Aloha Japanese Bento Express

If you don’t go, you’re only hurting yourself. Everything we had was delicious, and the teriyaki beef was the best I’ve had in Central New York. Incredibly warm service, made us forget how freezing cold it was outside.

I’ve had the ginger pork bento and shoyu ramen. Both dishes failed to impress me. While the ramen broth was tasty enough, the pork in the ramen was terrible, super hard to chew.

The service is always good and super friendly. It is a great spot to catch a quick bite to eat or for take out.
My friends and I got ordered a few things off the menu. Everything tastes great and prices were very reasonable. They have ramen too!!!

What an awesome concept! Mochiko chicken and the beef combo and well as the spam masubi. It was a lot of food but I had never heard of such a combination! My expectations were high and were met! Wonderful people and quick service. A must! A plus!

Food is incredible, and the owners are so nice!
Came in with my girlfriend for dinner, interior is clean and friendly, but because of the wind and people coming in and out there was a terribly cold draft so we decided to get our order to go (has nothing to do with the door or the construction of the storefront, the door was just being opened very frequently).
We got an appetizer of fried chicken, which are these little bite sized pieces of chicken with probably the best tasting soy sauce I’ve ever had.
For entrees I got the shoyu pork, which came with rice, Hawaiian mac salad, and a little bit of a green salad. Everything was cooked/​prepared to literal perfection, and the rice had almost a coconutty flavor which was great. My girlfriend got noodles with pork, which she said were also very good!
Will definitely be back for more shoyu pork. I believe the price was only 8.99 and for everything you get it’s definitely worth the price; excellent portions and incredibly tasty food.

So, so good! Very happy they decided to open in Syracuse. This place will be a long time treasure. The Ramen (winter months only) is fantastic, and the fried foods (as others have said) is perfect. Both owners are very nice and willing to talk and explain all of the food, make suggestions and even surprise you by bringing out a taste of something you didn’t order, just so they can try it.

Oh my goodness! They have Shoyu Ramen and it’s delicious. The pork is salty and fatty, the egg is marinated, and their noodles are from Japan. In addition the broth isn’t too heavy, but not too light either. It’s by far the best Ramen in the Syracuse area. Oh and get the musubi!

Solid value and quick for lunch. You get a lot of food for the price. Lots of good options. The flavors are great. The chicken I got had a strange color and texture, but flavor was spot on. Great addition to the lunch rotation.

This was some expertly-​wrapped takeout.
The contents were good, too. I enjoyed the spicy pork and fish bento box. Fresh food, good and clean flavor. As has been said, the employees are cheerful.

I live and work in the downtown syracuse area. I’ve walked past Aloha a few times and decided to stop in. I ordered the, ‘choose two’ bento box with the Mochiko chicken and spicy pork. Both were served over cabbage with white rice, a small salad and miso soup. Considering it was busy at lunch time, my meal was prepared quickly. The chicken was breaded nicely and super moist with rich flavor. The pork had a pleasant spice and was also very tender. The cost was about $ 13 which I felt was reasonable considering the portion and I went back to work full and satisfied.
This restaurant is a nice addition to downtown Syracuse eateries and I’ll surely be returning.

Family owned, authentic Japanese Hawaiian food, the food was so good! No msg, only the best ingredients, very friendly, makes you feel like you’re at home ! The Mochiko chicken is amazing !! Highly recommend the musubi! Feels like I was back in Hawaii :), must try in the Syracuse area ! Great prices too!

Five stars. Japanese Hawaiian food? (*drool*)
Driving back to CLE, we were looking for a quick place to stop and grab lunch. I started doing my usual search and came across a Japanese Hawaiian place in Syracuse. HUH? I told him– we both looked at each other and said «let’s stop there!»
Aloha is a small restaurant owned by a very nice couple. The man was extremely kind to us as we were walking in (we got there right when it opened. Haha).
They had so many different options– there was Japanese and Hawaiian options (true to it’s name).
We got the Mochiko chicken mini bento (Hawaiian fried chicken) and Kalua Pork mini bento (marinated pulled pork with a smoky salt flavor and cabbage). The mini bentos are pretty solid for their price– you get a rather large amount of meat on rice with a salad on the side. Both were delicious! The Mochiko chicken was extremely moist and flavorful-​not too breaded and just right. The pork was also flavorful as well!
For sides we got the spam musubi– it was perfectly wrapped, the spam was cooked well, the rice seasoned well. Nom nom. We also got some black bean fritters with a wasabi soy sauce of some sort– that was also lightly fried and very very good.
Overall, we had a great time at Aloha and wished we lived closer (I would totally go back for the loco moco for brunch or something! Or the octopus balls. Or the fish croquetes. Or the butter mochi. Or like the whole menu). Definitely worth the stop if you’re in Syracuse!

Stopped in with my husband just wanting to try something new… no big expectations. Here are a couple reasons to not pass this one by, I guarantee you’ll be returning for more.
1. We were greeted by friendly face’s (owners wife And daughter I believe)
2. Vin (my husband) and I were delighted at how very clean everything was, always an important detail with our family.
3. Service was fast and very fresh ingredients!
4. The Mochiko chicken curry… wow over the top delicious. Spam Musubi weird but very good! We cannot wait to go back for more it was a big hit with our kids too
There is nothing like this that I have ever experienced in Syracuse… in my opinion everyone needs to try this place its fantastic

Delicious Hawaiian –style food.
Today I tried the choose two bento box with the cabbage pork and shrimp tempura. The tempura was sweet and delicious, the pork with cabbage was super flavorful and well seasoned. Will definitely be back!
Owners very friendly and helpful, have free sample of black bean patty (delicious, nicely crispy) and fried chicken (cannot remember exact name if chicken). Deliciously spiced though, will order chicken next time too.

A great little restaurant downtown. I’ve been here a few times and can say it’s definitely worth trying out. The food is a nice mixture of Hawaiian and Japanese flavors. The beef and chicken are in a very flavorful marinade, but not thick or heavy at all. The kalua pork mini bento is great. It has a nice smoke flavor without being overpowering. It makes nice light tasting lunch.
Despite being busy most of the lunch hour they are very quick so don’t worry if you don’t have too much time.

After seeing these great reviews, I really wanted to try this restaurant! It’s been a long time since I visited Hawaii, but I figured if nothing else, I would be able to see how their Japanese food measures up to what’s in the area.
Things we tried:
1. Mini Bento of Kalua Pork: wow! the pork is shredded and tender, like pulled pork, but of course, no bbq sauce/​flavor — it has a salty flavor with a hint of smokiness, and is mixed with thinly cut cabbage on a bed of rice. It was delicious, and there was plenty of pork juice it was sitting in, to eat with the rice! It also came with a salad, which had a soy/​ginger type of balsamic looking dressing. Very light and fresh.
2. Combo box of Beef Teriyaki & Shrimp Tempura: the beef teriyaki was extremely tender, well marinated, plenty of sauce, and it was just like the thinly shaved meat you find in korean bulgogi. The shrimp tempura was fried just right — crispy light tempura coating, while still having moist tender shrimp inside. This combo box also came with miso soup and salad (same as the mini bento) — the miso had scallions, tofu, and seaweed in it.
3. The owner’s wife is Burmese, and they have some appetizers that are from her region on the menu. They gave us the black bean fritters (appetizer) to sample — the chewiness and crunch were just right. They were definitely plain in flavor, which I believe was intentional, and they reminded me of when people try and make black bean burgers to substitute for meat.
4. They also gave us a sample of their fried chicken and the Mochiko chicken — basically, this restaurant excels at frying things! They manage to have perfectly crispy fried batter, without being too oily, but the inside meat is tender and moist! Both of these chicken samples were delicious.
Ambience: this is a small humble restaurant that is just starting out. It seems like they do a lot of take out/​are prepared for takeout, as if you dine in, your utensils/​water cup/​plates will still be the same disposable ones as if you ordered it to go. The restaurant itself though is clean and simple in its decorations
Service: This is why I gave them a 5– the owner and his wife were very friendly, and he explained to us at length about what things were on the menu, his favorites, etc. They even brought us complimentary samples of other appetizers, which was so gracious of them as they’re just starting out!
Bottom line: delicious food, generous portions for the price, good for take out or a casual dine in, very friendly owners. I hope more people come here and that they do well!

Fantastic fresh quality bento and Hawaiian Japanese fusion bento! In town for work and tried the combo with chicken and shrimp tempura. Came with miso soup with fresh cut green onions, macaroni salad, rice and small salad. If you’re looking for that family owned place with inexpensive but amazing food, this is the place!
Highly recommended!

I stopped for dinner at Aloha Japanese tonight based on to 2 previous Unilocal reviews and was not disappointed! I have never been to Hawaii but the food tasted exactly I have always imagined it would. I had the Loco Moco which was fantastic. Nice little serving of macaroni salad, some greens with a Japanese style dressing, rice, ground beef topped with two eggs and an onion gravy.
While I was eating the owner brought me a small sample of Mochiko chicken which is a Hawaiian style fried chicken to try. The Mochiko is marinated in a bunch of different spices that made it very juicy and good. He then brought the Kara A-​ge to try which is also a fried chicken but it is made Japanese style with a Japanese style dipping sauce. Both excellent choices as well.
They are open for lunch and dinner but the owner said dinner (as one would expect for a place on S. Salina) has been a little slow. They are in the same block as Clark’s Ale House and around the corner from Gannon’s so be sure to stop on by if you are in the neighborhood. You won’t be disappointed.

Soooo amazing! 100% fresh, nice helping size and sophisticated flavors. The owner and Chef, Zaw Nyein was incredibly friendly and kind. The Loco Moco, Mochiko Chicken, and Kara A-​ge were all quite good. My daughter loved her California Roll. Our whole family left happy with round tummies.

First of all, these folks did a great job modifying this space. For years, it was a deli (Adelphia Deli) with at least four different owners, none of who did anything more than wipe down the counter (if that). Everything was dirty, outmoded, and unappealing — the new folks have completely renovated. It’s mostly a takeout spot, as it’s small, but there are several nice booths if you want to eat in.
The food is sort of a Hawaiian-​Japanese style… although I’ve had Thai, Laotian, Japanese, etc., I’ve never had this style of Japanese. They have a lot of variety, with spam dishes (popular in Hawaii, or so I’m told), different varieties of fried chicken, fresh side salads, sushi, and an awesome macaroni salad. A combination I had that was incredible — soy sauce-​marinated chicken thigh (skinless), salad, sticky rice, the mac salad, and the salad. Sounds like a lot, but the portions are very reasonable — not overwhelming at all.
Prices are just right, as well. They have a cooler where you can grab sushi and other cold offerings for a quick meal. This is a really neat concept and a welcome addition downtown — I will be back!