Maru Sushi
Up to tonight, Maru Sushi was the only one of the high-end omakase sushi restaurants in Honolulu that I yet to try. My usual go-to pick for sushi of this price point is Sushi Sho, but since I’ve been lucky to eat there a handful of times I decided it would be good to try something a little different.
Maru has much more of that “Japanese” Michelin-starred sushi feel. The interior decor and setup is reminiscent of my meals at Sushi Harasho (Osaka) and Matsumoto (Kyoto). The warm, inviting wood interior and small bar seating makes you feel like you’re sitting in Japan. And this should be no surprise since the chef and owner, Chef Takeshi Kawasaki, has his original Maru Sushi located in Hokkaido. A location which does hold a 1-Michelin star rating, although is not overseen by Chef Kawasaki’s son.
The price point at Maru Sushi is the same as Sushi Sho at $300 per person for the main set course. Additional plates of repeat pieces can be ordered at the end. The two repeats I got, Hokkaido uni and tilefish, were $20 per order.
Here is the omakase menu we had on our visit on June 28, 2022:
It’s clear to see why Chef Kawasaki’s Hokkaido restaurant has a Michelin star. The quality of ingredients and skilled preparation we enjoyed were on par with other 1-Michelin starred sushi restaurants we’ve been to both in Japan and in the mainland US. The entire meal is a carefully choreographed show. Maru Sushi only does two seatings per night at 5:00pm and 7:30pm.
So the question on everyone’s mind (at least on my Instagram) was how does Maru compared to Sushi Sho? You can’t go wrong with either option in terms of food quality, so for me it comes down to weighting preferences based on two particular criteria. For me, the atmosphere and more open seating space at Sushi Sho is preferable over Maru. Maru would probably be better if you had a party that took up an entire seating as the bar is smaller and due to Chef Kawasaki’s more interaction-heavy approach to service. In terms of price, both restaurants run the same cost. So, for me, Sushi Sho would win out in this category. Not only do you get a bit more food at Sushi Sho, but some of the techniques (such as aging fish in vinegar) are more varied.
One advantage Maru does have is that it was much easier to get through to them to make a reservation than at Sushi Sho. Maru still books out a few weeks in advance, but they just seem to be better about answering the phone and returning calls.
Honestly I’m splitting hairs because both restaurants offer Michelin class sushi. Honolulu should count itself lucky to have these two options in town.
Maru Sushi
1371 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96826
www.marusushihawaii.com
