Last year, when the yen was weak, I think there were reports flying around Japan that a family of four went to Hawaii and ate ramen for 10,000 yen! I think this information was all over Japan. It is true that prices in Hawaii have gone up, and not just for ramen.
One thing that bothers me is that Japanese and locals have different values about “ramen” in the first place. For the Japanese, “I used to be able to eat it for 500 yen (it was even cheaper!?). There is a sense of “I don’t have much time, so I’ll just have a quick ramen” or “I’ll have a ramen for the end of the meal at …….
On the other hand, a local family will say, “Okay, let’s go to a ramen restaurant for dinner with my family this evening. I once had a local family invite me to join them for dinner at a ramen restaurant on the weekend. I was once invited by a local family.
They first ordered cold beer and pupu (snacks in Hawaiian), and the kids happily asked for their own pupu, “French fries for me! and ordered pupu for himself, and enjoyed the appetizer time. Then, as if it were a main dish, the chef’s eyes were serious as he chose his ramen, explaining the particulars of his choice: “This ramen here at this restaurant is the best. And finally, “The ice cream is also excellent! and finished with dessert.
Perhaps because of this custom, “ramen izakaya” have taken root in Hawaii. As the restaurant industry struggled with the Corona disaster, ramen izakayas surprised the public by opening new restaurants one after another.
Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya already has stores in the mainland U.S., including Atlanta and Chicago, and quickly landed in Hawaii, opening three locations: Kapolei Marketplace, Pearlridge Center, and Ala Moana Center. The company now boasts a total of nine stores.
Sake and other alcoholic beverages are available, and the izakaya menu includes edamame, gyoza, karaage, takoyaki, kushikatsu, french fries, salads, and more.
For the main dish, the most popular is the pork bone ramen. The restaurant uses bones from various parts of the pig bones to give it flavor, richness, and depth, while at the same time making it a little lighter. In addition, the restaurant offers a variety of flavors for men and women of all ages, including chicken broth ramen for those who prefer a lighter taste, wonton noodles, cold ramen, and vegan ramen.
When I visited recently, a famous Hawaiian chef was there for a private meal, so you could say that the taste of the food is endorsed.
The restaurant is run by a female owner who graduated from the University of Hawaii and offers a full lineup of desserts. The mille crepe, which is still rare in Hawaii, is the pride of the menu.
What other ramen izakaya can be found here is Onoya Ramen, which was opened as a ramen izakaya by Sanoya, a set meal restaurant that has been a local favorite for many years.
Wagaya is an at-home ramen tavern that locals visit with their children.
Ramen Bistro Junpu” offers stylish dining in a brick-built café-like atmosphere.
Golden Pork and Tonkotsu Ramen Bar opened in 2015 as a “ramen bar” and introduced the “doubedama” style to Hawaii.
The new restaurant “Kamado Ramen” is also attracting attention as a new ramen tavern opened under the concept of “enjoying a meal together around a kamado”.
What do you think? Enjoy beer, pupu, ramen, and dessert while experiencing Hawaii’s food culture at a ramen izakaya where local Hawaiian families gather. It could be a meal worth the price.
© Source travel watch
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