The Vitals:
the spot: Pau Hana Base 407 Seaside Ave #107, Honolulu, HI 96815
the eats: Gyoza, Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Udon, Yellow Tail Collar
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: a tucked away Izakaya in Waikiki
If the answer is no, you need to. Think bar food meets Japanese food where you can snack or supper. From skewers to sushi, depending on the Izakaya, the world is your oyster. You just have to ask yourself if you want it raw or fried.
After landing in Honolulu earlier that afternoon and immediately getting Udon, it was a matter of time before the Asian food bug would hit again. One of the reasons we chose to go to Honolulu after spending time in Kauai was the Asian food scene. And the next words I entered in my Google search would be “Honolulu Izakaya”.
At least when it came to our Honolulu Izakaya adventure. My kid loves them and I after seeing the great char on the flat side of the Gyoza, I knew the folks at Pau Hana Base took their Gyoza making seriously.
We went to a DIY Okonomiyaki place in Tokyo in 2023 and let’s just say the bar for the savory pancake was set high. Each dish came out individually at Pau Hana Base, a good sign that everything is cooked to order.
The pitfalls of all things fried, especially fried seafood is when all you taste is breading. Not the case at our Honolulu Izakaya adventure at Pau Hana Base. The fried oysters here were first and foremost plump and juicy, with what I can only assume to be Panko breading. And that breading did its job by keeping the exterior crisp and the inside moist.
There really isn’t a better way to describe the round balls of Octopus. Often seen at Izakayas, I leapt at the chance to try these during our Honolulu Izakaya excursion. I’m not sure why I keep ordering them. Often the taste of the octopus, which tends to be mild, gets lost in the batter, as was the case here. But it does make for beer and sake snacking.
I suppose the easy sell of getting Izakaya for my kid was that Udon was a likely showing of Udon on the menu. He had Udon for lunch and dinner that day. I abstained from trying it but he seemed please.
Usually it is Yellowtail or Salmon collars one finds at Izakaya restaurants. At Pau Hana Base, we chose Yellowtail. The meat just below the head is fatty but bone ridden, thus making it perfect for picking at with chopsticks. If you have never had it and love the taste of yellowtail or salmon, try it.
Really. Per this story from Honolulu Magazine, the hook at this Honolulu Izakaya restaurant is free cotton candy which you “make yourself”. Words fail me but TikTok doesn’t so see below for more clarification.
Much like Maragume Udon, I would come back to Pau Hana Base in a heartbeat. It was a great Izakaya whether we are talking the Honolulu Izakaya scene or anywhere else. Affordable and had the late night Tokyo Izakaya vibes, what’s not to love?
@alikhaneats Honolulu Izakaya We stumbled upon a Izakaya in an alley in Waikiki our first night in Honolulu. All the Japanese bar food classics were here like Karage, Udon and Okonomiyaki. Pau Hana Base was the name and cheap eats was the game. Very affordable, the beer was nice and cold and they have a DIY cotton candy machine. Full post on my blog alikhaneats.com/blog #alikhaneats #izakaya #japanesefood #honolulu #hawaii #honoluluizakaya #pauhanabase #cheapeats #cheapeatshawaii
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