I have been here multiple times bringing out of town guests or friends for special treat. First time in 2019 was introductory rate of $80, which was unbelievable. This place was perfect during COVID since it only seated 6/7 ppl (there are two bars now so 2x that). Rates went up to $100/$150/$200. They offered an even higher pricier menu special of $250. And we splurged to try that. The food was good, Chef Taka fun. But the dishes came so fast with absolutely no time in between. I felt rushed and pressured. We would just take the last bite of something and the server who was hovering behind us the entire time would swoop up the dish so Chef could put down another one. It was so fast, we were stuffed within 30 minutes, with no time to even take a breath. They do 8pm seating following the 5pm seating so maybe that was the reason for the breakneck speed, but frankly I would have enjoyed it much more with appropriate (or any) pacing.
Amazing sushi! Highly recommend paying a visit to Chef Taka if you’re on Oahu.
One of my best Omakase experiences. Great food and great atmopshere
Best sushi I have ever had anywhere in the world (I’ve tried it in Japan and all up and down the West Coast as well as Europe). Fantastic culinary experience. Highly recommend.
Dustin and Malia are amazing hosts and chefs. Outstanding food. I’m not a regular omakase regular but wow they have changed my mind. 11/10 experience.
Amazing food. The chefs are very friendly and converse with you as they prep and serve each dish. Fantastic experience
On a scale of 1-5 I give it a 10! This was absolutely the most amazing food experience we have ever experienced in our lives! This is a very special omakase experience where the sushi and sashimi fish are the freshest available (most flown in from Japan). Dustin and Malia are wonderful chef hosts making this a full, warm, and exceptionally personal experience. Worth the effort to get a reservation (only through Instagram when they post the month calendar is open ahead. Typically books up within 2 hours of their IG post, so be on the lookout and never give up!!!!) It is an intimate place and I will dream about these delectable unique combinations and pieces of the sea until I can return!
good coffee, cute clothes, and delicious wagyu curry! The owner is so sweet ?
The way this place handles reservations is more old school. You have to message them on their instagram (@22kailua: instagram.com/p/CMgK2eej…) and ask for their phone number. There are two seatings, one at 5PM and one at 830PM. This makes it so that it's more of an exclusive kind of feel and so that the chefs are able to have a more personal connection with the customer. When you get there, make sure you text the same number to let them know that you're here so they can come out and get you. The gate was technically closed when we got there since in the day time, the store front is a coffee shop so that was locked up. The bar seating could technically seat up to 5 people but our party of 3 got really lucky and had the whole place to ourselves! Undivided attention from both chefs! Probably the best omakase experience I've had before. There was a mix of nigiri, sashimi, and small plates here as we got the kaiseki omakase. Our party had a few favorites, the wagyu beef sukiyaki with egg foam, anagi over an egg roll (not sure what it's officially called), and chawanmushi (all pictured with this review). The egg in the wagyu sukiyaki was amazing as they used eggs from Japan that were much more rich in flavor, color, and texture. I literally drank the soup after I finished everything. No regrets. For the anagi over the egg roll, while it may look like a simple dish, it was gushing with flavor that none of us were expecting. As for the chawanmushi, my girlfriend hates anything that's super eggy but she literally drank the cup that this was served in. Needless to say, she loved it! It was super flavor filled with a kind of umami taste that she wasn't expecting. She originally wanted to just give it to me but after one bite, she took it back right away, lol. So a crazy thing happened during our meal. The chefs were very personable and easy to talk to so our party randomly decided to talk about cane spiders that are native to Hawaii. Towards the tail end of our meal, one actually showed up. My friend saw it leisurely crawling up the side of a wall and pointed it out to the chef. We all shared an "oh sh*t" and had a momentary staring contest with it. While it was still moving, our main chef was holding a blow torch and for a second thought about torching it up. We talked him out of it and he eventually decided to use his crocs instead, which we all agreed was a much better choice. (What if burning it didn't kill it and it was running around on fire?!) He slowly walked up to it and slammed it down. It made a small 'crack' noise (imagine opening up a soft shelled crab) and fell to the ground. I wish I had recorded the epic moment. He said in the 3+ years of operating there, he had never seen one. Guess it just took us talking about it for one to show up. He said it's definitely a night to remember to so anyone reading this review that actually decides to go, you should definitely ask about it. Haha~ While COVID sucks, there are some silver linings like making our experience more intimate with these wonderful chefs. If you're in Hawaii and looking for an omakase joint, this is it. P.S. whoever makes the reservation gets a cool little placard with their name on it!
Best omakase for the value! Guaranteed that you leave full and not looking for more food. Food quality is excellent and customer service is top notch. Highly recommend if you are lucky enough to be able to schedule a reservation... Demand is always high... Keep checking as there are last minute cancelations sometimes.