Sabal

Another gem inside Topa building in downtown right next to Komala curry. Sabal offers very limited menu. If I read correctly, you can choose from three items. I chose the noodle bowl and that is dry noodle bowl with fresh made korean style vegetables and you get to choose a protein. Their noodles are from Sun noodle as stated.This is one man operation so there maybe a wait especially during peak lunch hour. If you're conscious about eating healthy lunch, this maybe an option for you for $10.

Now that their sauces have that oomph, I change my rating to 5 stars. Awesome service, awesome food, and decent price. $12 for a noodle bowl and I'm left full. I tried the spicy garlic oil again as well as the garlic shoyu and both were delicious.

First time to Sabal did not disappoint! There's always food options in downtown, but Sabal is pretty affordable and fast for you lunch break. Located in Topa tower, it is right next to a nice eating spot with tables in AC! You can choose your carb - noodles, rice, or wontons and choice of meat. I love how easy but customizable the menu is. I opted for the noodles with pork and korean miso sauce. The bowl is topped with kimchi and pickled veggies and a soft onsen egg - the ultimate pairing! The portion size is good for the price and the meat is super tender! If you're looking for an easy lunch, stop by Sabal!

Delicious!!! I ordered the Sabal Noodle Bowl with spicy garlic chili oil and braised pork shoulder. The flavors were amazing!I saw this spot and just thought it would be typical Ramen, but it is so much more. It's inside of Topa and opens during lunch 11-2. Go check it out!

Sabal is a solid downtown lunch spot. Bowls from Sabal are really good and filling. The friendly owner/chef is a one man show cheffin' up protein bowls for lunch during the week on the ground floor of the Topa Financial Building right off Nimitz/Ala Moana Blvd. He has a very simple menu offering noodles, salad, or rice bowls w/ your choice of protein and mild or spicy sauce. He adds kimchee, pickled daikon, cucumbers, tempura flakes, and a poached egg.1st visit I got my bowl w/ noodles, garlic shoyu, braised chicken thigh, and wontons. 2nd visit I got my bowl w/ noodles, spicy garlic shoyu, and pork shoulder. Now that I've tried all the proteins on the menu (excluding tofu), I highly recommend the wontons.

Sabal might be my new favorite lunch spot in downtown. Located in Topa tower right next to the seating area on the first floor. The menu is concise, but allows you to customize your bowl as you like. Choose from noodles or rice as a base, then a protein (braised pork, chicken, tofu, or wontons) and a sauce (spicy garlic, garlic shoyu, Korean spicy, or ssam miso). I decided on a noodle bowl with pork and spicy garlic chili oil. This meal honestly caught me off guard with how delicious it was. The pork is super tender, the sides are plentiful, and the chili oil ties everything together into a bowl of saucy goodness. The kimchi, cucumber, daikon and egg included were all great too. Mix it all together for maximum enjoyment. One of my favorite things about this spot is that it's so affordable. With lunch prices downtown going up, Sabal is definitely one of the cheaper options out there. I would gladly pay more though to support this small business as much as possible.

Sabal is one of Downtown Honolulu's hidden gems. It's located in the Topa Tower, next to Komala Curry. It has been open for a few years now owned and managed by chef Jun. He's a one man show, and his food as he explained to me, is a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine. The concept is simple (noodle and rice bowls), but the flavor is anything but. You begin by choosing your starch: ramen style rice or noodles, then your protein: braised pork, beef, tofu, chicken, or won tons, then you complete the bowl with your sauce of choice: spicy garlic chili oil (most popular), spicy shoyu oil, or Korean spicy sauce. I've tried all three and all are tasty, but I prefer the spicy garlic chili oil. Each bowl comes with seasoned bean sprouts, kimchi, pickled daikon, green onion, and a perfectly poached egg. My go-to is the noodle bowl with won tons. The won tons are freshly made by Chef Jun himself and they are the perfect addition to the bowl. He has added kimchi to his menu, as well as hot sauce in 10-ounce containers. The lunch line can get long, but the wait is minimal. Unfortunately, when Covid hit, a lot of Downtown food establishments shut down, and with many still working remotely, the lunch crowds aren't what they used to be. However, I'd say that Sabal is here to stay. The bowls pack a flavorful punch, and I will continue to support Chef Jun and locally owned businesses.

Went to Sabal for the first time and it's simple, but for what it is it's a great option! Perfect for a quick lunch during the workday that's affordable and comfortable. Located in Topa Tower with a spacious seating area it's a super convenient walk. I got the braised pork rice bowl which was a great portion for lunch and super tasty. There was one man working and everything is quickly put together as you order, so the line can get long, but he works fast! Overall really enjoyed my experience here and will be back!

Week 2 of exploring downtown eats and I am glad I stopped at Sabal. The menu may not look like much but the options are definitely plentiful. I didn't know what to order so I listened to what the people ahead of me were ordering. Everyone in front of me ordered a noodle bowl, so guess what I ordered? I ordered the noodle bowl with braised, pork shoulder. OMG! It was so good. The flavors are on point. It came with the pork shoulder daikon, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, soft boiled egg, and tempura flakes, all the noodles were tossed in the garlic shoyu sauce that I wanted. The pickled veggies definitely paired well with the noodles and sauce. I must say that if was really filling as tasty for $9. Will definitely be back to try their other protein choices and sauces.

Inner Monologue: You know we go to the same five restaurants over and over and over for lunch downtown, right?Super Inner Monologue: Why you gotta attack us like that? Not cool bro, not cool.Inner Monologue: I'm just saying that we could try something new for once. Rather than a musubi, poke bowl, burrito, hoagie, or Pad Thai ad infinitum.Super Inner Monologue: Fine. We'll try something new, but if we hate it, it's all on you Inner Monologue.Disney Singing Monologue: Stop fighting you two. Anyways (while putting on a skull mask), What's this? The bowls are lined with kimchee and pickled veggies, braised pork shoulder steaming, everything smells so happy, have I possibly gone daffy? What is this?Why, it's Sabal! Located in Topa towers, right past the Subway and Indian takeout place on the first floor, it's a relatively new rice and ramen bowl location selling wildly affordable yet filling lunches. The menu is extremely simple, offering just a few options.Sabal offers just three main choices of a ramen bowl, rice bowl, or a wonton bowl with protein choice of braised pork shoulder, boneless chicken thigh, tofu, or wontons for the bowls. The wonton bowl comes in pork or vegetarian options. Patrons then are offered four sauce choices of spicy garlic chili oil, garlic shoyu oil (soy sauce for you non-locals), Korean spicy sauce, or Ssam sauce which is Korean miso based. The takeout place is simple, clean, well lit, with a very personable and professional staff. Kimchee by the pound is available for sale as are soda and hot sauce. They share a communal dining area with the other vendors. Parking as always is a mess as it is downtown.I went with the braised pork over ramen with garlic shoyu. Presentation was very nice for takeout place, with pickled vegetables aligned in a pleasing manner, with a very soft-boiled egg in the middle along with tempura puffs for texture. The pork was tender, flavorful, with just the right amount of fat. Sabal gives quite a bit of meat, far more than I expected for a mere $9 including tax. The noodles had the right amount of chew and absorbed the garlic shoyu oil. Breaking the egg allowed for the barely cooked yolk to flavor the rest of the meal. The veggies were quite strongly pickled, but they needed to be to stand up to the pork. I'm not Korean, but the kimchee was solid. It did get a bit messy towards the end, but this is a solid contender for cheap eats downtown and I will be back for more.