "scraps" from dinner!) And the gravy is to die for. Like kelly k put it, "you could pour it over anything..."
...including all over my face and body. Yeah, it's good.
The okonomiyaki is a great late night snack. I like my okonomiyaki with mochi and cheese or scallops and bacon. YUM!
The beef tataki is pretty tasty as well.
However, I'm a huge fan of meat so any kind of meat does it for me.
Anyway, if you're looking for a chill late night spot on the weekends check out Chibo. The drink specials are pretty cherry and the food is great.Listed in: Asian Persuasion, Date Night, Oahu Late Nite Bites, Wet Foods, Eateries in Waikiki
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Review from Brad Y.
3/2/2011
For late-night happy hour, definitely check this place out! Gerald is a super cool guy and is always the smiling face to greet you. The loco moco, yakisoba, and okonomiyaki are GREAT! Although expensive when not on happy hour.. but then again, Royal Hawaiian Center has some of the most expensive real estate in the WORLD (according to my Real Estate professor), so I guess I can understand the reason for the higher prices.
Get validation and parking is free up to 3 hours, unless they changed it again. -
Review from ryan k.
Honolulu, HI
8/25/2011
Chibo is da bomb. Best deal is fri or sat happy hour. Discount prices on drinks and food after 10p. Staff is friendly and helpful oh and there's live music too!
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Review from cherie T.
9/23/2010
can't believe i forgot to write about this place
Their yakisoba was delicious.
I love their okonomiyaki, i personally, think it's better than the one in LA - Gaja.
Yes, this place is expensive, but it's on Waikiki, what do you expect?Listed in: Hawaii - Oahu
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Review from Terry L.
Bothell, WA
3/3/2011
Fell in love with Okonomiyaki when i studied abroad in Japan and the style I tried there was Hiroshima. Once I got to Honolulu, I knew I had to find a place with good okonomyaki and Chibo was close by.
We ordered the Okonomyaki Chibo "Osaka" style. It was priced at $21 dollars!!! Overall, the yaki taste good but it did not have the same kick as when i visited Hiroshima...plus the portion seem small too.
If it was cheaper, I would definitely go back, yelpers should check out the happy hour specials. -
Review from Jacob H.
San Diego, CA
4/22/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Since we're at 4-stars, these guys don't get the Good, the Bad, and the ugly. However, they do get the Good and the Interesting.
I ordered: I ordered the Okonomiyaki Chiba, Ahi with Mountain Yams, and the Green Onions wrapped in Pork.
The Good: Service was spot on. My glass of water never reached the bottom.. and I'm a fast drinker of H2O. The food was properly cooked and very delicious to the palate. I didn't get the tongue tingle from too much salt or too much anything else. Fair and Balanced, just like FOX news. The three things I ordered were completely different than anything I"ve ever eaten at a Japanese restaurant. Granted, the japanese restaurants in California generally serve teriyaki this and that, this restaurant was a breath of fresh air.
I thought this place would be packed at 6pm on a Friday night. Wrong, just like what was experienced by another reviewer. Kinda empty, with plenty of seats available. I got seated immediately. Perhaps location plays a role.
The chefs were all Japanese, save one or two. This helps. I'm slightly adverse to eating at an ethnic restaurant where the chefs are anything but the ethnicity of the intended restaurant. How is an asian person supposed to know what an enchilada is SUPPOSED to taste like? Ya.. exactly.
The Interesting: The dishes I ordered were all interesting. In fact, somewhat unpredictable. My Okonomiyaki Chiba was a Japanese pancake with sirloin steak, scallops, and 2 other ingredients... in a pancake with cabbage, etc. Ya. I had no idea that was coming until I saw them cook it. All I saw on the menu was Sirloin, Scallops, and 2 other ingredients.
The Ahi with Mountain Yams threw me off as well. I was expecting maybe an Ahi steak with bits of yam. What I got instead, was cubed ahi in a white gelatinous mixture that was hard to separate. In it floated a ball of wasabi and topped off with bits of nori. Talk about an unusual texture overload. I felt like I was Andrew Zimmern tasting bizarre foods that no one on earth has tasted before.
The best dish was the Onions wrapped in Pork. I could eat that thing all night long. It's really just a simple julienned onion with thinly sliced pork wrapped around it.. then grilled. I'm going to do this at home to impress the girls. Tasty.. simple.. and oh so good for you.
Directions: I got lost trying to find this place. So here it is.
It is in the same plaza as the Cheesecake Factory. If you're looking at it from the street, the Cheesecake factory is on the left side of the shopping complex. Okonomiyaki Chiba is on the far right, 3rd floor, right across the street from a Louis Vuitton -
Review from Roya J.
San Jose, CA
12/4/2011
Went here based on yelp reviews. A little hard to find ... navigation was about a quarter mile off. The place isn't well marked, It's on the third floor above Senor Frogs. The Okonomiyaki was a new experience, but the raving point for us was the lychee martini. We enjoyed the authenticity of the food, which is hard to find in the mainland.
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Review from kelly k.
Honolulu, HI
8/30/2010
disclaimer: i haven't tried their okonomiyaki yet, so this is STRICTLY for their loco moco.
BEST LOCO MOCO EVER!!!!!!!!! rice, gravy, hamburger, gravy, sauteed mushrooms and onions, gravy, egg, gravy...can it get any better than this??? i think not! you know when the hamburger is a little burnt on the outside so there's some crunchiness to it? chibo's loco moco is IT! you know when the gravy is SOOOO good that you could pour it over anything? chibo's loco moco is IT! you know when you get that perfect scoop of rice, hamburger, egg, onion, mushroom, and gravy? chibo's loco moco is IT!!! and what's even better is that it comes straight off the teppan grill! i'm cutting this review short to go get me a chibo loco moco right meow!!!Listed in: japaneesy
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Review from Derek K.
Chibo has got to be legit when all you see there are the nihonjin tourists eating. Came to Chibo with the EFG (Epicrew Food Group) for dinner last week. I split an okonomiyaki and yakisoba with Kac.
First off, the food is sooooooooooo awesome! Do I have enough oooooo's? The yakisoba, which I've had before, is so flavorful and fresh. Each bite yields tremendous flavor down to licking the plate clean. The okonomiyaki is equally amazing. The last time I ate okonomiyaki was when I actually visited Japan...in the Kyoto train station I believe. Chibo's okonomiyaki is so good that it ranks right up there with the okonomiyaki that I had in the motherland.
On top of the amazing food, the service/cooking demo that they put on was so captivating (we were fortunate enough to sit in front of the main grill). All the cooks and waitresses were very friendly and helpful. i got to see a bunch of other dishes that the cooks were cooking and I need to go back ASAP.
Chibo is a definite recommendation if you haven't gone there yet. This place gets 5 stars for their food alone...add the great service in and you get 6 stars. Chibo also has a late night happy hour, so if you need to get your fix in of awesome okonomiyaki, you got lots of opportunity.Listed in: I'm full Japanese, so I eat…
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Review from Jessica A.
Honolulu, HI
11/2/2010
Honestly, I don't know what the big hype is about this place. I suggested to go to dinner here after such rave reviews on yelp. I think this is the first time I don't agree with the majority of the reviewers.
When we went to dinner tonight, we arrived during happy hour. However, you can't purchase any drinks from the happy hour menu without sitting at the bar, which was pretty tiny compared to the whole restaurant. When they sat us, they only gave us two menus to look over (there were five of us there) and I was a little disappointed that the server didn't stop to talk about the menu, since it was our first time there. Also, it was around 5:45PM and the place wasn't packed at all, yet it took a while to get our server to take our order. We ordered the Okonomiyaki Chibo along with a few other Okonomiyaki combinations where you choose your own ingredients. I also ordered the tofu spinach side dish, which was actually pretty tasty.
The Okonomiyaki wasn't the best I've ever tasted. I've tasted better okonomiyaki at places where they don't specialize in making this dish, so I was very disappointed. I have to agree with another reviewer that the dish was pretty doughy... For a $21 okonomiyaki, I expected to taste something pretty amazing. If you want to eat good okonomiyaki, I don't think you should come here.
Well, at the end of our meal, I decided to order the "special dessert," since dinner wasn't all that great. Apparently the special dessert was a green tea creme brulee and I thought it sounded pretty tastey. The creme brulee was pretty sad. It was around 4 inches in diameter, sat in a tin foil cup and hardly had any hard caramel over it and we paid $5 for that damn thing.
The service wasn't great either. Our server only visited us once after taking our order to give us tea. Our water was constantly refilled by many other people though. I guess I was just disappointed that our server didn't suggest anything from the menu or check to see if we needed anything. Receiving two menus for five people and not being able to order from the happy hour menu was pretty annoying too.
Granted, it's Waikiki and I should expect the prices to be pretty inflated, but the food sucked and the service wasn't great. I won't be coming here again. -
Review from Kaanon M.
San Dimas, CA
Merely adequate. My miso soup was too salty, couldn't finish. My yakisoba was good, but not great. I thought it was a little greasy, my wife thought it was a little dry. I don't know what that tells you but it can't be good.
They get bonus points for letting me choose my own ingredients though. The restaurant's namesake dish was curious. My wife got it with bacon and mochi&cheese. It wasn't bad, but we couldn't finish it either. All I tasted was mayonaisse.
The servings are large, which is a nice thing. -
Review from Sugar V.
Portland, OR
12/27/2010
Toss-up between trying the tonkatsu place or here for my last night on the island. Following the yelper recommendations, I tried the mochi bacon and cheese -- it was ok but a little too mushy inside.
The chef was great and the people watching around me, as well as watching them cook, was a saving grace.
Glad I tried it but no need to try again!
