Episode 3: Ramen Agu

Ramen Agu

Location: 925 Isenberg St Honolulu, HI 96826 (Mo'ili'ili)
Phone: (808) 492-1637
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11:00 am - 12:00 am

In episode 3 the Ramen Hunters visited Ramen Agu located in the Mo'ili'ili area. Agu is a ramen hot spot for locals and have opened up another location in the Ward area earlier this year. Ramen Agu offers a variety of different ramen styles such as the famous tonkotsu ramen, as well as other soup bases such as shoyu, miso, shio etc. 
They are most known for its Spicy Kotteri Ramen, a ramen with extra rich broth made using black garlic oil, and se-abura, which is a very clean part of pork fat that is taken from the back portion of the pork. It is then topped off with various spices, to create a flavorful bowl of ramen with a nice spicy kick to it ! 
For those of you who can't handle the heat, don't worry. Ramen Agu lets customer choose the level of spicyness on a scale from 1 - 5 to adjust to your liking. 
**** By the way.. for those who dare seek an even spicier taste can try the EPIC level that goes way beyond level 5 !

Also for those who are not a big fan of kotteri ramen, for whatever reasons, Agu also offers the Yuzu Jidori Ramen. This is another popular dish here at Agu. It uses a type of chicken known as Jidori for its broth to create a more lighter yet flavorful soup. Unlike the Kotteri, it uses Tokyo-style chijire noodles to complete a more refreshing type of ramen. The yuzu inside also gives a nice spice to it as well. 

So here are the two ramen we tried in this weeks episode. Ramen Hunter Cori ordered the Spicy Kotteri Ramen and even got a side of Thai spice to make it even hotter. Ramen Hunter Natsumi had the Yuzu Jidori Ramen that she devoured in a matter of seconds! 

The Spciy Kotteri Ramen (Cori)

The Yuzu Jidori Ramen (Natsumi)

Both of our Ramen Hunters were satisfied with their ramen and left the restaurant with smiles. Cori noted how the spiciness was just right and enjoyed it from start to finish. 
Natsumi mentioned how the Tokyo style noodle was perfect to go along with the Jidori based soup and wished she was able to eat this every day on a cold night back home in Nagasaki. Overall, this weeks hunt for ramen was yet another success. 
Also to mention the servers at Agu offered excellent service, and one was even kind enough to answer a few questions for us in front of the came even as he was working, Thank you !
The atmosphere of the restaurant is great as well, and would definitely recommend to others. But careful, Ramen Agu can get pretty busy as it is a local favorite so don't be surprised if you have to wait to be seated. 

Oh.. almost forgot to mention ! Aside from its delicious ramen, Agu also offers a wide variety of alcoholic beverages and some tasty appetizers to go along with it. This week we ordered their Fried Mimiga which is deep fried pork ears. Yes, that is right. PORK EARS ! 
You've got to watch the video to check it out, so please go ahead and click on the link below to watch this weeks episode of Ramen Hunters !

http://tim302.com/podcast/f2015/ramen/episode%203-agu%20ramen.mp4 

Ratings:
Soup: 4.75/5
Noodles: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4.25/5
Overall: 4.63/5

Episode 2: Tenkaippin

Tenkaippin Ramen 

Location: 617 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96815
(Kaimuki)
Phone #: 808-732-1211
Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am - 11pm
Price Range: $$, $11 - 30

Welcome to Episode 2! We had the privilege to dine at Tenkaippin Ramen, one of Honolulu's oldest ramen shops.  Tenkaippin has been in Hawaii for about 15 years, their first location was located in Waikiki, but in 2008 the owner, Scott Sukui, moved to there current location in Kaimuki.  Overall there are about 220 restaurant locations in Japan and only one in Honolulu.  They are known for their extra thick broth which comes from boiling chicken bones for 14 hours leaving lots of collagen.  Plus all of their ingredients come straight from Japan in vacuumed-packed bags.  Most people love to order their Konteri Ramen!  For some people they may not like the thick ramen at first, even the owner admitted he wasn't a fan the first time he tried it, but if you come back it'll soon grow on you and become addicting.

We ate at Tenkaippin Ramen around 7:30 pm on a weekday so there were a few open tables when we arrived.  But we noticed after we left their were a few people waiting.

As far as Tenkaippin's menu, they have a variety of different ramen flavors some of which include: konteri, miso, spicy tantan, paitan, salt, black tonkatsu, and even cold noodles.  If you aren't feeling like ramen that day, but got dragged along with your friends, you have the option of ordering garlic steak instead!  Another good thing about their menu is that you are able to personalize your ramen to your liking.  You're able to order extra noodles or extra toppings if you want, for example adding kimchee or aji tamago to your miso ramen.  If one bowl of ramen with extra noodles and toppings won't be enough for you they offer special sets for a good deal! Tenkaippin has five different special sets that come with fried rice, gyoza, fried chicken, or a combination of them with any bowl of ramen.  Personally I like to order the gyoza set and put it in the middle to share with the table.  To personalize your bowl even more, they have different sauces on the side to enhance the flavor of the broth with extra miso, garlic, shoyu(soy sauce) and vinegar.  Unlike some other ramen shops Tenkaippin offer alcoholic beverages, so its perfect if you like an Asahi to wash down your ramen with.

Ramen Hunter Takezo ordered one of their most popular broths, the Konteri.  He's a regular at Tenkaippin and says he craves the extra thick broth especially on rainy days.  Takezo added extra garlic just the way he likes to enjoy it every time!  He said he wanted to order gyoza too but wasn't as hungry as he normally was that day.  He still finished all his ramen only leaving a little bit of soup in his bowl.  

Ramen Hunter Kei wanted to try their miso ramen.  He has had Tenkaippin's miso ramen in Japan, but never in Honolulu.  Kei was skeptical at first, but then he soon became a believer that it was the same Tenkaippin in Japan!  It was very warming and reminded him of being back in Japan.  Since he's a miso enthusiast, he added more miso to his miso!  Just as thick as the broth is, so are its noodles, which Kei raved about.  It was so good that the table was silent for a little and all you could hear was them slurping noodles and soup.   

We all agreed that we prefer Tenkaippin's concept by offering basic ramen choices, and having the option to personalize it however we want.  Basically taking something simple and spicing it up to how we like it.  The fact that they have been open for so long proves everyone around the island loves it too!

Ratings:

Soup: 5/5

Noodles: 5/5

Service: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Overall: 4.5/5

**Click on the link to view podcast:**  

http://tim302.com/podcast/f2015/ramen/tim302%20ep2.3.mp4

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 1: Manichi Ramen

Episode 1: Manichi Ramen

Restaurant Name: Manichi Ramen

Location: 1430 Kona St. Ste 101, Honolulu, HI 96814
(Near Ala Moana Shopping Center)
Phone: (808) 943 1430
Hours: Mon - Sun. 11 am ~ 10pm

For our first episode of Ramen Hunters we got to dine at Manichi Ramen located near Ala Moana Shopping Center. Manichi is a ramen franchise, originated in Fukuoka prefecture of Japan. They have 3 locations here in Hawaii. Aside from the location on Kona St. there is also one inside Shirokiya of Ala Moana, and also in Windward Shopping Center.
Manichi is known for it`s tonkotsu based ramen using thin noodles, a style known is Hakata Ramen. 

We the Ramen hunters visited during their busiest hours around 7pm. We were able to be seated shortly after signing our names on the wait list. But let me warn you guys Manichi can get very busy especially on the weekends so don't expected to be seated right away!

The menu consists of three different tonkotsu soup base to choose from: Original, Miso, or Shrimp. After choosing the base, you get to choose one of three flavors that are labeled by color: Black, Red, and White.

Flavors

Black: Slow roasted black garlic oil

Red: Spicy Miso

White: Rich & Creamy Tonkotsu Soup

 

We tried one of each color from the original soup base. 

Ramen Hunter Kei devoured the White Original ramen in a matter of seconds! He mentioned how the the creamy tonkotsu soup accommodated the noodles so well that he couldn't stop moving his chop sticks!!! He could've probably went for three more bowls... 

Natsumi ordered the Black Original ramen, and was reminded of the first Black Tonkotsu ramen she had tried back in Kyushu, Japan. The soup was very authentic and although flavored with garlic, the taste was neither too clingy or strong. Combination of garlic and tonkotsu was well balanced, creating a ramen like no other! 

We all agreed that the Red Original ramen that Takezo had was by far the best of the three. 

It can be very difficult to create a pleasant bowl of Spicy Miso Ramen. In the past I have tried some that were too spicy that my taste buds have gone numb.... Other times it was not spicy enough that I had to add chili powder while eating.

However, Manichi was spot on when it came to the Red Original Ramen. It was the perfect amount of hotness, yet still keeping its rich flavor of tonkotsu. The smell of various spices is sure to appeal to any ramen lover. We definitely recommend this ramen to anyone in search of the perfect spicy miso ramen on the island. 

Ratings:

Soup: 4/5

Noodles: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

Value: 4/5

Overall: 4.4/5

We felt that the overall score for Manichi was a 4.4 out of 5. The taste of ramen were all great both the soup and noodle exceeds our standards. We want to emphasize the excellent service of Manichi, and want to thank them for cooperating with us. The owner even gave us special coupons after filming! The price and value is reasonable and would definitely recommend Manichi to any ramen lovers out there! 

The Ramen Hunters approve Manichi as a prime ramen joint! And our first mission is complete :)

Oh! We almost forgot to mention,

Manichi is also well known for thier Gyoza and is a great appetizer. It was once voted as the number one gyoza in Japan. You have got to try it out the next time you go !!!

 

*** Click the link below to view episode ! ***

http://tim302.com/podcast/f2015/ramen/Episode%201%20Manichi%20Ramen.mp4

Introduction of Ramen Hunters

Introduction

Kon nichi wa!

We are Ramen Hunters, here to review some of the best ramen in Honolulu.
The best and most knowledgable ramen reviewers have been assembled as a team, in search of the best ramen on the island.
Allow me to introduce...

Corisa Oh from Southern California, she has been living in Hawaii for four years. She was once the leader of Pho hunters in Orange County, California. However, after the war between the Pho Hunters and Ramen Hunters in 2010 she has converted to a Ramen lover. Although her experience with ramen is not as long as others, the dedication for noodles and soup is restless!

Natsumi Kasayama from Nagasaki Prefecture, the country side of Japan!
She has a lot of experience eating Kyu-shu style ramen, mainly Tonkotsu base.
Natsumi has defeated hundreds of ramen during her time in Japan. She has been a ramen hunter for 10 years and counting.

Takezo Iguchi was born in Tokyo, Japan. However when he was seven years old he was sent out on a raft to complete a mission; to seek the best ramen outside of Japan. He landed on Hawaii in 2001 where his journey began. He worked for a ramen shop when he turned sixteen, and has visited numerous shops on Oahu. He was destined to be a ramen hunter since the day he was born.

Lastly, we have Kei Iwasawa from Chiba prefecture in Japan. The very first food he ate when he was born was ramen. Kei has visited over 10,000 ramen shops all over Japan. In his hometown he is recognized as "The Master of Ramen". He has come to Hawaii five years ago to continue his search for the best ramen. His dedication has ramen has been ongoing for 24 years. He is the Champion of Ramen.