The Best Japanese Food in Honolulu
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The best Japanese food in Honolulu, according to the experts: AAA, Forbes Travel Guide, and The New York Times have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Mugen comes out on top.
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Māze and Tonkatsu Tamafuji hold the next two places. Eater shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Honolulu Magazine next.
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Rank 1. Mugen
Seasonal Japanese
The awards
- AAA AAA: Five Diamonds
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Five Star
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Rank 2. Māze
Japanese
Spam musubi is a 7-Eleven staple in Honolulu; at Māze it arrives with a gossamer strip of Wagyu over rice steeped in Wagyu fat. This omakase, rooted in Asian and Hawaiian traditions and pronounced like the Japanese word for "to mix," folds cocktails into the tasting menu itself, drinks built in collaboration with the chef rather than offered alongside. A James Beard semifinalist and a two-star New York Times Critic's Pick, it reads as the kind of place that earns those mentions quietly.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2026 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2026 · The Restaurant List
- Eater Eater: The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- The New York Times 2026 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- The New York Times 2026 · The Restaurant List
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
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Rank 3. Tonkatsu Tamafuji
Japanese
A bowl of sesame seeds arrives at the table for you to grind yourself before stirring them into the tonkatsu sauce, which tells you what kind of katsu shop this is. The pork is carefully sourced, the panko is made in-house, and the rice comes from Hokkaido. Reservations are hard to come by, which matters in a city where locals can get a perfectly decent plate-lunch katsu for half the price.
The awards
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Rank 4. Aburiya Ibushi
Japanese
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Honolulu Magazine: Best Restaurants in Honolulu
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Rank 4. Sushi Gyoshin
Sushi
Eight counter seats and a booking list that moves slower than island traffic: that's Sushi Gyoshin, a kaiseki-inflected omakase tucked into a strip on Piikoi. The chef opens with savory riffs on traditional monaka before moving into nigiri built from blended vinegars and two rice varieties. The seafood travels far, and the room is intimate enough that you'll notice every detail of what lands in front of you.
The awards
- Eater Eater: The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Honolulu Magazine: Best Restaurants in Honolulu
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The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
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Rank 7. Restaurant Suntory
Japanese
Three separate dining rooms, three separate reservations to even consider: teppanyaki, sushi omakase, or traditional washoku, each run as its own operation. The spirits company behind the whisky built an elegant Japanese restaurant in Waikīkī that takes itself seriously without making you feel like you wandered in underdressed. The drink menu is, predictably, excellent. Pick your room before you call.
The awards
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Crab, Cream Cheese and Tomato · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
- Eater The 20 Best Restaurants in Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi
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The awards
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Keiji Nakazawa
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
- Eater The 20 Best Restaurants in Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi
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Rank 9. Izakaya Uosan
Izakaya
The handwritten daily specials sheet is the first thing to read at this intimate Honolulu izakaya, where the fish changes with the season and the kitchen takes both seriously. Foie gras over braised daikon and egg yolk rice with uni and truffle butter signal the general direction: indulgent, a little theatrical, no apologies. The baby sardine chips do the work of a bar snack, but with more personality than a bar snack has any right to expect.
The awards
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Rank 10. Marugame Udon
Udon Shop
The awards
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Rank 10. Wasabi Bistro
Sushi
The awards
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Rank 10. ZIGU
Modern Izakaya
The original 1930s wooden beams, plastered over for decades while the building housed a scooter-rental shop, are visible again here. Zigu is a modern izakaya tucked into the ground floor, running a menu of small plates, tempura, and sushi with local touches woven through: mochiko fried chicken, kale noodles, green papaya rolls. Waikiki usually does loud and obvious; this room does quiet and considered.
The awards