Futaba Restaurant & Catering

Lost out on a gift certificate. Closed before I got to use it…

I’m afraid to say that is my first time eating here though I’ve lived near this place my whole life and is probably going to be my last because they will be closing this Sunday after 39 years of service.
The reason for the 3 stars is not because the food lacked quality but because the wait time was just too long. Especially when it’s due to the order of how guests are seated. It’s definitely not based on «first come, first serve.»
Other than the unnecessary wait time, food was amazing. I ordered the sizzling yakiniku with vegetables which came with the chef’s special sauce. On point!
Service was just OK in the beginning but they got extra brownie points because well, they gave us free brownies at the end ^_​^ which were by the way so moist and delicious!

I never got to have dinner here. The one star comes from the lack of consideration to include new guests of this treasure, in my own hometown even. A treasure?! Maybe. I respect the tradition and culture of Japanese cuisine and «Teishoku» style meals.
I feel this restaurant would get more reviews if people were even able to eat here. The one star comes in lieu of the «waiting» experience I received, lasting about 15+ minutes. The wait time wasn’t the issue, it was the order of how the list was being seated after I had signed in and noted a time for my party on the reservation list. A party of 3, who didn’t have a reservation, was seated before 3 other reservations, including mine. After politely explaining the situation at hand, the owner or floor manager, an older woman, apologized for how busy they were but avoided our question as to why we weren’t seated. I then asked when seating would be available, after observing 2 other open tables, and she advised to call back after 8:30. Mind you, closing time was 9:00.
This ill effort to accommodate a customer, who was willing to try a plethora of food besides a Teishoku meal, may not be a lost to them as they are closing, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Oh wait, there was nothing to be tasted, but bad customer rapport. I wish them well after their closing and wish I didn’t make the effort.

Throughout dinner, I just kept repeating «so good… sooooo goooood.» Practically at a loss for words because it was SO GOOD! I only wish I had attempted to dine in sooner. What prompted me to hurry it up was the HNN alert that informed me that after 39 years of amazing food & service, Futaba would be closing it’s doors. Thank you, HNN!
Parked right in front of the restaurant at 8:30pm, which was great because parking is vast at that time. Got to the front door and read that they were closed at 8:30pm (On a Thursday) and started to feel a little bummed out because when I checked Unilocal,I read that they close at 9pm. ANYWAY, we went inside and asked if we were too late and they said «NOOOO… We will serve the last customer here.», which was us. YAYYYY!!!
I ordered the Manaita Mori Teishoku (Deluxe D) and my friend got the shrimp tempura and sashimi deluxe (I think it was C). THE D came with ahi sashimi, chicken, teriyaki beef, grilled saba, and jumbo shrimp tempura. I wasn’t even able to finish it all, but I can tell you that the tempura was cooked perfectly! It was so crunchy, flavorful, and not at all oily (like it is when I try to make my own: P). The flavor of the teriyaki beef and tenderness was on point for me and the sashimi was cut into thick pieces and was so fresh! I also thought that the miso soup was just out of this world haha.
We were the last customers in the restaurant so we were trying to get up to pay so that we wouldn’t be a «bother», but instead were asked to sit back down to enjoy a piece of mochi ice cream (complementary dessert… what a plus!). We shared half of a mango and half of a coffee and that was the cherry on top of just an amazing meal, with wonderful service, and an overall great experience.
Again, I wish I had been a regular. I love this place & I will go back at least once before they serve their final dish!

It seriously saddens me that I found out about this place way too late, especially because I LOVE these old skool kine places. My uncle is a regular here and he decided to treat me to lunch when he read in the paper that they’d be closing. He swore by their tofu salad and I’m not gonna lie, I was apprehensive. Why am I gonna waste stomach space on tofu and salad? Lucky for me, I took his advice and tried some… it was so tasty, like somen salad without the noodles, and nothing like what I had been expecting. The misoyaki butterfish looked and smelled amazing (I heard they marinate it for 3 whole days!) but I wound up with the tempura and teriyaki beef combo and I was not disappointed.
Be aware that if you’re trying to get in one last Futaba hurrah, their phone was ringing off the hook and they’re no longer accepting reservations so I would highly recommend stopping by soon. It was a sweet moment to see the family saying goodbye to the customers, like old friends. I’m sure a lot of people will miss this place. Heck, I’ll miss this place and I’ve only been once!

The classic Futaba bento is nice as is the udon. Say good bye to an old friend before Feb 2, the targeted closing date.
Good food, good memories. Thank you Futaba, you will be missed.
Another one bites the dust.

Growing up, Futaba was my FAVORITE Japanese restaurant. I used to be addicted to their onion soup! Literally addicted. One time, the owner gave me a styrofoam bowl of extra soup and I ate it on the way home from the restaurant! I They alternate their onion soup with miso soup now and I have been rather unlucky with my past two visits, but I am crossing my fingers that I go on onion soup night soon!
In all the times my family has eaten there in the past 20 or so years, I have always ordered the Misoyaki Butterfish! It is soft, buttery, and melts in your mouth! Perfection! The set also comes with a side salad, kabocha, and a sweet egg roll. You can select between sashimi and tenpura, but I highly recommend the sashimi! It is so fresh!
Service is always friendly and warm. You really feel welcomed in this little Mom and Pop restaurant! We go there for any birthday or special occasion we can make up!

Five stars. I truly enjoy these old fashioned, old school kind Japanese restaurants. They’re hard to come by nowdays. The more modern ones got too much fancy, fluffy stuffs on the menu. Futaba has good, basic quality foods that I enjoy. They are a bit hidden in the strip mall area, so sometimes I forget about coming here. But when I do, I really look forward to dining here.

I have to admit that I was shocked to find such an isolated place be so busy!
Well I was really shocked! But that got me excited because this place has to be good. I love trying new places.
I can tell you that the service you receive here is great. Our lovely waitress made sure that everything was fine and continued to check in on us.
You don’t see a lot of Japanese restaurants out here but it is worth the visit.

First thing that I have to mention is the super fresh ahi sashimi. They give you thick slices of ahi and it is only 16.00 for a 10 pieces. You might think that is a steep price but not for the quality and the thickness of each slice.
The last time I came here I was looking forward to eating the misoyaki butterfish, but it was no longer on the menu. I don’t know if it was just that day that they didn’t have any, but it was just no where to be found, so I ordered their special of the day of Shioyaki salmon and ahi sashimi combo. The combo came with miso soup, rice and edamame and tsukemono for 19.99. This is not bad for all the food you get. I was definitely stuffed at the end of the dinner. The food was very delicious and would have no problem ordering this again.
This place is located the shopping center by festival marketplace in the back. It is a small restaurant and they can fill up fast so you might want to call ahead to check if they have room or make a reservation. The place seems very clean and homey in a sense. I love this place for My Japanese food fix, I definitely will be back!

I bought the groupon and we tried this place.
I got the Manaita Mori combo — Ahi Sashimi, Chicken, Beef Teriyaki, Grilled Saba, and Jumbo Shrimp Tempura.
Everything was excellent the 1^st time we went. Fish was fresh, best grilled Saba I’ve had ever. Tempura was crisp and light. So good. 4 Stars.
So a few months went by and we went back to Futaba, I decided to get the Manaita Mori again this time the fish was still fresh but was not cut well. There was that white stringy parts you see when they try to cut too much of the bad parts of the fish.
The tempura was cold and soggy. This happened on my wife’s teishoku combo as well. Seems like they had it sitting around from a previous order. So minus another star for lack of consistency.
When I’m craving Grilled Saba I’ll be back, otherwise I’ll go to Kunio for Japanese food.

My new favorite place to eat in Waipahu! I’ve been meaning to come here for forever to use my Groupon and finally found the chance to go! Oh and can I just say that the little old lady (who I’m guessing is one of the owners) is so cute! We came early, right when they opened so the restaurant was empty, and during our meal we see her sitting at one of the booths drinking tea and just chilling lol.
I read a lot about this delicious butterfish and was all ready to order it until… I browsed the menu over and over… and did not see it… I asked the lady if they had butterfish and she said no more :(. She said it was getting to expensive and apparently a lot of other places are not selling butterfish anymore either… SAD!!!
Anyways, I ordered the special which was Ahi Tempura and Sashimi combo. I actually was a little disappointed with the tempura. It was kind of cold and not crunch. Maybe that’s how they wanted it but I prefer my tempura crispy and warm. The sashimi was very nice fresh pieces of maguro which were very good. It all came in a nice bento box along with a small piece of kabocha and a small cabbage salad. The dressing was really good too!
The BF got the Sizzling Beef Yakiniku. All I gotta say about this one is that the «chef special sauce» was BOMB! Super tasty. I ate it with my dish as well hehe.
Our meals also came with this tasty soup with veggies in it and edamame.
It does seem a little pricey for some of the dishes but they do have some less expensive items as well. Nice menu for various budgets :)
I love these little old school local Japanese restaurants and will definitely be back again!

Im mixed on this restaurant, not because the food. the food was pretty awesome but the service was lacking a bit. After reading everyones reviews about coming early. we took that litterally and showed up as soon as they opened and were the only people in the for 30mins. I guess bc it was our first time, we didnt look familliar, and bc we didnt look familliar, it felt awkward. They asked us if we had a Groupon (i guess bc it looked as if we couldnt afford the regular price) but i never heard her ask any other table. we got checked on one other time, and no one came by to give us the check so i stood at the counter for a good 5mins until someone could ring me up. We had the spicy ahi roll, tempura, karaage, shoyu chix. Everything delicious and nothing was left behind. 2people came out to $ 52, $ 10 tip. ill probably wait awhile before i go back.

Finally had the opportunity to use my groupon. I was semi excited to try this place since it was a 4 star establishment. I guess my expectations were kinda high. I was hoping to try their butterfish in a combo, but I was disappointed. I didn’t even see it on the menu. Must be a secret dish ?
I did try a combo called the manaita mori??? which consisted of 5 pieces of ahi sashimi, teriyaki beef, two pieces of shirmp tempura, and once piece of mixed vegetable tempura (the same kind that my 80 year old Japanese grandmother makes), chicken karaage and saba. My favorite was the sashimi. generous, fresh pieces. My second favorite was the chicken karaage… how in the world did they keep the chicken soo moist on the inside and crispy on the outside?! Hubs loved the saba. Of course, you can’t really go wrong with tempura. One notable difference was the tempura sauce… the ginger lended a nice unexpected flavor.
We got a wun tun min for my daughter which was only 9.99 and just enormous! Unfortunately, there was only 3 pieces of won tun… wish there were more. The beansprouts and noodles were overflowing! What a deal!
My son ordered the chicken katsudon. He hummed away as he happily finished it. The waitress noticed he picked off the bamboo shoots to one side and said they could make one next time without the shoots. =)
Hubs got Nabeyaki udon i believe. Great udon and broth!!! It was a hair small. The metal dish keeps the soup warm, but be careful not to touch it… my husband burned his finger on it… eat with caution, please!
All in all a very satisfying meal. After the groupon, I only paid 20 including tip and tax. A good quality green tea is served when requested for free and they refill as soon as it’s empty as are the cups of water. Service was top notch… very, very friendly waitstaff. Will come back here again =)

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RjR — Issue # 82 — HIDDEN WAIPAHU’s ONO EATS Edition
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A hole in the wall, with a very friendly staff. Now I came in here during the lunch hours, looking for a specific dish.
And when I asked bout… I was told, that was only served on the dinner menu.
But like a gentlemen, he saw my disappoint, and he said, «but if that’s what you like I can put that order in for you»
And viola, satisfaction… Thank you sir for great service.
«MANAITA MORI TEISHOKU» — Fresh Ahi Sashimi, Chicken, Beef Teriyaki, Grilled Saba, and Jumbo Shrimp Tempura

Went there with a Groupon but after it was like Sheesh Why haven’t I ever been here before the food was great! I ordered the Manaita Mori and the soup that comes pre-​meal is good with nice pieces of mushroom, onions etc… When the food came it was wow pretty good decent portions for a Japanese restaurant the Teriyaki was just perfect not salty or hard, the Tempura wasn’t oily and just right, The Saba was one of the best grilled Saba I’ve had in a long time and the Sashimi was a very good grade of Ahi, and the Chicken was good too!
Overall it was a great meal the food was good all around and the waitresses were very pleasant.
I’ve never been to the area at night but during the day parking is tough, dinner time seems to be quite empty so there is a lot of parking right in front.
I will definitely be back!

To die or not to die, that is the bittersweet question.
Futaba is to die for, literally die. We all die so it’s all great, so calm down and let me finish. I’ll explain how you will die if you choose to eat here. It’s not from the food, parking, customer service, or environment because they’re all sweet. Hence, the 3 stars. But first, it’s not an instant or semi-​instant death but a slow headaches kind of death of regret and bitterness.
The first symptom: You’ll find yourself withdrawing money from your reserves in no time, even that day, because the prices were high. Not being able to afford things you wanted because most of the money will be going to paying bills and then saying good bye to your luxurys one by one.
Hunger sets in is the next symptom. Now you’re trying hard to juggle the housing, eating, and other expenses while working 60+ hours a week. Normally, you would be working 40 but you ate at Futabas. You’re getting delusional. You don’t have time to party or hobbies anymore, but you’re making it.
Shut down town. Physically and mentally you can’t handle the life you’re living. You quit your job, lose your home, and find yourself homeless in town at Kakkako. This is your last symptom before you die. But like I said earlier, it’s all great because the experience was a sweet one.

Tips: Try the won ton min with shrimp tempura and vegtables and have someone else pay if you don’t want to die poor. Bye

My absolute favorite place to eat when craving udon! I was so excited when my wonderful bf suggested to eat at Futaba tonight.
Parking:
You will never have problems finding parking during the evenings. Decent size lot and shared with businesses that are closed by the time we eat.
Food:
I ordered my predictable Nabeyaki Udon ($ 12.99) with mochi (extra $ 3.00 for 5 pieces). I am a Nabeyaki Udon lover and they have by far the best ever! It comes with one shrimp tempura, chicken, egg, wakame, kamaboko and vegetables. Bf got the two choice meal, karaage chicken and shoyu chicken ($ 17.99). It’s a bit on the pricey side but at least it comes with miso soup (I miss their special chicken soup they use to serve), tsukemono, soy beans and rice.
Service:
Because it’s a family owned business you can just imagine the intimate setting. A lot of the same families eat there from time to time. There’s an elderly lady who walked over to each table to see how everyone was doing. Really sweet and friendly waitresses work here. Food took about 15 minutes which is pretty fast in my opinion.
Overall:
This is one of my favorite places to eat of all time. I will continue to grubb here and would recommend folks who love udon to check this place out.

After reading the stellar reviews for this place, we decided to give it a try while staying nearby.
First attempt: showed up over 30 minutes before closing, and the owner came out and told us they were out of rice.
How this happens when you’ve been in business for so long is beyond me…
Second attempt: we called first, and she said she’d stay open until we got there.
Upon arrival she apologized about the previous evening, and explained that because it’s so desolate out there at night, (much busier during the day due to nearby offices) that when they’re empty they often close early.
**I highly recommend calling ahead if you plan on having dinner there. There aren’t many other restaurants in this area, so if they’re closed, you’re kind of screwed.**
We shared an order of saimin to start, and it was good, but I preferred Shiro’s.
I had the miso butterfish and sashimi combo. It was delicious, BUT, seriously overpriced. I’ve had miso butterfish in MANY restaurants in Hawaii, (both upscale & tiny local style places) and have NEVER seen prices like these. The butterfish dinner (sans sashimi) was $ 36. That’s the same price as the fish entrée i had at Michael Mina in San Francisco a few months ago.
I have absolutely no clue as to why they charge this much. The more places we ate in Hawaii, the more confused about this I became.
My husband’s meal was good, but his beef dish had way too many onions. It seemed like filler so they could put less beef on the plate.
The owner was nice, and we had a lovely conversation with her.
Although, as pleasant as she was, I just can’t see any reason to return.

Last time I went to Futaba when I was 7 months pregnant and more recently 7 years later with my son and husband for my birthday… so that must mean that its a lucky place? That very same night there was a large family gathering on the table next to us celebrating their son’s first birthday.
Finding Futaba is a bit of a chore since it sits off the main road in a large, lonely looking parking lot. Upon parking the car, it may seem that you have come to a shady place with dubious food as the outside seems rather worn and run down but the instant you step inside, you are greeted by a warm glow and some warm words of welcome. It’s a pretty cozy place and the décor hasn’t really changed since the 80’s or 90’s but the food is pretty good.
Pretty good meaning I’d give it a 4-​star for the food: Tofu Salad was ordered as the appetizer and it came out at the same time with dinner as the waitress told us she didn’t want the nori to get soggy. It was pretty good for $ 10.99 as it arrived in a large bowl and liberally sprinkled with finely sliced nori with a few pieces of thinly cut cucumber and even fewer slices of fresh tomato. The dressing was a very light shoyu sauce.
I ordered shrimp tempura dinner which included 5 pieces of shrimp and 2 pieces of vegetable tempura with rice, soup and edamame appetizer. While the batter on the shrimp tempura was not the crispest I have had, the shrimp were pretty fat, which was a trade off I didn’t mind. The vegetable tempura was average with thick batter and a tiny bit of raw batter areas, but otherwise palatable ($ 14.99)
My husband ordered the Chicken Katsu Donburi Bowl and the waitress warned him that it may not be enough food however my husband was full after his meal and remarked that it was the right amount of portion.
The Shrimp Tempura dinner and the Donburi bowl came with an egg drop soup type of soup and not your traditional miso soup but it was tasty. Futaba offers brown rice as an alternative to their white rice, which is a nice touch.
The Kid ordered saimin ($ 6.99), which he totally wasted but mom was too full to eat it.
Total bill for the three of us with three entries and one appetizer came out to $ 49.00 not including the generous tip we left for the service.
The 5-​Star Rating goes for the service, which was constant and impeccable and friendly… almost TOO friendly if you don’t like friendly banter and waitresses asking you why you haven’t had more than one child and is your kid spoiled because of it? but hey, it was a good experience and the atmosphere was friendly, not forced or fake. Wait staff came around frequently and often to refill tea or ask you if you needed more rice. We were treated very well despite the large party on the table next to us. I’ll definitely be back. I don’t know why it took us 7 years to return.