Mama-Ya Bishop Street Cafe

I placed my order online in the morning for a spicy ahi bowl. It was super easy and quick for me to place my order online (you pay when you go pick up your order). I went to pick it up at around 1:40 PM. It was empty but they still had a lot of pre made items to choose from. I decided to grab a fried saimin. Inside was very clean and organized. There's tables outside where you can sit and eat. When I got to the counter, I let them know that I had an online order. She made my rice and brought out the spicy ahi. I was given a free bottle of water as well. I was very impressed w/ the portion & quality of the fish. I also like how they packaged the fish separately from the rice. I paid $14.85 for both items (including tax). I will definitely be stopping by here again to try their other items!

Tired of eating 7-Eleven and need a slight change? I was. So I took a quick stroll a couple extra blocks down for lunch, conveniently selected one of the many grab and go bentos and a hand roll, and had my cravings satisfied. Food was on par with bentos you'd get other places, and the price was super affordable! The roll was loaded with delicious ahi, and the spam musubi was uniquely made with purple rice. The chicken was a little soggy but that was expected from a premade bento. Definitely would come back because there was so much selection

Not bad. Bentos and other food items worth getting when freshly made and out of the kitchen. Bentos still comes with free water but miso soup was not available (unless they have discontinued). Outdoor seating only. Service is okay. Only wish they reminded me or at least offer about their incentive card and that many stamps lead to getting a free bento. Long lines during lunch rush.

Thought I'd try this place after working out at the gym. For $15 got a bento with miso butterfish, sekihan, nishime, and a few other tiny edibles. Overall I enjoyed but seemed a bit expensive. Bento tends to be like that generally.

Haven't been here for awhile. Did they change owners? Disappointed in the lack of bentos, musubi etc available! Not a lot of choices especially in the musubi and poke bowls! But there's a screen that shows all the menu items. Saw customers look and not buy anything!Hmmm! Maybe next time I come by this place will be gone

Not many options but nice bento boxes to go for lunch. Service is nice and quick. Ambiance is nice around busy area.

Quick and easy grab and go lunch spot in downtown. If you're not sure what to eat and like a variety, stop by here and grab a bento. You'll find poke bowls, mixed plates, chicken bowls, curry etc. It's delicious locals classics at a reasonable price. I've gotten the spicy chicken bowl before and it is filling. The chicken is a nice texture too and the sauce just adds a nice flavor dimension. Plus, get a free water bottle with any purchase of a bento. While the line gets long, the service is quick. The cashiers are very friendly and always make you feel welcome. After you grab your food item, you can find a seat in the courtyard that's connected to the building. It does get busy during lunchtime, so you might have a hard time finding a seat.

Can't go wrong with a bento from Mama-ya. Reasonably priced & a pretty good selection of yummy Japanese food. If driving there, best to go there before the lunch crowd so you can find a metered stall. Don't forget your coins. I like their salmon bento and they got various types of musubis. So good.

When I don't know what I want to have for lunch, I alway end up making my way to Mama-Ya located on Bishop Street in Downtown, Honolulu. What I like about this restaurant is because it offers a variety of delicious to go meals. Its basically an in-and-out shop where they have arrays of already made food you can choose from. My favorite items that they offer are their pork belly rice bowl, their mini loco moco bowls and my all time favorite, their spicy tempura shrimp roll. They also offer salads, poke bowls, a variety of bentos and side dishes like chicken karaage, squid karaage and chicken tempura. You can never go and leave empty handed. In my case, I always end up leaving with too much. If you purchase either a bento or a bowl, they give you either a free water bottle or a side bowl of miso soup. I alway end up with the miso soup because it goes will with all their delicious and savory food!All the times I've gone, I never did experience a long line. I heard that the line can go way outside the door, especially during this Covid-19 period where I'm sure they are taking precautions and only letting a certain amount of customer in at a time. This locations has no inside seating, but once outside, there are seats where you can enjoy your delicious meal.

I love coming to this place when I don't know what I want to eat for lunch! They have such a huge range of different bentos and onigris, you're bound to find something you'll like! The only downside to this place is that it's so popular! If you go after 12:30PM, on most days, you sadly won't have much to choose from. The best time to go is probably right before the lunch rush so you have plenty of options. I'm always grabbing their spicy katsu roll and their poke bowl! Their spicy ahi isn't really spicy but the flavors are so yums. If you're looking for a spicy bowl fast and on the go, definitely grab one from here! I've tried all their onigris and I gotta say, the ume crunch is one of my faves! If you like ume, you'll like the uniqueness of this onigri! It gives such a oddly refreshing taste. If you find yourself in downtown and unsure what to eat, I would say come here cause you'll probably find something! They have all kinds of bentos, poke bowls, handrolls, salad, onigris, and etc.!