Agaru Izakaya

This was hands down the BEST dining experience I enjoyed during my time in Waikiki. I had dinner here with my girlfriend on 8/23/2023. Everything from the moment we entered the door was exceptional! We shared the Izakaya menu and every plate was beautiful and delicious. Our favorite from the Izakaya was the Sake plate which included the most incredible bite of salmon I’ve probably ever had. We also each had a piece of the Ahi toast and even writing about it makes my mouth water. Crispy, buttery, tender, fresh, and crazy umami flavor. Can’t recommend this enough 10/10. We were lucky enough to try the Omakase and it was 6 incredible pieces of fish that I can’t compare to any sushi place I’ve ever had before, simply on another level. The last dish and perhaps our favorite off of the main menu was the foodxjitsu bowl. This is a creation from foodxjitsu himself and needless to say it blew us away. Overall I can’t recommend this place enough. Try to get a seat at the counter to watch all of the plates being put together to elevate the experience and the signature cocktails are an easy yes. Huge thank you to the entire staff at Agaru and foodxjitsu for creating a fun and personal experience.

You're on Oahu. You love Japanese food. You like a bit of messing with tradition. Why aren't you here yet? Agaru is delicious and inventive in ways that disrupt the typical omakase experience but still stay true enough to flavor and presentation that you're never thrown too far. The oysters, cabbage, and California hand roll were particular standouts in a fantastic menu across the board. Everything was delicious, and I can only imagine the things I didn't try are just as good. If you do go, try to get Tony as your server. Hilarious, friendly and knowledgeable, he made the night even more fun than it would have been otherwise. Get in here while you still can!

Renowned chef, Chris Kajioka, brings us his vision of integrating contemporary & modern western influences with a Japanese izakaya. This gem is neatly tucked in Waikiki and you can choose to go with a la carte, omakase, izakaya set, or all 3! The star of the meal was Chef Daysen’s imaginative omakase, which gets updated twice a week. There’s no doubt I’ll be back, as Oahu is now spoiled with having Chef Daysen (originally from Hilo) now serving us his creations!

First visit to Agaru, but definitely not the last. Agaru easily moved into one of the best meals we've had here in a long time. The staff were super friendly and joyful, and service was great. The food is familiar, but unique, and the menu is exciting.They let us know that the menu will change a bit in March. We'll absolutely be back. We opted to share everything so we could try more dishes. We ordered one of their tasting menu, ahi toast, oysters, wagyu handheld, and foi gras chawanmushi. We were obsessed with the cabbage, cabbage!!!! ... obsessed! We also loved the ahi toast, karaage chicken, and beef cheeks. You really can't go wrong, but these were stand outs for us. The fish is fresh and everything is not only beautifully prepared, but delicious.

The best izakaya tasting menu in Waikiki. Prices are extremely reasonable for Waikiki. For $65 izakaya you get 9 different plates. 6 piece omakase I believe is $65. There is a special omakase on weekends 16 items for $180. I sat at the sushi bar and watched two master chefs, chef Daysen and Chef Steven, preparing izakaya and amazing omakase. The chefs were extremely busy but were very friendly, we enjoyed our meal and conversations with the chefs. Our waitress provided excellent and prompt service. This is a sister restaurant to Miro and the quality is top notch. Validated 3 hour parking at Waikiki Galleria Tower parking off of Lewers St. Make sure you ask the waitress for the parking garage entrance door code as the door to enter the parking garage is locked at night. Excellent food and excellent experience. Loved everything here!

My husband and I had the pleasure of dining at the sushi counter last night and it was honestly INCREDIBLE! From beginning to end. We did the tasting menu + chef specials. Not just the food, which was by far the best we've had in Hawaii (most definitely the best on Oahu) but the whole restaurant; the vibe, music, ambiance and everything. It was truly top notch! Every dish was perfectly prepared, beautiful, and beyond delicious. It has all the ingredients to rival (and honestly, surpass) any tasting menu restaurant we've been to! This is a MUST if you have even one night in Waikiki. Plus it’s easy to walk to from any downtown hotels.

agaru is an amazing dining experience mixing casual with fine dining without the price. Had the 9 course Izakaya set and every dish was fantastic. The staff is super friendly and all sociable and very knowledgeable about the cuisine. Will definitely come back to try the new set that gets refreshed every couple of weeks.

Very friendly staff and delicious food. The staff was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu, and they had great recommendations about what to order. The izakaya set is definitely good value for what you get, and if you like uni and can afford it, I recommend adding the uni rice, it was very delicious. Ambiance was fairly nice but some of the light fixtures were flickering while we were there. I care much more about good food than ambiance though, so I'm not going to deduct any points there. My partner and I said we would definitely be willing to come back on a future trip to Honolulu, which is a sure sign that this place is good, because getting into our dining schedule is very competitive, given all the options around here.