It's a restaurant where they feel most comfortable and where they can pack away as much food as they want, according to Davin.

Although they have yet to firm up their plans for Valentine's Day, Davin said he's pretty sure they'll return to Hanaki.

They're not alone. Restaurant manager Mark Mitsuyoshi said they get a lot of regulars like the Iyamatsus.

This includes a woman from Kauai who would frequent Hanaki whenever she was in town.

"But now she moved back to Oahu," Mitsuyoshi said. "So now she comes twice as often."

Regardless of occasion, the Iyamatsus and other Island residents share one common opinion: They love the food here, from the assorted sushi to the shrimp and vegetable tempura to the prime rib on weekends.

Defying the odds that a Japanese-style restaurant could survive in the world of buffets, Hanaki has proven those skeptics and pessimists wrong.

"Even though we're a buffet, our food is always fresh," said Mitsuyoshi. "We constantly replenish the items throughout lunch and dinner."

For the Iyamatsus, one of the major draws to Hanaki's is the vegetable and shrimp tempura.

Always crispy and hot from the deep-fryer, the shrimp and vegetable tempura offer enough crunch without that oil-saturated taste.

On Saturday and Sunday nights, the buffet showcases such bounty as crablegs, misoyaki butterfish, baked salmon fillet, fried oysters, garlic shrimp karaage and scallop cups.

"But we also have kal bi shortribs," Mitsuyoshi said. "We offer this and the prime rib for non-seafood eaters."

For Valentine's Day, the chefs will roll out their weekend seafood-and-prime-rib buffet, as opposed to their regular Monday night buffet. Cost is $26.95.

The Valentine's Day lunch buffet — which will include crablegs and a better selection of sushi — will be priced at $17.95.

"Even though reservations are not required, we always recommend people make them, especially on such special occasions as Valentine's Day," Mitsuyoshi said.