Best soba in Honolulu! If you’re searching around for soba restaurants, do yourself a favour and just go here. This was my second favourite meal during our entire honeymoon trip in Hawaii and we came back on the last day. I got the Tempura Soba Set A (Zaru style) and added Mentaiko. The soba is handmade so it’s fresh and bouncy and the tempura is fried perfectly. We also highly recommend getting the Miso Gindara- it was so buttery and flavorful!At the end of the meal, they will give you a pot of water that they used to boil the soba noodles. Pour a bit of it in your leftover soba dipping sauce and drink it for a soothing and clean tasting drink to end the meal.This place is popular so if you’re going during dinner, there will probably be a line up. Just write your name down on the board at the entrance and they will call you when your table is ready. There are two seats inside at the waiting area and a few seats outside the restaurant for you to sit while waiting.Highly recommend this place. Food is great and the ladies are so cute!Don’t forget, it’s BYOB. They just charge $1 for each cup.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tempura Soba A
simeon gaurani
Very good tasting japanese food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tempura Soba A
Crystal T.
I was on the search for cold dipping soba and was so glad I stumbled upon this place! The restaurant itself isn't too big. When you walk in, there's bar/counter seating and maybe a few tables on the side. We came for lunch and there was only one other party at the bar and another at a table. I ordered the tempura soba. This was my first time having cold soba at a restaurant and it was so delightful! The noodles were perfectly cooked. The strips of seaweed added a nice saltiness. The cold dipping broth had just the right amount of soy mixed in a dashi/tsuyu broth and clung to the noodles. Adding a touch of wasabi to each bite gave an exciting mouth feel. The tempura shrimp was lightly battered and paired well with the tempura sauce. It was a nice contrast to the cold soba. My partner got the chirashi bowl and each piece of sashimi was so fresh! When you sit at the counter, you can see the chefs careful slicing the fish and how smooth each one looked. Recently I discovered I could get this back on the mainland in Torrance! If you love soba noodles, then come check this place out!
Lance N.
Everything tastes good and food came out in a timely manner with good service. will definitely come back again.
Rachel W.
We were able to get a seat without a reservation on a Friday right when they opened at 5. They were super friendly and accommodating to our toddler - he got his own utensils (and plenty of replacements when he dropped them on the floor). And the food was DELICIOUS! Would definitely go again :)
Paul S.
I-naba, as well as Shun & Shinsuke's Inaba Hanalei, are top notch for food & service!
Jay J.
I'm going to be honest... this place isn't bad, a bit expensive. But a nice place to eat dinner. The parking kinda sucks only cause you have to share the parking with a few businesses around the area.. but when their clients act like they OWN THE PARKING LOT... it really turns me off. Wanted to come here for dinner with a few friends. But instead this older couple decided to STAND IN A STALL I WAS GOING TO PARK IN... and told me to park somewhere else... and they were waiting for their friend who was in a car BEHIND ME... HOW RUDE!!! So we decided to go else where. Who the hell does this these days? Why? Just cause they drive a Porsche? I HIGHLY suggest go somewhere else that services better food with better parking
Michael C.
oishii! Some friends and I gathered last month at I-NABA to catch up, and to continue our dining journey of trying new places (or at least restaurants we've never dined at before). NOTES 1. Reservations taken. Thankfully, our friend had the thought to make one for our group of 5. 2. Small parking lot. Adding to the already challenged parking situation, the restaurant shares the lot with Baskin Robbins (which proved to be a popular dessert destination that night). 3. BYOB. As I've already mentioned, the parking lot is not large, and ironically the restaurant complements the lot quite well. Its definitely smaller than I expected it to be. There are 2 main rooms for dining, we were seated in the room to the left of the entrance. In this particular room, there are tables, as well as "counter seating" at what looks to be a former sushi preparation area. The restroom (single use/stall) is also adjacent to this room. When I first looked thru the menu, I found it slightly overwhelming. There were so many different items/choices, and when one is hungry (as I was) everything looks very appetizing. In the end, I chose the curry soba, while my dining companions each ordered a meal set. I also shared the tuna roll and the pork kakuni appetizers with my tablemates. The food was delivered in a timely manner....and what can I say, we slurped every last morsel of soba noodles in our bowls. The noodles were outstanding, simply put. Honorable mention for the meal is awarded to the pork kakuni. Very tender indeed. The tempura ice cream was "ok". We considered it a dessert appetizer before the main scoop at the Baskin Robbins across the parking lot. SERVICE Very attentive and polite overall. Our main server was a polite young woman who was friendly and patient. She and her fellow servers worked well together to attend to all the guests in our dining area. Some of the finest teamwork I've observed in a restaurant setting. BOTTOM LINE Tabemono wa totemo oishidesu!
Demur E.
Craving soba? Definitely head out to I-Naba! Soba is toothsome and seafood is fresh. I tried the duck nanban soba and the broth was delicious. Savory with lots of umami but not fatty. Tempura was crispy and eased that fried food craving I had. I also tried the gyudon which was also flavorful and not too salty. (Not in the same visit!) I did like the duck better. They also serve the hot water the soba was boiled in to add to your leftover dipping sauce from your zaru soba (the cold one). Apparently it has a lot of nutrients and is a healthful drink. Ice cream tempura are three cute little balls. I must admit, I did want a bigger serving. Next time I'm not sharing. Heh. The yuzu sorbet was tart and refreshing. The adzuki ice cream was very subtly flavored. It tasted good, but if you want a strong adzuki taste you may be disappointed. They have a tiny parking lot that is shared by the other businesses, which includes Baskin & Robins. So go for an early or late lunch/dinner unless you have the parking mojo. Small but comfortable space. It has that casual neighborhood restaurant feel to it. Service is quick and the servers are really nice and patient when you need them to explain things. Bonus is they have their own bathroom in the restaurant so it's not a shared strip mall bathroom.
Jack G.
Ate lunch here, 2 people, no alcohol, $105 with tip. Not worth it! My guest had the Zaru Soba Uni Bowl $38. I had the Zaru Bara Chirashi Bowl $28. I also ordered a side of large assorted Tempura $18. The dish comes with 5 little pieces of pickled daikon and 7 soy beans pods and does not come with any miso soup. The fish in my bowl was diced up so small I could barely pick it up wut my chopsticks. Most of my bowl was rice. The side shrimp tempura came with 2 little shrimps and the rest is tempura'd vegetables. We both ate everything on the plate and I was still hungry after we left. Not a good value at all! There's better Japanese restaurants in Honolulu. Don't waste your money here. Service was non-existent. Had to ask for water, a bottle opener and an extra glass, twice. Never got the extra glass. Had to wait 15 minutes to get in. Not sure why as it wasn't worth the waParking is limited and shared with several other businesses including Baskin Robins.
Got the tempura platter, uni/ikura soba, and green tea cheese cake Food was delicious and brought out quickly despite the restaurant being pretty busy. Friendly service and convenient parking as well. Would definitely come here again.
Dean W.
Great food Japanese style atmosphere. Hard to find Japanese atmosphere anywhere in Hawaii. The quality is great
Terpsi C.
YUM. (That sums it up. But Yelp says I need to write 85 characters, so... tasty, great quality food)
Krystal A.
everything is sooooooo good! appetizer: the seared mackerel sashimi was delicious! entree: i got the tempura with kake soba combo - bomb! dessert: mochi with kinako is so perfect coming back every week. k byeeeeee
jh Tan
It's definitely a good buckwheat soba restaurant. The fries are served with clean oil and are really delicious.
Best soba in Honolulu! If you’re searching around for soba restaurants, do yourself a favour and just go here. This was my second favourite meal during our entire honeymoon trip in Hawaii and we came back on the last day. I got the Tempura Soba Set A (Zaru style) and added Mentaiko. The soba is handmade so it’s fresh and bouncy and the tempura is fried perfectly. We also highly recommend getting the Miso Gindara- it was so buttery and flavorful!At the end of the meal, they will give you a pot of water that they used to boil the soba noodles. Pour a bit of it in your leftover soba dipping sauce and drink it for a soothing and clean tasting drink to end the meal.This place is popular so if you’re going during dinner, there will probably be a line up. Just write your name down on the board at the entrance and they will call you when your table is ready. There are two seats inside at the waiting area and a few seats outside the restaurant for you to sit while waiting.Highly recommend this place. Food is great and the ladies are so cute!Don’t forget, it’s BYOB. They just charge $1 for each cup.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tempura Soba A
Very good tasting japanese food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tempura Soba A
I was on the search for cold dipping soba and was so glad I stumbled upon this place! The restaurant itself isn't too big. When you walk in, there's bar/counter seating and maybe a few tables on the side. We came for lunch and there was only one other party at the bar and another at a table. I ordered the tempura soba. This was my first time having cold soba at a restaurant and it was so delightful! The noodles were perfectly cooked. The strips of seaweed added a nice saltiness. The cold dipping broth had just the right amount of soy mixed in a dashi/tsuyu broth and clung to the noodles. Adding a touch of wasabi to each bite gave an exciting mouth feel. The tempura shrimp was lightly battered and paired well with the tempura sauce. It was a nice contrast to the cold soba. My partner got the chirashi bowl and each piece of sashimi was so fresh! When you sit at the counter, you can see the chefs careful slicing the fish and how smooth each one looked. Recently I discovered I could get this back on the mainland in Torrance! If you love soba noodles, then come check this place out!
Everything tastes good and food came out in a timely manner with good service. will definitely come back again.
We were able to get a seat without a reservation on a Friday right when they opened at 5. They were super friendly and accommodating to our toddler - he got his own utensils (and plenty of replacements when he dropped them on the floor). And the food was DELICIOUS! Would definitely go again :)
I-naba, as well as Shun & Shinsuke's Inaba Hanalei, are top notch for food & service!
I'm going to be honest... this place isn't bad, a bit expensive. But a nice place to eat dinner. The parking kinda sucks only cause you have to share the parking with a few businesses around the area.. but when their clients act like they OWN THE PARKING LOT... it really turns me off. Wanted to come here for dinner with a few friends. But instead this older couple decided to STAND IN A STALL I WAS GOING TO PARK IN... and told me to park somewhere else... and they were waiting for their friend who was in a car BEHIND ME... HOW RUDE!!! So we decided to go else where. Who the hell does this these days? Why? Just cause they drive a Porsche? I HIGHLY suggest go somewhere else that services better food with better parking
oishii! Some friends and I gathered last month at I-NABA to catch up, and to continue our dining journey of trying new places (or at least restaurants we've never dined at before). NOTES 1. Reservations taken. Thankfully, our friend had the thought to make one for our group of 5. 2. Small parking lot. Adding to the already challenged parking situation, the restaurant shares the lot with Baskin Robbins (which proved to be a popular dessert destination that night). 3. BYOB. As I've already mentioned, the parking lot is not large, and ironically the restaurant complements the lot quite well. Its definitely smaller than I expected it to be. There are 2 main rooms for dining, we were seated in the room to the left of the entrance. In this particular room, there are tables, as well as "counter seating" at what looks to be a former sushi preparation area. The restroom (single use/stall) is also adjacent to this room. When I first looked thru the menu, I found it slightly overwhelming. There were so many different items/choices, and when one is hungry (as I was) everything looks very appetizing. In the end, I chose the curry soba, while my dining companions each ordered a meal set. I also shared the tuna roll and the pork kakuni appetizers with my tablemates. The food was delivered in a timely manner....and what can I say, we slurped every last morsel of soba noodles in our bowls. The noodles were outstanding, simply put. Honorable mention for the meal is awarded to the pork kakuni. Very tender indeed. The tempura ice cream was "ok". We considered it a dessert appetizer before the main scoop at the Baskin Robbins across the parking lot. SERVICE Very attentive and polite overall. Our main server was a polite young woman who was friendly and patient. She and her fellow servers worked well together to attend to all the guests in our dining area. Some of the finest teamwork I've observed in a restaurant setting. BOTTOM LINE Tabemono wa totemo oishidesu!
Craving soba? Definitely head out to I-Naba! Soba is toothsome and seafood is fresh. I tried the duck nanban soba and the broth was delicious. Savory with lots of umami but not fatty. Tempura was crispy and eased that fried food craving I had. I also tried the gyudon which was also flavorful and not too salty. (Not in the same visit!) I did like the duck better. They also serve the hot water the soba was boiled in to add to your leftover dipping sauce from your zaru soba (the cold one). Apparently it has a lot of nutrients and is a healthful drink. Ice cream tempura are three cute little balls. I must admit, I did want a bigger serving. Next time I'm not sharing. Heh. The yuzu sorbet was tart and refreshing. The adzuki ice cream was very subtly flavored. It tasted good, but if you want a strong adzuki taste you may be disappointed. They have a tiny parking lot that is shared by the other businesses, which includes Baskin & Robins. So go for an early or late lunch/dinner unless you have the parking mojo. Small but comfortable space. It has that casual neighborhood restaurant feel to it. Service is quick and the servers are really nice and patient when you need them to explain things. Bonus is they have their own bathroom in the restaurant so it's not a shared strip mall bathroom.
Ate lunch here, 2 people, no alcohol, $105 with tip. Not worth it! My guest had the Zaru Soba Uni Bowl $38. I had the Zaru Bara Chirashi Bowl $28. I also ordered a side of large assorted Tempura $18. The dish comes with 5 little pieces of pickled daikon and 7 soy beans pods and does not come with any miso soup. The fish in my bowl was diced up so small I could barely pick it up wut my chopsticks. Most of my bowl was rice. The side shrimp tempura came with 2 little shrimps and the rest is tempura'd vegetables. We both ate everything on the plate and I was still hungry after we left. Not a good value at all! There's better Japanese restaurants in Honolulu. Don't waste your money here. Service was non-existent. Had to ask for water, a bottle opener and an extra glass, twice. Never got the extra glass. Had to wait 15 minutes to get in. Not sure why as it wasn't worth the waParking is limited and shared with several other businesses including Baskin Robins.
Restaurantji Recommends
Got the tempura platter, uni/ikura soba, and green tea cheese cake Food was delicious and brought out quickly despite the restaurant being pretty busy. Friendly service and convenient parking as well. Would definitely come here again.
Great food Japanese style atmosphere. Hard to find Japanese atmosphere anywhere in Hawaii. The quality is great
YUM. (That sums it up. But Yelp says I need to write 85 characters, so... tasty, great quality food)
everything is sooooooo good! appetizer: the seared mackerel sashimi was delicious! entree: i got the tempura with kake soba combo - bomb! dessert: mochi with kinako is so perfect coming back every week. k byeeeeee
It's definitely a good buckwheat soba restaurant. The fries are served with clean oil and are really delicious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4