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Categories: Department Stores, Bakeries, Specialty Food [Edit]
Ala Moana CenterMon-Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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I pretty much go to shirokiya just for the food. Since my grandma loves this place (i think it reminds her of Japan, where she's from), she always takes me here to eat lunch.
We always stop by the sushi section. Although some people may complain of the price, the sushi is always fresh and good. I love the negitoro maki and my grandma often gets the chirashi. To top things off, we always get some sort of vegetables, either namasu or something small.
I also dig the new dishes they have every now and then. I remember one time I got a shrimp tempura musubi and for some reason, it was the best musubi i've had in a while.
My grandma and I can deal with the lunch crowd; just grab and go, seating is a biyatch at times. For those who've never been here, you should check em out.
Colors and flava! yumm. there's a corner kiosk dedicated to Mochi Cream Desserts. Absolutely Delicious, and the best part is its right in front of a starbucks, what more can you ask for, Coffee and Japanese Cake. Fuggin Great!
lady can judge for sure though, cause she judged the hell out of me.
Paid my money and left. But I sure did enjoy my 5 min. of sweetness.
What's another review...
As the other reviews have stated, they sell everything that one can imagine. Jewlery, a bakery, cosmetics, grocery, cookware, clothing, toys, glasses, purses, and everything else... but I only go for the food.
All I can say is the place is all things Japanese food. Fresh food, different food, hot food... tasty food. I can't leave without food in my hands or in my belly.
They also have the mochi... high-end, low-end... I can't tell the difference.
I miss Shiokiya... but I will return in order to taste her goodness!
Shirokiya is everyone's favorite japanese goods store in Hawaii. I remember the days when we were in danger of loosing the store from the islands. Thank goodness that did not happen.
Apart from the department store aspect of the store there is an outstanding food area with both items for home cooking and a prepared food area for dining in or take out.
The food is great, while not gourmet japanese cuisine it is good wholesome well made comfort food. If you enjoy japanese food you will find what you want in Shirokiya's food court. From Okinawan Yaki Soba to Takoyaki to Nishime they have it all. It is comforting food that reminds you of living in Hawaii.
I always make it a point to eat at Shirokiya when I am back in the O'ahu.
I am a local girl and half Japanese, so I was practically raised in Shirokiya. I have the fondest memories of going to Shirokiya when I was 7 and sharing a bag of chestnuts with my Dad. And I remember looking through the endless sea of treats with my Grandma and wishing that I could read the packages. Then I realized years later that she couldn't read japanese either ... go figure!
Nowadays Shirokiya jam packed with everything under the sun. You want bubble tea? We got it! You want crepes? We got it! You want fresh mochi? We got it! You want some odd looking deep fried octopus thing? We got it!
I work at Ala Moana Center so I have gone through my stints of eating Shirokiya 3-5 days a week. Anything is better than the food court! I was once addicted to a $3.20 chicken & musubi bento. It was a beautiful love affair because it was so simple, satisfying and just the right amount of salty chicken flavor. Then one day they discontinued it. It literally broke my heart and I have never been the same since.
Unfortunately over the years the Shirokiya bentos have gone down in quality (I know you can crucify me later!) and some items are in some respects overpriced. Who wants to pay $6.50 for a single hamburger patty with gravy on it? I'm not kidding and I'll take pictures if you want proof! I've paid as much as $14 for a bento and a drink. Many of the prepared food items are missing a secret ingredient called L-O-V-E that used to make Shirokiya food A-mazing. Bring back the love please! I'll pay anything you want!
As a plus Shirokiya does have a really great variety of packaged treats, crackers and specialty items from Japan that you would not be able to find anywhere else. But still I often wonder if Shirokiya will still be there in 15 years or if eventually it will turn into two floors of food. They've taken away their electronics department. Can massage devices, face wash and dolls really pay the rent? A quarter of the downstairs area is already a bakery and a mochi shop. Mmmm sponge cake. So move over Hello Kitty, because we're going to put in an entire floor of handmade mochi and a slew of items which we'll never try because we can't read the darn packaging!
Happy bento eating!
Great place to go to at the Ala Moana center in Waikiki. Definitely need to stop by here if you are visiting. Shirokiya has a variety of items from Japan - both cool and weird! Make sure to try out the fresh mochi on the ground level...it is delicious! There's also a bakery too which looked good as well.
If you go upstairs there's a Japanese-esque indoor market where you can buy a variety of food items. There's bento boxes, crepes, snacks, etc.
Why go to Japan when you can see it in Waikiki/Honolulu?
This was the craziest store I've ever been in. My guide promised me that it would have anything I could think of. He was right. Upon walking in the store appeared to be a normal low-end department store, with cheap jewelry, houseware items, clocks, and stuff like that.
Beyond that section, there was a bookstore and video rental (or purchase?) store, a bookstore section, a clearance rack, and electronics store. We played on the massage chairs that were set up near the bookstore, and found very strangely shaped back-massagers. I still believe they had some ulterior purpose, like some way to give yourself a reach-around.
I was satisfied that this store did, in fact, contain everything.
And then, upstairs, I walked into a grocery store-restaurant-longs-drugstore-kitchenware section. Everything left in this universe that was not downstairs, was upstairs.
I ended up buying two plate-stands, four unidentifiable toys (that could be some type of cloth-covered anal beads), and some candied squid. All for under $10.00.
I love this place, I love this place, I love this place!!!!!
If you like Asian food (Japanese food mainly), this is the place to go instead of the food court in AlaMoana. They offer a great variety of Japanese food there. They have ramen and bento and a lot of other different, authentic-looking japanese food. I absolutely love their takoyaki (octopus balls).. it's of course not as good as those you get in Osaka, but compare to those I can find in Japan Town, San Francisco, they are much better.
I also tried their bento, it's a bit pricey, but hey it's Waikiki so I cant complain. If you know what your ordering, you should be fine. If not, then good luck, because not all the staff there can speak English : ) (They are very friendly and will try their best to explain to you what the food is so no worries) Also try to get their fried/grilleditems FRESH, they tend to get soggy and oily after a while (that's what happend to my friend squid and taiyaki)
Downstairs they sell Japanese souvenirs, pricey, but save you a trip to Japan!
I always hit the bakery, mochi cream and Bookoff on the first floor. I miss some Japanese mags like Madame Figaro but I really don't want to pay $250 for an amazon subscription. So next best thing is to buy older mags from Bookoff at Shirokiya. Wish there was a Hardoff here too for all the random crap you'll never need.
Everything else I skip and head to the second floor for the food. First of all, it's the nearest place to me where I can find Frisk mints. Wish they had Mintia but I can deal with Frisk. That in addition to the gazillion candy/chocolate things I like (Ghana chocolate mmm) and the bentos.
Right now there is a Kyushu fair (I think only for one more week) and they have some awesome stuff (tako wasabi, various dango, very good futomaki, etc.)
I've been going to Oahu once a year for the past four years. Each time I've gone to Ala Moana for some shopping and to get out of the hot Sun and to take a break from Waikiki, and it was only this last trip to Oahu (10/6-10/14) did I find this place. I never knew it was at the top of Ala Moana only because I never ventured up the mall that far. I fell in love with the place and wanted to buy all the bento boxes I picked up. I wanted to walk through all the aisles of the market, but hesitated because I knew I would buy almost everything in sight and my luggage wouldn't fit everything. I decided to buy about 3-4 bento boxes to take back to my condo/hotel, so I have food to eat. I ate one at the market. I believe it was the Chicken BBQ with Kim Chee Fried Rice. YUM!! I've never eaten at the food court inside the mall and now I know I probably never will now that I know Shirokiya is just a few escalator flights up =).
***OKAY, so after reading some of the reviews, I find out that there was also a 1st floor???? OMG, I need to go back to Oahu!!!! SOON!! =D
I really like to go to Shirokiya to eat lunch because there are a lot of selection. We went there after 5:00pm and a lot of lunch box are 30 percents. I cant really make up my mind what to eat because everything looks so good; therefore, i need to go back to eat more than once. I feel like i am in Japan when i go to SHIROKIYA
Also, i really like the mochi selection and they are 1.25 each. :-) I love it...
My Ratings:
Quantity: 4 Stars
Quality - 4 Stars
Price - 5 Stars
Location - 3 Stars
Service - 4 Stars
Speed: 4 Stars
My Opinion/Story:
Awesome place to grab a quick bite. The second floor is buzzing with people trying to get a hot meal. It's just plain wonderful to see the different dishes made fresh. The bottom floor is a regular store selling things from cute little trinkets to big decorations. Kinda pricey but that's what you get for great quality. It's the second floor that got me really interested. During the lunch hour, the place is just some kind of wonderful. You get a really filling meal cheap. So if on a budget, this is one place to get your grub on... the only bad thing is picking which one to eat since there's so many.
I found The Little Prince in Japanese for $1.00. I ate a sakura cream mochi. I think this must be Heaven.
The white plum incense I bought smells like a Dream, though, so much gentler than Indian incenses. So perhaps I was merely dreaming.
But then why does it smell so good.
Heaven is located in a mall. Did you all know that? Shirokiya is heaven.
For you Cali folk...imagine Marukai/Mitsuwa on roids with a food court that kills all other in existence. It's everything you could ever wish for under one roof.
I think every time I visit home, I am in this place every other day grabbing things to eat. I will gladly sit through all the traffic to get here. It's no problem when I've got goodies waiting for me. I really could care less about the massage chairs, jade necklaces, cosmetics, and weird japanese underwear. I go straight to the food. It's upstairs. Grab a tray, baby.
This department store is like no other. If you love Japanese merchandise, this place is like a godsend. It was owned by a Japanese company, but that changed after their economy collapsed, so now it's locally owned and completely independent. It's the only remaining store, none left in Japan.
If you've never been here before, the best example I can give you is: imagine the Macy's women department, an electronics store, a kitchen supplies shop, one of those cute merchandise stores from Chinatown in SF, and Mitsuwa's Hokkaido Fair all combined together. That's it.
I just come here for the food (top floor). Here you'll find tons of food products imported from Japan (they also feature regional Japanese food specialties monthly), as well as freshly-made Japanese food like: bentos, tempura, tonkatsu, teriyaki, broiled seafood, unagi (freshwater eels), sushi, yakisoba (stir-fry noodles), gyoza (potstickers), tsukemono (pickles), potato salad, taiyaki (pancake w/red bean shaped like a fish), takoyaki (octopus balls), mochi balls, mochi ice cream, manju, senbei (Japanese crackers), pastries, sandwiches, etc. Phew! That's all I can remember right now. There's a station for each food item. Most of the staff are bilingual, so don't hesitate to ask questions about any item. LOVE the free samples!
I'm sad that my stomach is not large enough to fit more food, so I need to make multiple visits. It's like a Japanese foodie paradise, but not fancy. Why come for lunch? Although it's true that you can find similar cooked food products elsewhere with shorter lines, what makes it attractive is the variety of each type all available at one location.
Cons:
It's crowded, long line to pay, you'll be lucky to get a seat, and it's not cheap.
Shirokiya is located in the Ala Moana Center, kind of hidden away. It was okay, but I based on previous reviews I was disappointed, I was expecting an amazing place. It seemed to be overpriced, based on prices I've seen in Boston and in New York. They had a Sanrio section, which was nice as I heart Hello Kitty, but seeing as there's a Sanrio store in the same mall (which actually had cheaper prices on some of the stuff), that is not a reason in of itself to go.
The store has a huge food section, though, which is nice--you can stock up on Japanese treats. They had my favorite Japanese gummy candies, so I bought a few bags.
Shirokiya is a place I grew up going to. I remember when there was Shirokiya at Pearlridge mall but that has been gone for a while now. But Ala Moana Shirokiya always brings me back to my vacations in Japan. My most favorite place, Japan, brought home in Hawaii. Many of the workers are Japanese speaking as well the bentos and food areas being set up exactly like in Japan (even the crowds are similar :)) I dig it. I love the Saint Germain's Bakery as well as eating my most favorite bentos there: yakitori chicken bento or butterfish bento. Mmm! Tons of choices on food!
I misssss Shirokiya!!!! My first "real job" was at Macy's dept. during the holidays and I use to frequest Shirokiya just for the food!!!!!!!!! HMMMMMMMMM!!!
But, besides food I would come here to get my glasses/contacts prescription from Dr. Chinn (my big sister & I love Dr. Chinn he is the best Optometrist!). His office space in Shirokiya is small but that never bothered us because he is great at taking care of his clients optical needs!
Shirokiya overall offers a variety of items from clothing, household electronics, jewlery & a number of other useful items. But, of course my favorite feature is the food court...lol...
****missin it all da way from da mainland!!****
Shirokiya is my absolute favorite store in the entire mall! There's a level committed solely to food. There are so many different food booths tucked into each nook; you can find anything from a bakery, to hot fried foods, to seafood, to mochi ice cream, to smoothies. Downstairs is a lot of fun too. There's a beauty counter, electronics, crafts, and toys. On my most recent visit, I found out they sell pogs! They are also one of the few places you can find Konad products, and they have a great selection of them too. If you aren't familiar, Konad is a Korean brand specializing in nail decor, namely their plates so you can stamp images on your nails! Even if you aren't into that sort of thing, Shirokiya has such a broad range of products that I'm sure there's something for everyone.
I missed the Boy's day but I surely did not miss on their mochi.
If some people cry themselves to sleep (which is sad), I have stuffed myself with mochi until I passed out ( I know, that is sad as well).
Mochi cream (not mochi ice cream) is shipped from Japan as the cute girl behind the counter said. It is frozen, so give it some time (1 hour) to thaw so you can appreciate the goodness of it. Not the iciness (tough to bite if you don't have patience!) .
They have lots of jewelries on sale, geta for 60$ ( I find this too expensive), tiny chotskis that some might find kawaii.
And I strongly recommend going to their food section. They have different pastries (aside from the bakery beside the mochi booth), takoyakis, bento boxes, and other Japanese food.
I came here with the sole intent of eating some good food -- I would say I accomplished that and more as I had the chance to browse the department store while I was at it!
First -- food. You will be overwhelmed by the large selection of offerings in the food court up on the 2nd floor of this department store. They have fresh fruit bubble tea, light yet sweet and tasty desserts, and oh the Bento! They did not have the okonomiyaki I was desperate to try, but they did have almost everything else. I settled on the most delicious Miso-marinated Butterfish you could ever imagine and some so-so octopus Tako balls. They also offer sushi (of course), tempura battered everything, and katsudon.
The cutesy section was a bit lacking with a few scattered Sanrio items/San-X items here and there. They do have a lot of authentic-looking Japanese gifts & toys, but if you're looking for Harajuku-type Japan, you won't find much here. However, if you are into cosmetics, the counters here might offer some asia-specific lines and specialty products. The book/magazine area was also interesting with plenty of choices as was the electronics section downstairs.
Come for the food and enjoy browsing to get a truly unique and believably authentic taste of Japan! (When about 95% of the people around you are speaking only Japanese, you know you're good, lol)
I FREAKIN LOVE SHIROKIYA. i think i could live inside of it if i could. tons of bentos and food to drool over. a little section where they make their own takoyaki (yummmm). a mochi counter. bubble tea. and for boy's day, they had a bunch more mochi (which my little sister squealed over and took like half an hour trying to decide which one to buy). they recently had an island fair going on and my mom stocked up on milk break and punaluu guava sweetbread to bring home to SF.
plus, the food gets discounted after a certain time, i forget when, but every penny counts!
The bento boxes on the upper floor are good quality and fairly priced. There is a good variety so my family tried different dishes.
I love to come here and eat! The food on the second floor offers such a variety of yumminess that is quick, delicious, and extremely reasonable! If you get there a little later like 7 they even mark off a dollar on some of the bentos making things extremely affordable! I absolutely love the monthly specials where they bring in people from Japan to make regional specialities. Also I can always have a quick delicious shrimp tempura roll, my absolute favorite.
The Korean food is just ok, but obviously the Japanese food is fantastic for the price. Don't expect anything fancy, just some well cooked, mass produced Japanese food.
Boy's Day, Boy's Day, Boy's Day! It's May 5, and Shirokiya can set you up with what you need. Lots of different sizes of koi to fly, Boy's Day T-Shirts, nice Japanese cards, and more local-style cards too.
I was happy to see lots of mochi back! I was sad when the Girl's Day mochi selection petered out.
Last I went, they had the Niku-man manapua and special gyoza. I tried a veggie selection that I'd never seen before called "Bairin". It was really pretty with bright orange kabocha layered with some kind of savory kanten and slices of cute okra stars. It was really pretty, but I spit out my first bite into a napkin and threw it away because it had a weird fishy taste (and I hate fish!). I was sad, but glad I got to try something new.
The "Hiroshima Fair" has the BEST selection of miso I have ever seen. There's 3 different basic… Read more »
I'm officially even more in love with Shirokiya that I was before.
A while back I heard about the Tim Tam Slam vs the Oreo Dunk and really wanted to try it.
But then I found out that Tim Tam's are from Australia and couldn't find them anywhere.
It even got to the point that I almost ordered them online - a $3 box of cookies with $28 shipping. It was outrageous.
But today I walked into Shirokiya like I always do and happened to glance at the shelf stocked with cookies and there they were, the Tim Tams i had so desperately searched for. Yay.
Now I get to have the ultimate cookie showdown.
I love Shirokiya.
It has everything I could want and more.
Tons of food, books, magazines, kitchen…
Read more »
where else can you get a camera, a kimono, a bento, eye-glasses, a sake set, a smoothie, and St. Germain curry fry all in the same place??
despite some things being kinda pricey, i still venture into Shirokiya whenever i'm at the mall. i personally think it sucks that they replaced it at Pearlridge, but i guess its better business having it at Ala Moana where Japanese tourists flock.
the seasonal food offerings from different regions are great too. people can have a little taste of different regions of Japan without having to travel there - sure its not the same, but if you cant afford Japan, why not have a little bit of Japan come to you.
and i'm stoked that they added a takoyaki cooking booth..... bout friggin time.
I don't know why I even bothered to write a review here, since everyone knows this place is the greatest. Bento, sushi, mochi, noodles....you are literally surrounded by so many choices. It might get a little expensive, but try going in the evening when the prices are slashed in red and the lines die and chaos settles down.
I loooove the magazines they have!
I looove how they sell unlocked phones!
I loove how they have obon dance clothing.
I love how they sell mochi ice cream.
But I don't love the way the bathrooms smell.
And I really don't love how some of the food looks like it's been sitting there a while. Sketchy.
what? why are there pastries in Macey's? And scarves and dolls next to sushi? Am I in some alternate universe where bakeries are interchangable with department stores?
OH. Its just Shirokiya. I definitely am not ready for this concept.
This place dominates! Have you been to the massage device section? I feel like I need to wash my hands! Without a doubt, the easiest place to pick up a nice lady for afternoon loving.
If you're married like me, the place is still pretty cool. They have electronics and books and stuff.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Shirokiya sells Tim Tams!
I unsuccessfully searched all over the mainland for these Australian chocolate biscuits. On a trip to Oahu, I stopped by this place for some noodles and mochi. As I contemplated ordering a crepe, I turned around and my months-long search was finally over. What a crazy, random happenstance. Thank you, Shirokiya.
I take my ladies here for the extensive selection of high-powered hand-hand electronic devices. Wash your hands after leaving the store!
This is one of my absolute favorite stores in Oahu because it has the following:
- Extensive supermarket and japanese food selections (most of it is freshly made!)
- Yummy bakery!
- Mochi ice cream place
- Dessert place upstairs
- Freshly made tonkatsu sandwiches and takoyaki balls
- Assorted bento boxes, ready for you to take home!
- Huge selection of japanese drinks!
I love to wander around in this store and look for things I can eat or want to eat next. :) It has a great selection of food and snacks for any type of mood that you're in. Love this place!
If you are looking for something Japanese and are on Oahu, Shirokiya is the place to go. They feature a great selection of products and foods! The takoyaki on the second floor is simply the best when it is fresh out of the fryer!
The bento boxes have great selection and great flavor! Good prices and good variety!
The place can get busy, so don't plan to eat your food there!
Shirokiya is one thing I miss about living on Oahu.
I miss stopping by for a quick bento/lunch (from chicken yakitori to shrimp tempura) and yummy mochi (chocolate). The selection is pretty big and I'm never disappointed. If you're in a rush, they have tables to sit and eat with complementary mizu. But it's always crowded so you're lucky if you find an open table.
My mom loves coming to Shirokiya when she use to visit me when I was living on the island... she loves all those japanese trinkets.
They have a sanrio section too!
I believe it's 2 levels? Ala Moana is huge so finding a parking shouldn't be a problem, althought everytime I went to Alas, it's always packed... but on the bright side, it's FREE to park!
5 stars for all things japanese!
Visit: 4/5/09 - Ate the tako balls. Taste good and is always a great treat.
I looked around for some reasonable lunch deals and you will not find it here. You will find good quality and tasty items that are much different from other restaurants.
This place is good for a food court kinda place. I will come back.
Note: Don't eat the specials of the month items. They cost a lot and taste just as good as a daily item. I saw unagi bowls "from Japan" that cost $23 each. Crap the portion was small and they gave more rice than unagi.
OH MOCHI CREAM!!!!!!! Thank you Shirokiya for introducing me to it.
Shirokiya is a neat place! It's part department store/gift shop/cafe/bakery/restaurant/book store/electronic store.
Of all the food that I miss in Hawaii, everyone is surprised to hear that I probably miss Shirokiya's bento the most. I know it's not something unique to Hawaii, but it's just as hard to find a good bento in San Jose as it is to find malasadas... and I love bento more.
I love the Makunouchi, the salmon and most of all the ika bentos. I love the different tsukemono and the chicken wings. The broiled saba and hamachi and the fried ika are great.
There are millions of senbei and candies and if you have to pick up omiyage, they have plenty of gift boxes to choose from. It's also the only place I can go pick up Yoku Moku in my boroboros without feeling too shame. *cough* Neimans *cough* I also don't know where else you can get grape mentos.
Shirokiya brings in different regional Japanese food specialties so there is something different featured every month or so. My favorite - MusuTen.
There is also a first floor with electronics, Sanrio, household items and furniture, jewelry and other junk, but to be honest, I never really go down there anymore.
What a great place to get snack or breakfast or origami paper or a vintage obi. The takoyaki here is awesome! They make it fresh every day. I was able to get it twice while we were in Hawaii this time. I burnt my mouth really badly the second time around, so be careful. Very fresh and very hot!
The other food in the upstairs part is also pretty good. I can't remember what else I ate there right now b/c all I can think of is takoyaki.
They also have a large selection of Japanese toys, books and dvds. And they have a nice electronics area, too. We picked up a vintage obi and were very tempted by the sale on futon. If only we had a tatami room...
Anyway, this is a must stop place in Ala Moana. Check it out.
Honolulu, HI
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