Aburiya Ibushi - Review - Kapahulu - Oahu - The Infatuation

"Honolulu is awash with skewer spots. Seriously, you can find everything from omakase yakitori to northern Chinese seasoned meat on sticks. Aburiya, which you’ll definitely need a reservation for, is clearly one of the best. That’s partly due to the expertly charcoal-grilled meats like shio koji-marinated pork belly and beef tongue, but also because the seemingly unassuming small plates are particular standouts. We’re talking about potato salad sprinkled with “chicken dust” that tastes like if you mixed bouillon cubes with the pulverized crumbs at the bottom of your potato chips bag. The place is small and friendly, decorated with watercolor drawings of its dishes, and there’s a view of the chef grilling skewers over charcoal. Afterwards, pop into Cha to Gelato Zen, a serene tea room next door that churns out excellent matcha and black sesame gelato." - Martha Cheng