Yataimura

One of my favorite places for japanese food, really, although verrrry pricey. Doesn’t stop me from coming here all the time for my onigiri fix, though. My favorite is the mini onigiri combo pack with the different ume onigiris and even a spam furikake thrown in the mix. Also like to get my sekihan fix here. Closest thing I can get to the same quality when I lived in Japan and convenient when stopping at the mall to shop.

Not a beer drinker. I’m all about the food places around the beer garden. Dude. The place that serves great chicken katsu curry. My favorite chicken katsu probably ever. Idk who the chef is but thank you for cooking.

I like going to Yataimura at Shirokiya because it reminds me of going to the basement of department stores in Japan. The only difference is that you actually go up to the second floor instead of go down to the basement.
So many different vendors offering so many Japanese food options. You can get sushi, ramen, tempura, udon, katsu, bento boxes, Korean food, mochi and other Japanese goodies.
It is ALWAYS crowded, but there are plenty of seatings. Some seats are reserved for specific business though…
QUICK TIPS: THERE ARE MULTIPLE CASHIERS AND YOU BUY YOUR DRINKS BY THE CASHIER OR AT THE BEER GARDEN.
4 stars! I am a fan!
Yataimura is yummylicious!

Perfect place for happy hour, meet friends…
You have a lot of options of food to choose. U can walk around choose what u want to eat and after buy your beer.

Great place to go with friends to chill, talk story, and relax after a long day while enjoying Japanese food and of course, the popular Japanese beers. Never been a big fan of beer, but this might change. Don’t know how to explain it, but Japanese beers have a very fresh and clean taste which I like a lot. I recommend Sapporo if you like something on the sweeter side. Pitcher is about $ 10. Choose from a variety of bentos (but if you go late, choices will be limited) to hot ramen. Shirokiya also offers dessert (such as bubble drinks, yogurt, crepes, and they have their own bakery downstairs, kulu kulu). Lots of options at this place.

We walked in on 1÷12÷16 right around 9:00 pm and were just browsing the place and looking at the specials. A rat scurried across the aisle and under one of the food counters. My bf noted that it’s a black rat, too, which means it’s a wild rat, as opposed to the pet rats which are typically bred white (and I would know too, since I feed my snake only pet store rats).
The only one of my loved ones who is allowed to eat here is Mr. Snakie, but it’s illegal for him to go on vacation here.

Cheap happy hour.
BUT!!! After 5 pitchers of beer and choke food the security guard tells us we cannot use the outlet by our table to charge our phone. Well, off to Mai Tai Bar never to return here again. Sheesh! Why?

You like drinky? You like drinky lots?
Then this is the place to be, especially when you get a bunch of old guys from middle skool, high skool, & college, getting together, drinking beer, & talking some world class smack!
I guess nothing really changes when we get together… most of us are married now with kids, but when they leave da kids & wives at home… watch out!!!
I’ve been to Shirokiya many times for the grindages, as they have an array of food vendors on the 2^nd floor. Are you looking for an onolicious bento? Or some broke da mouth pupus? Hey gang… they got it all over here!!!
But to show case all of this onolicious food… you gotta wash it down with some good ol’ beer, and that’s where the Shirokiya Beer Garden comes into play!
As you go into the Shirokiya store, head to the escalator to go up to the 2^nd floor, you will notice a beer type stand, & as well as a large seating area in the middle of the store.
As you get up to the beer stand, they will ask you for your ID (to make sure you’re old enough to drink), then the clerk will put a wrist band round your arm to indicate you are at least 21 years of age.
From there, you can order your pitchers of beer!
The Shirokiya Beer Garden features some good quality Japanese Draft Beers like — Sapporo, Kirin, & Asahi. They also have the standard Bud Light too!
I must say the pitchers of beer were pretty reasonable, as we drank countless pitchers of beer, and for $ 5 bucks for a pitcher of Bud Light or $ 14 bucks for Sapporo… how can go wrong???
If you’re hungry, or want pupus… all the food vendors are there surrounding the beer garden, so all you have to do is buy your food, then head over to the open seated area to eat & drink. What a concept yeah?
The Shirokiya Beer Garden closes at 10 PM, but the last call for alcohol is at 9 PM.
After 9 PM, the downstairs area of the Shirokiya store is closed, therefore you cannot catch the escalator to go back downstairs, but don’t worry folks, you are not trapped in the store!
You can exit the beer garden on the 2^nd floor and all you have to do is catch the stairs to go back downstairs. How do I know? Well this happened to me last night…
Nothing like getting together with old friends… and as time passes, you realized how much you cherish these friendships over the years…

Beer + Garden = two wonderful words in my book! And… AND… There are tons of broke da mouth Japanese cuisine to go along with your brew from the scores of food vendors.
The «beer garden» isn’t really a specific area, as you can sit at any table within the food court of Shirokiya and enjoy your brew.
After having no luck in finding seats at Mai Tai Bar, my spouse and I did an impromptu afternoon snack and cocktail session after a day of shopping in Ala Moana. We got our food first (chicken katsu and shrimp tempura,) grabbed a table, then purchased a pitcher of Kirin beer from the central bar and had a relaxing afternoon. The pitcher ran about $ 12. The happy hour price brings it down to about $ 8.
TIP:
In order to receive a glass for your pitcher of beer, everyone in your party must present I.D. at the bar counter.
OVERALL:
Great prices, tons of food choices. I can’t wait to see the new Shirokiya Japan Village Walk, which will open in 2016 on the mall’s street level where Sears used to be.

Come at 5:28pm and you will pay $ 5.00USD for a Kirin™ beer. Come at 5:30pm sharp and you will pay $ 2.00USD for the same beer.
These folks are as precise as a Swiss clock. Just like in Japan. In Japan they open exactly on time, every time. They also close early a lot of the time for some reason? (Not the beer garden — they close on time)
This review is only for the beer at 5:30pm until closing. Beer this cold and fresh at this price is like Mana from heaven.
If I would be reviewing the food offerings this would be 3 star Unilocal™ review. Take note.
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Meet here for beers–
Usually packed and festive. People tend to come for the ramen joints which offer a variety of choices at relatively inexpensive prices.
Beers start at $ 1 a pint.
You can find Japanese influenced cuisine here including sushi, takoyaki, bento plates, donburis, tempuras, musubis, poke bowls, salads etc.
Overall great experience!

Little taste of Japan in the center of Ala Moana! You can get sushi, ramen, box lunches, takoyaki, miso butterfish, bubble drinks, beer & desserts all in an authentic Japanese food court setting.
Great for meeting w/​friends, getting lunch w/​the family or taking a break from shopping around in Ala Moana Shopping Center.

Got to say how disappointed I was with the Ramen I just had (see my picture). $ 15 for a ramen and it was absolutely the worst I have had.
Eaten in Japan and others ramen places around island and mainland but this by far is the worst. If you have to have ramen and you are in Shirokiya try the other ones around it, they have to better.
Recommend going to Kyoto Ramen in McCully or Goma Tei instead.
This rating is not for Shiroyika just the ramen shop.

It’s as if it’s always 5pm here!
Cheap beer, great atmosphere, surrounded by a vast assortment of food vendors… only enhances my lovely and fantastic company! If only he liked taking pictures… you’d see why I’m a big fan of my man!
Cheers!

Seriously? How is it that this was the first time we did the beer garden? We eat here all the time for lunch, but decided to do dinner and check out the beer garden. First off, don’t even bother to fool yourself with buying just a glass… go for the pitcher! You won’t have to stand in line again. The sake is served in a shot-​like glass, and they put that in a little box, and you get a second shot in the box… totally worth $ 3.
Tip: skip the pre-​boxed food. You really don’t know how long it’s been out, and usually those vendors are trying to get rid of the days’ sales. Order fresh! We had takoyaki and okonomiyaki, and hubs wanted some ramen which had a really good broth! There are a couple of vendors that serve ramen, but this one was all the way in the back corner next to the Japanese/​Italian place. Huge bowl, very tasty broth, and generous with the extras (meat and veggies). The takoyaki was the cheese one, and they melt the cheese with a blow torch. It was really good, but i’m glad I went with the small order, otherwise it would’ve been way too much food. The okonomiyaki took about 15 minutes because its made to order. There was pre-​made available, but I wanted to be sure it was hot.
All in all, this is a pretty mellow, but oh-​so-​yummy beer garden with some fantastic food options. I went with 4 stars instead of 5 because the bathroom lines can be horrible. We will definitely do it again!

If you need to give your pretty feet a break from your Ala Moana shopping spree, stop by Shirokiya’s Beer Garden. Such a fun place to hang out with such awesome choices of food. It really is a gift from the Asian gods. The food selection has a huge variety of tasty treats that are all really good. So make some plans with your friends/​family to meet up for a nice COLD Kirin, pick up some Wing Dings, a couple of Shrimp tempura Musubis and a few trays of tsukemono. Ah what a perfect idea of an indoor picnic!

If we had one in SF… well, it’s a moot point, isn’t it?!
Locals do know good they have it, having this gem of a food court right in their backyard. Being at Ala Moana Shopping Center, parking normally isn’t an issue but, unfortunately, the construction for the Bloomingdale’s store and the other additions make this a freaking maze to maneuver around. Just take the escalators up to the 2^nd floor of the Shirokiya department store.
Back to the place itself, if you are a fan of Japanese cuisine, then this is a must visit. From sushi, okonomiyaki, ramen, tenderloin katsu (yes, there is a difference both price and quality wise!), curry, bento boxes, musubi’s, mochi, and a variety of small dishes that you can either eat there or take home, you won’t leave empty handed or hungry. There are several self service dining areas, middle area near the escalators, inside the beer garden section, and down along the walls near the self serve cafeteria style section. The Katsu curry from Kimukatsu is my go-​to spot and it’s always nice to try something new when it comes around. For example, I recently had a chance to try Kyoto style ramen which I still haven’t figured out what the difference is.
Most of the diners are mall shoppers, mall staff, or other locals who make this their regular spot. Once you step in here, you’ll see why it can be a daily dining place for lunch. Come here and browse before buying so you won’t have regrets about what you SHOULD have tried. You won’t be disappointed!

This is the bomb for getting japanese type fast foods. All are made for easy take our or eat there. They have good selection of ramen and beer too.

Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2015: ²⁵⁄₁₀₀
Happy hour 5:30p to close?! Cheap beer, clean environment and a great variety of Japanese foods (which can be pricey if your main goal is to eat)! Oh and parking?! I know Ala Moana is having on-​going construction since forever but it’s worth driving through its detours to score parking to hit this place up.
Best casual Izakaya because it has people from all walks of life; tourist, college students, businessmen & locals all drinking and having a good time! Best of all, no one is rushing you to leave, so sit and talk story all you want but good luck finding a table to start with!
Not a 5-​star cause customer service is horrible but luckily you’d rarely have to interact with them unless you’re planning to drink several rounds. You’d be lucky if they even made eye-​contact or smiled but… aren’t they supposed to be looking at your face when they check your I.D. mmm, oh well.

Can’t go wrong if you want cheap beer here. They discontinued the beer towers which sucks. The food is great especially because I love Japanese food here. However I’ve come here not on happy hour for the pork hash. It was cold and on top of that it was pricey for a pork hash. Definitely not coming here for that any more. The environment is everything you expect from a place that sells alcohol. Finding tables and chairs is hard as heck. Other than that, great place to hang out and take a load off with friends colleagues and coworkers.

I love this place. Best value on island for a pint of beer or a pitcher. They have Bud Light, Kirin, Sapporo, and Asahi. And when you get hangry… there is so much good food everywhere. My personal fav is the takoyaki. In the mood for a shot, well you are in luck and they have sake available. If you are the klassy type then they have wine too. Basically it’s a great place with great people and great prices. Put it on your list of places to be.
Happy hour starts at 5:30.
$ 1 Bud Light pint, $ 2 Kirin pint, $ 3 Sapporo pint $ 4 Asahi pints.
$ 5 Bud Light pitcher, $ 8 Kirin pitcher, $ 14 Sapporo Pitcher $ 20 Asahi pitcher.
$ 3 sake and $ 5 red and white wine.

Happy Hour Time! Beer Garden YAY! gather with friends here and try to find a table if you can. We found a spot after 10mins and sat with a pitcher of Sapporo Beer and in the food court grabbed some dinner. We had Ramen, Curry and some takoyaki.
So if you are unsure what you want to eat just come here and look around cause there are so many food dishes to choose.

$ 1 draft beer is the best deal in town.
Some of the yatai are excellent, others are… meh. All in all though a great place for drinks and food after work.

One sorry night last year I found myself on the main street in Waikiki, overwhelmed by the usual assault on my senses. Grabbing dinner at a food court was the wrong decision. The food was crap and the noise was deafening. It took one year, but now I know of a far better food court, a Japanese one, also bustling but not loud, with the added plus of transporting you to Tokyo without ever leaving Waikiki.
Yataimura sits on floor 2 of the Shirokiya department store in the gargantuan Ala Moana Shopping Center and is comprised of a huge array of food purveyors, most peddling Japanese fare. At some places your food is made to order, at others it’s pre-​packaged and many of those pre-​packaged goods are nicely discounted during the last hour of dining.
It was at Yataimura that I sampled Takoyaki ($ 4.50 for 5 pieces), from a vendor who had just packaged up the last of the orders he’d be making that day. They were still warm and, though they were all the same type, I snatched up an order. Oh my, Takoyaki is delicious. There’s octopus (Tako) in there but beyond that is anyone’s guess. Rich, tangy, soft… undescribable really, as it’s like nothing I’ve tried before.
Yataimura is also known for it’s beer garden which is nothing more than a decorated, defined area where you can eat your meal while getting great deals on beer. Other parts of the floor offer the same option. Wherever you get it, it’s a steal. From 5:30 p.m. on, it’s happy hour and beer prices begin at $ 1 (Bud Light) a glass, $ 5 a pitcher. Kirin is $ 2 glass and $ 8 a pitcher. Sapporo, Asahi, and sake are also offered.
Aside from the beer and the Takoyaki not everything I sampled was winning but hey, it’s a food court, a Japanese food court. It’s cheap eats with a huge assortment to choose from, relatively quiet, and it’ll make you feel like you’ve fallen through a rabbit hole and wound up in Japan. That right there is pretty damned cool in my book.
* Many reviews of Yataimura are listed on Unilocal under the name of the store it’s in, Shirokiya.
* Shirokiya department store is across from the mall entrance to Macy’s. To park nearest to it, head far into the parking garage. If you want to walk off your meal, park in the lot at the first available space you see.

Unilocal 365 Challenge 2015 #48/​365
Yataimura aka Beer Garden is pretty tough to beat. I mean, $ 1 Bud Light drafts, $ 4 Bud Light pitchers, $ 8 Kirin pitchers, and they also offer Sapporo, Asahi, wine, and sake; it seriously is the best happy hour place for beer in Honolulu, as far as I know.
Yataimura is the closest thing to an authentic Japanese food court. In my one trip to Japan, I’ve noticed the similarities between the two, being that there are many stations with different foods for you to choose from, and then you pay for the food, and eat it in there after finding a table.
There are so many different places to grab the perfect appetizer to go with your beer! If you’re feeling like a plate lunch, they got it. Maybe you want a pre-​made bento, they got that. Takoyaki? They got that. This place is the real deal. You’ll rarely go over $ 10 buying food too, as the prices are pretty decent! Also, if you go after a certain hour, maybe around 8pm, some of the places will start discounting their food, trying to get rid of them. Score!
One thing that I wish Yataimura would do is stay open later. Their happy hour is from 5:30 to 9:00pm, which is when they close. When they first opened, they stayed open later, until 10:30! Those were the days, but even then, I felt like it was not late enough. Maybe they don’t want super drunk people causing havoc there. Then again, it is in the mall… but Mai Tai’s is open late!!! Oh well.
They also used to offer beer towers, which were super cool, but stopped for some reason. Now they only offer pitchers again, which is fine, but I wish they would bring the towers back!
As far as seating, on the side closer to the mall, there are conventional chairs and tables, but if you’re on the beer garden side, all of the seats and tables are wooden. If you have a sensitive bottom that needs to be cushy, then you’ll have better luck sitting on the mall side.
If you’re ballin’ on a budget and looking for a spot to have a few beers and some food, look no further.
TIP: If you try to come on the weekend, make sure you come early, because if not, you’ll have a hard time finding a seat.

Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE 2014−(335÷365) «Beer With Octopus Balls»
Love coming here every time I come home! The Shirokiya Beer Gardens is right inside all the madness that is the Shirokiya Food Court upstairs.
Its literally community style seating where you’re next to a diner, so if you’re not to keen on close quarters, or too claustrophobic, Sorry Braddah (or Sistah) I no can help you!
You have a plethora of japanese food choices from various vendors to go with your ice cold brew-​Bento, Katsu, Sushi, Tempura, Ramen, etc. all these pair well with beer, but my go to item???
It is the Takoyaki stand. Fully loaded with the works, then I go back for an ice cold Asahi on tap for only $ 3. That combo right there is WINNAHZ!!! Try it if you haven’t already! ALOHA!!!
Shaka Meter: \uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​5

Shirokiya’s Yataimura food court and beer garden. Is this great or what?
Just a short review because I have reviewed almost every vendor here and have them all on a Unilocal list.
I’m not into all the beer drinking from «towers» that the 20 somethings seem to like. But I love to come here and browse all the great food options.
I miss all the Japanese items that they used to have but this is still such a great place to experience.
Rumor has it that this location will close down and be moved to the new redeveloped wing of Ala Moana Center eventually. I hope it is still able to maintain the Japanese feel this location has.

Oh my goodness! This is a must see place if you are visiting mall. I’ve never been to Japan, but I feel this is the closest I will get to without being there.
This food court style place has every Japanese specially you will find. There is even a place that serves okonomiyaki hiroshima-​style, which my fiancé always complains about never finding in Vancouver. I noticed a lot of people come here after work for happy hour drinks, and the prices for the bentos and snacks are reduced near closing time. We grabbed a lot of smaller sushi items here for our trip to the North Shore the next day.
I will definitely return!

Upstairs of shirokiya, yataimura is my favorite place to stop for lunch or happy hour beer (or both!) while I’m running around ala moana.
Most important (probably): happy hour is from 5:30−9, which is last call. They have PBR for $ 1 a glass and $ 4 a pitcher or kirin, asahi, bud light, and heineken for $ 2/​$ 3 (I can’t remember which was how much because I usually go with cheap over good when beer-​ing here). They also have beer towers on the other side of the food court which require at least two people while ordering. I forgot how much those cost but they’re very affordable! Beer must be enjoyed in designated areas though I believe the area expanded so there are more options for seating + drinking now.
I come here for lunch a lot too. They have a lot a lot A LOT of options so regardless of how picky you are, you’ll find something here. My favorite are the takoyaki yama-​chan booth and the ramen booth next to the beer garden (I forget what it’s called). They have a lot of tempura, musubi, bento options as well so you’ll leave content no matter what you fancy.
A word of warning though: it gets really crowded and really LOUD. Esp during happy hour. You have to be lucky to get seating then. Even during lunch time, the seating area fills up by about 11:45 (I think they open at 11).

When you come here you are just looking around like. «what the heck is going on?» There’s so much good food to choose from. but of course after you walk around and around, you will see that there are the same bento boxes and items at every stand.
The prices are okay. not too cheap nor too expensive. It just depends what you want. It can get pricey if you want to try everything or have a little of everything though.
It is pretty packed here so be prepared and also make sure to look for the «CASHIER» sign. that is where you will pay for the items you picked up. So don’t get stuck in the longest line.

This review is for Ramen Noodle Burger Matsufujiya, here for a limited engagement from June 3 to 22, 2014.
If you’ve already tried either the Tanaka Saimin Burger or L&L Saimin Burger and thought that was either «Yay!» or «Nay», then you MUST try the Ramen Noodle Burger from Matsufujiya. Originally «invented» by New York native Keizo Shimamoto, this is where it’s at.
Matsufujiya’s Ramen Noodle Burger consists of an all beef patty imported from Japan, lettuce, green onion and and a gloriously thick and richTeriyaki Sauce, encased by a Ramen Noodle «bun», bottom and top. Its about the size of a large slider, which may seem small upon looking at it, yet after you eat it, unless you eat like a truck driver or sumo wrestler, you’ll definitely feel content. For me it was a perfect adult-​size portion, burger-​wise.
What truly shines about Matsufujiya’s Ramen Noodle Burger is fortunately its most unique feature, being its ramen noolde «bun». It has the perfect level of crispiness and crunchiness on the outside, while being wonderfully glutenous and «glued» together on the inside. Where upon biting through the burger, the ramen noodle bun really holds its integrity, not having you pick up lost noodles off the plate. It really is sugoi (awesome), being a perfect compliment to the teriyaki-​glazed beef patty.
The all-​beef burger pattty is approximately 3 oz. after being cooked, with a great seared finish, while the teriyaki sauce that’s generously glazing it is absolutely FANTASTIC: thick, savory, robust, with just the right level of sweetness and from I could detect, a hint of ginger, which I personally appreciate.
The rich Japanese Mayonnaise (Cupie brand?), green onion and leaf of fresh lettuce was the perfect finishing touch to this Ramen Burger masterpiece.
Keizo-​San would be proud.
If you’ve never tried the one, the only Ramen Burger yet, now’s your chance at Ramen Noodle Burger Matfujiya. Here in Honolulu for a limited time from June 3 to 22, 2014.
Highly recommended! Sugoi!

Been coming here every now and then for the cheap beer and decent Japanese food. The place is bustling with Japanese tourists and locals streaming in from the mall. Parking is easy since the mall has several lots for every area.
As the name implies, Yataimura is literally a food bazaar with everything from popular Japanese food to bubble drinks and desserts.
If youre a fan of ramen, the Shiromiso ramen from the RAMEN NOODLE shop is really flavorful and worth the 11.50. It’s a little on the saltier side so be prepared or get extra noodles for 2.00! You can even get it spicier for you spicy food lovers.
Lastly it can get difficult to find seats to dine or drink. You can’t really blame Yataimura though because they have deals on Beer. $ 1 Bud Light, $ 2 Sapporo drafts, $ 3 Kirin and Asahi drafts. Be prepared for the noise coming from patrons who have spent under $ 10 to get happy drunk!

Super cheap beer + Japanese food?! LOVE!!!
How can anyone not love this place? Okay, the food can run on the pricier side for what it is, especially if you walk around the food stands buying little foods izakaya style. But if you’re a drinker, and especially a beer drinker, the prices here on beer cannot be beat! With $ 1/​pint, $ 2/​pint, and $ 3/​pint specials and $ 5 for sho chiku bai during happy hour (5−10pm everyday), it’s the perfect group hang out, pau hana, pre-​game location, break from shopping, date night (?)(hahaha), etc. They also have beer towers now on the mall side of the store, a fun and novel way to drink a lot of beer for cheap!
Not sure about the drinking part, but the many food stations are reminiscent of Department stores in Japan, where each vendor cooks a different item, and you can walk around and buy what tickles your fancy. I love this idea because it results in SO much variety! And I love seeing the finished product before I buy and consume! They have everything from hot ramen, udon, soba, curry, katsu, sushi, bentos, musubis, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and the list goes on and on. Even the pickiest eaters will have no problem finding something they like here! They even have crepes, bubble tea, and froyo stations for dessert! Just like in Japan, the bentos are discounted at the end of the day (I think 10%), but it’s a colder, soggier variety.
Only thing is that it can get BUSY. Correction, it’s pretty much always busy unless you come at some off time on a weekday. Seating for large parties can be tough, so make sure you come early to reserve seats!
Still, 5 stars for super cheap beer and a massive variety of Japanese food at a convenient and accessible location!