Downtown Has a New Made-to-Order Musubi Shop

Photo: Gregg Hoshida

My earliest recollection of eating a musubi was at my grandmother’s house in Kalihi on Christmas Day. As a toddler, I liked helping out in the kitchen, weaving between everyone’s legs as my mom and aunties prepared dishes for the holiday table. I watched in fascination as Grandma made ume-filled musubi one after another, her wrinkled hands forming each one to the same size and shape. As a reward for “helping,” I always got a tiny plain musubi. I loved the saltiness as the warm rice released its fluffy secrets with each bite. It’s this nostalgia that envelops me at the recently opened Onigiri Onibe, a Fukuoka chain focusing on premium rice and toppings.

SEE ALSO: Gohan Is Honolulu’s First Craft Musubi Bar, and It Just Opened in Makiki 

In the former Ma‘Ona Musubi space on Alakea Street near the intersection with King, Onigiri Onibe offers 45 versions of rice balls as well as some grab-and-go musubi, bento and side dishes. Musubi prices range from $2.50 for a plain salted one to $6 for ikura or snow crab. In between are vegetarian choices, including shiso kombu, ume hijiki and spicy takana mayo. Standards include teriyaki Spam, shrimp tempura and salmon mayo; more esoteric varieties are carbonara and squid kim chee.

Photo: Gregg Hoshida

What makes this place special is undoubtedly the rice. Brought to perfection in a double-lidded donabe clay pot, this is not your home-cooked Calrose. Each grain comes out of the orange pot shiny and just a little sweet. Shaped lightly by hand, the rice balls are fluffy, just barely holding their triangular shape. Fillings are not stuffed inside but patted onto the front. Nori sheets come on the side to preserve crispness.

Photo: Gregg Hoshida

I recommend ordering a plain salted one to enjoy the rice by itself. For maximum nori efficiency, my tip is to blanket the nori over the musubi, flip the whole thing upside-down into your palm, then fold as desired and luxuriate in the fluffy, savory, soul-satisfying morsels.

Photo: Gregg Hoshida

Having visited a couple of times, I’m already a big fan of the kakuni (braised pork belly, $3.25) and the mentaiko mayo onigiri (also $3.25). I mean, how do you not buy a Fukuoka musubi without mentaiko on it? Both were oishii and balanced. Close behind is the shrimp crab mayo ($3.25). For me, the beef miso ($3.25) is a tad too sweet, and the shoyu-infused egg yolk ($3.25) needs more seasoning.

SEE ALSO: Ultimate Guide to O‘ahu’s Best Musubi Shops

Excited musubi fans overwhelmed the small shop in its first few weeks, with social media posts reporting waits of up to 50 minutes. Last week, there was a sign advising that average wait times after placing an order were 15 minutes for made-to-order musubi, longer for larger orders and those with sides such as miso soup. I also notice longer waits for toppings that are fried to order, such as the shrimp tempura. Around 11 a.m., my wait times have been 5 to 6 minutes after payment. I look forward to checking off the different varieties—and revisiting the memory of Grandma’s gentle hands shaping a tiny musubi just for me.

Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (soft opening), 921 Alakea St., @onigiri_onibee_hawaii

Gregg Hoshida is a regular contributor to Frolic Hawai‘i.