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I couldn't help think about this place last night, because there isn't really anything in Seattle that offers these types of dishes. I was home for a week and I ended up eating here twice.
All the typical "normal" safe dishes were yummy, I remember a salad, hamachi kama and some sort of roll....but what is really amazing about this place, is that all the things I thought I hated since small kid times, like natto and uni, omg were amazing here. It must be the combination of natto, yamaimo, ika, green onion, quail egg and.....oh now I wish I wrote this review last month but either way, it was so good. (Or it could be signs of one getting older)...
Spicy tartar, very yummy....but oddly, I really enjoyed the couple of bites that I took from my friend's Mini Uni-don, they have these marinated Ikura that is just mindblowing, I have no idea what's in them but it is sooo good and I don't like Uni or Ikura....
Service was awesome, very attentive drinks and food came up pretty quickly. Parking can be difficult, since it is on King street, but if you're super lucky there's a tiny lot in the back.
I thought the food here was good, but expensive. I had the butterfish (good), dynamite (ok), and the hamachi kama (excellent). The hamachi kama was sooo flavorful! Please try it! My friends ordered nigiri and the fish looked delicious!
Service was very good as well. I like how sleek and clean the restaurant is. Seating is very limited, so you should make reservations or you'll have quite a wait...
Parking is pretty stressful. I absolutely HATE crossing King street. I always feel like I'm going to get run over!!! So be careful (and good luck) parking and walking to the restaurant.
There are no words to describe how happy I am, that I've tried Gaku before leaving Oahu.
Trust me, it was THAT good! The company I had dinner with was totally unpleasant, but because the food & service was soooo good, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
One of the best sushi bars I've been to in the US. All who have not been, YES you should be jealous & curious. It's about $100 per person if you order omakase at the sushi bar & drinks. I love that they bring out all these specials from the kitchen too. Grilled fish I've never had before, but soooo good.
They have this snack - dried fish bones. So weird, but memorable.
The shochu bottle is surprisingly well priced too.
The restaurant is small and soooo good. I would be a fool not to make reservations well in advance, or to dine with more than 3-4 people.
If I could rate this place a 4.5... but I can't, so I'll round up to a 5.
Service - fantastic (friendly waitress who had great recommendations, was accommodating, and checked in the right number of times)
Baby-friendly - surprisingly so. we were worried about this since Yelp states it is not kid-friendly. but i disagree...well depends. our group sat in the private area in the back. you sit on the floor, but there is a hole under the table where you can let your legs drop. this was PERFECT for our baby since we could put him in a sit on the floor next to us.
Food - i don't remember much...since my buddy proceeded to order 3 bottles of the strongest sake on the menu (he chose it precisely because of its alcohol %) but what i do remember is the butterfish (OMFG), the stuffed crab legs (OMFFG) and the hamachi seaweed wraps (OMFFFG). of course the several sushi and sashimi platters we ordered were all very fresh and tasty.
The only reason I say I would rate a 4.5 is because of the price and the fact that it was not necessarily localized in any way. It's a pure Japanese joint, not a Hawaiian-Japanese joint. But if you go in there expecting that.... a great Japanese joint...then you will be pleased.
Finally, I got a chance to eat at this place because everytime I try to call in I am unable to get a table until after 8:30pm and by then I have already eaten some place else. I came here with my family to eat.
Anyway, this place is kind of expensive but it's actually worth it. The staff are very friendly. The food is probably what I liked best. If I remember correctly, we had Maguro Chazuke, Cold and Hot Udon, Tobiko Sushi, Uni, Squid Legs, Spicy Tuna Roll, Maguro and Miso Soup. I loved the Maguro Chazuke because it was simple, not sure where the seasoning was but all I had to do was pour the hot tea that came with it and eat the rest like good soup. I liked how it wasn't salty. The Hot and Cold Udon were flavorful, I liked the hot one better and the noodles were chewy. The Spicy Tuna Roll tasted great, not overpowering with sesame oil, mayo, or that spicy sauce. I wonder if the ingredients used was made differently. The Squid Legs weren't chewy, very crispy, and melts in your mouth which I liked but it was salty. What surprised me the most was the Tobiko, the eggs looked bigger than most places that serve it and it was shiny like little glass balls. Eating it was amazing, it didn't taste like crap and I would love to eat it again because I don't normally eat Tobiko. The Miso Soup was just right, didn't taste like there was MSG in it.
As we left, the whole staff thanked us. My dad left his cell phone and didn't know but one of the waiters came running outside to give it back to us before we left. It was very kind of him to do so.
Man I love this place. Definitely a great place to eat with a bunch of friends or with a date.
I came here a long time ago and didn't like it.
Parking is terrible and the food was not cheap or good.
Can someone explain why this place gets such good reviews?
The yellow tail tartare & the tako w/ basil taste absolutely ridiculous(in a good way). The person who compared a restaurant in hawaii to Tsukiji fish market is also ridiculous( not in a good way).
Anyways, the fish here was extremely fresh. Toro & uni here were bomb. The sweet shrimp was a bit on the tiny side, but i think its cuz i've been spoiled by live prawns in the past. They even served me some fish that i havent had before(or maybe I did at Tsukiji but i had no clue what i was eating)
Last but not least...I have to give props to the white man from the big island. I forgot your name but i know you read this. Superb recommendations and he even told us about free parkin spaces in waikiki area. Everything he said was good was good. Everything he said was adventrous was disgusting. The man tells it like it is.
4.5 stars
Food is great! The waiting time is very poor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This could be my new favorite sushi restaurant in Honolulu. I must admit that I know high quality fish as I research sushi restaurants, have read books on it and have conversations with the sushi chefs often. I had omakase sushi. What impressed me was the different types of fish served. Many of which I have never experienced before and many without English names (so I was told). The fish was of very high quality as was the rice. Some sushi was serviced with a sauce that was appropriate and not overpowering. This place and sasabune are my definite favorites in the area. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
oh sooo yummy! I love all the sushi here, so fresh! the hamachi kama is the best i ever tried! the hubby loves the sake selection here! the udon is a must, with the yamaimo! the oysters are yummy...gee...everything is soo good!
the ribeye, the chazuke, the tea! I could go on and on! Reservations is a must or prepared to wait outside...we kinda felt bad we took sooo long eating because there was soo much people trying to get in...sorry guys, i have to enjoy the food and not inhale it! sooo oishi!
There can definitely be long waits for this small restaurant. I can't fault them for being too successful though.
I've tried a variety of things here, all ranging from good to really fricken awesome. I'll name the spicy tuna tartar my staple along with o-toro which is a staple everywhere.
Service was great. I got this guy Mike both times I been here so far (my minimum visit for reviews). Great recommendation on sake Mike, although I forgot what it was already.
I tried Belt fish for the first time. I give it a thumbs up. Good quality Uni, some slightly chewy veins on the otoro but very good overall. And they gave me fresh Wasabi.
Will be coming back competing on the limited seats on my next visit to Hawaii.
I've driven by a million times and never noticed. The Yelp reviews caught my eye so we decided to give it a go.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised. I'm going to get straight to the point on this one. We liked everything A LOT.
Service was superb and prices are commensurate with the experience... about $50/ person with alcohol.
Sushi Izakaya Gaku and Imanas Tei would be our top Izakaya's in Honolulu. They are a tad different and I would give the edge to Imanas Tei as they have a more diverse and creative menu, especially good if you have a crowd that's not big sushi fans. Gaku has a more traditional menu (I'm not Japanese so in my mind it's a traditional menu but what do I know). Gaku gets the nod with service, hands down better service. Imanas always has ample staff but you always have to flag someone down for help and they are usually in the middle of something else. If I had to pick one it would be an easy pick - Imanas Tei is better, you go to restaurants to eat and the diverse selection and quality make it an easy pick.
What's the Scoop?
Awesome sushi joint. Very high quality. Very fresh. I think it's the best Sushi place on the Island. You can just taste it . The ambiance is very home like.
Price:
Fair
Must try:
The salmon (Sake) was awesome. Everything we ate was amazing.
Drinks:
We ordered an expensive bottle of Sake. Wasn't all that for the price, but hey it was something to drink.
Stay away from:
It can get very busy.
Parking:
Street
Note: It was funny to see Haole guys working at a place like this. They spoke some Japanese, but they really over did it with trying to hard to be to Japanese. That just killed it. We saw all the expressions of the local Japanese people eating there and it was hilarious. It was the WTH? look haha. I could even hear some of them trying not to show any expression to make it obvious that the haole was making them look bad. Anyway, it's just something you'll notice if you eat here.
Definitely deserves it's ratings! We were on vacation in HI, and we went on a Tues. night. We waited around 10 minutes which bears no judgement. Parking was a little tight, but not the worst. The host even came out to tell us that a party would be leaving in 10 minutes and for us to block the driveway. That was customer service.
We didn't get to sit at the bar, but that's ok our server was amazingly courteous and helpful. We ordered their dynamite, which was great but not so great if you don't like Octopus (I don't), but still very delicious. We also order baked crab legs, very good as well. Our server told us that there were 2 ways of preparation (mayo or not) we went with the mayo version. We ordered Otoro sashimi, decently priced, but very delicious, melt in your mouth, wonderful. We also ordered Yellowtail sashimi which was just as delicious. Both fishes were very fresh. We also got Sake, I forget which grade, but I knw it's the mid-grade one. Our server was being truthful and said that the descriptions beneath each Sake should not be listened to. Sake was amazingly smooth and just the right amount of sweetness. Lastly, we ordered the rib-eye. My boyfriend loved it. That night I wasn't craving beef, but nonetheless, it was good. To each their own!
Overall great place, great server, and great food! Thanks for the fantastic dinner in Hawaii!
Having heard (and read) great reviews of this place, I decided to take the DH out for his bday recently. I made reservations about 3 wks in advance, and scored two seats at the sushi bar. We scored easy parking (a feat in and of itself in this neighborhood!) and walked into the restaurant at 6:25.
Us: Hello, we have reservation at 6:30.
Gaku: Oh, okay, just one moment.
(five seconds later)
G: I'm so sorry, your seats are not ready yet, they are almost done. I'm so sorry.
Us: Um, it's okay. We're early.
G: So sorry. Please and thank you for waiting.
Us: I'm sorry. Thank you.
G: Thank you.
(another server walks by us)
G: I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. It'll be just a moment.
Us: (feeling really bad for coming early), No, we're early, I'm sorry.
G: Thank you so much for waiting.
(two minutes later)
G: Thank you so much, welcome, right this way!
The service started out excellent, and it just went uphill from there with food. We ordered the large sashimi platter (to share), had several orders of sushi, ate the miso soup on the recommendation of the chef, and ALL OF IT WAS FRIGGIN' good. All of the great food was enhanced by excellent and attentive service, with 4-5 servers plus 3-4 chefs (including the two sushi chefs) servicing what was probably a max of about 40 people (if that, and including the tatami room).
I have not had such wonderful service in HI in, like, forever! This was top notch food accompanied by the kind of service you find at zagat-rated restaurants. It was a bit pricey but well worth it. I would go there again even if I had to pay for it - again!
By far, Gaku is the best Izakaya style Japanese restaurant in town. I never really understood when people said that something was "better than sex" until I tried the Sea Urchin here. Dear God it was fantastic. If I smoked I would have had a cigarette after!! I've never had a bad dish here and the waiters are always so helpful. I usually leave the ordering up to them once I have my favorites. Go!!!
This is the best sushi I've ever had, excellent service, and an authentic Japanese atmosphere, so I'm told.
We got last minute rezzies in the back room for a large party (one of our party is a regular). Daniel was our waiter- what a cool guy! He was instructed to bring out the best of everything, and he delivered. My favorites (I'm not the most adventurous): Hamachi Tartar, Monkfish Liver, Baked King Crab, and this delicious bowl of rice, nori strips and salmon with green tea poured over it- can't remember what it was called.
It's not cheap, but well worth every penny for top notch service with a smile and the freshest fish around. My husband was in sushi heaven. We will definitely be back next time we're in Hawaii!
Although I've only just eaten at Gaku for the first time, I was so impressed that I think it might be my favorite izakaya. My friends and I have always gone to Tokkuri-Tei, but the atmosphere, food quality and flavor and service is much better than at Gaku and I like that the food is a bit more authentic here.
My favorite dish was the first one they served, a simple dish of fried chunks of kabocha (pumpkin) sprinkled with kuro goma (black sesame seeds) and green onions and served with a wonderfully creamy sweet miso sauce. It was the best pumpkin dish I've ever had.
My friend ordered the maguro chazuke and he raved about it. He said the slices of maguro on the rice were flavored with something citrusy--must have been some kind of yuzu paste?--and the whole bowl was delicious mixed together.
I had the cold udon with oroshi and green onions. The sanuki udon was nice and firm and the chilled broth was balanced between sweet and savory. It wasn't too expensive, either--I think only $5.50 for the bowl.
I remembered someone on Yelp recommending the Taraba no Kyurimaki su, but I don't recommend it. It's a cold dish of king crab legs wrapped in a thin cucumber slice and nori and sliced into rounds served on a bed of mozuku seaweed in a vinegary sauce. It looks like crab sushi. The texture is nice, but you can't get any flavor from the crab.
The clams we had were nice and fresh, in a sake broth. Everything else we had was good, but didn't stand out. The service is very good here. We had two Caucasian male servers (who speak fluent Japanese with great accents) and a Japanese female and they were so polite and friendly. They had three sushi chefs working also, so the sushi was flying off the counter. Although I loved the atmosphere, the restaurant is so small that other conversations can get very loud and intrusive. It's a bit pricey, but I can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu.
Introduced to this place in 2007, Gaku reigns as the number one sushi restaurant in Hawaii. The waiters and waitresses for the most part are extremely knowledgable when it comes to the menu, and are very attentive to even the smallest of details. Never mind that the waiters are "non-Japanese"; they are very good at what they do.
So to the food then: fantastic.
The sushi is as fresh as it gets, with different seasonal imports straight from Japan. Also you have to respect the fact that the owner HIMSELF works behind the sushi bar as the head sushi chef nightly! Recommendations are always spot-on, though I always have my usual goodies to fall back on (O-Toro, Abalone, Uni, Mirugai, etc.). The fresh octopus from Hokkaido was surprisingly tender and a must-try while supplies last! The rest of their menu is very versatile and diverse, with something to please everyone. NOT for the budget-minded crowd, as with any great restaurant you must pay for excellence. If you're coming here thinking about ordering a spicy tuna roll and Genki Sushi price expectations, you need to take your broke azz home.
I don't get the people that give this place bad ratings, but give Genki Sushi 5 stars lol. I guess that speaks for itself. Enjoy!
First, let me just say that I had really high expectations of this place. Friends and fellow Yelpers can't stop raving so I had to check it out. I'm glad I did, but I wouldn't say it ranks as one of my favorite restaurants. It's probably one of the best Izakayas in Hawaii I've tasted better sushi/sashimi. Maybe they were having a bad day? I'll try again later and give an update.
Service was superb. However, I did notice the waiters were not Asian. Not that there's a problem with that, but when I ask for recommendations at a restaurant that I've never been to before, I'd like to steer clear from hearing spicy tuna or seafood dynamite. The menu was large enough to try and avoid the basic food itmes that show up in every Japanese restaurant. Sucker me... I tried his recommendations anyway.
Seafood Dynamite - Good, but it's been done so many times.
Small Sashimi Platter - Were they out of the good fish? I didn't see any hamachi. If it was hamachi on my platter, it must've been some crappy grade that turned white because we had two types of white fish. One must've been aji, but what was the other? Amaebi and maguro I recognized. Was the other one toro? Tasted okay but they could've made it larger. Yanagi's toro is better.
Fried Kabocha with sesame sauce - Yelpers love it. I thought it was okay. Nothing special. Sorry guys.
Oysters (Seattle) - Now, this was something I could've ate all night.
Spicy tarter - Can we say spicy tuna or hamachi?
Mirugai Sushi - I ordered it just to have.
Dessert - The custard dish and a scoop of green tea ice cream. Both were yummy and light enough to complete the meal.
Shared a large Asahi with the bf, I had a glass of Kubota sake, bf had a glass of sake and the bill came out to $140 + $40 tip.
***VERDICT***
Definitely worth trying. Excellent service. Do make reservations. Maybe I'll try the sushi bar next time. I hear the sushi chef/owner Manabu gives good recommendations.
Gaku has supplanted Tokkuri-Tei as my favorite izakaya, not just because of the food, but because of the atmosphere and service as well.
Ambience - Cozy, unpretentious, relaxing music in the background, feels like every employee is happy to see you spend money there atmosphere.
Food - Fresh, melt in your mouth, yummy sushi, plus broke da mouth scrumptious pupu style eats that won't put you in the poor house if you don't want to prices.
Sushi Chefs - Super cool, gregarious, doesn't put blinders on when working, friendly but not in a stalker kind of way, and fun.
Problems - Too damn busy between 6 and 9. Reservations required at least 3 days ahead of time. Terrible parking...no valet and only 4 stalls available.
I'm going back next week, and the week after that, and the week after that...
=)
After reading the positive reviews about this place I had to check it out the first night I flew into Hawaii. It's an izakaya (tapas restaurant). Nice Japanese style atmosphere and the food was authentic. We weren't too hungry so we just ordered the chicken karaage (this was juicy), house salad (their homemade dressing was yummy), and this raw dish of uni, grated yamaimo, ahi, tobiko, ikura, natto and quail egg. My friend didn't care much for the last dish but I enjoyed it since I like all those ingredients, including natto. I don't blame him for not liking natto, fermented soy beans. We ended our meal with the pumpkin pudding - not too sweet and heavy.
Overall it's a nice place to just relax and enjoy a Japanese tapas.
Gaku just popped my Japanese 5 Star Cherry on Yelp. I'm kinda stingy when it comes to 5 star ratings...but Gaku is deserving - MOS DEF.
Homemade Tofu w/ Bonito Gelee **** Interesting (I'd rather have the homemade tofu at Tsukuneya)
Taraba no Kyurimaki su **** Thanks to Love S. for the recommendation!
New Zealand Oysters **** We prefer 'em ice cold so we had to scoop some ice from our water glasses to chill 'em.
SPICY Hamachi ****** OMG, yes. 6 stars. High quality Hamachi (even though it may have been from the day before), japanese mayo, tobiko, sriracha and - a QUAIL egg. I'm convinced that the egg was the key to the creamy, rich taste. Next time I go to Genki, Imma sneak in a quail egg for my Spicy Tuna.
Sashimi Moriawase **** Our server told us we had already ordered too much food. Boy, did we show him! Sashimi moriawase always tastes best when it is cut but the man who bought the fish himself, that morning, at the fish auction.
(H)amachi Kama ***** The bf loved it...so much so that he forgot to save me a bite.
Geso Karaage **** Fried Squid dusted in mochiko & Nori ( a tad salty)
T-N-T ***** I'm totally on a dynamite kick. I think I'll make a list after this review.
Green Tea Ice Cream ***** Hard to go wrong, they use Bubbies (Though Daves is also *****)
Hoyo Sake ***** Perfectly sweet at smooth
Dewasansan **** More like your daddy's sake
Service ***** EVERY dish was served up with a, "Thankee yuuu sooo muchee for the waitinguu!" And our server even asked, "Is it ok if I give you a little extra sake for your patience?"
Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. You just earned yourself 5 stars.
Fun! And tasty!
It was a Saturday night, around 8. My buddy and I decided a bro-date was in order, and we headed to the sushi bar. We sat down in front of a really friendly sushi chef, who spoke horrible horrible English. However, I believe this makes the sushi taste better, so I already had high hopes. Plus, his enthusiasm was outstanding. He made great suggestions throughout the night, which I always appreciate.
Here's what we had:
-A sashimi combo, with toro, uni, snapper, scallop, and I think there was hamachi.
-The fish quality was top notch. I would say it was at par with, if not better than Yanagi sushi in terms of quality.
-The scallop was perfect. Sweet, barely crispy, silky, and light.
-Yellow tail collar, which was cooked perfectly.
-Fresh oysters from Seattle (I had to ask him 3 times before I figured out he was saying Seattle - awesome!)
-The dankness: Omatsuri Natto, consisting of uni, ahi, ika, and natto. WOW.
-Standard issue udon.
Our guy also dropped something while he was making in front of us - I wasn't sure if it was ours or not, but he was mortified that he messed something up and that we saw. After briefly considering sepuku, he went with a more civil option, and made us a complimentary dish. I don't remember what it was called, but it was some lightly grilled fish with silvery skin. Twas good!
I was impressed with this joint's fish quality, service, and overall ambiance. Pricey, but you get what you pay for. I haven't given a restaurant 5 stars in a long time... But this place is definitely worth it.
JUNK CATEGORY
It's a hassle to find parking.
It's pricey.
It's packed all the time.
JUST SO-SO CATEGORY
I wouldn't come here for the sushi. 2 pieces of ohtoro nigiri runs you $12. You can get bigger, high quality nigiri at Sushi Masa for the same price (if not cheaper) and without the wait.
King california roll - this was okei.
custard pudding - nothing special
PRETTY GOOD CATEGORY
Butterfish - 8.50 - good but the piece was small =[ and didn't come with anything. Kinda sad to look at it and say "You? Really? 10 dollars?"
unagi roll
spicy tuna sushi - a lot of heat, not much flavor
mochi ball and azuki beans - yum but nothing special
GREAT CATEGORY
Special Garlic Ribeye Steak - $13 and so delicious! Oh me oh my! There's little garlic slivers on the steak with a yummy sauce. It comes with a small salad that is also delicious!
Negihama Tartar - very nice, smooth, fresh. You mix in the quail egg, get a scoop and wrap it in accompanying seaweed! Nice interactive idea but it does remind me of spicy ahi, just smoother.
The service here is very friendly!
---------
OVERALL: Pretty good food. I wouldn't come here for the sashimi or sushi though. Actually, I don't know what I'd come back here for; it's been awhile since I ate here, I never felt compelled to come back. Maybe one day the planets will align, the parking won't suck, the place won't be packed and I'll feel like coming back....one day.
I'm a fan !! Very quaint japanese restaurant w/ great food & service. Everything we ordered was delicious like the egg, sausage (My Fav), garlic steak...all good. The prices are reasonable , but you will have to find street parking which usually is not a problem. Only thing is the place is very small. You will definitely enjoy it.
Oh a definite must try. Get reservations for sure! We ate an array of things but things that were memorable are the eggs. It had a kanji imprinted on it. It was so tender and flavorful. Tamago is so basic but it is also a true test of the sushi chef's skill. We had a taretare and it came with a quail egg and once u mix everything together, it was such a smooth tasting treat.I cant quite remember the names of all the dishes ordered as we got our japanese friends to place the order but the whole dining experience was Awesome!
MMMMMMMM the Natto Maguro wrapped with nori!!!!!!!!
I was told that this wasn't a kid-friendly place, but we decided to try it anyway. I called to make reservations and asked if they could provide a high chair, but they didn't have any. The guy that answered the phone apologized and then told me that he would put us in the tatami room so that we would be more comfortable.
When we arrived, we were enthusiastically greeted by everyone. The tatami room was comfortable and having our son seated the same level as us made him behave very well.
Everything we ordered was good, but nothing was sooo good that it really stood out. Everything was fresh and food presentation was extremely appetizing.
Taraba no Kyurimaki su: Everyone raved about this, but it didn't really taste like anything. The combination of textures from the crab meat and the cucumbers were good, but I couldn't taste the usual sweetness from the king crab.
Hamachi Kama: This was excellent. It was broiled just enough so that it was still moist. There was just enough salt added that I didn't have to add any shoyu.
New Zealand Oysters: This wasn't as good as the ones that we had at Sushi King. It tasted like the oysters were previously frozen and then thawed to serve. I only say this because I had ordered a case of oysters from Mitch's and they were flash frozen and it had the same taste/texture.
Asari Clams sauteed with garlic and butter: The clams were good, there was no grit. I hate it when you bite into a clam and there's a loud, annoying *crunch* from sand/grit. The garlic and butter broth was yummy.
Hotate nigiri: These were sweet and plump.
Uni wrapped with hirame: Uni was sweet and creamy, the hirame was fresh and there was a nice bite. The combination of textures were perfect.
Otoro nigiri: the toro just melted!
Negihama tartare: The quail egg added extra creaminess to the combination. It was really good, but there wasn't a really big difference between this and the fresh spicy tuna from Safeway. (I think another yelper mentioned this and I agree)
All in all, we had a really good experience and we'll definitely be coming back.
Gaku is my favorite izakaya. The menu is extensive, but not to the point where they put things on the menu "just cause.." Everything is perfected and has a fine balance between traditional japanese and local flavors.
I love their fresh tofu with the dashi gelee, it is something I will never share, order your own brah!! The aji salad is soooo good and fresh.. garlic ribeye is a must, and Manabu-san's sushi I could order all night! Above the sushi counter you'll see a line of fish bones being dried for senbei, when you order it they'll lightly toast and salt it for you, the perfect otsumami to go with that great sake menu!
Don't bother walking-in without reservations, they're always packed and guests are in for the night as its cozy and homey, nobody wants to leave..
Gaku is way better than Sasabune. Better food, less pretentious staff, greater variety, and better ambience.
While vacationing in Hawaii a local friend took us to Gaku. We ordered the deep fried fish bones, butterfish, fresh water eel, oysters, yellowtail, toro, salmon, rockfish, kanpachi, baked king crab, scallops, uni, masago, some cooked shrimps, and shochu. I wish we had this restaurant in Los Angeles. It was THAT GOOD.
Make reservations or be prepared to wait... but it's well worth it, ya?!
This place owns.
Seriously.
I don't think any other Japanese restaurant on the island comes close to matching the quality of food and service here at Gaku. There are warm welcomes towards every visitor or regular, the decor is pleasant and inviting, the sushi is consistently fresh and delicious, and everything that comes sizzling off the grill, steaming out of the oven, or crackling out of the fryer is close to or cooked to perfection.
Everyone who works at this restaurant strives for quality and it shows by how well known this small Izakaya has become in just two years since its grand opening. It's the only place on the island I'm willing to tip beyond 20% after I eat here because of how much I love this place (even when the economy is as bad as it is).
Give this place a shot, I assure you, it is as excellent as everyone says.
If you're still skeptical, don't be. Truth is I worked here as an assistant chef for an entire year. I just felt compelled to spread the word and get more people to come to love this place as much as I do.
I want Gaku to be around forever :]
Inspiring Japanese food. I can't say it is authentic, because I'm not from Japan, though I'm Japanese. The food is very flavorful, and if you enjoy fish flavors, and aren't close minded, you will find a ton of new things to enjoy.
The sushi is very good, though the servings are small and the high end toro/hamachi are not the best. The other fish like the maguro is also not sashimi grade, but the best sushi grade, so there is room for extravagant improvement. The uni was fresh, and they even serve the flounder trim meat, which is unusual.
The chef also recommended the fish miso soup to us, and is was a very good soup, with much taste. The grilled stingray fin was a tasty teriyaki surprise. The ankimo (monk fish liver) was very good, but only as good as anywhere else.
The price was sushi bar levels, which is not cheap but not expensive. The beer and other refreshments came out quickly as required. The service is excellent, as the staff is attentive and not treating it as "just another job". The sushi makers were nice and quick.
It was amazing how crowded it got with traveling Japansese tourist in this hole in the wall. The place can accommodate around 12 at the sushi bar and maybe 30 in the dining area, and it was full at first seating (5 pm) on a Thursday.
This is a must go place, for everyone. Try the unusual things. To the reviewer that had the chicken karaage, place go eat at Gyu Taku and don't take up space in a fine eatery. Why not order french fries too?
When (not if) I go back, I will not be eating at the sushi bar, but eating off the menu for the other interesting things I didn't eat. I can get better quantity and quality of sushi from Kochi or Sushi King, and for a little less quality I would prefer Tokurri Tei. This is a true izakaya, and sushi is just a qualifier in their name to describe what else this izakaya can serve. This is an izakaya first and foremost, and best enjoyed that way.
Not bad Not bad.. i like their sirloin steak.. and their sushi is extremely fresh
I recommend it!
A friend and I tried this place based on the great reviews on yelp. First of all, it is a little alarming to see so many haole waiters. They were extremely friendly and knowledgeable, just a little off putting. We enjoyed the ribeye although they did bring us the wrong one. And, my favorite was the jelly tofu. Very tasty. We tried the signature hamachi which was tasty as well and fun to mix and make. The prices are a little expensive for the amount of food, but it was tasty. The atmosphere is very nice - feels like a traditional japanese restaurant. It would be a cute place to take a date. I also agree about the great sake recommendations by the waiter.
I went there for our anniversary dinner. I will give it 3.5 stars. The decoration of the place is cozy and modern. The music was a little too loud. The service was very good. Parking is very limited behind the building.
Drinks: Extensive Sake menu. House sake (warm) very smooth.
Oyster with ponzu sauce: Very fresh.
Nigiri Sushi: Very fresh Uni. Others only so so.
Fish bone: This deep fried, crunchy treat is not on the menu but was one of the best items available. Its an unusual item we have not found elsewhere. And a good source of calcium!
Baked king crab: Too much mayo and too salty.
Natto bowl with ikura, uni, and other goodies: Very pretty dish. Eat with Nori. Loved it.
Spicy tuna Tartar: Popular dish at the restaurant but don't think it's anything special. Taste like spicy tuna from Safeway in Manoa.
Pay attention to your bill. They charged us sashimi on our sushi order. It was almost $20 more. The Nigini sushi was also on the pricy side.
We just tried this last night, and I have to say...I've never had Japanese food this good!
When you get into the restaurant, you're greeted by the friendliest staff that treats you like a total rockstar! Your table is in a cute little area w/shoji doors. You have to take your shoes off before you enter & when you sit on the bench, your feet hang off into a little space. It's a very different experience.
The food was absolutely fabulous! Everything came out on decorative dishes made out of stone-like material & the seafood tasted like it was just swimming around 10 minutes ago!
I also tried their "plum" wine on the rocks. It's a sweet sake w/a fermented ume. It's a small amount, but it does its job of making you "feel good"!
Overall, it was a great experience & is made to share w/a bunch of friends!
Best restaurant in Honolulu, period!
Food- Fabulous, it really is a great representation of excellent Izakaya. Very innovated dishes like the deep fried fish bone (like a fish potato chip), tofu jelly (super light tofu with a bonito gel floating on top), the negihama tartar (three different kind of fish mashed with green onion and other stuff that you spoon onto seaweed, oh snap it was good).
Service- Incredible, we arrived as a party of 4 plus a baby in a stroller with no reservations. They at first said the wait would be 45 minutes, we decided to wait, 5 minutes later the waiter came out and said he would move a few things around and have us seated at the sushi bar in 10 minutes (including the stroller). Usually when I take my kid we get ignored or regulated to eating in the kitchen but the way the wait staff treated us was amazing. They made an extra effort to get us seated comfortably quickly and were extremely attentive and almost apologetic that we had to wait as long as we did. A-1 Ichiban in my books!
The two sushi chefs were awesome, they weren't super busy so we spent the night talking to them since we were seated at the sushi bar. Very very friendly and it was fun to swap recipies from different Izakaya restaurants from different countries and talk shop.
I will definitely miss this place!
Service here was excellent, the food was awesome and I loved the cozy atmosphere. There were a lot of items on the menu we didn't get to try so I'm sure we will be returning. Just make sure though that you plan ahead and try to make a reservation, the first time we came here they were completely booked for the whole night and it was simply because it was the weekend. They told us they couldn't even fit us in for the sushi bar. So make sure to call ahead of time and make a reservation!
Great place - nice ambiance, clean, great food, great service. Service is friendly and professional, unlike many other sushi places in town. Portion size was smaller than expected but food quality and presentation made it easier to appreciate. My favorite thing to do when I go there is to sit at the bar and trust whatever the chef gives you - it's an experience to be enjoyed. Reservations are recommended! Parking can be a little tricky.
50%off! Draht Beer & Sushi
Honolulu, HI
Tokkuri tei published coobook
Honolulu, HI
Honolulu, HI
Category: Japanese
Honolulu, HI
Category: Sushi Bars
Honolulu, HI
Category: Japanese
Honolulu, HI
Category: Sushi Bars
Honolulu, HI
Category: Japanese
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