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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Hawaii Prince Hotel
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I lived in Hawaii for years before San Francisco and Hakone is one of my favorite found! Of course so many great placese, hey we're talking about Hawaii!!! but if you have a chance to go Honolulu, Hakone should be in the list. why? seeing is believing, just go and check yourself. definitely!
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I'm almost scared to yelp this place for fear of people finding out about this awesome restaurant. But when's the next time YOU'LL be in Hawaii..? ;)
This place is AWESOME. Buffet style soiree with every Japanese food you can imagine. A few items they had: ramen, udon, Japanese side dishes, sashimi, sushi (made to order - whatever you want), king crab legs, seafood mix in oyster shells, steak, tempura, pickled everything, sushi rolls, miso soup, dessert table and much more.
We have decided this was the best meal we had the entire time in Hawaii.
Hakone, found in the Hawaii Prince Hotel (which by the way, was beautiful), is pretty small and can only fit some many guests. What I love most is that unlike every other buffet in the world, all of their patrons (mostly Japanese) didn't hog anything. In fact, everyone was really good about being considerate to everyone else. There was never a shortage of anything for that reason, plus they were quick about re-stocking the items. Service was very attentive and sweet.
At $45 per person, we thought it was a great deal!
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Finally tried the Hakone weekend buffet. I hate buffets in general because I think it's always about quantity and not quality. This one however is suprisingly good! While the size of the buffet doesn't look large, it's because they only make a little at a time and the selection is huge.
Of what I remember they have:
Sashimi - 4-5 different types but FRESH
Sushi - kind of slow because there is only 1 guy. Limited selection but again fresh and very good quality. Especially liked the saba and ikura. It was nice to have ikura that wasn't so salty.
Main Dishes - crab, shabu shabu, steak, tempura, oden, sukiyaki, lamb
Side dishes - chawan mushi, misc selection of items for your rice (mentaiko, takuan) ,various vegetable dishes ( kiriboshi daikon, hijiki, bean spout salads, long rice, steamed asparagus, cooked eggplant, pumpkin), premade sushi ( inari, this fried tempura roll with mayo that was tasty)
Desserts - A selection of Japanese and Western. Everything from fresh fruits, cheesecake, key lime, bread pudding, flan to anmitsu, oshiruko and that mochi (Japanese name is escaping me)rolled in kinako with black sugar sauce. The mochi was probably my fav.
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I know I am going to miss this place when I leave Honolulu. It was simply the best sushi/seafood/Japanese food buffet I've ever been to. The service was fantastic considering this was a buffet. I couldn't ask for more. Some of the standouts were the sushi bar with the most delicious uni I've ever had, the snow crab legs, the roasted yellowtail with daikon, the fried shrimp roll, the shabu shabu, the miso with the delicate smokey flavor, the ribeye, the key lime pie and even the fruit on the dessert table (especially watermelon and pineapple) and all the other delicacies that I indulged in since there was so much there I could never remember it all. There's a run-on sentence for you!!
This place was a fantastic value also. At $44 per person it's a steal.
I went on a Friday night at 5:30 so I had a pristine and fresh buffet to choose from. Got to watch the beautiful sunset over the Pacific ocean from my table. I'd eat here once a week if I could. It's amazing.
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3.75 stars for this place.
I came here to celebrate a friends birthday and like some yelpers who have previously reviewed their service, I thought they could definitely improve. They seemed to warm up more to us after we purchased a bottle of Soju. I liked the smaller atmosphere of the restaurant but also found myself shivering because it was too cold! The food was definitely worth the price. Best chawan mushi I've had in a awhile, and their shabu shabu and yakiniku is just like the way my mother-in-law makes. Delicious! The sushi chef was very generous with his cuts and also made fresh salmon for us when requested. I just wished the staff didn't act so snobby, its not good for business to make your consumers feel like they aren't good enough to eat there. I would return, but only for the food.
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One of the best places I've been to in HI. Great food, also on a buffet-style serving that's really enjoyable. Service was efficient, kind and they went the extra mile by hurrying up things for me since I had a plane to catch.
My husband and I came here for dinner during our stay in Hawaii this past week. There is a good variety of authentic Japanese dishes at the buffet. I'm a picky eater, which is the only reason I am probably giving it 3 stars. I didn't really enjoy much of anything they had. My husband would probably give it 4, though. He said the sushi was really good - the fish was A+ quality. Tina N. does a good job of describing what other items they also had at the buffet.
The service is a little on the slow side unless you're sitting right next to a regular customer. This happened to us, so everytime the waitress came by to see how they were doing, we would just butt in and make our requests. Otherwise, you can expect service at the normal island pace.
The hotel has self parking, and you can get validated at the restaurant. I think it's ultimately $3 out the door.
For Japanese food lovers, this is definitely a place to check out. But since I'm not one of them, I probably won't be back.
The buffet doesn't look like much when you go for your first look around because the table is so small but at a second glance you will see how much variety they are able to squeeze into every inch of the table. The variety is nothing like I have seen before. They have everything from Shabu to leg of lamb which was perfectly cooked. I think the other yelpers covered their selection.
But the best part is their sushi bar! They take custom orders and carry a good variety of fresh fish. The sushi bar even carries toro, uni, and giant clam!! Pretty hard to find a sushi buffet that carries those more expensive items.
The only reason I give this restaurant four stars is because their dessert bar needs improvement. For me, its always about the dessert!! They have your typical chocolate cakes and flans but nothing special. I would like to see some mochi or maybe something a little more exotic! Ice cream is always good too! =)
Pulling up to the hotel, I found street parking by the bay for something outrageous like $.25 for 40 minutes or something like that. Coming from a place where that will get you about 6 minutes, I was ecstatic heading into Hakone. They were also very gracious and seated is promptly, without a reservation. The service was exceptional throughout the meal. The kind, elderly Japanese woman was always around clearing food and refilling our tea. It was the best service we had while on Oahu.
The buffet was good, but not great. Everyone should come here once, if you can take the $43 per person hit to the wallet, just to experience the wide variety of choices. The tempura was good, the sushi was good, the dessert was good. Everything was really good. I wouldn't go back, because it wasn't the best food around, but it was worth it, once.
We decided to come here based on all the great reviews. Our reservations were at 8pm and they close at 9 or 930pm, which didn't make sense because that only left us an hour to eat and enjoy our food =( Despite the limited time, we were still able to stuff ourselves.
The fish was very very fresh and tasty. However, you can pass on the unagi because I ordered it and it was served cold and then my sister ordered and it was served warm-I didn't understand why??? You must try their spicy tuna hand roll, they actually put more tuna than rice unlike some other places. They did not have a wide variety of dishes (non sushi items), but the dishes they did have were yummy. Their steak, shabu-shabu, and tempura were to die for. My nephew ate a lot rack of lamb, so I assumed it was delicious too.
The service could use some improvement. I did notice that our server was nicer after we paid our bill. Could it have been that we were not dressed up (my husband and nephew were in shorts)? We will never know, although we did call and ask for the dress code and they said shorts and t-shirts were okay....so maybe it was something else??
BTW-They charge for each refill!!
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3.5 stars for the Wed & Thur dinner buffet
4.6514 stars for the Fri, Sat, & Sunday dinner buffet
The quality of your dining experience at Hakone is dependent on TIMING.
If you come on Wed & Thursdays for the $42 buffet, the food is not as fresh nor are there as many items available. I was bit disappointed to learn that more was not offered at the all-you-can-eat buffet table besides Snow Crab legs, Hamachi and Ahi sashimi, 5 assorted Sushi items, and a few other ho-hum dishes. BTW, skip the california and soft shell crab rolls which were bland and dry.
Also on these days, the sushi and sashimi were not brought out as often and therefore some of the sushi tended to have the dull, dried out look of food that's been left out too long. However, I had to admit the ahi and hamachi sashimi were high quality and fresh, descriptions which I rarely use in reference to buffet chow.
However, if you come on the weekends, it's an entirely different story. For a dollar more ($43), in addition to everything above, Hakone makes available tempura, udon, oden,shabu shabu, lamb, and more sushi items such Uni and Chu-Toro. Also, because it was far busier on the weekends, the food was fresher as it was brought out more frequently.
The quality of the food on the weekends exceeded my expectations, especially since it was a frickin' BUFFET. I actually didn't mind trying to stuff my silly. Ha!
With the buffet, you also receive an entree of your choice from about 6 selections. I've sampled three of them and my thoughts on them:
Steak Filet - Very tender, but underseasoned. Accompanying shoyu/ponzu sauce only helped negligibly.
Hamachi Kama - Wow. Just as good as the ones served at Tokkuri Tei...crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.
Tonkatsu - Excellent. Nice, thick juicy cut of pork wrapped around lightly with thin amount of crispy batter.
Some words of advice: Come on the WEEKENDS EARLY, before 6:30pm. The good stuff tend to run out after 7pm. The only problem is that all the Hakone regulars employ the same strategy and therefore reservations for those early time periods are a MUST. In fact, calling one to two weeks in advance is highly recommended.
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I want to thank Yelp for helping me find the best restaurant during my trip to Hawaii! Hakone Restaurant was the epitome of food heaven! You will not find a more authentic Japanese restaurant in Hawaii other than this one!
This restaurant was spectacular, the orgainzation of the buffet, the simplicity, yet elegant and tasteful myriad of the food. They had some of the freshest sashimi i've ever seen... the tuna that they served bright dark red, the other sashimi they served were just out of this world as well. Sushi they had at the buffet were very authentic unlike the other japanese restaurants i've been too. The service here is just stellar, you won't be able to find service like this anywhere else, the lady that served us had a little problem with language barrier, but that didn't stop her from providing world class service.
The thing i really love about this buffet is how they allow you to choose an entree off the menu, which consists of filet mignon, fried tempura, some type of seafood soba.. not quite sure what else there is, but it consists of quite a few items that look delicious. I ordered the filet mignon and that was one of the best filet mignon i've ever eaten, it was served with japanese steak sauce along with turnip bits and green onion which makes the flavor of the sauce even greater! The filet mignon melted in my mouth.
After you're done with dinner, dinner ends with the choice of green tea, azuki bean, or vanilla ice cream... and also a real nice cup of green tea to settle the food in your stomach. I have yet to find a japanese buffet like this in the bay area... Yes the buffet is $42 and about $50 including tax and tip, but let me tell you, you won't regret coming here... treat yourself don't cheat yourself.
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Damn good sushi and sashimi, steak with big chunks of roasted garlic, tempura, yummy sukiyaki- omg- I was in heaven. Kinda expensive, but if you are going to do a Japanese buffet (like Todai) spend the xtra money and come here...you won't be disappointed.
I went for my b-day on 7/5/08 and an older Japanese waitress brought me a bowl of 3 different kinds of ice cream and sung Happy Birthday to me. Thought that was cute.
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I died and went to Japanese food heaven!
I made a reservation for 5 people on a Sunday night. When we arrived, we were taken to our own private room where you have to wear slippers. It was so great!
When I made my way down to the buffet, I was not prepared for the veritable smorgasbord of Japanese delights that lay before me. There was a little bit of everything. I mean EVERYTHING! Chicken katsu, shabu shabu, crab legs, karaage, nimono, and so much more that I can't remember it all. Why? Because I was enamored by the sushi and sashimi. They had it all! The fish was so fresh and succulent. I was sorry that I wasn't able to try it all because there was so much to eat! It was truly a feast fit for a king.
The service was impeccable. Our server attended to our every need, but wasn't the least bit intrusive.
Of course, such a wonderful experience cannot come cheap. And it didn't. It was $44 a person. Thankfully I didn't have to pick up the tab!
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Makino Chaya and Todai's has nothing on this place when it comes to the sushi. There aren't a bunch of choices to choose from as compared to other buffets but what they lack in quantity they more than make up for it in quality. To most people 44$ is a lot but its well worth it over here. Especially if all you eat is the toro, maguro, and hamachi sashimi like I do. I probably ate 30 pieces along with 5 butterfishes. I hope I don't die from mercury poisoning.
The service is real friendly. Its cool to order from the sushi chef. I hope he didn't get mad that I was eating all the toro.
All in all, this is a great place to get your fish craving satisfied. I didn't think about eating sushi for a while after coming here and I usually get sushi every week.
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A dream Japanese buffet for those hardcore sashimi lovers. They offer high end sashimi, a plethora of Japanese delicacies, many of which I didn't know what they were, but was happy to taste! The uni was buttery and delicious, and the toro and hamachi were to die for!
At first glance it looks small, but trust me, you will definitely get your fill.
Our waitress was kind and attentive. At first I had ordered a Hakone Lemon drop, but we decided to order a bottle of sake to share, but she still brought me a lemon drop out (on the house) for me to try. Both were utterly scrumptious!!
I would minus a half-star since the tempura was a bit on the gummy side, but other than that my fave hot dishes were the yakisoba, miso soup with dungeness crab, steamed tofu with vegetables and the rib eye.
For dessert, my favorite was simple. Strawberries drizzled with condensed milk! Geez, how come I never thought of that!
A great place for an intimate honeymoon dinner or for a celebration!
Cheers to Hakone!
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The days leading up to our trip, I was totally thinking about Hakone... since seeing pictures and reading reviews... I've been dreaming of coming here... and it has been a dream come true! The buffet isn't as big as I thought but it does come packed with foods... and the sushi chef on the side helps a lot because he will make any nigiri or hand roll you want, maybe even a roll, but I got full fast. I ate all the sashimi that I could handle. I'm not a fan of buffets but I am definitely a fan of Hakone.
If you think Todai is a great Japaneses restaurant... stop reading this review!
I went here on the weekend when buffet was on. Hands down the best Japanese buffet I've been to. This isn't your value driven all you can eat joint. Great fresh sashimi, big selection of hot dishes, and excellent service to boot. It's about twice the price over Todai, but worth it.
All you can eat Uni anyone?
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Well, I had such high expectation going into this restaurant due to other reviews. Food - okay. Sushi - good. The problem here is the sushi bar. The Japanese sushi chef with an attitude makes sushi ok. He actually ruined the whole experience for us. Not impressed at all. I have had it better. In Hawaii's standard, I guess it's considered good. Sad, though. Long line to wait for 6 pieces of suchi at a time is ridiculous when you can't eat together with your date. I would rather spend the same money (over $100 with drinks) for a real sushi restaurant at a counter where the chef actually serves you and makes a good sushi for you. We won't be going back there. Sorry.
If you love Japanese food, you'll definitely love this place. This is like Makino Chaya, Todai's, Genki Sushi, and Sushi King all rolled into one. Although it'll break your wallet a little, it's a must try in my opinion. The sushi is superb, then they have shabu shabu, tempura, soft shell crab, katsu, sashimi, miso soup and a variety of other things.
This is one place I will use my economic stimulus package and stimulate that economy!
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OMG. This place is soooooo goood!! I wanted to take the boyfriend here on his actual birthday (the first day of our Hawaii trip) but due to our messed up time schedule...and laziness, we didn't go. Finally we went on the last night of our trip (after I threw a tantrum about wanting to go to a sushi/japanese buffet)
We got oh-so-lucky! With no reservations, 8pm in the evening. We were told that they were completely booked. The boyfriend must've made a puppyface or cast some sort of spell on the hostess, 'cause the next thing you know, we have a table.
We went straight for the sushi. *droools* Then the platter of sashimi caught our eyes. It was such a beautiful sight. They say you eat with your eyes, heck, I can be blind and tell you everything is delicious. The toro, OMG, the toro.
If you're looking for a 60 item buffet, this is not the place to go. This place is about quality. QUALITY! They have an unique variation of foods. Shabu shabu. Crab legs. Fried fish. Tempura. Steam tofu. Small dishes. and more. So good. so good.
The boyfriend was happy. and i was happy that he's happy. He's not a big buffet person (buffet = crappy food) But this place is exceptional. He said he would come back to Hawaii just for this place.
Yay, Hakone! So yummy! Being next to the Ala Moana Beach Park and inside the Hawaii Prince doesn't hurt either. =]
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Went on a Saturday for the Sushi Buffet. This isn't you Todai or Machino Chaya buffet. there is a huge spread of pre-made sushi sitting out and drying out on some display counter. First of all it's very japanese...you can go and take all the sashimi you want, but this place is all about quality. The sushi chef will make you whatever he has (6 pieces at a time). If you're lucky, like we were, he'll have some toro and make you some of the best sushi you will ever have in your life.
Salmon was to die for...huge pieces on the sushi and sashimi...and it just melt in your mouth...unbelievable!
Shabu-shabu was great...miso butterfish was great...nothing to really complain about...
Just remember this isn't a stuff your plate, stuff your face all-you-can-eat buffet...
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I realized that I am a glutton if given the opportunity. We had the opportunity when we came here for the Friday night dinner (sans kids...thank you Grandma/pa for babysitting!) when we were back in May/June...and came out nearly in a food coma. The Husband and I had to recuperate in the lobby of the Prince hotel for a good 30 minutes before we could move. This authentic japanese cuisine was just so good that we couldn't stop ourselves. We obviously looked like newbies here by the way we waddled our way out, old japanese couples (probably regulars) who sat down the same time as us and left when we left, were able to pace themselves and it seemed that they even ate more than us by their neat stack of dishes.
When the freshest slices of hamachi and salmon sashimi are free game (after the $44 pricetag), I couldn't but help myself to the probably some 30 slices of sashimi (including tuna). But that's not all, you can order made-to-order amaebi, toro, and uni and other hand rolls from the sushi chef at the bar, and everything is super fresh....I think it's a limit of 3 orders for each time you go to the bar. Despite knowing that the shrimp tempura and fried amaebi heads would just bloat me up and prevent me from eating to my full potential, I couldn't help myself but consume probably 5 of each these babies and the heads, all the while wondering how they keep it so perfectly light and crispy just under a heat lamp. And after having flashbacks of the Vegas super buffets, I had to have some of them crab legs. The chawanmushi was so silky smooth with perfectly sized chunks of fresh scallops whose flavor permeates through the custard. Being chinese, I ate what I thought was of value to make up for my cost....so I didn't sample the variety of cooked dishes, which included shabu shabu, oden, sukiyaki, and much much more....but everything looked yummy. A japanese food lover's paradise. Even after all that food, again I had to treat myself to the selection of desserts which included fruit tarts, tiramisu, agar jello, mochi, red bean soup with mochi, and fresh fruits. Oh....and the hot tea was also really noteworthy in taste and probably the thing that allowed me to eat as much as I did. Yes, I ate all that...and honestly, I felt a little ill after all that food. But even in that aftermath and the extra 5 lbs from this trip, we look forward to going here on every trip back....the food is just that good.
Tip: The restaurant validates parking in the Hawaii Prince Hotel, but if you want to save yourself a couple more bucks....take the ticket for the public parking (there are two ticket stalls) and it'll only cost you a couple of bucks to park at the hotel and you won't even need validation.
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This is a great place to pig out on all things quality and Sushi. I can't say enough about the freshness of the Sushi bar, the dungeons crab legs, rare steak, rack of lamb, sukiyaki, all washed down with cold sake and kirin beers. I ate so much here, I felt full for the next day. My favorite part of the meal was the Uni. It was fresh, cold, and creamy. Another little secret, is if you ask the waitress for ice-cream, they have Azuki, Green Tea, Vanilla, and Chocolate. I'll come here again for a special occasion, perhaps a birthday. It's basically everything you would want to eat in a meal. If I were on death row, and only had one restaurant to choose from for my last meal, Hakone would be it. That being said, it's pretty much the same price as if you were going to eat a sushi meal at a regular restaurant. It's not a cheaper alternative, but for a buffet, it really is worth all of the $45 that you pay.
Aside from the price tag, there isn't much to stop you from visiting Hakone's buffet. To call it a buffet is almost insulting. Instead it is a Japanese food lover's fantasy. Imagine being able to sample authentic Japanese dishes, shabu shabu, sukiyaki, oden, huge platters of sashimi, nigiri sushi made to order (prepared by your own sushi chef) and more, all in one place! Save your money, bring home lunches for an entire month, whatever it will take for you to save the $40+ to eat here at dinner. I am so thankful they brought back their buffet...
Here are my favorites and highlights of the evening:
-sashimi platter which they kept restocking quickly after each time we demolished that thing. I couldn't stop eating those hamachi sashimi...
-fried ama-ebi heads (yes, they were a nice surprise)
-your own sushi chef...wow!
-shabu shabu, sukiyaki AND ODEN!!! in one place? how convenient and so oiiiisshhhiiii!!! especially those oden aburage pockets with mochi inside...
-rib eye steak, lamb chops, okinawan sweet potato...
-all kinds of tempura
-tasty ahi poke platter
-lots of fresh tofu, in different presentations...
-and even desserts were impressive. their apple tart, which is an apple pie on the bottom half, topped off with a custard-type of topping. hard to explain, you just have to try it
-don't forget the bread pudding...i could just drink the sauce...
We were celebrating my uncle's birthday and they even gave him 3 kinds of ice cream. Azuki bean, green tea and vanilla.
Service was excellent, our table of 7 always had our water and hot tea constantly being refilled. Worth every penny...
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wow, this place was really good :)
fresh sashimi, great service, yum.
Fresh high quality sushi at a reasonable price--$42 for all you can eat buffet (sushi rolls, sashimi, crab legs, chicken skewers, baked oysters, more...) and an entree ( choice of steak or two kinds of fish the night we went). Delicious!
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The fixed price menu comes with sushi and sashimi buffet, one entree, and a dessert. The sashimi is so fresh and tasty. I am not so impressed with their fried shrimp entree, but the steak was very good. In any case, you come for fish.
Excellent sushi buffet for dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. You do pay a premium ($44 per adult), but haven eaten here, I would never go back to Todai or Makino Chaya again.
Very high quality fish flown in from Japan by Chef Shimoyama. My auntie tells me that this is one of the top spots for local chefs to come eat because the consistency and quality of the food.
My favorite: the uni nigiri with shiso leaf. The fragrant, herby shiso complements the fresh, sweet and nutty uni. Divine. And all you can eat until the chef runs out of uni.
My girlfriend took me here for dinner while I was home this past winter. As much as I think buffets have a place in this world, a Japanese buffet priced at $44? I could just picture bad cuts of warm sushi/sashimi & endless california or spicy tuna rolls awaiting me...topped off w/shrimp tempura.
Well, I can admit when I'm wrong & I was way off. The fact is, Hakone delivers top quality cuts of sushi/sashimi along with simple yet delicious menu choices. If you're looking for the Las Vegas style buffet swarmed by super -sized tourists trying to see how many items they can eat that are deep-fried, this may not be your kind of buffet. But for everyone else who truly enjoys traditional sushi in a small friendly environment where Japanese is the primary language spoken; run, don't walk to Hakone's. Just don't forget to make reservations.
fyi...the dessert was the only thing that seemed out of place. But then again, I neither eat dessert after sushi nor have I heard of a sushi bar highlighting their pie.
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Hakone is one of the best Japanese restaurants that we've ever visited and will continue to frequent during our stays in Oahu. We went on a Thursday night and they had outstanding Sashimi, cracked crab, a good selection of sushi, katsu chicken, chicken skewers and so much more served buffet-style. In addition to the "appetizer" bar, it also came with an entree - I had a wafu steak (filet mignon) and my wife had the butterfish which were both delicious.
In addition to the great food, the service was excellent. Our server (Willene) was friendly, helpful, accommodating, and awesome. She even gave us great tips on what to do while in Oahu.
We advise you to make reservations. Hakone is located inside a hotel and its a little smaller than most other restaurants. It's busy on the weekends and probably busier during conventions.
My family and I went to Hakone for my birthday yesterday. I made a good choice!! The sushi/Japanese food buffet was one of the best buffets I ever had!
The price is $43.00 a person and it was totally well worth it! I couldn't even eat one of everything because there were so much things to eat. And this is not your cheapy buffet food! Everything was good in quality and there was so much to offer!
Sushi
Sukiyaki
Shabu Shabu
Crab Legs
Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura
Miso Soup with Crab
Sashimi
Salads
Dessert
and more!!
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I've come here for the sukiyaki (I prefer cooking with a shallow sauce as opposed to boiling) 2 or 3 times; can't remember. But I remember that it's REALLY good. Super fun, nice environment, yummy food. I think it's about time I show up at Hakone's again! This time I think I'll try a little oshinko maki and veggie roll in addition to the sukiyaki. Thanks for the sushi tip, peeps!
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Food: 5 stars (authentic, good variety, quality, & flavor)
Atmosphere: 4 stars (cozy semi formal Japanese restaurant)
Service: 4.2 (knowledgeable, attentive servers who are friendly)
Price: 4 (high price range but it's worth that and more!)
Recommended Dishes:
Dinner Buffet (unlimited sushi bar includes occasionally TORO!, negi Toro, Uni, Ikura, Yellowtail and many others), soft shell crab, shabu shabu, fish cake in broth, nice array of fresh local fruit (papaya & pineapple), eye-opening array of desserts to die for and MUCH MUCH more!
Shaved Ice (served only if it's your b-day)
NOTES: Make reservations and go early! This is NOT your low to average quality buffet; this is good quality with an excellent variety of items that you may not always find on any menu in a typical Japanese restaurant! Call to make sure it's a buffet night as the menu does change.
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BEST SUSSHI you will every have in your life.
first thing i did was i sat down with a plate of 8 slices of yellow tale, 8 slices of salmon, 8 slices of tuna. that's like 24 pieces. if you eat 24 pieces at any local restaurant in SF,CA it would easily cost 20 bucks or more. that's half the bill per head already. then they have shabu shabu type buffet, except you cook it standing up and eat at your table. TORO is the best. the rolls are awesome too. fresh food. nothing more to it. forget TODAI which is couple blocks away. come here. eat 20 slices of fish. couple beef strips and toro roles. and your on your way rocking. just make sure you don't eat to much to need some kind of assistant to get back home or to your car. it can easily happen. i was so full with pleasure i took a mile walk right after my meal.
i'm coming here again when i come to HAWAII
I'm usually wary about trying resturants that are located in the hotel.. but this one changed my entire perspective..
This resturant is located inside the Prince Hotel Waikiki... It's the most authentic japanese buffett I've ever tried. It's seats about 20 or so, so you have to make a reservation in advance (in fact i think it's reservation ONLY) before you go.. they're only open for in the evenings and on certain days of the week.. so do plan ahead..
There's a Japanese sushi chef that makes your sushi for you on the spot (almost anything you can think of including Uni... yesss!), soft shell crab, shabu shabu with rib eye beef.. and other authentic japanese items that I've never tasted or seen before.
Their bread pudding in the dessert corner was simply divine.. and if it's your birthday.. do let them know coz my girlfriend got a free strawberry shaved ice that was JAWDROPPING.. MUST MUST TRY..
I think it's like $40 somethg per person, cant remember clearly.. but I ALWAYS go back to this resturant everytime I'm in hawaii.. I love this place..
Yum! Review coming up soon (promise).
