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Nabe Knows No Boundaries at Ichiriki

Columns Ethnic Faves

July 15, 2012

Story By: Chris Fleck | Photos by: Chris Fleck

Miso Chanko Nabe ($11.95 lunch, $21.95 dinner, $13.95 after 9:30 p.m.)

Ichiriki owner Issei Kazama travels far and wide, seeking a plethora of ingredients to use in the restaurant’s many unique nabe, or Japanese-style hot pot dishes. A unique aspect of the nabe experience at Ichiriki is that instead of a metal pot, Ichiriki’s broths are boiled in a paper pot, which absorbs excess grease and oil from the cooking meat selections.

“We go to Japan, to a small town to get these paper pots. No one else serves it like that, it is unique to us,” says general manager Min Kim.

A growing nabe favorite is Ichiriki’s Miso Chanko Nabe ($11.95 for lunch, $21.95 for dinner and $13.95 after 9:30 p.m). A miso-based broth is the focal point with this dish, and it includes 16 different vegetable and meat items including cabbage, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, gobo, Berkshire pork, scallops, salmon and Ichiriki’s homemade Tsukune Meatballs.

“Here we have freshly made meatballs, which we make from scratch with pork, chicken, tofu and ginger,” adds Kim, who personally loves the rich flavor that Miso Chanko Nabe delivers.

“We go to Japan to harvest a lot of our ingredients because it is so high in quality, and then we blend them and make our own secret concoction.”

For those who like a punch of spice, Ichiriki’s Angry Goma Nabe brings the heat of habanero and jalapeno peppers to the broth. Ask for price, as this item is not on the menu.

Ichiriki

PIIKOI
510 Piikoi St. #102, Honolulu
589.2299
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

AIEA
98-150 Kaonohi St. #C216, Aiea
484.2222
Open daily, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (lunch)
Monday-Thursday, 4-11p.m. (dinner)
Friday-Saturday 4 p.m.-midnight (dinner)
Sunday, 4-10 p.m. (dinner)

Honolulu, HI 96814

Aiea, HI 96701

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