From the casual takeout spots to the fancy omakase, there is amazing and high quality sushi in Hawaii to satisfy every price range. Here are our favorite spots for the best sushi in Hawaii, some are popular and others are local secrets!
Sushi In Hawaii
We LOVE to eat sushi in Hawaii. And lucky for us, because Hawaii has some of the best sushi in the world.
The neatest part about sushi in Hawaii is that there is something for every price point. We eat sushi all the time because good sushi doesn't have to cost a fortune here (though those options are definitely available).
From casual takeout to nice dinners and fancy omakase, here are spots for the best sushi in Hawaii at every price point. I group them into 3 categories:
- Casual Takeout ($10-30/person) - if you're curious to learn more about this "casual" category, I have a detailed post about casual sushi here.
- Nice Dinner ($50-150/person)
- Fancy Omakase ($200+/person)
Please enjoy ^_^
Casual / Takeout ($10-30/person)
Casual sushi might be my favorite category because it makes good sushi accessible. And this style of casual sushi is a key part of how we most often enjoy sushi in Hawaii.
I cover this category of "casual sushi" in detail here. Make sure to read this post for everything you need to know about casual sushi in Hawaii.
These are our go-to spots (they are all takeout spots except for Genki):
Hawaii Sushi
Hawaii Sushi is our go-to casual spot. I end up here at least once a week for takeout lunch or dinner. I like everything from the local ahi nigiri set, salmon set, and the Big Island roll. It's also a great spot to order sushi platters for potlucks and parties.
Kozo Sushi
Kozo has been around for as long as I can remember. We always visit the Kahala Mall location. My standard order as a kid was 3 tuna hand rolls. Prices have gone up a little but they used to be $1.50 a roll. The rolls are made to order and packaged so that the nori (seaweed) doesn't touch the rice until after opening it. The nori remains crisp until you're ready to eat. Perfect for grabbing lunch to take to the beach or on a hike.
Genki Sushi
Genki is also a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. It's much more casual (and priced lower) than Katsumidori, fun for groups, and kids love it. The Ala Moana Center location always has a line out the door. Eat as much as you want, and your empty plates are tallied up for the bill.
Ahi and Vegetable
Easy, tasty, and convenient. I like to order one of the bento specials that have a mix of nigiri and rolls. In addition to sushi, they are popular for chirashi bowls.
(Closed as of January 2024) Fish & Rice
Fish & Rice is one of the food vendors located inside Palama Market (an excellent Korean supermarket). My go-to order here is the Nigiri Set B, an 8-piece sushi set with tuna, salmon, hamachi, shrimp, uni, ikura, eel, and egg. All the good stuff! They also make great rolls and excellent sushi platters.
Nice Dinner ($50-150/person)
These are great date night or meeting up with friends for sushi type spots. This $50-150 category offers the widest range, both in terms of pricing and menu offerings.
@Sushi
Omakase at @Sushi is $150 a person. It is an extremely good value and just super delicious! You must go here. Run by a gracious husband (previously at Maru Sushi) and wife team, this place feels like a local secret for sushi lovers. Every omakase thoughtfully finishes with a little bowl of rice with wagyu and a quail egg. You'll walk out of here happy. BYOB.
Note: If @Sushi sounds familiar it's because they used to have a spot inside Ohana Hale Marketplace!
Ya!! Sushi (inside Luana Waikiki)
Ya!! Sushi is from the same husband and wife owner as @Sushi! The $80 omakase is the thing to get here, though they also have a great a la carte menu. It's slightly more causal than @Sushi, with the same great quality. Perfect dinner spot for when you do a staycation (or vacation!) in Waikiki.
Amaterasu (inside Ala Moana Center)
One of the few restaurant that are open for an omakase lunch! I'm always on the lookout for omakase lunch but it is a rare find. Lunch is $98 and dinner is $150. Chef Hideo's serves a generous meal finishing with "uni butter garlic shrimp," a fancy play on a local favorite. I like to add on an order of the toro takuan handroll at the very end. Dessert! The restaurant is located next to Barnes & Nobles at Ala Moana....extra convenient for post-lunch shopping ^_^
Sushi ii
Located right by Ala Moana Center, Sushi ii is a popular local favorite. Reserve a seat at the bar and order away. Go a la carte for a mix of sushi and cooked dishes. Or order the omakase (it's usually about $150, or you can give them a price at which you're comfortable). Also great is their chirashi bowl (a go-to lunch order) and cooked dishes like stewed beef tongue and abalone.
Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo (inside Prince Waikiki)
Katsumidori is the most affordable of the restaurants in this category and also has a large selection of non-sushi dishes. It's a popular chain from Japan. A casual spot but reservations (book a week in advance) are a must because it is always busy. Make a reservation for the sushi bar if you're a party of one or two.
But if you go with a group, it's better to reserve for the dining table and order a bunch of dishes (sushi and hot, cooked dishes) to share. The table are served via conveyor belt which is super fun for kids. I like to go for an early dinner and then stroll around Waikiki afterwards during sunset hour, so nice!
Izakaya Gaku
First rule for Gaku is to make reservations far in advance. They are always booked. They take walk ins during certain hours but if you want a guaranteed table/seat, make a reservation. Go a la carte or omakase (definitely recommended if you're sitting at the sushi bar).
Depending how you order, Gaku actually falls somewhere between the $100- 200+ category. You can have a good dinner here at $100 or an indulgent dinner for $200+. Either way, it will be delicious.
Fancy Omakase ($200+/person)
All omakase only. Pricey and worth it ^_^
Sushi Ginza Onodera Hawaii
Sushi Ginza Onodera is from Japan and has other locations around the world, but the Hawaii location is my favorite ^_^ A traditional, straightforward and elegant experience. No surprises but a beautiful omakase. Make sure to book specifically for the sushi bar (as opposed to a table) when making your reservation.
Closed as of 2024 Maru Sushi
Elegant and understated, Maru is a tiny omakase spot right outside of Waikiki. The entire restaurant seats just 10 people and the whole experience feels quite special. Make reservations in advance and enjoy a traditional omakase. A former sushi chef here opened @Sushi (we covered in the section above).
Sushi Sho
Located inside the Ritz-Carlton Waikiki, Sushi Sho is the most famous of all the fancy sushi spots and for good reason. Nakazawa-san (who was already a well respected sushi chef in Tokyo) moved to Hawaii and instead of retiring, he opened one of the most beautiful sushi spots...
...that also happens to be the best sushi in Waikiki and perhaps all of Hawaii. Nakazawa-san incorporates many unexpected local ingredients into a traditional omakase - think sweet Maui onions and hearts of palm. Reservations need to be made far in advance (or you might get lucky with a last minute cancellation). It is very much worth it.
And More Places!
There are many other great location spots that we love to visit...this post could easily be twice as long!
- Sushi Que
- Sushi Sasabune
- Hihimanu Sushi
- Yanagi
- Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera
- Sushi Murayama
I'll add more details to these spots once we revisit and get new photos.
Other Way To Enjoy Sushi
P.S. There are many others ways you can enjoy sushi at home...these are a few popular ways we do it local style.
We hope you enjoy sushi in Hawaii ^_^
Shocking no mention of Tokkuri Tei. One of the Island's best
Kathy: Another great post. Sushi is one of my most favorite meals, even today. But today, I eat more sashimi to avoid eating too much rice (carbs). Even in the old days 40-50 years ago, sushi was one of my late wife's and my favorite date night meals. Our place of choice was the old Ideta Restaurant on Dillingham and Kapalama Canal, now long gone. Even in those days way back when, we would spend $100 for our dinner, which was a lot of money 50 years ago. We never ate omakase, since we always had our favorite types, but we would eat ala carte and enjoy the show. Ben-chan, the sushi chef, was great to us and we would drink with him. I would drink maybe 3-4 big Asahi beers and buy him a few too, and my wife would drink her drink of choice back then, kahlua and cream. Sometimes we would sit on the side next to the tempura frying counter so we could order both ala carte sushi and tempura too. The guy there would fry the tempura with his bare hands in the hot oil -- ever see the tempura guys do that? I guess having his fingers coated in the tempura batter kept him from getting burned. Yup, back in those days I could eat and drink like hell, but not so much anymore. Getting old really is the pits!!
Oh yeah, a final comment -- there used to be a Sushi King restaurant in the old Stardust Hotel in Vegas. Being a "preferred" customer of the Boyd Group, sometimes we would go eat sushi there too. That place was pretty good, although we never tried the Sushi King in Honolulu. But Boyd screwed up, tearing down the Stardust to build the never-t0-be-completed Echelon Place.
Alan, you always have the best stories and memories to share, I love it! Had no idea there was a Sushi King in Vegas, so cool. Did you heard that the Sushi King on King St recently closed? So sad, after 30 years! I had so many great family dinners there.
- Kathy
@Kathy, We plan to vacation next year in Honolulu again. I plan to eat sushi at Ahi and Vegetable, and Korean BBQ at McCulley Buffet. I know that they are basically the same, but I assume Ahi and Vegetable has more sushi choices. I want to eat good sushi/sashimi but not pay an arm and a leg for it. But if I can find a sushi bar that has old style traditional stuff, I might be willing to splurge. My favorites are toro, mirugai, mentaiko, kazunoko, yamakaki, ika-natto, awabi, shishamo, and amaebi.