Sushi Izakaya Gaku

What makes a restaurant unforgettable…? Easy answer… When every single dish hits 😮‍💨 Five stars for Sushi Izakaya Gaku in Honolulu… The toro sashimi was unreal… The uni… insane… Salmon, hamachi, nigiri… all ridiculously fresh and perfectly done… Then the cooked dishes showed up and somehow got even better… The steamed clams were incredible… The crab croquettes were next level… …and the cooked crab absolutely crushed… Authentic Japan vibes… No fluff… Just ridiculously good food and great execution from start to finish… One of the best Japanese meals we’ve had on Oʻahu!

The overall experience and vibe at the sushi counter is excellent here - highly recommend going for that specifically. I got a walk-in spot when they opened, but since it's a fairly small space, it's probably best to make a reservation. I like the way they do omakase here - your nigiri comes out one piece at a time until you say stop, whether that's only a handful of pieces along with other stuff you order, or a large course. Bearing in mind that this is more of a casual-ish spot it's not going to be the fanciest preparations, but generally good and quality fish. Great variety of what they have on hand; definitely significantly above and beyond what you'd typically find back on the mainland! Variety goes a long way toward a good experience. Easily recommended.

In my top three favorite restaurants! I love their sushi sets, very high quality, great variety, and filling. There are some dishes I've never had at other Japanese restaurants, and some classics you are sure to find. Usually my go to birthday or celebratory restaurant. Glad it's still open after all these years! Also the ambiance is beautiful, calming, and sets the right mood.

From food to service this place knocked it out of the park! Coming from NYC and been to Japan twice I think this is one of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever had. Seasoning for each dish was just right. The chef kindly gave me three pieces of dried stingray fin to try. Don’t be fooled by the name. I was surprised by how well seasoned and cooked it was. Moist yet crispy and sweet. It was so good that I ordered a whole plate. Service wise, I dined solo at the counter. Chef and waiting staff were all super attentive but also gave me space to enjoy the food. During our conversation, I casually mentioned how good the mangos in Hawai’i were. The waitress kindly asked the pastry chef to add a few pieces of mango to my dessert. It was such a pleasant surprise! Last but not least, they allow half sizes to some of the dishes. It was a huge positive cause it allowed me to try more dishes!

My SIL and nephew took me to one of their favorite restaurants, Sushi Izakaya Gaku on King Street. There are about eight parking stalls in the back, accessed by a narrow driveway through the building. We got there before 5pm (opening time) so we were able to pick our parking space. I left the ordering to my hosts but started with an Ohoro gin and soda. This gin comes from Hokkaido with sweet gale and mint as botanicals. It’s strong for a gin at 47% alcohol but has a nice clean taste with a light aroma of citrus. My nephew went with Asahi Dry. The first dish was Omatsuri Natto … with natto as the base, pieces of salmon, ahi, squid, ikura, uni, yamaimo, chopped green onion and okra topped with a quail egg. It’s mixed together and eaten on nori. I found it refreshing with the natto being very mild. Next was Uni and Oyster shooters, Seared Otoro with garlic sauce, Tako Basil, Gyutan (grilled beef tongue) Salad, and assorted nigiri. The uni and oyster shooters were excellent, as was the seared otoro. I thought that was the best dish of the evening. The beef tongue was tender and the salad dressing was great. I enjoyed the tako basil as well. I found the dishes to be very good … My SIL thought some of the ingredients were of lesser quality than during her previous visits. She noted a change in staff though one of the “old timers” came by later in the evening to say hello. All in all, I enjoyed my dining experience. The place was filled with diners, so service was slow and inattentive at times. The kitchen put out dishes quickly despite the crowd. 4 stars for me.

INCREDIBLE!!! Best otoro I’ve ever had in my life. Not a local but this place was highly praised by my friends from the island. Would love to come back! Quick service, great food and kind servers.

Excellent omakase style, I ordered for myself 🤣. Everything was superb. Fish was succulent, fresh, well prepared. Hit on all my expectations. I will definitely come back next time on the island.

Hidden Gem 💎 More traditional style sushi. You won’t find the fancy American rolls here. Everything we ordered was outstanding. Fresh ingredients. Delicious flavors. The service was wonderful- very friendly and attentive staff. They have non-alcoholic beers too! Much appreciated! Highly recommend!

Hands down best sushi in Hawaii. Gaku was recommended to us by our scuba diving instructor who is a Japanese sushi chef before moving to Hawaii. Every piece of sushi is prepared so delicately and skillfully. Each cut of the fish is so precise and fine. Also must mention that the spicy tartar is extremely creamy flavorful and yet refreshing. Just overall an amazing experience. Definitely best sushi in Hawaii

This was the best omasake we’ve ever had. The fish was so fresh and straight out of Japan. My husband doesn’t like sushi or sashimi but he enjoyed this experience very much. He said everything tasted amazing and he ate everything. That’s huge for him. Thank you so much to our chef too. He was so wonderful and catered to our likings. We came with our friends and were able to sit together by the bar. The reservation was made a couple weeks prior for the dinner. Highly recommend this. There is a small parking lot in the back that can fit about 6-8 cars. Or plenty of street parking too.