Tokyo-Tokyo Japanese Restaurant

Fresh, tasty, BUT WAY OVERPRICED! And, I have stayed at Kahala every Christmas and New Years for the past 15 years! Tried it several times, but every time I got the bill, I would say, we could have eaten twice as much at Nobu for the same price. In all fairness, the food is good, sushi fresh as can be, but could they just lower the price like 20%? If they did, I would eat there all the time, get smashed on their sake, and stumble back to my room. Not on my list of go to places on the island BECAUSE OF THE PRICE.

Although this place is know for their sukiyaki/​shabu shabu dishes, I decided to stick with the fish side of their menu. We started off with the sashimi appetizer which had really thick cuts of maguro, yellowtail and salmon. I loved the fresh wasabi which came with it, I put too much in my soy sauce which put the super spiciness into overdrive– yum :). For my main dish I ordered the misoyaki butterfish which was served over a flame with eggplant, mushrooms and onion sitting in a magnolia leaf. The presentation of this dish was fun and pretty. The fish was so moist and full of flavor, hands down it was the best miso butterfish ever! My Dad had a nice big plate of tempura which he thoroughly enjoyed. We also ordered some sushi. The abalone was sublime, and the uni, salmon roe, sweet shrimp and ume/​shiso rolls were all good. Loved the chilled out space as well, thank you Tokyo Tokyo!

If I had to pick a single Japanese restaurant in Hawaii to entertain an out of town visitors, Tokyo Tokyo is it. Stop calling me a banana and hear me out. There are better sushi, shabu shabu, and sukiyaki places at vastly more reasonable prices but none can deliver the total package when the goal is to socialize and impress. Want a better example?
«balh blah blah my buddies and I went snowboarding and…»
Miso yaki butter fish arrives. Clumsily use chopsticks to break fish and put half of it in mouth.
«Wow!, this fish is really good. Blah blah blah drove to San Diego…»
Foie sushi arrives. Eat a piece.
«Delicious! Now where was I? Oh yeah, blah blah blah my boss…»
Starters are simple. The miso yaki butter fish is excellent. Deep sweet miso flavor throughout the moist fish. The chicken karaage is exceptional. It is made with free ranged chicken so there is a much deeper, more pronounced chicken flavor.
For mains, the «US Kobe Beef» self cooked Ishiyaki style (cooked on hot lava stones) is hard to beat. The thinly sliced beef is beyond prime (Japanese A2−3 quality) and benefits from quick cooking. Two seconds on the stone, sprinkle with some salt. Totally good eats. The beef can also be cooked shabu shabu or sukiyaki style although I’ve never tried it. The price is in line with the quality of the beef ($ 80 for the first four ounces, $ 20 for each additional ounce). A lower grade is also offered but is only served as shabu shabu or sukiyaki.
The limited selection of nigiri sushi is only OK. The seafood is fresh and the well seasoned rice is of the highest grade but the rice is served cold. The seared kobe beef and foie nigiri are delicious. They are different in a good way with a warm, oily mouth feel that breaks up the monotony of the more traditional offerings. Eat them quick or the inherent oil will cause the rice to fall apart.
The dining space is contemporary and comfortable. The service is excellent.
Short list of sake and decent list of wines. Prices are in line with other top Hawaii resorts.
Note: Hawaii residents can get a 10 percent discount on the food if you complete the «Epitome Rewards Program» form online.
Recommended.

Great food. Great service. Peaceful atmosphere. It was pricey but the reviews said it was gonna be that way. I’m glad I took my wife here for her birthday. The quality and flavor of everything we ordered was superb. We ordered the sake sampler. Ishiyaki Kobe beef. Tokyo Tokyo sampler appetizer and tempura appetizer.

Docked 1 star for the kind of bummy service, but maybe the chick was just having a rough day, so the next time I go, I will update…
However, based on food quality alone, it is a ⁶⁄₅ stars. Yes, six. Everything was absolutely perfect from presentation to flavor and taste! The party I was with ordered a wide array of appetizers ranging from sushi to agedashi tofu, and vegetable tempura. For entrée, I had the Kobe beef ishiyaki. OH MY GOD. I could have died and gone to Heaven. I have had a LOT of great beef in my life, but none comes near the quality of legitimate Kobe wagyu beef. The thinly sliced meat was so beautiful raw with beautiful marbling and the fresh bright red color. YUM! Literally melted in my mouth. It came with two dipping sauces. A green onion soy sauce (amazing), and like a ponzu or something, but honestly, great meat needs no sauce.
Upon my return, I shall re-​evaluate the service, but aside from the poor girl who seemed flustered and forgetful, the food was incomparable.

Like-​like! I have always wondered about Tokyo-​Tokyo, located on the right side of the valet area at the Kahala Hotel.
Tokyo-​Tokyo is not big. Most of it’s seating is open air, under a canopied awning. There are a few tables inside, along with a sushi bar, and two small tatami-​style rooms. All in all, a quiet and peaceful setting. Nuff about ambiance, on to the food.
We ordered up two pieces of fois gras sushi, miso-​glazed butter fish, on top of a bed of grilled vegetables, and a mixed sushi platter. All delicious and fresh. The fois gras, as you can imagine, if you are a fan, was a lovely way to start the meal, a small slice of the treat, with a thin slice of slightly seared tender beef, wrapped around rice, topped with a finger-​licking savory sauce. My only criticism is that the sushi rice was just so-​so.
Prices were a little high, as to be expected, but not as terrible as some high-​end sushi spots. The total bill would have been perfectly acceptable had we not ordered a bottle of sake. We should have gone with the sake sampler and skipped the pricey bottle. (Though we were able to take home what we didn’t finish.)

My absolute favorite restaurant in Hawaii!
They have the BEST shabu shabu in town (Kobe beef)! I may be a little biased because my husband proposed to me here… but I LOVE Tokyo-​Tokyo!!!
Great sake selection and sushi too!

Tokyo Tokyo! This place holds special memories for me. Came here for our first date, first anniversary of being together, and just recently our fifth anniversary of being together and now we are married! Anyway all the mushy and corny talk aside, my most recent visit here was just as amazing as the other times. We made reservations and coincidentally got seated in a quaint back booth that we had on our first date. I like that it is open air and really quiet. Our server immediately helped us. We decided on getting the spicy tuna sushi roll, my husband got the sukiyaki, and I decided on shabu shabu and we both got miso soup and rice. Most definitely needed to order a sake sampler. We both had the Tokyo Tokyo sake sampler. My favorite was the sampler was the Hoyo sake which is a daiginjo. Loved it! The other two were also good but the Hoyo was the best. We got our food and everything was fresh and tasty. It looked like only a small amount of food but we were actually full. When I ordered my shabu shabu the server quietly asked if I wanted the Kobe or the Premium and my husband thought I said Kobe which would have been like 5 teeny slices of meat and veg for $ 80 bucks. But phew I ordered the premium which was $ 40 for the shabu shabu. Everything was delicious. Our server was really nice too and she thought I was a girl on a skin diving show which I unfortunately am not. We also ordered a little dessert, pretty much fresh strawberries and ice cream but still presented nice. Although pretty pricey a good place to come to if you are celebrating something extra special. Love everything about this place.

Ate here a while back for lunch on a weekday. Ambiance was pleasant but not something I care for, it felt a little pretentious. I went with an old boss who’s retired, we just so happened to pick this place at random.
I ordered a chirashi bowl which was quite pricey, but once the meal came I understood why the cost. I was very impressed with the quality of the fish and ate up every bite. The rice was the perfect sushi rice, perfectly steamed/​cooked, fluffy, and flavored just right.
One day I’ll probably go back to try more dishes.

My family and I used to stay at the Kahala every summer and when we did, Tokyo Tokyo was a must-​do at least one night of our stay. Despite being from Japan, we still appreciate a fantastic Japanese meal (but do you blame us? Japanese food = bomb).
The ambiance of the restaurant is perfect for an evening dinner. Not loud but not snotty and over pretentious. We sat outside on the «patio» and it was cozy and comfortable. The staff spoke English and Japanese, which is helpful considering my English is stronger, while my father prefers speaking Japanese when possible. They were very helpful and knowledgeable; if they couldn’t answer a question, they’d go back to the chefs and come right back — which is fine. I hate when people PRETEND to know something but they’re secretly guessing. JUST ADMIT IT yanno?
Last time I went, I had the $ 60 Pre Fixe Menu. The appetizer was superb and I chose to get the sukiyaki instead of the shabu shabu. The beef was tender and delicious. The sukiyaki sauce was so flavorful I can taste it just thinking about it… mmm. The sushi was very fresh and I asked for no wasabi (yeah, I’m a fake Japanese bahaha) and told them that I can’t eat uni (sea urchin). Many pretentious Japanese restaurants scoff when I make these requests but the waitress didn’t flinch at all and the order was perfect.
Overall, if you couldn’t tell, I love Tokyo Tokyo and would recommend it to just about anyone. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s at the Kahala — what do you expect? It’s totally worth it and if I could afford it by myself, I’d totally go all the time.

My favorite sushi/​sashimi restaurant in Oahu.
Basically if you love seafood this is the place to go to. Simply the best. You get what you pay for.
I appreciate this restaurant for being very authentic and keeping it that way.

Tokyo Tokyo was superb!
We went on a Monday night and got to have the entire sushi bar to ourselves as well as Taka, the Sushi Chef all to ourselves. We had an excellent sushi meal, sake, and conversation Taka. He was a very interesting, cool guy!
My friend highly recommend the $ 98 Prix Fixe dinner. When we ordered «Omakase» he assumed we were getting the sushi omakase… which was fine. Sushi was fresh and delicious. I don’t normally like spicy tuna rolls as I don’t care for sesame oil too much… this was by far THE BEST spicy tuna roll I’ve tasted. Taka said it’s Cameron Diaz’ favorite when she stays at The Kahala. It was so yum that I would actually make a take out order of their spicy tuna roll. We were fed an assortment of fresh sushi, including… the Wagyu beef with foie gras sushi with a scallion oil. This was the highlight of our meal! The beef was so tender, tasty topped with foie gras… we were in HEAVEN!
The sake sampler was exceptionally delicious. Hoyo Kura No Hana «My Fair Maiden» was the first sake on the sampler… I mentioned Hoyo in my review of Gaku. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this sake! So crisp, clean and not too sweet, but just right. The 2 other sakes were really nice as well.
Dessert was so refreshing. Their strawberry potage was like eating an icy cold strawberries and cream dessert. Cream cheese ice cream! Loved the topping of fresh fruits as well. Blueberries, strawberries garnished with a beautiful Hawaiian orchid.
We had a great time and am looking forward to trying the Prix Fixe on our next visit.

I’ve been alive for a long time. I’ve eaten at many places in this life. I’ve eaten all kinds of food from all walks of life. However I had never eaten wagyu beef… until my experience at Tokyo Tokyo. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly suggest that you do so. It’s what I consider the ultimate in meaty products and superior to Kobe beef. Wagyu just melts in your mouth. It’s divine. It isn’t cheap, but it is divine.
Okay, so I ranted about wagyu enough. How’s the rest of the restaurant? It’s very quiet, very quaint, and very sophisticated in it’s design and décor. The waitstaff is efficient, friendly, and persuasive. It’s because if our waiter that I finally tried the wagyu. Haha, there I go again.
The restaurant is also quite intimate and I recommend bringing your date here for a nice time. When you are finished with dinner, you can walk around the Kahala hotel to see the lagoons and it’s a pretty inviting experience overall.

I was treated to dinner here last year for my birthday and went again recently for yet another dinner — I loved it equally both times. We sat outdoors in one of the booths and had amazing service the entire night.
The atmosphere is really nice and cozy. Not to mention the delicious food.
The sashimi was fresh and so yummy, a bit pricey to be honest but definitely worth it. The sukiyaki is amazing, you can smell just how scrumptious it is as it’s being brought to the table. I am a huge fan of butterfish and their’s is so good. I make a point never to eat the whole thing just so I can enjoy some more the next day for lunch :]
Also tried the tempura as well as the salmon and those too never failed to please. All this was topped off by some lovely desserts which closed the meal on an excellent note.
A mini excursion to see the dolphin and a walk along the beach ended both nights to this restaurant on a very good note.

Been to here only once, but this place captured my heart.
We sat down in the beautiful outdoor seating, and pretty much the had the place to ourselves. The japanese waitress who greeted us was extremely polite and made remarks in japanese (including a wide-​eyed awed «!» look at our flip) from time to time, which was just the best!
We ended up ordering the Butter Fish Saikyo Miso Yaki, the Bara-​Chirashi, Japanese-​Wagyu Shabu Shabu, 5-​piece sushi, and some sort of chazuke with traditional toppings and fish and oshinko. We also got an assorted dessert plate.
Everything other than the dessert plate was exceptional. I’m sure you can find this stuff separately for cheaper in Japan, but this is place is certainly a little bit of heaven this side of Tokyo. Tokyo Tokyo would be my current #1 restaurant pick :)

This restaurant at the Kahala is one of the best Japanese restaurants that I have been to in the US. Their sushi is excellent. The fish was very fresh and high quality. In addition to the usuals (maguro, toro, hamachi, uni, ikura, etc.), on one night they had sanma (saury) as ‘today’s fish’ which was very delicious.
Apart from sushi and sashimi, we’ve enjoyed their assorted tempura and some appetizers that were all done well.
It can get expensive if you were to get full with sushi ($ 5−10/pc), but I think the price is reasonable for the quality of the food. Its semi-​outdoor atmosphere is very comfortable in the evenings. Service is generally good, although one time it got crowded and it became really hard to get a hold of the waitress. Reservations are recommended. It’s worth visiting even if you are not staying at the hotel. They validate the hotel’s valet parking.

We stayed at the Kahala Resort for a night and decided to eat here since Plumeria was buffet only. The outside seating area was really nice and we got a comfy booth overlooking the dining area. The menu featured a variety of Japanese items including sushi, sukiyaki, kobe beef, and grilled fish.
I opted for the 4 course prix fixe for a mere $ 48. They started me off with a platter with 3 items, a scallop nigiri, fried chicken, and an avocado crab salad on an endive. They were all really nice, a good start.
Next, was the free range chicken sukiyaki, with raw free range egg to dip. Wow, raw egg, I thought. This must be some good chicken. It came with noodles, cabbage, and shitake mushrooms in a dark sweet broth all in a hotpot cooked over a flame. It was pretty good, but the portion was almost too big. No worries though, as I gave some to my SO.
After that, was a refreshing course of cold noodles served with 2 soy sauces, a clear soy sauce and a sesame soy sauce. The noodles were a nice chewy texture, and the sauces complemented them well. This was accompanied by churashi with sake, ikura, maguro, and maybe hamachi. Sushi was cut into smaller pieces so it was hard to judge it. The other option was nigiri, I would go with that next time.
Lastly, was the chocholate mousse cake with green tea ice cream, fresh strawberries and strawberry reduction. Really nice way to end the meal.
Service was very attentive and accommodating.

I wanted to kill two birds with one stone by dining at Tokyo Tokyo: Celebrate my wife’s birthday and also fulfill one of my goals in life by eating authentic Kobe beef from Japan.
On their website Tokyo Tokyo advertises that their Kobe beef imported from Japan is the highest grade possible, A-​5. Needless to say, I highly anticipated this meal.
When we arrived and looked at the menu, the first thing I discovered to my utter disappointment was that the A-​5 Kobe beef was no longer on the menu. Instead, the restaurant offered only American Kobe beef, which turned out to be pretty good but not worth the $ 45 for 4 ounces that they charged.
Other dishes that we tried:
Avocado and King Crab salad — Nothing special. Tasted like quacamole on a lettuce leaf, which it basically was. We couldn’t taste the crab that was mixed in with the avocado either.
Mushroom salad — Excellent
Tempura Appetizer — Very good, batter was crisp and flavorful
Chef’s Assortment of Appetizers– Beef Tataki had little flavor, but the Otoro and Hamachi were quite yummy. And the miniature 2 ounce cup of Onion Soup was cute.
Sushi Platter — Excellent. All the fish were fresh and tender.
Soft Shell Crab Roll — Very good, but it’s something that could be ordered in almost any decent sushi restaurant.
Overall, the dining experience was enjoyable because the food was mostly delicious. However, it must noted that the majority of the portions were SMALL and the prices high. So be prepared to shell out some major bucks because you’ll need to order more dishes than usual to get your fill.
In the meantime, my quest to eat the ultimate beef continues…

Let me start off by saying: I’m NOT one of those people who goes out to restaurants to cook. I don’t go to to yakiniku places, for example. So when they brought me my prime sirloin ishi-​yaki — raw — and the little flaming lava stone «stove» I was supposed to cook the medaillions on, I was a little wary (the menu just said «cooked at the table» — I thought that meant they were going to cook it for me – so naïve, I know). But it was fun to cook just the small amount of meat and veggies (some enoki mushrooms and zucchini), and it really helped me to pace myself throughout my meal. My husband said the same for his similarly prepared chicken sukiyaki, which he loved and looks forward to having again some time.
I had heard great things about the sushi here, so I had to try it, and it was really good. Of course, this is Hawai’i, so you can get good sushi here at a number of places, but I have to say that I was particularly impressed with Tokyo-Tokyo’s hamachi nigiri. I’m actually more of an ahi girl, mostly because I haven’t had too much in the way of very good yellowtail — but the one here was excellent. Perhaps it was one of the fish flown in from Tsukiji; I didn’t ask.
The atmosphere at Tokyo-​Tokyo is wonderful. Seating is outdoors, offset by bamboo from the valet driveway of the Kahala Hotel & Resort. (I asked a waiter about their indoor space and was told that they have an indoor sushi bar and some private tatami rooms.) Because you’re away from the street, it’s very quiet and and relaxing, but you can still enjoy the outdoors — imagine that! That’s hard to come by in Honolulu these days.
A little pricey, but definitely worth it. We’ll definitely be back!

Tokyo-​Tokyo was a nice surprise at the Kahala Resort. The restaurant is fairly small, with a small sushi bar inside. But most of the tables are outdoors, right off the main entrance to the hotel.
Probably some of the best sushi I have had in the states. Most of the items are from the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, and they are marked so on the menu. Really enjoyed the snapper (tai), eel (unagi) and mackerel (aji), but all were really good. The fish was not too thick and not too much rice. This is definitely Japanese-​style sushi and not some flavorless jumbo-​sized American buffet version.
The best surprise was the beef ishi-​yaki, or beef grilled on lava stones at your table. Super tender and flavorful, and with a nice sauce.
The sake selection was limited but well-​selected, although pricey. Most bottles were north of $ 60, but found a couple 300ml bottles which were decent including Akitabare, for less than $ 30.
Definitely on the expensive side, but for a splurge on authentic sushi and some interesting other dishes, Tokyo-​Tokyo has a lot to offer.