ABURIYA IBUSHI

“ Awesome place. We were referred and had a great dinner. Food was excellent, many sake choices, it was a fun izakaya style place. It was higher in prices but not too bad. Easy to find and lovely service. We will go back again ”

“ Came for dinner with a couple a friends. We initially made a reservation for the wrong night but luckily the staff were still able to seat us. We ordered our favorite appetizers to share, the potato salad and cold tofu with pork. Both were just as I remembered-delicious. However, when it came to ordering our entrees we were bummed to find out that they no longer do their teishoku add on(rice, miso soup, tsukemono), apparently they don't serve miso soup anymore so that's the reason the cancelled it. So, we each just ordered a side of rice with our meal. Me and a friend got their beef flank which was tender and flavorful. My other friend got their chicken thigh, to me it was a little over charred and had the flavor of gas. I didn't care for it. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 was mainly due to the service. Although they are extremely friendly, we felt as if we were forgotten about more than a few times. It took us a while to order, get our food, and requesting or check. I'll definitely be back and hoping that it was maybe just an off night. ”

“ Hands down the BEST Japanese food I've ever had in my life. I don't normally rate places a 10/10 but this was absolutely 10/10. Everything tasted amazing. All dishes felt high quality and you can absolutely notice the difference in the way the foods been prepped and made. Though some food tasted a bit more average than others, it was still delicious. It was so good we had to come here twice during our trip. Ambiance was great, service was good. I loved the intimate and coziness I felt during our dinner. For how the food tasted and the price point, it is worth every single cent. I can't wait to come back when I'm back in Oahu! Potato salad: 11/10 Chicken karaage: 10/10 -best karaage ever Agedashi tofu: 9.5/10 Beef tartare: 9/10 Sweet corn: 9/10 Seared ahi: 7.5/10 Oxtail soup: 7/10 Cucumber salad: 7.5/10 Beef tongue: 7/10 ”

“ Service, ambience, food all around 5 stars! Honolulu undoubtedly has some of the best food in this part of the world and our experience at Aburiya Ibushi was better than we expected (we had high expectations). As we were seated in the bar area, we enjoyed watching the food prepared in front of us. It really reminded of us of our time in Japan, particularly in shinjuku where yalitori stalls are prevalent. Everything and I mean everything that we ordered was absolutely delicious. The cucumber salad was refreshing, tangy and mildly spicy. The cold tofu was abundantly flavorful, savory and a beautiful umami balance. The mackerel was juicy, with a generous amount of meat. And the seared steak bowl was incredibly tender with the most delicious mushroom pilaf/risotto rice. My fiancé and I have agreed this was our favorite meal this trip and will become one of our must-eat destinations going forward. Also, shoutout to the servers and cooks for the amazing hospitality!! ”

“ That rice bowl was fire. Nuff said. Plus a few more characters to make 85. Get the ikura rice bowl too. ”

“ The staff were friendly and welcoming, and they were fluent in both Japanese and English, making communication smooth. The restaurant environment was pleasant--although the space is small, it is very clean and well-organized. Having been to Japan three times, I feel that the food here is somewhat adapted to American tastes, but overall, it still retains a fairly authentic Japanese flavor. Would definitely recommend for those looking for a good Japanese dining experience! ”

“ Izakaya is a must if you're visiting Honolulu! Oahu has so many Izakaya places, and we've probably been to at least six by now in our short time here! For dinner, we stopped by here and they specialize in charcoal grilled meats such as steak, chicken, and pork belly. There's such a nice char and flavor to it that you can only get when it's cooked this way. Besides that, they have a bunch of smaller plates with my favorites being their jellyfish, tsukemono, and okra with ume sauce. Of course they have beer, shochu, highballs, and other drinks to enjoy to pair with your meal. They're located relatively close to Waikīkī, right off of Kapahulu, and I would definitely recommend trying it out! We came right when they opened at 5pm for dinner, but I would recommend making a reservation since they do get busy. Just one of the many Izakaya places to try when you're in Honolulu! ”

“ Haven't been to Aburiya in a long time, pretty much since they opened and only for lunch! Decided it was time to brave the lines and try dinner there! Went on a weekend evening and the wait was about 20 minutes at around 7:30-8PM. Since the restaurant opens til midnight, I wasn't stressed about not making it in time. A good mixture of locals and tourists there. They are short staffed on waiters so just be patient. Dinner time is great for parties or date night. Alot of pupu options to share over drinks, izakaya style. I ordered the potato salad (excellent! With kernels of corn and turmeric spice), grilled sweet Ewa corn (excellent!), beef tongue (my favorite of the night), cucumber tataki (excellent!), oxtail and egg soup (not bad), Aburiyaki - marinated and grilled beef flank (juicy but a little too sweet, tastes like kalbi with less fat), agedashu tofu and Kamameshi - grilled Shima hokke (fish with ikura and beans). I will say the last two menu items were my least favorite. I think they add too much corn starch on the tofu so the fried skin gets a little mushy. I would have preferred the beef or unagi kamameshi dishes. The fish and ikura was a little underwhelming. I would go back for the beef tongue and other small plates! Would definitely try the pork or chicken Aburiyaki (grilled) menu items. Might be more to my taste! I didn't really care for their oxtail soup either. The tender oxtail is braised well and the soup is nicely salted but the flavor is a little one note, not too much depth where you can get a little tired of the taste. Solid 4 stars. ”

“ We came here for a light dinner and some drinks and everything was great. We love everything we ordered. Our server she was so sweet and smiled all the time. Love the vibes! Love the open kitchen and the ambiance. Felt like we were in Japan ”