Popular Japanese restaurant Izakaya Nonbei is no longer only open for dinner. Earlier this month, the Kapahulu-based eatery launched a lunch menu for the first time.
Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays to start. If there is a demand, the restaurant might extend the days and hours.
The menu is currently limited to a few lunch-exclusive dishes and popular options from the dinner menu.
If you have to choose one entree from the menu, go for the Nonbei hamburger steak ($17). It features a 5-ounce wagyu patty with Nonbei’s Japanese-style gravy over a bed of rice.
The hamburger patty is ultra juicy and tender, but the gravy is the dish’s crowning glory. It’s the perfect balance between sweet and savory, and if you have leftovers, ask for more gravy to-go.
The chicken katsu curry is a comforting option. It features rich Japanese curry with panko-crusted chicken thighs and rice.
The chicken thighs boast a juicy interior, and the thicker curry has a slight spice. The hamburger steak and chicken katsu curry are only available during lunch.
Tempura soba is one of the signature dishes on the izakaya’s dinner menu. It consists of buckwheat soba (served hot or cold) with shrimp and assorted tempura.
Other lunch entrees include pork ginger ($17) — Kurobuta pork sautéed with onions, ginger and house sauce, served with rice — and maguro poke ($15). The latter includes fresh ‘ahi tossed with onions and housemade shoyu.
Reservations are welcomed, but since the lunch menu is so new, it’s easy to walk in. Takeout orders are also accepted.
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CONTACT
Izakaya Nonbei
3108 Olu St., Honolulu
808-734-5573
izakayanonbei.com
Instagram: @izakayanonbei
Free customer parking
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
