Restaurant in Honolulu, United States
Dinner-only yakitori that earns its ranking.
Yakitori Ando is Honolulu's only OAD-ranked yakitori counter, earning a spot on the Top Restaurants in North America list in both 2024 and 2025. Chef Takashi Ando runs a focused dinner-only progression through skewers at 1215 Center St, Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday. Booking is currently easy — that will not last.
Yakitori Ando is one of the few places in Hawaii where the format itself is the point. Chef Takashi Ando runs a dinner-only operation at 1215 Center St — Tuesday through Sunday, 6–10 pm, closed Wednesdays , and the Opinionated About Dining recognition (ranked among the leading restaurants in North America in both 2024 and 2025) tells you this is not a casual grill. Price range is not published, but yakitori at this level of recognition typically runs $80–$150 per person depending on how far you push through the menu. Come with that expectation and you will not feel blindsided.
The room at Yakitori Ando runs with the focused, low-key energy that defines good yakitori in Japan. This is not the kind of place where the noise competes with the food. Expect a composed atmosphere , counter seating that keeps you close to the action, minimal distraction, and a pace set by the kitchen rather than by you. If you are coming from a louder, more theatrical dining experience, the restraint here might take a moment to settle into, but it is the right call for a format where the quality of individual skewers is the conversation.
The tasting experience at Yakitori Ando is structured around progression. Yakitori done at this level is not a plate of chicken , it is a sequence: different cuts, different preparations, different textures moving from lighter to richer. Expect the menu to move through breast, thigh, skin, and offal cuts in a considered order, with salt and tare versions pointing you toward what each piece does leading. This arc is what separates a counter like Ando from a neighborhood grill. The OAD ranking confirms that the kitchen is executing this progression at a level that holds up against mainland competition , a meaningful credential when you consider venues like Torisaki in Kyoto or Torisho Ishii in Osaka that define the genre's benchmark.
For context on where Yakitori Ando sits in the wider tasting-counter category: this is the kind of format that shares DNA with counter-driven progression dining at places like Lazy Bear in San Francisco or Smyth in Chicago , restaurants where the sequence is deliberate and the guest surrenders to the kitchen's pacing. It is a more focused, less expensive version of that contract, and it works precisely because the format is tight. You are not choosing from a broad menu; you are trusting the progression.
Booking is currently easy , this is the window to go. The Google rating sits at 4.7 across 90 reviews, which is a strong signal for a venue with a small footprint. It will not stay easy to book if the 2025 OAD ranking generates the attention it deserves. Book directly and book now.
Yakitori Ando is open Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday, 6–10 pm. Wednesday is the weekly close. No website or phone number is currently listed publicly , check reservation platforms directly. If you are building a Honolulu itinerary around serious eating, this should anchor your dinner calendar. Browse our full Honolulu restaurants guide, our full Honolulu bars guide, and our full Honolulu hotels guide to build around it. For other strong Honolulu options, consider Fête for New American, Bar Maze for cocktail-omakase, or Fujiyama Texas for a looser Japanese format. For something outside the city, Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp is worth the drive if you want a complete contrast. Arancino at The Kahala covers the Italian end of the Honolulu dining spectrum.
| Detail | Yakitori Ando | Bar Maze | Miro Kaimuki |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | Yakitori | Cocktail Bar-Omakase | French-Japanese |
| Open | Tue, Thu–Sun, 6–10 pm | Evenings | Evenings |
| Booking Difficulty | Easy (book now) | Moderate | Moderate |
| Price Signal | ~$80–150/head est. | Premium | Premium |
| Format | Counter / tasting progression | Counter / omakase | À la carte / tasting |
| OAD Ranked | Yes (2024 & 2025) | , | , |
For Japanese food with similar counter intimacy, Sushi Izakaya Gaku is the closest in format , izakaya rather than yakitori, but counter-driven and focused. Zigu covers Japanese cuisine in a slightly more casual register. If you want a French-Japanese hybrid with a similarly progressive approach, Miro Kaimuki is the strongest comparison. For a full departure into New American, Fête is the city's standout in that category. None of them replicate the yakitori format specifically , Yakitori Ando is the only OAD-ranked yakitori counter in Honolulu.
Specific menu items are not publicly listed, but at an OAD-ranked yakitori counter at this level, the right call is to follow the full progression rather than ordering selectively. The kitchen's arc through different cuts is the point , asking to skip offal or requesting only breast cuts undermines what makes this format worth the visit. Trust the sequence. If you have strong preferences, communicate them when booking, not at the counter.
No specific dietary information is published. Yakitori is a chicken-focused format by definition, which makes it a poor fit for vegetarians or anyone avoiding poultry. Shellfish and red meat are not the focus. If dietary restrictions are a concern, contact the venue directly before booking , no phone or website is currently listed publicly, so reaching out via reservation platform is the practical route.
Yes , the counter format is purpose-built for solo diners. Yakitori in Japan is traditionally a counter experience, and solo guests often get the most from it: direct sight lines to the grill, natural pacing with the kitchen, and no need to negotiate the menu with a table. Honolulu's dining scene skews toward group formats, so a focused counter like this is one of the better solo options in the city. Solo diners at the counter will likely find this more engaging than a table for one at a place like Fête.
Yakitori Ando is dinner-only , 6–10 pm Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday. There is no lunch service. Dinner early in the week (Tuesday or Thursday) is likely the most relaxed timing given lower overall foot traffic. Friday and Saturday evenings will feel livelier. Come at opening if you prefer a quieter, more focused experience; later in the evening the room will be fuller and the energy will shift accordingly.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakitori Ando | Easy | — | |
| Fête | Unknown | — | |
| Liliha Bakery | Unknown | — | |
| Sushi Izakaya Gaku | Unknown | — | |
| Miro Kaimuki | Unknown | — | |
| Zigu | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Miro Kaimuki is the closest in terms of serious, chef-driven cooking and a comparable commitment to format. Sushi Izakaya Gaku works if you want Japanese cuisine with more menu flexibility. Zigu is a stronger pick for wine-focused dinners. Fête suits groups who want a looser, share-plates atmosphere. Liliha Bakery is a different category entirely — casual, all-day, local institution — not a dinner replacement.
Yakitori Ando runs a yakitori format, so the skewers are the entire point — not a section of the menu. Chef Takashi Ando's OAD Top Restaurants ranking in both 2024 and 2025 suggests the kitchen is consistent rather than coasting. Follow the chef's progression rather than picking individual items; this is a counter where trusting the format pays off.
Yakitori is a grill-focused format built around chicken and occasionally other proteins, which makes plant-based or allergen-heavy restrictions genuinely difficult to accommodate. check the venue's official channels before booking if you have specific needs — the format has limited flexibility by design, and showing up with unannounced restrictions at a counter this focused rarely ends well.
Yes — a yakitori counter is one of the better solo dining formats in existence. You eat at the bar, the pacing is set by the kitchen, and there is no awkwardness around sharing. Yakitori Ando's dinner-only hours (6–10 pm, closed Wednesdays) make it a clean solo weeknight booking.
Dinner is the only option — Yakitori Ando operates exclusively from 6–10 pm and is closed Wednesdays. There is no lunch service to compare. Book a weeknight if you want the best chance at availability; Friday and Saturday slots are likely to fill fastest.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
