Sushiya

Sushiya has become my go-​to for those «oh crap, I’m starving at work and need something reasonably healthy-​ish, RIGHT NOW» moments.
The couple that runs this place is very cute and friendly, as others have pointed out. The restaurant itself is itty-​bitty, so I would recommend take-​out. Their sushi is affordable, so it is a good option for a cheapie lunch.
Food-​wise, my coworkers swear by the crunchy don (tempura fried veggie fritters and spicy ahi over rice). Personally, I’m more partial to Tamura’s poke/​spicy ahi, and I’ve found the tempura fritter to be just a little bit oily for my taste. Just a matter of preference.
I prefer the hand rolls… At two-​ish bucks a pop, they pack some bang for your buck. My favorites are the veggie hand roll and the California hand roll with unagi. The shrimp tempura hand roll is also a good way to satisfy those fried-​food cravings without going too far off the deep end, and I haven’t found it to be quite as oily as the veggie fritters.
Overall, it’s cheap, offers healthier options than a lot of nearby restaurants, and the food is decent enough for the price and convenience.

I visited this place on a Wednesday and there were a couple of folks in line. The displays look promising, so I ordered a Rainbow roll (under $ 10). The Champs bartender across the street told me it was cool to bring food in to Champs that night since Champs was not serving food on Wednesdays, so this place was conveniently across the street. The fish selection on the rainbow looked and tasted fresh, but I wish they didn’t wrap so much rice. The cucumber was also cut in huge pieces, and the imitation crab was just stuck inside the roll plain. Nothing memorable, but a quick place to grab a bite to go. There is parking and a bike rack, and it’s next to Boston’s Pizza.

Terrible sushi period. I rarely waste my time reviewing any place unless they are either super good or down right terrible. This place was terrible but it was a cheap $ 45 lesson learned. We ordered dragon maki, ikura nigiri, abalone nigiri, yakitori temaki and a sushi-​ya assorted bento, wife and I ate one piece of each and the rest went in the rubbish.
The rice they use taste like cheap hinode or tsurumai. Ikura was super fishy and overly salty and nothing was even decent. Any Kuru Kuru type of sushi place in Japan or any convenience store there would be 10 times better and even cheaper but i’m not complaining about the price because again it is a lesson learned that you get what you pay for.
Food reviews shouldn’t be about how nice the owners are and the rating shouldn’t be swayed by the free miso soup they got etc, it should be mainly about the food.

Warning… beware! We had a weird experience here. The Unilocal reviews were so great and hungry for sushi, we thought we’d give it a try. Stopped by on a Sunday around 10:20 a.m. hoping to miss the crowds. Good start… lots of available parking, and the Open sign was on. Walked up to the counter and we were acknowledged by a lady with a Japanese accent who seemed to question why we were there. I asked if she was open, she said yes, told her we’d like to order, and though I couldn’t understand her, she seemed to not want to take our order. Something about being too busy (though there was no one else there) and had a big order and didn’t want to help us. I asked again if she was open, since the Open sign was lit. She said yes, but would not take our order. Confused, we walked out, and she seemed relieved. Horrible, horrible experience. I don’t think I would ever consider giving them my business.

Spicy ahi is just perfect. The old couples are super nice! And they give u free miso soup that tastes soooooo good!
I always come here cos I work nearby: p
Overall great food with reasonable price (: They only accept cash.

Very quick. Good service. It was loud when I was ordering, so we didn’t chat. Afterward, the shop was quiet. A good variety. I had two handrolled sushi. Decent prices. Parking is atrocious, so keep that in mind.

I always get the crunchy tempura don and it is the best! I had yet to find a place with a don like this that was better than Manoa Sushis crunch don but I found it here with the crunchy tempura don! It is so good and fresh! We also really enjoy the mandoo
We come here at least once a week. The parking in this lot can be a challenge but we always find a spot and this is definitely more of a take out place.
The couple that owns this restaurant is so sweet and nice too which is an added bonus

I’ve eaten many times at Sansei, which is great. But Sushiya is just as good at half the price! Just 3 small tables in a place that’s primarily designed for takeout, but an awesome selection of high quality sushi at a fantastic price.

I have been to many sushi bars in Honolulu. I love this place because of many reasons.
1) Their spicy ahi is AMAZING! Instead of chopped up ahi with mixed with a sauce of some sort like other restaurants do, they have big, red, beautiful chunks of ahi in theirs.
2) Their sushi pieces are huge!
3) Red Dragon roll is amazing!
4) Their handmade mandoo is delicious!
5) For the excellent quality of sushi, this place is inexpensive!
6) The couple who own it are so sweet and friendly.
I found my new go-​to sushi place!
I have to add that they only take cash, the restaurant is small, so take-​out may be a better option!

Best sushi on the island! Their prices were great and it’s small enough of a place that my husband and I could order and get our food within minutes. The owner even threw in a free bowl of miso soup! Will go again when we come back to Hawaii!

I got the spicy ahi hand roll and it tastes really good. The man works there is really nice. I have some dislike about this place; the store has a weird smell, and they are cash only.

Best spicy ahi!!! Had the spicy ahi nigiri and loved it. Mom and Pop place with very limited seating and remember… CASH ONLY! Hope to hit this place one more time before we leave because we can’t get anything like this back home.

parking: small private lot in front
the cost: $ 10 per dish
the drinks: black tea slushee with boba
the food: spicy tuna donburi, dynamite maki
reservations: no
This is a nice small take-​out sushi restaurant in Kaimuki. It’s run by a couple of really nice old korean people. The dynamite maki is slightly spicy, slighty sweet, and pretty good. The spicy tuna donburi is made of the same spicy tuna as that from the dynamite maki. Takes about 10 minutes for them to complete your order for take out and there’s a small table in the restaurant if you want to sit and eat. They also have slushees with boba. The black tea one was too sweet for me.
Overall, an okay place to get take-​out sushi. Pretty good black tea slushee with boba ask them make it less sweet!

AWESOME!!!
Our family LOVES to come to Sushiya on Waialae Ave! This place is run by the cutest couple. They are the only two in there every single day and they are always in a good mood! The sushi is made so well and it is absolutely delicious. You cannot beat this price for the quality of sushi you receive.
True, this place is not a large restaurant with lots of tables to sit on and many workers running around helping out. This is a place you eat when you are in no rush and want to eat awesome sushi in you rubber slippers and board shorts. (Or you can just make a phone order and pick it up!)
You may dine in or take out.
Warning! Their spicy ahi is SPICYYYY! But we love it, the flavor is perfect :)

Very reasonably priced, considering that this is high-​quality Japanese food. Sushi and every other popular Japanese dish is available at a very good price. Food was produced very quickly and brought to our table by a spritely ojisan.
A tiny storefront, not conducive to groups or a large number of customers. Reasonably ample parking, shared with the other shops on the main street. Would definitely try again!

My boyfriend is out of town on a trip so as much as I try to keep busy, when Friday night rolls along I suddenly realize I have to choose dinner by myself. Oy ve, I’m indecisive with him but alone, it’s even worse! I finally wandered down to Waialae and was going to kill time thinking when I looked up and saw Sushiya & decided to just go do it. I got a spicy ahi donburi to go; the gentleman was so friendly when he took my order & I was pleasantly surprised when I got home to realize he had also given me some miso soup. Score! My spicy tuna was yummy & came with cucumbers & ginger on the side. For $ 8 the portion was excellent and I was happy with the quality of the fish.
I also later realized that while the sign said open still, I was pretty close to closing so I truly appreciate the quality of food and service I received.
Small space, not a lot of seats but food is super good for takeout. Cash only!

Very delicious sushi, and the price is cheap comparing to bigger places that charge much more.
Recommended: spicy ahi/​salmon Danbury.
take out only, no place to sit inside.

Ordered the Spicy Ahi Sushi and Dragon roll! It was delicious! I would come back here, but not with a large party.
Small sitting area. Probably about 3 tables and some chairs again some wall tables.
The old man in the front was very nice! My friends and I were giggling at the fact the old man was intrigue with the way I shred some of the rice off the roll! He was smiling and staring how I put aside the rice! It was hilarious! The rolls are huge btw!

I had their spicy ahi salad, and 3 piece salmon sushi. The spicy ahi was WAY TOO SPICY (to a point where I kept having to stop eating), and the salmon was the most obnoxious, previously frozen piece of fish I had ever seen/​tasted. It came with rectangular shaped rice. I was surprised that they weren’t embarrassed to serve it.
It was the worst $ 13 I had ever spent on food. I won’t be going back.

THE best place to grab some sushi for lunch. I can’t recommend their Spicy Ahi and Shrimp Tempura enough. Although the prices have risen a little over the years, it’s still worth it t to support a small local business. The owners are incredibly sweet, and will often give you free miso soup if you dine in.
I always order their Spicy Ahi Nigiri… it’s the perfect blend of spice and flavor! If I’m extra hungry, I’ll opt for their Spicy Ahi Donburi. The Dynamite Maki also uses the same spicy topping and is also really tasty. A little less expensive are their handrolls, for around $ 2 each you get a decent size handroll! Two handrolls definitely fill me up.
I always leave satisfied when I eat at Sushiya because of their tasty, relatively inexpensive sushi and the warm mom-​and-​pop atmosphere.