your Favorite Sushi place in Honolulu...

[mangia]

Need some recommendations....HIgh end to neighborhood dives...prefer places that don't serve "California" rolls...

Thanks

[nonbei]

Can't go wrong with any of the recommendations above. One to add to the list, is Gaku at 1329 S. King St. The chef/owner Manabu-san is formerly of Imanas-tei. IMO, he is one of Hawaii's top itamae(sushi chefs). Prices are slightly higher than Imanas-tei, but definitely worth it. Reserve a spot at the counter, tell Manabu-san to feed you what's fresh that day, and you won't be disappointed. The izakaya-style side dishes are also worth trying.

[elinw]

Well, there is always Sushi Sassabune, which will take a serious dent out of your bank account, but is an extravagantly good experience.

But there are so many others, including Mitch's & Imanas-Tei.

My personal favorite for an amazing sushi meal, however, is Yohei. It's at 111 Dillingham. It's a mid-size place that still feels personal and down-to earth. What I like most is the creativity of the omakase. The chef comes out with some amazing fish, much of which I've never seen anywhere else, and some surprising combinations of things I do know (uni WITH sweet shrimp). Give it a try.

And check out the raves over at yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/yohei-sushi-r...

[Joebob]

So, I read the reviews and one said they liked Maguro-ya better. What say you, and which of all these is best value for shrinking $? I certainly enjoyed Sasabune, but I'm still paying for it!

[elinw]

I've only been to Maguro-ya once, so I can't make a full comparison. Maguro-ya is even more intimate and local feeling; Yohei feels like it might be in Japan.

Here's what the advertiser says: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/spe...

[cowfish]

Maguro-Ya and Yohei are owned by the same family (brothers I think), so the food and the waitstaff are similar between the two, so I think it really comes down to location if you're choosing between the two.

[Joebob]

To be honest, I don't trust the Advertiser's reviews. They seem to have a strong bias in favor of places that buy ad space in their paper.

[Yoshio]

To be fair, the link above was to the Ilima awards which are voted on by the public with the reviewers throwing in their recommendations. If you refer to the weekly reviews (not the Dining Out ad section) written by a tiny handful of people for the HA, I would not generally agree with you. On the other hand, the SB food critic accuses everyone (but herself) of doing just that, so you have some company

[KaimukiMan]

I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this, but there are two Zippy's with Sushi Bar's. One in Aiea, one in Kahala. Yes, they do serve California Rolls. I have not seen Philadelphia Rolls there (yet)...

In spite of that, they have some very good sushi. If you happen to be near one or the other and have a sushi craving, give it a thought.

[Aleka]

I really like Imanas-Tei on King St (near University), next to Puck's Alley. If you happen to be with someone who doesn't like sushi too much, they have an excellent izakaya-style menu too. Definitely try to get a seat at the sushi counter.

[Yoshio]

The only place i go for sushi is Mitch's. Qualifies as a hole-in-the-wall but you won't find a better chef or fresher fish and seafood as witnessed by the droves of Japanese nationals who frequent this tiny spot. 13 seats in all, best to visit during the mid-afternoon.
http://hawaiidiner.com/restaurants/re...