Mamaya

Situated in Pearl Kai Shopping Center, Mamaya is your one-stop-shop for a quick lunch on the go. Specializing in freshly made bentos, Mamaya prides itself on convenience and customization, as it continues its tradition of offering tasty, local Japanese fare with freshly packed meals, such as Miso Butterfish Bento. Patrons also have the opportunity to personalize their bentos by taking advantage of Mamaya’s impressive deli station, which caters to specific tastes.

The meal is packed in a bento box, which consists of specific compartments for every item in the bento. In one compartment is the bento’s main star, a 4-ounce piece of perfectly broiled miso butterfish that’s marinated for 48 hours before it’s slow-cooked in the oven and finished off in the salamander. The beautiful fish is accompanied by a morsel of mochiko chicken on a bed of lettuce and cabbage.

Miso butterfish, one of Hawaii’s local favorites, brings a spark to Mamaya. According to Kobayashi, the management team created an original marinade for the butterfish, which took months of tasting and adjusting to achieve the end result.

“This is by far Mamaya’s best-selling item. For the volume, price and taste, I don’t think you will find any other that comes close. Our mission is to provide customers with delicious and consistent food at very reasonable prices. We strive to be better everyday,” says manager Dan Kobayashi.

What’s a bento without rice? It’s a bento basic, after all. Have your choice of multi-grain or white rice topped with ume (sour plum). Mamaya’s homemade kinpira gobo (burdock), Japanese pickles, yakisoba, atsuyaki tamago and seasoned broccoli also mean business. “All the ingredients in our bentos are made to complement the main ingredient (butterfish),” says Kobayashi. “We also put effort in the presentation of our bento, so that it’s eye-catching, as well as being full of flavor.”

Mamaya

Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Hwy., A-7B, Aiea
492-1863
Daily, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.