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The Food Company
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 8 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
50 reviews for The Food Company
Review Highlights
"My first time trying Ahi katsu, and I'm impressed."
(in 5 reviews)
"...katsu and the furikake mahi mahi--both always delicious and..."
(in 2 reviews)
"We had the loco moco and the grilled ahi-delicious."
(in 4 reviews)
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50 reviews in English
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Review from J D.
Kailua, HI
11/30/2011
Best all around food! Your one stop grind! Food n service is excellent!
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Review from Miguel L.
New Rochelle, NY
1/26/2012 4 Check-ins Here
wow, prolly one of the places i miss the most. not just for the amazing mochiko chicken but for the cute cahier gurl, teehee.. yeah this is the place where i ate my first breakfast, ahhh-mazing!!! :)
to be honest when i first heard the name of this place, i was like "food..company? sounds like a factory" #WRONG! maybe they use that as a front, so tourists don't go.. it's a local kind of place for breakfast and lunch. TRY THE MOCHIKO CHICKEN!
deep, deep down, i feel like this is one of the biggest secrets in kailua! -
Review from Lori I.
1/13/2012 3 photos
Good place to come for breakfast or a nice plate lunch in the Enchanted Lakes Shopping Center in Kailua.
My favorites:
Mochiko chicken and Korean fried chicken plate $8.50
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Fried Rice Egg Roll plate with bacon $8
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
They accept credit cards over $10
FREE and plentiful parking.
HOURS: TUES-FRI 8am-8p, (The "original" side).
(Not to be confused with The "New" Market and Cafe side which opens MON-SAT 10am-8pm.)Listed in: BOK BOK! Chicken!
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Review from Justin Y.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
This had to have been by far the most interesting dining experience all year. Nothing else even comes close to dinner last night.
A group of us came here for our annual xmas party last night and we had a pre-set menu lined up, which was fine, but the strange part is we couldn't even get info on what the heck was being served. Within our group we have people with gluten allergies & vegetarians/vegans so that was really, really, strange. They also wouldn't let us order anything from the normal menu either, to avoid allergy accidents. Double strange.
After an 1 hour 20 min wait (holy crap we were starving by then) the first dish was served, which was a salmon & ravioli dish. Wahmp wahmp. The vegetarians couldn't eat it...nor could the person with the gluten allergy. Oh wait, neither could I, because they never brought me a plate. I was really curious to see if they would even notice that I'm just sitting there, not eating, with no plate in front of me...but no, no they didn't. It took 15 min from the food arriving for them to even bring me a plate to eat on, and only because someone said something about it. (Meanwhile, they filled my water 4x, took away a plate from someone else, and not once asked if something is wrong.) I wish I could say how the dish tasted, because it looked delicious, unfortunately, I didn't get to even try any. WTF prize of the year for this one.
So after actually getting a plate, losing most of my appetite & a couple of diners (they decided to leave...imagine that.) We got a vegetarian pad thai dish, and the worst dining experience ever started to take a turn for the better. The pad thai & the following curry dish were, quite simply, freakin' delicious. The ingredients were healthy and fresh, the taste was outstanding, and the portions were much more appropriate for the group size.
The vegetarian pad thai was seasoned beautifully, with a lot of the veggies still being crunchy enough to add a lot of great textures and flavor without overpowering the noodles. Definitely recommend this one.
The curry was just pure win. I'm usually not a huge fan of yellow curries, but wow, that was the best yellow curry i've ever tasted. Just enough spice to give it a kick, but no lingering heat...rich, deep flavors....tasty, not soggy eggplant (and i don't care for eggplant either). It was just lovely. I would drive back here all the way from Pearl City just for the curry, best believe it.
The food is so good its hard to not give this place 5 stars, but that service was so ridiculously horrendous I just can't do it. But I WILL definitely go back, and will definitely recommend that people try it out. Love the healthy, delicious food!
Bravo to the chef - 5 stars
WTF to the service - 1 stars
Sadly = 3 stars.
Really hoping to up this to 5 next time. -
Review from John P.
Eagle, ID
11/6/2011
We had a sampling of a number of dishes offered at "The Food Company". In general we found the environment to be very basic and informal, but the prices were very fair, the proportions excellent, and the quality high. By the look of the place, my expectations were quite low, but they blew them out of the water!
Their Mochiko Chicken was EXCELLENT! The Kalua Pork was fabulous too! I absolutely ADORED their Guava Chicken, which i never saw on the menu - I just saw someone else eating it and asked him what it was! Good decision! I CRAVE it all the time now! I'm not really a big fan of Lau Lau Pork, but theirs was nice, as those things go. They have a purple sweet potato pie for dessert that is a very nice touch. I would go back to this little treasure of a place anytime I have the chance. -
Review from Jamila J.
9/25/2011 1 photo
How has this place been hidden from me for so long!!! I'm pretty impressed to say the least.
Stopped at this place for a quick lunch with some friends. I had never heard of it and came straight to Yelp to see what other folks said about it and to get directions.
I had the Katsu Curry with brown rice and mac salad. Had the option of a green salad (iceberg mix), but I passed. Brown rice was enough right?! Other companions had the korean fried chicken, mochiko chicken. Was so good. On Fridays they have Hawaiian Plates, so you can get Kalua Pig or Laulau (or both on one plate!) chicken long rice and haupia. So frickin ono! My companions also had the squid luau, which they said was pretty good, but a bit saltier than sweet.
They also have a market area with fresh baked goods and a decent poke selection. Did not partake, but looked good.
If you're in the enchanted lakes area and have no idea where to go and eat. Here's your spot! -
Review from Leah R.
Manhattan, NY
11/7/2011
Good eats in Kailua.
Faves were the fresh grilled garlic ahi w/ garlic aioli sandwich and fresh roasted turkey plate with potato salad and cranberry sauce. The bread was soft and fresh, and the fish tasted great. The roasted turkey plate was total comfort food.
The misoyaki butterfish bento with mochiko chicken and teri beef was also good, but the portion of fish seemed a little small. But all were pretty tasty.
The pastries were also good - freshly baked and moist.
I don't think you can go wrong here. Service is ok, but the food is tasty and makes up for it. The overall portion sizes are pretty good, so you should walk away happily satisfied. -
Review from Chris W.
Kailua, HI
7/21/2011
Had dinner here on a Tuesday night. It is a great place to go for something better than a plate lunch, but still local style. Good food, large portions and great taste at a reasonable price! It's always consistently good!
I had the ahi katsu. It came with white or brown rice (I think you can also get mashed potatoes, but never have), tossed or mac salad, and I opted for their homemade tartar sauce instead of homemade katsu sauce. The fish was sliced up, still moist and tender. The ranch dressing for the green salad tastes homemade and the food comes out hot and fresh. My family that came with me had mochiko chicken bentos and korean fried chicken, all of which was good.
If you are one of those people that takes a long time to make up your mind, come early and don't come hungry! They have a huge menu & it does take some time to decide what you want. Also, NO MSG!!!
There is plenty of parking & it's not hard to find. They are busy, but it's never standing room only and I've never had to wait a long time for my order.
Go to Food Company if you are in Kailua and want a good, relaxed meal! -
Review from m s.
Kailua, HI
1/18/2012
Every time we have been to the dinner side of Food Company we have thoroughly been satisfied with the diversity of menu, delicious tastes, promptness of staff and food, subtle charm and deliciousness of our meal. We whole-heartedly recommend this for a date night, down time or just looking for good food to end the day. Cant wait to try the ono-plate side.
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Review from Jody S.
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of the things that I like about The Food Company is that they have a wide selection of food choices to choose from.
My favorites are the tofu katsu and the furikake mahi mahi--both always delicious and filling.
My fam has enjoyed the Teri chicken, the bento selections and the mahi mahi plate lunches.
All delish! -
Review from Chris O.
It's only fair that since I made Lori I. drive into Kalihi to try Paul's Poppers, I accept her request to give The Food Company a try. Located in the Enchanted Lakes Shopping Center, parking is plentiful and also handicap friendly (ramps).
Their menu is massive. I believe it took me 5 minutes before I could figure out what I wanted, which is tough since you really want to try everything. If you're an ahi lover, this place is for you.
The "good" menu: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Price/Portions: $10 will pretty much allow you to purchase any item on the menu and the portions are rightfully generous. Also credit cards are accepted for purchases of $10 or more.
Speed: Service seems to be on the slower, 10-15 minutes, for my order to come out.
With that said, I opted for the crusted ahi katsu. I love my ahi raw, but Food Company's ahi katsu was good. Picture: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I usually make a semi-annual drive out to the Windward side to eat at Cinnamon's for breakfast, but driving out for The Food Company would also be worth it.Listed in: HNL: Cheap Eats, On the Go
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Review from Jonathan Q.
Chula Vista, CA
7/7/2011
This place was highly recommended by local lifeguards my family and I met and decided to check it out. Its a good sign a eatery is good when there's a lineup leading outside the restaurant upon arriving. The line went by very quick though. A hella cute girl took our order in which we got combo plates of chicken katsu, fried salmon, and honey fried chicken.
The chicken katsu was different from what I've had in the past in that it had a hint of coconut in the breading but yet very tasty, the fried salmon was cooked to perfection, and the honey fried chicken was one the best fried chicken I've ever had. I just wish our sides of mac salad and brown rice were served in bigger portions. All in all this place is a healthier gourmet version of L&L with 5X the food choices. The Food Company is definitely a must-try! -
Review from Samantha C.
Honolulu, HI
6/25/2011
This place is composed of two completely different restaurants.One part of this place features plate lunches while the other is a Thai/Fresh Seafood/Healthy Food hodgepodge restaurant, which is reflected in the mish-mash of chairs and tables. Actually, there may even be a third part which has poke and desserts.
Having tried both places, I am definitely partial to the plate lunch. They have an extensive breakfast/lunch/dinner menu with notable dishes of KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN and CHICKEN KATSU. I do suggest getting extra sauce on the side if you intend on letting the plate sit for an extended period.They even give a choice of brown or white rice, which you won't find at most plate lunch places. (3.5 STARS FOR THIS PLACE)
The other portion of this place has two cold freezers filled with a variety of salads, couscous dishes and fresh veggies. I tried the pad thai that not only took a while to make, but was extremely too salty. I was starving so I ate it anyway with 3 or 4 cups of water to dilute all the salt I just consumed. I heard that their curry couscous is good, so maybe I'd return to try that.
Happy Eating! :) -
Review from Natalie N.
Honolulu, HI
8/2/2011
Everytime I head out to eat in Kailua with the boyfriend, I get treated to delicious food! I really wish this place was in town.
I've already eaten here several times, and I leave happy after every single visit. They have a whole variety of foods to choose from, so I end up spending quite some time figuring out what to eat. I've tried a couple of their plate lunches, and yes, I must agree with the many others that say the mochiko chicken is awesome. I've also had their loco moco, chicken katsu, and their furikake crusted ahi... all very good.
Every single time I've been to this place for lunch, I've gawked at the breakfast menu. Fortunately, I was able to grab some breakfast from them this morning! My boyfriend had the Hurricane Scramble omelette, which came with portugese sausage, spinach, mushrooms, and a couple of other veggies I don't remember.. I reaaaally wanted their fried rice omelette, but I decided to go with the Atlantic Salmon omelette with swiss cheese and onions for a somewhat healthier option. Again, we left satisfied.
Only reason I gave this place four stars is the price. When I ate here a couple months ago I thought the prices were pretty good. While eating there today, I noticed they raised their prices): It's still worth it! But not the best idea if you're eating on a budget. -
Review from Alexander E.
Honolulu, HI
11/13/2011
This place is great. Lots of selection on the menu and all of it is pretty good. The prices are reasonable and the service is pretty good too. You get the local style meals without being too unhealthy. They give you a choice of white/brown rice and tossed/mac salad which is big. Their best foods have to be the mochiko chicken or their butter fish. This place gets crowded too so be prepared to wait in line to make your order.
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Review from Hwajin K.
Honolulu, HI
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
My wife loves the ahi katsu. I got the crab cakes bento which includes mochiko chicken and Teri beef. Damn good delicious stuff. Definitely a winner!!!
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Review from Janelle L.
West Hills, CA
10/28/2011
There's something for everyone here. The food is appetizing and the portions are better than average. Dine in or take out, you're sure to be satisfied.
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Review from Lindsey A.
Kailua, HI
10/29/2011
Mochiko chicken is to die for.
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Review from Mel G.
12/10/2010
This place was delicious! Tucked away in the back of Enchanted Lake Shopping Center is this Local food treasure. It has a shack type atmoshpere and really homey feel like you should know or have met everyone here from some time or another. Make sure you plan extra time though, its small and you will have to wait for seat and food prep.
We took some friends from the mainland here for dinner and I had the Kalua Pig Quesadilla with Lomi Salsa. Oh my goodness, so yummy. Service was alright, but the food is worth it. can't remember if they were cash only, so be prepared just in case.
Also there was no website address listed above so here it is if you want a sneak peek at the menu:
http://foodcompanykail...
Plan on going again! -
Review from Co Y.
Kaneohe, HI
10/4/2011
Very large menu to choose from! A bit pricey but yummy!
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Review from Kendal T.
Kailua, HI
2/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This corner restaurant tucked away in the back of Keolu Shopping Center has a very nice setting. The cashiers are very friendly and when looking at the menu you don't feel presure to order very quickly. The menu itself is a very complex beast so many things to choose from you have hard time deciding what you want.
I had gone with a safe choice and that was the mochiko chicken. They give you a very nice size portion of chicken and it is served with rice and mac salad. It was very tasty, not dry and it was full of flavor.
I have rated this a 3 because of the service. Tables weren't cleaned as well as i'd hoped. We had to ask them to come a clean it for us.
Service was fast and in a timely manner and ther was good hospitality which brings my final verdict to a 4. -
Review from Teri C.
Heading to the Windward side (East Oahu), we turned to Yelp for some guidance in the lunch department. We wanted something quick so we could spend some quality time on the beach and thought The Food Company would leave us content.
Their menu is very extensive and you definitely need to take a step back to look through everything on the wall. (Don't forget the specials listed to the left of the register too!)
You place your order at the register and take a seat.
* Tendon "Rice with shrimp tempura, special sauce, green onions and nori with egg." ($7) - This was my choice and it didn't look or taste all that great. The egg tasted weird, maybe because it was a sweet omelet or something. But they drowned my shrimp and rice in their special sauce and it wasn't to my liking. There were two pieces of shrimp and a few thin strips of zucchini hidden under the nori. The mac salad was good, although it wasn't the potato mac salad that was advertised.
* Our Famous Mochiko Chicken and Korean Style Fried Chicken ($8) - This included two scoops of rice (brown or white), potato mac salad or tossed salad. I think it looked more exciting than it tasted. The Husband thought the two variations on chicken were just okay and he wasn't too fond of all the sauce that got into his rice from the chicken. He usually devours his meals, but this was one where he had leftovers and it wasn't because he was full.
Overall, we both left with food on our plates. It just wasn't up to par for what we were expecting and maybe that was our own fault for not ordering their more popular dishes like the Chicken Katsu or the Butterfish Misoyaki.
Note: They don't have a restroom available, but they do suggest the one at Safeway in the same shopping center.
2.5 stars. -
Review from Denver I.
Denver, CO
7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awwww yeah. Local style food, great prices and a lot of variety. Go on Friday for the Hawaiian plates.
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Review from Nick Y.
Kailua, HI
5/20/2010
Chicken Katsu Loco Moco should be a guarantee winner. How could rice, crispy chicken katsu, gravy, and two eggs be anything less than awesome? Well, maybe it was because we came right after the beach, but it was all very bland. The portion was huge, and the price was right, but the food just looked like a big, sloppy pile with two bust-yolk eggs chucked carelessly on top.
While The Food Company's menu is more extensive and much more interesting than L&L's, I feel that the quality of the food is pretty much the same. I would most likely come here again to try some of their other menu items.Listed in: Am I just a foodie call to…
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Review from Ryan L.
Honolulu, HI
6/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I LOVE this place. The food is everything i want. BUT Im only giving four stars because the hours or days closed or whatever it is, are crazy. id say 30 percent of the time i try to go here to eat, its closed. and my heart breaks. and i settle for eating somewhere not as good....bummed
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Review from Malia L.
Kailua, HI
8/16/2011
There food is yummy. We eat here for a quick dinner serval times a month. They have lots of option and I've tried most of them, all good! There is often a line and a wait to get food but that is because its no secret how yummy it is! If you are in kailua and hungry this is a good option.
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Review from Lauren S.
Kaneohe, HI
7/27/2011
SO GOOD. My first time trying Ahi katsu, and I'm impressed. Crispy, breaded outside with a soft, moist inside. Tried a bite of the furikake mahi mahi and it was so flavorful. Their portions are generous, and their homemade sauces are so good as well. I definitely recommend checking this place out. Next time I'm going to try the nori wrapped ahi! Can't wait to return.
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Review from Shelley V.
North Hollywood, CA
This place rocks! Thanks to our fellow Yelpers, i did a "feed search" while driving around Kailua for "good food" and this was the first place that popped up.... so i hit the gas pedal and headed straight there!
Tons of choices to pick from and daily specials. A bit overwhelming actually since everything looked great.
I had the Ahi Katsu which was so good - I was thinking about it on the 5 hour plane ride back to the mainland!! The ahi was breaded properly, not oily and cooked like something your japanese grandma would make... holy crap - this was GOOD!
Came with 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad, of course. A finished my macaroni since she liked it so much!
A had the chicken katsu which she enjoyed as well. I didn't try but she pretty much finished it all which was a good sign.
There were so many items to choose from - and when i go back to Oahu in September - this is the place I'm going to run to and EAT EAT EAT!!!!! So freaken good... -
Review from Shannon B.
Chicago, IL
6/8/2008
Yes, I know I'm haole- but I have developed a taste for local food and Food Company has it all. Bentos, Plate lunches and Broke da' mout banana bread, Oh My.
I have eaten there regularly in the past 3 years and have yet to be disappointed. Its always busy and the service is great.
I recommend the Furikake Encrusted Mahi Mahi, any of the bentos and of course the Loco Moco.
Here is the breakdown:
* Wait staff: Nice and fast- a rarity in Hawaii.
* Drink Menu: No booze.
* Menu: Local food at its finest.
* Parking: Enchanted Lakes Shopping plaza.
* Dress: Casual, like most establishments in Hawaii, I think even shirts are optional.Listed in: Best Food in Hawaii
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Review from Carlos M.
Kailua, HI
4/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent food and courteous staff. Great menu selection! I wish they were open for dinner on the weekends. Highly recommended!
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Review from edrick w.
San Mateo, CA
7/28/2008
So i don't know why this places hasn't been yelped more, it's probably because they are never opened for people to try it. (they have some strange hours, not open for 2 days out of the week, open really early and close relatively early too)
The Food Company is my new favorite plate lunch place, now that i got that out of the way here's my story. I get into oahu and i'm craving some plate lunch, so my friend takes me to the Food Company, but not to my friends surprise they are closed (people need to eat on mondays too) Finally we get a chance to visit this place when it's open and it doesn't let us down. I order the Mochiko Chicken and Soyu Chicken combo, and it was the best plate of chicken goodness that i've ever had. Eventhough I'm from the mainland and you think i might not know my plate lunches, this place is good trust. -
Review from Danny C.
Huntington Beach, CA
6/20/2009 1 Check-in Here
Very good local food served by local people.
On certain days the menu changes based on what the special is for that day whether its a Mahi plate or Kalua Pig but the portions are great and the price is minimal so there really isnt much to complain about. The menu does seem a bit overwhelming to the normal L&L eater or standard Hawaiian Plate Lunch buyer because there are things you may not even know what it is, even if you have lived here, so you will more than likely pass it up and try the regular standard plates you have become familiar eating over the years.
In any case, the food is good, the location is nice and for a quick "lets get some grub and hit the beach" or " we just got done surfing lets eat", this is the joint. -
Review from Kainui C.
Honolulu, HI
One step up from the average plate lunch, with some healthier options including a choice of brown rice instead of white and tossed salad instead of mac salad.
I've been coming here mainly because it has options for me and my main dining out partner - we can find things we both like. The specials have been good picks for me every time. Mostly local-style standards and "comfort" foods; nothing fancy. The staff is very friendly and it's generally easy to make minor changes to orders since a lot of it is cooked to order.
The only drawback for me is that they don't have much in the way of vegetarian options (less, if you are concerned about rennet in cheese). I'm an omnivore, so it's not a huge deal, but I'd like to be able to choose something meatless most of the time without being limited to one sandwich choice. -
Review from Christine W.
San Francisco, CA
8/14/2008
Inexpensive great local food!
Please save room for their desserts! I haven't had one that I didn't like. -
Review from Brandon C.
Kailua, HI
8/30/2010
Delicious gourmet style plate lunches! Everything from bentos to saimin, hamburger steak to chicken curry, even crab cakes and nori wrapped ahi! Breakfast is superb with a killer 13-ingredient fried rice!!!
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Review from Rise D.
11/5/2010
I love The Food Company! They have a very good selection of menu items that are all reasonably priced. Everything just tastes healthier than your average plate lunch place. The service is good too. I like the Korean chicken, the mochiko chicken mini bento, and the turkey cranberry sandwich. I wish I lived in Kailua. I would eat there more often.
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Review from Justin B.
Kailua, HI
1/20/2011
What can i say? The food company takes local food, makes it delicious, and makes it relatively more healthy. This place is well worth a visit but only gets four stars because of its crazy hours (being closed as much as it is open).
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Review from A U.
Honolulu, HI
8/6/2011
We had the loco moco and the grilled ahi-delicious ! Only reason I am giving this place three stars is despite having the shared "cafe", tea or coffee are not served. Also, there is no washroom on the premises, which was inconvenient.
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Review from Jennifer S.
San Jose, CA
9/10/2010
I love it here! So much that I came back twice during my 1 week stay. Definitely get the mixed plate with the house chicken (sorta fried and sweet) and chicken katsu. The restaurant decor is really festive as well. Oh, I got the misoyaki butterfish and I don't really recommend- I felt like the sauce was way too strong.
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Review from Isaiah K.
Waimanalo, HI
6/27/2009 1 photo
Always good, great service and awesome price to go with it.
