Tonkatsu Sangi — Restaurant in Honolulu

This is solely an experience I recently had with the service. The food is fine as I have been coming here pretty regularly during my lunch hour when I feel like splurging. At the time of this specific visit, it was not a busy hour and there was no line/other customers waiting for their order.

The regular servicers here that I've known are super friendly but I had a phone order pick-up (order A.) which I saw when I walked in and I stated as such when I got to the counter. It was clear after quickly reviewing my receipt (few seconds after payment if I had to put a time on it) that the person ringing me up did not hear me clearly and rang me for a new order (order B.) and so I reiterated I had already ordered in advance and I was there to pick up my order A.; In my personal opinion it was an honest miscommunication, I was hoping I said it loud enough the second time as admittedly I am a soft spoken.

The cashier apologized to me and corrected order B. in their system to void it (again, I want to reiterate it was an honest miscommunication and I wasn't upset at the cashier so I felt an apology to me was not needed at all. I also wanted to make sure it reflected in their POS system correctly) but the cook behind the cashier then abruptly said "Next time can you tell us it's a phone order because I already put one [order B.] in" I was taken aback by the way they said this, intentional or not it came off very rude like I was at fault for an order mistake that they started without even waiting for me to complete the transaction. I understand wanting to be efficient due to the cooking method it requires but I hadn't even finished paying for the order when they started cooking, was I supposed to know that the cashier rang me up for Order B. Before I could review my payment receipt?

My experiences thus far had been very pleasant. I am honestly reconsidering my lunch visits here because it certainly soured my entire experience. Very unfortunate because it was only caused by one person. This same person has also taken my phone orders previously and they never read me my order numbers back to me so I could never confirm when I come in during the busy hours unlike the other servicers that do give me my order number. I am wondering what kind of things are said to customers by this person if menu items are misheard by...

Food quality: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Value: 5/5

Don’t skip on: The Tonkatsu

Trying out Tonkatsu Sangi for the first time and it did not disappoint! Wow!! The tonkatsu just melted in my mouth when I took the first bite and it was an amazing experience! The crust was so crispy and perfectly fried and the pork was moist and perfectly cooked. This order came with mini Tan Tan ramen and it was so rich and flavorful!

The ladies working at this shop were so sweet and welcoming. They were helpful with the questions I had and were so kind.

I would be interested to try the other time - the tenderloin, which is more lean. Also would be interested to try the other ramen there as well! Just need to find a way to get a...

Difficult to try this place if you don’t work in downtown, as it’s only open for lunch on weekdays. As a fan of the old Menchanko-tei, I knew I’d make it here eventually though.

Of the Menchanko-tei menu, they kept the tonkatsu, ramen, nanban chicken, and curry. The tonkatsu is delicious, just as it was at the old location. The pork was a little tougher than I remember, but not significantly. The mini plates aren’t great value since they only come with 4 pieces of katsu…but the size is perfect for small eaters like me. The sauces and miso soup are great as well.

All in all it was nice to reunite with these familiar flavors. Open another location outside of...