4. Restaurants

Wada

611 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96815
  • (808) 737-0125
  • Store is closed

Wada Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Maki K.

    We usually come here for Happy Hour!! Their POKE $5 is delicious! Organic Salad $4 Sushi $2.75~ Their sushi is pretty fresh and Happy Hour prices are reasonable.

    (4)

  • Sarah N.

    I ordered many pieces of sushi . It was't fresh at all. Uni smelled real terrible like sewer and Abalone was like rubber, Hamachi and scallop had no texture...wow.. How could sushi Restraunt is this bad. Bill was $80 at happy hour for 2 people. If you expects some good quality of sushi , this place will be wrong choice.

    (1)

  • Craig S.

    When I go on vacation I typically like to try as many places as possible but I have to say that Wada was such good quality with a wonderful happy hour menu that we came back the next night for another early dinner. First, the staff were all excellent and you can tell by the dishes that the chef takes great care in freshness and presentation. We tried several things and naturally it all started with the cold sake on the happy hour menu! Some of our favorite dishes were: * Green papaya and avocado salad * Tuna poke * Uni - Sweet and buttery * Japanese snapper * Japanese scallop * Sesame ice cream Overall an excellent experience and we would definitely go back in a future trip to the island.

    (5)

  • David C.

    The Good: + You know its proper izakaya when they serve natto! + Extensive list of grilled goods, but also impressive arsenal of cold dishes. + Really blown away by the value of the sushi considering the main focus is izakaya. + Awesome food and drink specials during happy hour and LATE NIGHT happy hour! + All dishes were well executed, seasoned well, boasted fresh ingredients, and incredibly delicately prepared. The Not So Good: - service was a bit disoriented when it came time to get guests seated; these seemed to be no order and parties of the same size that arrived after us were seated before us even without reservations. However, tableside service was excellent. Bottom Line: AUTHENTIC IZAKAYA. Stop by now! Wada originally cut his teeth at Sushi Yasuda in NYC before opening shop in Honolulu, so expect a delightful experience and a modern take on Japanese.

    (4)

  • Jackie M.

    Wada is hands down one of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in the world! Its just my style!! Crazy good service, amazing quality meats & fish. And fair price! The Tuna with Foie Gras was my favorite! Everything was super good. All top notch quality. I highly recommend this place. I came once during my vacation, and on the last day I came back but they were closed. I am dying to come back. Heres what I ordered: Tripe Appetizer (Free) Tuna w Foie Gras Unagi Wagyu Beef Sushi Wagyu Beef with Uni Japanese Uni Santa Barbara Uni Toro Beef Tongue BBQ Ikura Tobiko Sesame Ice Cream It was such an AMAZING meal. Granted I ordered all the expensive things on the menu, but this meal only came out to a little less than $200. I expected it to be alot more. It was worth every penny. The items are not that expensive, but my boyfriend and I ordered 2 each of every item, or more. We just love our food. I would fly to Hawaii just for this. No where compares to this place. I wanna go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Pam M.

    We were excited to try Wada since reviewing other Yelp views. We dined there last night. The interior is completely different from the old Tokkuri Tei decor. It's modern & bright, with a lot of wood panels. There tables are a carved from a solid piece of wood with the edges sloped at a gentle angle where the table faces you. They have some interesting drinks. I had the ume/brut prosecco cocktail which was pretty good & helped me relax after a long day. On to the food. We had: Green papaya & avocado salad (3.5/5): refreshing, light & tasty with Japanese sesame dressing Miso black cod (4/5): delicate, flavorful & tender. Beef with Uni and nori wrap (4.5/5): This was my second favorite dish. It was delicate and delicious, perfect 2 bites of perfection. Kushiage (3/5): fried veggies that my friend ordered - not that exciting & I probably wouldn't repeat it. Maguro & foie gras (5/5): this was the star of the night. It was my favorite dish of everything that we ate. It's delicate, flavorful, perfectly seasoned/sauced. The foie was perfectly seared. Uni from Japan (4.5/5): it was fresh, delicate & sweet. We wanted to compare & contrast with the uni from U.S,, but the domestic uni was not available last night. King salmon (4/5): very fresh & tender. Chicken arabiki sausage (2.5/5): I thought this was just ok, not exciting enough for me to repeat in the future. Cold eggplant in dashi (3/5): This is a dish in the classic Japanese preparation & was light, delicate. Fried Pacific Oysters (3/5): Perfectly fried little oysters in light batter. Seafood dynamite: (2/5): It was just ok & had a lot of cheese on it, which I've never had with any dynamite preparation. Lilikoi sorbet,(complementary with Yelp check in) (3.5/5): perfect, light, palate cleansing end to your meal. Service is quick and very friendly. Valet parking only in their lot for $3.00 Don't forget free ice cream with Yelp check in for each member of your party.

    (4)

  • Stephen M.

    Excellent Happy Hour! Try to go from 4-6pm and grab an early bite. After living in Fukuoka, Japan for 20 years, I thought that it would be impossible to find an izakaya that would live up to the quality that I have become accustomed to. I'm happy to say that this place truly measures up. You won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Mune T.

    "Something is off" is what I feel about this restaurant after going there for 3 times in a month or so. The reason why we went there for 3 times in a month was because we liked their food. Their menu is not too big but most of the food they serve is very good and of good qualities. The restaurant is very clean and but doesn't have much of a personality (almost feels sterile). That is fine. The waiting people are very polite and efficient. So what is "Off" here. The whole atmosphere is not inviting at all. The chef behind the counter is neither unfriendly nor rude. He is just being there preparing food very quietly having uncomfortable smiles on his face but that is not toward customers. He doesn't speak too much to anyone. Maybe he is shy. Sometimes when we go to very formal expensive Japanese restaurants, chef and staff act in a very formal way and you feel you are expected to act accordingly as well. At this restaurant, however, that is not it. Wada is not formal or not that expensive. I am wondering if that "formalness" is maybe what they are trying to portray? But instead, it comes across they are not happy about something, or they don't want to be there. Btw, we were just sitting there enjoying dining out and we are very low maintenance customers in any restaurants. So, every time we went to Wada Restaurant, this strange feeling grew stronger and stronger, "Are they really happy to have customers at their restaurant?" In general, the food is very good but I just don't feel like going back there any more. Too bad.

    (3)

  • Rosalynn E.

    I have been wanting to try this place for a long time and am so happy that I finally tried it. For $60-$65 Wada meal you leave feeling very full and satisfied! When you walk in its brightly lit and clean with a sushi bar and larger tables for groups. You are welcomed by everyone greeting you at once as most traditional Japanese restaurants. This evening I dined with my pregnant bestie that has been cut off of anything raw and limited in fish intake. I aim for the wada meal and she orders a few cooked things off of the menu. First round "zensai" is a cold Kahuku corn tofu. This is refreshing and light and can taste the corn. Next "Ni mono" is a crispy deep fried oysters and sweet pepper. A little tough coating but the oyster itself has a good flavor. I was very happy to have Otoro in the next round- sashimi. This melted in my mouth. They then bring out a hot stone to cook their famous beef tongue. Please cook for 10 sec on one side flip for another 3 sec....perfect. Select salt and pepper or an lemon base sauce. Our server then cooks skirt steak with onions and mushrooms table side. Cooked to medium rare. Great service. Very attentive with water and food and very friendly. You then have a choice of hot rice or cold noodle mixed with minced beef tongue. By this time I am very full!! In addition the imo pancake is a bit bland not what I expected. The seafood dynamite is okay, I prefer the mayo based type this has cheese. Chicken wings are a little tough. I would like to come back to try the uni on beef tataki and others that was served on the table next to us.

    (4)

  • Sean C.

    Parking: valet and very small lot in front. Street parking in the surrounding neighborhood The cost: $75 per person The food: Sea cucumber Squid cartilage Uni and beef Akami foie gras sushi Omakase (5 kinds) Washugyu tataki Grilled eggplant Washugyu beef tongue (8 slices) Dassai sake Restrooms: yes in the restaurant. Very clean clearly japanese design Reservations: yes recommended This is as authentically japanese as it gets. The interior is open with a bar area as well as several open tables. It's well lit. This place is famous for its beef tongue. Arranged by fat content and without seasoning so you can really taste the meat. They present a hot iron bowl that you cook the tongue on. It's both a social and gustatory experience. The other stand out dishes were foie gras and maguro and the squid cartilage. The akami foie gras sushi has that sweetness and warmth from the foie gras with the freshness and rawness of the maguro. It's the perfect marriage and east and west. Overall, a great dining experience. Get the tongue, squid cartilage, and foie gras with maguro.

    (5)

  • Katie K.

    Love this place. The Happy Hour menu is fantastic. I don't know what else to say other than eat there. Trust me, you'll love it.

    (5)

  • R.G. W.

    Wada's Happy Hour is great, but the thing you should order (happy hour or not) is the beef tongue!!

    (5)

  • Harley S.

    This is my favorite japanese restaurant in Hawaii, no joke. It's true that it's relatively pricey but afterall, it is fine dining. This is why I was excited to hear that they have a happy hour menu now! They have quality, I mean exquisitely quality sushi and other delicacies on happy hour prices. Like, I just reread what I typed and thought, wow I should be a spokesperson for this place; I'm like, in love. They have a fully exposed kitchen which is definitely reassuring (sanitation wise) and to see Chef Wada and other talented chefs focused on constructing intricate dishes that's not only pleasant on your tongue but also your eyes makes your dining experience that much personal. The servers are knowledgeable, friendly and lively as well and they all seemed to contribute to the friendly and polite environment of the restaurant. My favorite dish is gyu-uni and scallop sushi. I am a sucker for scallop, uni, and beef! You have to try the gyu-uni. I had 3 of those because I politely stole my boyfriends share too, no remorse.

    (5)

  • Noriaki S.

    The first time we visited this restaurant was 2 years ago.Since then this restaurant was famous as a good japanese cuisine restaurant.It's famous as they served the beef tongue in the Hawaii first.Our first impression was good quaｌity but expensive in proportion of food. These days we heard that they began to held a happy hours. Today we tried the happy hour menu.That's quite nice. Delicious and cheap.

    (4)

  • Jordana F.

    Very small but fancy restaurant. And by fancy, I'm really talking about the food (and price). You definitely don't have to look like a million bucks to fit in, but the food is of really high quality. This was the first time I ever tried beef tongue and it was AMAZING! The waiter advised us that this restaurant has one of the best quality beef tongues on island and they get it only from Japan. I've never tried beef tongue elsewhere, so I can't really speak to the quality compared to other restaurants, but a friend did say she hated beef tongue until we ate it at Wada. The sushi and veggies we ordered were delicious and extremely fresh. I have absolutely no idea what we ordered (lol) but it was all good. Thank goodness for picture menus! Unfortunately we just missed happy hour and everything was regular price so the bill was pretty high. The food was good, but I won't be back unless it's happy hour.

    (4)

  • Gerard F.

    This place is great! Catch the happy hour 4:00-6:00. It's a sushi and Japanese tapa restaurant. Really good local secret and quite nice inside. Make a reservation!

    (5)

  • Samantha K.

    Food and service? Amazing. Parking? Not so much. The servers are great fun, know what you want and are overall, great company.

    (4)

  • Kelly M.

    Did the whole happy hour thing. Had both pokes (super!), the mochi sticks (like cheese in an egg roll), grilled eggplant (couldn't tell it was grilled, but the sauce was to die for), chicken wings (lots of chicken for the price, but we'll probably skip next time), clams (clams were OK, but the clammy broth was great), dumplings (BF said "what is in these?" We couldn't tell.), and I finished with 2 pieces of sushi - unagi and salmon (both perfection). The wasabi was so great that I ate little bits of it all by itself, until they took the plate away. Washed it down with cold house sake. Final bill - Priceless. Actually $55 with tip.

    (4)

  • Craig S.

    Friends treated us to dinner here. They had heard about the beef tongue. I'd never eaten tongue before and thought I would just try a little piece. Glad I did because it was terrific! I wanted more! Everything was great! The mark of a truly great restaurant. They had this "shoyu rice" that you can order which was very nice. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    My first time eating at Wada was such a great experience!!! Everyone there is so nice it makes the food taste so much better. The sushi is fresh and the taste is amazing! I love sushi!!! I have never been to Japan but I would expect it to be similar. I really liked the ishiyaki. The beef tongue and washyugyu is so tender. The wine and liquor selection is quite large. There is something for everyone. If my friends ask me where a good place to eat Japanese food is, I'm gonna recommend they try it. You will not be disappointed. It can be pricey but somethings you shouldn't be cheap about and food is one of them...

    (5)

  • Mary B.

    Tuna foie gras!!! Melt in your mouth! I just want to fly back again for this goodness. Also order a variety of their sushi/sashimi and their beef tongue and steak using their stone grill. Beef tongue was amazing ans their steak that they cook in front of you with onions and assorted peppers was delicious. The meat was so tender and juicy. Perfection. Highlight was the tuna foie gras. My bf didnt even know what he was eating and was like this is amazing!

    (5)

  • Kaileen Y.

    This restaurant will forever and always leave one heck of an impression on my mind. I will take you back in time...to a night when I made the suggestion to my coworkers that we should try a new restaurant other than our typical to go spot of Sikdorak. Sure, it's not all you can eat...but there's happy hour and I heard they have one heck of a happy hour menu. Two things to remember... 1. If there's no price next to the item on the menu, it's probably too expensive for us to afford it...James! Lol, jk. You see, my friend james messed up big time and had ordered 2 bottles of sake off the regular menu without thinking. And let's just say, what was supposed to be just a $70 bill, ended up being nearly $400. 2. No offense to those lovely coworker friends....as I love them all so dearly, like sacrifice my life for them dearly. But, I think maybe I chose the wrong crowd to try this restaurant out with. I was pretty much the only one who really enjoyed the food. Then again, it was probably not what they were expecting...you can just imagine the drastic change from the AYCE concept. Haha. Otherwise though, I give this place 5 stars. Based on solely the food. Everything we tried off the happy hour menu was pretty amazing. The service was ok...they hardly ever came to check on our table, but it could've just been because they were crazy busy that night and we were seated all the way in the back. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. I would definitely maybe come here again though.

    (5)

  • Jannet L.

    whoa did i really forget to write a review for this place too? this is another potential watering hole in the hood although maybe just a tad far down kapahulu to walk all the time. lucky we live in hawaii where the weather is so great we can walk all year round. first time i went, this place had just opened and seemed kinda fru fru and too fancy and not drinky enough. so i didn't go for maybe 2-3 years. decided to go back recently b/c read about the happy hour - so glad we did. much more drinky now and so many dishes to choose from. interior is clean and spacious, service good. and really a lot of dishes. i'd go here to drink and eat definitely. sorry it's been a while so i can't mention specifics - will go again and update this review.

    (4)

  • Tania T.

    Great upbeat ambiance. Clean and well organized! Food was very flavorful and presentation was beautiful with the no frills price tag! Had the yam pancake, fried oysters, squid cartilage, natto and squid roe hand rolls. All dishes were delicious! Definitely a go to spot. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Jo Ann P.

    Excellent food and service. chef Wada is an artist. Would be a 5 star for Honolulu except for the lack of ventilation over the grills and grilling is their main item on the menu.

    (4)

  • sar a.

    Bad service. Both the so-called host and waitress were very sketchy about seating us during happy hour even though there were a few tables and bar seats open. We are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy great food both on mainland and on the island. So probably won't bother being a patron of this "stuck up" location.

    (2)

  • Samuel C.

    Parking lot is small but they have valet for $3 not including tip. Inside is small but decor is very detailed and clean. A bit loud but very good for socializing. Kitchen is open and people could talk/compliment the chef/owner from their seats. Ambiance is very upbeat. We arrived at about 8:30. By the time we got sat and greeted it was close to 9pm. We ordered off the regular menu not knowing about the happy hour. Our waitress comes back and lets us know that if we don't mind waiting a few minutes then she can put some of the items we ordered in for Happy hour pricing. Yay for us! She fired what she could and waited to put the rest in. Toro, Hamachi, Ahi, and Salmon- One of the best places for sushi. The fish literally melted in your mouth. Very Japanese style. Large piece of fish with small rice Beef Sushi- Beef was a bit over cooked in my opinion and a bit too thick. It was hard to chew and break up in my mouth which left me chewing a lot longer than i wanted. Good taste. Hiyayako- Came with ume and shiso which i loved. Beef Takaki- Came with a yuzu sauce and garlic chips. The beef was nice and thin and super soft. I liked this dish a lot. Beef Tongue Shabu Shabu- Beef was a little thick but very good quality. Sashimi salad- This came with mayo but we asked for it with no mayo. Nice citrus dressing. It had ahi and salmon and mixed greens. Portions were very typical japanese style. I don't see why anyone would come in here and expect different. Obviously the thing i want to highlight is the quality of the fish. Some things to mention was although the staff was super nice they were a little busy so we didn't get water until about our second dish. But after that she re filled our water constantly. If you're in a rush for dinner this is not a place to dine at. They course everything which means things come out as they are ready one at a time. Like i said earlier this is a very social atmosphere. Most everyone is here to talk and drink. Knowing this may change how your dining experience is. All in all i liked it a lot. Very friendly and food at its highest quality.

    (4)

  • Sam M.

    Excellent service and the nite I came, I came alone and they took care of me. My grandfather died and though they didn't know it, they completely had all points covered on taste, service, and authenticity which is what I needed this night. Not a single person spoke English, all nihonjin patrons which is a great sign for a sushi restaurant. Lots of space to move around, great energy, and very polite wait service. Great vibe in here. Music is just the right volume and sushi chef is very conversational. This is my new fave place. Parking is $3 valet and special happy hour prices after 9 pm.

    (5)

  • Tina K.

    I had my bday dinner here n enjoyed it very much! All of the food we had was delicious! The washugyu tataki topped with uni was my absolute fav..it was soo deliciously awesome that i ordered more for myself! Our servers were very nice..when askin questions about dishes they answered kindly..i had a free ice cream coupon from yelp but server apologized that their freezer was on the brink so she said that next time we come we would get 2 scoops of ice cream! Also, she came back to say that we could hav any drink we wanted on the house if we wanted instead of ice cream..we declined bcuz we were already drinkn our hot tea n ready to go..but i thought that was very nice of them to do all that! Great food n service! 2 thumbs up!

    (5)

  • Kittie W.

    Happy hour is daily from 4:30PM - 6PM and again from 9PM - 11PM (closing). So my friends and I came here for the late night specials. I have mixed reviews about this place. I heard and read good things about the restaurant, so maybe the hype got to me. Here's the breakdown: Parking: Valet only, which is $3 flat rate, no tips included. I mentioned this because that's what the sign had written. I find it odd and my friends decided to find street parking instead. Food: We tried basically everything on the happy hour menu, except for the hand rolls and the sushi. Around 10pm, they told us they don't have it any more. We were a bit confused. We asked whether it was the fish or the rice that they ran out.. they simply told us they don't have it. Weird because we ordered ahi poke and the Wada MIx Shiso rice.. so I don't understand why they didn't have it? They also ran out of beef tongue and uni upon arrival, which we did not know until our server told us. Both items were something I wanted to try, since it was raved about so much. It would had been nice to have it written on a board before being seated, or on a menu like some restaurants do. I wasn't so amazed with the food we had. The only two items I would recommend is the Wada Shiso Mix Rice and the Agedashi Tofu. I love shiso and the mix rice was consist of shiso, nori and finely chopped beef tongue (I guess they had enough beef tongue for just the rice, and enough rice for just this dish). Again, I'm still perplexed by this... anyway... the agedashi tofu had enoki mushrooms which was a plus for me! It was shimmered in a tasty broth. The only hand roll we were able to order was the spicy ahi roll. The fish was definitely good quality, but that's about it. It was Ahi rolled up, cut into 8 pieces and had this orange "spicy" sauce drenched on top. It was not spicy at all. And the wasabi was did not have a kick to it. It was like watered down wasabi. Service: I can see why yelpers feel they need a floor manager. There was no host to greet us upon arrival. We waited 5 minutes until someone greeted us. Another 5 minutes to get seated. Then, waited about 15 minutes to get drink orders only. By this time, we had already decided on some dishes, family style, so we asked the server if we could start ordering. The female server looked at us weird and said to wait a minute and left. I couldn't understand why we couldn't order, since we already knew. Another 5 minutes and our drinks came. She disappear in a heartbeat after she gave our drinks. Another 5 minutes she came around and just stood there. Not a word until I asked, "Are you ready?". I wasn't trying to be rude, but she just stood there without saying a word. I just wanted to know if we could finally order. Towards the end of the meal, we were missing at least 5 dishes and we were able to flagged down a server. He was apologetic and took our orders again, even repeated it. There were perhaps 2 other male servers and the female server for the rest of the night. For 3 servers for the entire room can get busy, so I understand that. I used to work for a restaurant for 8 years. So definitely a floor manager would help. The entire night, the female server ignored us and I thought she was our main server. Overall: Food was ok. If I do come back, I definitely would order the Wada Mix Rice and the Agedashi Tofu. I still want to try the beef and uni dish. Oh! And the $3 draft Kirin beer for happy hour! Hopefully it was just a bad night for the servers, but overall it definitely left me with a confused feeling about this place.

    (3)

  • Justin S.

    The food is excellent! Very authentic Japanese food. The prices are reasonable. They have a pretty good variety of sake and shochu on the menu. The wait staff are very friendly and knowledgeable too.

    (5)

  • Charlie C.

    There needs to be a floor manager. The staffs are everywhere, and it would seems some have multiple of jobs like being the hostess as well. Also there needs to be better communication in the kitchen area. I had a dish that took 2 hours to finally come to my table and even before that I had canceled it. I can't honestly recommend this restaurant. The portions are very small, just like what you would find in a restaurant in Japan. Though this is not Japan, its Merica. I would say an average price per dish is about $10 in a size almost like a McDonald's happy meal (with no toy). I had easily spent $100 per head in my party and in the end I was still not satisfied. We did order the beef and uni dish. Though the uni was subpar and it was not really fresh. If I would compare this place to another restaurant I would say its almost similar to Tokkuri-Tei, in fact it's located where Tokkuri-Tei was originally at. Same noise level (very loud) but much more expensive and less portion.

    (3)

  • Jenny T.

    They have the best happy hour!! The food quality for the happy hour was great! Everything taste so fresh. My favorite had to be the foie gras sushi! And it's cheap too.. Well kinda. Service was great. The only thing that wasn't was the parking that's about it.

    (4)

  • Chris Z.

    Eating like a King for a great service & price!!! But on the real side if things one of the best restaurants in town, highly suggested and recommended to all!!!

    (5)

  • Lil W.

    Great service, clean, nice atmosphere, and excellent food is what you'll find at Restaurant Wada. Their happy hour menu is awesome but the regular menu has much more to offer. My favorites are the ahi poke, pork nugget, and their agedashi tofu. I was waited on by a guy named Patrick, he was really good about explaining the menu items to us and he frequently came by to see if we needed anything and to refill our drinks. He also offered us some recommendations since it was our first time eating there. Patrick also spoke English very well which was a relief I'll definitely be going to Restaurant Wada again.. Hopefully soon

    (5)

  • Pierre L.

    Probably the best dish I had during my trip in Honolulu was here at Wada. Seared beef with wasabi in ponzu sauce. Another great dish was the soft shelled fried shrimp. Like soft shell crab, you can eat the shrimp in its entirety without taking out the shell. The home made bacon, fried rice, oxtail soup and fried fish were also good. The one dish I didn't like too much was the fish over rice (keiski don?). The portions were very generous, we ordered eight items and it was around $90. This is a bit non traditional Japanese food which was why I enjoyed it so much. To sweeten the meal, I believe a Japanese tv star sat next to us. Service was great. I'll definitely come back again.

    (4)

  • Neil R.

    People in Hawaii are blessed to have a great place like Wada. I recommend the USDA Prime Beef Tongue & USDA Prime Harami. Service is outstanding with attention to detail so tip according. Parking is valet BUT it is worth it. Of course, there is limited street parking and you could always try parking in Zippy's and walk over. Authentic Japanese dining. Good for a romantic date yet you could bring the kids! It is a treat to eat food from chef Wada.It is busy so reservations are helpful. It has my highest recommendation.

    (5)

  • Rod U.

    More tongue action please! Myagi prefecture, Sendai. The birthplace of Japan's obsession with gyutan (beef tongue). Thin slices of marbled beef, a deep beef flavor reminiscent of the few millimeters of sinew and meat around the bone of a rib eye steak and the texture of gently cooked calamari. It's what Wada is about. Wada's gyutan is from American Wagyu with excellent marbling. For starters the Gyu Tongue Mizo Zuke is an excellent reinterpretation of the classic. Braised miso marinated tongue with white and red powdered miso. Deep flavor, tender and simply delicious. Be traditional and order a side of tsukemono (pickles). The acid is required to bring out beefy flavor and add a wonderful textural contrast. For mains, shabu shabu for the timid, ishiyaki (stone grilled) for the French lover. The first accentuates the tenderness and texture while the second the deep beefy flavor. Both come with assorted veg to round out the meal. You control the degree of doneness, just remember, to eat it HOT. Tongue gets tough as it cools down. Finally the "Wada Shiso Gohan" (hot pot with rice and minced beef tongue) is an excellent filler. Rich, oily, beefy with a nice earthy soy background. Good eats. There are other typical izakaya menu items. Those tried are correctly made and flavorful. The beef tataki and uni (with shiso on nori) that so many have raved about is just OK. Difficult to eat thanks to the texture of the raw beef, the flavor of the uni overpowers and masks the flavor of the beef finishing harsh as the oceanic flavor clashes with the metallic flavor of the beef. Note: this is not a sushi restaurant. Although some are on offer, the focus in on the beef. Contemporary ambiance. Service suffers when the restaurant is busy but still passable. Tongue, it's what's for dinner!

    (4)

  • Veronica P.

    Definitely one of our new favorite Japanese herein the island. It's like a hidden treasure; they're like a gem in a hidden treasure box. Their menu selections are pretty impeccable. We ate so much on both times we've been... Definitely will revisit and highly recommended. By the way, there's a HAPPY HOUR.; 4-6 and 9-11 $4 drinks and $4 TORO SUSHI And then a $6 PUPU MENU so on and so forth... Great deal and pricing on their happy hour selections is very worth it with what they offer in the menu. Enjoy.

    (5)

  • Lucia K.

    Food is excellent. Ventilation sucks. Double check on your receipt for drinks! It was over counted and corrected dully Additionally I got complaint on how much I tipped!! happy stomach turned into an unpleasant evening

    (4)

  • Ian Y.

    the manager is incompent and clearly doesnt know how to run a restaurant

    (1)

  • Deb D.

    Expertly prepared foods with exceptional taste. Uni and beef was a wonderful combination with the sweetness of the uni and the firm texture of the raw beef. Sauce for Gyutan was also great. They did a great job renovating the location but the noise level is high and difficult to hold a conversation. Make sure you have time for your meal. Service was slow, we waited 10 minutes after seating and had to flag down a waiter to order our drinks. We ordered 5 dishes and it took 2.5 hours to complete our order. Yes, I will be back ... a little later after they work out the kinks.

    (4)

  • Liana F.

    Restaurant Wada, a hidden treasure that most people don't know about. I'm sure most of you will miss this place if you are not specifically looking for, just like me. I drive by Wada everytime I'm in Kapahulu but I always miss it. I'm always clueless when it comes to where I want to eat at, so I decided to jump on Yelp to find places I haven't tried and Restaurant Wada came up. It was a Wednesday and I'm craving Japanese as usual; so I called in and asked if there was any availability left for the night. Luckily, they had so we head over immediately. So glad we made that decision because it was a wonderful experience. Restaurant Wada is simply gorgeous with wooden interior design, and looking modern. This place makes you feel very comfortable! We came here on a Wednesday night so it wasn't so packed so we had a choice to sit sushi bar. I love sitting at the sushi bar whenever it's open. The owner himself, Wada was working the bar and he was so friendly. He shared with is his journey on becoming a successful business owner. He has another restaurant in New York and it's similar like the one here. Moving on to our dinner: 1) Beef & Sea Urchin (uni) sushi: $8 per piece. I am not a fan of Uni but my boyfriend likes it so he wanted to try it. Although this dish was unique, he didn't care for it. The Uni overpowered the whole piece, but it wasn't absolutely bad. Try it if you're a huge fan of uni! 2) Kurose Washugyu Gyutan: I think is the only place that serves this dish with the skillet just like yakiniku style. It's really different, they bring the hot skillet to you order and then the beef tongue. They'll go over with you on how to cook it and how long to cook the beef tongue before turning over it. After consuming the beef tongue, the server will take over and dump in the mushroom, onion, green pepper and thinly sliced garlic. It comes with their house vinegar sauce. Not bad but $45 for 8pcs of gyutan is a bit too over priced. 3) Akemi Foie Gras: Ahhhh, so unique!! This is the best one I had here so far. Very tasty, and it was worth $7. The foie gras wasn't overpowering the ahi that was served on too. The texture wasn't slimy nor chewy. It's perfectly cooked and seasoned. Def. ordering this piece again! One wasn't that filling. 4) Washugyu Short Rib Sushi: Oishi!! Another must order if you're here. Wada's specialty a their beef. Very high quality need and fresh. One piece is $7, not bad for this melt in your mouth piece. Take a bite to and it's still nice and warm. It's topped with green onions and sesame. Also, it wasn't chewy at all and it's seared to perfection. 5) Fried Squid Cartilage: interesting and tasty! It's deep fried so it's very crunchy. It's actually pretty good. A very unique dish I must say! Next time I wanted to try the homemade honey bacon but we we're pretty stuffed. Service is amazing too. Very attentive. But a bit on the pricey side!

    (4)

  • Y A.

    Over-priced, lack of parking, not a sushi place, not really an izakaya, just a hodge-podge of different foods that are over-priced for the quality. Service was very slow--understaffed, I think. And unless you can speak Japanese fluently, this is not the place to go and expect to receive great service. It was a waste of money. thinly sliced Beef and a small piece of uni for over $7.00? I would rather go to Imanas tei--better value for my money, better tasting food, and servers that can speak English and explain the menu to you. I think Wada should advertise itself as " for Japanese nationals only, please".

    (1)

  • Kailee T.

    Service is great, food is unique only bad thing is you have to valet your car

    (5)

  • Randy R.

    SHORT VERSION: 45 minute wait for mediocre food next to a nasty mess that no one would clean up... LONG VERSION: Went in a little before 9 p.m., ordered five items including rice and miso soup. The kimpira being like a salad, it came out within a few minutes, but then I had to wait 20 minutes for the next item!! Another 10 minutes and I was told they were out of all but the bottom of the pan rice - HOW DO YOU RUN OUT OF RICE AT A JAPANESE RESTAURANT???!!! When I did get the rice, of course, it was slightly burnt from being bottom pan, dry and flavorless, not to mention the soup tasted vaguely like turpentine; as if that weren't enough, I had to wait until 9:45 before I had my whole order. And no, the food was not worth the wait; it was mediocre at best, and was not enticing enough to make me want to go back. Also of note, there was a couple seated next to me when I came in who left about 10 minutes later, and though the wait staff cleared the dishes, the used napkins and food crumbs were left there for 20 odd minutes! I asked the man who seemed to be the owner "Aren't they going to wipe that up?" He looked at it and said "Well, we're busy..." Then why didn't the wait staff wipe it up when they cleared the dishes??!! The wait staff were courteous and constantly apologetic about the wait; it is obviously an issue of poor management. There didn't seem to be a floor manager, but rather the owner seemed to be trying to run the dining area, the kitchen and direct his staff, all while making sushi and other items behind the counter. If he wants to chef, fine, but he needs to hire a manager to run the show if he isn't going to, because balls are being dropped without the proper supervision. But then again, better service couldn't make up for that food...

    (1)

  • Michael T.

    Disappointing and loud. Service was great. Food...well I could think of other places to spend my money for better quality. Owner/manager needs to learn to calm patrons from being loud and vulgar. Just ask them politely, after all they were sitting right in front of you. Some of the group even said sorry, but you say "oh, it's no problem..." Wow. Felt like a pub. When customers need to go outside for a break...that's bad. Best part of my experience was leaving.

    (1)

  • Roz K.

    Went back tonight for a quick snack and had a much better experience because we avoided the pupu menu except the agedashi tofu which was fabulous. Tataki and butterfish so ono. My new favorite though is the green papaya and avocado salad. Overall it was an incredible meal. My only gripe is the valet requirement. Paying $3 + tip at 5:30 pm was unnecessary. There were many empty stalls and we were out in less than an hour.

    (4)

  • Hiro I.

    Great food and great service. Very clean atmosphere and taste dishes. They specialize in Gyu (Beef) Tongue but there other menu items are very good as well. A little on the pricey side but well worth it for the quality of food and service.

    (4)

  • jean g.

    A real find! Sophisticate. Calm. Fresh food. We had nabe and it was the best on the island. I could eat here every night. I'm told sushi is amazing as well! This restaurant rocks. Oh and great warm Japanese modern design and friendly and helpful wait staff. Not to mention a very dedicated and kind looking Wada-san (chef/owner) behind the sushi bar. Authentic! That's the word I was searching for.

    (5)

  • Wade T.

    Ok, so I was told that I always only write 2 sentences so... today I am going to write 4. So my wife and I were driving around looking for a place to eat friday night. I remember seeing a new place open where the old tokurri tei was so I suggested we check it out. All these thoughts were racing through my head "what kind of food will it be" Can we get a seat" "will it be any good" Everything was answered just a short while later. My wife ran in to ask if we could get a table. They said they were booked but we could get a seat at the counter. Perfect, I love sitting at the counter and watching the chefs prepare stuff. So we gave the valet our keys and hurried inside. After perusing the menu, I realized this place really specializes in beef tongue. There were a lot of different beef toungue dishes which was great for me because I LOVE BEEF TONGUE. My wife... ahh not so much. Luckily there was enough variety on the menu for here to try different things. I then recognized one of the chefs, Moribe san, from kaiwa. So we talked about how the place just opened 3 weeks ago. On to the food. We ordered the 5 type omakase sashimi. It was all good. very fresh, and my wife loved the salmon especially. Even two savory pieces of toro. Next we ordered the tonkatsu. They use a lot of chiso and I'm not a big fan of chiso and usually I like my katsu, with the katsu sauce, but this one came with salt. I dipped and ate it. It was good, but probably not the best I ever had. We ate the cooked oysters which were recommended. I liked them, my wife loved them. I ate the beef tongue stew. It was very tender and delicious. We ordered the agedashi buffalo mozzarella. That was very different and very good. And to top it off wagyu beef tongue and harami. I know I have read other reviews stating the beef was only so so. Well, if you are comparing to japan... true true true, but we aren't in japan. And you really cannot get beef like you do in japan even if its wagyu. I thought it was fantastic tho! The chef came from behind the bar to cook our vegetables and then add the harami. I know people were commenting about the owner being mean, but 1)I didn't find that to be the case at all. He came over asked us how everything was and then introduced himself and gave me his business card. I thought it was very proffesional. And as I watched him work he was very meticulous and constantly busy. He is a young business owner and I think he is working very hard to make things work at this newly opened business. 2) I am not fluent in japanese so if he was yelling mean things to his employees I would never know, but it did not appear that way and both my wife and I had a wonderful time. We would definitely go back again. I gotta take more people there that enjoy beef tongue!

    (5)

  • Steve P.

    A little perplexed by the rave reviews. Fifteen minutes sitting before we were offered water. Food comes in very small portions and is overpriced.

    (2)

  • Cecilia M.

    Every course on the tasting menu was superb...high quality and prepared to perfection. The service was superior. This place is a must for a wonderfully delicious authentic Japanese food experience .

    (5)

  • Stefan B.

    Came here for the fist time today. Love the design of the place which in the description is all made out of "Sakura" wood. Very impressive! The food was very good the doubt about it. The reason for the two is because I was very disappointed with the behavior the manager was giving toward his employee's. He was constantly yelling "move out of the way" or "shut up" to his own employees' (note: This was all in Japanese which I am fluent in) I was sitting on the farthest right on the counter which is the thru traffic to the kitchen, so I was constantly hearing his improper tone for pretty much the entire visit. I know this place just opened up but please be make it a a little more happier environment. Maybe that is why our food was 40 min late??

    (2)

  • Winnie P.

    This place is amazing! Not only is the decor and wood design simple and refined, but the food is even moreso impeccable. Chef Wada prepares very signature dishes that is truly designed for you to savor each flavor and freshness with every bite. I absolutely loved the stone pot washugyu beef tongue and harami and tsunomo. The food can best be described as an explosion of exquisite flavors in the mouth. I will be definitely be back frequently and am excited to try everything here.

    (5)

  • Alan A.

    Wada is an experience on to itself. The tasting menu was very innovative, 'tasty', and exciting. The aesthetic presentation of the dishes is unrivaled. We sat at the bar where we could see the chefs in concentration as they prepared the dishes. If you don't know what to order from the amazing variety of things in the menu, don't hesitate and go for the tasting menu. The sashimi and the table-roasted tongue and onion/beef dish were superb. We paired it with a Rioja wine. The table next to hours had Yasuhito Endo, the Japanese soccer player in a celebration. There seemed to be a lot of Japanese nationals, and I hope that more locals discover it. The place was very animated, well lighted and fun. We will probably be coming back to Wada every trip we make back to Honolulu in the holidays. PS. Believe it or not, there is a Latin connection! Chef Wada is extremely friendly, and speaks Spanish. He is fluent in up to 200 'bad words' of Spanish because he has worked with Mexicans while at New York. His staff also has traveled to Mexico, and is very interactive. In summary, Wada is an artist. Don't miss on his art.

    (5)

  • Mia M.

    All menu items are coming in sophisticated manner . Poki is marinated slightly and mix with pine nuts and sea weeds . Raw beef and sea urchin is highlight of this place . They used to serve with rice ( sushi style ) , however they no longer serving sushi style :( Service is good , place is clean . The place where is unique experience , this is the place . You might want to try lunch time " mashroom ramen " !

    (4)

  • Jo Ann I.

    Excellent food and service. Had the course menu for 60.00 and it was nice, because I didn't want the beef tongue that was part of the course and they were accommodating to change it to a fish dish instead. Next time I'll try some of the other interesting dishes, but for the first time sampling the course might be the best route. Portion sizes are larger than some other Japanese restaurants serving kaiseki/izakaya style food. They changed our tea and cup at least 5 times and the food came out in a timely manner. They even had toothpicks in the restroom that were placed in an origami made holder. They paid a lot of attention to detail and it almost felt like being in Japan.

    (5)

  • Josh P.

    I came to check out the opening of restaurant Wada with a coworker who is leaving the islands and we had an amazing night. This is izakaya dining with numerous beef selections highlighting what many people consider offal. We enjoyed the first and third stomachs of the cow with two different dipping sauces, beef intestines hot pot, two of what looked like three different tongue preparations and some super tender beef prepared tableside. Don't get me wrong they have more than innards and the sashimi was superb, marinated tuna with okara powder - yum! They have a full liquor menu and some tasty sake to choose from so I am sure you will be able to find something you like. My coworker is actually a sake sommelier and she said that their hot sake is perfect with beef so give it a try, sorry the name escapes me at the moment but it is the only hot sake available. Be prepared because as with most izakayas of this caliber you can easily rack up a bill but it was totally worth it - I will be back and often.

    (5)

  • Dawn O.

    Awesome service and great food! Thanks Patrick for a great night and wonderful suggestions! Beef Tataki and Foie Gras Sushi were my faves. Can't wait to go there again! Chef Wada, arigatou gozaimashita! Sugoi oishikatta!

    (5)

  • Eric A.

    Some of the highest quality fish I've had on Oahu. Mitch's, Morio's, and now Wada are my awesome sashimi experiences. We went first because of a good review but we will certainly be back again. The restaurant is small but nicely put together. Happy hour is a source of some great deals. We ended up ordering a second round of the same sushi and sashimi items. We even ordered some completely new items like the beef gut skewers. Strangely delicious!

    (4)

  • Lauren C.

    This is consistently the best sushi on island and in my top 5 favorite restaurants in Honolulu. Wada is a true artist in his culinary creations. This is my go-to restaurant any time I have clients in town, as it is sure to impress. My favorite route is to have the chef bring out recommended dishes with sake pairings. I have had dishes here that I have never even seen before and this is after living in NYC for 11 years. My mouth is watering just writing this!

    (5)

  • Kim M.

    Wada is a magical restaurant where wonderful things happen. LOCATION: Kapahulu Ave, near Papa John's in the former Tokkuri Tei spot. CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE: Now on to the important stuff - the food! I call it Contemporary Japanese. Wada reminds me of one of the bistros I used to frequent in Seattle, but Japanese. Its clean, sophisticated menu nicely reflects the contemporary feel of the place. Homemade Honey Bacon - $7.75 - light seared, extra thick pork belly yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… It was clearly pork belly & not some mystery piece of pork bacon, so I was glad for that. :) And yes, it is as good as it sounds. Yamato Imo Pancake - $6.50 - Japanese mountain yam AKA "yamato imo" or yamaimo pancake yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… I absolutely love yamaimo, so this was a real winner for me. Recommended w/ some shoyu & wasabi, which is given. yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Washugyu Tataki - $12.50 - w/ wasabi ponzu yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Tender, soft & tasty. The wasabi ponzu was carefully planned bc it didn't drown out the natural meaty flavor of the beef. I loved it! Ahi Tuna Belly - $9.75 - flash fried ginger soy marinated ahi tuna belly yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Tender & flavorful. I appreciated that the sauce was light enough where I could actually taste the fish. Buffalo Mozzarella Age Dashi - $9.50 - flash fried mozzarella w/ shiso in dashi yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… If you like mozzarella, shiso or agedashi, you'll want to try this creative dish! I happen to love all 3, so this was a real winner in my eyes. Beef Tartar - $12 - finely chopped raw washugyu yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Each bite was delightful. IDK what else they mix w/ the beef, but it's darned good. My favorite dish of the night. Beef & Sea Urchin Sushi - $8/pc - sliced washugyu short rib sashimi topped w/ uni yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… This nigiri sushi was made w/ a thin slice of washugyu beef & a small piece of uni. The washugyu was a bit lost, as the uni kind of overpowered the whole thing. Great for uni lovers I guess. Hiyashi Tan Tongue Men - $10.50 - cold noodles & ground tongue served w/ a spicy sesame broth yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… There was a slight spiciness to the sauce, which I really appreciated. I'd order it again. Sashimi Omakase - 5 kinds/$32 yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Honestly, for $32, it was kind of skimpy.. especially since the sashimi pieces were like 1/2 the size of regular sashimi at most other places. But the variety we had was pretty nice. SPECIALS Fried Soft Shell Shrimp - $7.50 - white shrimp served w/ yuzu salt yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Tasty as all heck. These fried shrimps were soft shell, but crunchy enough where I was able to eat the whole shrimp in 1 bite. Good thing about the soft shell part is not getting stabbed by the legs/antennae. Delicious! Mino Yubiki - $8.50 - flash boiled first stomach w/ ponzu sauce yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Yes, it's tripe. Cows have 4 stomachs & this dish was made w/ the 1st of the 4! Our server pointed out that the regular menu features a dish including the 3rd stomach, which lead to one of my dining buddies asking about the 2nd & 4th. LOL. We were told that they do make use of them. This dish was surprisingly great. Maguro Poke - $9.25 - ahi poke scraped from rib bone yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… I liked the saltiness of the limu, but I'm sure I've had better poke. The fish itself was better quality than most other poke I've had. Good. SERVICE: Slightly lacking, but very pleasant during each encounter. Our server was nice enough to give me a larger water cup bc I had been downing each "regular" sized cup of water like shots of Goose. VERDICT: Yes! Even though we (my party of 3, including me) tried a good portion of the menu, there's still a bunch more dishes to try! It's like Pokemon - gotta catch 'em all! There wasn't a single dish that the 3 of us didn't like. Needless to say, I'll be back. Bonus: yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Edible gold stars in the tea!

    (4)

  • Sukanta N.

    Awesome Japanese cuisine with French twist. Seared foie gras with ahi Akami was AMAZING. Simmered yellow tail fish head was to die for. Great service. This is a locals place, not a touristy trap. Love love this place!!

    (5)

  • Kalani S.

    I heard great things about Wada so we decided to give it a try, The first thing I notice was how clean and new (Prevously Tokkuri-Tei Location) the restaurant was compared from the previous decor. We tried multiple dishes from Shiokara, Beef Tartare , Uni w/ beef tataki , beef tongue, and all was tasty and fresh to the palatte. Pros: Ishiyaki kuroge Washugyu, Shiokara, Hiiyashi Noodles, ika Seaweed with Ponzu & Coffee Jelly With Banana Pudding very original and tasty. Cons: Shiso overpowers the flavor in some dishes, & the Ice cream was not made in the restaurant, it was purchased from a food truck and sold to you. It seems only the last couple years alot of Japanese Restaurants are over powering the Shiso in many fish dishes, It makes me wonder if this is a technique to kill the previously frozen fish flavor or a new trend. Overall I love the restaurant and will be back again. Kudos

    (4)

  • Lynvi S.

    Wada is an unassuming-looking contemporary Japanese restaurant nestled in Tokkuri Tei's old spot on Kapahulu by Papa John's. It's a clean and chic place for beef tongue! Sea Cucumber - portion size is so cute that I could barely see it, but it's good; not too vinegary and not too chewy. Gyu Tongue Miso Zuke - the tongue is very soft, and the red and white miso powders are interesting. Not bad, but I'm not sure if I would order it again. Yamato Imo Pancake - this is my favorite appetizer, and everyone else enjoyed it as well. It's perfectly executed, the flavors are very delicate and subtle, and I love the crispy outside texture contrasting with the oozy warm yamaimo center. Definitely recommended for yamaimo lovers. Beef and Sea Urchin - this looks better than it tastes, and honestly, it's disappointing. The shiso is so overpowering and it just destroys the uni, and the washugyu tataki is tough as hell. It turns into a creamy yet chewy wash of flavors and textures. Our group of four also shared two orders of the Wada tasting menu, and it was a ton of food and all of us were stuffed at the end. It's a nice progression of tastes and textures, and two people can easily share one tasting menu and some appetizers. It came with a corn pudding (good), vegetables in some kind of nice thick broth/gravy, and assorted sashimi (not bad). Kuroge Washugyu Tongue - the shining star of the entire meal. The tasting menu comes with eight slices, and this is probably the best tongue I have ever tasted. Four slices are from the front of the tongue and the other four are from the back, and I preferred the softer back tongue slices. Our server suggested cooking a slice for about ten seconds on one side then flipping it over three seconds on the other side, which is absolutely perfect. Kuroge Washugyu Harami & Vegetables - this is alright...maybe a little boring. The tongue is way better and this course seems like a filler because the vegetables consist mostly of onions and the Harami was chewy. The following course is a choice between the Wada Shiso Gohan (stone pot rice) with miso soup or the Hiyashi Tan Tongue Men (cold noodles with a slightly spicy sesame sauce). We tried one of each, and both were good, but everyone in our group agreed that the Wada Shiso Gohan was more satisfying. Dessert was a choice between ice cream and sorbet. Not particularly interesting, but a refreshing way to end the meal. Service at Wada is simply outstanding. I love the servers' attentions to detail with the place settings and timing for every course. Though there were some misses throughout the meal, the overall experience was wonderful and pleasant. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to try Wada, but honestly, for the price point, if I had a choice to return or try another restaurant, I would opt to try someplace new. However, I would be happy to return if my dining companions want to go and I would also gladly return and eat three orders of the Kuroge Washugyu Tongue if I were rich as hell. $3 valet parking only!

    (4)

  • Michael O.

    Overpriced for the portion and quality. For the most part, presentation is well done but at the expense of balanced flavors (way too salty, pungeant, or temp. dishes served at did not lend to the experience of eating it)... The shiso gohan was pretty good though, albeit a simple side dish. This place is meant to be a little fancier than an izakaya, but it overreaches and comes up short. You are better off at any other izakaya on Kapuhulu.

    (3)

  • Trish P.

    WADA is now, officially, my go-to place for fancy-ish Japanese style dinner.... it IS on the pricey side, so expect to open up your wallet if you're bringing a date here. the quality of ingredients they use is undeniable - some of the best beef tongue i've ever had is served here, and the sauces they use to accompany the dishes are AMAZING - i had to hold back from just drinking them right out of the sauce dishes (don't judge me!!!). one spectacular dinner consisted of: - seasoned lotus root and broccoli rabe (i forget what this dish was actually called) - Buffalo Mozzarella agedashi - Renkon ebi shinjo and squid cartilage - Homemade Arabiki sausage with chorizo miso butter - Gyu tongue miso zuke - Fried oysters in dashi - Stone grilled Kuroge Washugyu tongue, harami beef and vegetables - Wada Shiso gohan - Donko shiitake ramen in spicy sesame seed ox tail broth you read all of that and drooled, right? yeah, i know... i did too. every dish was seasoned well, and had unreal flavor. the lotus root and broccoli rabe were cooked perfect - not too soft or hard - and had a sesame type dressing. the buffalo mozzarella agedashi tasted like i was eating a really good mochi. the renkon (lotus root) and ebi had nice flavor and "crunch" and the squid cartilage had a strong, but good flavor - you're probably not going to be used to the texture, but i enjoyed it! it was chewy, but not annoying chewy (when you're chewing for 10 days kine). the arabiki with chorizo miso butter - what can i say... if i could put that chorizo miso butter on everything i eat, i would.. the arabiki sausage was nice, but do not expect the arabiki's you get from Rodondo's - these bad boys are homemade! gyu tongue miso zuke is beef tongue slow simmered in miso. it comes out so so so soft it practically melts away. the fried oysters are piping hot and with the differing textures of the fried with the dashi, it creates a small explosion in your mouth. when you first see it, you'll be reminded of oyako donburi b/c it has egg incorporated inside - so delicious. the stone grilled washugyu tongue is an experience. they serve you the "front and back" of the tongue - WHO KNEW there were different textures to be had in one tongue??? the front is a little softer and slightly more beefy in flavor, where the back has a little more texture. and the ponzu they serve with this is THE BEST PONZU i've ever had..... EVER. the harami beef comes with onion, garlic, and a variety of mushrooms served with a different type of ponzu. it is so simple, but that is what makes it so good. the beef is very, very tender. the shiso gohan is a fried rice with bits of beef tongue. the shiso might be a little overwhelming to some at first, but keep eating and you'll come around. i like shiso, so this was really, really good. and finally, the ramen in OX TAIL BROTH.... the noodles are Japanese style of course, so that means they are "al dente" with a little chewyness. the broth, despite saying spicy, is not OVERLY spicy - it is perfect spicy and can be enjoyed by anyone. dinner ends with hot tea! i don't know what kind they use, but this was really good too. there was nothing bad about dinner. the food was amazing, the servers were friendly, helpful, and really spot on, and the bathroom is NICE (well, the women's one anyway... i peeked in the men's one, and i was glad i'm a female - i guess girls like aesthetics more). although, i have to agree with other Yelpers about the ventilation... if you go early though, its not as bad. dinner for 4 people cost around $200 WITH tip.... so its not too too bad - but note - we did not order any sushi items... i'm sure if you do, this will up the cost substantially. but i'm sure it will be worth it! also - i had a tough time hearing what the server was saying, and what my friends were saying in there - i blame acoustics, but my friends say i'm deaf.... i'll just leave it at that :P p.s. - the Wada parking lot is valet only. if you want to save a few bucks, park in the jamba juice lot and take a little walk around the corner.

    (5)

  • Donal D.

    This place is awesome !! Amazing ! My advice call ahead and reserve. We got lucky and what a find ! Everything we tried was delicious ! The miso cod lovely the meat there would melt in my mouth. The food comes out quickly but is a very nice place to take ur time. The staff do not make you feel rushed at all and are very helpful and friendly. Its clear they love to work there and are happy and proud to show it off. I even tried the salad and it was lovely. We were a party of 4 that sat at the bar but it really felt like we had a table of our own. The noise level is very comfortable to keep conversation without raising your voice or hearing everyone around you. Spacious too...it does not feel cramped they really done a great job on the design and decor. The bar is a fun little spot to watch the chefs at work. Always nice to see the fresh ingredients and skill.

    (5)

  • Mari K.

    Why didn't I give this restaurant a try earlier?! I must have gone down Kapahulu a hundred times before finally trying out Wada the other night and it was just by chance. Originally we were going to go to the Corner Kitchen, but there was no parking around the area... so we ended up parking at the Side Streen Inn lot and was planning on eating there but the wait was 45 minutes so we decided to walk across the street and try Wada.... and what a delightful experience that was! First of all, the decor is just amazingly modern for a Japanese restaurant. We sat at the largest table - a beautiful, big piece of cherry tree - where you can seat about 8 people. We shared the table with another couple, but there was so much space between us that you really couldn't even tell you were on the same table. We ordered a bunch of things, as most of the items are family style and to be shared with everyone. Some of the notable items were: Mochi Cheese Sticks - mochi topped with cheese and shiso wrapped in a thin paper and fried to perfection. Yumm. Omakase Sushi - depending on their fresh fish of the day, you can choose between 3 and 5 types of fish. Organic Salad - beautiful greens with tomatoes mixed with a yuzu dressing. Miso Beef Tongue - soft and flavorful, so different cold than fresh of the grill. Ishiyaki Washugyu and Tongue - nothing beats harami and tongue eaten straight off the grill! Comes with vegetables cooked at your table by your server as well. Kuro Goma Gelato - perfect dessert! This was not a cheap meal, but very enjoyable from the interior and decorations, to the well prepared dishes to the dessert. Great for a date or a night with some friends. Be prepared to spend some money for a good meal. I'll be back :)

    (5)

  • Yuuki F.

    1st time trying here and everything was awesome. Happy hour 4-6 and 9-11. So reasonable and great quality sushi. Surprisingly they have Toro and Awabi for happy hour. I shall be back soon.

    (5)

  • Ramfis B.

    Well WADA ya know.... This is my 100th review on Yelp, and i am so proud to have hit the century mark of food reviews on this beloved website and am proud to say that being a Yelper Elite is something that i hold in high regard here and will keep on reviewing here as long as Yelp wants me too. Thanks to all you fellow Yelpers for giving this foodie some great tips on where to eat and where the hot spots are. Now on to my 100th review... Restaurant Wada is located in the old Tokkuri Tei location on Kapahulu Blvd, next to the Iyasume Musubi and Papa John's Pizza. If there is a way to describe this place is like a line from the Madonna song " Crazy for you ".... I SEE YOU THROUGH THE SMOKY AIR. COULDN'T FEEL THE WEIGHT OF MY STARE. YOUR'E SO CLOSE BUT STILL A WORLD AWAY is the way i describe Restaurant Wada. This place is simply gorgeous with wood all over the place and looking so ultra modern. But what they forgot to do is put proper ventilation in this place because what they are known for here is the Ishiyaki or Stone Grill that they use to cook the Harami and Vegetables with. I will get to that later in the review.. Now on to the food.. What i like about Restaurant Wada is that they aren't like your typical izakaya's that are popping up everywhere. They offer some very unique dishes like Beef Tongue, Intestines, and all types of meat from the stomach's of the cow. And the seafood is pretty tasty as well. Once again, like any other new place that opens up, we decided to order everything that was unusual and couldn't find in other places like this, so here we go.. 1. Yasai Goma Ae: $6.00 This was boiled fresh vegetables served with a black sesame dressing. Nice and refreshing and loved the texture of the sesame dressing with the crunchy vegetables 2. Nakaochi Maguro Poke scraped from Rib Bones: $8.50 Not your typical poke but i liked how it was sliced and not cut into cubes and there was a little sweetness to it which i liked.. 3. Renkon Ebi and Squid Cartiledge: $9.50 The Shrimp Stuffed Lotus Root was spot on but the Squid Cariledge had a very unusual crunch to it but a beautiful presentation nonetheless 4. Homemade Arabiki Sausage with Chorizo Miso Butter: $12.00 Probably the most disappointing dish of the evening. The combinations of the Sausage and the Chorizo Butter just didn't meld well and the smell reminded me of those european people who don't wear underarm deodorant 5. Lightly cooked Mino Yubiki: $8.50 Loved the flashed boiled first stomach with ponzu sauce. Very light and refreshing.. 6: Beef Tongue Stew in Demi Glace: $11.00 yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… Loved this dish as well. The Beef Tongue Stew was just savory and full of flavor 7: Beef and Sea Urchin: $22 yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… Now once again. this was the most expensive appetizer of the evening and once again, the presentation was breathtaking, but each ingredient should be eaten separately. I like the idea at first, but the Sea Urchin should be eaten alone as it has it's own distinct flavor and as for the Wagyu Shortrib Sashimi, that should have been eaten like Sashimi should be. I just felt like they should be distanced from each other like Arnold and Maria Schwartzzenager.. Now for the main dish: The Ishiyaki or Stone Grill that they use to cook these ingredients together is like a Shabu Shabu Pot which is put under an infrared grill which gives it crispiness without burning and retaining juices, so they say.. yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… Now we chose the Kurose Washugyu Beef Tongue and Washugyu Outside Skirt from Oregon which also comes with Onions,Mushrooms,Peppers, and thinly sliced Garlic: $45 yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… I like how they put all the ingredients in the pot and stirfry it for you yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… And the Beef Tongue with Lemon Juice was dynamic indeed yelp.com/biz_photos/1GCi… Overall, this is what everybody ordered here at Wada. What i have to tell you is that the ventilation SUCKS BIG TIME because after eating here, me and my Mi chan literally smelt like grilled vegetables. It was so strong that the next day i got into my car i could still smell the same grilled vegetables from the night before. So word to the wise, smokey the bear would have a field day here at Wada. I would defintely recommend this place to people who like something different and unique, as for me i'll bring my Darth Vader mask next time i come here so i could eat smoke free..

    (4)

  • Koshin S.

    Mmmmmmm Just went to Wada the other night with a guest from Japan (he insisted on treating us :) It was great food! Prices aren't expensive and the bill came out to $250 total with tax and tip included for 7 of us. Not bad considering my guest and i had a bottle of shochu we split. As far as food: Not Izakaya Not Yakiniku Not sushi Not kaiseki Theres really no defining theme here. But you can tell a lot of quality and thought into their food. Highlights of the night were the gyutan, the shiso rice, the hamachi collar, the shabu shabu and their ice cream at the end!! Check it out for the best service, reaaallly good food and a great vibe! You'll enjoy this meal for sure!

    (5)

  • Janet K.

    I'm in love with this cute little restaurant! The interior is clean much like the flavors of the food. My favorites were the homemade honey bacon, ishiyaki washugyu tongue and harami w/veggies, the wada shiso gohan and last but definitely not the least... Sliced washugyu short rib sashimi topped with uni. At $7.75 for one piece, it's definitely not cheap but it is sooooo very worth at least two orders!!! It's sitting on a sheet of nori that's sprinkled with edible gold stars! Melts in your mouth! The so so dishes were the buffalo mozzarella agedashi and the pickled whole cucumber. The dish I wouldn't order again was the spinach and scallops ohitashi. It's described as "boiled spinach from local farmers & baby scallops in a delicate dashi broth." It's a cold dish with that mini dehydrated scallops that they rehydrated. -- Fail The menu is pretty small and they only have a daily dessert. It was coffee jello that night so I passed. Service was spectacular even when the restaurant got packed. My only gripe and whats keeping me from giving this place 5 stars is the non-complimentary valet parking and the lack of sushi.

    (4)

  • Billy H.

    this is in hawaii so you tend to do a lot of walking and water activities. those things do 2 things to you. 1. make you tired and 2, get you very hungry. we made reservations through yelp's own reservation system for 7:30pm and yelp conveniently sent me a text requesting i either confirm or cancel at 7pm sharp. impressive. i texted back 1 to confirm and got on our way to eat some sushi. when we got there, very tired and hungry mind you (now you see why i put that first paragraph up there), they could not find our reservation. they infact, referenced my earlier reservation for 7pm which i cancelled and reschedule right away for 7:30pm. then their excuse was that they had an 80 people reservation and couldn't seat us since we didn't have a reservation. so a few things: 1. i showed them the text confirmation from yelp from only 30 mins ago. didn't matter. 2. yelp reservation means sh$t. 3. it's a small place that, i don't believe, ,can even sit 80 people 4. my wife said that she saw a sign that said maximum occupancy is 45. wtf?!! the place was almost empty except for a couple tables. just bizarre and horrible service and attitude. and yelp reservation obviously doesn't mean anything. DO NOT USE YELP'S RESERVATION SYSTEM! went to tokkei tei just a quarter mile from here and had great sushi (omakase) and great service. anger turned to joy in 5 mins. buyer beware

    (1)

  • Alysha K.

    Overall, I liked Wada. I was disappointed that they had a different version of the uni/wagyu amazing dish I kept seeing pictures of on Yelp. The one they have now is a nigiri version and they give so little bit meat and uni. I didn't get to try the cook your own meats, but decided to do izakaya style instead. My gf and I also ordered the (already cooked) beef tongue, tofu salad, ankimo, miso ramen, sashimi platter, and shiokara potato. The ramen was to-die-for. I would definitely come back just to eat it! The restaurant is on the smaller side. There are a lot of workers with over-the-top service. They literally watch you eat (sometimes an uncomfortable feeling) and take the plate away right after you put your chopsticks down, and bring out the next dish right after that. I would like to try the yakiniku style items next time.

    (4)

  • Zar A.

    This is a cute small place that services Tapa style Japanese food. Food comes in small portions and they are meant to be share with others. They have Happy Hour after 9PM and prices are pretty reasonable for their Happy Hour. Friends and I have shared their Nabe here (a bit pot of soup with vegetables and various meats). It was very delish! Service is great and their food is great. Their parking is valet only until 9PM. Then you have to fight it out with the other establishments next door to the restaurant, including a laundromat.

    (4)

  • Jimmy L.

    Tip: Have deep pockets or leave hungry. For some reason, they thought it'd be a good idea to have valet in this parking lot. $3 or park on the street. Service: The service was great, honestly. I didn't get our waiter's name but he was able to explain to me and my family the types of orders that are popular and the ingredients that go into the food. Food: The food came out promptly. You may be upset about the portions, and they really are small for your average "American." Please give it a shot before you start judging though. Don't focus so much on the amount you get, but the flavor that it's packed with the dish. I have honestly never had something so delicious. Can I guarantee that you'll be satisfied with the food? No. However, I can vouch for the fact that this place will be very different from any other local Japanese cultural food you can find. Don't get the chicken sausage though, it just tastes like potagee sausage. Overall: I thought it was a great experience. The menu did, however, throw us off. It's also strange that there is pretty much no "ox" in the oxtail soup. It did, however, taste amazing. The balance between the two was a big trade-off I guess. If I could get bigger portions of the same dishes, ho brah. I'd give 6 stars if I could.

    (4)

  • Noriko R.

    We ate the beef tongue shabu shabu for the first time at this restaurant. This taste was refreshing and delicious. Other dishes were delicate and gentle taste too. We could try Hawaiian shochu Nami-Hana. We were pleased with "Restaurant Wada" I want go there for dinner again.

    (5)

  • Kayla R.

    Made another trip down to Wada for my bf's birthday. I just have to say... everything remains amazingly consistent at this izakaya! The food is still AMAZING, staff is still friendly as ever and perfect on service and explaining every dish! This trip I tried some new things on the menu! Shuto Ae: Seafood cured marinated with shuto. Great starter appetizer! $7.25 yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Pickled Whole Cucumber: Do you like pickled cucumber? This one is perfected to the T, lightly pickled with yummy sahsho pepper on top. $6.00 yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Mozuku: A must order for me! Absolutely every visit! $6.00 yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Wada Shiso Gohan: I do not eat meat, but Wada is the only restaurant I make a exception to, My server Dan recommended this rice to me. It's a seasoned rice with minced (very minced, which I liked! Got more of the flavor than the texture) beef tounge and shiso in a sizzling pot! I'm glad he recommend it! It's just the right amount of shiso to help add to the tounge flavor! Thanks Dan! $9.50 yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Beef tartar: yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Fried shrimp cartilage: Fried squid caritlage, very interesting but it's so addicting, I just wanted more and more with every chew. It's of course chewy because it's cartilage. So please expect a little bit of a chew :D yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Soft shell shrimp & satoimo coquette: Crispy soft shell shrimp and light simmered yam potato croquette laying in a simple light dashi broth with green onions! $8.75 yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Sashimi 5 kinds: yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Uni & Beef: Another of my MUST ORDER favorites!! yelp.com/biz_photos/wada… Thank you Wada and my server Dan for always giving me a wonderful experience every single time! I can't wait till next months new menu, I heard it's going to be exciting! Be sure to visit February 2013

    (5)

  • Reid S.

    Last summer, a couple nights before I left for school, I told my parents that I wanted to eat Japanese food because Japanese food in Minnesota is well...pretty bad compared to Hawaii. No offense...some mainland Japanese restaurants don't even serve traditional Japanese dishes, but instead made-up ones, and then everyone starts to think it's "authentic." I get so annoyed...anyways. I had my heart set on Gakku, but of course, they don't take reservations before a certain time, blah blah blah. Anyways, Gakku was out of the question, so I took my eating debacle to yelp. I searched and nothing was really making my mouth water. I wanted something different, food that was both innovative but relying on traditional roots. I also wanted the classic izakaya ambiance. Usually the days before I leave, I want a lot... So finally, I looked through pictures of their popular menu selections on yelp, and I was pretty much sold. So...I made reservations for 3 and told my parents to get ready! We arrived at the old Tokkuri-Tei parking lot and found a valet service. So far, good. Upon entering we were welcomed with beautiful woodwork decor, very bright, and stylish. It does not look like Izakayas such as Gazen, Tsukuneya, etc. This place is on the "daytime" side of the night-eating spectrum. If that makes any sense. The other diners at Wada were all speaking Japanese, ultra good sign! Most were women as well, which is why I've coined the term "Lady-zakaya" just for Wada! haha There's a sophisticated ambiance, the restaurant is decently sized, not much privacy from other tables, but you still have that personal "bubble," which I like when dining out. We ordered the following: Raw beef with raw Uni, Ikura, Cucumber, Wasabi (House Specialty) Beef Tongue Tataki with Ponzu Sauce Wada's Poke with Pine Nuts Fried Squid Cartilage with Wasabi Beef Gohan (Rice Dish) Shrimp and Seafood Croquette Anago (Monkfish) Liver Chicken Karaage with Ogo Apple Sherbet Of all the following, honestly, the best thing was the apple sherbet...haha It was like I was eating a frozen apple. So damn, delicious. In actuality though, all the dishes were amazing. The flavor combinations were very solid and cohesive, and Wada delightfully united land and sea into unified courses. Presentation was lovely, the dishes were beautiful, muted, but complimentary to the food and aesthetic. Everything on the menu including how it was plated, seemed well-thought out and constructed with meticulous precision and care. 5 Stars for food, ambiance, and service. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Noreen L.

    LOVE THEIR HAPPY HOUR! Between my husband and I, we had 5 drinks and most of the happy hour menu items but it came out to be $90 with tip and tax! We were so full and content! On another occasion, we did a la carte and it was $250 with tip and tax. We went home kinda hungry still. So you can tell how reasonable the happy hour at this restaurant is! I would want to give them 5 stars if the Front of House was more efficient. They need training or some kind of system so badly. It's almost painful to watch them being so inefficient...I say that because I have been in restaurant business. Food is good so if they ever go out of the business, it would be the Front of House that would kill the business...

    (4)

  • Gabriel G.

    Pushes all the happy buttons -- food, service, hand-crafted details (chef also made the beautiful tables on which you eat).

    (5)

  • Traci H.

    This place just isn't for me, but I could see how it might be for others. Call for reservations ahead of time because the restaurant isn't very big and a lot of tables looked reserved when we were there. Be forewarned, this is not just "another Japanese restaurant". Which is both good and bad. The menu is really interesting. The flavors are delicate and deliberate. The service is nice, but mostly in broken English/Japanese. Clean but smokey (from the grills). Portions are very small. But at least tea is included with the meal and it's enjoyable tea. We didn't get the stone grilled ishiyaki meat, which might be why people come here. So maybe we have to go back to try, but I'm also not a huge fan of tongue, so we'll have to see. But what we did have was ok. I would suggest you try to figure out what's on the menu before you go because some things that we saw in the photos looked good but they didn't have it when we went. DUCK AND YUBA BEKKO AN: this was the highlight of my night at Wada. For $13.50 you get a tiny little bowl, but the flavors are awesome. Lean pieces of duck with snow peas in a delicate sauce. Best thing that night. But the portion is small so it's not enough for your meal, unless you eat like a fly. WADA SHISO GOHAN $9.50: It was enjoyable, mostly because I wanted something with rice that night. It's like a fried rice dish in a bowl. Nothing fancy, but good flavor and the shiso comes out strong. But nothing out of this world. HOMEMADE ARABIKI SAUSAGE $12: I didn't even finish it. That says a lot. It comes on a sizzling platter dripping in a buttery sauce. It's just sausage. Nothing terrible, but nothing great. DONKO SHIITAKE RAMEN $10.50. I prefer Yotteko-ya, just personally. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great again. the bowl is FULL of shiitake mushrooms that even I got a little tired of. but they were tasty. I left hungry because I didn't want to just eat calories for the sake of eating calories that I didn't enjoy. Hope you leave full after paying that much. And, no free parking? Really? This is Kapahulu, not Waikiki. Oh well, so be ready to pay for valet parking (in the Papa John's lot) AND tip the valet too -- it's only fair to tip the guy, but I would have hoped the restaurant would at least cover the valet with those dinner prices, but nope. I'm happy to tip the guy but man, remember to add on an extra $5-6 for your meal cost for a guy to make sure you don't get towed out of the papa john's lot. I guess I could come back, but only if there are some other things on the menu or someone else is paying...

    (3)

  • Sandy N.

    Not sure if I'm spoiled with Japanese food or I expected more from this restaurant with all these raving reviews. We ordered the course menu as well as ordering off the menu. The shrimp dumpling was tasty along with the scallop dish. The tai sashimi was melt in your mouth. The uni on raw beef was good but other than that most of everything else was just okay. The tongue was so chewy and tough. The rice dish in stone pot was nothing like I imagined, it wasn't even cooked in the stone pot. The rice was already prepared and just put in the stone pot and served. There was no crispiness. The broth that the deep fried burratta was in lacked taste. We didn't like the dessert - coffee jelly topped with banana cream. It just didn't go well together. Too bad it wasn't as good as I hoped for...

    (3)

  • Kat N.

    First time here. My brother recommended this place so we decided to come and eat since both he and my sister are home from the mainland. Food is delicious! Good sake selection. Will be returning soon! :)

    (5)

  • Noelani C.

    Wada has recently changed their menu and added in a few dishes to die for...Delicious soft shell crab in a curry broth with two pieces of avocado! I also tried the gyu tongue shabu shabu in a huge pot with tons of cabbage, green onions, and green veggies. It comes with a home made ponzu sauce with daikon, and two little bowls-one with garlic salt and the other with a yuzu salt to sprinkle on your piece of gyu tongue after cooking it in the delicious broth. Ox Tail soup they have now is so heavenly delicious! Its not the local style oxtail soup you're thinking of with the bones and huge peices of oxtail...It is a unique oxtail broth with tiny tender pieces of oxtail. The flavor of the ox tail soup is wonderful! The most unique dish I enjoyed tonight was the ika shiokara (sliced pieces of squid marinated in squid guts) on potato. By far my FAVORITE tonight! I had to order two because it was that good! Only highly recommended for guests that LOVE shiokara as much as I do! There is a new dessert that is hand made and sooo good too! I had the azuki bean jello! The service is EXCELLENT!! To me, one of the BEST service Restaurants on the island! Refill of hot tea, if it gets a little cold, the waiter will change out your tea with a new tea cup full of hot freshly made tea. Refill on water, you dont have to raise a finger to ask. The waiters here are MOST excellent on detailed service! The owner Mr. Wada has the MOST UNIQUE creations on the island! By far the best dining experience EVER! And I highly recommend for all you foodies out there and my fellow yelpers, its worth every dollar you spend if you really love japanese food or have traveled to japan and LOVE thier cuisine! This is the closest you will get to real quality food from Japan!

    (5)

  • Shay F.

    I know this is a new restaurant, and I usually am quick to get to them, but this one has been on the back burner... mainly because I heard it's a "meat" based place. And yes, it's a meat based place. Specifically cow tongue. If that's not your thing, don't bother with this place. So, what did I eat? The Tofu Salad, Yamato Yaki, and cheese-age. Basically the only vegetarian friendly items on the menu. I loved the yamato yaki though. I ended up eating 2! Yelp 365 Challenge #309/365

    (3)

  • Christine E.

    Mmm...Wada. I will dream about returning here (you know, after my wallet recovers from this past visit). I went here two nights ago with my boyfriend and our favorite double-date couple. It was DELICIOUS. But, it wasnt flawless. First, the not so good: "We're new here, what the hell do we do??! How big are the portion sizes? How do we order?" (yes, I know, it's a restaurant and should be self explanatory, but i'm a faux japanese, so I am unfamiliar with this type of menu, especially since it was a mix of a prix fix type meal or order everything separately). - Although we were greated at the door by everyone, and our server was very nice, no one really explained to us what we should do, I think our server didn't speak english really well because it was super hard to understand him. He was nice, but I had to specifically ask how big are your portion sizes? how much should we order? is this too much/too little food? So that was a small downside. Now, the good...the oh so good!: After asking the server, and having him see how obviously confused I was, he offered suggestions ("for a table of four, if you dont' get the 9 course meal, you should get x amount of appetizers, x amount of entrees, and then save room for noodles. lol) and I swear over the course of our meal became nicer. I swear in the beginning I thought...this guy wishes he had another table I think. and by the end he was like "see you tomorrow!" Complete 360. Anyways, after ordering, a plethora of deliciousness came out of the kitchen...buffalo mozzarella agedashi, renkon ebi and squid cartilage, beef tongue with miso zuke, fried oysters in dashi, arabiki sausage and chorizo butter. And then, the best part, the STONE grill. Where we get to grill our own beef tongue and dip them into the MOST DELICIOUS PONZU SAUCE EVERRRRR. THEN, you think it can't get better BUT IT DOES. The waiter comes out and throws onions and mushrooms and garlic (oh the garlic!) in the stone pot, then...harami beef. stirs it up until it is beyond delicious and then...we dig in! I died. Soooooooooooooo good. Oh, and did I mention we then had ramen and hot tea? Damn...thinking about it makes me wish I was there right now. So, in short: Wada...delicious, amazing, fantasic food. I will definitely return.

    (4)

  • Satoru Y.

    My lord...an amazing izakaya. I could tell from the moment that we walked in that we were in for a great meal. The interior is very strikingly minimal, with fantastic wood work. The counter is composed as a great showcase area. All in all, the place following the modern trend with a growing focus on beef. I'm glad to see a high quality place taking over the former Tokkuri Tei location in Kapahulu. Don't usually do this, but I really like this place; so I'm inclined. To make things easier, I'll go from my favorite to the last: GYU TONGUE MISO ZUKE: Beef tongue with assortment of miso powders. This is dish surprisingly delicate feel to it. It almost feel airy and light...but it's beef. MAGURO POKE: We locals all know it, we all love it; but this one had something else going on. The additional pine nuts, nori, and drizzle of sauce were a great touch. OXTAIL SOUP: I know this will seem weird, especially to the restaurant; but I loved this nurturing soup. I'm probably being sentimental. It almost reminded me of a Chinese Egg Drop Soup. SQUID NANKOTSU: Squid cartilage balls; which had such an unexpected flavor for me, and are great crisp texture. Another seemingly strange pick, but it's probably due to me being unaccustomed: I loved them! BEEF & UNI: Washugyu short rib sashimi and uni in a single bite. It was so good to have the beef blend with the uni. With that, add the dab of ponzu too...so good. BEEF TARTARE: Great raw beef: great quality. I loved the natural flavors of the meat. EGGPLANT & SCALLOPS: Great seared scallops on top of flash-fried eggplant in a sesame sauce. This was actually the first dish we had, and it was a very impressive start that set the pace for the rest of the night. ANKIMO: The steamed monkfish liver came with an assortment of garnishes. It was delicious and balanced. SHISO RICE (w/bits of beef tongue): It was really good (I also LOVE shiso); but it filled us up too quick. It had lots of flavor, but now I wonder how the Cold Noodles (w/spicy sesame broth) are. SHRIMP DUMPLINGS: Great flavor, and had the texture of fish cake. There's a precision to the flavors that outshines many of the other best izakayas in town. It's an excellent showcase of contemporary Japanese: compartmentalized but melding. Every single dish was impressive and delicious. There was not one dish I had any qualms about. My only sadness is that we did not order the Ishiyaki (Stone Grill). The Shabu Shabu option looked good, but nowhere near how good the Ishiyaki did on other tables. I guess that's what next time is for. I did only have one small gripe. The service was a bit on the clunky side at times. At times, we did have to remind servers of drinks we had ordered, or even for water. However, food service was great. It was a tad bit busy, but nothing that seemed should be overwhelming. Still, it was a great meal to have before the end of the year. This will definitely now always be one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Honolulu. Meticulous flavors, great ambiance, and high quality.

    (5)

  • LesliAnn K.

    Don't judge a book by its cover. Wada is located in an unassuming strip mall next to Papa John's on Kapahulu. I'm always trying to find interesting Japanese izakaya places on Oahu, and I'm glad we made the effort to finally try this place. Once you enter, the decor is simple, clean lines, rectangular angles for the seating arrangements, refined and clean from clutter. There also is a rectangular glass window where you can see straight into the kitchen. The setup of the restaurant allows the food to be the main star of the show. Like all Japanese cuisine, as much of the feast is what is seen, as well as what you taste. We passed on the $60 testing menu and went ala carte, ordering various dishes on our own. Highlights: GYU TONGUE MISO ZUKE - It was my dad's birthday, so I ordered stuff that he (not I) enjoy. However, pleasant surprise. Came out on a beautiful curved sword-like dish, 10 slices of even, symmetrical gyutan, WITHOUT its trademark chewiness (which I dislike). Sprinkled with red and white miso and slow cooked, it was something we were all fighting over. BEEF TARTAR - Raw beef? Yes, Love. And I don't even consider myself a red meat lover. Raw, fresh washugyuu from Oregon, mixed with pine nuts, goma (sesame seeds) and cucumber. Moist, refreshing, melt in your mouth. USUZUKURI SASHIMI - don't know if this is specifically on the menu, but you can usually ask for this, and the chef will choose the white fish of the day (ours was onaga), and they will give you paper-thin slices. HAWAIIAN KUE FISH AND YUBA "TOBAN NI" - this came in a pot of miso flavored soybean milk dashi. With a dash of ponzu, I slurped through this like nobody's business. Creamy without the heaviness. OMORIAWASE TSUKEMONO - my dad is a hard guy to impress. he orders this dish whenever he goes out as a starter, to drink with his beer. In a word, he was impressed. Takuan sprinkled with goma, blue eggplant, gobo, and udo (japanese veggie with no English name, per the waiter's description). RICE - great when something simple is done right. This rice came sizzling in a hot pot, with sprinkles of shiso and minced beef tongue. A neutral playing field for the harmony of herbivore and carnivore flavors. Tips: *Valet only. If you don't want to, go look for parking on the side streets and walk in. * Yamato imo pancake, add ponzu sauce, otherwise too bland. *Bathroom, if you gotta go, use it! A girl always remembers clean, beautiful bathrooms. :) There were other interesting dishes including ingredients such as squid guts/intestines that maybe will be saved for another adventure. WADA in a nutshell: don't judge a book by its cover. don't let your initial eew! prevent u from a surprising OOH!

    (4)

  • Jenifer G.

    Oh my, what an impressive menu! I was giddily happy with almost every single dish that came out, almost in sheer bliss, really. Service with some of the servers could use improvement but the food makes up for it. The more you enjoy non-traditional foods and ingredients, the better. Food (ALL winners, some are from the special menu): + SQUID NANKOTSU (CARTILAGE BALLS?) $7.75: The perfect texture balance of that almost-crunch with soft with subtle but profound flavor with mmm. Did that make sense? lol + BEEF TARTARE WITH UNI $7.75: I am already a big uni fan, so imagine this served on a very thin slice of raw beef, a raw shiso leaf, a uni, a hit of wasabi all on a nori sheet (dried seaweed). Roll it up then dab into a ponzu type sauce. I had a heavenly moment of silence and didn't want to ruin it by "ooohing", "aaahing" or "mmming". So good! + MISO BEEF TONGUE $8.50: So tender and tasty! Served with thi + EGGPLANT & SCALLOPS $7.50: 3 juicy and tender scallops sitting on a soft bed of eggplant chunks, served with thinly sliced sugar snap peas, mushrooms (thicker than Enoki but thinner than Hamakua), in a sesame sauce (like the one you use to dip for shabu shabu). YUM, what a great mix of flavors and textures. + ANKIMO (Monk liver) $9.25: 4 thick steamed slices, served with mounds of shredded daikon (Japanese radish), wakame (seaweed), green onions in a ponzu sauce. YUM. The liver wasn't soft and mushy; I liked its firmness. A delicate balance of flavors! + OXTAIL SOUP $6.50: Not what I expected! It is a clearer broth with small bits of oxtail. Not oily and nothing like the Hawaii local oxtail soups with peanuts or ginger. Very clean, simple and delicate yet flavorful Asian broth. It's not a large bowl but since we were sharing everything we each got small bowls and spoons to get a good taste of it. + MAGURO POKE $9.25: What a huge mound of raw maguro, it wasn't too powerfully fishy or poke-y tasting. I have mixed feelings about the very fine nori shreds, it is so fine that it softens and almost melts in your mouth. I guess it can be a good thing but I had to get used to it. + SHISO GOHAN $9.50: Perfectly steamed and flavored white rice, with both cooked and raw finely shredded shiso leaves in it and topped with it, in a hot ceramic bowl so it's not quite crusted but not too soft either. I love shiso so I enjoyed it a lot (I buy raw shiso leaves and eat them like taco shells with foods like seafood pasta or steak dipped in sesame oil). + SHRIMP DUMPLING $8.75: It was good but don't think it's to-die-for, it is like fishcake, but it's made of shrimp instead. Tasty. Since it was my birthday they sang Happy Birthday to me, presenting an awesome espresso/coffee gelee topped with creme fraiche and halved pink strawberries (which looked marinated and cooked, not like sad pink not-ripe-yet or anything), served in a champagne glass with a tall candle that wouldn't go out if you blow it. It was the perfect not-too-sweet dessert that topped the whole dinner off, so I'm glad it was my birthday! Teehee! Sake etc: They had this awesome sake called "Born". Crisp, light, served in an open ceramic pot, not like those typical sake bottles. And the sake cups were served cold! :) Like they say, every little thing....counts! Ambiance & Decor: Wada is very attractive. Beautiful wood flooring and walls. Nothing resembles the old Tokkuri-Tei. The bathroom door on the outside is made of wood, but the inside of the door looks like stainless steel..lovely! Of course the womens restroom has a Toto toilet, not quite a bidet, but an automatic flush. The sink is gorgeous, a huge maybe 2 foot wide glass angled rectangle. I was even happily surprised with the soap dispenser, at first you think it's automatic but then you realize you have to push down on the entire thing..it made me giggle. I saw the men's restroom was not quite as beautiful, still they have a gorgeous red-orange glass bowl sink (I saw a first-hand picture of it). The overall layout is great, very spaced out with wood tables, booth seating against the walls, and view of the kitchen. Parking: Street parking or I think there's that paid lot across Uncle Bo's, otherwise it's Valet for $3. It got slow so the valet guy ended up dropping my keys off inside at 8:45 pm. We weren't super hungry, otherwise the meal could have easily been $50+. It was the perfect way to spend my birthday, so I was lucky enough not having to drop a dime, but the food alone was about $33 per person (this is with 2 girls and 1 guy, all not super hungry) which isn't much at all, considering the quality and vast array of dishes we had. The receipt even shows the Food versus the Liquor amounts, PLUS they are open for lunch! I wish my office was close by so I could catch them during the daytime, but now I know where to point people to for an enjoyable and memorable dining experience.

    (5)

  • Shirley H.

    wow, another great find! I am glad I did my homework before heading to Hawaii! Who would've thought such a non-descript restaurant front in a strip plaza hides such a gem? Seriously awesome dishes and quality that I just can't seem to find in the states. We ordered the following and NONE disappoints. Truly enjoyed my meal here at Wada. UNIQUE FLAVOR of BEEF AND UNI COMBO. SLIGHTLY CHEWY PROB. BECAUSE OF THE NOT-SO-THIN CUT OF THE BEEF. Beef & Sea Urchin (1pc) -7.75 sliced washugyu short rib sashimi topped with Santa Barbara, CA sea urchin CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANY BABY SCALLOPS but great taste. Spinach & Baby Scallops Ohitashi - 6.50 boiled spinach from local farmers & baby scallops in a delicate dashi broth CAN I HAVE MORE?? Squid Cartilage & Asari Nibitashi -10.50 delicately sake steamed manilla clams topped with fried squid cartilages CAN I HAVE MORE of THIS TOO? Beef Tartar -12.00 finely chopped washugyu from Oregon MUST ORDER! stone grilled ~ ishiyaki -47.00 kobe-style ishiyaki grill with thinly sliced beef tongue & outside skirt meats (from Washugyu Black Angus from Oregon) - Kuroge Washugyu Tongue (8 slices) and Harami & Vegetables

    (4)

  • William Y.

    impeccable.service. high quality ingredients. I would say this is the best Japanese restaurant in Honolulu.

    (5)

  • Tomoko N.

    I tried On 8/17. I have Exactly same comment as other reviewer (Stefan) Yes they need more "Happy feeling" in a restaurant ! Also I think it's lil over priced. Our total was $200 for two.(That almost equals to eat at Morimoto!) I know I cannot expect for Japanese wagyu quality in Hawaii but still meat quality is not super.

    (2)

  • robbie l.

    Great quality and tasting food! Service was very attentive without being overbearing. Course menu was great! Yummy tongue!

    (5)

  • Kitty K.

    I admit it's a nice clean place especially the rest room(everyone in my party said).. we had a big table of 9, and to be honest with all the food coming and going...which is which still confusing to me (idiot?)...I knew there were beef tongue, fish belly, squid, special fixed meal sets....it's all very fresh yet I am not sure it's the loud table next to us or the fast serving kept my taste bud away.....lol To its credit, they are attentive, clean and fresh and nice presented dished....the chef/owner supervising all ..I guess another visit is a must to give my few cents(sense) worth....=P

    (3)

  • Kate L.

    With all the great ratings from yelp my friend and I wanted to try this place out for my birthday. We walked in the restaurant with high expectations due to all the great comments we read. The restaurant is nice, the service was good, but the servers was standing right next to our table so there was no privacy. we wanted to try their beef with uni but they were out (we were the first customers). people recommended the wagyu sushi, so we tried and the meat was so tough that it would not break apart in your mouth after couple min. of chewing. So I don't recommended the wagyu sushi. the beef tongue was good. We also tried the tofu on the menu, it tasted like corn jello. everything else was okay. They really have to do something about the wagyu sushi! not a place that i'll go back again.

    (3)

  • Ian D.

    Beautifully done food and decor--modern, simple, tasteful, clean. Polite and helpful staff and a great sushi chef. Just short of 5 stars in tiny little ways.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Valet, Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Classy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Wada

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