Furusato Sushi — Restaurant in Honolulu

4.7 stars out of 5; Location 4 stars, Service 4.8 stars, Food 4.5 stars, Environment 4.9 stars

Furusato Sushi is quite the great place, definitely deserving of its rating (and to address the claims of racism, there was none present at all when I was present). Currently, it might be the best sushi I have had in recent memory.

The Service, Location, and Environment: The service was quick and dependable, with the manager being prompt and helpful with anything. It was great to see the chefs working right behind the counter. To add to that, the entire space of the restaurant was clean and felt like a sushi place even though it was just a small setting. It’s also on Kalakaua Avenue and next to the beach!

The Food: For appetizers, we got the Cold Tofu that was topped with fish flakes. For sushi, we got the $80 Waikiki Bridge and an additional Flying Dragon Roll. We ordered green tea for drinks, as well as some miso soup. The Cold Tofu was a nice starter. The sashimi from the bridge was very fresh and sushi tasty; the dragon roll was exemplary! This was the first time I had fresh radish (?) served with sushi. The wasabi really elevated the experience (it was not anything low quality and not fresh). The green tea was also nice. I believe the miso soup to be over priced, especially for its volume, but it tasted fine.

Notes: They don’t accept reservations, so show up early to join the waitlist. One thing to note is that they are only able to call US and Canadian numbers; I hope they can integrate international numbers into their system in the future for a better international...

5/5 Stars – The Sushi Gods Have Spoken, and They’re Saying “Furusato”

Visiting from Denver, where the air is thin and the sushi is… well, not this good, I stumbled into Furusato Sushi like a pilgrim arriving at the Holy Land—if the Holy Land were located inside a strip mall and served negi hamachi hand rolls.

First of all, this place has history. It’s not one of those trendy spots with DJs and neon signs yelling things like “RAW VIBES ONLY.” No, Furusato has been quietly serving actual sushi since before avocado was legally allowed near a roll. You can feel it when you walk in: the no-nonsense focus, the chef’s quiet confidence, the look in the regulars’ eyes like they’ve found something the rest of the world doesn’t deserve.

I went full sushi nerd and tried almost every piece of nigiri they had. Each bite was like an edible TED Talk—velvety soft textures, flavors so clean and deep they probably journal. The tuna whispered sweet nothings to my taste buds. The scallop was like eating the memory of a cloud. The salmon? If silk pajamas could sing, that’s what it would taste like.

And then there was the negi hamachi hand roll—a perfect harmony of fatty yellowtail, crisp green onion, and seaweed with just enough crunch to remind you it’s real life and not a dream. I held it like a newborn. I may have cried a little. No regrets.

If you’re anywhere near this place, run—don’t walk—to Furusato. It’s not just sushi. It’s a gentle uppercut of joy delivered by a sushi master who clearly made a deal...

I ordered a Diamond Head roll and a sake wine flight. Sake wasn't bad, but only one where I felt like I wanted to have more (Masumi "Okuden Kantsukuri").

The Diamond Head was delicious. However I expected it to be spicy since it had spicy tuna and spicy mayo sauce. It was sweet and not spicy at all. It was definitely good though and I contemplated ordering a second serving.

My wife ordered a salad, yellowtail Nigiri single serving, and a vegetable role. While I didn't have any of those, she was happy with all of them, especially the yellowtail. The actual portion of fish was larger than either of us expected.

We visited during "relaxed" Covid restrictions, so capacity was lower and wait times were longer. We had to wait an hour to be seated, but they took our number and called us to let us know. It allowed us to wander around and explore the different shops while we waited.

All in all, no complaints and appreciated their successful attempts to work with restrictions. Tables have plexiglass to create separation as well.

I would visit again. If you are expecting a ton of rolls, especially sauce heavy rolls, this isn't your place. If you want something more traditional, visit and enjoy. I appreciated the quality and friendly service. However if you have back problems, the backless seats will...