Izakaya Naru

Walking into this place immediately feels like you have just walked into Japan! The atmosphere is as authentic as you will get outside of Japan. I love how they don’t try to do too much. Just really good Izakaya. Their drinks are also really good. They have various flavored of awamori (Okinawan still rice soju) such as shiso, pineapple, lychee and Kona coffee.
Some standouts from their menu for me were their mackerel, jelly fish, sukiyaki pizza and gyoza.
Would highly recommend this place.

Seriously love this place for the great food, drinks, service and the overall feel of the place. All of the staff are friendly and helpful and always make you feel at home. I had the pleasure to have Mabo Tofu in a stone pot with rice, Taco rice, Gyoza Pizza, Shrimp & Crab Toast… Check out the specials board before looking at the menu… Great place!

Best okinawan izakaya in Hawaii. Okinawan cuisine incorporates influences from Chinese cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine due to its long history of trade. Enjoy dishes like goya champuru, okinawa soba, rafute and taco rice, my favorite! Drink Orion beer and awamori! Kanpai!

Great place. Everything we tried was great. Reminds me of Okinawa type of restaurant but better. Food is more pupu type and a place to socialize. Different variety of drinks from awamori to beer. Some portions were small dats why u gotta drink more lol.

Excellent restaurant, but pricey for just two people, around $ 35 per person without alcohol. To really enjoy with lots of dishes here, bring 4+ people, family style, it will be a good value for 4+ people. What sets this place apart is the additional Okinawan items on the menu. If you are looking for Izakaya with Okinawan dishes, Izakaya Naru is your best bet. Gets crazy busy here, and it is a small restaurant, reservation is a must.

We had the taco rice bowl, furikake fries, shoyu pork, and one of the fish dishes. Presentation was great. Authentic Japanese atmosphere. Food took a while to come, but it was good. Not large portions like Americans are used to, however.

My new favorite place! Didn’t get a chance to post the taco rice… yes, TACO rice. It was one of the best things I’ve put in my face hole. It’s a must-​have!

Two words. TACO. RICE. When I’m in Oahu you can guarantee I will be eating here at least once. The soba is dank, too. The only part I was bummed about was the fact that it’s so small I couldn’t get in on my last night there without reservations… which seems kind of stupid.

1^st time. Tinier space than I envisioned but service was excellent. Dishes were tasty and well described by our server. Rating for a 4 was because 2 of 6 dishes were just so so squid legs wasabi and bershire pork were so so… peanut tofu, eggplant miso pork, tongue, fried rice and baguette ice cream were super good… server did the thank you and farewell outside the restaurant. Definite repeat

I’ve always enjoy coming here
It’s an enjoyable atmosphere. And the food is very different but very good.
I’ve brought a lot of my friends here n they seemed to want to come back as well.
Tonight I am here, it’s been awhile but am very pleased.

Let me stargo by saying the food is really yummy, but the portions and the price are outrageously expensive.
We went as a group and ordered a bunch of stuff. Not a good idea because each person only got a bite of each dish and I was still hungry when we left. We ordered about 8 – 10 dishes and had about 8 people. The bill split was about $ 28 per person. That’s crazy prices! The pizzas were good and were actually my favorite dishes we ordered, but tiny. The crust was crispy and yummy. I wanted to order a dessert but they have a time limit there and we went over it.
I think they have one person cooking every order in the back because it took forever for our food to come out.

Izakaya Naru, at first glance, is a small hole-​in-​the-​wall between ShabuShabu King and Sushi King (you guessed it, on King Street near the University intersection). Their menu is inspired by Okinawan food and drinks. The first time I visited Naru, I wasn’t sure what to order, as Gyoza Pizza, Sukiyaki Pizza, and Taco Rice seemed a bit weird (even from a Japanese restaurant). However, all three picks were awesome! The food is always really good. The service is amazing. All of the staff can converse in both Japanese and English and get along well with ALL their customers (not just their regulars).
Last night I went in after work to order take-​out (a little weird for them at 9pm, as it was still really busy). The staff, however, was very accommodating and although I had to wait a little while longer than usual (which was completely okay with me, as I know I was being a bit inconvenient), the food was just as amazing as though I were eating it there. I got the Cream Cheese Ponzu, Shoyu Pork Belly, and Taco Rice (which is usually served ishiyaki style in a hot stone pot).
Overall my experiences at Naru have been great, each time I go in. I don’t consider myself a regular, but I will definitely be visiting Naru more and more in the future! :)

Went there with a friend who heard good things about naru. The specials were very tasty!!! The ones we really liked were the veggie chips, beef tounge, chicken skin with ponzu, Goya with spam egg and tofu, okinawan soba with shoyu pork belly and the one we weren’t too sure about but was really good the cream cheese with ponzu. Think next time we go we are gonna try some of the desserts … Naru pudding and the okinawan sweet potato and mochi with ice cream parfait. We did see the taco rice and it smelled and looked really good!

What an awesome, intimate little Izakaya joint.
The ambiance here is great. Everyone greets you with a smile and positive attitude. The benches have these beautiful, assorted tapestries strewn over them, and the hanging lanterns and fun music make it feel like you’re hanging out at someone’ house.
We didn’t have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate my boyfriend and I at the bar.
We started with two Sapporo drafts, and ordered five items to split: The salmon skin salad special, the deep fried corn special, the glazed pork spare ribs, the taco rice and the pork special.
The salmon skin salad we both could do without out– it was very acidic and the skin so crispy it was almost hard to chew. The deep fried corn was excellent! Loved it. The standout dish of the night was the glazed pork spare ribs. Man, every bite got more and more succulent than the last. You are also given a mustard/​mayo to spread over the fatty goodness. Yes, yes, yes! The taco rice was like a Mexican version of Bimbimbop — fun, but very cheesy. We wish it was a little spicier. The pork special we could also do without– it was cooked to a nice medium, but the yuzu condiment was SUPPPER salty and took away from the flavor of the pork.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the evening was the Japanese toilet in the bathroom. Yayyy!
Overall, we’d be back, but will be ordering more menu staples rather than specials.

This is becoming one of my favorite Izakaya on the island! Love that this is an Okinawan izakaya, love the dark, cozy atmosphere of the restaurant and of course love the fact that every dish we have tried has been amazing! This is a small iazakaya so there may be a wait, but the food is good so no matter what the wait may be, it’ll be worth it!
The Food:
Taco rice — Delicious, cheesy and taco-​y! (yes, taco-​y!) Love not only the presentation of this dish but the flavors! Love how the rice gets nice and crispy in the hot stone pot (similar to bibimbap). Make sure to let it sit in the pot for a while after they mix it so it gets a nice crust on the bottom. A must order for sure!
Peanuts tofu — I am still not completely sure what peanuts tofu is. But what I do know is… it’s yummy and I’d absolutely order it again and again!
Eggplant with miso pork — Eggplant stuffed with ground pork and miso with shiso leaf. The presentation of this dish was also pretty. Very yummy and I thought the shiso leaf was a nice touch.
Baguette stuffed with vanilla ice cream — It’s so simple and different from any dessert I’ve had before but it works and is amazingly delicious (think honey toast but better)!
Gyoza Pizza — Definitely innovative and very cheesy. The taste is good but I think I’d prefer the regular gyoza, especially if I’m already ordering the cheesy taco rice.
Besides the taco rice, I can’t say which is my favorite dish because everything has been good! They also have other things on the menu that I have not yet tried but sound really delicious such as the Okinawan soba, the shoyu pork belly and the ice cream and natto (yay for natto lovers!).

This is not a sit down and please give me outstanding quick service restaurant. This is authentic Japanese Izakaya. You go there to drink, socialize and enjoy some unique and delicious food creations. If you do not speak any Japanese, naturally you may have a hard time communicating with the server depending on who’s working that night. same as in Japan. This is by far mine and my boyfriends FAVORITE Izakaya on the island. I am white as can be. My boyfriend was born in Japan, but has lived most his life on Oahu. He assumed I had no idea what authentic Izakaya was, but when I took him here, He became addicted. Its been a while since our last visit but throughout the months of February and March we were regulars.
If you’re looking for private conversation, call ahead and request a table. This is a very small Izakaya so reservations are ideal. If you’re looking to laugh all night with the staff and bar patrons, call ahead and request the bar. Again, small place. If you walk in and see open tables or seats at the bar and they refuse to seat you, its because they are saving that seat for one of their loyal regulars. CALL AHEAD FOR RESERVATION.
My Favorite FOOD:
Seared Mackerel — They literally sear it right in front of you with a blow torch!
Diakon Salad — best i ever had
Gyoza — very good
Ahi Yukke — THE BOMB! even better if you order a 1,000 year old egg and mix it together.
Drinks are great too of course. There house Sake is i believe homemade, but i cant remember. Either way its one the best house Sakes i’ve had.
Once again, if you like prompt and attentive service, this is not for you. This is a hang out atmosphere. In and Out service is not what they specialize in. Authentic Japanese food and drinks is why we go here. As well as the owner Hiro is so funny. He has a unique sense of humor that I really enjoy.

If I could give this place zero stars than I would.
Let me start off by saying that I understand that I was with a larger party so it may have been more difficult to give absolutely great service to so many people BUT let me also point out that this restaurant is really small inside.
My party and I were seated near the back, and from where I was sitting I could see directly into the kitchen.
They had more than enough workers on the floor to keep up and maintain decent service but my group and I strongly felt that we got NO SERVICE AT ALL
1. NONE of our waters were refilled from when we got seated UNTIL everyone was finished with their food and we asked for refills TWICE.
2. We ordered 5 orders of the beef tongue and only got 4 !
When we asked the server if they all came out she told us that it did and when we tried to explain that we ordered 5 and didn’t get one order she could barely understand us.
One of us also ordered something and got the completely wrong order.
3. Each time we asked for something we waited 5 – 10 minutes between. Asked for the check and didn’t get it until I asked again.
One of us even talked to the manager and although he apologized he didn’t compensate us for being treated with bad service and getting our orders wrong. Maybe if the workers that were sitting in the kitchen doing nothing but eating helped out more they could’ve handled a big party like us in their tiny little restaurant. But even then the restaurant was so small it shouldn’t of been a problem.
I also want to point out that our check came out to more than what we expected after we checked the menu and added up our prices from what we ordered including tax and their BOGUS 18% gratuity charge. They didn’t have the price of ANYTHING we ordered just tally marks, so who knows if they overcharged us.
Probably won’t come back.

recommended by our izakaya-​loving friends, we were excited to check out Naru. we went after work when they opened at 530, and scored a metered parking space right out front (the side lot was full and you don’t have to pay the meter after 600). they were empty at the time but advised we make reservations next time (they were packed when we left). warbly okinawan music filled the room, along with enthusiastic orders between the servers and kitchen crew, a fun atmosphere reminiscent of bar-​hopping in japan.
the menu was a myriad of exotic choices, with a few selections of beer, wine and awamori, the potent alcoholic beverage of okinawa. we tried the fatty wagyu sashimi (blowtorched at your table!), gyoza pizza (thin crust topped with gyoza filling and cheese), stir-​fried bittermelon with tofu and spam (an acquired taste), okinawan soba with shoyu pork belly (oishii), bacon-​wrapped asparagus (can’t go wrong) and garlic fried rice (sprinkled with chewy pieces of squid). hubby also partook in wasabi tako (a traditional drinking appetizer) and natto ice cream (he said it was surprisingly pleasant). we ate it all and left happy!
service was friendly and the bill (before tip) was under $ 100 — i couldn’t believe my eyes! definitely a hidden gem worth discovering. as an izakaya-​lover, i highly recommend it!

Take me back to Japan! Well, this was as close to Japan as I am going to get for now…
A last minute decision landed me here. No reservations, but they were nice enough to take my party of 2 in and seated us right when they opened at 530pm. Customer service here is excellent. And when I say excellent, I’m talking about 5 star excellent. Every single person was pleasant, attentive, and very helpful.
The establishment is small, which isn’t a big deal. Nice and cozy. Chairs aren’t the most comfortable thing, but it works.
The food: delicious. I love Japanese food. I started off with the Awamori Sampler. Picked three of their sake to try. I enjoyed the Pineapple Awamori and the Rose (which was their special for that particular day).
Ordered the gyutan, of course. It was very tasty, but a bit too drenched in oil for my taste. The Taco Rice was also good. It comes in one of those hot pots that continues to cook on front of you. Careful, it’s hot!
We also ordered the Gyoza Pizza. It’s good stuff and VERY cheesy. So if you love cheese, you must try it.
All-​in-​all, I had a good time. I enjoyed their food and sake. I’d definitely come back… And will remember to make reservations next time!
Enjoy!

On days where my bf and I want to drink but too lazy to drive, we walk over to Naru. It’s a small restaurant that focuses on Okinawan food. The restaurant is small with a few tables and about 10 – 12 bar seats, therefore it can get busy especially late at night as a lot of young people like to go there to drink.
I really enjoy the food here and my absolute fave is their seasoned fries. Fries you may say? Why such a simple pupu to love? Just trust me! It’s extremely delicious. I am suspecting a hint of shiso is sprinkled all over those golden bad boys. MMMMMM!!! I also love their gyoza, gyoza pizza, vegetable chips, shoyu pork, tako rice, and peanut mochi. In terms of drinks, I typically opt for their Orion beer or the Asahi, which is on tap while my bf likes their Iichiko.
Parking isn’t too difficult as it shares the same lot as Sushi King and there are several metered stalls on Beretania/​King. There may be a wait but don’t fret, just think about eating a batch of some of the best fries God has ever created. Seriously.