Lasting eatery serves ‘off the hook’ bites

Seafood Shabu Shabu shown with miso and spicy broths and an assortment of seafood (available for dinner buffet)
PHOTO BY JEDI CONSILLIO

Toru Makino’s seafood buffet was one of the first in the country when he first opened its doors — and 35 years later, Makino Waikiki’s all-you-can-eat buffet still holds strong to this day.

What’s more, the eatery is offering a special on its always-affordable prices until the end of May, with $28.98 entry, down from $36.98. Kamaaina prices are always $26.98 for dinner, and a mere $11.98 for lunch.

Russian Red Crab and Canadian Snow Crab (available for dinner buffet)

While many of his competitors got out of the seafood buffet business because of the rising cost of seafood, Makino still offers an array of Canadian snow crab, Russian red crab, seafood shabu shabu, sushi, poke and more for its dinner buffet. Every table features a shabu shabu hot pot for personalized cooking, outfitted with two different broth options.

Makino stocks the buffet with raw seafood favorites such as asari clams, mussels, shrimp, Hawaiian mahi-mahi, opah and King salmon, all to be cooked in a boiling hot pot. Additionally, the buffet features all the land favorites — pork spare ribs, beef and gyoza, to name a few.

Beef Steak (available for dinner buffet)

There’s even a full teppanyaki grill, where food is cooked to order. “Nobody can come here and try everything,” Makino says. “It’s like Disneyland — you have to go a few times to see it all!” Still, there are some favorites that customers keep going back for. “We go through 1,000 shrimp tempura a day,” Makino says. “It’s everyone’s favorite.”

Makino Waikiki can accommodate big appetites, and even bigger parties. Its spacious accommodations can seat up to 400, and frequently the restaurant hosts graduation parties of 150-250 people. During Makino Waikiki’s spring special, parties are more affordable than ever.