Yakitori Ando

First time for me with a full table of regulars who have nothing but great things to say about this place and I'm happy to report that I agree. There's one seating a day with very limited space so I recommend getting those reservations in early. Plus if you enjoy it, make your next reservation before you leave. I appreciate that every party arrives on time as the fun doesn't begin until everyone is seated. I also recommend to get there somewhat early as there are limited stalls available that are paid stalls across the street otherwise you need to find your own street parking. Payment for parking is secured via QR code once you get to the restaurant at a crazy affordable rate of $1/hour up to 3 hours. Not long after everyone is seated, the service begins. With just one chef and two waitresses, they flow seamlessly throughout the evening. All the food served was tasty. My favorites would have to be the chicken wings, bacon wrapped quail eggs, juicy chicken thighs, and I loved the lamb. Very happy that I enjoyed what was served as not every night is the same with slight variations. If you're not full after the 3 appetizers and about 7 or 8 small plates, the Motsunabe will definitely fill you up. First pot full of meat and veggies and they even come back with a container full of noodles.Overall, I enjoyed myself. I'd like to try sitting at the counter so you can watch the Chef in action. He appears to love what he does and interacts with those sitting at the counter. Don't forget to bring your drinks other than water. They can provide a bucket of ice and glasses if needed. Note that it can get a little warm in there since it's a small space but especially at the end when all the hot pots come out. I feel pricing is fair for the entire experience and there's no other like it on the island.

I heard there was a "new" omakase in town and that it wasn't the traditional sushi omakase - it was a yakitori omakase with motsunabe! I was craving motsunabe as I recently came back from Fukuoka, the origin of the dish where I first tried it. I wanted my boyfriend and grandparents to try this specific dish because it left such an amazing impression on me back in Fukuoka.It's located in the same lot as a jiujitsu dojo and behind the Bank of Hawaii in the Franklin Variety Building on Center St in Kaimuki. There's a free 1 hour parking offered to customers (peep at pic) or many free street parking, especially after 6pm, around the neighborhood. Just an FYI, the omakase lasted at least 2 hours, so after that 1 hour parking, you'll have to pay. It was a reservation only restaurant with maybe around 35 seats. My boyfriend and I were able to score a reservation a couple months in advance for Christmas Eve. Highly recommend calling early before the night starts for them as there are only 2 waitresses and 1 chef.A huge perk as part of the restaurant was that it was a BYOB restaurant - the workers went to every party to ask if we brought our own drinks/alcohol as they prepared glasses for parties who did bring their own drinks. How nice! Unfortunately, my party didn't bring our own drinks and stuck to water/hot water. We were offered to purchase non-alcoholic drinks that they had, though! We started off with five okazu (side dishes): edamame, kinpira renkon (Japanese Lotus Root Stir Fry), hijiki seaweed salad, kiriboshi daikon (I believe), and okara salad (soy pulp). The okazu were soooo good. We were caught off guard, in a good way, by the okara as none of us have ever tried it before. Then the yakitori rounds began! I won't be describing the taste as they're kind of "basic" yet everything was delicious and flavorful!- Bacon wrapped quail eggs- Grilled shrimp- Chicken wings- Chicken meatballs- Bacon wrapped mochi- A5 Wagyu- Chicken liver - a childhood favorite of mine as my mom cooked this a lot. If you've never had it before, definitely give it a try! My boyfriend tried it for the first time ever and didn't hate it - love that!Lastly, the "main" course/star of the show - motsunabe (Japanese hot pot with pork or beef offal)! Our pot was HUGE in comparison to all the other parties. We were already starting to get full from all the yakitori and seeing this was insane (peep at pic). While waiting for the dish to boil, I had asked one of the waitresses if the chef was from Fukuoka as the dish originated from there. Turns out the chef was a sumo wrestler from Yokohama who loved making this dish. Would have never guessed! What a fun fact.The motsunabe smelled soooo good and honestly the smell did not do it any justice because the broth was incredibly amazing. It was really addictive and flavorful that I could not get enough of it (could be the potential MSG but omg so good). The nabe had soooo much offal which I loved. They were also cleaned well and didn't have the strong stinky intestine smell that could stop people from trying. Just couldn't get enough of this at all! We were all getting very full that one of the waitresses informed us that noodles were also a part of this dish. Thankfully, we didn't need to eat the noodles there and was able to take the motsunabe and noodles home!The chef came by to all of our tables and apologized for the wait (to be expected!) and offered us 2025 calendars, showcasing one of his friend's artwork for each month. It was so cute! Overall, a really great place to experience. Especially for those who have never had motsunabe. The price we had was $72 per person for all the food we received. It wasn't too bad especially the last few items practically paid for 1/3 of the meal. Definitely enjoyed the motsunabe and quite sad I can't just order that as takeout in the future.

Located up behind the Bank of Hawaii on Waialae Ave, Yakitori Ando is a small gem in Kaimuki. They are usually reservation only and are packed. It totally feels like you are in Japan there. It is omakase style where Chef brings out multiple types of skewers (yakitori). We received a variety, ranging from shrimp to mushrooms to chicken hearts. I also LOVE that it is BYOB! My friends brought sake for us to eat with our meal. Oishi!What is possibly the best way to end the meal is the huge pot of motsunabe. A piping hot bowl of broth, veggies and meats soothes my soul and my stomach (we must always save room for this nabe)!Cheers to Yakitori Ando, a Kaimuki staple!

What a unique and special experience. After visiting I get why it's popular with the local chefs and I had to make reservations months ahead.We had the privilege of sitting at the counter and watching chef Ando work. I'm having trouble describing the experience because on one hand it simple, but also elegant. The best I can explain it is the balance in the flavors and each skewer cooked to perfection is the experience.The restaurant is on the smaller side and it's byob. The parking lot is across the road and you pay nominal fee with a QR code at the restaurant. 2 hours was sufficient for our party of 2.

Had so much fun with a group of friends at Yakitori Ando. Plenty pics already posted of the great yakitori and motsunabe, here is a pic of how we felt at the end of the meal, so happy!!

The last time we ate there was before the pandemic--so over 4 years. Last year when I called for a table the wait was over a month. I had wanted to take my son and dil there but they were only going to be here for a couple of weeks Today when I called I was told the next available opening was mid January! 3 months!! But the woman answering the phone was polite (not hurried like the last year). And she offered to put us on a wait list during their stay. So here's hoping. Can't wait to have those chicken dishes.

Amazing!!!! Can't believe I didn't know about this place. It's a small place but the food is amazing! We even made reservations to return but couldn't get it for a few months! Service was good. If you think you will walk out hungry....think again.....we were stuffed and it's BYOB!

Yakitori Ando is a hidden gem off a Waialae that specializes in yakitori sticks ranging from chicken hearts to mochi. They are booked out months in advance so always be sure to make another reservation while you're there.The restaurant is fairly small. There is a countertop that sits around 12 and around 6 tables as well. There is a paid parking lot located across that street. This place is BYOB so don't forget to bring your own booze! They offer glasses as well as ice buckets to accommodate, whichever drinks you decide to bring. Ando-san also loves to partake in sharing a drink with his customers, so please offer him a few for all his hard work and amazing service!My friends and I sat at the counter right in front of Ando-san. It was interesting watching him work his magic and was great having a drink with him as well. Our omakase consisted of three sharable appetizers, tsukune, bacon-wrapped mochi, chicken heart, bacon-wrapped quail egg, shrimp, chicken thigh, and chicken wings.The star of the show was the Motsunabe, a hearty and flavorful hot pot. Yakitori Ando's version of Motsunabe was nothing short of a culinary masterpiece. The ingredients were fresh, and the broth was packed with umami goodness. The melt-in-your-mouth texture of the intestines, combined with the vibrant flavors of the vegetables, made it a dish to remember.We were all definitely very stuffed after our meal. The tab came out to around $80 per person including tip, which is cheaper than I thought it would have been. I will definitely be coming back. This is a high recommend on my list for you to try!

We made reservations a few months ago after a few calls. Currently their next opening is in February. Ambiance is warm and the walls are filled with art works featuring Ando-San. But this tucked away 5 and a half year old restaurant is worth trying! They also have a few parking spots in front of their entrance area but street parking was easy to find as well. After the initial appetizers, the omakase consisted of 7 dishes plus their popular motsunabe for about $64 per person. If you are a pescatarian or vegetarian they will make special accommodations as well. Personally I think the motsunabe here is better than Rinka's :)Our table's fav were the bacon wrapped mochi's and the chicken meatballs. I wished they had bonjiri too. (Forgot to ask if they had but next time)Tip for next time - make your reservations for your next dinner when you are there already!

Excellent experience hidden in plain site. The meal was satisfying, varied, and the BYOB with the chef was fun. Reservations are far out but worth it. Will return, hoping to have more beef than all chicken, next time.