Morio’s Sushi Bistro.

12月13日

Most of you have been or at least heard of that little shop in Waikiki that by day, goes as a health food store and by night the infamous Morio’s Sushi Bistro. In a move that “scared” everyone, Morio shut his doors not too long ago before rumor spread that he was opening a new location somewhere in town…whew!

Well it’s true, he finally opened up again the other month on King Street next to Jack-in-a-Box between Pensacola and Piikoi Street.  Known for his generous servings, reasonable prices and the fact that he doesn’t shy away from drinking with you, Chef Morio has created a following almost occult.  It’s rare to see his restaurant empty, granted the new location can only seat 19 people (5 of those 19 might be able to squeeze in at the bar).  If you’re going to head over without a reservation, good luck. The wait could be futile unless you get lucky….you’re better off calling in to make a reservation.  And if you’re going to call in for a reservation, call it in at least a week’s advance.  2 weeks for the weekends.  It’s definitely worth the wait and the experience if you haven’t already tried it or know what I’m referring too.  “It’s not just dinner, it’s a dining experience,” said NonStop Honolulu food blogger Melissa Chang. Couldn’t agree with her more.  Read her write up on Morio’s here.

Right when they open is probably one of the few times you'll see Morio's this empty.

My last visit this past weekend wasn’t as “wild” as my other experiences at the older Waikiki shop.  Maybe it’s because I was there for a 6:30 dinner when the crowd is a bit more…tame?  I’ve gone a few times to the old place in Waikiki on the later side where everyone at the bar rags on each other and takes down their alcohol as if they were only there to drink…..and chef included haha, in a good way of course!  Did I mention it’s BYOB?

We started off with a couple of complimentary appetizers.

The salad was plain and simple but the dressing was really tasty! It's ponzu based w/ a little spice.

This had some kind of smoked chicken, egg roll, broccoli and Vienna sausage. Actually tasted pretty good!

Agedashi Tofu, $5.75 and well worth it. The oil was light, the ponzu was flavorful.

Tori Karaage, $5.75. Oishikatta!

Tekka Maki, $5.50. One of the few places that I see more fish then rice in the rolls.

Spicy Tuna roll, $6.50. It's funny because my party and myself all agreed that hey, the sushi may not be the prettiest you'll find out there but it's the taste that matters and everything was delicious.

Garlic chicken, $5.75. Damn this was good. I wish Melissa Chang included this place during our NonStop Honolulu journey for the best garlic chicken.

Salmon nigiri, $7.25. Hamachi nigiri, $8.25. The best thing is that they come as 3 per order. The fish overshadows the rice...big time. In fact, don't blink when you eat them, you might miss the rice cause there's so much fish!

California roll, $5.75. Didn't taste it since there were so much better things to eat but I understand it was good and the crab was not of the imitation variety 🙂

Unagi nigiri, $7.25. The pieces were meaty and the sauce had a nice tang to it. I'd eat this all night if the other stuff wasn't so good.

Ahi tempura, with a few veggies. $6.95. Look at the batter...it's light and evidence of being fried correctly in hot oil. Didn't get to try this but I was told it was really good.

Ahi kama (collar), $0.00. Given to us by Morio after we gave him a 22oz. Sapporo 😀 This item is not on the menu. He gave us 2 of them!

Hotate nigiri (scallop), $8.75 for an order of 2 but Morio generously gave us 3 since our table had 3. The meat was plump and it tasted so fresh and crisp. Some of the best Hotate I've ever had, rivaling even eateries in Japan.

Omakase nigiri (16-piece), $35.00. My mom and her husband ordered this and the rest of us weren't allowed to touch it lol. But as you can see, it tasted as good as it looked according to them.

The oysters in the Omakase nigiri looked so good we had to order a couple for ourselves. It was chilled perfectly with the right amount of ponzu and spice. It was so fresh there wasn't any fishy after taste that you get with bad oysters. This would have been good for those who aren't fond or scared of eating oysters. I don't even know what the cost was for this because it's not on the menu.

Highly recommend you check this place out. There are even a few off-menu items you may be surprised with. Aside from the oysters, I even saw them serving some lobster sashimi on the Sashimi Omakaze.  The last time I was at the Waikiki shop Morio gave us some curry and rice to go down with our drinks. Make sure you come here with an empty stomach because you’re definitely gonna leave full.  The prices are so reasonable that if I remember correctly I paid about $36 for everything I ate and that includes being generous with the tip. We probably would have gotten away with paying just $30/person with tip.

Morio’s Sushi Bistro
1160-A King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 741-5121, reservations recommended.
http://www.morios.com/