This new izakaya is opening in Honolulu.
Izakaya Lala is located on the second floor above Totoya on Piʻikoi Street (there’s currently no restaurant sign). The izakaya is opening today, Wednesday, Sept. 23. It will be open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight (last call is 11 p.m.) every day except Mondays.
The izakaya’s name is inspired by the Japanese kanji for “enjoy.” The restaurant can seat about 22 people; customers can call to make reservations.
Izakaya Lala’s specialty dishes include maki kushi, or Japanese charcoal grilled pork-wrapped skewers, and oden. Maki kushi is especially popular in Fukuoka, Japan, according to server leader Aya Furuta.
“There’s lots of vegetables (to choose from), like tomato, lettuce, enoki mushrooms and eggplant,” she says. “We wrap it with pork.”
Skewers range from enoki mushroom and cheddar cheese ($5.90) and buttered potato ($4.50) to zucchini ($3.90), pork belly ($3.50), brie cheese ($4.90) and green onion ($4.50).
Oden is a comforting Japanese dish featuring a light bonito and kombu broth. The various ingredients soak up the warm broth.
Choose from fluffy homemade hanpen fish cake ($4.90), homemade mochi-stuffed tofu pouch ($3.90), daikon with shredded kombu ($3.90), fried vegetable fish cake ($4.20) and more.
“Our homemade hanpen fish cake is fluffy,” Furuta says. “We also have sashimi and small appetizers, designed to pair with sake.”
The izakaya features other small plates to share, including fluffy dashi omelet with ikura ($16.90), yellowtail with sesame sauce ($15.90), chicken karaage ($7.90), nori butter and cheese fries ($7.80) and sizzling mapo tofu ($13.50).
Izakaya Lala also features an extensive selection of sake. The restaurant features sake info cards at each table to help diners choose the sake that complements their preferences. The izakaya offers a variety of rich and savory, fruity and fragrant, and crisp and dry sakes to accommodate different palates.
“There are lots of different ways to drink sake,” Furuta says, noting that customers can drink sake chilled, at room temperature, gently warm or hot. The restaurant also features a map of Japan on its walls, so customers can see where the different sakes are from.
Customer parking is available in the public lot; first hour of parking is free with restaurant validation.
CONTACT
Izakaya Lala
1236 Waimanu St. Ste. 203, Honolulu
808-200-7508
Instagram: @izakaya_lala
Open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight (last call 11 p.m.) Tuesdays to Sundays; closed Mondays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
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