SUSHI SASABUNE
HONOLULU, HAWAII
SUSHI SASABUNE
1417 SOUTH KING STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96814
808-947-3800
HOURS: Tuesday thru Friday 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday thru Saturday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Finally made it to Sushi Sasabune. This is the #1 Zagat Rated restaurant in Honolulu and also #1 rated on Trip Advisor. The Yelp reviews are almost all five star and it is heralded as the Best Sushi in Honolulu. My verdict: BEST SUSHI OF MY LIFE...PERIOD! Especially if you are not paying the bill. Lunch here for two without drinks was $250 with tip. Add another $100 per person or more for dinner with Sake, Beer or other beverages. My host had dinner for three at Sasabune and the bill was $1100. Sasabune serves sushi Omakase style. This is a Japanese phrase that means "I'll leave it to you". You are entrusting your meal to the hands of the Sushi Chef who will make all your selections for you. Trust Me is the motto here. Trust is key because there is no food menu or prices. You literally walk in blind not knowing what you will be served or how much it will cost. I have no idea of the formula they use for pricing or how they keep track of who is eating what. It was interesting to see that the Japanese people sitting directly next to me were being served a completely different set of dishes. The Master Chef prepares each and every dish with his own hands. The Younger Gentlemen preps the dishes and serves them to you with an explanation of what you are eating and where it came from. Each plate of sushi is described in detail and you are instructed to add Soy Sauce or not add it depending on the preparation. The meal begins with lighter dishes and moves forward to the heavier and richest dishes. The sushi continues to flow two pieces at a time until you tap out. While the Chef works intently with a very serious look, he did stop to say thank you and gave us a huge smile when we said it was delicious. I was pretty blown away with the freshness of the sushi. Melted like butter on my tongue. This is the kind of sushi you savor in your mouth like a piece of candy. Each piece takes you on a journey around the world as the sushi is flown in from all corners of the universe. The sushi rice is served slightly heated which adds a warmth to the colder sushi. Perfection. This was a dining adventure that I truly enjoyed. I had no idea what was coming next and price was not an issue because you have no idea what each dish costs. Was it worth $125 each for lunch. You bet if you are not paying. Would I go back again and pay? In a heartbeat.
SUSHI SASABUNE
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| THE MASTER SEIJI KUMIGAWA ON RIGHT AND HIS CHOSEN STUDENT |
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| SUSHI SASABUNE - TRUST ME |
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| SASABUNE ON KING STREET IN HONOLULU |
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| JAPANESE WARRIOR WELCOMES YOU |
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| SMALL AND INTIMATE DINING AREA |
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| THE "TRUST ME" SUSHI BAR |
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| HOSTESS DESK |
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| ENTRANCE TO DINING AREA |
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| THE SOUND OF CASCADING WATER FILLS THE ROOM |
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| VOTED BEST RESTAURANT IN HONOLULU |
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| CALMING MURALS TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD |
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| FRESH GINGER AND WASABI |
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| SQUID STUFFED WITH BLUE CRAB |
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| SALMON AND SCALLOP |
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| OYSTERS PREPARED THREE WAYS |
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| TUNA TARTAR |
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| NEW ZEALAND LOBSTER |
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| LOBSTER IS PRE-CUT IN BITE SIZES PIECES |
This is a 3 year old post so perhaps you already know this by now but the reason the Japanese people next to you were served different dishes is because they likely requested the "Japanese omakase" instead of the standard omakase. They don't advertise this, you just have to be "in the know". It's more expensive but totally worth it - you'll get traditional sushi rather than the slightly Americanized version they serve to the average customers.
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