Bozu Japanese Restaurant

Wow!! Next to Japan, this has been the best sushi we’ve had in our lives! The restaurant doesn’t look like much outside, and at first glance I wasn’t excited by the menu, but as soon as I saw the food I was hooked, and as soon as I tasted my first bite, I knew this was something special. The fish is incredibly fresh and high quality, the presentation is beautiful, and the staff is so friendly and accommodating. Sadly these days it can be difficult to encounter good service, but not at Bozu! Everyone was so friendly, and sitting at the bar is a fun experience (plus you get your food handed directly to you, which is pretty special!) I highly recommend this place and we will be returning! Actually we already made another reservation for tomorrow! ❤️ the tuna tartare with taro chips is my favorite!

Recommended from a local. One of the few times I have visited a Japanese restaurant and didn’t have sushi and the reason for that is because it had so many unique dishes that normal sushi places don’t have. Crispy squid, papaya salad, lamb chops, chicken katsu w/eggplant, and spaghetti (that’s right! Japanese style) and they were all distinct and unique in flavor. Every bite was delicious and pleasing to the palette from beginning to end. I did however notice the couple who were next to me (who were locals) saw what we were having and decided to order the same and I couldn’t help but notice the amount of food they received for the exact same dishes were much bigger than mine. I get that they provide for their locals and I’m not mad at all about that. What I loved was that the whole staff greeted and said goodbye to their guests, spoke and worked together in harmony, and took their passion and professionalism for their job to the next level. If you’re looking for an excellent Japanese restaurant, you need to visit this place!

The food here is exceptional. The spicy tuna cut roll is absolutely amazing. Just the right spicy for me. The miso sea bass is absolutely heavenly. The food is as fresh as you can get it. We were visiting for a week and came back here 3 times. Highly recommend this place. And by the way I am not a sushi lover. I eat it very occasionally. Can’t wait to come back to Oahu to eat here again.

Delicious authentic Japanese place. We sat at the bar. First time trying monkfish liver (great), jellyfish (not great). Sashimi was amazing. Kyoto beer.

Great izakaya and sushi. Very friendly people. Prices to be expected near Waikiki. No happy hour anymore. No bathroom. Everything is made to order

Amazing sashimi and yakitori. Service was quick and friendly. Everything came out to be very reasonable!

Decided to give this restaurant a try with friends from out of town. I was fortunate to get a table for 4 at 8pm just by calling earlier the same day, and the establishment was full when we arrived. We didn't mind waiting a couple of minutes while they set our table since popularity is a good sign. We did not hesitate to order whichever looked good to us from the extensive menu. Every dish tasted great, and a couple of them ordered based on recommendation by our server, also turned out to be delicious. For the flavors and food quality I felt Bozu is priced competitively. The place was more on the casual side which suited us. My new friends were impressed and we will certainly be back for more, even though I am usually not a fan of McCully Shopping Center because parking stalls are insufficient and very tightly spaced.

One of the best places we ate at on our trip. We did not make a reservation (believe you have to call) but showed up right at opening and was able to get a spot at the bar. Will saw it can be a bit on the pricey side, but it's worth it!

Stopped here for dinner one night, it is in a strip mall just off Ala Wai canal, easy walk from the Hilton resort complex. We arrived at 5:30pm shortly after it was opened, asked to be sat at the bar. It was fun watching the chef preparing our food. The menu was so huge it was almost overwhelming! Every dish was excellent, sushi was very fresh, Yakitori skewers were great! We loved all the dishes we ordered and would definitely return again!

Lots of old school local patrons who come here for happy hour! I do like the ambiance. Wait staff is polite and efficient. Definitely try to make reservations ahead of time and try to book a slot earlier during opening hours - they tend to sell out their most popular items quickly. I have never tried this place and walk-ins are nigh impossible during the evening hours. I had a gf visiting from NY and so booked this place in advance after sunset views in Hawaii Kai. Sold out of their salmon skin and seafood salad (*at 7PM!!!!) and their taro chips and spicy tuna appetizer. Pretty disappointed to hear that when they open at 5PM. We opted for the beef and watercress salad, nigiri combo, red snapper kama, tempera fried dried squid, and some yakitori (meat skewers). The nigiri was fresh, watercress salad was okay *beef was way too chewy, snapper was okay. I mean, the food is all decent but nothing spectacular for the high price points. I would say I paid double this night than the other night at another popular izakaya place in Kapahulu and was full. I wish I could have tried the two sold out dishes. Maybe it will be worth it to come here again? My friend was not impressed but she was nice about it and enjoyed herself - since it's mostly about the company you keep! I probably wouldn't come back again unless I do light apps at 5PM-6PM and no full meal.

5 stars for food, service and environment! Don't let this bustling casual restaurant fool you - they serve delicious food and good quality sushi! We tried a variety of dishes and enjoyed most of them! One thing that I loved about this place was how much garnish they used whether it be nori, green onions, shiso, radish or whatever. It just adds more depth to any dish. My favorite was actually their agedashi tofu. I can't remember the last one I had that tasted right before I tried Bozu's. The batter was good, the sauce was amazing, and it came with a lot of green onions! I also enjoyed their baked rolls. Their fish was fresh and buttery too so you can't go wrong with the assorted selection. I had high hopes for their beef tongue and cold chawanmushi, but turns out those were my least favorite. I prefer the egg hot, but I get it because they put uni and ikura on top so the egg had to be served cold. So I think I'll just prefer having the seafood on sushi and not steamed egg. The chilled steamed egg just didn't have the smooth silky texture like hot steamed egg. The beef tongue was too chewy for me. I'm not sure if it's the cut or the thickness of the tongue. Beef tongue dish tends to be a hit or miss item from my experience. Other places do it better. If you could get a counter seat, do it! The sushi chef was nice and friendly, and it's always fun to see how the food is made. There's extra parking at the back for free if the front looks a little chaotic.

Ordered to go, miso, butter, fish, spider, softshell, crab, edamame! Late night snack lol Food was ready as soon as I pulled up and the cashier was friendly and asked me if I wanted some of their other selections which was the edamame! I will definitely return to try some more entrees!

Starting off 2025 with a new fave. I've had Bozu bookmarked for ages and were happy to finally have the opportunity to eat here. We did not have reservations but came when they opened at 5pm, and were able to be seated right away, as long as we left by 630pm. Ok! I saw others being turned away while we were there because they quickly got packed! Service was very nice, attentive and friendly. Our sever made great suggestions! Chawanmushi- cold Chawanmushi which is a savory steamed egg topped with ikura, uni, and a dashi ponzu sauce. 8/10 Bozu roll- special roll with ahi sashimi, real crab, cucumber, topped with ikura. 9/10 Hamachi Kama- cooked just right with crispy skin and tender meat, we asked for a "smaller" one and it was still quite big. 10/10 Squid tempura with mentaiko mayo- crispy and delicious, the batter had furikake flavoring too and the mentaiko mayo went perfectly with it! 10/10 Lobster dynamite- real lobster, slathered with mayo and tobiko. Not my favorite item but I'm not a huge dynamite person to begin with 7/10 Garlic butter ahi- very tender and saucy, the ahi was bathed in a rich and buttery sauce 8/10 Prices are reasonable for the quality and portion. Definitely recommend. I want to come back to try more. Their menu is huge!

Excelente service and a friendly ambiece. The food is good quality and fresh. The lobster tempura is a must!

I enjoyed this place but it was extremely crowded when I went. I was sat at the bar with two other friends and it was pretty tight. I wouldn't recommend their bar seating since the restaurant itself is pretty condensed. Parking is atrocious at the time we went, I think I spent about 10-15 mins just to find a parking spot. In terms of the food, I thought the sushi was fresh and the pasta had a ton of flavors. I enjoyed the food that I ordered. I will say that it is a little bit pricey and you can get the same quality sushi at other restaurants for cheaper.

A REALLY REALLY good Japanese restaurant. I think they're fairly new? Never heard or saw them before. My husband & I was craving for sushi & oysters and I found this place through yelp. Service is friendly but a little slow... totally understandable if they're short staffed (since everywhere these days is short staffed) and they are pretty new. Food was AMAZING! The bozu chawan mushi was just above & beyond my expectations. I'm a huge fan of chawanmushi but they had a twist. It was a cold chawan mushi with uni, crab & ikura. Everything was paired so nicely and complimented each other. I would come back to again just to get 5 orders of this! All the sushi & raw fish items were also super fresh! We also ordered the oysters, oyster shooters, soft shell crab, lamb chops, beef intestine skewers, hamachi carpaccio & clam miso soup. There wasn't a dish that we didn't like. I felt like we literally ordered everything on the menu. It's a small cozy restaurant with very limited seating so I would recommend making reservations ahead of time. Overall I really enjoyed this place and hope to see the service improve during my next visit.

Called to make a reservation for Feb 15 for a belated Valentine's dinner, super easy and nice over the phone! We were seated right away upon arrival and it was fairly busy. We ordered a Calpico Sour which was super refreshing and did not have that alcohol taste. We then ordered our food and everything came out super fast considering it was a packed restaurant! I highly recommend the oyster shooters, the fried chicken and eggplant, their squid tempura, and a few different yakitori sticks! Overall the service, and food will definitely bring us back soon!

On the second floor of a plaza, very unassuming and a hidden gem. Immediately welcomed by everyone when we entered, sitting by the bar was fun to order w the chef and watch them cook and hand each dish to us! Every dish was meticulously made. + Cold Style Eggplant in Dashi ($6): about 7 chunks of juicy eggplant in dashi sauce topped with bonito flakes, finely diced ginger and shiso leaves (8.9/10) + Negi Toro Cut Roll ($13.50): perfect ratio of rice to fish, delicious and love chopped up toro (9/10) + Tare Chicken Thigh Skewer ($5 each): Tare flavor is like a light soy, teriyaki sauce. Tender chicken, not too thick (7.7/10) + Tare Black Pork Cheek Meat ($5 each): more meaty and lean than the jowl, different kind of bite (8/10) + Tare Black Pork Jowl ($5 each): fattiest of the skewers we had, nice and "crunchy", juicy (8.5/10) + Beef Tongue ($18.50 for 8pcs): our fave!! Served a finely chopped red onions, green onions, cucumber, microgreens, and a lemon slice. Each bite of all components was amazing (9.5/10)

The service, food quality and freshness is always amazing here. We love the sashimi and mentaiko pasta. Presentation is always so vibrant. Awesome spot

If you're looking for authentic Japanese sushi in Honolulu, I recommend this spot!! We came here for my boyfriend's birthday while on vacation and left feeling full and happy with the quality of food we ordered. We went an hour before closing on Sunday night before Labor Day and it was busy! However, we still got seated quickly (I called 30 minutes before to inform them) and food was served quickly as we sat at the bar. The seafood quality was very fresh and you can see how much effort and passion the chefs put into each nigiri and cut of fish. They even have skewers grilled over charcoal! (These were yummy but not my favorite) The prices are reasonable. The market price Otoro (fatty tuna) was $10 a piece but worth! Their scallops are slightly sweet and not too chewy. The fish roe is marinated in some light soy sauce and makes the umami flavor so tasty without being too fish oil tasting. They offer ice cream for your birthday and the staff is very friendly and hard working! It was a busy night so the waiters and waitresses took a while to help us close our check. The restaurant itself is small but has a lively and homey vibe. If you're unable to make reservations for other sushi restaurants but still want some fresh sashimi, check out Bozu! *there is free parking available and restaurant is on the second floor! Elevator and stairs available *

We made our reservations for dinner on a Saturday night for 5 of us. They start accepting reservations only 2 weeks in advance, so keep that in mind. We showed up at our 7:00pm time and our table was ready for us!! That alone is worth a star in itself these days!! We had an awesome server, I didn't get his name, but he was a tall hapa Haole young man. Our drinks and food came out quickly and we were amazed at every dish. They had gobo tempura, which I had in Osaka so I had to get that! It was different from the ones in Osaka but it was still good. We ordered a variety of dishes and they were all very good. I liked the service and how they kept our waters filled and empty dishes were promptly taken away to make room for more food. The noise level was as little loud in the small space but it wasn't that bad. Parking can be a challenge as there are so many restaurants in that strip mall. We went to the downstairs lot and got lucky and found parking. A definite plus is that they serve asahi super dry on draft. It was so yummy. We really enjoyed celebrating our daughter's birthday here tonight. Would definitely keep Bozu in mind for future dinners.

Bozu is a gift from a local friend. Note to yourself- we are from Los Angeles. We love experiencing things we cannot get or have not experienced in Los Angeles. Bozu has some of the most amazing dishes we have ever experienced. - Beef sashimi (not sure the name) -I cater Texas bbq, this is the best beef I have ever had. - scallop sashimi- best and most tender scallops I've had - firefly squid- great flavor, punch of spice, - toro- absolutely the most buttery fish I've ever had. Flavorful, solid and great serving of heaven. -deep fried squid- great flavor -sting ray- tons of flavor. Great appetizer. Sweet and chewy. My grand parents owned a sushi restaurant. My grandfather trained and was certified in Japan which took 7 years. This was the biggest eye opening sushi/ Japanese food experience I've had since I was a kid. Flavors are well balanced, fish is the freshest, best flavored and beats California 10/10 times. It's not on the strip but it's a diamond in the rough and is worth going to over the water front places were have are at over the years in Waikiki. Thank you Katsu!

It's rare that a restaurant can offer a big menu while delivering on every item. This was the case at Bozu. We loved these dishes: hamachi kama, chirashi bowl, eggplant in dashi, fried flounder, and shrimp and papaya salad. We didn't like the dinner options in Honolulu too much, but Bozu stood out as the best by far.

Great Japanese dinner at Bozu located on the 2nd floor of the McCully Shopping Center. Parking can be a little stressful in this busy lot, but much easier in their underground parking lot. The restaurant itself is very small with sushi bar seating as well as a few tables. It gets very loud in here with a lively atmosphere. Be sure to call ahead for a reservation as it's difficult to just walk-in. We had a delicious meal here! Everything we ate was great and super fresh. We definitely over ordered, but we were able to take out our leftovers for the next day! Favorites include: Spicy Ahi Donburi- large portion with fresh fish, sushi rice is cooked perfectly Potato Salad- so good! An absolute must Tsukune- One giant piece, but still very tender and tasty Chicken Thigh Crab Croquette- Two large pieces Seafood Dynamite- Filled with lots of different seafood like scallops and shrimp Fried Flounder- This was a special and was very tender. Spicy Ahi stuffed Jalapeno I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for a very quiet date night given the loud atmosphere, but it's a great place for a tasty meal! They are able to accommodate groups if you call ahead.

Found this place walking around late at night in a plaza with ample parking. Cozy atmosphere on the second level. Great Amazing Chef. So is chef and staff from the moment you enter, during your experience and after you're done. Food: 5/5 Had an intimate dinner with myself () and it was worth every penny. Every cut was probably the freshest, firmest slice of fish you'd had in a while. Appreciate the smoked or grilled flavorings. As well as the combination of lime and minty flavors ! I kept on wanting to order more and more. I am definitely coming back and telling the world about this spot. Thank you Chef and staff for a wonderful palate experience.

Highly recommend- one of my new go to favorite restaurants in honolulu!! Where do i start? The fish is incredibly fresh and well-sourced at extremely reasonable prices (under $30 for nine pieces of three different sashimi is a great deal)! We love to order their papaya salad, chicken meatballs and garlic ahi special. The service is wonderful and the sushi chef is also the owner and so dedicated to his job. I love the small feel of this restaurant and how you can easily peer into the kitchen which is also so organized and clean. Sadly the restaurant is small so I highly recommend making a reservation, but another plus is how late Bozu closes in comparison to other restaurants in Honolulu.

Make sure you get a reservation for this place if you want to dine here because the restaurant is pretty small and service is slow. We sat at the sushi bar so we got to watch the chefs make the sushi. It's pretty interesting because I see them working pretty quickly but our food took forever to come out. We finished half our bottle of sake before our first dish came out. Food wise, everything was really tasty. Sushi tasted very fresh. Some of the skewers were a hit or miss. For example, the beef was a little tough and not as enjoyable as the chicken and pork. Definitely order the beef tongue though. Service was so so. It was sometimes hard to get the waiter's attention but it was probably because we were seated at the corner of the bar and it was hard to see us. Overall pretty decent place though. I would come back again just for their food.

Been here a few times and all great experiences. We've had: Otoro Pork cheek yakitori Grilled moi Fried chicken Mirugai Seafood dynamite, Nigiri set Croquettes Deep fried octopus All recommended.

1/4/2025 Called (4:47) on Friday in hopes of getting dinner reservations for Saturday at 5:00 pm. And yes we got reservations to sit at counter. When we checked in, they couldn't find the reservation. Apparently the woman who took our reservation on the phone wrote us down for Friday?! That didn't make sense since we called on Friday and they said they called us and wrote us off as "no show". Anyway, they were able to seat us but just a little annoyed about the whole circumstance. Still giving them 5 stars for the quality of the food. All the sashimi was fresh. The restaurant is small and loud but that's okay. We were glad to have the reservation and enjoy the best Japanese cuisine in Waikiki.

Went here with friends to celebrate a friend's birthday and I could not get over how good everything was and the service. We had the last reservation of the night at 8pm for 7, but they continued to take such good care of us to past 11pm. First the table they originally wanted to seat us at was still occupied so they sat us at the high table top, but as soon as the other party left they asked if we would like to move since it was bigger. We ordered apps with the mentaiko pasta, bozu rolls and tempura basket. They were attentive to come back when it looked like we were ready for the next order and always were refilling our water. It's not often when you're the last party at a restaurant that they don't inadvertently make you feel bad for keeping them working and that they show how much they just want to go home. The sake we had actually took me by surprise how good it was and it was so nice that they came in buckets with ice and towels. As the food came out, I was pleasantly surprised by their attention to detail, the quality of the fish and presentation. They brought everything out at the same time, my negi Hamachi bowl, friends salmon ikura and the 3 omakase. Hamachi is always my favorite and their quality was so good for such a reasonable price. The pieces were thick with great coloring. The ikura on everything was plentiful, from the bozu roll, omakase and salmon ikura donburi. I thought the omakase was gonna come out on individual platters but I loved how it was presented this way. You could see all the interesting cuts in the fish and look at it as well as it made it definitely a more fun family meal experience. What a steal for any omakase to have two uni dishes. We ended the night with ice cream for the birthday boy and singing amongst all the sake, so much fun! Thank you bozu for a great night.

Absolutely delicious! Amazing service! It's a popular venue, so make reservations before going

A dear friend who moved away and is back in Honolulu for a few days came to me, eager. She asked for a recommendation for today's top sushi spot here on Oahu. One space stands loud and proud for a treasure trove of ocean delicacies. I'm confident that here, you will find treats of both land and sea! For example they had this beef liver dish my family would crave and come in for! But once they couldn't source to their standard, they took it off their menu. They couldn't lose us as customers though. Their high standard for quality keep us coming back for more! If you have only an evening on these shores I encourage you to take your steps to this destination location. With the bustle of Kapiolani blvd, lined with dining options galore, please venture away from commercialized Waikiki, resist Ala Moana Center and turn into McCully Shopping center where the locals eat. Elevate yourself and your company by elevator or stairs to the second floor, the penthouse if you will and do not miss the opportunity to dine at the humble oasis of Bozu Japanese Restaurant. Doesnt it say so much to find a team so tried and true? Chef Kazu, his sous chef Masa and their team of passionate cooks will greet you from behind the bar. Though masked, you will feel their big smiles and warm welcome. His waitstaff, some who have been there since the restaurant's inception 8 years ago, will do their best to find you a seat. Call ahead to make a reservation if you'd like to ensure your retreat! The curation is top tier, quality ingredients galore and artfully presented, too. Do you see this omakase sashimi platter for two? If even a hint of you likes oysters, you best take this night to indulge. They're nestled in an amazing ponzu sauce that they make in house and you'll just want to drink up. Find that fresh calamansi with your fingertips and wring out her juices for just the ticket to take you from the sea and out over the moon! The beef and watercress salad is perfection. Tender meat along bursts of tomato and fresh watercress with deeply savory bites of garlic crispies?! Oh my grrrr!!! Their homemade dressings, stews and sauces are such amazing accompaniments to their Quality, Quality! The care in this space is undeniable. Maybe I need to stop talking now. Words are powerful but not quite as strong as being a part of the heartbeat. You just need to do yourselves a favor and enter this one. It's full of care here! You can be, too!

My mama doesn't really do sashimi or raw fish due to getting old and the weaker immune system. So I told her it's a must try and when she had one bite she went for seconds and third. . This spot is little more of small bites to accompany wine sake and beer. But even just enjoying it without drinks is truly an experience. . We got the wagyu beef with uni wrapped around a crunchy daikon. The texture was slimy from the wagyu and the uni is fresh seafood taste and crunchy from the daikon. It was such a good refreshing bite. I loved it. . Chirashi - star of the show. 45 a bowl but brought me back to Japan without traveling to Japan. It's soooo fresh and a good combo. All the fish was fresh and barely needed soy and wasabi. The sushi rice on the bottom was amazing. Mama couldn't stop eating it after she initially say no first. Then the freshness to her was like yesss more bites after the first. . Yakitori - I got 2 sticks one is the chicken thigh and one beef intestines. I thought they were ok but nothing too much stood out. . Beef tongue - it was a good portion. It was presentable. The flavor was great. It was a little over cooked for my liking. It was ok. I like the texture a little more soft and moist, some parts was getting hard so that's how I determine over cook. . Overall we loved the chirashi and was both shooked it was that good. We initially came for vday and they turned us away with no reservations. So we got a reservations for the day after vday. So yes reservations is highly recommended due to this spot being popular and small inside. Hope this review helps and thanks for reading. Have a yelptastic day.

I literally would give Bozu 1 million/5 stars if I could First of all the service was immaculate, our chef was super informative and soooo personable, he made our experience 50x more amazing He gave us so many things on the house like he topped my amaebi with UNI like bro..... AND a negi toro cut roll.....like bro......I wanted to kiss him.. LITERALLY!!!!! CHEFS KISS!!! ABSOLUTE SLAY OF A HUMAN.. God really took his time when he made our chef.. I love u chef I don't even remember half of the things we ordered but we got fresh 3 piece oysters, the beef tongue with green onions, agedashi tofu, pork cheek skewer, chef's special sashimi plate, 3 pieces of toro sushi, hamachi sushi, amaebi & ika sushi.. literally every single piece was to DIE FOR.. cut & formed by our amazing chef who I would commit atrocities for btw. I love him sm The chef's special came with sm diff cuts of fish but my absolute favorite was the hotate with uni & shiso.. like I saw it on the plate and thought "wow this man wants me to die rn bc those r actually my favorites" and then later he put uni on top of my amaebi sushi like....that's love right there... We were so shook that we were the only party there on a Wednesday night but that did NOT take back from service or quality of food; absolutely slayed it. I litcherly cannot rave about Bozu any more than I want to.. I'm soooo in love, any time I come back to Honolulu or anyone tells me that they're coming here, Bozu will be my top recommendation for sushi ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Located on the second floor; best food and service ever, thank you so much!!! Will never forget the hospitality and quality of work here tonight

I don't want to write this review for fear that Bozu gets even busier. Pros: Takes reservations and walk-ins, but it's a smaller-sized restaurant, so best to call ahead during business hours. Servers and kitchen staff are friendly and responsive. For the size of the kitchen, they have quite an extensive menu of sushi and izakaya dishes. Food comes out quickly, and everything we've tried (and I mean EVERYTHING) was properly cooked and prepared, seasoned well, plated beautifully, and was close-your-eyes savor kind of good. Our always order dishes (and hubs and I go at least 3x/month) are the shiso ume maki, mentaiko pasta, gobo tempura, ahi poke, and tako karaage). Cons: It's a well-loved restaurant, so it can get noisy when packed. Highly recommend making a reservation, tho you can only call during business hours, which they don't consistently update on Yelp or any social media platform for that matter, nor is it always updated on the sign posted on their door. We've gone a number of times when their hours said they're open, only to find them dark for the night. Also, parking can be busy and is tight...it's McCully Shopping Center, so drive your small car.

I ate here again this past weekend and while the food was still super delicious we waited a really long time for our food and I basically got my meal when 3 people in my group finished eating and the 4th person was almost done (they also got their food after the 3 ppl finished eating). I felt bad that my party had to wait for me when they had finished their food at least a good 10 mins beforehand. Good things: Fresh oysters once again so delicious Deep fried eggplant in dashi really tasty Pork jowl (salt) skewer- my fiance liked the salt version more than teriyaki. Grilled perfectly where it was crisp outside but juicy. The beef skewer was also really good. Server did apologize for the wait. At least the food was good and the water was refilled. If you come here just come with the understanding you may not get your food quickly.

Tried this Izakaya place in the McCully Shopping Center and had an AMAZING dinner. Our server, Richard, gave us so many great recommendations since we didn't know what we wanted to order and we loved everything he suggested. The service was very fast even though it was fully booked. We got to sit at the bar and watch the chef prepare all the dishes right in front of us!! The crab croquette was a favorite of ours as well as the salmon roll. Would come back again!

Since it was highly rated in Honolulu magazine, we were curious to try Bozu (the day after Christmas). Like most izakaya, the atmosphere is very loud and bustling, semi-chaotic. Don't go here for a quiet meal. The raw food choices are excellent. The hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi and Tekka maki (tuna roll) were fresh and delicious. I felt the cooked dishes were good but not amazing. The chicken yakitori was ok but not the best ever. The chicken karaage was very good and deep fried octopus was solid. I do think the fries (unorthodox but a must side dish at an izakaya) were crisp and tasty. Try it, you'll thank me later. The Agedashi tofu (deep fried tofu with broth) was good. Just my personal preference, but I like a plain broth not one with imo (potatoes) floating in it. The hamachi Kama (grilled yellow tail collar) was pretty good. I was amused because the server didn't know what hamachi Kama was until we explained. The service was good but the servers were pretty stressed. Speaking of stress, parking is hideous. Parking is almost nonexistent between 6-7 pm. Not the restaurant's fault, but there are several eateries in this strip mall. There is a basement parking lot but don't go in or you'll be trapped (one entrance/exit) cuz there ain't any parking here either! Street parking is impossible due to multiple apartments in the area. Take an Uber.

I know I reviewed Bozu Japanese Restaurant after dining here with my foodie friend from CA. Yelp Ghost really doesn't like me. I only discovered this when I came back recently to have dinner with friends. Guess I have to review them again...they are pretty good so I can spend a little bit of time to write up a quick review. Bozu Japanese Restaurant is located on the top floor of McCully Shopping Center. If you come up from the elevator, take a left and walk toward the end. You can't miss them. The parking situation is hit or miss. During the dinner rush, the shared private lot is packed both street level and downstairs. The restaurant is clean and can accommodate small to medium sized groups. Customer service is friendly and they do come back around to refill your water promptly. The one thing I like about dining here is that they offer sushi and Izakaya. Some people don't like raw fish or sushi but they offer cooked items that they can order to enjoy while others craving sushi or sashimi can order that. It works out great for Mink and I. This most recent visit, we came in a group of 6 (3 couples). We wanted to have separate checks (1 check per couple) but they can only split the check two ways. All good as we ordered separately and kept track of what we ordered. The food came out inconsistently and some items took long to arrive but we eventually got everything we ordered. What I mean by inconsistently is some items we ordered in 3 but only one couple would get the order and more than half way through our meal, the other two couples would finally get their order of the same item. They started to get pretty busy around 6pm and our reservation was at 5pm so we didn't understand why that happened. Overall, the meal was good and everyone enjoyed their food.

Came in for an early dinner at 5:15pm an was sat promptly. A large counter and just a few tables. Enjoyed some fresh sushi, appetizers and even some grilled am deep fried foods. A great variety of tasty Japanese food. We'll be back!

My good friend introduced me to Bozu Japanese Restaurant located on the second floor of the McCully Shopping Center. The Izakaya restaurant is serving amazing Japanese fare and sushi. It's not cheap but we enjoyed it because it has a little bit of everything. If you love high-quality Japanese Food this is the place.

I really enjoyed the beef salad a meal in it self. They have unique sushi combos. Sushi was all fresh and nice portions. Service was very friendly. It's kind of small but clean and bright. It's a busy spot so reservations are recommended. Parking is tight get there early.

Bozu has become my family's go-to spot whenever we have a birthday or any time we want to treat ourselves and celebrate. Intimate restaurant nestled on the second floor of McCully shopping center, if your party is larger, I highly recommend you calling ahead to make reservations. Great selection of handrolls, sashimi, pasta, and much more! Getting hungry just thinking about the food.

Bozu is located on the 2nd floor of McCully shopping center. There's lots of parking (additional parking in the garage below). The service here was pretty quick considering how busy they were and they were pretty friendly. The food was so good. The sushi was fresh. They also have a lot of options for dishes. We ordered a bunch of small dishes and shared some of them. Everything was tasty!!

when I went with people from Japan the service was amazing. when I went with White Americans the service was horrible. my simple sushi orders came when everyone was finished. also, our sashimi didn't seem fresh. it's like they deliberately gave a us a 1 star experience. I say one-star cuz the beer was cold.

Yuuuuuuuum. Totally worth the wait. The restaurant is small but the environment is big in hospitality. The staff is very welcoming and treats everyone like they've been there a million times. The food was so delicious. I came in already having a snack but dang. The food made my full belly worth it. The hamachi carpacio was amazing. Not too much of a fishy taste, the fish was definitely fresh. The right amount of onions and ponzu sauce. The fresh cilantro was amazing great topper. Fried squid: it's like more like ika shoe string fries. The mentaki didn't have the strong mayo flavor like most places, which I love. The fried squid had a slightly sweet flavor to it and a nice crunch. The only thing i didn't like was how clumpy it was pulling apart smaller pieces. Natto: if you don't eat Natto you're not Japanese. Just kidding. Not a strong flavor but definitely the Natto I grew up with. The seaweed could have used more crunch but who cares it delicious. Presentation was cute too. Served in the shot glass. Unishooter: OMG. At the bottom there's yamaimo!!! And the uni was just so amazing. Perfect crunch paired with the egg yolk and uni pieces. Chawanmushi: COLD?!?!?!? That kind of tripped me out. But so good. Not too salty, not overly creamy and packed with flavor. Overall: BOOK YOUR RESERVATIONS!!!

According to the hostess Reservations are necessary for a table (we went on a Saturday evening), but she was still able to seat us at the bar. The restaurant seats about 50 people. Food was good. Prices were slightly higher than average. Most people were drinking alcohol but it is still family friendly and not too loud. Sushi about average. Lots of parking in the main lot and underground.

Bozu!!! Was craving some good Japanese food so made a last minute reservation for Bozu. I'm so thankful they were able to take us!! This small izakaya is located on the second floor of mccully shopping center. Parking can be a mess on the ground level so I always just end up parking in the basement - all free! We were pretty hungry & ended up ordering a good amount of food.. everything hit the spot! Some usuals included ankimo, beef tongue, some simple rolls, and nigiri. Other fun items that were new for us & we liked were: Nodoguro collars: small deep fried collars! It was more bony that expected but I liked the crunch Hotaru ika: chilled tiny squid w/ an Asian dressing (can't remember what kind) but it was super good! A bit on the sweeter side. While we loved most of the nigiri, one thing we didn't care for this time was the uni. Usually the quality is really good but this time we weren't impressed. Next time! The service was great as usual. The restaurant was very busy but they made sure to stop to see if we needed anything.

I have been meaning to try this restaurant for the last year. We were very lucky enough to get seated without reservations. They gave us 90 minutes before the next reservation came in. Service was fast and food came out quick especially with what we ordered which we appreciated. The ambiance was very pleasant and relaxing. It is a good spot for date night or a group of friends. The food was reasonably priced for the quality of the products. I would go back right try other items on the menu.

Wow. I've tried a lot of sushi places on Oahu and Bozu is my new favorite!! Ordered the otoro, salmon, and hamachi nigiri. Otoro and salmon were my favorites, so smooth and buttery Also ordered the: Salmon Sashimi - Perfect, 6 pieces for $20 great deal for the awesome quality. Spider Roll - Wow! It's not a typical spider roll it really had amazing flavor and perfect crispiness. Seafood Bake - It was good! But not amazing so will probably try different appetizers next time :) Service was super considerate and fast! Ambiance is a cute little place, recommend a reservation! Can't wait to come back

This place was so delicious, we went twice in my visit back home to Hawaii small plates to share, fun sitting at the bar and watching the talented workers making rolls, grilling skewers and torching the tops of dishes. The service was a little slow but so so nice and the wait wasn't a problem, it's a popular spot so come with a laid back attitude

Always excellent service. Always excellent food. Katsu and his crew always on point. One of our most favorite places

Delicious Japanese food, nice atmosphere, and good service! It had been a long time since I had made a reservation, but everything was delicious, the atmosphere of the restaurant was very lively, the staff was wonderful, and I could tell that the restaurant is loved by everyone. The restaurant is also in a very good location, McCully Shopping Center, and parking is easy‼ The restaurant has both counter and table seating. The restaurant is not that large, but it is very comfortable. It is also suitable for date night. Since this restaurant is extremely popular, I would suggest calling to make a reservation.

I can't believe that this restaurant has been around so long and I've never tried it!!! I absolutely loved our experience here!! We decided to celebrate a friends birthday with some delicious sushi and tasty plates. The atmosphere at Bozu is so relaxed. We stayed for a good 2.5 hours and never felt rushed by the employees to leave. We sat, ate, drank, talked and ate some more! Staff was very friendly and helpful if we had any questions about the menu. Now on to the food! We started off with fresh oysters. They were so fresh and the sauce on them was perfect. We ordered the moi sashimi which is something I've never seen at a restaurant. I believe most of us are accustomed to having steamed moi but the sashimi was so light, fresh and tasty. Even better was that they deep fried the bone and head and served that as well! Yummy!! The Bozu chawanmushi was very delicious. Topped with uni and ikura, how can you go wrong?! The jodori chicken wing was perfectly cooked. Just simple salt and pepper and crispy in all the right places. Onto sushi! The wagyu sushi was perfect! Lots of marble, soft, and full of flavor! The amaebi was also good. It's always a plus when they give you the heads deep fried. We had the Bozu special roll which was delicious, a combination of different fish topped with ikura. We also ordered this the yam and sea urchin beef roll which was yamakake wrapped in shiso leaf and raw wagyu topped off with uni. Super decadent and definitely recommend!! Lastly, we had the spicy tuna stuffed jalepeno which is exactly as it's called but deep fried. Pretty good!!! All and all I would definitely go to Bozu again!! So much on the menu that there is so much you could try each time you go!!

If you haven't tried Bozu yet, you NEED to! Reservations highly recommended. We made our reservations about a week out for 2 on a Sunday night. We tried calling ahead on a Tuesday to see if we could walk in when they opened at 5p, and they said they were already fully booked for the night. Menu is very extensive ranging from sashimi, sushi, fried, grilled and noodle items. Definitely take a look at menu before going in. I've dined here twice now - once with a group of friends and second with my husband and have curated a list of must haves. Must haves include sashimi chefs choice, spicy ahi and taro chips, mentaiko pasta and their cold chunwanmushi. Casual atmosphere, quality servers and amazing food.

Called ahead on the day of to make a reservation and they had space to accommodate us on a busy Saturday night. With that being said the ambiance is loud and fun with everyone drinking and catching up with their friends. Great place to grab food and drinks before going out on the weekend. The fish quality is amazing here and the oh-toro nigiri melts in your mouth. But for the omakase, it was decent. We also ordered the udon and pork skewers and we finished the sushi before these were brought over. The pork skewers were bland and didn't have much flavor to them. Not worth the $4.75 per skewer. The udon was simple and the udon was perfectly Al dente but the portion was very small. There is a parking lot in this plaza, but it gets pretty packed. There was a sign saying that there was additional parking in the back though.

I was and still amazed by how well the food tasted. The workers are nice and they greet you when you first come in. Food portions were able to finish. Overall this would be my go to Japanese restaurant in Hawai'i.