Ginza Bairin Hawaii

Note There are two sides & separate entrances to this restaurant! although we were able to walk in, I recommend making a reservation. Cozy interior by far & the best katsu I’ve had in the states! you can opt for unlimited refills of miso soup, rice, and cabbage but the portions are generous as is!

Located in the heart of Honolulu, this Japanese restaurant specializes in pork katsu. The original recipe is from the store in Tokyo in 1927, and it’s now under the third generation of owners. The pork katsu is indeed well-cooked, and the batter is light and crispy. The sauce adds to the taste, and you can grind your own sesame peanut to add to the katsu. The interior is on the small side, so it can fill up quickly during the peak meal hours. Friendly but slow service. Street parking and several parking lots nearby.

This is the best meal I had in Waikiki. The classic pork loin tonkatsu was deeeeelicious! The light crispy breading was perfection, the meat was tender and the whole sesame grinding with tonkatsu sauce action was just fantastic. We also ordered the A5 Wagyu Filet Mignon Katsu set that we grilled on hot stone. Marbling was exquisite, meat super tender. Rice, cabbage salad & miso soup are unlimited. We enjoyed every bite of our meal. We reserved on Yelp, got seated right away, there were only 2 Japanese aunties taking orders, bussing, serving, checking out, refilling etc and served with a smile. We will definitely make sure to return here on our next visit to the island. It’s money well spent. They close around midnight - it’s very close to Hard Rock Cafe and Lahaina Shave Ice. Be sure to make reservations before heading over or it will be a long wait as it gets packed quickly. We went to Tonkatsu Tamafuji 2 nights later but i personally prefer Ginza over Tamafuji.

We made our reservation for Ginza Bairin Tonkotsu & Yoshoku Bistro about two weeks ahead of time. The space itself is a bit unorthodox. Upon check-in, they told us to go next door to be seated. Seemingly, both spaces belong to the restaurant, but it wasn’t too much of a hassle. Just like its name, the restaurant originates in Ginza, Tokyo. The chain has been around for almost a hundred years and the Honolulu location is its first branch outside of Asia. Their dedication to using quality ingredients is remarkable. Their specialty is pork katsu made from purebred Berkshire kurobuta pork. Their katsu sauce was developed by their founder, who allegedly used his pharmaceutical background to formulate the perfect sauce to accompany pork katsu. After we ordered, they gave us little dishes of sesame seeds for us to grind ourselves with mortal and pestle. A bit bizarre and strenuous but it was fun! After we grinded our sesame seeds into oblivion, we mixed them with tare to finish our sauce. Although all of their pork katsu uses 100% Berkshire pork loin, they offer a specialty cut that makes up less than 10% of the loin, selected daily for its exceptional quality. Only 20 servings of this dish are available a day. Our reservation was at 7pm on a Thursday, and we were able to order one. The Specialty Kurobuta Pork Loin Katsu will set you back $45 a la carte. The set includes rice, miso soup, and pickles and costs $49. The deluxe set, which additionally comes with curry sauce and chawanmushi, will run you $59. We were on vacation, so of course we got the deluxe set. In addition, we also got the Bairin Mix Katsu and Katsudon, which were around the $30-$45 range. Although prices were on the steeper side, I felt like we got what we paid for. The texture on the pork katsu was incredible. The breading was fried to a light crispy perfection and the meat was so tender. Everything from the breading to the flavor of the meat and the texture was exceptional. The sweet sauce complemented the katsu perfectly. I would 100% order this dish again. I feel like next time, I would probably stick to the regular set. I feel like you could pass on the curry sauce and chawanmushi, but you have to have the rice. The katsudon was also very good and a significant contrast to the regular katsu. Whereas the regular katsu dishes are crispy, the katsudon presents a softer version of this fried pork cutlet, sitting above a bed of Tsuyahime rice, a blanket of egg, and a rich, sweet, umami broth. Warm and comforting - this was probably the second best katsudon I’ve ever had. I would happily come back. You could feel the restaurant’s commitment to high quality ingredients and exceptional food in every bite. I highly recommend coming here on your next trip to Oahu.

December 2025 Popular Japanese originated restaurant serving arguably the best katsu and Yoshoku dishes on the island 🏝 👌 😋 😍 Maintaining a high level of quality and consistency in service makes for a very enjoyable meal. The recommended dishes are indeed spot on. Yoshoku are dishes with Western influences from historic encounters and transformed into culinary staples. Serving sizes are very generous. Service staff is very informative, helpful and attendant The place is indeed cozy and well cleaned with a limited number of tables. Thus reservations are highly advised. Noise often carries across the area. The toilet 🚻 is shared with another establishment.

We made 2 separate reservations for a group of 8 (4 and 4) for a Thursday evening. They have 2 sides of the restaurant. When we got there our reservation was on the other side and they have a grace period but make sure not to be late. This place reminds me of a traditional Japanese katsu place that only seeks katsu and prepared traditionally. They all come with unlimited salad and miso soup, you can always ask for more. You have options of sets to order for pork, different cuts of pork, chicken, and even beef. I ordered the most popular set which may have been a little too hearty and fat for me. I prob would have liked a leaner smaller portion. Some sets also come with a shrimp tempura. Nicely breaded and crunchy and good cuts of pork. I was stuffed at the end. You make your own sesame seed sauce and can use the mustard to add more taste and dip as well. If you’re driving here parking isn’t easy, you’ll have to find a parking garage.