Japanese Restaurant Aki is a very tasty restaurant in Kaimuki. It's a popular neighborhood izakaya (reservations recommended) that's small and cozy with a big menu of great food. Yakitori, sashimi and sushi, oden and nabe, and lots more. This is what we like to order ^_^
Japanese Restaurant Aki is a gem. This is a spot with many repeat diners (myself included!) Locals love it. So do all the visiting friends I bring for dinner. It's warm and inviting. The food always hits the spot.
It's a small restaurant and feels most enjoyable with a group no larger than 4 people. For me, the ideal number here is 2 ^_^
Location
Japanese Restaurant Aki is in Kaimuki, aka one of the tastiest neighborhoods on Oahu. There's so much to eat here and one of my favorite things to do is a follow a dinner at Aki with purple rice yogurt drinks at Cowcow's Tea just a couple blocks away. Either that or gelato from Via Gelato!
What To Order
For a party of 2, here's my go-to order. Sometimes I add a few dishes (especially when they have good daily specials), but the general format stays the same.
First, the nabe (aka hot pot)! They have 3 kinds:
- Soy Milk Szechuan Sesame Nabe
- Beef Tongue Shabu Shabu - I don't usually order this because we cook a lot of beef tongue at home.
- Motsu (Beef Intestines) Spicy Chige Nabe
I tend to go back and forth between the Motsu Nabe and the Soy Milk Nabe. If I'm with a friend that's up for mostu (beef intestines), then that is my first choice because I love to eat it and it's a dish that I don't often prepare for myself at home. Motsu nabe is especially good during the "colder" winter months in Hawaii. Warms you to the core!
The top photo shows how the motsu nabe is presented at the table. It's served on a portable burner so you can "cook" at the table. Pictured above is a serving for two (the minimum order for any of the nabe options is a 2 person serving).
Give it a gentle mix every couple of minutes. After about 5-10 minutes at the table, the nabe cooks down and you can start eating.
I always like a bowl of rice on the side...a must for nabe! You can also order a side of udon or ramen noodles to add to the nabe.
Along with the nabe, I like 1-2 appetizers. The first appetizer must be fried or crisp. Like the fried oysters! Super tasty. It comes with katsu and tartar sauce.
If I order a second appetizer, I select something chilled/cold like a small sashimi platter (look for the daily special sashimi options) or the ankimo with ponzu sauce. Love, love ankimo!
Then you must also order yakitori! They have a small sheet that lists all the yakitori options. Use the provided pencil to check off which items you want and the number of pieces. I always mix things up. Hearts and livers and gizzards and all the good things. You can select the seasoning options: salt or teri sauce. I like both, just depends on my mood for the night.
If the many yakitori options are overwhelming and you can't decide, just pick the "5 choice chef assortment." Make life easy!
You should also order something from the oden section! Mochi pouch is my first choice (you know I am crazy for anything involving aburaage). And if I'm very hungry, I'll add on a few more pieces of oden like daikon and hanpen.
And that's what you need to create a really good and balanced dinner at Aki ^_^ I feel like a big part of having a satisfying dinner at any izakaya is knowing how and what to order.
Izakaya menus are generally overwhelming because there are so many options. Sometimes you leave feeling full but not quite satisfied, like maybe you ordered too many fried dishes, or a not balanced range of dishes.
So just follow the general outline of my order (that's an order for 2 people) above and you should be good...I hope you will like it!
Insider Tips
Check out Izakaya Uosan...sooo good! I also like Izakaya Gaku, Izakaya Nonbei, and Izakaya Naru. Lucky we have so many good spots in Honolulu.
There's a municipal parking lot right next to the restaurant (search online for "Kaimuki Municipal Lot 1"). The entrance is on 12th Avenue (right across the street from Totoya). It gets pretty busy during dinner but it's a large lot and you can always find a parking spot.
There is also street parking along Waialae Avenue and along 12th Avenue, but those spots are usually taken so I just head straight for the municipal lot.
Dinner reservations are very strongly recommended, especially if you plan to come at prime dinner hour or on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evening.
Not many people know, but Aki is also open for lunch! They offer really nice lunch sets in the $15-25 price range. You can also order the lunch set for take out and it comes nicely packaged, bento-style. Lunch has never been too busy when I've gone, so no need lunch reservations.
I love the energetic bustle of dinner and the peaceful quiet of lunch hours...completely different, both awesome.
Japanese Restaurant Aki: Info
- Address: 1137 11th Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
- Hours: Closed Tuesdays. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 11:30am-2pm, 4pm–10pm. Friday, Saturday: 11:30am-2pm, 4pm–10:30pm.
- Instagram: @restaurant.aki
- Prices (approximate): About $60-70 per person on my visits.
Mahalo for Reading!