My 5 Favorite Ramen Shops

Everyone has a type of food they probably could never get tired of eating. Whether it would be ramen noodles or pasta noodles, noodles are the food I will never get tired of eating. It would also be the food I’d pick if I had to pick a meal to eat for the rest of my life. Ordinary people would probably consider the nutrients that are in foods, but I go for comfort foods.

Every since I can remember, I have always loved noodles, more than any other type of food out there. If there was the option to get noodles at a restaurant, I got the noodles. I have such an obsession with noodles. I’ll eat the cheap cup noodles that you can find almost anywhere, including gas stations.

There are also so many ways to cook noodles! Which is why I could probably never get tired of them. There’s pasta noodles, Asian fried noodles, noodles in soup, instant noodles, and many more. They are also made it all different shapes, sizes, and textures. No matter what style they are made, what ingredients they are made with, they are always delicious.

One day I’d love to learn how to make pasta noodles and ramen noodles. Until then, I’ll share a few of my favorite places to eat noodles, specifically ramen.

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish, and the word also translates into “pulled noodles.” It consists of some a broth made of pork, seafood, miso, or soy sauce with toppings like menma(bamboo shoots), nori, green onions, and sliced pork. Toppings and broth can vary.

I love a miso broth or tonkotsu broth for my ramen. My favorite toppings for ramen is parmesan cheese, ajitama egg, menma, and wood ear mushrooms. I know that the parmesan cheese sounds funky, but don’t judge me until you’ve tried it, it’s amazing, I promise.

Tonkotsu is a pork bone broth.
Ajitama egg is essentially a half-boiled seasoned egg for ramen. It is seasoned with sweet soy sauce. My favorite part about the ajitama egg is how the center is slightly runny and custard-like.
Menma is made from dried fermented bamboo shoots that are then rehydrated in dashi(broth), and they are slightly crunchy and delicious. My favorite part of menma is the textures and flavors.

#1 Wagaya

Wagaya is a ramen shop located in Honolulu, Hawai’i. It’s a simple, family-friendly place to eat. One thing I like about this place is that it is kid-friendly. I don’t have any kids or have brought any kids with me, but I’ve noticed that they have kids bowls and plates(tableware). The staff has always been friendly every time I have gone here.

My two absolute favorite dishes when I go here is the Corn Tempura and Garlic Tsukemen. I love the corn tempura because it reminds me of my childhood. When I was growing up, my great-grandma used to make this side dish called corn fritters, which is almost exactly like the tempura, it’s super simple and delicious and easy to make (as long as oil doesn’t scare you.

Tsukemen is translated into “dipping ramen,” it is a thicker chilled noodle served next to a bowl of soup or broth. I love the idea of being able to dip my noodles into my broth and having a thicker noodle to eat with the soup. The garlic tsukemen has a rich garlic broth that I absolutely love. It is also served with menma, fried garlic, and an ajitama egg.

#2 Golden Pork Tonkotsu Ramen Bar

Golden Pork is another ramen shop located in Honolulu, and it is well known for its rich pork broth. It’s one of my favorite places to go after a long day at work. I usually get their garlic tsukemen (I am sure by now we can see the trend every time tsukemen is available.) Their tsukemen is served with a piece of nori(seaweed), a slice of lime, wood ear mushrooms, a thin slice of pork and half an ajitama egg. I enjoy the broth they make because it is thick, fatty, and rich.

Note that parking isn’t the best at this location, when my friend and I go here, we usually park on the street. And sometimes the ramen can take some time to come out.

#3 Agu Ramen Bistro

First I’d like to mention that all of the local locations for Agu Ramen seems to have closed, I am not exactly sure what happened, but I can’t find any of the local sites anymore. I’ll keep it short and sweet since it seems all the locations here have closed.

I loved getting their parmesan cheese kotteri, which is made with their “extra-rich broth made with black garlic oil, garlic chips and rendered pork fat, parmesan cheese, and thin noodles.

#4 Manichi Ramen

Manichi is yet another ramen bar specializing in Tonkotsu pork-based ramen and is well known for its award-winning gyoza. It is located in Honolulu right outside of Ala Moana shopping center. I don’t have a specific favorite ramen when I come here. I enjoy all of their ramens because of the consistency of their food.

I have never been disappointed when I come here, so I’d recommend trying almost any of the dishes that they have. Two other dishes that are always a must to get when I go here is is their gyoza (plain or with cheese) and their seared wasabi charsiu.

#5 Hokkaido Santouka Ramen

Hokkaido Santouka is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and my favorite ramen to get there is their miso ramen. It is a combination of their miso and tonkotsu broths. It is ramen that I could probably eat multiple times a week because it is so simple. The broth is rich but mild (if that makes sense). It’s something that you can’t get tired of because it’s not too bland and not too strong. It is served with charsiu, menma, wood ear mushrooms, and ajitama egg.