Synchronicity Delivers Exquisite Dining at Sansei Sushi & DK Steakhouse in Waikiki

The friendly staff at Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar will welcome you for a memorable dining experience

One of the things I love about my Hawaii life is the huge selection of restaurants and food we have to choose from. We’re in the middle of the Pacific ocean, so we have a merging of culinary delights from East and West plus a melting pot of many different cultures who are residents of this beautiful place, and we all come together to form the Hawaii food scene. One of my favorite Kama’aina restaurants is a unique partnership of Sansei Seafood and Sushi Restaurant and DK Steakhouse — for short, also known as Sansei Seafood and Steakhouse located in the Marriott Waikiki Resort just a block away from several real estate listings that I’ve had and currently have at Ohua Avenue in Waikiki.

Favorites on the menu- DK’s Crab Ramen with Asian Truffle Broth, Panko-crusted Fresh Ahi Sashimi, and Sansei’s Mango Crab Salad Handroll

Sansei is owned by Chef DK Kodama and has a management team lead by Ivy Nagayama Shishido, who is well connected in the Hawaii restaurant world because of her many years as a Wonder Woman restaurant executive. They’ve been in Waikiki at the Marriott now for many years, and they are one of the few who have successfully marketed themselves and have become a favorite to both Kama’aina and visitors alike. One of the favorite things that draws Kamaaina in is the Early Bird Special at 5:30pm on Sunday and Mondays, where you get 50% off the food menu and special drink prices at Sansei when you order by 6:00pm. It’s an astounding value given the high quality of the sushi and food menu. They also have a late-night menu after 10:00am on certain nights with the ever-popular Karaoke night.

Sansei’s favorite Granny Smith Apple Tart with Warm Caramel, Vanilla ice cream

What makes this place so unique is the duo of Sansei and DK Steakhouse, sister restaurants, located adjacent to each other in the same location and sharing the same kitchen, so you can be seated in the DK Steakhouse dining room, and still have the convenience of ordering also from the sushi menu at Sansei restaurant. DK Steakhouse has become one of the most popular steak houses with Kama’aina, and they are the only steak house in Hawaii that makes their own dry-aged steaks in-house, a technique that brings out the most enhanced flavor of the steaks and assures the most tender cut of meat that just melts in your mouth.

30-Day Dry-Aged Boneless Rib Eye with Rosemary jus, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Bone Marrow butter

One of the memorable experiences they are creating at DK is having special wine dinner events with exquisite winemakers from around the world. I recently attended a special wine dinner that welcomed a German winemaker from Reichsrat von Buhl Winery. Food was exquisitely prepared by DK and Sansei Chefs and paired well with world-renowned wines from a special region in Germany. It was quite a sophisticated culinary experience but presented with the understated humble approach that DK and Sansei are known for. I think that’s why Kama’aina and visitors love this place so much — boasting isn’t necessary when word of mouth for good food and excellent service continue to bring in local residents and visitors year after year.

All said and done about the excellent food and drinks, one of the reasons people come back again and again is they are treated like family by the warm and friendly staff that know how to deliver an exceptional dining experience and make every guest feel personally welcomed.

For more information about DK Steakhouse and Sansei Seafood and Sushi Bar,  or to book your reservations to my two favorite restaurants, call (808) 931-6286 for Sansei and (808)931-6280 for DK Steakhouse.

Rose Medina Kemna is a Realtor at Hawaii Life in Honolulu. She loves writing about Real Estate and lifestyle experiences in Hawaii with a focus on the Island of Oahu. For questions or more information on buying or selling real estate in Hawaii, reach out to her at rosemkemna@hawaiilife.com or (808)497-7673.