Izakaya Tenkichi

First time here, greeted nicely, atmosphere fun, exciting, like outgoing japanese restaurants in Tokyo. Young happy staff, very attentive. I felt like we were at a party! Food was very good, maybe a little limited from other izakaya that serves grilled dishes like gyutan but the best thing was the party atmosphere especially when they do happy birthday and huge ikura bowls.All kinds of drinks and normal prices. I'll make a reservation for my birthday a month in advance online. Can't wait. I think my grandsons would enjoy it there too. Definitely on my top 5 places to go to on a regular basis. Bring your friends and especially out of towers for a good time.

High spirited entertaining experience with this little gem! You have to love feeling like you're a little village eating together. The reason is when someone orders the Wasshoi ikura bowl we all chant as it's poured on top of the rice. I don't know why you find yourself chanting too, if not the first time all times thereafter! I had a surprise birthday party as they gave me birthday lighted headband and service members wore birthday sunglasses as everyone in the restaurant sang me happy birthday -wow-with a free yuzu cheesecake slice. Then we had a instaphoto taken we could write and stick anywhere. Great EXPERIENCE!!! Now the food!! I am not too much into fried foods but I tried the fresh hamachi, uni/ikura bowl, cucumbers (thank you for changing the shape from the menu picture so they are extremely crisp and crunchy!! Yum!), eel avacado maki, & mackerel ginger shiso maki. I loved it ALLLLLLLLL the taste & the textures. I actually didn't eat uni, it was split for another friend but she said it was delicious! We definitely need to order the wasshoi bowl next time because the ikura went fast! I would try more of their sushi dishes since the ones I did try were very well balanced and delicious! Love finding new places that are super good without breaking the bank. Going to bring my boys here next since we all miss Japan!

Parking is hit or miss...my friends got in the lot, I got by a homeless van. But at least choke street parking if you go at the right time. They are soooooooo nice there. The owner (I think?) remembered me from the last time. It makes you feel special when people remember that.Was 2 gfs and my baby. Baby was being very particular...too much snacks before I think so but she grinded the cabbage! So yummy. My fave is still the Mentaiko Shiso Tempura. Delish. I'm on a huge mentaiko kick right now too. We had a variety of tempuras, sushi and a couple ikura + stuff bowls. Left full and happy.

I recently visited this amazing restaurant to celebrate my friend's birthday, and I have to say, it was an unforgettable experience from start to finish. As soon as we walked through the doors, we were greeted with such warmth and enthusiasm from the staff. It immediately set the tone for the evening and made us feel so welcomed.We decided to try a bottle of their recommended sake, and it was absolutely perfect--smooth, flavorful, and paired beautifully with our food. Speaking of food, the menu offered an impressive variety of tempura options, and we couldn't resist trying as many as we could. Each piece was cooked to perfection--crispy, light, and incredibly tasty. But the highlight of our meal had to be the ikura bowl. It was, without a doubt, the biggest and most generously portioned ikura bowl I've ever seen on the island. Every bite was bursting with flavor, and it truly made us feel like we had been transported straight to Japan.The atmosphere of the restaurant was another standout feature. It was lively, energetic, and filled with happy customers cheering and celebrating with one another. The sense of camaraderie and joy in the air made the night even more special. It felt just like those bustling izakayas in Japan, where everyone is enjoying themselves, sharing laughs, and savoring great food and drinks.To top off the wonderful experience, the staff surprised us at the end of the night with a small slice of cake to celebrate my friend's birthday. They even took our picture with a Polaroid camera and added it to the restaurant's wall, which was such a thoughtful and fun touch. It made us feel like a part of the restaurant's community and added to the overall charm of the place.Overall, we had such an amazing time, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate my friend's special day. The combination of delicious food, friendly service, and an authentic, vibrant atmosphere made for an unforgettable night. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience and a fun, welcoming environment. I can't wait to come back and create more wonderful memories here!

Really enjoyed the dining experience here. It feels so lively inside and just happy smiles all around from the servers! They make this place feel really warm. Also at some point they had a really funny song and show for a customer that ordered the giant ikura bowl. So be warned if you dont like the attention don't order lol!We had a lot of the temperas and those were so well done. Some of the highlights were the eggplant, eel, and mentaiko in shiso leaves! So good! It was so fun to try all the different items on the menu, though none are extremely filling except for the udon so the bill can rack up pretty quickly. I think from China time it's pretty worthwhile to come here. It's nice, relaxing and enjoyable!

Izakaya Tenkichi, tucked away off South King Street, is a gem worth discovering. We indulged in their famous Wasshoi Ikura Large Bowl, a dish perfect for sharing between 2-3 people. The unique experience of having Hokkaido ikura spooned into the bowl with celebratory chants added a lively touch to the meal.The rest of the menu did not disappoint either. The mackerel ginger shiso maki, kisu tempura, shiso-wrapped mentaiko tempura, seared mackerel with negi sesame oil, and housemade squid mentaiko cod roe showcased a range of fresh, flavorful dishes. Dessert was equally delightful, with the creamy matcha green tea ice cream paired with honey and azuki bean paste, and the bright, citrusy yuzu cheesecake.This small, hole-in-the-wall spot has a cozy atmosphere and a 90-minute dining limit. Reservations are highly recommended as it fills up quickly. A must-visit for those seeking an authentic izakaya experience in Honolulu!

We made a reservation on Yelp for 5:15pm on a Monday which wasn't too hard to get so that was nice. When you get here it's kinda hard to find parking because it's limited. Also note that this restaurant is on the second floor which is only accessible by stairs facing the street so maybe be hard for individuals who can't walk well or are as mobile to access it. This was the case for my grandparents but after a while they were able to make make it up. The restaurant is also kinda small so maybe better for smaller groups. For our group of 9 we split into two tables on of 5 and the other with 4. Food could be ordered via QR code which was easy to navigate. Also note that all the portions were very small and it was pricy so we didn't eat super full. Ankimo -- super smooth and rich tasty 9/10 Udon -- noodles had a great texture super chewy and filled us up more 9/10 Shrimp and sweet onion tempura -- tasty, but small portion and only a few small shrimp 8/10 Uni and fish roe bowl -- was tasty but the portion was so tiny nothing like the pictures and was $30+ :( if I knew ahead I probably would have ordered something else 7/10Ahi and avocado hand roll -- solid 8.5/10 Not pictured was the sweet potato tempura which was honestly the highlight of the meal. Cooked super well I love the sweetness and the crunch 10/10Staff was friendly.

It's always nice to see new izakayas pop up in the Honolulu scene! I recently had a birthday dinner with a few friends and I really enjoyed my experience here. I love the loud bustle of restaurants and enjoying some good food with drinks is something I live for. This restaurant is very true to that authentic izakaya feel. The vibe of the restaurant is very vibrant and the servers are very enthusiastic and warm. The offerings as far as drinks is very similar to other restaurants. I usually opt for sours or highballs. My favorite of the night was the calpico shikuwasa sour, so if you like your drinks sweet and citrusy, you might enjoy this! On to the food! One of my notable favorite was the garlic beef tataki, which was super tender beef on a bed of crispy cabbage salad that was garlicky, sweet, and savory all in one. You can find this on the special menu but I'm unsure if it's only available for a limited time. I also really enjoyed the tamagoyaki tempura and the uni and sukiyaki beef temaki. I just want to highlight how light the tempura is here, it's not greasy or heavy, and it almost feels at times you can eat an absurd amount of tempura. I also love the little salts they provide you to sprinkle on your tempura, my favorite is the kombu! This place gets super busy so drink orders may take a little bit. We also found out later that you can order food through the QR code on the table which is pretty handy. I hope that they extend that to drinks in the future so that ordering can be more efficient!The staff was also very sweet and sang me a birthday song. They were nice enough to take a Polaroid where we hung amongst the many that were hung on the wall. Such a cute idea! They also gave me a small little yuzu cheesecake which was really delicious but I was too full to eat the whole thing. I had such a lovely experience here and look forward to seeing how this restaurant evolves in the future. I hope to be back again soon!

Anyone looking to experience a little of what Japan is like then this place is it. Walking up a narrow step of stairs gave me all the feels of being back in Japan again. It was so fun. You walk in are welcomed by the entire staff saying "Irasshaimase". The counter seating, the sushi chef's and the small spaces reminded me so much of the many restaurants I visited when I was in Tokyo. The vibes, the ambience, and most importantly the food. It was all excellent. They even gave us a free appetizer when we posted a shoutout of them on Instagram. To end the night, we got our photo taken with a Polaroid camera by the staff and was added to their wall of fun customers. 1000x recommend this place. It's lively, fun, and a foodies galore.

Parking was hard so arriving 15 minutes late was greeted by" because we were late our time for our meal was only 1 hr 20 min. until we had to leave." Okay. Then before ordering, I asked if we would get credit for anything less than our gift certificate ($150). After asking the manager, the answer was no. We would have to use the entire amount. Okay. The menu was limited to sushi, sashimi, and tempura. We ordered sashimi and tempura and asked if we could order any musubi or just plain rice and the answer was no. Okay. So, if not for their excellent service staff, my rating would have been lower than 3 stars. The food was so-so, nothing really good or bad. My idea of a izakaya was that chefs were able to differ to customer's requests and not be restricted to a set menu. My apologies.