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Serving up meals made with love

A La Carte

September 18, 2022

Story By: Averie Soto | Photos by: LAWRENCE TABUDLO

Oyako Donburi ($13.25)

Leonard “Trey” Paresa has been working at Sekiya’s Restaurant & Delicatessen for seven years, and as the chef and restaurant manager, he knows that fresh food and family fun are the heart of this culinary operation.

“What we want people to experience here at Sekiya’s is a feeling of comfort and nostalgia,” he says. “We’ve been using the same recipes since the beginning, and people from all over have grown up with our taste and flavors. It’s no-frills, just good old-fashioned food.”

Marinated Fried Chicken ($15.15)

One of Oahu’s few remaining old-time eateries, Sekiya’s Restaurant & Delicatessen features savory Japanese dishes made from scratch, including the house specialty Oyako Donburi ($13.25), Marinated Fried Chicken ($15.15) and, chef Paresa’s personal favorite, Nabeyaki Udon ($16.35). The donburi features long rice, chicken, mushroom and onion cooked in dashi served over rice with an egg, while the udon contains chicken, udon noodles, shiitake mushrooms, watercress, kamaboko, and makina served with a poached egg and shrimp tempura.

Sweets are also a staple of the restaurant and include abekawa mochi ($7.85), which is two slices of mochi served on a bed of kinako, and many flavors of ice cream everyone can enjoy.

“To see our customers coming back day after day, year after year, and them bringing in their kids, it’s a satisfying experience,” Paresa says.

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