Kamitoku Japanese Hotpot — Restaurant in Honolulu

NOT RECOMMENDED. I am writing to formally express my deep dissatisfaction with the treatment and service my party received during our recent visit to this place. Unfortunately, what should have been an enjoyable dining experience turned into a highly unpleasant and disappointing situation due to a series of serious service failures.

Disrespectful Treatment Toward Senior Foreign Guests. We were shocked and saddened to witness your staff loudly shouting at and rushing senior foreign customers who were simply unfamiliar with how to get started with ordering at your establishment. Instead of offering patience, guidance, and basic hospitality, they were treated with visible irritation and hostility. This was not only rude but also discriminatory and completely unacceptable behavior for any restaurant, especially one that welcomes international guests.

No Service After Seating (20 Minutes of Being Ignored). After being seated, our table was left unattended for over 20 minutes without any acknowledgment, menus, water, or service of any kind. During this time, staff members passed by multiple times but failed to offer even the most basic hospitality. This complete disregard left us feeling ignored and unwelcome.

Poor English Communication – Especially from the Owner. Effective communication is essential in customer service, especially in a restaurant that presumably serves a diverse clientele. Unfortunately, the owner and staff were unable or unwilling to communicate clearly in English. Attempts to ask simple questions about the menu or service were met with confusion, indifference, or dismissiveness. This made the entire experience unnecessarily frustrating and alienating.

Lack of Basic Courtesy to Guests Waiting Outside. When we first arrived, there were several empty tables inside, yet guests waiting outside were not greeted, acknowledged, or informed of the waiting situation. Considering the hot weather, the lack of even a simple “hello” or offer of water was very unprofessional and inconsiderate. Many guests, including ourselves, felt disregarded from the very moment we arrived.

Overall Poor Service and Environment. The space felt cramped, disorganized, and unfriendly, with none of the warmth or attentiveness that diners should reasonably expect. It was evident that customer service is not being prioritized, which reflects poorly not only on the staff but especially...

Update in response to the owner's reply:

I am writing this update to address the owner's response, which contains several inaccuracies. When we arrived, there was no staff present outside, and we did not notice a sign with instructions. Once a server informed us of the correct procedure, we immediately and politely exited the restaurant to wait as requested. We fully respect the rules of your establishment and were happy to comply once we were made aware of them.

The owner's description of our behavior is a significant exaggeration. While my voice was raised slightly in response to being unfairly accused, we were by no means shouting or behaving aggressively. This is evidenced by the fact that most of the other customers in the restaurant did not even seem to notice a conflict was occurring. To characterize our behavior as a "harassment toward our staff" is a gross misrepresentation of the event.

After this upsetting incident, I took the time to read other negative reviews and unfortunately discovered a consistent pattern. It seems other customers have also experienced disproportionately harsh reactions from the owner, with some reviews suggesting a troubling lack of patience for the elderly or people with disabilities.

The United States is a place built on diversity and mutual empathy. While any business can set strict rules, customers should not be met with hostility and false accusations over a simple misunderstanding. We respect your rules, but we do not accept being treated with such disrespect.

My family and I were really looking forward to a nice dinner, but our experience was ruined by the owner's incredibly rude and offensive behavior. My mom, trying to be helpful and make space on our crowded table, simply moved a menu to the empty table next to us. The owner immediately confronted us, saying that our behavior was very rude in US and told us to leave.

We have lived in the United States for 20 years, and this is absolutely not a part of American culture. There was nothing about my mother's action that was inappropriate or rude in any sense. We were completely shocked and offended by the owner's false accusation and her disrespectful demand that we leave.

This was a deeply upsetting experience, and I have never been treated so poorly at a restaurant. The owner's behavior was completely out of line and...

Finally checked this place off from my list. I had been to their ramen spot in Ward many times, and since they opened the hot pot place I had been wanting to try it. Finally did!

A hot pot set with good quality beef, fresh ingredients, delicious broth for lunch for $14.99 including mochi dessert and green tea? You can't beat this. Also their kids menu included rice and fries presented in a cute fire truck, although I'd rather they put karaage chicken instead of sausage in there, so we ordered a separate order of karaage (was just ok). I also ordered their negitoro as a side. The toro itself was blended very well so it's a very smooth texture with good flavor. I was a little surprised that they used Korean seaweed instead of Japanese nori though.

The service was friendly. Our server didn't seem to speak English well but he's nice and polite. The place had a very Japanese feel, wooden benches and dividers. It's also cute to have a chalkboard for people to sign their names.

The food was overall delicious. For the quality of food, the prices were reasonable too. We would definitely come back if we want some shabu for...