Step inside this hole-in-the-wall near Ala Moana Center and you’ll feel like you’re in the heart of Osaka. Warm wood décor, tables and booths filled with locals and Japanese expats and an open grill where the chef works his magic all hark back to Yaki Yaki Miwa’s origins in Japan. Honolulu is the newest outpost for this six-restaurant chain, but the heart of the menu is the same: Kansai-style okonomiyaki, savory Japanese pancakes loaded with cabbage, seafood and meat and slathered with a tangy sauce. The chef mixes ingredients to order and grills your okonomiyaki as you watch. It’s delivered piping-hot to a grill set into your own table to keep warm as you tuck in and share with friends. Be sure to ask for chilled sake pairings to augment this tasty dish.
Honolulumagazine.com: “Eating at Yaki Yaki Miwa is fun—a communal experience that lends itself to drinking, as long as you mind the hot griddle in the middle of the table.”