Imanas Tei Restaurant - Japanese restaurant in Honolulu - 2626 S King St #1, USA

I have eaten at Imanas Tei twice recently. My experiences both times were about the same. The food is pretty good, but not amazing. In particular the "happy hour" specials are disappointing. And, for a place with relatively little atmosphere and what appears to be a low-rent location, the prices are pretty high. I spent over $120 for me and my wife with no alcohol. I think that if you want the really good food you have to really know Japanese food and you have to order off the non-happy hour menu. For example, my companions (one of whom is Japanese) ordered the Monkfish liver--not something I would have ever thought of ordering--and it was excellent. So, a mixed bag.

Pretty good Japanese restaurant. Location is kind hard to get to , you have to drive through a small alley to get to the middle of the property of where it is located. I went here kind of late at night around 8 pm. We forgot to do a reservation, but they accommodated us at the bar. Until we decided to order the chankonabe, also known as the soup sumo wrestlers regularly eat. They found a table that had a space available. I then saw someone ordered the salmon firecracker nigri sushi ($11 for 2 pieces) and immediately wanted that. Withstanding the spectacle of having the salmon and tobiko blowtorched in front of you; it was damn good. The flesh was meaty with a good amount of fat and the fish eggs had a nice smoky flavour. Intrigued by the sushi, we decided to order a sashimi for 2-3 persons ($40). It was very good, especially the yellowtai and tunal. They were kind of skimpy on the salmon though. Now for the chankonabe ($31 per person). I had high hopes as this was for sumo wrestlers and I expected sumo sized portions. What we got was a single bowl for the both of us that was too small to fit the contents inside. On top of that we had to cook on a butane stove. We waited about ten minutes to heat the food while at the same time manipulating the food inside to get properly cooked. It was good, but a lot of work and definitely not worth the money. I think the waitress sense our disappointment by offering a extra plate of udon. Is it good? Yes. However I went here for the chankonabe and was truly disappointed. Despite being tasty, I will never order that item again. Other than that it was good.

I celebrated my birthday here with my family this week. The waiters and waitresses were very patience. One of the child who came to this dinner had a weird obsession with eating lemons. The servers had no problem with giving him a lot of lemons to eat (more than 10). This place serves food pretty quickly and is delicious but can be quite expensive; however, I would definitely go back. This place is located in an area thst might be hard to find. The restaurant sign doesn't light up at night. Parking is limited. If you come here, I suggest coming early. There are street parking available as well.

Imanas Tei was one of the most underrated gems I've been to on Oahu. The sushi quality was absolutely top notch. While not cheap, the value or quality was outstanding. In addition to the sushi, we tried the katsu and shrimp tempura, both of which were fried perfectly. The entire experience was great, though the service was a tad slow. Not surprising considering it was busy, though. Overall, I'll absolutely be coming back.

We came here for Nabe (Japanese hot pot) and were blown away. We had buttered fish and tempura rolls for appetizers. We were surprised with the tempura rolls as they had a perfect crunchiness and delicate taste. Nabe was incredible - we had the porridge in the end and it was very satisfactory. I’d highly recommend for anyone who is keen to find out what Japanese hotpot is alike.

I forgot when and how I found this restaurant. It was long ago when I was much younger and eager to try new food, and then I kept returning to it whenever I was in Honolulu. The restaurant combines izakaya, Nihon whashoku, and sushi bar, and I was always satisfied with its sake selection. You can order a hot pot (shabu shabu) to cook your own slices of beef or have a bowl of soup noodles to finish your night of drinking. It is a perfect place for gathering with your old friends and new ones. The place is reasonably priced and has satisfactory service; its atmosphere is izakaya style, cheerful, and upbeat. Some might find the interior needing more attention, but the food and drinks always distract me from it. I have been to the restaurant so many times, and I can not remember which dishes were subpar. It felt like home cooking, but I am not Japanese. Overall, it is one of my favorite places in Honolulu, and I will keep returning. Take an Uber to go there to save your hassle of parking and the return driving after the drink.

The service and atmosphere were okay. Food was THE WORST I've ever had in my life. Had the tako wasabi, which was nothing like what I would expect for this classic appetizer - I just got some chopped fresh tako legs and a dollop of wasabi squezzed on top. Had the chicken karaage, which was tasteless and overfried. Had the beef tongue - it was served warm and right after we made our order, which makes me wonder if they were precooked and reheated. Had the teriyaki chicken, the meat was tasteless and the sauce was disgusting. Had the beef shabushabu, the meat, the soup and the dipping sauces were all freakkng sour and I gave up more than half of the food. Perhaps the sushi and sashimi were better(I didn't try), but everything I've had are sooo awful. Oh, and I paied a total of 180 for these.

My local friend brought me here. The food and service were excellent. Butter fish melts in your mouth. Beware, like a lot of places in Hawaii, parking is tight and limited.