Pearl City, HI — Zippy's (Pearl City Sushi)

Zippy's (Pearl City Sushi) 806 Kamehameha Highway Pearl City, HI

808.453.715 website map

Hawaii, 148 sushi restaurant reviews in 41 states, on my way to 50. I am in Hawaii this week for work and on Monday a colleague took me out to one of his favorite sushi places — Zippy's in Pearl City. Zippy's is a chain of Hawaiian restaurants that my colleague described as being like a Hawaiian Denny's only better. Zippy's specializes in local food and the Pearl City restaurant has a bakery and a sushi bar.

When we arrived we sat down at the sushi bar. We were given as appetizers turnips and clams in an almost watery sauce, very tasty. As well as a mixture of salmon with skin and onions in a vinegar mixture. I love salmon skin so Zippy's had me at hello!

Zippy's is not like the mainland sushi places that I visit. On the mainland, even in the best sushi restaurants, the selection is typically limited. I ordered salmon, toro (tuna belly), mirugai (giant clam) and white tuna. They also had some really good looking uni (sea urchin). In a mainland sushi restaurant I am usually pleased if I find one of: toro, mirugai, white tuna or uni. Here in Hawaii, surrounded by ocean, with a large Japanese population, these items seemed commonplace on the menu.

The sushi chefs were helpful and the service was very good. I was even able to ask for little dish of pickled daikon a form of Japanese radish (we called it daigu on Guam). I don't think I even looked at the menu, we just sat at the bar and ordered what looked good and everything looked good.

Zippy's is nothing special, not fancy in any way — just great sushi.

Zippy's (Pearl City Sushi) 5 rice bowls