Wasabi & Nadaman

Just like a train station in Japan. Get in, get out. Cash only. Good ramen. You must like ramen. you must like the way ramen is served in a traditional style. you must understand if nobody speaks english to you. good grubs

Well thought out ambiance! Classy but still casual enough to feel like you could just pop in at anytime. Food was typical Japanese, nothing crazy, but done simple and well. We had the Wasabi sampler (poke, opihi, crab/​eel creamy spicy sauce, kabocha), Shabu Shabu (classic and very filling!), Red bean/​ice cream/​rice powder ball dessert (surprisingly delish). Next time we’re going to try the braised kalbi or pork belly, sukiyaki and coffee jelly with ice cream dessert! Yum!

I suppose the owner of Wasabi Bistro scored big when asked to team up with the famous Nadaman chain from Japan. The store makeover must have cost a ton of money in not only the interior but with the replacement of all the serviceware too. A recent lunch visit was quite enjoyable except for the fact that we were the only table until another couple showed up at 1pm. If this is the norm for their lunch service, maybe they should focus on dinner only.
I look forward to their kaiseki dinners especially the matsutake kaiseki that hey have in the fall. It would be hard to find a comparable meal of such high quality and great ambiance elsewhere in Honolulu.

If you did not know there is history to the name «Nadaman» that this establishment represents, see below:
I have been a few times and it is really good, thankfully we know the people and we alway get great service, definitely worth a try if you are visiting Hawaii as this is the only US location.

Ok so the price is ridiculous here… but I guess it’s worth a try. A lot of the food is exotic so I had a hard time eating some things… like a fish’s eyeball… bleh. I think I need to try this place out for lunch… maybe it’ll be less fancy.

The name is now called Wasabi & Nadaman. This place is awesome. A japanese national who lives in oahu recommended it to me. It’s definitely a nice elegant place to go to once in awhile since it’s pricey. The ingredients are fresh and the food is yummy. the service was excellent also.
we had the $ 80 dinner menu. keep in mind the portions are small but with melt in your mouth sashimi, it’s worth it.
you won’t regret it.

For Hawaii, this place is somewhat on the formal and upscale side. The menu is really average, your usual Japanese fare ranging from a good selection of hot and cold appetizers (which some Californian style Japanese restaurants call tapas) to the teishokus (set meals), noodles, sushi, sashimi, steak dishes and seafood. Prices are high for Kapahulu Avenue, but then again, you’re sitting in a pretty nice environment.
We started off with gyozas and soft shell crab. Portions are small but it tasted good. My friend ordered the tempura teishoku and I had one of their special sushi combos. My combo was $ 25+ which is okay, but my friend’s tempura was $ 23 which wasn’t really worth THAT much. Of course, if you go to a restaurant down the road with no ambience, then you’ll probably pay about $ 10-​$ 12.
Staff are friendly and quite on the ball. Service is pretty good. I guess if you exclude Waikiki, Wasabi Bistro can be considered a pretty nice restaurant. However, when compared to other Japanese restaurants in and around more sophisticated cities such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco (even Las Vegas these days), Wasabi Bistro can only be considered average fare.
The crowd is definitely geared towards Japanese nationals. They even speak only Japanese to wait staff who are clearly non-​Japanese. I’m guessing even the Caucasian servers understand and speak Japanese.

This is my absolute favorite japanese restaurant in the US.
The food and presentation are excellent and their appetizers (especially the dynamite) supberb. The ambiance is somewhat formal and the presentation of the food is above reproach.
Couple of fun facts — those wooden chais you sit on cost over a thousand dollars each and you’ll see japanese nationals coming in by the car load.
Definitely check it out.