Yoshitsune Restaurant

This restaurant came highly recommended so with all the choices in Waikiki we decided to give it a try. First suggestion I would make it don’t go around lunchtime!
I don’t know if they were short staffed or if they’re always that busy but I found the service frustrating.
Overall the sushi was good but not a lot of choices. they seemed to keep coming back and saying «oh we don’t have this or we don’t have that».
On the other hand the ton Kutsu cutlet was beautifully prepared and quite substantial a portion

We had an early breakfast here and it was so memorable! There was only one server but she was friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. Every small dish in the breakfast bento was flavorful and unique. We had the miso butterfish which was amazing and a sweet tofu udon which was perfectly flavored and chewy. We drank every last drop of broth and my daughter kept asking for more. We were served a fresh papaya with lemon for dessert which was a new concept for us. We will be doing this from now on at home! Who knew that this combo was so fresh and delicious?!?

Holy cow! One of the best meals ever. I know getting a combination dinner sounds lame, but it was packed with about 8 different dishes, each unique and amazing! I will be going back!

I’ve eaten sushi all over the world including Japan and this is my new favorite. I sat at the sushi bar and told the chef you choose. From the home made tofu to the assorted nigiri sushi. The best unagi I’ve ever had. I will defiantly be back the next time I’m in Waikiki!!! Come one come all!

Yoshitsune is the real deal in Japanese restaurants on Waikiki. The Japanese staff has much experience from front to back.
They have a wide variety in their menu, the real value is in the Course menus options that feature certain dishes. I opted for the Omakase Sushi ($ 72) and my dining partner went for the Beef Steak Teriyaki course ($ 38).
Both sets started with their unique house made tofu, which is a firmer tofu in an «S» shape, but actually sliced finely into little noodle-​like ribbons! Delicious and unusual! The Beef Steak set came with a mixed salad, appetizer plate with 4 morsels to taste, chawan mushi, the beef served on a sizzling cast iron platter, and ice cream dessert.
The Omakase (Nigiri) came with 4 long plates filled each with 4 courses of Nigiri Sushi, (so 16 tastings total) with a wide range from Tomago to Sake to AmaEbi to Uni and Ikura. All the ones you would like, and a few surprises (See pics). Dessert came with this, too.
The place is nicely decorated but in a subdued elegant way, service is good, from the starting Irashaimase welcome greetings to the thank yous at the end. Japanese Okoto music played during most of our meal, followed by smooth jazz,
Great real deal meal in Waikiki, where tourist driven Yada Yada Whateva rolls are dominant. Yoshitsune is for the more discriminating Japanese food enthusiast, or Japanese national.

We are here on a trip for a few weeks. We appreciate really good food. When we found Yoshitsune, we didn’t hesitate to go back several more times. They have fresh nigiri, the miso eggplant is amazing and the salmon skin hand roll was the cherry on top of the Sunday on our last visit.

Oh my goodness! Yoshitsune is a dream come true. Their food is incredible. They’ve had the same chefs for over 30 years to maintain consistency and quality. Breakfast at Yoshitsune is an event: you get miso soup, various pickled things, seaweed, rice, a small tamago, ume, a fish of your choice, and fruit for dessert. Overall, the breakfast sets are delightful – especially their butterfish misoyaki ($ 22). They make their own miso and marinate the fish for many hours. It comes out beautifully crisp with the skin on. I was so inspired by their butterfish misoyaki that I made my own at home and although it came out well, it didn’t have the beautiful preparation and crisp that Yoshitsune’s had.
They are located inside the Park Shore Hotel in a very nice, calm atmosphere. The hotel has free valet parking, with validation. Or you can park at the zoo lot across the street for $ 1 an hour.

My favorite authentic Japanese restaurant in Honolulu. Great service, cozy atmosphere, amazing fish.
My go-to’s:
* Ikura
* salmon
* chawanmushi
* whole grilled squid
* house made tofu
* azuki ice cream
* otokoyama
Will be back again and again!

Simply one of my favorite breakfasts of all time. Initially, I thought it sounded expensive for breakfast (about $ 17 or more per option), but it’s totally worth it. There is usually just one server there who is very nice – but when it gets crowded, some guests get impatient (as they have to go on tours, etc). But the quality of every molecule of food, from rice to sear on the fish, is undoubtably delicious. Don’t forget the dessert (I’ve had papayas, pineapples…) – I’m usually stuffed by then – but will make space for fresh, locally grown fruit.

Amazing tofu starter with shiso and ginger garnish in a very light soy base. Personally, I would disregard any review that says the tofu was anything but outstanding. I’ve eaten various forms of tofu all over China, Taiwan, Seoul, Japan, San Francisco, and New York. This tofu stands out. If you don’t know tofu, imo, you’re not qualified to critique the food here. Sorry, I know that sounds snobby, but facts are facts. Just like salsa and chips at a Mexican restaurant will generally let you know how good the place is, tofu at a Japanese or Chinese place is the bar setter. Tofu by nature is very subtle in flavor so it’s a lot about balance and texture. A chef can’t hide behind some robust flavor profile when making tofu, so you know you’re in good hands when the tofu gets your attention.
We are locals from Honolulu and have eaten at ALL of the Japanese restaurants in the above average to top notch category more than once and I have to include Yoshitsune in the top dozen.
I generally don’t pay a lot of attention to what a restaurant looks like beyond whether it is clean but if you’re looking for a fancy place to impress someone, this might not be the place for that. However, if you’re trying to impress someone that is a foodie, then by all means take them here. Don’t get me wrong, this place is not a dive at all. It’s traditional Japanese style and even has a tatami room that can accommodate a decent size group.
On this visit, we tried the Chirashi full dinner, Miso butterfish full dinner, and the Mackerel combo dinner. Our five year son had bbq chicken yakitori style and gobbled it up. The food is 5 stars for quality and presentation. On a personal note for me, I might give the Chirashi a small ding for not including uni, but that’s only because I love uni and most of the higher end Japanese restaurants will include uni in their Chirashi. However, the Chirashi did have abalone which not all restaurants include.
For those who haven’t eaten here before, the menu is what i would describe as straight-​up traditional Japanese food. You’re not going to find Americanized sushi rolls here.
Cost-​wise, it’s not cheap but for the quality, a $ 40 Chirashi full dinner with includes tofu, a «small bites» appetizer plate, miso soup, and perhaps the best green tea ice cream in Honolulu for dessert is very reasonable. I am an XL guy and I left full and satisfied and i only ate half the Chirashi rice.
With validation, no extra valet costs beyond the tip. We normally park in the Zoo parking lot across the street but it was full due to it being NFL Pro-​bowl weekend and some event going on at the beach nearby.
Also, they have a nice gesture of giving the little kids a half-​dollar coin on exit. Timing was perfect in our case because our 5 year old just started learning about coin values in his kindergarten class.

I got the deluxe Gozen bento box for lunch. The silkin tofu app was so amazing. The butter miso fish was lovely. The tuna sashimi though fresh was not the highest quality. Miso soup good. A great lunch but maybe not a spot for highest quality sashimi.

Just one word to describe this place. Home.
Just like home which I have never experienced in the mainland.
We went for breakfast. Such an authentic breakfast they serve. A grilled fish, pickled vegetable, tamagoyaki, kombu, etc. I saw a lot of Japanese tourists too. I guess even on a vacation in Honolulu they can’t resist to have a decent breakfast.
We would surely come back to try more stuff. One last note: very kids friendly.

We found Yoshitsune on Unilocal while on a business trip. The restaurant is hidden inside a hotel on the far end of the Waikiki strip. We went late, around 7:30pm and ended up still needing to wait about an hour to get seated. However, it was well worth the wait.
We ordered the combination dinner and were not disappointed. The dinner comes with appetizers of fried mackerel, spinach, and a couple other items I can’t name off. Miso soup and some of the freshest, most delicious sashimi followed. Your choice of ice cream plus a few other extras also accompanied the dinner.
The food was brought out quickly and was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. As a note, the servers (and most patrons) really only speak Japanese. Understanding everything was a bit difficult, but again, worth the effort. I would return again if I was in the mood for some Sushimi while in Waikiki.

Serenity now. I like Yoshitsune for its quiet solitude. Agreed it has a dated vibe to it but it’s cozy enough for me & not a deal breaker.
Service can be slow so I would not recommend this place if you are in a rush.
Prices are moderate to mostly expensive but the most humblest meal can be had for $ 15-​$ 20. Expect to pay more for the set menus or sushi $ 25-​$ 60.
Apparently parking exists because they offer validation. I have no clue where the parking entrance is though. You could get lucky & park across the street at the zoo.
I came here solely for the matsutake experience. Allow your party a MINIMUM of 1 ½ hours should you decide on the kamameshi course because the rice cooks on your table.
October is the peak harvest time for this aromatic mushroom delicacy. A really good harvest can run from late August to early December, while a poor harvest season will not last even a full month.
Yoshitsune offers a special matsutake menu when it is available. The best value is the set menu lunch course ($ 38). The matsutake dishes are available a la carte but the set menu is where it’s at because you get a whole bunch of things including dessert.
The Matsutake Kamameshi lunch course:
— Takigawa homemade tofu
— Salted napa cabbage pickles
— Small plate of assorted sashimi
— CHOICE of broiled salmon, saba (mackerel), sanma (saury/​mackerel pike), tempura OR round eggplant with sweet miso sauce.
— Dobin Mushi — Teapot Soup
— Matsutake Kamameshi — Pine mushroom rice steamed in a pot at your table. Allow 30 minutes before you can eat it. Don’t open the cover until they tell you too!
–Cream Anmitsu for dessert.
Takigawa tofu (3.5÷5 Stars) — I was really intrigued by this dish because so many pics are already uploaded. The noodle shaped tofu reminded me of eating cold somen. So not what I was expecting. It was garnished with grated ginger & I think slivered shiso leaves.
It was also accompanied by hakusai tsukemono (salted napa cabbage). It was a lightly salted pickle to accompany the entire meal.
Sashimi Plate (⁵⁄₅ Stars) — M’mmm so good and so fresh.
I chose Broiled Salmon (⁴⁄₅ Stars) — Plated with atsuyaki tamago (sweet rolled egg), shiso konbu tsukudani (seasoned kelp), grated daikon (radish) & lemon wedge. I squeezed the lemon over the radish & ate it with the salmon. So fresh and clean tasting. I’ve already tried this at home with other proteins & it’s so good.
Dobin Mushi (⁵⁄₅ Stars) — Matsutake soup served in a tea pot. Delicious. They give lots of mushrooms & a perfectly cooked piece of shrimp in there. Your supposed to pour it in the little cup they give you & drink it that way. The broth could’ve been a little more hot, but still it was good.
Matsutake Kamameshi (⁵⁄₅ Stars) — Fragrant matsutake rice. It was gooood. Simplicity at its best. If I had one complaint it’s that the rice took so long to cook. So having all the different courses of the meal brought out at increments was a difficult task I thought so I won’t fault them for that.
Cream Anmitsu (⁴⁄₅ Stars) — Unsweetened gelatin cubes with mixed fruits, azuki & vanilla ice cream in syrup. Nice way to finish the meal. The syrup was a little too sweet but I ate the whole thing. Refreshing.
‘Kay my matsutake experience should last me a decade of memories before I yearn for it again. Just kidding. I would go back again and try other menu items since they have the moromi miso cucumber appetizer I want to check out. I have not seen this since Bistro A Un was still around.

Although no one in the establishment speaks a lick of English. We managed to communicate just fine. Food was awesome, service was on point and best of all its kinda hidden from all the tourists…
Definitely will come back!!!

A small restaurant inside park shore hotel, this restaurant seems to be very popular with japanese tourists since they serve VERY authentic japanese cuisine. We went for breakfast since I missed all the breakfast Kaiseki’s I had while in Kyoto. Everything was cooked to perfection! prices are steep, but well worth it (and very good if you compare it to expensive japanese places that get to the same quality)
It’s definitely an experience and I highly recommend it! It’s not something you can easily find in the states =)

I love this place. It may not be in the prime location nor it have the most bling-​bling decoration but I really enjoy the food here. As a matter of fact, I was here almost daily, if not twice daily during my stay in Honolulu to try different menus.
This is perhaps one of the few (or maybe only one) that offers the traditional Japanese breakfast set (not your typical buffet style Japanese). The one that have grilled fish, rice porridge, miso soup, pickles, and more. Lunch and dinner menu are different too. Starting lunch, they have more raw items such as sashimi and sushi. Being an authentic Japanese restaurant, I actually enjoy their dinner menu more. From the set menu that I actually do recommend to a la carte items. This place offers very solid traditional Japanese dishes. I also enjoy the hospitality here. People are very nice and welcoming.
If you are JCB cardholder, make sure to go JCB Plaza in Waikiki for 5% off coupon.

One of the best Japanese restaurants I have ever been to. Yoshitune is a small, simple restaurant located inside of a hotel lobby on the Wakiki tourist strip. The restaurant is so tucked away that it was initially quite difficult to find, even while using a GPS. Although the staff did not speak a lot of English, this impact our experience at all as they still provided excellent service.
I came here twice for dinner while vacationing in Wakiki with my parents. Each time it was a great dining experience; every single dish was authentic and mouth-​watering.
I ordered the chirashi both nights. The quality of the fish was superb and well prepared. My parents both ordered combo meals — which both came with numerous appetizers including a small plate of sushi, a steamed egg, and fermented soy milk. Every single appetizer was mind blowing and made with a lot of care. The udon noodles were also amazing, served with a semi raw egg on top.
Usually I never visit the same restaurant twice while travelling because I want to experience different places, but this was definitely an exception. I highly recommend anyone staying in Wakiki to visit Yoshitune. In my opinion, no other restaurant that I tried in Wakiki came close to the level of this restaurant.

Out of this world! And who knew this level of quality would exist in a modest hotel at the edge of Waikiki? Not this girl!
Thank god for Unilocal pulling up this jewel. Otherwise I would’ve never even batted an eyelash at this restaurant. It really looks like nothing on the outside. And, the inside is modest, too.
But what you’ll discover when you step inside is that this place is a secret! Shhhh!!!
A quick glance around and the restaurant is filled with locals and Japanese expats. That ought to tell you something about the quality. This place has been here for 30 years and is owned and run by Japanese expats.
We went here for two lunches while on vacation. Both times we received impeccable service and seriously — some of the most outstanding Japanese food I’ve ever had.
1^st lunch: we carefully dipped our toes in. We’ve been burned before by touristy Japanese food in Waikiki. So, we ordered the nabeyaki udon, vegetable tempura, 1 maguro nigiri sushi, and 1 toro nigiri sushi. Immediately when the waitress opened the lid to the udon, I knew we had found our second home. The vegetables were colorful, and they kindly allowed us to sub the shrimp tempura for veggie. The both was full of umami and very flavorful. The noodles were just the right chewiness and held up throughout the meal. And the fish? Well, it was out of this world. Fresh tasting, delicious, perfect rice,
2^nd lunch: we really dove in, knowing the food would be good. And it was better than the previous day! This time we focused on sushi. We ordered the combo sashimi plate (chef’s choice) and a bento, which was humongous. Everything was fresh, cooked perfectly, and beautifully arranged.
This is a winner.
Plus, the staff are so kind and accommodating. They will exceedingly politely double-​check certain orders if you look confused. But it’s not at all rude.

I came in for lunch and I loved it so much that I came in for dinner on 18 July 2015 with my friend. My review is a comprehensive review of my lunch and dinner experiences. Just to make it quick if you don’t want to read further, this place is a solid 4.5 stars based on food, service, and décor.
House made tofu (5 stars): you just don’t understand how sexy this is. Even if you’re a tofu hater, you will love this. The texture of this tofu is more like a noodle. It looks like some sort of dessert or fancy noodle dish (look at the picture!). The dish is garnished with some ginger and green onions I believe. The sauce is a light shoyu and it all melded together beautifully. A cold dish with a noodle texture and light seasonings makes to refreshing and it’s a perfect way to start a meal.
Nameko mushrooms with grated daikon (2 stars): it’s not a bad dish. This too is an appetiser and it’s served cold. You add some soy sauce to it to make it more palatable. Unfortunately, they used extremely young daikon which has a sharp and spicy flavour. Now I love spicy food, but this flavour is also sharp and cutting, like wasabi. I finally met a mushroom dish I didn’t like.
Miso soup (4 stars): I enjoy miso soup and while I think it’s something no Japanese restaurant should ever mess up, I feel like it’s a rather simple dish. However, I give props to Yoshitsune because it wasn’t overly salty and I think it seemed fresh.
Chawanmushi (4.5 stars): this is an egg custard– the texture is like a pudding when you dip your spoon in. Literally the best chawanmushi I’ve ever had. The egg had a nice chicken broth to it that made it that much more rich and it was cooked with enoki mushrooms, perilla lead, and chicken. However, I felt that the piece of chicken was unnecessary because it wasn’t particularly seasoned and it didn’t add an extra dimension to the dish.
Broiled squid (4.5 stars): the squid is nice and broiled and it is accompanied with a bowl of shoyu and a bit of ginger. We dip the squid into the shoyu and top it with ginger. Don’t blend the ginger in or else it will disintegrate and disappear. The smokiness of the squid was perfect and it wasn’t over cooked or too chewy. The ginger just added enough freshness to the dish and you didn’t get too much smokiness.
Appetizer platter for meal sets (3 stars): This comes with four mini little appetizers that consist of a piece of Japanese style cooked fish, two slices of cucumber with a type of honey miso nut paste, a cocktail shrimp with a mayo topping, and a piece of «hard» tofu with a miso honey glaze. Now, the fish cake piece, it was way too fishy for me and for my friend. The cucumber with the sauce was good, but that honey miso sauce was slightly too overpowering for the freshness of the cucumber. Surprisingly enough, the cocktail shrimp with the mayo topping was quite good. It was probably the best part of the sampler. One of my least favorite parts though was that hard tofu with a miso honey glaze because the tofu was just bland and the glaze just didn’t match up.
Salad (2 stars): definitely one of the low points of the dish because the vinaigrette dressing was too acidic and it overwhelmed the fresh vegetables.
Pickled cabbage that comes with both the sashimi and steak meal set (4 stars): lightly brined with salt water, it’s not as fermented or spicy like Kim Chee but it’s still quite a nice way to start a meal off.
Lightly pickled honey (?) daikon (3.5 stars): an interesting dish, but not something I’d get again. The daikon wasn’t too crunchy and it just didn’t seem to match with the honey sauce.
Sashimi plate (5 stars): my friend loved the freshness of the plate and it comes five different types of sashimi– oyster, hamachi, tuna, scallop, and something else I believe. The quantity and quality of the fish you get for 32 dollars is not something you’d find anywhere. You also get the pickled cabbage, chawanmushi, house tofu, the appetizer sampler with 4 items, and miso soup with this meal set.
Steak plate with homemade butter (5 stars): a beautifully and perfectly cooked steak with butter on top and a wedge of lemon served on a sizzling platter. A hint of lemon juice is refreshing and it helps break up the richness from the meat and the butter. This was 36 dollars and it comes with everything the sashimi set came with, but this meal set also came with the salad with vinaigrette dressing.
Service (4 stars): the servers were very friendly and helpful when explaining the menu. They do have a heavy Japanese accent though so you just have to use the menu to make sure you get your point across. The one negative thing about the service is the quickness the food comes out. Almost everything comes out at the same time so you have a table full of food, but little time to eat it all. They should stagnate the dishes so customers have time to digest between courses and so hot food doesn’t become cold. However, it’s still the best Japanese restaurant ever.