Japanese Breakfast in Hawaii

We love a good Japanese breakfast! The full set complete with rice, miso soup, fish, omelet, pickles, and more, is one of the nicest ways to start the day. Here are a few of our favorite spots for Japanese breakfast in Hawaii ^_^

Jump to:

• Sensei Lanai (Lanai)
• Fujiyama Texas (Oahu)
• Halekulani Hotel (Oahu)
• Nami Kaze (Oahu)
• I-Naba (Oahu)
• Mugen (Oahu)
• Yoshitsune (Oahu)

Sensei Lanai (Lanai)

Japanese breakfast is served at the main restaurant of Sensei Lanai.

The restaurant is called Sensei by Nobu. Think of it as a slightly more health focused version of the regular Nobu restaurants.

We came for breakfast during our staycation. I believe you can also order this Japanese breakfast off the room service menu ^_^

Here's a look at the menu!

The Japanese breakfast is $36 (previously $32) and includes:

• Rice (your choice, white or brown)
• Roasted Ora King salmon
• Vegetable miso soup
• Onsen tamago
• Nishime
• Hijiki salad

A few notes:

I got the brown rice and it came more as a mixed grain rice. Loved this! My mom use to cook a similar rice at home (we called it purple rice because all the beans give it a slight red/purple color). It's simple to make and good for you. I'll work on a recipe post for this rice.

The roasted salmon came with a spoonful of ikura and local calamansi. Both were great touches! It was my first time squeezing calamansi over salmon, that's a combo I'd like to repeat.

Most places that offer Japanese breakfast in Hawaii serve a rolled egg omelette. I like how they had onsen egg / tamago instead.

Go early to request one of the outside tables overlooking all the beautiful koi fish. It is peaceful. This staycation breakfast was a real treat and one that I hope to do soon again.

It was a pretty dark and cold morning. That type of weather is so un-Hawaii, but that's what made it special. It rained all day and I spent the afternoon reading books inside. Cozy!

Fujiyama Texas (Oahu)

Fujiyama Texas is a popular Japanese izakaya on King Street in Honolulu. It's a good value, the food is great, and vibes are fun.

Plus, parking is free and easy. This place is packed at night with couples, friends...everyone!

But few people know that they also serve breakfast. Yes! They offer a full Japanese breakfast with your choice of fish.

Here's a look at the menu.

I usually get the grilled salmon or miso butterfish breakfast. It comes with:

• Fish (your choice grilled salmon, miso butterfish, grilled local fish)
• Rice
• Miso soup
• Pickled cucumbers
• Rolled omelet
• Seaweed and kinpira gobo

There are a couple of changes you can do like replace the regular rice with yaki-musubi (grilled rice ball). You can also upgrade from miso soup to tonjiru (pork and tofu soup).

I love the tonjiru and definitely recommend making this upgrade!

One thing that makes the breakfast special is the local fish option. I don't know any other restaurant that offers a local fish option for Japanese breakfast!

They have a sign that lists the daily local fish. It was akule on the day of our visit. I love akule but it has a lot of bones, so I just ordered my usual grilled salmon. You can pick salt or miso for the salmon. I went with salt.

Here's a look at the interior. We went Saturday morning and just a few other tables were filled. It's a completely different vibe from dinner when it's packed.

I like the bright morning light coming in, the calm energy, and thoughtful meal. A nice way to start the day!

This Japanese breakfast is much more affordable than the hotel options, which we all appreciate. $11-15 a set depending on the fish selection and upgrades.

P.S. They also offer other breakfast sets that include udon (similar to this but with pork) and mochi stuffed aburage. Yum ^_^

Halekulani Hotel (Oahu)

We love the Halekulani Hotel! Beautiful and serene, this is where we go for lovely staycations with family, sunset mai tais with friends, and afternoon tea.

Japanese breakfast is served at Orchids (it's also on the room service menu).

My favorite tables at Orchids not the ones in the "front row" (closest to the ocean). This is because there are too many birds and the birds are aggressive. The view is beautiful, though!

The second row is pretty good.

But I like the third row the best. This is when you're just one step up from the ground and fully set in the restaurant but still have the beautiful view and breeze of the outdoors.

Here's a look at the Japanese breakfast menu.

$54 is a pricey Japanese breakfast, but a wonderful one. You're paying for the setting as much as you are for the food.

The breakfast set start a pot of sencha (which I replaced with coffee because I needed it haha) and your choice of local pineapple or papaya with lime.

Then all the treats come out one by one.

There is rice and nori, and then miso soup. Followed by a super silky piece of miso butterfish (I'm not sure why this miso butterfish tasted so good but it did).

And then more! The rolled egg omelette, a trio of pickles, two types of sashimi, nishime, kinpira gobo, and seaweed with wasabi.

This beautiful meal plus good company and gorgeous views on an early Saturday morning? We are truly lucky to live Hawaii.

Nami Kaze (Oahu)

Nami Kaze's breakfast comes with rice, miso soup, and good potato salad! All you need to do is pick the protein.

I ordered the butterfish (aka black cod) which is prepared with a tomato miso marinade and ​chili pepper water​. It's a fun twist on the ​classic​ miso butterfish.

They serve the breakfast during lunch hours from Wednesday to Friday, and during brunch hours on Saturday and Sunday. It's technically a breakfast set but you can order it for brunch/lunch.

Here's a look at the menu! They have five different options for the Japanese breakfast set, it's all fish except for the garlic pork belly option. I'm going to try the hamachi kama next time. The sashimi also sounds tasty ^_^

I-Naba (Oahu)

I-Naba used to have lovely and simple breakfast options...think TKG and a hot cup of tea. They stopped serving breakfast in 2021 and recently re-started breakfast in late 2024. Yay!

The new breakfast menu is more complete, and centered around Japanese breakfast sets (though you can still order some of the simple options they previously offered including TKG).

Four types of fish prepared in different styles.

I ordered the Gindara Saikyoyaki (first option on the menu). It's miso butterfish made with a specific type of white miso that is sweeter and more mild than a typical white miso.

The breakfast set comes with rice, miso soup, sashimi, pickles, hijiki, and omelet.

There's one little two top table by the window and that's where I like to sit. Perfect for solo breakfast or peaceful morning with a friend.

Mugen (Oahu)

Mugen is located inside Espacio hotel. Enter the hotel and the restaurant is located just up a short flight of stairs. The Japanese breakfast includes miso soup, broiled king salmon, rice, pickles, nori, and a perfectly cooked onsen egg.

Here's a look at Mugen's breakfast menu if you are curious.

Note: Valet parking is included with breakfast. The hotel/restaurant entrance is on Kalakaua Avenue. There's no formal roundabout or driveway, so you can just pull off to the side (there's a loading area) and someone will come help valet the car. A really nice bonus given how hard it is to find parking in Waikiki.

Yoshitsune (Oahu)

Yoshitsune is inside the Park Shore Waikiki Hotel and they serve a really lovely Japanese breakfast. They have seven (!) types to select from:

• Broiled Fresh Atlantic Salmon
• Broiled Mackerel
• Broiled Pacific Saury
• Butterfish Misoyaki
• Rice Porridge with Broiled Salmon
• Broiled Codfish Egg (aka mentaiko)
• Broiled Spicy Codfish Egg

I met up with Justin for breakfast. He ordered Broiled Codfish Egg and I ordered the Broiled Spicy Codfish Egg hahaha. Same thing, just one version was spicy.

Codfish egg = mentaiko!

I often enjoy mentaiko at home (there are many different ways to cook with it), but never thought to broil it. I will try it that way next time ^_^

The breakfast set comes with the "entree" you select, plus:

• Housemade tofu or natto (as much as I love natto, you'll definitely want to try their housemade tofu, it's very special and made with soymilk and agar).
• Spinach
• Choy Sum
• Seaweed
• Egg
• Rice
• Miso Soup
• Pickles
• Fresh Papaya

It's a lot of variety and so balanced. I love that there are many veggies! Their signature tofu super silky and almost jelly-like in texture.

Justin had the good idea to add on a pair of kombu musubi! Warm and super comforting ^_^ The breakfast set alone is a very complete meal, but I'll never turn down good musubi!

The breakfast comes with fresh papaya for dessert. Squeeze the lime and enjoy!

Here's a look at the menu. The meals we ordered are listed under the Imperial Breakfast section. They also have simple/smaller sets if you are not as hungry.

Hooray for a great Japanese breakfast! ^_^