I visited Hawaii after several years and was surprised by some of the changes in Waikiki. One of the most noticeable was the abundance of “JAPAN” throughout the area.
There are many Japanese tourists, and I met several people who spoke Japanese. I even saw an advertisement for a food court called “Waikiki Yokocho” on the airport shuttle bus. As the name suggests, Waikiki Yokocho is a Japanese-themed food court.
Waikiki Yokocho is located in the basement of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, which is situated along Kalakaua Avenue. During my trip, I walked past the building several times, but since my stay in Hawaii was short, I didn’t feel like eating Japanese food. I wanted to try local dishes like steak, poke, pancakes, and acai bowls! So, I only walked through the food court when I visited the plaza to buy BIRKENSTOCK sandals. You can easily access Waikiki Yokocho directly from the escalator outside.
Contrary to its name, Waikiki Yokocho is a stylish food court. “Yokocho” usually evokes images of narrow, old alleys, but this place is much more modern.
There are 16 restaurants at Waikiki Yokocho, offering a variety of Japanese dishes such as ramen, seafood, curry, okonomiyaki, and tendon. It’s a great place to enjoy some of Japan’s most popular foods.
One of the highlights is a curry shop called “NIN-NIN”, where ninjas welcome you!
There’s also a yakiniku restaurant called “SIZZLE”. Many of the restaurants offer lunch menus at affordable prices.
“NOMU” is a bar located in the center of Waikiki Yokocho. They offer a variety of drinks, including Japanese sake, whiskey, and bourbon.
For fans of Osaka’s local cuisine, there’s “TANAKA”, a kushikatsu restaurant.
Interestingly, in Waikiki, they focus on beef cutlets rather than the typical kushikatsu!
Though I didn’t try it myself, I recommend checking out Nana’s Green Tea, which serves a variety of matcha drinks.
For those who love seafood, there are several restaurants offering sashimi bowls. They are quite pricey—$47.95 for one bowl—but you get a large serving, complete with udon!
Additionally, you’ll find Kaneko Hannosuke and Baiko-ken, two other great options in the food court. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit all the restaurants due to my short trip, but if you’re staying longer, Waikiki Yokocho is definitely worth checking out.
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