Sunrise Restaurant
After making a few calls this afternoon, a few of us decided to get together tonight for dinner. Since everything was planned at the last minute, we wanted to go somewhere that didn't require reservations and that didn't require us to get dressed up. Someone suggested Okinawan food, and since it was still early, we ended up here at Sunrise.
As you enter, you can hear the sound of Okinawan music as it fills the room. The restaurant is small and cozy, with seating for about 25 people. It was quite busy when we arrived as there were only a couple of tables available.
Besides a few specials listed on a couple of boards behind the sushi bar, the dinner menu is quite short. Actually, there are 10 different items on the regular menu to chose from. On the bottom of the single paged menu are the sushi combination dinners.
While snooping around in the condiment tray, which is something that I often do, I noticed this. Anyone know what it is? I wanted to open the bottle to smell the contents, but I decided not to. These actually looked like pickled chili peppers if you ask me.
After placing our orders, the first items to arrive were the tea and some takuan (pickled daikon).
Two of us ordered the sushi combination with Okinawan soba (US$12.00).
Topped with a tender, meaty pork rib, the soup was further garnished by a lone slice of kamaboko (fish cake) and some chopped green onions. The bowl here was on the small side, but it was full of noodles. The broth was clear and had a meaty, slightly spicy flavor. After eating some of the noodles in the bowl, I was surprised to see lots of benishoga (shredded pickled ginger) in the broth.
Here is a close up of the Okinawan soba noodles. See how the noodles are thick and somewhat flat? These noodles are usually made using wheat flour instead of buckwheat flour, which is what traditional soba noodles are made from. These noodles were firm and slightly chewy -- perfectly cooked if you ask me.
(Sorry this one's a little blurry.)
The other two ordered the sushi combination with the special miso soup (US$12.00).
The miso and shrimp flavored broth was garnished with a slice of kamaboko, some chopped green onions and a shrimp head. After digging through the bowl of soup, we discovered it filled with all sorts of stuff -- bean sprouts, tofu, luncheon meat (!), wakame (seaweed), salmon, daikon and Chinese cabbage. I'm not sure if I missed anything, but if I did, it's because there was quite a bit in that little bowl of soup.
This was the sushi platter that was served with our combination meals.
It contained three pieces of tekka maki (tuna roll), three pieces of kappa maki (cucumber roll), two pieces maguro (tuna), two pieces hamachi (yellowtail), one piece tako (octopus), one piece unagi (eel), a pile of gari (pickled ginger) and a mound of wasabi. The fish was fresh, and I felt we were given a nice assortment of sushi. As always, my favorites were the hamachi and the unagi.
The food here at Sunrise is good, and to some, it's just like homemade. Even though the portions may seem small, by the time you're done eating, you realize that you're full. All those things, along with the homey atmosphere, the prompt service and the not-so-usual flavors and dishes, give me enough reasons to keep coming back.
Sunrise Restaurant
525 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone: 808.737.4118
You didn't open the jar? That's the first thing I would've done!
They do look like chillis though. But I would've opened it just to double-check =)
Posted by: AugustusGloop | August 28, 2005 at 02:47 AM
Hey..Reid,
It is really value for money.. ! for $30 cdn. I donch think i get this much food here.
Posted by: Big Bok | August 28, 2005 at 04:15 AM
da soup looks ono brah! an get spam too!
Posted by: kelly | August 28, 2005 at 08:01 AM
Hi Reid - How was the sushi-su? I've heard that in Okinawan style sushi, the "su" is different. I've been to Okinawan Sushi Bars and have found no difference. That looks like real "loaded" miso soup there. The prices also sound right!
Posted by: Kirk | August 28, 2005 at 08:05 AM
Reid,
The jar looks like peppers. I have seen and eaten the spicy pickles ones. Yummy!
Posted by: milgwimper | August 28, 2005 at 01:32 PM
Hi AG,
Yeah, I should have checked. =(
Hi Big BoK,
The food was good and I considered it to be a good value, especially since I was full after eating it all. =)
Hi Kelly,
The special miso soup was ono and yeah, it had Spam in it. Woo Hoo! =)
Hi Kirk,
I couldn't really taste any difference myself, but maybe it's because they should be using awamori in the rice. Who knows? All I know that it was delicious and reasonably priced.
When I saw the special miso soup being brought out to the table, I kicked myself for not ordering it. At least I got a small taste of it.
Hi Milgwimper,
Thank you for the confirmation. I don't know if these were hot though. I should definitely try them next time.
Posted by: Reid | August 28, 2005 at 06:56 PM
Wow! Okinawan food? I just know andagi and pig's feet. =) In fact, I didn't even know there *were* okinawan restaurants in Honolulu. Are there any other Okinawan restaurants?
Posted by: MBS | August 28, 2005 at 07:21 PM
Hi MBS,
It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been told that there are actually a few restaurants that serve Okinawan food, but I haven't been to any of the ones I've heard about so I can't recommend them.
One that I have been to is Utage, which is located near Young's Fish Market and Sugoi. The food there is pretty good and quite reasonable too. I guess I need to do a review huh?
Posted by: Reid | August 29, 2005 at 12:28 AM
spam inside miso soup? :p hahaha
Posted by: babe_kl | August 29, 2005 at 12:36 AM
The noodles look nice and springy! Just reading your descriptions made my mouth water, Reid! :)
Posted by: Julia | August 29, 2005 at 07:37 AM
Kapahulu! Never heard of this place. Now I have to go. That miso soup looks wonderful!
Posted by: Trisha | August 29, 2005 at 11:30 AM
oh. mah. gawd. sunrise is soooooo good. my beau, who is part okinawan, has taken me there several times. i've had the tripe soup and the pig's feet soup and the sushi and this salmon with mayonnaise thingy wrapped in foil and then grilled....*drools while reminiscing*. granted, the place is kinda pricey (i mean, this is not fai dolla plate lunch, ya know), but for what you get, you are actually getting an awesome deal. and the people are sooooo nice...they greet the beau as if he were a long lost nephew, and when we ordered the tripe soup for me the first time we went, the sushi chef expressed concern as to whether i knew what my guy had ordered. how's that?! i swear that tripe soup made my cold go away.
btw...people should know there are only three stalls dedicated for sunrise, if that, which is probably the only reason why we don't go there much. it's just as bad as trying to find parking on a hot summery day for the shave ice place that it's around the corner from....what is that place called? waioli? i always forget...to tell the truth, we parked illegally at zippy's and walked over....
oh! one more okinawan food place for you to try is violet's grill on dillingham in that strip mall that has zippy's. that is where i overcame my lifetime loathing of bittermelon. you must order the goya chanpuru with tofu, egg and tuna, as well as the shoyu pork and have a couple of beers. they also have old school local fisherman style poke. ahhh...heaven!
Posted by: nai | August 29, 2005 at 11:51 AM
Have you tried the "traditional" Okinawan "yasai champuru" at Sunrise? It's various vegetables stir fried with slices of Spam. I nevah know da Okinawans wen invent Spam.
Posted by: Kyle | August 29, 2005 at 01:22 PM
Hi babe_kl,
Haha is right. =)
I thought luncheon meat in the soup was quite unusual myself. But it was good nonetheless.
Hi Julia,
The noodles were definitely springy. I wish you could have tasted them because I'm sure you would have liked them as much as I did. =)
Hi Trisha,
Not many people know of this place and most of the customers are like family to the owners.
To help you out, this is right next door to Waiola.
Hi Nai,
Thank you for the information and recommendations! I don't really eat trip all that much, but I will try it next time. Some folks at the next table over were having it and it looked delicious.
I haven't yet made it over to Violet's Grill, but I will do so based on your recommendation. Thank you so much!
Hi Kyle,
Nice to see you again!
I have not tried the yasai champuru at Sunrise, but I will do so on my next visit. I'm sure I will like it though as everything there has been great thus far.
BTW...I didn't know Okinawans invented Spam either. LOL!
Posted by: Reid | August 30, 2005 at 12:39 AM
Excellent! I'm coming from the SF Bay Area to go the Okinawa Festival, and staying at the Queen Kapiolani. Looks like Sunrise Restaurant is just a few blocks away. I'm definitely going to hit it!
Nice blog!
Posted by: Debbie-chan | August 31, 2005 at 08:56 AM
Reid, you made me homesick again...
Posted by: keiko | August 31, 2005 at 05:00 PM
Hi Debbie,
Welcome to 'Ono Kine Grindz!
Thank you so much for the compliment on the blog. I hope you enjoy the Okinawan festival this weekend. Unfortunately, I will be missing it again this year (I missed it last year too). I'll be out of town. Eat lots of andagi and oki dogs for me!
If you do visit Sunrise, let me know what you think.
Hi Keiko,
Do you like Okinawan food too? I like it quite a bit. =) Sorry for making you homesick. =(
Posted by: Reid | September 01, 2005 at 01:18 AM
Thanks for the welcome.
At the festival, I'll be having the andadogs in lieu of oki dogs. Dogs are always better on a stick (not to mention fried in batter)!
Will report back if I try Sunrise. Do you know if they had rafuti? Love the rafuti.
I'm also hoping to try Royal Kitchen and Angelo Pietro for natto bacon spaghetti.
Too many places to try, not enough time!
Posted by: Debbie-chan | September 01, 2005 at 11:16 AM
Hi Debbie-chan,
I'm really sad that I missed the Okinawan festival again this year. I love those oki dogs. *sigh*
I don't believe that I've seen rafute on the menu at Sunrise before, but they do have specials all the time, so you really never know. Royal Kitchen has some great manapua and although I haven't tried the natto bacon spaghetti at Angelo Pietro before, I've heard that it's delicious!
Hope you had a good time!
Posted by: Reid | September 06, 2005 at 11:33 PM
I came across your review while looking at Okinawan food. I am originally from Hawaii and I'm going to Okinawa this October for the Uchinanchu Festival - a gathering of people of Okinawan decent from all over the world.
I think the jar you are looking at is togarashi, a hot sauce made from whole chilies in alcohol and is especially good with noodles or champuru. It is not the same as the chili powder referred to by the same name on mainland Japan.
Posted by: Sky | July 18, 2006 at 09:11 AM
Chili peppers in Awamori...add that to your Okinawa Soba as you would Tabasco to, say, Zippy's Chili. =)
It's called, Kore~gusu in Okinawan and is a condiment staple. You can find it in most restaurants and homes, including mine. Yum!
Posted by: Kijimuna | April 28, 2008 at 04:53 PM
Sunrise comes highly recommended by a foodie friend of mine whose opinion on food I respect. He is also a regular at Violet's, although he said that it is somewhat pricy. Violet's serves the best mac salad and fried chix wings, among other delicacies. I would also recommend Hanagasa on River St for their shoyu pork, fried Okinawan soba, champaru, etc. There's also an Okinawan restaurant at Pearl Kai called Off The Wall, but haven't eaten there yet.
Posted by: bonefish2 | December 28, 2008 at 06:14 PM