Nanzan Giro Giro

The kaiseki meal was such a fun and delicious experience! It was so cool to see the kitchen completely open and the chefs preparing all the dishes in front of us. Everything was so fresh and carefully curated. The chef himself was so humble and skilled and it was great interacting with him and his team. Highly reccomend for delicious Japanese food with a fun and engaging atmosphere! Must try if you’re in Hawaii on vacation!

Totally disappointed to spend money here. We have a table in front of a sink. The place is too small plus the toilet is dirty too. Food is a disaster and its not worth money. This is omakase but not fancy and no raw fish. We chose 9 courses 168$ no tax and tips. But the food is not good and small portion. We have to pay extra 80$ just for two pieces of lobster, a little caviar and 2 pieces of fish and the dessert is terrible its the normal chocolate cake and a matcha tea. Thats it. I feel so cheated to eat here!

2nd visit. Progress a lot compared to last time. Super creative kaiseki place. Chef fuse a lot of French technique into traditional kappo. Each dish has at least 3 level of twists but stick with the original Food flavor. Pipelining is well designed. It only takes 1.5hr to finish 9 courses despite there are 3 batches of customers. Will revisit again.

An amazing Kaiseki. The open kitchen hides nothing, so you can see the tram create your meal with an efficient precision. The food is light and delicate. Fish forward, the protein was beautifully cook. However, what shined for me was the broths and the vegetables. The team was warm and would stop by and chat for a bit.

The prix fixe omakase 6-course looked interesting on paper. 3 watch-outs: the portions are small; there are many soup-y dishes and the “futsuu” wine pairing of 3-oz are not paired with soupy dishes. (I.e. overpriced for 4x<3oz pours); run-down/hole-in-the-wall-like bathroom is shocking given the ambience and menu offered; smell of cooked food on your clothes at the end of the meal due to the open square kitchen seating. Highlighting some of the positive aspects: beautiful serving dishes, aesthetically pleasing presentation, nice light seasoning and flavors, varied forms of tofu usage (sweet potato tofu, tempura fried sesame tofu, yuba). Would not come here again but it was an unusual experience.

Honestly saying, food was good and tasty and I liked the vibe in the restaurant. However, I expected more of “Sushi” type of Omakase but foods served there was more of cooked dishes. Amount of food hmm… was okay for me but not like ‘Oh I’m full’. However, I can’t complain that the price was cheap enough for course meal. Chef seemed dedicated to serve good food, just wasn’t my expectation of Omakase. If I lived in Hawaii, I’d go for anniversary for the vibe.

This place is amazing. We ordered the $88 6 course option and all the courses were amazing and well presented. Kudos to the chef and the entire team.

This was something amazing. Should be 6 stars. Food, service, atmosphere, was out of this world. One of the top 10 dining experiences I've ever had. We had the wine and sake sampler with our course meal. Just to be clear this is fine dining, but they did ask us if we had any allergies.

It always impress me with the Chefs concepts and ideas when creating his monthly menus. January menu was exquisite and very tasteful, who knew foe gras egg tofu and caviar goes well in a dish. We just got back from Napa Valley and experienced a couple Michelin Stars restaurants and I would have to say Chef cuisine would consider to be close to comparable. If you are a food lover that knows the complex flavors give this restaurant a try. Limited seating which makes experience great.

Went on a Friday, the first Friday of 2025. We were the only non- Japanese in the dining room. A testimonial that the food is authentic Japanese. It's so good I'm coming back to taste this same menu again before the last Thursday of January. The service is good but I really missed some of the servers that are no longer working here. The open kitchen is a great experience to watch the Chef in action.

Nanzan GiroGiro serves up a kaiseki flight of seasonally artful dishes using seasonal ingredients. The dishes are small with six or nine course tasting menu. -Starter: duck foie gras which was rich and buttery. -Soup: somen noodles in tempura fish broth. The broth was really good -Pupu: golden eye snapper -Main: Anago eel, crab with white miso bonita Abalone tuna soy sprout Beef yuan with sea urchin Most of the seating is counter with an open kitchen. You can see the chef preparing, cooking, and plating the dishes. Service was nothing short of 5 stars. This is a dinner that requires you to concentrate and appreciate the different flavors. I left satisfied.

One of the best deals in town. The quality service for the price is unbeatable in my opinion. The team is always very friendly and nice and I love how it's a casual experience. Food is top notch and changes monthly

1st seating at 6:30pm. This year seated at upper side left middle, again nice seating with great view. Choice of 6 or 9 course meals or ala carte. Wine pairing for $44, 3 glasses of wine and 1 glass of champagne. If you have the 6 course, the wine is served with Starter, Oshinogi, Grill and Main dishes. Most interesting and great tasting was the wine labeled CF Riesling by Chuck Furuya. Asahi $6/bottle. I forgot to take photo of the drink menu which had many selections. Hot tea refilled by attentive servers. As I get older, might be able to cut down to 6 course meal as I think that gives most bang for the buck. 5 stars all around and shout out to all the servers who are 5+ stars.

Easily my favorite restaurant in Honolulu! I feel like I'm back in Kyoto every time we go. The flavors are so delicious and authentic, plus you get to watch everything being made just as you would at a kaiseki in Japan. They are incredibly accommodating as well - I don't eat beef so they gave me an extra portion of duck and seared us away from others as we were trying to be COVID safe. Any time we have a special occasion, this is the place we choose to dine!

07/06/24 It's always a pleasure to dine at Nanzan Giro Giro. Authentic Kyoto style Kaiseki. The restaurant is simply designed, food preparation area surrounded by a counter for diners. The Chef Matsumoto and staff all work in the center kitchen. Each dish is prepared just before serving and meticulously assembled on the prettiest ceramic plates, bowls and cups Each month there is a new menu, creative and delicious sauces and broths complement the ingredients. Nothing better than dining there.

Great sushi and great service. Not over the top fancy fusion that everyone is doing these days. Tasteful pairings and a set menu that changes monthly. Parking is harsh but so is everything in Honolulu. Setting was cozy and comfortable

Nanzan Giro Giro is an absolute gem! I can't contain my excitement about their exquisite Kaiseki dining experience. From the moment you step in, you're transported to a world of culinary artistry. Each dish, served in its own handcrafted masterpiece, adds an extra layer of charm to the already enchanting ambiance. And oh, the 9-course set menu! It's like embarking on a gastronomic journey through the flavors of Japan. April's rotation treated me to an array of delights, from the delicate blue fin tuna sashimi to the rich and comforting black cod and sesame soup. And let's not forget the succulent duck and the melt-in-your-mouth A5 Wagyu. Every bite was a revelation, a symphony of taste and texture. What truly sets Nanzan Giro Giro apart is their commitment to innovation and seasonality. With a menu that changes monthly, there's always something new and exciting to discover. It's a culinary adventure that keeps you coming back for more. In conclusion, if you're looking for an unforgettable dining experience that combines artistry, flavor, and tradition, look no further than Nanzan Giro Giro. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

A truly phenomenal experience from beginning to end. Yelp needs another tier of stars of restaurants like this because 5 stars on a screen really doesn't do it justice. Detailed breakdown below: **Service, 5/5** Suzi and the team took amazing care of us. Super accommodating, engaging, friendly, and all so so so talented! Awesome experience with the open kitchen concept as the centerpiece of the space. **Price & portion, 5/5** There are 2 tiers you can choose from ($88 for 6 courses or $168 for 9 courses). Each dish is made with so much thought, care, and precision. **Presentation of the food, 5/5** Basically every plate, bowl, and cup is handmade (by Japanese artist Nanzan Ito, who is a co-owner of the restaurant) and turns each course into a piece of art you get to interact with. It's super cool because you can spot pieces that have chipped or broken and been repaired with gold (kintsugi)! Most pieces are also available for purchase -- I ended up buying a pair of the gorgeous chopsticks to take home. **Taste of the food, 5/5** A lot of restaurants take a well known dish and cook it perfectly. Nanzan GiroGiro is different where they create new combinations, flavors, and concepts entirely. It's like discovering a new color or hearing a new note for the first time (but with your tastebuds). It's quite unlike anything else I've ever experienced and I was impressed, surprised, and (happily) shocked the whole night. My group opted for the 9 course meal and literally every dish was a hit. I wouldn't have the space here to describe them all the way they deserve, but here are some of the highlights: - a perfectly balanced and savory clam soup with the silkiest noodles - monkfish liver mousse paired with fresh wasabi, pickles, and a luscious otoro - "tofu" made out of sesame! then battered and fried for a crisp exterior and uber silky interior - tempura-battered soft cod roe -- easy the best roe dish I've ever had; creamy, delicate, and a great contrast to the crispy batter soaking up the sweet white miso soup - seared wagyu with a creamy broccoli rice -- must be the most luxurious take on broccoli and beef that has ever existed - a cod, corn, rice, and ikura dish so flavorful yet so light that I cleaned out my bowl even like 8 dishes in - chocolate delice -- better than any chocolate cream, pudding, cake, or truffle - pear sorbet that tasted like a creamy pear with almost the soft grainy texture of apple sauce but was somehow frozen **Other notes** Call or text to make a reservation! Bathroom is camouflaged (LOL) and right by the entrance. A must-visit for anyone in the area!

Nanzan GiroGiro offers a 6- or a 9-course menu, with some a la carte options to add on. We made advance reservations and came for their first round of seating, and, after studying their monthly menu, we were expecting just an overall good experience. Our courses included: +a starter - a Japanese saba mackerel with dashi jelly, greens, fried tofu, and eggplant +a broth - steamed tai snapper with lotus kale tofu, tai broth, and lime +a mukoduke - duck with kabotha pumpkin soup, zucchini dashi jelly, and shiso +a mukoduke, part 2 - with kanpachi amberjack, irizake sauce, wasabi, shiso, and a shimije green seasame sauce +a main - an ikura salmon roe, egg omelet, and black cod with syungiku greens, yuba soymilk paper ankake, and yuzukosho pepper +1st of 9 course - caviar, anago eel, scallop, foie gras sauce, wasabi, and myouga ginger root +2nd of 9 course - lobster, tomato bisque sauce, sesame tofu, and mitsuba ankake soup +rice - salmon miso, broth, and corn rice +pickles - hakusai cabbage, cucumber nukaduke, ume puree, and wasabi +and, dessert - a vanilla-poached pear with ginger infused cake, chocolate whipped ganache, toasted walnuts, and creme de cassis gel; served with Kyoto matcha green tea Honestly, the mixed reviews on this place seem a little skewed, as it should lean more on the negatives - this wasn't a great omakase experience due to the courses being extremely liquid-centric; I'm all about sauces, but it seemed it was a focus on broths and proteins that really shouldn't make repeat in appearance through the tasting. You could hardly appreciate the fish that was being used, as it was just overpowered with all the toppings, sauces, and/or broth; in addition, the fish was just not that fresh to us. Service was fine, but it seems as if there are the usual regulars that they cater more towards to, but this impacts the other parties that are dining in. No dice, Nanzan GiroGiro. +avoid their omakase

My friend and I made reservations to Nanzan Giro Giro. It's a kaiseki restaurant, and there are two set menu options. The 9 course menu or the 6 course menu. We picked the 6 course menu. If you don't know what a kaiseki is, it is a multiple course Japanese dinner. It goes in order 1. starter dish, 2. broth dish, 3. oshinogi (light/small dish), 4. sunomono (vinegar or combined dish), 5. main dish (entree), and 6. rice & soup dish. You can order extra like a dessert dish or two other main dishes. I ordered one of the main dishes and the dessert dish. The extra main dish was the blue fin tuna with carviar which was $35 and the dessert was a coconut shiramako dango in a red bean soup, orange ice cream, strawberry sorbet with a walnut cookie. Matcha tea came with it too for $15. The 6 course kaiseki was $88 total. I enjoyed all of the dishes. My favorites were the oshinogi dish which was a black cod, foie gras sauce rice, zucchini, sunflower sprout, and wasabi. It was a light fish, the rice was tasty, and I just enjoyed how refreshed it was. Another course was the sunomono dish was a sawara japanese ono, kabocha sauce, eggplant, tosazu vinegar jelly, radish sprout, and heart of palm. The warm kabocha sauce, and cold tosazu vinegar jelly was a nice hot/cold combination. It was nice. The main duck dish lovely with the slices of duck, in the tofu & the scallop underneath. I really enjoyed the dessert too. The orange ice cream, strawberry, walnut cookie, and red bean soup was an odd combination but it worked. I enjoyed it. The service was excellent and I would definitely come back again. They change their menu monthly, and they go by what's in season in Japan. I would recommend to check their website for the monthly menu list.

Good good good everything was good :) Seasonal food based course was very good. I don't like fish but it was very good even in my mouth. All the servers wee fantastic and chef was great too. Service was great too with small talks too. Loved the matcha and hot tea at end. Definitely coming back when I come back to Hawaii Thank you all for great time:)

Very delicious meal close to the big mall on Honolulu less then 2 miles from Waikiki worth the visit but Uber/Lyft would probably be easier to get to this restaurant

My partner and I enjoyed the omakase with sake pairing and the food was absolutely divine. Everything was delicious and the chefs were extremely friendly and offered insightful comments about the origin of the food and why each sake was chosen. The room is small and more intimate which helped us enjoy our food without distractions.

Been here 4 times! I always forget to leave the review on this restaurant! I always come to this restaurant every time I visit Oahu. Love their menus and they change their menus pretty often. What I like about this restaurant is they provide very good service and food is always on point! And course menu always make you full. I probably don't recommend you getting premium course menu as I think they are usually not worth it imo! But always had great experience dinning here. Def number 1 restaurant in Oahu for sure!

Leading up to this point, I've had omakase sushi in Ginza, and I've also gotten multi course menus at Japanese izakayas in Tokyo. I've had multi course menus in California. But this was my first time actually trying kaiseki in the traditional sense of the word. I had known about this restaurant for a few months. When I called to make a reservation, I asked if my wife, who was pregnant at the time, could have her food be fully cooked and not raw. The staff were very gracious in accommodating this request. The restaurant itself is a very minimalist concept. The kitchen is in the middle of the room, and we can watch the chef cook everything. The seats are all facing the kitchen, and there is only counter seating. Our starter course was a fried catch of the day. It was amazing, and perfectly seasoned. Our second course, and by far my favorite course of the night, was Nanzan GiroGiro's take on a "lobster bisque." The chef had deep fried lobster, a thick ankake soup, and then tomato bisque as additional flavor. I've had all types of lobster preparations in my life, but this was by far my favorite. The lobster was perfectly cook, lightly fried, and perfectly seasoned. The lobster harmonized well with the broth. It was quite possibly the best lobster dish I have ever had. The next dish was a sashimi style dish containing bluefin tuna, bamboo shoot cake, bottarga (cured fish roe), and shiso. Wasabi and sashimi are a natural match made in heaven, and I was happy that the sashimi also had some soy sauce already added. The bamboo shoot cake was also a wonderful accent. An amazing sashimi course in the middle of the meal. The next course was a deep fried chiayu or sweet fish tempura, with shiso inside the tempura, as well as yuba, rice, and sugar peas. The cooked shiso and fish, deep fried together, were a nice harmony of texture and flavor. After that was beef, cooked to medium rare, taro, and green bean sauce. The beef was tender, and the sauce was a unique complement to the beef. The restaurant's own favorite and final course of the night was kinmedai golden snapper, served raw, in ochazuke and rice. Again wasabi was included with the fish, but this course was also served with a variety of tsukemono. A light and pleasant way to end the meal. Everything was amazing, but I think the standout dish to me was the lobster. Lobster is not typically deep fried, but the way Nanzan prepared the lobster was just perfect and unique. We will definitely come back next time we are in Honolulu.

I stumbled across Nanzan GiroGiro as we parked across the street back in August. Was intrigued as almost every seat has an unobstructed view of the kitchen. Knew I'd be coming back to hnl in November, we decided to dine here on a Sunday. We were one of the first patrons to arrive for the first seating and scored parking up front. The waitress briefly explained the menu and that we had 2 options for the kaiseki meal (either a 6 or 9 course dinner). Love how they change their menu each month due to seasonal ingredients being readily available. We elected for the 6 course meal and added the dessert and matcha to finish the meal. I did enjoy most of the courses but there were a few which needed to be improved upon. The one that comes to mind was the black cod and somen noodle. Found it a bit odd that the somen noodles were cold which would've been great during a hot summer day! Wasn't a fan of the main course which tasted sort of like a soupy Chinese black peppercorn beef. Service was excellent and all waiters/waitresses were friendly and happy to engage in conversations. Do appreciate the affordability of the menu and would come back again in the future.

Nanzan GiroGiro is one of the best places for kaiseki on Oahu. They have a 6 course and a 9 course to choose from. The 6 course has a good amount of food and you have the option to add on dessert. The 9 course is very filling and it includes dessert. I usually don't finish all the food in the 9 courses but I'll give some away to my friends before I start eating..."Do you want another piece of otoro or do you want the uni?" Their menu changes every month and the proteins consist of fish and beef but sometimes they'll have duck breasts. The sashimi courses have always been my favorite because of the sauces it's marinated in but during the last 2 visits, I started to like the uni rice. Every time I dine here, the food taste amazing and the presentation along with the ceramic ware are photogenic; camera eats first. The service from their staff is also excellent. They make sure your water cup and teacup never go empty during your meal. The kaiseki is pricey so save this place for a special occasion or on pay day when you can splurge on a nice meal for yourself. The 6 course is $88 and the 9 course is $176. The interior of the restaurant is bright and it has an open kitchen. You can watch the staff cook and plate every dish. If you're coming here with 6 or more people, you can reserve the private room which is in the back. You won't be able to see the staff prepare the food but you'll still get excellent service. I recommend making reservations 30 days in advanced. For parking, there are parking spaces in front of the restaurant but if that fills up, you have to circle the block and find street parking.

They offer excellent and consistent performance and change their menu monthly. Choosing from their six--or nine-course menus can be overwhelming. :)

Place is a must go if you love Japanese Kiseki! Food was amazing and service was great! My favorite dining experiences in Waikiki! I had the 9 course and it was a lot of food and would have been satisfied with 6 however two options were Tori and wagyu katsu therefore couldn't resist. Highly recommend and it's fully worth it.

This September menu is really good I would say so far the best one over all before experience. Service is great, will give 5 star for the lady who is serving us. Only small negative is parking slightly short in parking spaces.

Food of course is foremost. All of the courses were delicious and well presented. Being able to observe their development and watching their presentation was enjoyable. Service was spot on. Loved the ambiance. Quiet , clean, and comfortable. Will go back again. Prices seem reasonable for fine dining in Honolulu.

The food was pretty good, but the consensus amongst my family after was "that was a lot of liquid." Out of the 6 course menu for $78, 4/6 had some kind of broth or puree. The other two had a soft rice and a potato salad, so pretty similar in texture with a mushy element. Not a lot of variety in texture July 2022 menu KABOCHA PURÉE + PORK: nice to start with, but twas the start of pureed foods GRILLED TROUT AND GOBO SESAME TOFU: smoky flavor with a smoky broth BLACK COD WITH FOIE GRAS "SAUCE," DAIKON AND KALE RICE: liked this one, definitely on the richer side BLUEFIN TUNA WITH BROCCOLI POTATO SALAD AND AYU: good quality sashimi, although I will say the menu advertised this with "ayu" as the first ingredient, which is the whole reason we wanted to try this tasting menu since my dad loves ayu, however, it was really just a miniscule ingredient mixed with the potato salad KONA ABALONE WITH CORN SOUP: my favorite dish, with the sweet corn soup that mixed well with the vinegar jelly. Wish there was more abalone to make the texture more variable FRIED HAMO EEL AND BROTH: crispy tempura, with yet again *another* broth. lol The ambiance is also interesting like other omakase or kaiseki places where you're mostly seated at the "bar" or around the kitchen so you can watch them work. There's a small area in the back for like 2 tables. I could see the appeal of both but it's definitely not as easy to converse amongst your party while sitting in a row if you have more than 2-3 people. Maybe the other menus have more variety in texture.

Nanzan Giro Giro has monthly prefix menus (2 available). You can preview what is being served by looking at the menu, but in my opinion the description doesn't do the food justice. I really enjoyed each course. The flavors are clean and the dishes are beautifully presented! A few standouts from our menu was the black cod soft roe tempura, gobo burduck roots sesame tofu, wasabi king mushroom ankake soup. I did not want this soup to end! It was so flavorful without being salty. Another standout was the abalone egg custard, unagi eel, cauliflower sauce, salmon roe and hearts of palm. Delish! Between the smaller prefix and larger one, there are 2 additional entree type courses to the larger ones plus dessert. We thought the real winners were the dishes that were on both menus though. There is parking right in front but it's really limited and tight. If no parking there, you have to circle the area for street parking. I believe it is reservations only because we saw some people get turned away.

Such a fun 9-course culinary experience. Reminded me of some of the kaiseki meals back in Japan. I was stuffed after 9 course and probably should have gotten the 6 courses. However the beef and foie gras sauce dish that accompanied the 9 dish was amazing.... Just not sure if it was worth $100 extra. :) The pacing between courses could have also been slightly slower because I often felt I was trying to finish the course since they had brought out the trays to next course already. Most of the seats are around the bar center counter in the restaurant but because we were in a group, we were seated at one of the three back tables. I found the tables a bit close together so probably better to go with even larger group of 6 minimum to secure the space. Service was super friendly!

This is a Japanese fusion tasting menu restaurant, not focused on sushi/raw fish omakase. The menu changes every month and I had a chance to taste the 9 course tasting menu for June 2022. Overall the menu was heavily focused on soups (both warm and cold). There were also a number of items involving pureed vegetables. All items were pristinely prepared. As a tasting menu however, I felt the items lacked variety. As someone who finds great joy in experiencing a variety of textures in my food, I was quite disappointed by the tasting menu. Some of the courses were also so oily that I could not finish the portion. I would have been more satisfied with more variety in textures throughout the tasting menu. Service is good. Location is near Ala Moana Center. The temperature in the restaurant was warm, I was sweating the whole time.

probably my favorite restaurant in honolulu, i try to come here most times that i'm visiting. i just love the simplicity of the restaurant space, the clean flavors of the food, and the attention to the details that the servers provide. have generally been seated on the bar itself, so you can watch the chefs work, but also have sat in the few tables in the back. between the two, esp for first time, i think the bar is where the action is at. the amount of food is generally perfect for me on the 6 course, but they also have a 9 course menu. dessert is an add-on for the 6 course, and you can also add-on a wine pairing for either tasting, which i always do. i always enjoy the sashimi/first course, but i also enjoy the soup/rice course as well. definitely make a reservation, and if you have any food allergies, you can let them know in advance, and they are very good about that. highly recommend!

A Happy new year 2023 1st restaurant I picked that is Nanzan Girox2 3 years ago, Coronavirus pandemic started. My 1st choice was Nanzan Girox2. 2022 end of the year My doctor told me that I can't eat the rich foods because my cholesterol is extremely high. I have begged my doctor n he told me, okay once month I can go Reastaurant My choice Nanzan Girox2 again January menu 6 course excellent again But this review I would like to inform The Crockery exhibition by Ito Nanzan at this restaurant on 2/21 n 22. Nanzan Girox2 is good foods, great service & nice atmosphere But not only that, their dishes are very unique & colorful & original All crockery, Nanzan Girox2 are created by Ito Nanzan who is the owner of this restaurant If you have a time please go this crockery exhibition I promise you it will be the great experience n fun to see his professional skills PS I will be a way from Hawaii 3 months, missing Nanzan Girox2

I drive past here all the time and never really noticed it, but my aunty took my mom and I here on a sunday at 6pm and it was life changing. They have good covid protocols, they are wearing masks and gloves and they have plexi-glass dividers between parties. The menu is Kaiseki- style, pre-fixed for the month based on what is seasonal in Japan. This is one of my favorite ways to eat because you get to try so many different things. There is a 9-course meal ($143) and a 6-course meal ($78), where the difference is two courses and the dessert course (you can add for $15, which of course I had to!). My mom and aunty both got the 9-course, but one of the extra courses had lobster, which I am slightly allergic to so I only got the 6-course, but my mom shared the other course with me :) It is sooo much food, but honestly every course was so delicious. Beautifully plated and somehow a lot of differently flavors so beautifully woven together without being overwhelming. Some of my favorites of the night were the starter, which was yellowtail with a kale soup and yuba soymilk paper. The yellowtail melted in your mouth and the kale soup was soooo refreshing. I could eat that all day. I am not a huge foie gras person, but when I tried the sauce on my mom's unagi, it was sooo good- rich yet delicate! I also really enjoyed the Oshinogi course- 3 pieces of blue fin tuna, at different levels of fattiness- this was so so delicious. The broths of soup dishes were also so good- light, yet flavorful. The dessert was also nothing short of amazing- who knew raspberry lemonade and azuki bean would go together? Loved that it ended with matcha to balance out the sweetness. Overall, this was an amazing experience and I want to come back next...every month!!

Definitely worth a visit even if you aren't hugely into Japanese food mostly because the chef and staff are so accommodating. They had no problems doing a few substitutions. The price is rather high but so is the quality, taste and presentation. Dishes come out at a nice pace and while not huge by the end of the night I was full and satisfied. The tableware is amazing. I got a bit nervous when they said one bowl cost several hundred dollars.

===TL;DR=== - Kaiseki style dining (pre fixe menu): 6 course: $78/ pp or 9 course: $143/ pp (I chose the 9 course) - Reservation recommended! - Let the chef know if you have any food allergies ===TMI=== If you can't decide what to eat, you're at the right place - let the chef decide that for you. If you want to change it up a bit instead of your traditional Omakase experiences, highly recommend this place. They host a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner with seasonal items varying month over month. I love how accommodating they were in terms of reservation times. I would get a text from them, providing live updates if they had cancelations or if we want to move our reservation time up if their schedule opens up.

What a GREAT way to start our vacation! Had dinner with good friends here and this is one of their favorite places. Everything here was unique and created with each component that played a role in the dish, as well as with unique components such as sweet potato egg tofu!!? Delish!! We had the 6 course tasting menu which changes monthly. They are super careful and plan out where you sit and placed shields between parties so I felt very safe and had a great time! First we started with sake and opened with a delicious tea - can't recall what kind but it was one I had never heard of. Also little known fact - all their ceramics were custom made for their restaurant! Check out the little seal on my sake cup! Our meal included: * Starter - Japan Bluefin Tuna, burdoc roots puree, spinach, radish pickes and shisio * Soup - Black cod yuan, sesame tofu, lotus root ankake soup, mitsuba cayenne * Mukoduke - Duck, sweet potato egg tofu (delish), eggplant, Shiso, mustard seed pickles * Oshinogi - Guji Amadai Snapper, Foie gras sauce open sand, zucchini pickles * Main - Beef, Pork, heart of palms meat ball, Kona Abalone, Abolone soy, Kabocha pumpkin soup, greens, oaga fried tofu, bell pepers * Rice - Tai snapper and the broth, radish rice (that had some bits of crispy parts), wasabi, bubu arare * Pickles - Hakusai cabbage, cucumber and ume puree * Sweets - Brown sugar custard, honey pepper soymilk and peach cream We also ended our meal with whipped matcha tea!! What a great meal - great experience - with great company and we got to meet and talk to the chef and owner. I didn't realize he also has a restaurant in Kyoto! Highly recommend this place - parking may be a bit challenging but it's doable - just come a bit early.

This place totally exceeded my expectations. The parking is right in front of the restaurant but limited so we had to park on another street but didn't have an issue, it was also still early around 5pm so we may have got lucky. We were greeted once we entered and seated immediately. I was a little opposed when I noticed we'd be seated next to other people, but honestly it wasn't that bad and we ended up talking stories with the people next to us, however if you go when the sun is close to setting it gets pretty hot, maybe from the sun and extra body heat around. Once the sun set it felt cool again. We decided to get the 9 course since it had stuff the 6 course didn't have. It was definitely filling, everything looks small but don't let it fool you! The menus change monthly, and this months one was amazing!! I'll post pictures of everything, all I have to say is everything in the course was amazing!!! I loved everything. We found out that the owner is also an artist and creates all of the dish ware that the food/drinks are served on. They also have a little art gallery on the side with the dish ware to purchase. 10/10 would come again!

It was just "OK." I feel like it was overhyped and I expected more. It was fish heavy and although I like fish, I also like a variety of meats/protein. I don't think I would come back.

Saw an influencer posting about this place and was so excited when I managed to snatch a reservation two days before. Opted for the 9 course and that was a mistake! Should've just stuck with the 6. The 6 course would've been a better value for what we got. Everything was not bad but overall not impressed.

Nanzan GiroGiro is a kaiseki inspired Japanese Restaurant in Honolulu. The interior is beautifully decorated with minimalistic approach. How do I explain my experience here. Its good, eatable, good course meal but it lacks this one factor in each category. Its just very mediocre, but I would not say this restaurant is bad in any ways. The course went through nicely but presentation really lacks the sensual factors to satisfy both eyes, nose and the palette. The meal flow was excellent but overall it could use extended menu other than the one they have now. The extended menu really is just add on of few items but I think if they make the kaiseki meal into more presentation art than the food, it would make the experience much more sensual. I would definitely eat here again times to times, as they offer a great decent Kaiseki meal in Hawaii. But I guess my expectation for the Kaiseki word in general, I'm used to much higher level dining experience.

I'm a huge Kaiseki fan and was very happy I was able to make reservations this time around for Nanzan GiroGiro. We had a choice of either the 6 course for $78 or 9 course menu for $143 and decided to go with the 9 course. Might as well go big or go home! Some of the highlights for us were the Hamo eel, Hamo broth and noodle. The eel and broth were tremendously sweet and appetizing! The black cod, kona abalone and sesame tofu were also delectable especially the sesame tofu. I felt the pork and duck dishes were a bit on the dry and chewy side. The chef did excel on his sauces as I always tried to lather everything up so it didn't go to waste. But it was a hit or miss with many of his courses. As for the pricepoint, I felt I have had much better in Southern California with n/naka and also in Japan. But food taste is very subjective, so to each their own!

The September 2021 takeout bento ($40) was soooooo DELICIOUS and WORTH IT! They are all about those tasty sauces and purées (and they ain't skimpy about it.) We definitely recommend! When available, the kaiseki takeout menu "monthly" changes. I highly recommend that you check out the menu before you order because some menus are better than others.

So I visited Honolulu again and this time I tried to order takeout from the restaurant due to limited time. The takeout cost $75 + tax, and it tastes worse than most Japanese food I've tried, I wouldn't pay even $10 for it.

Visit on 2/15/21 AMAZING experience! I would come here again in a heart beat. + Extremely friendly/awesome service + Really great price point that is quite affordable for anyone who wants to spice it up but not by too much + Creative dishes that is suitable for pretty much anyone and everyone Parking: street parking. Nothing else is really open around this area, so it does get a bit dark. However, the restaurant is brightly lit so you should feel safe. Menu below is for February 2021. Everything was SO GOOD! Starter: cod roe tempura, ikura salmon roe, hiyamugi noodle, shiso, green fried tofu, ginger uma dashi Broth: snow crab tempura, carrot egg tofu, cream broth, yuzu citrus Fish: sea bass teri, gobo burdock roots sauce, wasabi, lotus root Main: pork grill, sesame tofu, vook daikon radish, kyoto white miso soy milk soup, green Meat: duck, cauliflower puree, bell pepper vinegar Rice: beef, onion soy sauce, foie gras sauce, wasabi, rice Soup: red miso soup, yuba soymilk paper, sansho pepper Pickles: nappa cabbage, ume puree, cucumber nukaduke Sweets: + cheese cake, grilled apple, soy powder honey ice cream, black soy beans, coffee mouse + kyoto tsujiri matcha green tea NOTE: The restaurant owner is an avid pottery (?) artist. Everything used during your meal (tea cups, bowls, plates, etc) are all hand made! If you want to purchase any, you can ask the employees there to help you. They also have some on display in the corner. Overall, highly recommend. It was $68/person without dessert, and with dessert it's an additional $15/person.

3/14/22 No one died. No one got sick. Well sorta kinda, but not really their fault. Everyone survived to live another day. Might take some extra overtime though to repair the hole in my wallet, but whateverz.... didn't lose the roof over our heads. Blessed be God for keeping us safe driving to and from too. No car accident. No one ran us over as we walked from our car to the door... ...but that is not to say we didn't suffer here. First thing I noticed as I walked through the door was it was hot and humid. Thermostat read 81deg. Nice. A little light sauna is umami too right? After we sat no one came by for 10min. Okay.... maybe I should start with this: it's $80-140ish / person not counting drinks. So, you know... we're not talking Denny's k? Eventually we ordered: 1. Wine Pairing "9 Course" $77 (4 oz paired with selected courses): Let me warn you--they only pair 2/3rds of the dishes. I've never had a situation like this at 20+ Michelin star restaurants, and I even asked why we were missing drinks. Forgot the answer. Ripoff. But I will say most of the wine was delicious at least. So, when we sat down, the table next to us spoke completely in Chinese but I did hear them say that it was really hot. I eventually asked the waiter if they can turn on the AC, and they did. Much better. The table didn't realize we asked, but I heard them later say in Mandarin that they felt much better. You're welcome. Alright so from this point on, the capitalization is exactly as it is on the menu. I left it because I thought such great writing from their 5yr old should be recognized!!! (I did fix their commas though to improve readability--but trust me, it was originally quite artful too.) 9 courses menu March 2022 $143: 2. Seared yuan Scallop "Potato Egg tofu, Mountain potato, Cucumber, Shimeji, sesame seed, vinegar jelly, Green, lime": The scallops were extra dry and dense, like well aged beef--in the best way. Unfortunately the rest didn't add flavor. Tofu was plain and rustic and the vegetable lacked seasoning. 4/10 3. Red snapper minute cook "and the Broth, Zucchini, pea sprout, Lime zest": Flavorless soup--if anyone attempts to call this unami, call bullcrap on them. It's basically lightly salted water. Hell, I think the salt itself overpowered any residual flavor that could have been hiding. The fish was dry and overcooked, the plating messy. 3/10 4. Japanese Blue fin tuna "Abalone&heart of palms, Chives, cream, wasabi, Shiso": I think the sashimi was marinated due to its silky texture, but the flavor didn't seem affected. The abalone was remarkably tender. Notably, the plating was again messy and my dish looked different than my gf's though they were supposed to be the same. 6/10 5. Beef "Onion, Ginger, soy sauce, Lotus, puree rice, Local Radish, Wasabi": Steak was cooked perfectly. Congee had good texture and light flavor. Alas, I dunno, it didn't feel suitable for the price--needs something more. 6/10 6. Black cod soft roe "Black cod, sesame tofu, micro red, Green Parsnip, White miso soup, Yuzu kosho pepper": Was alright. The cod roe was nice to eat but didn't have any special flavor. the cod fish was okay, not very silky. Tofu was cool--the sesame in tasted like peanut. Overall felt pedestrian like my gf's casual stew. 6/10 7. Duck "Gobo, Foie gras sauce, Green, Shungiku puree, mustard seed": Now we're talking! Duck was tender and juicy. Whatever the green stuff was it was too strong so I pushed it aside. Couldn't really taste foie gras but the sauce was delicious. The first dish worthy of the price. 8/10 8. Lobster "Egg custard, Tomato Bisque, Uni sea urchin": The lobster was extremely overcooked. The chawanmushi was silky but full of holes, which shows the chef's lack of technique. Uni was too tiny. 3/10 9. Seared Japanese Ono Sawara fish "Rice, Yuba, Broth, Mitsuba": No notes. 10. Hakusai cabbage "Cucumber Nukaduke, Wasabi, Ume puree": No notes. 11. Sweets "Red beans Mochi, Orange confits, Quinoa sugar, Sake Lees Ice cream": I enjoyed the plating, and I especially loved the combination of the unique "ice cream" with the dimsum-like warm fried stick. The ice cream was something like a puree, and had a unique texture--a bit gritty and creamy at the same time. 8/10 Also on the menu: "Please understand that your table is booked for 2 hours. Thank you."--seriously? What a low-class thing to say for a meal costing me $380 after tip. 6 courses menu March2022 [yes] $78: My gf got this. Same as 7 items from above. Oh yeah!... 12. Kid's Meal, on the house (black cod, special sesame "tofu" and rice?): Oh I should note, they have GREAT food for kids. And even extra fancy plastic silverware so they don't hurt themselves. THAT was indeed cool of them. Maybe the best kid's meal ever--and it's FREE! 10/10 1/5 #honolulu #japanesefood #japanesecuisine #hawaii2022 #oahu

We enjoyed the January menu, and it was perfectly balanced and delicious. We particularly loved the use of local produce alongside the imported fish. The sesame tofu was another standout among many. The staff are warm and welcoming, the bespoke ceramic serveware was charming, and watching the chefs work in synchrony in the open kitchen view was mesmerizing. This was our favorite meal in Honolulu, thank you!

Honestly saying, food was good and tasty and I liked the vibe in the restaurant. However, I expected more of "Sushi" type of Omakase but foods served there was more of cooked dishes. Amount of food hmm... was okay for me but not like 'Oh I'm full'. However, I can't complain that the price was cheap enough for course meal. Chef seemed dedicated to serve good food, just wasn't my expectation of Omakase. If I lived in Hawaii, I'd go for anniversary for the vibe.

This was one of our favorite meals during our trip to Oahu. Fantastic Kaiseiki meal with top notch service, ingredients and culinary. Each dish was simple yet rich and it was great to watch it all go down at the kitchen counter seats. Will definitely come back next time we are in town!

Note: this is a COVID era takeaway review. The restaurant offers a dine in option as well as takeaway. Perfected takeaway kaiseki experience. It looks like a bento. It is NOT. This is the same food served in the restaurant's dine in kaiseki experience. The same seasonal ingredients. The same complex flavors. "Courses" flowing with the same progression of complimenting and contrasting flavors. The best part, it's half the price. Sure, there is no beautiful plating, the temp contrast between courses may be lost, and you might need to microwave the tray for 10 seconds as you near the end of the meal but did I mention, it's half the dine in price? IMPORTANT: for the true kaiseki experience, eat each "course" individually following the included menu. Menus change monthly. Some highlights to showcase the complexity of dishes: Carrot egg tofu - Silky smooth carrot puree is added to house made tofu and egg creating a light, creamy, mousse like block oozing sweet carrot flavor. Smoked dashi and a crisp piece of dashi imbued lotus root add a balancing earthiness. Salmon - Flash soy marinated then grilled crisp on the outside, well done to lock in the flavor on the inside (not dry). It sits on a gobo / dashi puree. A soy simmered slice of lotus root adds texture. Fresh grated wasabi brings all the flavors together. Duck breast - Fat removed, perfectly roasted sliced duck breast sits on a smooth umami supercharged cauliflower puree. House made deep fried sesame tofu (crisp on the outside, bit in and soy milk burst forth) compliments, its richness cut by a mouth bracing sweet sour sauce of roasted bell pepper pure and rice vinegar. Foie sauce rice - Closing course. Perfectly cooked rice from Japan topped by an insanely good sauce of pureed foie and dashi. All the beautiful livery notes of foie made better by the umami backed dashi. Natural glutamates make the flavor explode. The entire meal (add a couple bottles of sake) experienced in the comfort of home across two hours. Follow on IG for monthly menus. DM, email, text, or call to order. It's been getting better and better and now Nanzan Giro Giro's takeaway offers the most unique Japanese takeaway meal that should be experienced.

We love going to Japan but due to the pandemic Hawaii was the closest to Japan we will get. One of our friends highly recommended here. We texted and the restaurant was able to accommodate us last minute. The menu just changed and we were so excited!!! We were torn between the 6 and 9 course. We didn't want to be too full so we chose the 6 option with the wine pairing. We would usually choose sake but we chose the wine pairing option. Everything was truly amazing. Each presentation was so pretty and the dishes were beautiful. And the wine pairing went so well with the food. We were also celebrating our anniversary and they decorated our desserts. We love the open kitchen option so you can see everything in action. And not to mention, the service was exceptional! Everyone was so friendly. Although I really wanted to try the uni and lobster on the 9 course, I am glad we went with the 6 course option because I was so full.

Well-crafted dishes throughout the entire dinner, absolutely fantastic. Nanzan GiroGiro offers a 6-course and 9-course meal, the main difference being the 9-course provides the Duck Fois Gras, Lobster with Uni, and the Sorbet dessert. If you are considering Nanzan GiroGiro, I would highly recommend choosing the 9-course meal. The 3 additional dishes made all the difference - the duck was perfectly cooked and paired with the tomato vinegar sauce. Throughout the dish, you'll chew on mustard seeds which provide refreshingly small notes of spice. The lobster with uni was extremely decadent. The uni teleporting you to the sea while you chew on the meaty lobster covered with lobster bisque. The dessert was an incredible ending to this meal. A "toast" covered with brown sugar butter, paired with mango, strawberry, melon sorbet, and lemon custard. The sorbet (which was great on its own) was elevated by the bitter notes from the dark brown sugar butter with a toast-esque texture. *My only complaint would be that some of the employees frequently touched their loose facemask and then handled the sake bottles, which was concerning only since they would touch the mouth of the bottle when the cap was removed.* Despite that, I'll definitely be returning and encourage all of my friends to stop by when they're in town!

Hole in a wall type place. Food is delicious and the service was great. However they lack ambiance because it's more of an open kitchen with them preparing the food in the middle and the counter seats are wrapped around the kitchen. You can get either the 6 course or 9 course omakase. I've tried both (on different days), the 6 course was more than enough for me. The 9 course was too much food for me, it left me feeling a little sick.