Sushi Murayama

If you expect a Japanese dinner with large portion and some fresh fish, this is a good place to be in. Just don’t expect a proper Omakase experience. The flavour is sometimes too strong and overwhelmed, cutting of the fish are also somehow random. However, most of the seafood from Japan is with good quality. Chef is very nice and friendly. It’s a nice meal, just put aside the “Omakase” hat. It’s 180@, slightly surprised when the dessert are charged at 8.5-9.5 each. As the chef talks about the options as if they are inclusive in the overall price. Including tips, added up the total to around 250 per head. Is it good value in a Honolulu standard? I think we could find better options!

We visited this restaurant just over a week ago, and this review took us a while to write, solely due to the fact that our experience was absolutely ineffable. Sushi Murayama truly is a hidden gem in the sense that this piece of heaven was definitely disguised. When we walked through the door, Chef Ryugi’s daughter informed us that they were only doing omakase for that dinner service. We happily joined, and luckily there was an opening for us. Chef Ryugi Murayama guided us through a flavor journey like no other. From extremely fresh ingredients straight from Japan, to a bite that reflected a dish from his childhood, Chef Ryugi wowed us in over a million ways. He also had a true master of tempura on his team. The most perfect tempura we have ever consumed. Every ingredient was incorporated masterfully, and every dish had true passion poured into it. White bait, monkfish liver. Each and every bite was amazing. The fish could not have been more fresh if we had pulled it out of the ocean ourselves. Not only was our omakase experience truly astonishing, but this restaurant hosted two of our favorite bites on the island, honestly two of our favorite bites we have ever had. The house-made ginger was so divine that we now want to start shipping barrels of it to the mainland. The black sesame ice cream was not only the best ice cream we have ever had, but one of the best desserts we have ever been honored to put our mouths on. The sesame butter was so mouth-watering and delicious that we wish it was sold by the boat loads. We came back just before we left the island, on a mission to get more ginger and black sesame ice cream. Overall, Chef Ryugi and his team worked together flawlessly to provide us with an experience like no other. After being completely burned by two other omakases in a row, we were absolutely blessed by Sushi Murayama’s omakase, as well as this team’s utter skill and hospitality. We will make a trip back to the island specifically to revisit Sushi Murayama. We are so thankful for our experience. すごい!!!

Once in a lifetime experience that feels like you could come every day. Chef really shines with his Omakase menu and personal wit. Loved discussing the fish, the prep, and your story with you tonight while out at Murayama. Paired perfectly with our sake I could not have asked for a better feel good experience while indulging in some top shelf sushi. Well done!

I've eaten a lot of sushi in my life, but I think that the best I've had so far has been here. We got the omakase and I was impressed by the innovative seasonings (marinated ikura on the salmon, miso brushed maguro) and unique cuts of fish that we were served (never had black perch before, never had salt broiled unagi). The folks in the kitchen are very dedicated to their craft, and there was no course in the 16 course menu that I felt was superfluous. The tempura was amazing. The beef was amazing. The torched sea bream with uni rice at the end made me want to cry when I got to the last bite because I didn't want it to be over. Even the rice they serve in the nigiri was tastier than any other sushi rice I've had before, and the secret to understanding good sushi is knowing that the rice is just as important as the fish. It was such a pleasure to dine here. Our sushi was prepared by Jake, the sous chef, and he was very informative, kind, and entertaining. We will definitely be coming back the next time we are in Oahu.