I’m always on the lookout for great lunch deals since it’s hard to be out and about after 7 p.m. with a toddler in tow. I like places that give hearty helpings without skimping on quality or service, and Japanese-style yakiniku joint Han no Daidokoro did not disappoint.
There were higher-end specials, like the washu and Miyazaki tenderloin set ($68), as well as more reasonably priced ones like the washu kalbi lunch set ($25). All lunch sets come with kimchi, an appetizer (a silky, flavorful tamago tofu during our visit), salad, miso soup and rice. The Miyazaki tenderloin was melt-in-your-mouth good, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the washu kalbi. It wasn’t too sweet or overpowering, but just enough to elevate the beef’s flavor.
The yakinku sets were served with Han no Daidokoro’s house dipping sauce — sweet shoyu with lemon, ginger honey and sake — that balanced the beef’s savory richness. I normally don’t indulge in dipping sauces, but I sopped this one up.
Thinking the lunch sets wouldn’t be filling, we also ordered an a la carte bibimbap ($13) and a seared Miyazaki beef raw meat sushi ($12 per piece). We were mistaken. We were so full after the lunch sets. Our daughter ended up eating most of the bibimbap, including the sprouts and kimchi because she liked the flavor so much, and we still took home leftovers.
If raw beef sushi isn’t your thing, I get it. But if you’re feeling adventurous, I think you’ll enjoy the rich, tender texture and buttery mouthfeel.
Even though we were stuffed by the end of our meal, I was craving something sweet. Han no Daidokoro has a yuzu sorbet ($7) that’s perfect for post-yakiniku bliss. It’s light and refreshing — the perfect palate cleanser. My eyes also landed on the mascarpone ice cream ($7), which came highly recommended by our server, who said it paired well with the restaurant’s after-dinner corn tea.
“It sounds weird,” he said. “But trust me, it’s good.”
He was 100% correct. The richness of the creamy ice cream was enhanced by the tea’s nutty, earthy flavor. It was an indulgent, yet soothing, way to end our meal and was the pièce de résistance in my eyes.
Han no Daidokoro
Address
1108 Auahi St. No. 150, Honolulu
Phone
808-517-3229
Hours
11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. lunch (last seating at 2 p.m.)
5-10 p.m. dinner
(last seating at 9 p.m.)
Website
hannodaidokoro.com
Food: 4/5
Drinks n/a
Price: $25-$70 for lunch per person
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Parking: self-park at Anaha or any Ward Village lot
Nicole Monton is the managing editor of Crave and contributing editor for Kaka‘ako VERT magazine. Follow her on social media (@nicmonton).
