OKONOMIYAKI CHIBO

OKONOMIYAKI CHIBO

ROYAL HAWAIIAN SHOPPING CENTER

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Talk about getting lucky and finding a new great spot to eat.  I ended up at Okonomiyaki Chibo by accident.  We were going to eat at Restaurant Suntory to enjoy a Teppanyaki dinner.  When we arrived we were told the wait was 45 minutes to one hour.  Rather than wait, we walked down a few yards and found another Teppanyaki restaurant.  The hostess told us that the wait would be about 10-15 minutes so we grabbed four bar stools and enjoyed a cocktail.  The bartender had the worst attitude and personality in Hawaii.  How she could be in the service industry is beyond me.  Perhaps she was unfriendly because we were not all Japanese.  The entire restaurant is filled with Japanese  tourists and locals.  I don't think too many locals know this place exists.  In fact none of our party of four had ever heard of it.  I asked how long they have been in business and was told "17 Years".  I could not believe this but it was true.  Lucky for us the table was ready and we only had to stomach her for a few minutes.  We were seated at a comfortable Teppanyaki grille and quickly noticed that there were huge pancake type dishes being cooked on the grille.  Everyone was ordering these "pancakes" and other noodle dishes that looked great.  The pancakes are Japanese Okonomiyaki or Japanese pancakes.  The base batter is a mix of flour, egg, cabbage and grated mountain yam.  They are cooked table side on the Teppanyaki grille.   They are filled with different meats, vegetables or seafood and then topped with mayonnaise, Okonomiyaki sauce, seaweed and dried Bonito flakes.  We ordered ours with Kim Chee and Pork.  This thing was the bomb.  A fantastic dish that was devoured in minutes.  We also had a noodle dish that was awesome.  I cannot remember the name because it was Japanese.  We ordered two orders of the filet of beef and two orders of the grilled scallops for four people.  This was more than enough.  The beef and scallops are cooked table side and served with garlic flakes, mushrooms and onions.  Both were also delicious.  The meal includes Miso soup, salad and ice cream for desert.  The salad and Miso soup were both great.  I absolutely loved this place.  My friends said the same and all could not wait to return.  I am going back tomorrow to enjoy the pancakes again.  UPDATE: Went back again and the service and food were great again.  I highly recommend this place.  Note:  Check the daily special menu.  Last night they had Abalone and some Lettuce Cups with Pork and Vegetables that looked great.
Click link below to see an updated post on Okonomiyaki Chibo
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/01/chibo-teppanyaki-okonomiyaki-honolulu.html