Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin

Reviews

• Hoang V.

  star star star star star 29 August 2026

  Hands down the best katsu I've ever had! The place is kinda pricey but if you come for the lunch special it's totally worth it. The servers here are so nice as they ask if we needed anything multiple times!
  
  We got the katsu curry special and the tonkatsu special. Both were so good and there pork tonkatsu is the best! Comes with salad and miso soup. The salad dressing is really good! The servers even offered to refill our salads and soup.
  
  Nestled in Waikiki you can get your parking validated here as well!

• A Z Flor H.

  star star star star star 21 August 2026

  The TONKATSU of my life. I haven't been to Japan but what isn't authentic about this place. It's legit, no faking it.
  
  Everything was 10/10. The thinly chopped cabbage salad 10/10, the little cabbage side dish 10/10, the rice 10/10, the tonkatsu sauce and sesame 10/10,0 the roasted green tea 10/10, and of course the TONKATSU was 10/10, EVEN the water was 10/10.
  
  I can't get over how everything about this entire meal was perfection. They absolute do not compromise on quality ingredients and cooking skills.
  
  For our meal,  honestly couldn't decide on what particular type of kastu I wanted so I got the mixed katsu dish which had 3 different kinds , like loin , tenderloin and a minced kurobata. I personally like the tenderloin best of the three and I think it was a darker meat . The minced kurobata tasted like a crunchy, savory pork meatball. All were delicious. All were juicy and moist.
  
  (Reading from the pamphlets placed on the tables kurobata is black Berkshire pig, which are prized and considered the pork equivalent to wagyu Kobe beef.)
  
  My boo ordered the thick cut tonkatsu. My boyfriend's words : " AMAZING. And so crispy , it never got soggy." And I can concur with that. The tonkatsu breading is like no other, flaky and cripsy and delicate.
  
  This is definitely a must try before you die if you're visiting Oahu .

• Sage B.

  star star star star star 20 August 2026

  Run, don't walk to Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, there is a reason why this place has the reputation it has, not only is the food excellent, the customer service is absolutely top notch.
  
  We arrived around 4:00 p.m, which means we beat the dinner rush and had counter seating right away. We ordered the Mixed katsu set and seafood set, with a sake sampler. Mixed set comes with minced pork, loin, and tenderloin. Everyone raves about the minced pork and they are right, it's one of the best. I ordered the seafood set, two jumbo shrimps, with crab cream croquette, salmon and tuna. The cream croquette was delicious, with a creamy inside and crispy Tonkatsu crust, the two shrimps were huge, and paired well with the sauce. The best part of the sets were the A.Y.C.E miso soup, salad and rice. I think I had about three bowls of their delicious miso soup, and plenty of the shredded cabbage salad, make sure to drizzle it in the goma tare sesame dressing.
  
  We were so full and satisfied, this had to be the best Tonkatsu we have ever had, quality in every aspect, parking is validated at Bank of Hawaii, and 15% surcharge is added to each check. Come before the dinner rush and enjoy your meal.

• Vincent L.

  star star star star star 18 August 2026

  Solid, well-done tonkatsu and other Japanese-style fried fare. Despite the compact size of the venue - about 25-30 seats at most - there's an army of staffers inside the kitchen preparing everything extra-carefully to order.
  
  Nadine C. brought me here on a recent day just after opening time and mentioned that we were in a bit of a rush, as she was showing me around Honolulu during a 4-hour airport layover. The hostess was communicative about the expected wait time - not only in line, but also for food. Fortunately, we were able to score seats, order right away, and receive our food in far less time than quoted.
  
  The food didn't disappoint. There are several lunch specials that are well worth the exceedingly modest $12-14 spend, whether a fried oyster lunch set that we shared, or the "bairin" lunch set that has a modest serving of tonkatsu and a generous variety of side dishes. All of it was freshly and carefully made and super yummy. In particular, the oysters were soooo delicious! Drinks like the 808 highball were also surprisingly strong.
  
  A great find and a good option to keep in mind alongside equally (if not more) popular Tonkatsu Tamafuji. THANKS AGAIN Nadine C. for taking me here and showing me all the bestest foodie spots around town!

• Alan C.

  star star star star_border star_border 10 August 2026

  Just a forewarning, im doing a direct comparison to tonkatsu tamafuji.
  
  With these two tonkatsu restaurants in the same area, they've both got their pros and cons and I hope to elucidate the differences here.
  
  Quality: take this with a grain of salt as everyone's palette is slightly different. I enjoyed tamafuji more, their breading wasn't as heavy and felt lighter.
  
  Service: both were on par with each other, no real differences there.
  
  Cost: Ginza Bairin definitely costs more, likely cause it's within the Waikiki main strip, hence the premium due to rent. Also, they have a mandatory "15% service charge" that's for the cost of materials such as pickles, cabbage, and miso soup that doesn't go towards their employees? So when you pay, they also recommend tipping "additional for actual gratuity" which is extremely confusing. My personal take is that a restaurant should not pass it along to its consumers as "service charge" and include it already with the price of the items on the menu.
  
  Reservations: Ginza Bairin allows reservations so you don't have to wait in line. Definitely call a few days in advance as same day reservations are highly unlikely.
  
  Location: tamafuji is a bit off the beaten path and may be a slight walk more for some,  it still within the outskirts of Waikiki in my opinion.
  
  Overall, I prefer tamafuji for a number of reasons - quality, cost, and no sketchy service charge that I don't really know where it's going. I don't mind waiting for good quality food.