Maru Sushi

Omakase at Maru Sushi means surrendering the menu entirely to chef Takeshi Kawasaki, whose original Maru Sushi in Hokkaido holds a Michelin star and who is credited by Honolulu Magazine as the first Michelin-starred sushi chef working in Hawaii. The format is fixed: no printed menu, no substitutions, just a seasonal course built around whatever ingredients Kawasaki has sourced that week. Past courses have moved through chutoro, uni, king crab, octopus, mackerel, flounder, and soft-shell crab, the selection shifting with the calendar in the Edomae tradition.

The room itself reinforces the approach. A small counter with warm wood finishes keeps the focus on the chef's work rather than the surrounding noise, and more than one diner has noted the resemblance to a proper sushi-ya in Japan rather than the resort-district restaurants that dominate this stretch of Kalākaua Avenue near Waikiki. That setting, combined with a no-menu format, puts Maru in a different register from the à la carte sushi that fills most of Honolulu's mid-range dining.

Pricing reflects the positioning. Reported omakase sets have ranged from around $180 to $300 per person depending on the course selected, placing Maru at the upper end of Honolulu dining. Reservations at a counter this size are not casual walk-ins; planning ahead is the practical expectation for anyone serious about securing a seat.

One significant caveat: the restaurant's own website announced a closure date of August 19, 2023. Whether that closure was permanent, temporary, or followed by a reopening under revised terms is not confirmed in available public records. Anyone intending to visit should verify current operating status directly with the venue before making plans around it.