Up Roll Cafe

Totally LOVED my first experience here today! It’s amazing! Everything from the simplicity of checking off the step by step creation of my food to the atmosphere and friendliness of the crew. It’s great to know that there is an awesome place to eat right in the heart of Kakaako.
MAHALO to all the UnilocalERs and their reviews of Up Roll Café. Thanks to you and your honesty and photo is what drew me here today. MAHALO NUI LOA!!!

Yesterday I was in town getting a great haircut at Mojo and wanted to pick up some lunch for my girlfriend and I on the way home. She had mentioned wanting to try Up Roll for a while so I figured why not!
Street parking was easy enough to find a block away, the area has been cleaned up a bit but there are a quite a few homeless around the corner with a strong urine smell on the sidewalks around the building unfortunately.
Upon entering your eyes are drawn to the chalkboard painted wall with the menu and prices written on it, nicely done. The décor is kind of industrial which I really liked. Concrete, metal, and wood everywhere.
I picked up two Miso Pork bowls with sesame dressing and they felt healthy why packing in some awesome flavors! Next time I’m thinking the an ahi dish will be a great choice as well.

On the corner of Halekauwila and Keawe in Kakaako, Up Roll Café is a chill coffee place serving savory meats and fish in customizable rolls or bowls. Chill, as in jazzy music from Pandora — maybe a Dixieland jazz classic like Basin Street Blues by Duke Ellington — with nice a/​c on a hot no trade wind day or doors open with al fresco patio dining on a breezy day. Other days you might’ve treated to a gaggle of Japanese mommies with their very young kids. The formerly blank black walls have been nicely filled in by chalk art. There is a beautiful tree chalked out in the back that wouldn’t look out of place in The Shire.
Yes, coffee. Even though the food chalkboard menu is the first thing you will see when you enter, the coffee here is good. The wife serves nice lattes with medium roasted espresso, usually sourced from Central or South America, drawn from a Nuova Simonelli machine. There are bags of varietals for sale if it interests you. For something different, try her Condensed Milk Gelato Affogato. The hot slightly bitter coffee taste and cold, sweet, creamy condensed milk melt down in to a mini adult milkshake. And I haven’t had a better tea latte made with roasted kinako — with the added plus of one if her latte art hearts.
I’m not a burrito eater so I consider unwrapping the roll versions to consume along with a bag of Boulder Canyon chips a waste of energy but I like the bowls a lot. First of all, they treat rice with respect. You don’t get mashed wet scooped rice. Second, they have a thing for adding canned corn — very Japanese — which I personally enjoy. Last, the different dressing are too tasty to end up dripping down your hand — they belong in a bowl where the rice, quinoa, or greens can absorb every drop. The ground miso pork is reasonably priced at $ 8.50 and is really tasty mixed in the rice with all the extras. If you want to spend a couple of dollars more then go with salmon or ahi.
Up Roll is a husband and wife operation so don’t walk in impatient. You’ll have a nice experience if you’re not in a rush and take the time to enjoy the music, the other customers, and the food.

This place is alright. I didn’t try the famous sushi burrito but opted instead for a bowl with salad. My entrée of choice was the ‘sexy salmon’. In and of itself, I felt that the quality/​freshness of the sashimi wasn’t that great and compared to my favorite salmon sashimi salad at Aloha Cones… this definitely is no where near– with the prices being around the same.
Taste wise, I didn’t quite get it. The ingredients that come standard with the sexy salmon: takuan, miso, and cream cheese didn’t really go together and I had a hard time even identifying what was in my bowl b/​they’re chopped up really fine, almost like a mushy diced cole slaw consistency. For a salad, I think if they really change the way they cut the veggies/​toppings, they could present the dishes in a more appealing way and it won’t be as mushy. Also I didn’t taste the cream cheese at all.
The onion dressing I went for wasn’t really special either, and it was a bit too watery in consistency.
In addition to the veggies that come with the entrée, you can choose free optional toppings such as lettuce/​sweet onion/​carrot/​fried garlic/​fried onion. I went for only the first three, and they didn’t really do much for the dish TBH, it just added texture. They also give the option to add more toppings such as avocado for a small additional fee.
So my impression isn’t that great why 3 stars? I absolutely love what they have done with their space, not to mention everything is so minimalist. I love love love their design aesthetic. Clean lines, open airy corner location with large windows and open doors to let in the wind, artistic typography menu written in chalk… their 909 area code for their business # might also be a clue that the owners probably hail from California. Ah-​ha! I get it now. Throw in some palm plants and hello popular california establishments seen all over Instagram!
The biggest pro about Up Roll is that you can definitely find healthy meal here, so I cannot fault them for that. Also, I applaud them for offering a vegan option, not many places here make an effort to include non-​meat eaters.
While I think there is definitely room for improvement, I would still return, maybe to try something different, and that kinako latte everyone is raving about. Next time however, I’ll skip the sashimi salad.

This place is very unique and nothing short of amazing. The ambiance and vibe remind me of cafes I’ve experienced in both Tokyo and Seoul. The interior is somewhat minimal with them keeping the original wall foundations and pipes exposed. But the added knick knacks and chalkboard walls add that extra element to bring it all together. There’s also several toys for the kiddies making it a nice stop for parents.
You can get either a bowl or a roll. At first I assumed the roll was your typical sushi roll. But I was wrong by a long shot. It’s essentially a sushi burrito or Sushirito and it’s my new best friend. If you’re not feeling that route you could always opt for the bowl which is just as good and with less carbs (if you opt for no rice).
But then this place is also a coffee/​espresso place! I mean hence «Café» in «Up Roll Café.» But what a lovely combination and a step outside of your traditional café. They offer your usual assortments of espresso drinks and also have teas. Most importantly Matcha Lattes! There’s several dessert options too including Acai Bowls. Someday I’ll try their acai or make room for dessert. But so far I’m just addicted to their rolls and bowls.
I’ve been a few times since it’s a quick walk over. I go back and forth between Ahi and Salmon pending on my cravings. But they also have tofu, chicken, and pork. And to complete the Asian metropolitan experience grab an Americano or Matcha Latte!

Think of sushi + burrito and you get Up Roll Café.
I’ve been wanting to visit this quaint café ever since they opened, but I finally got the chance right after Thanksgiving last year. A friend and I visited Up Roll for an early lunch – around 11 a.m. – during the week, after a brief shopping trip at Ward.
We were able to find street parking on Halekauwila, no problem. However, there are limited stalls right in front of the café.
I immediately liked the vibe and ambiance of the café, upon entering. The chalkboard menus were innovative and fun to read, and the entire staff was friendly and helpful. Since it was our first time there, one of the girls behind the counter walked us through the ordering process.
It sort of reminded me of a Chipotle-​style ordering process, except you get the menu on laminated forms and you use dry-​erase pens to make your selections. It was pretty easy, but I was torn between several menu items.
After you order and pay, you can seat yourself in the dining area and they call your order when it’s ready. The dining area is a little small, but since we were there early on a weekday, we were easily able to get a table. Otherwise, this is a good spot for take out.
I would gladly visit Up Roll Café again. I was disappointed that they didn’t have the ramen roll during my visit, but apparently, that’s a special menu item (they were having it the next night at an extended hours event). Here’s what my friend and I ordered:
«Ahi Lover Bowl»: My friend opted for this popular bowl but got it over greens instead of rice. It includes fresh ahi, green onions, cucumber, takuwan, and ginger sauce. Her bowl looked super colorful and she said all the ingredients tasted really fresh. I would love to try this combo sometime, but I would probably get it in roll form … and if I got a bowl, there would be rice in it.
«Sexy Salmon»: I love salmon, so I opted for this roll and chose brown rice. This option came with fresh salmon, cucumber, takuwan, sprouts and a cream cheese miso sauce. I got my salmon sans the sprouts and cucumber, but everything else tasted delicious. They weren’t skimpy when it came to the salmon, and I really enjoyed the cream cheese miso sauce as well. I know a lot of people would not get their sushi burritos with brown rice, but I thought it tasted just fine. I love being able to customize my order with those menus! Very user-​friendly if you don’t like specific ingredients.
«Honey Milk Tea»: It was a warm day, so this was a refreshing treat. I like my milk tea on the sweeter side so this selection didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t overly sweet but I could aptly taste the traces of honey.
«Frozen Plantation Ice Tea»: My friend got this frozen treat and said it was equally refreshing. She said it was a great addition to her salad bowl and highly recommended it.
«Aioli Chicken»: This was the other roll option I was considering, but I decided to save it for another visit. This combo features aioli chicken, cheese, sweet corn and sprouts. I would get it sans the sprouts, but I would probably go for brown rice and either the aioli mayo or the spicy mayo as my sauce. The chicken promises to be tender, savory and flavorful, so I can’t wait to try it one day.

I think $ 8-​$ 10 for a sushi burrito is definitely worth its price. They are very filling and delicious. There are various different starch, protein, and veggie options to choose from. I had a miso pork roll and the pork was very juicy and moist. I could taste the miso flavor. I went around 12:30pm and the place was crowded. There are only a few tables but we were able to get a table after we ordered. The only downside is parking. It is street parking or in a garage which in both situations you need to pay for parking. I will definitely be coming back to try more of their sushi rolls!

I ordered the salmon roll and the aioli chicken roll. Meh, too much mushy rice and too expensive for what it is. If I had to choose between the two, I’d get the aioli chicken roll. I like that you can choose quinoa and customize it but it ain’t that great and it’s definitely all hype!

The concept of a sushi burrito was pretty cool. However, I think my preference is with regular sushi. I came here on a weekday with a good friend and my sister. We both ordered the ahi poke burrito with some extra toppings like avocado and sprouts. The portion of rice to fish wasn’t as great as we’d like. Also, the sushi ginger mixed in was. .. . unique. My sister wasn’t a fan, but I didn’t mind it.
A conclusion that the three of us came too was that the rice tasted. .. very clean??? Is that the way to describe it? The rice was very bland, a little too mushy, and didn’t compliment the fish or veggies. It just tasted very clean, like someone washed the rice 3+ times until the water ran clear and then cooked it. No additional seasoning, no sushi vinegar or anything.
Side note: the nori was awesome. By this I mean, I didn’t struggle to bite into the nori like you typically would with hand-​rolls.
Side note 2: Matcha latte was tasteless. I needed to add plenty of simple syrup to sweeten it up and give it a little kick of some sort.
The café was cute and I loved the atmosphere and décor. The rustic chic look was unique and made for a pleasant environment. I liked the chalk walls and the cool ceiling fans. Just a really cute space.
Perhaps I needed to try a different roll. I would say, try it and check it out! See for yourself if you enjoy it and if it’s a hit! For me, I’ll definitely try it again in the future and order something else to switch it up.

I wish I could eat here every day. My body and wallet would definitely be skinny.
This place is very artsy and the atmosphere is nice. There are some seats and a tiny bar for you to sit down to eat at.
First things first you look at the menu, there’s a clipboard on the side that you fill out to customize your bowl or roll. You pick a protein, starch, veggies, additional toppings you want on it. I usually get bowls here, I stick with the ahi with quinoa and I’ll go with the lemon ginger dressing. It’s pretty pricey but I can eat half of this bowl for lunch and save the rest for later if I get hungry again.
Best of all, all the ingredients are fresh including the fish and you just feel good when you’re eating it. The quinoa is cooked perfectly, not too dry or crumbly, I especially love it when the dressing gets soaked up by the quinoa. The owners are really nice and helpful. UGH I’m so mad I can’t eat here all the time!

So if you’re in the mood for burrito-​sized customized sushi rolls made to order, this is the place to go.
I ordered the Ahi Lover with avocado and quinoa, which was neat… the quinoa was mushy, but I liked the flavor of the ahi with the fresh veggies. The filling to quinoa ratio was just right, and for the price, not bad. After I ate my roll, I was satisfied but not full.
During my visit the ordering system with the clipboards seemed cumbersome, and since these are made to order, it did take some time to receive our rolls. If you’re in the area and looking for a relatively healthy lunch option, Up Roll Café will work for you.

People who suggested Up Roll Café to me had all mentioned sushi burritos — an idea that I must admit I am not really sold on – so at first, I was hesitant to go. But then I found out that they also do bowls, and I can definitely go for bowls, so I tried it. And I’m glad I did!
The bowls here are among my favorites on the island. For a pretty decent price ($ 10 – 15, depending on what you order), you get good quality rice topped with the protein of your choice, as well as your choice of free sides, including lettuce, takuan, sweet corn, carrots, fried garlic and fried onion, and a number of other toppings for an additional price, including avocado. My favorite combo is the Ahi Lover, which comes with raw poke-​size ahi, takuan, cucumber, green onion and just a little bit of ginger. The sesame drizzle goes really well with it. It’s like an upscale poke bowl. They also have cooked protein choices, as well, in case you don’t fancy raw fish.
Up Roll also has a coffee bar with unique offerings, including a new favorite of mine: the kinako latte. It sounds odd, but it’s different in a good way. Definitely addicting!
The only real bummer here is that parking is lacking. Street parking is basically nonexistent. You can park in the apartment/​condo complex that houses the restaurant, but Up Roll doesn’t validate, so you do have to pay a little bit.
Definitely one of my favorites in the work ‘hood!

Any place that has quinoa or brown rice instead of white rice gets an automatic plus in my book, so when I saw the menu here I had to try it.
I got the «sexy salmon» but opted for no sprouts, so it had takuan, cucumber, salmon, sesame dressing, cream cheese (? I didn’t see or taste any though), and I added natto.
The portions were decent and the flavors were definitely fresh and good. I also tried the frozen plantation tea which was really refreshing and different.
I’d definitely recommend trying this place out!

After reading everyones reviews I was really excited to try a «sushi burrito» place. Theres street parking and public parking for 75 cents per half hour. Now lets start the actual review,
Right when you walk in I can see the wall menu, and the roll maker doing his thing. No greeting, No instructions on the ordering process, so I stood in the front for about 5 minutes then realized that I had to write my order on a menu and give it to the lady on the side. Waited infront of the lady for 5 minutes who was busy making coffee. She didn’t say anything, not a please hold on, thank you for waiting, nothing.
At this point I was debating on leaving because I was there for about 10 minutes and my order was not taken and there wasn’t anyone before me. I decided to just wait so I put in my order in.
On the menu it says that if you want it as a salad it has to be in a bowl so I was pretty bummed because I wamted to try it as a roll. So I just got the Ahi Lover with brown rice. But the chef was making someones order before me and he was making the salad in a roll form. So I was even more bummed because I could’ve ordered that. Anyways,
I waited another 10 minutes for the rolls. The chef makes it and leaves it for the lady to pack it up and distribute it. So it took a couple of minutes for her to get to it.
In my opinion they could use another helper so the customers are greeted and assisted in a timely manner.
Taste wise it was really tasty. There’s enough ahi in every bite and lots of flavor. The only bummer was the service and the wait, its also pretty pricy. So minus a star for the wait, the service, and the price.

I love this place! Up Roll Café is a super cute Japanese-​owned place serving up made-​to-​order custom rolls or bowls and unique coffee creations. They are located on the bottom of Halekuwila Place. There’s public parking in that building, which charges by the half-​hour (reasonable).
You get a laminated card onto which you select the options for your order. You can choose between wrap or bowl style, select your main component (ahi, tofu, miso pork, etc), your starch (white or brown rice, quinoa for extra fee), and choose all your add on’s and type of sauce. You also order your drinks this way and can choose between hot, iced, and type of milk (regular, almond, soy), among other options.
I went with a miso pork roll with brown rice and the sesame sauce. Added on fried onion (yum) and some tofu. It was DELICIOUS and also healthy! As for the drink, I tried an almond kinako latte with an extra shot of espresso. The drink was very unique!
The owners are a young couple, very friendly and helpful! However, we went when there was no line… and it took about 10 min to get all our orders. We saw that it got super packed when we were heading out. So obviously it may take a while if it’s crowded since they make everything to order (the coffee drinks take time too) but that’s fine with me because that’s how you know that everything is fresh!
Can’t wait to come back here! :)

Neat little café — and you get to customize your food!
FOOD:
I think the food here is really tasty. I got a salad bowl with inari + tofu, all the veggies and a sesame dressing. It was hearty, filling, and felt so fresh and healthy. All of the ingredients tasted fresh.
I’ve heard the rolls are not as filling, so perhaps opt for a bowl if your really hungry.
SERVICE & SPACE
I think the staff is some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met working at a café! They are all so cheerful and welcoming and helpful during the ordering process (which did confuse me a tad bit).
The space is pretty cool inside. Very urban-​chic, deconstructed, with lots of baby toys. There is a little baby that pretty much own this place, and she was adorable.
PRICE
I felt the price was really reasonable for my bowl and I left satisfied for sure!

Up Roll is a cute little café located in the Kakaako area. You can tell it’s totally owned by Japanese cause everything is just so cute & eclectic! Their rolls are like a sushi roll & burrito combined. You have the option of having white rice, brown rice or quinoa in your rolls or you can have it in a salad bowl. I actually wanted a roll with salad instead of rice. They had no problem doing that and my chicken aioli roll was perfect! It may not seem big but I swear I was stuffed! Just beware when you eat your rolls, don’t take the wrapper thingy off because it’s easy for everything to come out.
The rolls are reasonably priced and they put a ton of stuff inside your roll. So far I’ve been pleased with the chicken aoli & miso pork roll. I forgot to add, you can add natto for 75 cents more. Natto makes everything better :) They have coffee & jelly drinks. I love kinako so of course I just had to try their kinako latte. I will say it taste just like kinako but it was a little too much for me so I had to add honey to it. Made it taste a lot better.
I love that they have free wi-​fi too. Staff is also very welcoming & friendly!

I’M IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE. SO IN LOVE.
Sushirrito is trending in San Francisco, which is basically sushi roll in burrito form. Up Roll Café is Hawaii’s version of sushirrito.
First of all, the décor is amazing. It’s trendy, hipstery, and very chic despite being simple. There is even a really cute play pen for kids in the back. The menu is displayed on the wall in large letters so you won’t have to squint your eyes. Not to mention the penmanship is AMAZING. Whoever hand wrote that menu on the wall, A+ for handwriting!
The menu itself is very simple. There are a few items you can choose from– ahi, salmon, tofu, chicken, etc. You then choose how you want your food prepared– roll or bowl (HAH kinda rhymes!). Then you can choose your sauce and toppings; there are a bunch of free toppings as well as toppings like avocado or natto for an extra charge.
I think it’s definitely somewhere I would eat again, especially with anyone who wants to grab a healthier bite. If you’re in the area, I definitely suggesting checking them out!

Up roll café has jumped on the sushirrito band wagon and currently satisfies the local need for sushirritos!!! If you don’t know what a sushirrito is, you’re missing out. It’s pretty much what it sounds like – a large roll made of sushi rice, raw fish filling and wrapped in nori. Who doesn’t want a burrito sized sushi roll?! Maybe people who don’t like sushi… but those people are crazy people. Just kidding, Up Roll has chicken and pork options to satisfy people who don’t like ahi or salmon poke
You start by choosing one of their rolls: chicken, ahi, salmon or miso pork. Each one comes with a unique blend of sauces and veggies including sprouts, corn, cucumber or takuan. I like that you can add complimentary filings like lettuce, onion and extra sauce. I’ve had the ahi, chicken and salmon rolls and have enjoyed the flavors that make each unique. Apparently the miso pork is the most popular, so I’ll have to try that next time.
They also serve great espresso and tea beverages. On my last visit, I tried the yuzu jelly drink with tea. I love yuzu, and this was a very refreshing and textural beverage that accompanied my roll nicely. I tried a sip of the matcha latte. I wouldn’t recommend the matcha if you have a sweet tooth, it’s not like the Starbucks kind that tastes like ice cream… Lol
The ambiance is very hipster and modern, complete with chalk drawings on the walls. The staff is very friendly, too. I’ve always been lucky enough to find street parking, but I believe you can park in the private lot, too.
I will be back for the miso pork roll and more yuzu jelly! It is a bit pricey, but it seems that the ingredients are fresh and that the rolls are made well. If you’re ever in the mood for a sushirrito, you know where to go! (And not only because it’s the only place in the island that makes them)! Ha!

So every wonderful thing I’ve ever said about this place still sticks. If you’re looking for a more holistic/​objective overview, I recommend going through my previous reviews. I would also recommend going through them so that you can take note of the fact that they actually CARE about our reviews on here! The owner took the time to thank me for my review, and I thought that was very sweet of her.
Everything still stands, so why the increase in stars? Because they have increased their drink selection. Sushi and coffee. Is that still weird?
Yes.
But that’s why they now have all natural energy drink alternatives in the fridge by the door! All of these seem to pair much better with the fresh sushi rolls that they have here. Thank you Up Roll for listening to us and for providing a much wider selection of drinks to go with your delicious sushi rolls!
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!!!
They also take part in dodecki, which is an app that can be downloaded in Google Play and the App Store. You can place and track your orders RIGHT on the app! I know this is going to prove to be very convenient for the local working community on their lunch breaks.
Finally, Up Roll being located in Kaka’ako, has really embraced the concept of welcoming artists to contribute their skills on their chalk walls. So, if you have chalk art skills, stop on by to express yourself on their walls! This place is FLOURISHING! Every single time I come here, the place gets better and better! Seriously, keep it up Up Roll! You guys are really doing great!