KAMUKURA RAMEN — Restaurant in Honolulu

Ramen should be served piping hot in a ramen bowl.... Not in a plastic container like instant ramen.

With that said, I finally went to Ala Moana to try Kamakura Ramen to get my ramen fix. Located in the food court on the second floor where the old Shirokiyas used to be. Ive eaten at this ramen place before but it was in Japan at the Kansai airport in Osaka.

Setup is pretty nice, with limited seating at the counter. I asked to sit at the counter since I would have the ramen in a regular ramen bowl and not a plastic take out one.

This is Hawaii and they gotta pay the high Ala Moana rent so the prices are steep for ramen. All the chefs working in the back are from Japan. They also have Hawaii exclusive items on the menu that arent served anywhere else. I decided on the Hawaii Exclusive Aburi Char Siu Tan Tan Men for $26.99. Yeah pricey but you only live once. The cashier/server also recommended to me the side order fried chicken that was an anniversary special promotion they were doing for $2 more, which I gladly ordered.

Food arrived quickly, made to order and was worth the trip coming here. With the side order chicken, I ordered more food that I could eat, so luckily the chicken was served in a take out box that i could carry out.

Portions were generous, food was piping hot which is a must....taste was authentic and worth the visit. Would recommend if you are willing to spend the higher amount on...

There are a lot of ramen spots in Honolulu. Their #8 or #9 shoyu ramen with chives are definitely worth check out. I loved how it tasted very clean and flavorful with quality ingredients. You will notice that their shoyu broth is different from what you would expect or experienced at a lot of ramen joints, where it is typically rich and thick, with lots of spices, ingredients, and toppings. Here you will find that the approach is the opposite. I would say it's a minimalist take on ramen, where the focus and emphasis is on each ingredient. Very traditional japanese in that aspect (in my opinion) when in comes to trying to perfect each ingredient to work in harmony, without distracting you with a hundred different toppings to make your dish flavorful (which don't get me wrong is delicious too). Reading the reviews (for those who were disappointed), I can see why they would be disappointed and I wouldn't disagree with them if my expectations were for the ramen to taste like tonkotsu or miso ramen. Just like sandwiches, there are all types of ramen out there. Using that analogy, they may have ordered an italian sandwich expecting it to taste like a BLT sandwich (I too would be...

So I've always kept looking at trying this place out and I finally took the time to give the place a try with a good friend of mine who is like a sister. The lady at the front register was super nice while taking our orders, and after taking our order she asked if we would like to sit at their table seating which had a nice atmosphere because you have the Japanese curtains behind the chairs that seclude you from the rest of the hustle bustle behind you in the Lahaina food court and they were playing slow paced disney music (without lyrics/voices) and you could watch through the glass as the chefs get to work on your meal and others as you eat and enjoy your time there while having discussions and conversations with your own friends and/or family. Over all, it's a nice Ramen shop to enjoy a good meal and it was a wonderful...