Kinchan Sushi

We had an amazing dinner a Kinchan! It feels like you are at a 5 star sushi restaurant in Japan. Our sushi chef kept bringing out the freshest sushi one at a time. It was an awesome experience and I will definitely be coming back. Pro tip- the inside is small. So I would recommend calling in advance to secure a reservation!

My husband and I have been coming to Kinchan Sushi every year since 2015, and it's easily the best traditional omakase we've ever had. We've tried sushi in Oahu, the Bay Area, and even Japan, but nothing compares to the experience here.We always go for the sushi omakase. There's no menu--you simply sit at the counter, and the chef serves piece after piece of nigiri until you say you've had enough. The fish is unbelievably fresh. The ambiance is cozy and intimate. The restaurant is small, which means you get a lot of personal attention from the chef. It's the perfect setting for such a special meal. Just be sure to make a reservation because space is limited.Kinchan is truly a gem. If you love TRADITIONAL omakase sushi, this is an experience you won't forget. It's simple, authentic, and absolutely worth it.

The experience was quite interesting and different. As such, I wasn't sure how to write a worthy review. So I decided to point out things we enjoyed and things that would've been nice to know prior to visiting.1. Reservations are highly recommended. We got lucky and were able to get seating without one, but saw numerous people turned away. It's a small space and seating is done at one time.2. Dinner is Omakase ONLY.3. THERE'S NO SET PRICING. Total is determined at the end of the meal based on how much you eat. Nice part is you can stop at any time or keep going.4. Communication can be a little tricky, unless you speak Japanese. With that said, it took us a little time to figure out the ordering process. We were offered a complete Omakase with appetizer, sashimi and sushi. Or, sashimi and sushi only. Or only sushi. My recommendation is to go with the complete Omakasa. If you don't, you will be waiting a long time before eating (as plates are prepared in order) and miss out on some great preparations.5. The quality of the seafood was excellent and the plates were prepared in a traditional manner. Reason I say that is it doesn't have the flare of some other spots that are known for the chefs creating their own salts, soy sauce, etc..6. It's a family operation with excellent service.7. Okay, the one thing that can improve, chopsticks. For this price range, the chopsticks were quite cheap and splintery. I'm guessing the expectation was to eat the sushi by hand in the traditional Japanese way. Chopsticks were however needed for the sashimi and appetizer plates.Overall a positive experience, but not my top choice for Omakasa on the island.

This little gem has got to be one of my fave sushi omakase spots. They are located in the Waterfront plaza across of the Row Bar. We had so many great plates including otoro, uni, scallops, and so much more. The cool thing is that you can tell them when to stop - or to keep going. They also have some good sake and beer that go well with the sushi. It can be pretty pricey if you keep adding plates but in regards to the quality of the fish, it's totally worth it. The chef/owners are really nice and the service was great. Will definitely be back soon.

The ambiance with the sushi chef and hostesses were very welcoming and friendly. The food was soo good. Great sushi, great spot for traditional Japanese sushi. They even played music. The sushi chef plays strings and was just a lot of fun.

I've been to many of the highly rated sushi restaurants in Honolulu (Sasabuni, Ii, Murayama, Mitch's) and this deserves to be on the list. Very authentic. Fish sourced from Japan. Excellent omakase experience. I'll be back.

I never knew there was a sushi restaurant hidden in this little area! We stumbled upon this because we were hungry and thought that there may be food in the area. The bf and his friend wanted to go to the bar near by and thought we just find food in the same area. So we came to Kinchan sushi.I've seen the Yelp for this place but didn't know it was located at restaurant row! We got there and the place was empty so we were sat right away. Upon sitting down we didn't know that this place was only omakase style. Lol so we just decided to stay for it anyways knowing that it's probably going to be expensive but there weren't any other places to eat at that time. I've posted pictures of all the dishes we got and of course I don't remember any names of the dishes but it was all really good! Hehe we had 10 courses plus a salad in the beginning and dessert at the end. All dishes were my favorite but I really like the hand roll the best with the avocado and the crab meat! If you haven't tried this place out, I highly recommend to try it out because omakase are the best experience for sushi! You never know what's going to be the next course and surprising your taste palette!! I would definitely come back! I think it was about $600 something including tip for 3 people! FYI, if you're already feeling full you should definitely tell the sushi chef to stop. I believe he will keep going until he has either given you everything he has or until you tell him to stop. He was going to continue for we told him to stop after the 10th course because we were already full. But definitely give this place a try if you haven't already, it is a hidden gem!!

Food was wonderful. However we were told there was no menu and it was strictly omakase. We had one glass of sake each and when the bill came it was over $400 for two people. Unexpected and uncalled for. I work close by and was considering that this could be a regular stop. That's not a consideration now.

Super intimate experience where the chef prepares the dishes in front of you.It's a super small restaurant with limited seating (approximately 8), so we called to make reservations beforehand.Let's start off with what I liked:- Cozy atmosphere- Friendly chef- Pay according to how much you ate (feel free to stay STOP whenever you are full and that will be the end of the omakase meal)- The fish quality was up there (ootoro is amazing!)Things that I didn't like:- Some of the beginning dishes felt like filler (lots of different types of fish that are packed onto the plate - felt a bit messy)- Not having a set price/range is a little challenging as you don't really realize how it quickly adds up- Personally, I thought a lot of the nigiri had too much additional sauce added (on the saltier side and masked the natural taste of the fish)- Service was decent but I thought more selective attention was paid to other customers. Not sure if it is because we looked younger or because we mainly spoke English at first (before switching to Chinese).Overall it ended up being around $170 per person before tax/tip. Not super good value, but decent quality fish and experience.

This place is a scam! It's very lackluster and overpriced. How is it $400 for two people and we only had a few courses? I've been to more fancy and exquisite omakase for less. The place looks like a quick take-out place. The sushi chef is nice and good but for the quality and service. This price is just outrageous.