Izakaya Uosan (Oahu)

Izakaya Uosan is a fun and lively Japanese restaurant in Honolulu. They are popular for dishes like uni truffle butter rice, chicken karaage, daikon with foie gras, and sushi! The food is excellent. Make reservations in advance and get a seat the counter.

Location

Izakaya Uosan is on Kapiolani Boulevard, in the center of Honolulu.

The restaurant is a 10 minute drive from Waikiki. Or 5 minute walk from Ala Moana Shopping Center. I like to park at Ala Moana and walk to the restaurant, especially if I plan to go shopping before/after dinner.

There's not too much to do in the immediate area, but the restaurant is in a building that houses a few other popular spots like Cloud Nine Cafe (sister business to Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle), the yakitori chain Gyu-Kaku, and the recently opened Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House.

What To Get

This is the fun part! They have a large menu plus a selection of daily specials.

I like to order a selection of sushi (6-7 pieces per person), and then share a bunch of other dishes like (estimate 3-5 dishes per person, depending on the size of the dish). For the other dishes, I like a mix of fried, grilled, braised, etc. Don't order too many fried things. Got to have a mix to appreciate it all.

Here's a good order if you go as a party of two:

Natto bowl.
​Natto, yamaimo, okra, green onions, mushrooms, and seaweed. A little bit of tobiko on top. A dab of wasabi. Mix, mix, mix.

Wrap spoonfuls with individual sheets of nori and eat. I love natto and want to recreate this dish at home.

6-7 pieces sushi.
Look at the daily sushi list and select what sounds good. If you don't know what each type of fish is, ask the server. No need to be shy.

I was unfamiliar with several fish names and our server was really kind about explaining them all in detail. He explained so well that we ended up ordering all of them. We got to eat tasty things AND learn something new. Win-win!

There was Nodoguro, Kinki, Ishidai, Managatsuo and a couple others. Had to also order the famous Otoro and Foie Gras sushi (top photo of this post).

The sushi was well paced and came out piece by piece throughout dinner. This is one of the best parts about sitting at the counter / sushi bar...otherwise your full sushi order is delivered all at once on a single plate.

Daikon with foie gras.
Braised daikon topped with seared foie gras. It was super flavorful and a great combination of ingredients. The broth was delicious but too salty to enjoy alone...I regret not ordering an extra bowl of rice to pour all the broth over. THAT would have been awesome.

Grilled corn.
Simple and tasty! A seasonal special. The corn was lightly battered and served on the cob.

Grilled mackerel with mentaiko.
We ordered this towards the end of dinner when were getting full but still wanted a little something more. Can't go wrong with anything that has mentaiko. We also had a bottle of champagne that needed to be finished! This was a great pairing.

Oyster shooters.
This was like our dessert haha! Raw oysters, raw egg yolk, ponzu. Topped with tobiko and green onions. Super good. They also have an uni version. We were tempted to ordered both, but decided to save room for ice cream at Baskin Robbins on King Street ^_^

When To Go

Any and all time is good BUT you must make a reservation in advance.

Note: You can take your chances with a last minute walk in, but it's a small restaurant and they get very busy.

Insider Tips and FAQ

The building has a parking garage and they validate for 2 hours. The garage can get pretty full especially on weekends and during prime dinner hours. This is why I like to park at Ala Moana Shopping Center and walk over (I recommend doing this only if you eat early...like 5pm reservation, and walk back when it's light out).

For reservations you have to call them directly at (808) 200-5077. They don't take reservations online or via social media.

If you go with a group or kids, get a table reservation. If you go with just one other person, make a reservation for the counter / sushi bar...so much fun!

Ordering omakase? Most restaurants have "set" omakase, but at Uosan they keep making you sushi until you say stop ^_^

Izakaya Uosan: Info

• Instagram: @izakayauosan
• Address: 1221 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
• Phone: (808) 200-5077
• Prices: About $100 per person for dinner (without drinks).