ABURIYA IBUSHI

The staff were friendly and welcoming, and they were fluent in both Japanese and English, making communication smooth. The restaurant environment was pleasant--although the space is small, it is very clean and well-organized. Having been to Japan three times, I feel that the food here is somewhat adapted to American tastes, but overall, it still retains a fairly authentic Japanese flavor. Would definitely recommend for those looking for a good Japanese dining experience!

Hands down the BEST Japanese food I've ever had in my life. I don't normally rate places a 10/10 but this was absolutely 10/10. Everything tasted amazing. All dishes felt high quality and you can absolutely notice the difference in the way the foods been prepped and made. Though some food tasted a bit more average than others, it was still delicious. It was so good we had to come here twice during our trip. Ambiance was great, service was good. I loved the intimate and coziness I felt during our dinner. For how the food tasted and the price point, it is worth every single cent. I can't wait to come back when I'm back in Oahu!Potato salad: 11/10Chicken karaage: 10/10 -best karaage everAgedashi tofu: 9.5/10Beef tartare: 9/10Sweet corn: 9/10Seared ahi: 7.5/10Oxtail soup: 7/10Cucumber salad: 7.5/10Beef tongue: 7/10

Service, ambience, food all around 5 stars! Honolulu undoubtedly has some of the best food in this part of the world and our experience at Aburiya Ibushi was better than we expected (we had high expectations).As we were seated in the bar area, we enjoyed watching the food prepared in front of us. It really reminded of us of our time in Japan, particularly in shinjuku where yalitori stalls are prevalent.Everything and I mean everything that we ordered was absolutely delicious. The cucumber salad was refreshing, tangy and mildly spicy. The cold tofu was abundantly flavorful, savory and a beautiful umami balance. The mackerel was juicy, with a generous amount of meat. And the seared steak bowl was incredibly tender with the most delicious mushroom pilaf/risotto rice.My fiancé and I have agreed this was our favorite meal this trip and will become one of our must-eat destinations going forward.Also, shoutout to the servers and cooks for the amazing hospitality!!

If you're missing Japan, this is the place to go. Reminded me of being in a Shinjuku izakaya, minus the all you can drink (iykyk).Unagi bowl, mackerel, jellyfish, wasabi tako, and potato salad were all amazing. Can't wait to go back.

Haven't been to Aburiya in a long time, pretty much since they opened and only for lunch! Decided it was time to brave the lines and try dinner there! Went on a weekend evening and the wait was about 20 minutes at around 7:30-8PM. Since the restaurant opens til midnight, I wasn't stressed about not making it in time. A good mixture of locals and tourists there. They are short staffed on waiters so just be patient. Dinner time is great for parties or date night. Alot of pupu options to share over drinks, izakaya style. I ordered the potato salad (excellent! With kernels of corn and turmeric spice), grilled sweet Ewa corn (excellent!), beef tongue (my favorite of the night), cucumber tataki (excellent!), oxtail and egg soup (not bad), Aburiyaki - marinated and grilled beef flank (juicy but a little too sweet, tastes like kalbi with less fat), agedashu tofu and Kamameshi - grilled Shima hokke (fish with ikura and beans). I will say the last two menu items were my least favorite. I think they add too much corn starch on the tofu so the fried skin gets a little mushy. I would have preferred the beef or unagi kamameshi dishes. The fish and ikura was a little underwhelming. I would go back for the beef tongue and other small plates! Would definitely try the pork or chicken Aburiyaki (grilled) menu items. Might be more to my taste! I didn't really care for their oxtail soup either. The tender oxtail is braised well and the soup is nicely salted but the flavor is a little one note, not too much depth where you can get a little tired of the taste. Solid 4 stars.

The food was okay...nothing spectacular. We made a resy at 5 and were promptly seated. Their speciality is charcoal grilled meats. We tried the chicken thigh, which they are known for. It was tender but tasted similar to regular grilled chicken. The grilled unagi was the highlight of the meal, which was delivered in a beautiful wooden bowl with rice. I would recommend trying the ikura (salmon roe) with the grilled unagi. Salmon roe is much larger than masago and has a texture similar to popping boba. The oxtail soup was tasty, and I enjoyed the addition of egg to the broth. It had two large pieces of oxtail and a very mild flavor. None of the appetizers stood out to me. We tried five appetizers. The cold tofu with miso was silken and had a nice consistency but was a little salty. The tsukemono had very little flavor and not the traditional vinegar that I am used to.

Izakaya is a must if you're visiting Honolulu!Oahu has so many Izakaya places, and we've probably been to at least six by now in our short time here! For dinner, we stopped by here and they specialize in charcoal grilled meats such as steak, chicken, and pork belly. There's such a nice char and flavor to it that you can only get when it's cooked this way. Besides that, they have a bunch of smaller plates with my favorites being their jellyfish, tsukemono, and okra with ume sauce. Of course they have beer, shochu, highballs, and other drinks to enjoy to pair with your meal.They're located relatively close to Waikīkī, right off of Kapahulu, and I would definitely recommend trying it out! We came right when they opened at 5pm for dinner, but I would recommend making a reservation since they do get busy. Just one of the many Izakaya places to try when you're in Honolulu!

Came here on a friend's recommendation and DANGGGG IT IS GOOD! I don't think there's a single thing on the menu that I wouldn't order. I got the NA Melon Float having no clue as to what it was and I loved every second. It's basically a root beer float but with honeydew soda. Be warned that it's a spoon, not a straw!The potato salad was no joke. I wish I was eating it right now. I'm tofu neutral but the tofu appetizer made me a super fan. I wish I was eating it right now. If you're with a group, I'd recommend doing it family style. The service was fast and the restaurant had a good ambience which allowed for conversation without straining to hear. 6/5 stars.

We came here for a light dinner and some drinks and everything was great. We love everything we ordered.Our server she was so sweet and smiled all the time. Love the vibes! Love the open kitchen and the ambiance. Felt like we were in Japan

Aburiyaki...It's all flaming hot here and it's smoking hot! Aburiya Ibushi isn't easy to say but you'll easily fall in love dining here. Located in heart of Kapahulu parking is the luck of the moment if you're able to find one though we decided on a side street next to Taco Bell which we luckily found easily.As we dine on the whim we just stopped by and was happy they were able to take us though it was an hour wait which was very worth it and got a cute and cozy table...though if you're able to get the counter you can see the chef at work which is pretty cool.As this izakaya is filled with so many savory dishes I couldn't decide on one and got a few...Grilled Kurobuta Sausage, Round Eggplant with Grilled Ground Pork, and Ewa Sweet Corn. Yup ordered so I can take it home for later lol! The corn was the best I've ever had so flavorful and the char was done perfectly, Kurobuta Sausage was so savory and served with a scoop of potato salad and whole grain mustard, the grilled eggplant was something I've always enjoyed growing up and having it here was so nostalgic and topped with the grilled ground pork gave it that kick as it had some spice.Reservations here is very recommended which you're easily able to do directly on Yelp with a simple click on the time and fill out the basic information though a credit card is required to hold the reservation and as they're very busy and a small space but would definitely want to bring mom.Thank you!