Morio’s Sushi Bistro

Omakase!
Had chawan mushi, hamachi kama, fried soft shell crab, sashimi, many nigiri sushi, and lobster miso soup.
Everything was fresh and delicious! Comparable to sushi from Japan!
Spent about $ 145 for 2 before tip.

I was in heaven last night! No, not THAT heaven: SUSHI HEAVEN! Morio’s has been on my bookmarked list forever and last night it went down! Thanks to Daniel C for inviting me to this gathering that his friends had an open seating to! Word of advice: make your reservations well in advance! This cozy little establishment seats about 16 patrons and gets booked months in advance. I watched the regulars leave and make their next dinner reservations! I have never seen that at any other place! There are two seating times available: 6pm and 830pm. And it’s BYOB. Bring some awesome sake and share it with Morio and his staff — they are wonderful people with wonderful service.
Parking — there’s a private lot behind the building with probably just enough stalls for the amount of patrons that would fit inside Morio’s. Otherwise, there’s metered parking on King Street. Careful, though, you know how metered parking can be… Free after 6pm, I believe. And if you’re terrible at parallel parking like I am, I do hope you find parking in the private lot!
I had the omakase — which is typically what most people would get. If you are doing the omakase, let them know when you make your reservation.
The numerous 5-​star reviews speaks for itself. The food was FRESH. The service was awesome. I love sushi and am very particular with my sushi and Morio’s exceeded all expectations. I will definitely be back. Hopefully sooner than later!
Enjoy!!!

I have had this place bookmarked for ages and finally I had the opportunity to dine here. With all the anticipation and hype built up in my mind, I was afraid my standards would be too high or I would leave disappointed. This was not the case! My experience here was 5 stars from start to finish.
Morio’s is located on King St. on the left hand side before Jack in the Box on the corner of Piikoi. You can park on the street or in their private lot in back. There is ample parking in the private lot. When you enter, you’ll notice two tables on the left that can seat about 4 – 5 on each table and counter seating which can seat another 8 – 10 people.
They have two seatings for dinner, one at 6pm and the final seating at 8:30pm. We heard the best time to go is the final seating and we were lucky enough to have reservations for 8:30pm. Most people do the omakase but you do have the option to order a la carte (just let them know at the time you’re making the reservation).
It’s BYOB! Bring whatever you want to drink which you can share with other customers, servers and Morio. You don’t have to share but it’s a lot more fun when you do. We brought sake and everyone else in the restaurant also had sake. Morio kept saying «drink fast, eat slow» during the meal and we listened. We toasted the night away as our awesome server brought over many mind blowing dishes.
The food was delicious! Every bite was an orgasm in my mouth! Yes, it was that good! Sashimi and sushi was very fresh and the cuts were generous. The cooked dishes such as the hamachi, chawanmushi, fried soft shell crab and lobster miso soup were out of this world! My friend Ashlea introduced us to their crab roll and it’s delicious! I would recommend trying that.
I just want to thank Jarod and Ashlea for inviting me and a +1 to join them for dinner here. It was tons of fun and thank you so much again for dinner. Now I’m addicted to Morio’s and can’t wait to come back again. Make reservations ASAP because they are booked months in advance (regulars make reservations after they have dinner on their way out). Must try if you love great food and good times.

Live, moving lobster head. Sweet lobster sashimi. Fresh sliced fish. BYOB. Enough said.
FOOD
Omakase all the way if you don’t know what you want or just want to see what the chef specials are. But, as you become accustomed to eating sushi and start becoming picky, as I am now, especially if you want otoro or uni, just order what is your faves. Great price for melt in your mouth fish and side dishes. Don’t forget your sake or beer because like I said its BYOB. Also share some with Morio and his staff! They will truly appreciate it. Kanpai!
LOCATION
This hole in the wall sushi joint is located on South King Street on your left side right before Jack in the box. Laid back vibe. A small place you can relax enjoying quality sushi and your own dranks. Small private lot in the back or metered street parking.
SERVICE
Good enough service. I mean we didn’t become buddy, buddy with the chef as everyone raves about, but it’s pretty good. They are only open for a few hours for dinner. Get ready to wait 3 – 6 months before eating here, because when you call it is cray, cray to get reservations. Just accept whatever earliest they have because that’s just how it works there.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the taste and price is the best of all these sushi restaurants.

Been trying to get into this place for over a year… Was wondering what all the hype was about and finally got to try it out. We got the Omakase and the the food was excellent! Fish was super fresh and there were some classics as well as some interesting selections, including the dessert… Natto ice cream!!!
Morio is very funny and cracks jokes during the meal with the clients and takes sake shots!
The restaurant only seats 15, literally and thus is very cozy. Service was good, but there was only one server for the entire restaurant so our plates did accumulate at certain points during the meal.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Call way way waaaaaay in advance.

The reviews just say it all. I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy the food here a couple of times. Reservations are hard to come by and you have to call after 5 pm. They get booked super fast and will take reservations only on certain months.
Morio is a character and will join you for some drinks. It’s BYOB so bring some sake and beer with you and get Morio some Miller lite, it’s his favorite. The wait staff are awesome as well! The place is super small and can get cramped. Parking is no problem but finding the place can be difficult. It is right before the Jack in the Box on S. King street.
The food is just awesome!!! Fresh fish all around. Can’t get enough of it. My favorite is actually everything… deep fried flounder, ikura, sashimi, and All the different nigiri. I am a seafood lover! You can opt for the ala carte menu or omakase set (chef’s choose). I’ve done both but a lot of people prefer to go the omakase route. Price is reasonable compared to other sushi restaurants. At the end of your meal, you usually get a small dessert. What a perfect way to end.

When Victoria M. invited me to sushi, I didn’t think much of it and said yes figuring hey, I like some good fresh fish. Why not? I had no idea the brilliance of where she was inviting me. After reading Unilocal reviews from Jacob, Malia, Amara, Victoria and Emi I realized I was in for the night of my life… and they were absolutely correct!
First off, if you get invited here you need to say yes. It can take months upon months to get a reservations. Like weekends fill up for the year immediately and week nights are at least 2 – 3 months. Once you are in, try to make another reservation! They have two nightly seatings 6 and 8:30. I’m happy to say that I was lucky enough to score a reservation for the end of January during my visit… omakase here I come! [omakase needs to be preordered so call ahead; this is about $ 60ish and allows Morio free range to serve you the freshest & best he has that day.]
After reading Jacob N.‘s review, I knew I needed to bring some tasty booze to share with not only the group but the chef and his staff for all their hard work — refer to his review for Morio’s preferences, it helped me out hardcore!
Morios is super small and cozy; we had the whole bar for our group and there were two other tables behind us. There are daily specials but we asked our server a lot of questions on what was the freshest of the day and what was recommended. Sadly some items were unavailable the night I went but I was still pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was. I’m not a huge seafood or sushi person to begin with but I ate every single item given to me, even when I wasn’t sure WTF I was putting on my mouth [which my mother will tell you never happens] and everything was clean, fresh and yummy. Lobster miso soup, sashimi of varying sorts, hamachi collar [that thing was bomb dot com], natto pizza [surprisingly good], oysters, clams in a lovely broth, uni, scallop, toro, salmon, on and on… I definitely ordered too much and yet left not overly stuffed. I spent $ 60 so I definitely feel like the omakase is a phenomenal deal. I’m not saying that this is the best sushi on the island but for a decent price this is some on point fresh fish and I think the experience makes this a go to place. Morio is hilarious and I loved cracking jokes with him… I sucked that lobster head good before making my next reservation! ;) This is not a place for the shy as it is a small get to know each other joint and sarcasm is welcome — I felt at home!
There was a lot of sake and beer in between bites and when we finally stood up to leave, I realized I was floating. I had the best time here and cannot wait to go back! I purposely waited to make this review my 200^th because it was that epic of night. Thanks Victoria!!! Best night I’ve had in awhile.

The best omakase in Honolulu. If you love sushi this is your place. Hard to get reservations but it’s worth the wait. Ingredients so fresh and tasty. I have been here 5 times and can hardly wait for my next reservation. We always have a big group and there service is amazing. No long waits and the food is just delicious
I never enjoyed uni before having it at Morio’s. It’s so fresh compared to those conveyor belt sushi establishments. I am counting the days till my next visit. The value is great and what keeps the price affordable is the BYOB.
It’s a nice cozy place. Hope to see you there…

I admit, I had the best unagi among all the restaurants i tried in the states. Huge fan for this fatty fish. We got lucky since one couple cancelled their reservation last night. They are easily to get packed cuz they only have 16 seats in total! Sensei Morio is a character, we got seated at the bar and I went to Sake Shop for a good Umeshu. The chef shared his sake with us too. Great dinning experience. Even got an extra lobster miso soup!

Morios is an institution. The go to sushi spot for highly affordable, super fresh, and creative sushi. No chili oil over everything here… just delicious slabs of fish… and baby fried tako of course.
The hype is real… hard to make a res unless you’re a regular, you stalk the open times, or a friend gifts you their res cause they sick. But once you try it, and you share a beer (green bottles only please) or a sake shot with Morio, you’re changed forever.
Whether off the menu or omakase… all good. And free ice cream drumsticks at the end! ;)

Morio’s is a reliably fun, tasty dining experience. You’re likely to make fast new friends at this friendly joint so be prepared to share some of your BYOB with Chef Morio and fellow diners. The omakase menu is one of the best deals in the state so it can be difficult to get reservations. Tip: call right before they open to see if there are any cancellations that night.

Morio is the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame of Sushi, if it was located in the Wild Wild West, and had it’s own fishing boat. Lost? So am I, and so will you be if you are trying to score reservations (they have 2 seatings a night, 16 – 20 people per seating, and are booked months in advance). But keep at it, be flexible, and you will find yourself enjoying some of the freshest sushi in town!
The best part about Morio’s isn’t the fish — though the fish is fresh and fantastic — it is the setting. Since it is BYO you can roll up with a cooler of sake and beer and enjoy yourself silly, but bring some to share with your fellow diners (it is quite close-​quarters), the staff, and Morio himself! There is a tendency for the fish portions — always expertly sliced and prepared — to get even more generous as Chef Morio enjoys a Coors Light or two.
Omakase is quite reasonable and has a few levels, one of which includes the live lobster sashimi and lobster miso soup (You have to order this ahead of time). Tasty, but I admit I had some cringe worthy moments as my lobster tried to escape to freedom right off my dinner plate as I was enjoying his tail meat. Excellent rolls and nigiri, with lots of options and a constantly updating menu (with plenty of revisions on the wall).
My favorite Morio moment has to be my first time — the staff brought us complimentary shots of sake that they were passing around to all the customers — and then Morio even sent over some complimentary oysters which I had attempted to order, but which had been unavailable to those not doing the omakase (I wasn’t). Turns out he found a few extra, and I got my oyster fix! That is the kind of place Morio’s is — small, and hard to get a table at, but oh so worth it for the food you will eat and the people you will meet. Keep calling for that rezzy, and go go go!

All the majesty and deliciousness of a $ 100+ per-​head omakase, minus the high falutin and denial of soy sauce. The fastidious eater who has always aspired to experience an omakase, and has at some point pored lovingly over Sasabune’s Unilocal reviews, only to sigh as she remembered sadly the spectre of student loans looming overhead can now do so, at a veritable bargain. Don’t grip your pursestrings so tightly, my dear! Morio’s Sushi Bistro is ideal for someone who craves the quality of a «high-​end» sushi omakase, but is discouraged by the price. Morio’s is also perfect for you if you’re not down with the idea of submitting yourself to sushi chef nazis who dictate the precise manner and timing by which you eat their creations.
Location/​Ambience: Morio’s is located in the small, nondescript building right before Jack in the Box on South King St. There is a parking lot provided in back. The place itself is very cozy, and it’s pretty much like walking into Japan.
Food: Varieties of fish and ingredients will vary from meal to meal; Morio himself is a fishmonger by day and sushi chef/​comedian by night. He’ll only serve the very best, and being well-​acquainted with the fish business in Hawaii, he knows how to get the best. Here’s what an omakase is like at Morio’s, course by course:
1) Hamachi Kama — cooked to perfection, graced with a lemon wedge. The meat is so moist. A great prelude to an even better meal to come.
2) Chawan-​mushi — a seafood chawan-​mushi. Soft, savory, hot custard with mushroom, shrimps and topped with tobiko. I don’t care for chawan-​mushi, but this was tasty.
3) Raw oysters — lovely and fresh, served on a bed of ice.
4) Sashimi — Morio will take note of how many members are in your party and serve you a sashimi platter accordingly. Ours had maguro, salmon, hamachi, and another unidentifiable but delicious fish. The freshness of the fish was even more pronounced because it was served cold.
5) Lobster Sashimi — chopped up tail meat, served in the shell of the lobster tail. Great texture; no sliminess.
6) Deep fried Flounder with bones — Fantastic. No hint of oiliness at all. The meat was great; moist and flaky, but the bones were the real star. They were fried to the point where you could eat them like chips, and I wish I could, every night with a glass of wine and Netflix.
Then the actual sushi:
7) Rockfish– very good. The vinegar in the sushi rice is calibrated to perfection, and it’s as much a joy to eat as the fish itself.
8) Chutoro — fatty, fatty. Don’t ruin the flavor of the cut by drowning in shoyu.
9) Hirame (Flounder) — one of my favorites of the night. lightly dressed with ponzu to bring out the flavors even more.
10) Shima aji — delicious.
11) Awabi — abalone, served in its own opalescent shell, accompanied by mustard. My first time having raw abalone. Great texture and taste.
12) Engawa — possibly my favorite of the night. I am verklempt, and that never happens.
13) Uni — I’m not sure if my appetite bested the length of the actual omakase, but at this point, Morio asked if I was still hungry, and I earnestly requested uni. It was some of the freshest, most delectable uni ever.
14) Negitoro — chopped tuna and green onion sushi, with a gratuitous pile of extra negitoro on the side. So generous! If you don’t finish all the little extras he gives you … I don’t know about you as a person.
15) Lobster Miso Soup — Miso soup made from the leftover lobster shells. A bit salty, but what miso isn’t? A nice way to end the meal, while you finish up the last of the Sapporo and sake you brought. (It’s BYOB here)
16) Complimentary post-​meal Nestle drumstick — so adorable I had to mention it.
The singular gripe I have with Morio’s is that the wasabi could be more potent. That’s it! Everything else was marvelous.
Reservations are necessary. You will be disappointed beyond belief (not to mention embarrassed) if you attempt to walk in without one. At that point, you can’t do anything but temper your shame with an even more shameful sourdough jack w/​curly and buttermilk next door at your friendly neighborhood Jack in the Box. Morio’s has a two to three-​month waitlist, and deservedly so. The little sushi restaurant that could houses only sixteen patrons; eight at the bar, and four each at two small corner tables.
I will be dreaming of going again.

Morio, Morio… wherefore art thou Morio?
I’m being selfish and put off writing a review because I don’t want all of you guys coming here ^_​^ There’s always a three month (minimum) wait for the next reservation so I don’t want all of you guys extending that wait ^_​^… But this place is amazing!
I’ve only been here twice (for now) and I’ve had nothing but a fantastic experience.
They have two seating’s, 6 and 830pm. I’ve always had the 830 seating and I think that’s the better one. Only because you don’t have to rush and you can sit down and enjoy your food.
My first time, we did Omakase and the second time we ordered off the menu. Omakase was great, we got uni, ahi and salmon sashimi, oysters, hotate, amaebi, toro and a bunch of other stuff I can’t remember. But what I do remember was that each bite was amazing. Ordering off the menu, we got uni, salmon (I always need salmon) spicy tuna roll, onion salmon roll, hamachi kama, we even got a crab roll (poor morio, majority of the people in the restaurant ordered off the menu AND he had to omakase for two parties).it took a while to get food but it didn’t bother us at all. we had a blast just watching him make the different dishes… Plus its hilarious watching the playful banter between him and some of the other patrons. I cannot say this enough. Morio is awesome lol!
Oh yeah, you have to get the baby tako. It is so yummerz. Just do it.
It is BYOB and sharing with Morio is always a plus. I always see him drinking while making the sushi that I’m amazed he can do this every night. He does like to share his drinks with the ladies (he’s a true gentleman) The restaurant is small. a bar and three tables… leads to a more family/relative’s house feeling.
He’s a blast to dine with. and he always tells everyone to come karaōke. If I didn’t have to work, I’d be down to go lol.
He’s always nice enough to provide dessert. We got mochi ice cream the first time and drumsticks the last time we came.
We wrote our name down for a reservation in December. We figured three months would be a decent amount of time for us to start craving Morio’s.
Pricing… Compared to other places I’ve been to, this place is well priced!.. When we did Omakase, I was like «where’s the rest of the bill?». I’ve payed double elsewhere but the experience was so boring compared to Morio. At Morio’s you get quality food and will always walk out happy.
I’ll be sharing my pictures soon

Morio’s has a special place in my heart. I started eating at his sushi joint about 5 years ago. At that time, there was no seating time and the restaurant was tucked away in a Waikiki health food eatery that closed at night. Morio’s was a sushi pop up 6 days a week. If you got a seat, you were pumped. If you didn’t, you would be wait-​listed and pray to God that you’ll get a phone call to inform you that a seat was open. If you didn’t get a call… «ahh next time maybe?»
5 years later, his restaurant is still going strong with reservations booked months in advanced. There is 2 seating times, at 6 and 8:30 which allows more people to dine at his place The restaurant is still small about 16 seats, which adds to the cozy, fun atmosphere that Morio’s is known for. The food is still fantastic and insanely fresh. I went there recently and had the omakase. There was sashimi (lobster, hamachi, salmon), miso lobster soup, chawamushi, hamachi kama, raw oysters, various nigiri (scallop, uni, crab with kani miso, filet mignon), etc. I ate so much I could’ve slept at the restaurant. Talk about a kanak attack!
The restaurant is still BYOB so don’t forget to pack extra to share your drinks with Morio and the other patrons. Prepare to laugh, chat, eat, drink and repeat until it is time for you to leave.

Oh Morio… your name invokes epic stories of how your sushi is among the best bites ever created by man. How your omakase menu can’t be beat by some of the best restaurants in Japan. Or how the wait for a reservation is practically impossible, yet when you do finally get a reservation on the graduation of your first born child, you skip said child’s graduation for a spot here.
So the question becomes… is it a legendary as others have said.
Yes.
That’s all you really need to know. Because words can’t describe the silky texture of the maguro or perhaps the fresh crisp flavors of the uni. Nor can you ever forget how bites that come out of the kitchen are just down right epic.
Its a small place. Yes. So you get to know people rather intimately. However, that is part of the nostalgic charm that helps define Morio’s. You aren’t going to get to know the stranger next to you… well, unless you are sitting at the bar, which are some of the best seats in my book.
Service is good and the staff are great at helping make suggestions and bringing food out in a great orchestration that doesn’t overwhelm you.
So…yeah, it might blow your mind. Simple. Classic. Quality. That’s all you need when it comes to a great Japanese experience.

As I mentioned in a previous review (Char Siu House to be exact), businesses, just like human beings will have OFF days. Not one individual is perfect so we need to give second chances.
After a disappointing experience last year, I really thought Morio’s was overrated. A year ago I walked away stunned with sub-​par food quality after reading so many great reviews. When fellow Unilocaler Victoria M. told me that Morio’s is outstanding I disagreed. She kept on telling me how great the meals are at Morio’s and I kept on shaking my head.
About a month ago she invited me as she made reservations. For those of you who don’t know, it’s difficult to get a reservation here. It needs to be made far in advance OR you can test your luck by hoping someone cancels and you can snag those open seats! Hmmmm… available seats. Victoria kept on RAVING about here so I decided to try them once more.
Victoria M., Chef Morio and his staff made me a believer.
Since my initial visit, Morio’s went through renovations and now has LESS seats than before. Does that make sense? You would think a popular restaurant would EXPAND with more seating. The sushi counter now seats 9. His «regular» dining tables sat an additional 8 so it was a FULL HOUSE with 17 diners.
Most of us had OMAKASE course. I also had this last year but it has changed a bit. Here is what we had:
1) Boiled Soybeans (EDAMAME) ³⁄₅
Standard appetizers. Nothing special.
2) JUMBO Grilled Hamachi Kama ⁵⁄₅
Grilled to perfection, this HUNK of fish was divided by 3 people. The outside was charred slightly and lightly seasoned. Very flavorful and moist. Chef Morio hit this one out of the park.
3) Chawanmushi ⁴⁄₅
This traditional savory Japanese custard was served in a very small cup and was packed with flavor. Chicken, shrimp, fish roe and Shiitake mushroom in this light custard. Damn thing disappeared so quickly.
4) Sashimi ⁴⁄₅
This time around I was served better cuts of fish. No sinew or firm end pieces. A trio of AHI (tuna), NARAIGI (swordfish) and SHAKE (salmon) were all flavorful. I’m NOT a fan of AHI but still ate it. I prefer SHIROMI (white flesh) over AKAMI (red flesh) any day.
5) Fresh Oysters ⁵⁄₅
The Kumamoto oyster was shucked and served raw on a half-​shell. Packed with great flavor, I could have eaten 6 of these easily. Meal came with only one oyster. Sad face…
6) Karei Karaage (deep-​fried flounder) ⁵⁄₅
The fish came out piping HOT. Unfortunately, a small fish was divided by three so one piece per person. The bones were deep-​fried to a crisp which all of us enjoyed. Executed very well.
7) Lobster Sashimi ⁵⁄₅
Live Maine lobsters were prepared in front of us. They were served in front of us which one of our friends squirmed. The meat was firm and very flavorful. It was shared between 3 people so each person had about 2 pieces of raw lobster.
8) Assorted Nigiri ⁵⁄₅
We were given such fresh ingredients of HOTATE (scallops), UNI (sea urchin from Hokkaido), KANI (crab) with KANIMISO (tamale) and HOBO, or Sea Robin. Each piece of sushi was so darn good! Lucky for me, David T. doesn’t eat UNI so I had his piece. SCORE!!! Morio hit 4 home runs with this selection!
9) Deep Fried Baby Octopus ⁴⁄₅
These little suckers were also cooked until perfection. When you overcook seafood they become tough, chewy and dry but these suckers were tender and delish! I only had a piece and gave my share to David T. as he gave me his UNI nigiri.
10) AMAEBI (Sweet Shrimp) ⁵⁄₅
Who doesn’t like head? They were lightly floured and deep-​fried until crisp. Low on calcium? Have some head Yeeps!!! The shrimp had a firm texture loaded with flavor. So fresh!!!
11) Lobster Miso Soup ⁵⁄₅
This time the soup was PIPING HOT, the way miso soup should be. The broth was so bold in flavor and what a way to end this OMAKASE dinner. Pieces of the lobster were in the soup so you could eat whatever meat you could find. Very tasty.
As complimentary dessert he provided us with MINI drumsticks, either vanilla or chocolate. What a nice touch for sweet tooths like myself.
It’s still BYOB here and throughout the night patrons were offering Morio SAKE and SOJU. There are still 2 seatings (6pm and 830pm) and I’m not sure if Chef Morio was a little buzzed or not. The atmosphere is considered «rated R» so expect some f-​bombs being tossed here and there. After tax, the meal came out to about $ 64 per person. Add on tip, expect to pay about $ 76 per person where alcohol is NOT included in meal.
In addition to great food, the night was shared with 8 other fellow Yeeps, who I have developed great friendships with.
Good food. Good company, Good times. Good memories.
Thank you Chef Morio and staff. But more, thank you Victoria M. for being instrumental in convincing me to give this establishment another chance.

If you don’t know where to look, you’ll miss it. I drive by Morio’s at least twice a week and until tonight, I had no idea that’s where it was. Thanks to friends of mine that know people, I was able to snag the last spot in their reservation for the 6pm seating. I left my hubby at home for this meal because it would’ve been completely wasted on him since he doesn’t eat sushi or raw fish (I know, crazy right?!).
Since the entire seating was a group that knew each other, the atmosphere was lively and fun. It was a given that everyone was going to do omakase — and it was just so exciting to see what was brought out next. I couldn’t get myself to eat the uni, but everything else was outstanding. My personal faves were the toro, deep fried flounder and chawanmushi. We also ordered a few rolls off the menu which were equally delish. Having recently lived in Japan, I can honestly say that eating at Morio’s felt like I could’ve been at a restaurant in Japan because of the quality of the food.
Tips: BYOB and be prepared for cozy seating. Also, as others noted you should call at least 1 – 2 months in advance for a reservation. For those skeptics out there (as to whether they really are booked that far), I watched a server answer the phone, actually look at the reservation book and then respond that they were booked until the end of September.
Definitely a must try for sushi/​sashimi lovers. Hopefully I will be back soon!

Thanks to my friend Liz, I’ve had the opportunity to go to Morio’s since he was located in Waikiki. Hands down the most well rounded Omakase ever. My friend asked for the «fancy» Omakase for our group of four and we were lucky enough to sit at the bar! I like that Morio’s isn’t fancy, but rather it feels more cozy. BYOB and don’t forget to pour Morio a shot! I will include photos to show how amaaaazing this meal was! I can’t wait to go again when their reservation list opens up!

Morios has renovated — there’s now more counter space to watch Morio in action! The food and service is still equally good, if not better!
We decided on the omakase this time as opposed to ordering off the menu like last time. There were a few surprise delights for me — the fried flounder (so good!) and chawanmushi. I don’t usually care for chawanmusi that much but this one was SO good and tasty!
All of the fish and shellfish is really fresh and it’s still BYOB (bonus!).
Only two seatings per night and they book up months and months in advance –so call now!

What can I say about Morio’s that already hasn’t been said? I mean, almost 500 reviews and 4.5 stars? The guy has to be doing SOMETHING right!
There are only two things you need to worry about when dining at Morio’s: reservations and BYOB.
Getting a reservation is the most important and difficult thing about dining here. Their books fill up fast and they fill up months in advance. I made my reservation at least 3 – 4 months in advance. You can call and ask what months they are taking reservations for or what day they will start taking the next round of reservations.
This place is BYOB so please B your own B and then some more to share with Morio. Sake is always a fan favorite but just about anything you want to have with your meal is fair game.
There are two seatings per night, 6:00pm and 8:30pm. In total, our meal took 2 hours but could have lasted longer if we opted to continue on. We ordered the omakase (chef’s choice) meal. There is a stopping point where they ask if you want to continue or finish off your meal. Pricing will vary from that point for everyone.
Our 12 courses included hamachi kama (collar bone), chawan mushi, assorted sashimi, teriyaki ahi, lobster sashimi, deep fried flounder, oyster shooters, snow crab and mackerel nigiri, scallop and flounder nigiri and lobster miso soup. The lobster miso soup was amazing. Savory miso soup with chunks of lobster that fall right out of the shell! The entire meal was delicious and a great value. Our omakase was $ 60/​person. STEAL!
Service was very attentive. We had a bucket of ice to keep our beers cold and waters were always filled. The joint can fit only 15 people so it’s a very intimate setting.
Parking was not a problem for us as there is a private lot in the back. Just don’t miss the driveway!

So, this teeny tiny sushi bistro can be easily missed driving down King Street. It is hidden between this green wall and Jack in the Box, so be sure to drive slowly or you can miss the parking lot in the back. Street parking is also available, if you are lucky!
I am no sushi aficionado, but this sushi bistro is truly a hidden gem! Never have I tasted fresh and delicious variety of sushi delicacies right in my backyard! My taste buds were exploding with flavors after each morsel. Few fishes that I have never heard of were the highlight of the evening and familiar ones with a Morio’s twist were so scrumptious. Sorry Yeeps, but I could not remember any of those Japanese dish names, but will definitely make you order and go with the OMAKASE. Be ready and adventurous to try new things! Because what is life without a few surprises, right?
Fresh oysters, monk fish liver, Ume flavored jellyfish were just a few ones that made me crave for more! Our party of 8, yes the loud ones and probably drunk half way through the meal, enjoyed everything Morio offered to our table. The staff service was … how I can say it in Japanese… SUBARASHII! They were all really awesome with spot on service. By thanking Morio, we shared our BYOS as in Bring Your Own Sake, as our grateful gesture for serving us an evening of wonderful sushi, fun entertainment and sharing the scary looking house snake sake that a few of us dare to try! It was the most fun sushi dining experience our party had and truly a wonderful evening our friends will be raving about for years to come!
Visit Morio by making a reservation WAY ahead of time. The place holds less than 20 people and they are only two seatings available. I preferred the last sitting, since you get to take your time to enjoy the experience.

I finally can say that I dined at this hole in the wall gem, which I have been trying to get into for some time. As you probably have read from other reviews, reservations are made 3 months out and you have to call exactly on the day reservations open up to ensure you get a table. There are two seating times, 6:30pm and 8:30pm. I prefer the later reservation time because you can dine till late at night without the feeling of being rushed.
I order the suggested pre-​set omakase menu, which was a great deal for $ 60. See my pics. The plus to coming here is not only the great food, but it’s BYOB. Morio and his staff will drink with you so feel free to bring something for them. This is a great hole is a wall place for a deal of price.
Note: Make future reservations while you dine here.

What can I say about Morios that hasnt been said in over 470 prior reviews? Not much, but heres my rundown:
If you like head… amaebi head that is, then this is the place for you.
If you like lobster sashimi, ankimo monkfish, abalone, oysters, ika, uni, negitoro, saba, flounder, moi, hamachi kama, tako, and assorted sashimi, and sushi then this is the place for you! The chicken karaage here is good too, but if you dont like seafood then dont waste your time and another persons valuable reso coming here.
Its high quality Japanese food /​seafood at a great price for what you get!
You must make resos 2 – 3 months in advance, sometimes more… no joke! The place is small and is not good for groups larger than 6, so plan accordingly.
They also have a pre-​set omakase menu, a great deal for $ 60. If you want this, you must order it in advance. If you want Lobster sashimi, you should order it in advance too.
Its BYOB, so bring beer and good sake and you must share with Chef Morio and his staff. Morio will sit and have a drink with you if you ask.
And last but not least, if you are celebrating a birthday or have a newbie in your party, ask for the «snake alcohol» shot (see my pic). Ive tried it and survived… barely.
Parking is in the back lot of restaurant or on the street. The restaurant is on King Street right before Jack-​in-​the-​Box on Piikoi Street.
Its a pain to get in here, its a hole-​in-​the-​wall place, but I am giving 5-​stars for the price and quality of food.