Hifumi

Hifumi Restaurant (Chinese Cultural Plaza, 100 North Beretania Street Suite 113
Telephone: 808.536.3035) used to be a small, little hole-in-the-wall in Kalihi with an line waiting to dine inside. Now, after a move to Chinatown, Hifumi is a big hole in the wall in the Chinese Cultural Center with plenty of open tables. Under the new ownership, food can be anywhere from OK, to good, to really great. It just depends on what you order.

With that in mind, we offer the following advice- just get tempura. Don't waste your time with the combinations or specials. Just get the tempura. Make sure you get the "Giant Shrimp Tempura." It's about $12. Bring your own beer, too. These are the things you need to remember.

BYOB is always good, right?

Giant Shrimp Tempura is what they are known for. The panko bread crumbs make the tempura look and taste very crunchy. Check out the giant forearm size of this shrimp tempura.

Here's a Hifumi Chicken Teriyaki-Shrimp Tempura-Sashimi combination. Retails for $18.75. On the far right is the sashimi- I've never found the sashimi to be fresh-tasting here. The chicken teri was okay.