Hakkei

5 out of 5 stars isn’t enough for how awesome this place is.
A real trip to Japan in Honolulu. Nearly everyone in the place was speaking Japanese, the food is very authentic straight forward japanese food. We went at lunch. The lunch menu changes day to day. So you can’t always plan ahead, they have oden every day which I had and it was lovely. My wife had the daily set, crab and tofu. Both were awesome.
Everything comes with rice, a plate of pickles, vegetable soup and side of protein (I had a chicken wing, the wife had tofu.
They also have a sister restaurant that does bento if you don’t have time to wait.

Went here for the first time today with a friend who raved about this place. I was not disappointed! Authentic Japanese food– subtle tastes, creative, and beautifully presented. I had the oden which was very tasty with a subtle rich broth. I also had their special which today was ahi eggplant sandwich. This was an eggplant stuffed with fresh ahi and fried tempura style. Simple yet fabulous tasting!
It’s a very small restaurant with maybe 6 – 7 tables so call ahead for reservations and bring your appetite.

Went to Hakkei on a recommendation from a local. This is not standard Japanese food that you can get stateside. We looked at the menu and asked April the waitperson to just feed us. We took a chance and it turned in to one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time.
April brought out dish after dish of outstanding food. She took the time to explain each dish and associated sauces. She made recommendations for beer and wine that went perfectly. We left full, satisfied and genuinely pleased with the entire experience. When the check came we were pleased again!

Wonderful, darling little restaurant that makes you feel transported in time to a country village in Japan. Artfully prepared with love and care, this restaurant is one of our favorite places for comfort food (Oden) at a relaxed pace. The choices are plentiful however it helps if you enjoy fish and are not in any hurry! Love this place for its special rustic homey feeling and delicious flavors.

Tried Hakkei for the first time the other night and really enjoyed it. The only slight drawback was that it is kind of a slow meal.
There were 6 of us and one friend just ordered a side dish, one ordered beef sukiyaki, 3 ordered duck sukiyaki, and I ordered oden (choose 5). Two of us got the sets that include a nice selection of appetizers (and a LOT of them!) and ice cream for dessert.
We started out with a mochi and eggplant dashimaki to share, which was really good! They brought out 3 burners and pots — one for each type of sukiyaki and one for my oden. The server began the cooking process for the duck sukiyaki and my friend with the beef sukiyaki followed her lead. My oden was all ready, it just needed to be heated over the burner.
Aside from the ice cream that came with the sets that two of us ordered, my friends also ordered a yuzu jello which was REALLY good! It was very refreshing.
I would definitely return here. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Japan and the service is good, as is the food. But depending on what you order, it may be a long dinner, which was fine for us since we just wanted to get together and have fun.

A quaint little Japanese restaurant with great authentic Japanese food. Each dish was artfully prepared and delicious. Service is great and it is reasonably priced for Japanese food. Make a reservation because this place is small.

We went to this place because my wife wanted to try it out. I called ahead and was told that parking is on Young St. Upon arrival the waitress pointed us to our table but seemed reluctant to answer any questions. She didn’t say one word to us after we figured out on our own that we had to go to the table in the back to help ourselves to the food.
At first, I thought maybe she didn’t speak English well but her attitude and demeanor weren’t welcoming which led me to think that maybe they prefer to cater only to a certain group of diners.
After our self-​serve meal and a long wait, we had to go to the back to find her and get our check. My wife said the food was OK which is why I gave them 2 stars but I don’t plan on going back.

Party of 6 — came here and had the chef appetizer and seafood sukiyaki. As well as the uni on rice. Took a long time for the food to come and our dinner spanned over 2.5 hrs. The restaurant is small and only has 4 tables but the setting is nice and Intimate. The dinner came with miso soup, chef’s choice of appetizer, entrée, rice and dessert (ice cream). Overall, the experience was positive.
The appetizer was quite unique and included some alaskan king crab, beans, and other items. The tofu was the most memorable part. The entrée, seafood sukiyaki had a decent amount of fresh seafood. They give you a hot pot style red broth, which was really sweet and fresh seafood on the side, and you cook it at your own table. Dessert included a choice of green tea or macadamia nut ice cream — go for the macadamia nut one, it’s quite delish!

the food is very authentic Japanese food, however, the waitress is not nice at all, unless you can speak japanese.
there wasn’s a greeting when we came into the restaurant. afterward, i observed all the customers came after us, and see how’s her reaction. they’re all local Japanese, she greeted and smiled at them, which made me feel uncomfortable. she didn’t refill the tea or water so often.

Eh, weekend buffet. Pretty much everything was cold and SPARSE.
Yes, you read that right. A sparse buffet.
Price was good. One beer was $ 10 – crazy! I did LOL at some reviews about standing outside – there are a bunch of signs posted outside…
But you should go inside and at least see what’s happening. The waitress was actually pretty nice as well.

Great FOOD, Great SERVICE, Really Great Reception… Did I mention Great Food !!!
I’ll mention something about how people feel welcome or NOT. Hey if you feel Un-​welcome, you probably are right on.
Don’t ignore the feeling. Go with it… leave!
…just my opinion… Be a good guest !

…stoked to be in Tokyo… excellent food… try to sit at the counter and then you can watch the kitchen at work… this is very unique…

I heard great things about Hakkei’s weekend lunch buffet and somehow galavanted there today.
My wife and I walked in just as a table opened up. We stood at the door uncomfortably. It’s a very small restaurant and standing at the door is quite apparent to everyone who is seated. We waited for a good 4 minutes which sounds short but is pretty damn long in this situation. The lady was doing something with some checks and was oblivious to us standing there even though every single customer was uncomfortably looking at us every few moments. Finally I decided to walk over to her. I used a very subservient, tatemae voice and said, «two please…» The lady then scowled at me with a growling face (seriously, a growling face!), literally used her hand to shoo me, and said, «WAIT!»
The couple seated closest to the door who was watching the whole thing looked at me in disbelief. I gestured to my wife with the same shooing motion saying, «did you just see that?!» I think the lady saw me impersonating her because her scowl got more intense, she started banging plates and cups as she put them away, and started wiping the table in an intensely negative manner.
Normally I’m a very confrontational person, especially when someone is being «not nice.» But given the fierceness of the lady and the closed quarters of the restaurant, I decided just to walk away. My wife and I walked out the door just as she yelled, «READY!»
We proceeded to go to I-​Naba, where we enjoyed an amazing soba lunch.
When Hakkei just opened, I want to say 10 years ago maybe, my wife and I frequented it and always had great service. For some reason we haven’t been back in probably 8 years and after this experience we won’t be back ever.

I felt like I was back in Japan the moment I step foot in this place and here is why.
My wife and I decided to dine here for lunch since we read that it was more affordable (do you even know how much preschool is per month?) per Unilocal reviews. Their LOCATION is a little hidden but their sign is visible from Young street. The PARKING lot is limited so you’ll either have to street park, catch the bus, bicycle, or run/​walk here. However, if you do get there by any other means of transportation besides a car then I would recommend you make RESERVATIONS which they only take between the hours of 11:00 to 12:00 for lunch and I think the first hour of dinner. So we get there around 12:00 and we put ourselves on the wait list. Right after that, two men walk right in and then walk right out and tell us to go in. I assumed they worked there but it turned out they were just drunk because as we entered the host/​server lady started semi yelling at us in Japanese. All I understood was Chotto Matte (No Kurasai) followed by more words in Japanese that I didn’t understand. Yeah, that was a little awkward for us but it was worth it so I could tell you about it on Unilocal.
So once we finally sit down and our host/​server takes our order and gradually becomes nicer and nicer and even starts to speak English. We decided that we would try the Oden set since it was the most popular and we also got the grilled saba set. To sum it up, the FOOD was well prepared with a diverse taste considering you eat everything. There is no need for me to go into detail about the food because ROD U. along with many other Unilocalers explain it much better than I can. Their portions are definitely enough to fill you up. Therefore, considering the portion and quality for the PRICE of a 12 –15 dollar average is a very good deal.
The ENVIRONMENT is fairly small but that’s to be expected of a hole in the wall Japanese restaurant. I would say it can fit around 20 — 30 people max.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Japanese food or breathe air then I would recommend you try this place. If your child is in preschool and you pay for it, then I recommend going for lunch.

I really like this place, the food is always on point and the home cooked dishes are simply delicious! You just have to be patient because the service is kind of slow but waitresses have been nice to us!
Must have items:
Homemade tofu
Extra crispy fried chicken
Oden homemade ones
Eggplant wrapped with tamago

So happy that we got reservations on the same day. Since we weren’t a local, we got lost trying to look for this place with GPS as it happens to be back of another clothing store. Server was very nice with helping is on the orders and explaining the whole oden process. The oden to the steam uni over flavored rice was excellent. We finished off with green tea ice cream topped with red bean paste. Still savoring the meal as I write this review.
Tips– Restaurant is a must.

First of all, did not expect to see such a small menu, after seeing all the photos on Unilocal.
Went for lunch today, & basically it was daily special, with or without oden, or fish with or without oden. Comes with miso soup, steamed egg, white or multigrain rice & 6 tiny sides (seasoned soy beans, okara, etc…) served in an escargot looking dish.
Today’s daily special was «stewed chicken» which was very tender & tasty. For the oden, they ask you to go up to the big soup pot & choose 3 items. I got the hijiki fishcake, daikon & chicken meatball.
Would’ve preferred more menu choices, but it turned out to be an enjoyable lunch & the restaurant makes you feel like you’re in Japan. Small & cozy, bench seats, & you can see them preparing the food… a unique experience for us.

This spot is a hidden jewel of really good kamameshi, delicious oden, mochi crunch chicken, refreshing watercress salad and a specials board changing every week with yummy entrees!
The lady that has been working here for a long time always gives the best ultimate customer service! She always refills my hot tea and pays attention to detail. She is really sweet and this restaurant is tiny. But the atmosphere is cozy and relaxing.
I will dine here in the near future!

The flavors of the ryokan surrounding the onsen of Japan. So the fish isn’t fresh caught from the nearby stream (thank goodness, the nearest being the Ala Wai), the ingredients not plucked from the village farm, the forest, a concrete jungle, birdsong replaced by car engines that also perfume the air, in Hakkei, the chef still imbues the essence of the season in each meal. Simple. Comforting. Best of all, light on the wallet.
Kaiseki has been simplified while still retaining seasonal freshness and bond with nature. Plating could be more refined, plates and bowls more artistic, all good, it keeps with the more casual Hawaii setting. Still the many little dishes but portions are larger than one bite. It will fill you up.
Flavors are punchy and complimentary. A simple, chilled aspic of chicken stock and veg, grilled spicy chicken, grilled eggplant finished with miso, a vegetal yuba and warabi ohitashi (tofu «skin» and fiddle head fern veg wrap) that captures spring, and that’s just a few of the starters.
Note: 24 hour advance reservation required for kaiseki meals. Changes monthly. Average price $ 55.
Ala carte starters are home style Japanese comfort foods; well flavored okara (seasoned bean curd lees), kinpira gobo (burdock), house made tofu with ginger.
Very good kamameshi. Cooked in the traditional pot, it has the perfect «crust» of crispy rice on the edges. The chicken and gobo has a gentle soy flavor with a touch of sweetness and pronounced gobo finish. The Kona abalone, slightly overcooked and chewy but it’s sweet, oceanic flavor pairs very well with the rice.
Finally Oden. Simply select some slow simmered ingredients. A smaller pot atop a burner will be brought to the table. The addition of some fresh veg and Napa cabbage, heat through and enjoy. To the remaining broth, add a rice porridge (zousui) or udon or better yet, the crispy rice porridge and some egg and enjoy. The broth (and everything simmered in it) has a gentle bonito and konbu flavor with a pronounced soy earthiness. The beef tendons are clean and tender, spongy and tasty fish paste and gobo dumplings, peppery daikon (radish), neutral konyaku (konjac).
Good service. Reasonable prices. Limited but inexpensive lunch offerings, check website for daily menu.

It’s no wonder why people love Hakkei — they’ve got a bunch of delicious and traditional Japanese food options like oden, nabe, kaiseki, sukiyaki, and ala carte dishes.
Some insight for those unfamiliar with some of these dishes:
Nabe = hot pot. Oden is a type of nabe, usually consisting of slow simmered ingredients in a Japanese stock or broth (dashi).
Kaiseki is a Japanese multiple course meal.
Sukiyaki is like shabu shabu.
Kamameshi is a rice dish.
Chef Appetizers
This was comprised of several small appetizers chosen by the chef. All were bite size portions, which was kind of nice. It was like a little «taste.» Nice way to kick-​start the palate.
Duck and Watercress Nabe
Fresh watercress, veggies, and raw duck simmering in a hot pot of delicious broth.
I would order this again because I love duck. YUM. The pieces of duck were beautiful in color and texture. It was so tender and flavorful! :)
I will most def be back. I’m glad my SS introduced me to this place. I don’t think I would have known otherwise! Next on my to-​try list is the Hakkei Oden.