Utage Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Honolulu

Back in December 2024, my mother had just been discharged from a 10-day hospital stay in Town. We wanted to celebrate her recovery with a special meal, and because she was Okinawan, I suggested we try Utage—a restaurant she had never been to before. She didn’t grow up around traditional Okinawan food, so we thought this might be a meaningful and comforting experience.

Unfortunately, what we hoped would be a special outing turned into a heartbreaking memory that I’ll never forget—not for the right reasons, but because it ended up being the last time I ever got to eat out with my mom before she passed away just weeks later.

From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt cold and unwelcoming. My mom was very weak and relied on a large, cumbersome walker. However, we opted to leave the walker in the car, since it is a cramped restaurant. Despite her obvious struggle just to get up the sidewalk, not a single staff member offered to open the door or assist us. As we slowly made our way to the entrance, we were already being met with long, uncomfortable stares. Once inside, no one greeted us, acknowledged us, or offered help—we were left standing awkwardly for several minutes. We eventually settled at a small, inconvenient table right next to the host stand, simply because no one made the effort to clean a more comfortable spot by the window. What struck me was the stark contrast: when lighter-skinned, Asian-Japanese guests entered, the energy shifted. Staff suddenly became attentive, rushing to clean better tables, even though there were other seats available deeper inside the cramped restaurant—seats my mom would’ve had a hard time reaching.

I asked one of the male servers at the host stand, if he could help take a picture of us. He simply brushed me off and said we’d have to wait for our server. When our server did arrive, she looked terrified—likely new, visibly anxious, and clearly afraid to make a mistake. She didn’t smile once, and it felt like she was walking on eggshells the entire time. Eventually, a third person—possibly one of the owners—came to take our picture. She rushed it. The photo came out blurry and poorly framed, as if it was a chore rather than a moment she wanted to help us capture.

The food was underwhelming, overpriced, lacked flavor, and the portions were small. For the price we paid, we expected more effort, more soul, and at the very least, a sense of pride in sharing Okinawan culture. Instead, there was no context, no explanation, and no aloha.

What made this visit even more upsetting is that I had been to Utage before. This wasn’t my first experience, and unfortunately, this lack of hospitality has been a recurring issue. In the past, I’ve noticed a revolving door of staff members. From what I’ve heard, the owners don’t treat their employees well—low wages, no benefits, and aggressive training methods that drive many new hires out within a week. That might explain the anxiety and fear I saw in our server’s eyes that night at 6pm in the middle of a week. It’s heartbreaking, because I could see she was trying.

When we left, again, no one helped us. I was holding my mother’s arm with both hands, guiding her to walk without her walker. The door was heavy, and we struggled, ignored by everyone. The only kindness shown to us that night came from a fellow customer—someone we didn’t know—who saw us trying to retake our photo. They offered to help and took two beautiful pictures of my mom and me. I’m so grateful to that person. They saved the moment.

But as for the restaurant—there was no warmth, no aloha, and no sense of hospitality. And for that reason, I cannot recommend Utage. What should have been a beautiful memory became a painful one. My mother deserved better. All our elders do.

This was her first—and last—visit to Utage. And sadly, it was a visit filled with disappointment, indifference, and discomfort. That’s not the legacy Okinawan hospitality should...

A co-worker and I tried to go to a highly rated restaurant at Pier 38 for lunch, but it was closed. Hmmm, we tried another place nearby but there was no parking, so we went to a place we hadn’t been to in a number of years ... Utage, in City Center in Kalihi.

We were seated right away even though we didn’t have a reservation … There were the daily specials on two white boards and I opted for one of them .. Nori-wrapped Ahi Tempura for $25.95. My tablemate chose the Goya Chanpuru as he loves bitter melon ($21.95). We each added $6 for the complete meal, which gave us a choice of soup or salad, a drink and dessert.

You were given a choice of two salad dressings; we opted for Oriental. I went with an iced tea while my tablemate chose a Green River. How nostalgic! You can choose from Green River, Fruit Punch, Iced Tea, Hot Tea or Coffee.

Whoa, my plate contained six ahi tempura and a slice of tomato and a leaf of lettuce and a bowl of (very good) rice. The tempura was drizzled with mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce and topped with chopped green onion. The Goya contained large pieces of pork and tofu along with slices of bitter melon with egg mixed in the stir fry. It’s a quintessential Okinawan dish. My ahi was delicious, and I had difficulty in trying to finish my plate.

Dessert options on our visit included Strawberry Jello, Coffee Gelatin, Coffee and Green Tea ice cream. I chose the coffee gelatin sans the whipped cream and my tablemate chose the green tea ice cream.

The tab came to $75, including a 20% tip. Though no longer cheap (what place these days is), we...

Being one of the few Japanese restaurants in Kalihi, this place was one of my favorites. The food is good, not super amazing, just good and comforting. All meals come with drink and dessert. Unfortunately, the past two times, service had just been mediocre at best. Table wait times are longer than before, drinks never get refilled. The service just kills it for me.

This past visit is what made me decide to write a review. My wife ordered and, either she didn't hear that sodas were not included or she didn't understand what the server said, but she ordered two. When the server came back, I asked if they were included now since I wasn't at the table when my wife ordered. The server had the nerve to accuse my wife of saying OK when wife said she didn't know soda wasn't included. $3.25 per soda and not a single offer to refill it. After bringing out the food we never saw the server until dessert. Luckily the bussers were good. Had to ask them for everything since our server was MIA.

I'm not sure I'm going back again. Maybe the fact that they are getting so busy is changing the place. Kind of sad to see a place...