Ichifuji - CLOSED

Ichifuji is a Japanese Nabe restaurant that is known for their oxtail broth. They have 3 different set menus to choose from or you can order ala carte. I recommend the tasting menu because it has a little bit of everything and it's reasonable priced. My photos below show the 11-course meal for one person. The pot is shared between 2 people. The vegetables & mushrooms and barley rice porridge are also shared between 2 people. Before you cook the raw items, the staff will let you know how long it needs to cook and which signature salt (konbu salt, garlic salt, lemon salt) or sauce (sesame sauce, ponzu sauce) to pair it with. If you plan to eat here, give your group at least 2 hours to enjoy the meal because the pot cooks at a lower temperature and slowly comes to a boil. The courses are spaced out, so you eat a few bites, have a drink, talk story and then cook your next item. If you like to drink, get their yuzu beer. 

They are located across from Old Stadium Park above Tori Ton. You will see a door on the side of the building with a flight of stairs; go up to the top and the hostess will greet you. They only open for dinner and reservations are recommended. Their space is small, but they can move tables around to accommodate a group of 6 or you can have everyone sit around the counter in a U-shape. Parking is available and it's a shared lot. If the parking lot is full, there is metered street parking on S. King Street which is free after 6pm. 

For more information about Ichifuji, visit ichifujihawaii.com.

2334 S King St., Ste. C, 2nd floor
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 367-0012

Ahi Tataki, Oxtail Nokigori, Dynamite Mussel

Chawanmushi

Seared US Wagyu Sushi

Hamachi Loin

Nabe Dashi

US Wagyu Beef Tongue

Vegetables & Mushrooms

US Wagyu Roll

Seared Wagyu Beef Tsukune

Kurobuta Rolls

Barley Rice Porridge

Cherry Upside Down Cake,
Vanilla Ice Cream & Pomegranate Granita

Tsukada Nojo Hawaii - Restaurant Week 2017

Tsukada Nojo is new to restaurant week. They are offering shabu shabu for $40. Their shabu shabu broths are flavorful and there is a lot of food included in the shabu shabu set. There was also a drink that came with it. You want to save room for dessert because the mini polar bear shave ice was a great way to end the meal.

For more information, visit www.restaurantweekhawaii.com/restaurant/tsukada-nojo.

Nojo Salad

Hamachi Jalapeno

Paitan & Sukiyaki (broth)

Shabu Shabu

Beef

Ramen

Mini Polar Bear Shave Ice

 

Restaurant Wada - CLOSED

Restaurant Wada is located in the Kapahulu area next to Papa John's Pizza. It's a Japanese restaurant that serves up appetizer-sized dishes. The interior of the restaurant is nicely lit and very spacious. It's a great place to come with a group but I recommend making reservations in advance. The food taste good and it's reasonably priced. If you are willing to splurge, get the beef & uni sushi and the shabu shabu with the a la carte meats. They have a happy hour from 4-6pm and 9-11pm with a limited food and drink menu. The parking lot in front of the restaurant is for valet only but if you get lucky you might be able to find something on Hoolulu Street. There are also some paid parking lots along Kapahulu Ave.

611 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 737-0125

Beef & Uni

Sea Cucumber

Spicy Hamachi Nigiri

Crispy Mochi Sticks

"Wada" Shiso Gohan

Grilled Eggplant

Miso Chicken Wings

Pork Nuggets

Fried Squid Cartilage

Fried Oysters

Nabeya Maido

Nabeya Maido is located in the Market City Shopping Center. They offer Japanese hot pot. If you come during lunch, they have a lunch special that is $9.90 (soup base included). This price is only for the first 10 people. If you happen to be the 11th person, you pay the regular price. The protein in the lunch special is selected by the chef. They offer a handful of soup bases. The ones I tried were very light but if you have leafy greens cooking in there for awhile, they will soak up all the flavors. Their signature soup base is the maido nabe which is shoyu based and has a bit of a kick with the finely chopped red chili's. You can also select items in their "food cave." The plates are marked by color and this option makes it great for sharing.

I recommend coming on a weekday because it's less crowded and you'll have a better chance at getting the special price. There is a 90 minute time limit on dining in there so decide what you want fast so you can spend more time eating.

2919 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 739-7739

Lunch Special

Maido Nabe & Japanese Curry Nabe

Asuka Nabe + Shabu Shabu

Asuka Nabe + Shabu Shabu is located in Kaimuki on Waialae Ave across from Coffee Talk. They are known for having delicious soup bases for shabu shabu. They are open for lunch on select days and open for dinner daily. Their lunch menu is limited. I recommend coming for dinner instead because they have a larger nabe selection. There are also more soup bases to choose from. My favorite soup bases are the paitan and the asuka classic. If you can't decide what to eat, order a nabe. It has a little bit of everything inside. The nabe portions are big so if you have a small appetite, you might want to share the nabe and just add on a couple more items.

If you come with a big group, reservations are recommend. Their booths are set up to seat 4-6 people. As for parking, you have the option of two paid parking lots. There's one behind First Hawaiian Bank and one across Bank of Hawaii. If you get lucky, you may find some street parking on Waialae or 11th Ave.

For more information about Asuka Nabe + Shabu Shabu, visit asukanabe.com.

3620 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-6666

Asuka Classic Soup Base

Asuka Nabe (meats, seafood, mushrooms, aburaage)

Asuka Nabe (vegetables, dumpling, udon)

Ichiriki

I normally don't go out for shabu shabu style dinners but someone talked me into trying nabe. She told me the broth was in a paper bowl. At first I didn't believe her but when I went and saw it myself, it was like "WOW!" I don't know what kind of paper they use but it's burn proof and it doesn't get soggy.

We ordered the shio (salt) broth. I wanted to ask the waiter for soy sauce to use as dipping but after tasting a piece of Chinese cabbage I realized the broth had all the flavor. It was really good. When you run low on broth, the waiter puts in more broth. The beef they use is super tender. For my next visit, I'd order the same thing but add on an extra plate of beef.

For more information about Ichiriki, please visit http://ichirikinabe.com.

510 Piikoi St
Honolulu, HI 96814

Chinese Cabbage, Bok Choy, Enoki & Shiitake Mushrooms,
Tofu, Kuzukiri, Abura Age, Chives, Gobo, Chicken, Beef, Sausage,
Scallops, Shrimp, Salmon and Tsukune Meatballs

Shio Chanko

Ramen Noodles