Dining tales: Izakaya Nonbei

Back to Nonbei

By Mari Taketa
Special to Metromix

It’s a sad story: We got iced out of Izakaya Nonbei, and we never knew why. We brought tons of friends, feasted on the fried flounder (best part: eating the bones like chips), waited the 20 minutes for the miso-grilled musubi, ordered frozen sake, plum wine, the works.

We were regulars at this Kapahulu haven, and we’re nice enough... never ever been kicked out of anywhere. But the mama-san got positively cold on us, so we stopped going. Heard we weren’t the only ones. And that was hard, being exiled from one of the best izakaya in town.

Then last month a friend text messages: Hi, I’m at Izakaya Nonbei; it’s changed owners. No more mama-san!

Hallelujah, we are so back! What’s new, what’s different, what’s better, what’s not? It’s been years since we pushed aside those curtains and slid open the heavy door…

Izakaya Nonbei
3108 Olu St.
808-734-5573
Open daily from 5 p.m. (Closed on Tuesdays.)