Delicious food.... Even better Sake and service!! Note the parking in back fills up quickly and street parking is a ticketing zone until 6:30pm. Will definitely go back!!!

No reservations so we had to briefly wait for a seat at the bar. Started of with sparkling water and green hot tea. Ordered the sashimi and sushi combo. Sashimi was really fresh with fresh real wasabi. Sushi was made freshly as we waited. Every piece was a delicacy finishing off with a small roll. Pricey but worth it. Service was adequate and the ambiance was very welcoming. Will be back!

Went here to try the sushi/sashimi omakase for a late Mother's Day dinner. Upon entrance it felt like I was in Japan. In a bar. Felt kind of cramped in the front and then all of a sudden a huge rush of haole and Japanese people showed up. Very confused. I guess somehow the tourists show up here? Oh well. I think the first thing I want to say is that the sushi took a long time to come out. We sat at the table and I'm not sure why it took that long. Lots of people sat down after us and got their food and then the chef just forgot us I guess. That was a minus star. The fish itself was delicious, but I think you can get on par sushi grade quality to here at Kaiten Ginza Onodera. Also, omakase from my understanding is an art form supposedly.. I thought they would be serving the sushi one-by-one to allow us to taste the freshness of each fish but it was all served at the same time. The ikura also was spilled over a bit when served... At other omakases not a single egg falls over from the sushi - just a little thing to note. I mean I paid a hefty amount and I feel like I could spend that money elsewhere and get a better omakase experience. I think if you went as a single person at the counter you would probably enjoy yourself and get effed up with the alcohol and sushi but that would be for another time.

We have never been to Japan, but dining here made it feel like we were in a different country. This was top quality sushi and enjoyed mouthful! We lucked out and came here without a reservation and were seated right away. I am sure it helped out that it was a week night--drove by over the weekend and there was quite a long line of folks waiting outside. We will most definitely be back for more! Super grateful for the quality food and service. Thank you!

Tucked away from Waikiki, this gem came highly recommended by Hawaii locals. Despite the challenging reservations, we walked in as a duo and were seated at the sushi bar in just 20 minutes. It was a small intimate izakaya that reminded us of Tokyo. The sushi quality surpassed even renowned Omakase spots, and the tempura and other hot dishes paired perfectly with sake. A true gem for those seeking an authentic and tasty Japanese food!

While it is a pain to get a reservation here, the quaint spot with traditional seating and aesthetics makes this a very cute spot to dine in the heart of touristy Honolulu. Service here was very friendly and the food was well prepared. However, I would argue that well all things are well done, nothing stood head and shoulders above the rest as a "come here for this!". While we didn't leave hungry or disappointed, we also didn't leave enthusiastic to return. Overall, beautiful place for traditional Japanese food and experience, but not particularly a must go.

09/22/23 It's been waay too long since we've been back here. We had a GC for $200 so I booked a reservation. We let too many GC expire or restaurants have gone out of business. We were fortunate to get a reservation for 7:30 at the sushi bar. The B pictures will say it all. We had omakase and I forgot to take picture of the Chu toro which was the first sushi but think I got the rest. I did not count, too busy eating. Hospitality and service were excellent! Lots if staff and very personable and attentive. I really appreciated that. The ordered dishes were really good. Besides the omakase we ordered soft shell crab karaage, Agedashi tofu with mochi, grilled king crab claw, clams in broth and a fish tempura. Sushi chef recommended the fish for that and it was perfect! Lightly battered and soft moist fish. I'll try to add the rest of the photos

We visited Izakaya Gaku recently to celebrate a birthday. The parking is kind of a junk situation - there is a small parking lot in the back of the building with maybe 8 stalls? They usually fill up fairly quickly but since the restaurant is on King St, there is free street parking in the evenings. We were actually lucky & snagged a stall in the back this time. We had a 7:30pm reservation & we were seated in the back tatami area, where they require you to take off your shoes & sit on lower tables (there is open space below the table so you're still sitting comfortably! ) While the whole restaurant already has a cute intimate vibe, it felt extra cozy being in the tatami area in the back. We ordered a bunch of items- all which came out quickly & in good order. We never felt rushed or crowded by too many plates lol. Some of my favorites this time were: - Spicy Tuna Tartare: comes with quail egg, mix it up & eat with nori! - Gyutan: always a winner - Sashimi platter: assorted sashimi w/ the freshest seafood. - Tofu! With shoyu gelee & topped with uni or ikura as a supplement We were very surprised at the end of our meal, our entire bill was less than $300 (not including tip)! I felt like we still ate a loooot & we were definitely stuffed to the brim too. We had such a great time & can't wait to come back soon!

Gaku will probably be one of my go-to restaurants. Not only is their sushi good, but their cooked food is amazing as well! It is very tiny, so be sure to make a reservation in advance because walk-ins are very difficult to get. They can also host bigger parties up to around 6 - 8, but space seems very limited. Service is always great! Servers are always attentive and the sushi chefs are always great to converse with when enjoying your email. Mary and Jimin are the best servers to have. I always return because of them! Some of my go-to dishes are the chawanmushi, the king crab bake, agedashi tofu, all sushis of course, and the gyutan. The sushi is very fresh and probably some of the best on the island with a reasonable price point! Gaku's sushi is a bit expensive, but their cooked foods are fairly affordable. Gaku will aways be at the top of my list for sushi.