- Showcasing Japanese Food, Culture and Hospitality in Center of Pacific -

Waikiki Yokocho, a Japanese-themed food alley in the center of Waikiki, announced that the openings of its five newest restaurants completed its first phase with 14 restaurants. All of the first-phase restaurants chose Waikiki Yokocho to be their first locations in the State of Hawaii while 11 of them are new to the U.S. market.

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The five new restaurants are:

- Tsujita, voted for Best Ramen Award in Los Angels for consecutive years, known for its tsukemen style. New to Hawaii.

- Ramen Bario is known for its creamy "tonkotsu" pork bone broth, unique thick al dente noodle, and char siu roast pork. New to USA.

- Baikohken from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, was listed in Michelin Hokkaido 2012 for its authentic shoyu ramen. New to USA.

- Kaneko Hannosuke's world-famous tempura bowls will be highlighting its fresh, authentic, made-to-order tempura. New to Hawaii.

- Nin Nin showcases its Japanese-style curry and popular soup curry, using imported Japanese rice and multigrain mix. New to USA.

"With these new five restaurants, Waikiki Yokocho completed its first-phase openings of 14 restaurants that are all new for this State of Hawaii. We are proud that most of these well-known brands chose Waikiki Yokocho to be their first locations in this country," said Waikiki Yokocho CEO Frank Clark. "All these fantastic 14 restaurants are showcasing not only their quality food but also Japanese-style detailed hospitality called 'Omotenashi' as Japanese culinary experience. I strongly believe that guests from all over the world will enjoy this unique experience together with the local community in Hawaii."

Other nine restaurants include:

- Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen (volcano ramen), known for its sizzling hot pot ramen with steam charging out of a red metal funnel -- just like a volcano. New to USA.

- Nana's Green Tea is a modern-day Japanese tea house popular in Asia with green tea matcha parfait, green latte, and a wide selection of hojicha, Japanese dark roast green tea. New to USA.

- Sizzle from Osaka offers Japanese yakiniku-style barbeque and hot pot including sake shabu shabu using the finest Japanese wagyu beef and U.S. beef. New to USA.

- Kushikatsu Tanaka serves Osaka's soul food kushikatsu, a variety of deep-fried cutlet skewers with panko crust. Its 26-variety kushikatsu menu includes pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, pineapple, Oreo cookies, and more. New to Hawaii.

- Umami Teppan Kingyo's food look like a work of art. Using a flat iron grill, dishes are created to both taste and look amazing. Together with teppanyaki meat and seafood, guests will enjoy okonomiyaki, popular Japanese-style pancake. New to USA.

- Beniya's authentic sushi is made from an award-winning chef's creativity and fresh local and imported seafood. Its daily chef's special Omakase course features seafood from Hawaii's ports, fishing ports from Japan, and all over the world. New to USA.

- Pour is a lounge space perfect for special events and parties. Food and beverages can be catered to the lounge from Yokocho restaurants. New to USA.

- Shichimusubi features Japanese authentic rice ball, or musubi, with organic rice imported from Japan. Together with brown rice and ancient multigrain mix, guests will enjoy real rice quality in Japan. New to USA.

- Nomu is a stylish bar featuring well crafted original cocktails, whiskies, and selections of beer and wine.

For more information, visit Waikiki Yokocho online at www.waikiki-yokocho.com. Also follow Waikiki Yokocho on Facebook at www.facebook.com/waikikiyokocho, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/waikikiyokocho and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/waikikiyokocho.

About Waikiki Yokocho

Based on the dining alleys popular in Japan, Waikiki Yokocho is a gourmet dining alley featuring a selection of 16 first-in-Hawaii eateries. Located in the basement of Waikiki Shopping Plaza, the 23,000-square-foot space is sectioned into three distinct areas -- Ramen Road, Noren Street, and Engawa Terrace. Waikiki Yokocho opened in December 2016. For more information, visit www.waikiki-yokocho.com.