EZOGIKU RAMEN Waikiki Japanese Noodles — Restaurant in Honolulu

The original Ezogiku on Kalakaua Ave. was our favorite ramen & fried rice spot on the rock. In their heyday, they had about five locations on Oahu. In 2024, they’re down to two if you go by the biz name, or one (in Aiea) if going by the menu selections and taste.

When the Kalakaua location closed, they relocated to the Royal Hawaiian Center’s food court before closing again after a few years.

Enter 2021; this is their third and current relocation but with a different menu.

ATMOSPHERE: Their newest iteration finds them in a covered side street alley food court shared with four other eateries and communal seating.

MENU: Ramen in four broths (shoyu, miso, tonkotsu & vegan), cold versions, a brothless mazeman, rice & gyoza.

FOOD: Simple Ramen Combo - $15.95 Shoyu ramen topped with tender chashu, half a hard boiled egg, fishcake & green onions. The $5 upcharge added fried rice and 4-pieces of gyoza. The best part of this was the chewy, eggy noodles. The semi-hot broth, while dark and savory, was flat with no depth. Almost as good as the original, the fried rice had noticeably less bits of chashu, fishcake and flavor. Though with a nice char, the gyozas easily fell apart when picking them up due to their thin and soggy wrappers.

SERVICE: Counter service was friendly. Food came out in under 10 minutes.

TIP: 10% kama’aina discount available. Type in your phone number on their tablet which automatically enrolls you into their loyalty program.

OVERALL: Want old school Ezogiku? Head to their last stronghold in the...

This is a hidden gem and must try, you won’t regret it. Owner is super cool and the place has a cool vibe. Try the Mazemen. If you like jian jian mein you’ll love Mazemen. Try it with the Mulberry noodles, you’ll be back again and again, it’s so addicting. Just a note, Mazemen isn’t ramen, there is no soup, there is a spicy sauce at the bottom, seasoned pork on top and crunchy cucumber and bean sprouts on top. You mix the whole thing with the Mulberry noodles and eat. Once you start you can’t stop. You have to ask for the Mulberry noodle or it comes with regular ramen noodles.

Everyone has gyoza but you gotta Try the Jumbo Gyoza! Juicy and flavorful. You’ll keep dreaming about it.

If you like ramen you can ask to have the Mulberry noodles put in any of the ramen dishes. Very satisfying and delicious!

The Ezogiku Commons is truly hidden so don’t give up looking for it, once you find it you’ll be in for a sweet little surprise. Next I’m going to try the Goma...

Today I had the weekly special. It was called cold Mazemen with Gyoza. Oh my goodness it hit the spot. Today was hot and muggy and the cold Mazemen was so delicious. it’s a no broth noodle dish. There was a spicy sauce on the bottom and crunchy cucumbers and bean sprouts on top with a jammy egg and flavorful pork. The cold dish was a nice surprise, it wasn’t cold like somen it was perfect temp for the dish. I don’t know how to describe it. It was light refreshing, filling, comforting and I couldn’t stop slurping up the noodles. Oh I asked for “mulberry” noodles instead of regular noodles. The mulberry noodles honestly made the dish. They felt healthier if that’s possible. If you’re trying to lessen your carbs, try the mulberry noodles. They didn’t’ feel fatty or heavy, they didn’t feel like starchy noodles but they had all the flavor and texture of regular noodles.They are a game changer,...