Izakaya Pau Hana Base — Restaurant in Honolulu

A small, unassuming izakaya tucked into a back alley off of Seaside Ave, Izakaya Pau Hana Base's paper lantern proclaims it "うまい、やすい" (delicious, cheap) and truer words could not be said.

FOOD We ordered the cream croquettes, takoyaki, curry udon, okonomiyaki, and karrage (all pictured here), as well as CALPIS-Hi Japanese cocktail and an Asahi. Cream croquettes: The cream croquettes were fried to perfection, its white stew center (the "cream") fantastically soft, and yes, creamy. Everything was amazing, but these were possibly my favorite! Takoyaki: The takoyaki was served piping hot, as all takoyaki ought to be, and quite possibly sent my husband into another world. The takoyaki was definitely his favorite, though the karaage was a close second. Karaage: Karaage seems like it should be a pretty simple Japanese dish to make, but as anyone who's made it knows, getting it fried to a perfect crisp --while keeping the chicken moist-- is a challenge not meant for the faint of heart. Their karaage was a mix of dark and white meat (the majority being the former) with an impressively crispy coating that complemented the natural flavors and moistness of the chicken. Served with the standard mayonnaise sauce, this dish is a must. Curry udon: While this may be the easiest culinary feat of the bunch, it certainly did not disappoint. Standard udon served in a tasty broth and topped with homemade curry, this dish hits the spot when it comes to nostalgia. Okonomiyaki: This okonomiyaki is light on cabbage and strong on batter, which happens to be just how I like it. My husband likes his okonomiyaki the opposite way, so this dish just depends on your personal preferences.

ATMOSPHERE Imagine a small izakaya in Japan, warm and tucked off the beaten path, and this is what you'll have. It is a small space -- two people working the floor, two in the kitchen -- but it is small in the best way possible. Being here made my husband nostalgic for Japan!

COVID MEASURES Tables are situated 6 feet apart. They also take down your information for contact tracing, just in case.

TAKEAWAY This is an absolute MUST if you are visiting the area. Keep in mind how small of a restaurant it is and make a reservation in advance if...

I had an extremely unpleasant experience at this restaurant, and I believe there was racial discrimination against Chinese customers. I strongly advise fellow Chinese people not to come here.

The issue started when we brought a bag of pineapple chunks from a nearby fruit stall. Before we sat down and ordered, no one told us that eating outside food in the restaurant was prohibited, nor was there any sign indicating this rule at the entrance. After we placed our order and were waiting for the food, we decided to eat some pineapple to whet our appetite. We didn’t use the restaurant’s utensils, and we planned to take the bag with us once finished. Suddenly, a woman from the kitchen, wearing a hat and mask, came over to our table and told us we couldn’t eat the pineapple. I had already picked up a piece with my own fork, but she insisted that we either take it outside or not eat it at all.

Considering that we had already ordered and didn’t want to risk her tampering with our food, we complied with her demand, even though this was unfair. We were trying to be respectful, but in return, we received such poor service. This is something I’ve never experienced in my many trips to Japan, where customer service is usually impeccable.

Why am I calling this racial discrimination? Because I observed this woman during the meal—she stayed in the kitchen the entire time and never approached any other tables. She came straight to ours, speaking English to us, likely knowing we were Chinese from our East Asian appearance. This behavior is disgraceful, especially in a country known for its high standards of hospitality.

I never write negative reviews, but this is the first time because I simply cannot tolerate racial discrimination. I hope the owner takes a hard look at this employee’s behavior. If she holds any grievances against Chinese people, she should not take them out on individuals. After all, her livelihood might still depend on tips from people like...

Second update: we’ve returned again and the service was friendly as before, but the food seemed to have taken a step back, thus it’s a 4* now. I’ve raved about this place so much so it was disappointing when we took our son who’s visiting us in Honolulu. The salad remained good, but the steak and the pork seemed tasted too salty and not as tender as before. I’m sure we will return again and see if the food gets better.

Update: we went back tonight and tried a couple of new dishes. One of tonight’s specials was simmered beef tendons. It was amazingly good. There are so many excellent dishes here, but we highly recommend the salad with candied lotus roots, the yakitori and of course, the simmered beef tendons. We love the Asian fusion food and as well as Hawaiian food here in Honolulu, but this is definitely our favorite eatery in Honolulu.

You know this place has good Japanese food when you are the only person in the restaurant that wasn’t speaking Japanese. At the end, we liked the taste of all the items we ordered, including the tofu salad that was simple yet excellent. The sake selection was good and the service was very friendly as well. Hidden in the back, away from Seaside Street, so look at the name to make sure you are at the...