Ramen Ya — Restaurant in Maui

IMO, Ramen Ya has the best ramen of all the shops on Maui. They use yellow egg noodles in all of their ramen dishes that have great "egg-y" flavor.

ATMOSPHERE: Located in Queen Kaahumanu Center near the women's Macy's, it's a small shop with low tops and counter seating. They're constantly busy so expect a line at peak times.

MENU: Ramen, noodle & rice dishes. BYOB is okay.

FOOD: Shoyu Ramen My favorite broth. Here, it's a garlicky and savory flavor, always served searing hot, topped with lots of chashu, bean sprouts and green onions. I usually have to swish in more shoyu to bring it up my liking.

Vegetable Ramen Whenever I'm craving a lighter flavored broth, this is it. The flavor is light with notes of simmered celery and onions, topped with bean sprouts, white & green onions and Chinese cabbage.

Black Garlic Ramen: The total opposite of what you'd get at most ramen shops, theirs is shoyu-based (yay for me) and still with intense garlic flavors from fried garlic chips.

Tonkotsu Ramen: This is my least favorite broth but here, it's not heavy and thick, so I'll ordered it every now and then. Milky in color and slightly creamy, the savory notes overpower everything which is why I like it. They can't do gooey eggs so you'll receive it hard boiled, the dish's only flaw.

Mapo Tofu Ramen: My spouse's go-to. Thick gravy replaces the broth with lots of tofu and ground pork.

Fried Rice , Fried Noodles, Crispy Noodles: Really tasty, no matter which protein you choose.

Gyoza Mainstream but good.

DISHES TO AVOID: Tan Tan Ramen, Chuka Ramen.

RESERVATIONS: None.

SERVICE: I've been coming here for years and everyone is always welcoming and friendly.

OVERALL: The best ramen you'll...

(Reviewed as of: 12/15/2022) A very small unit within the mall. Ramen Ya gets packed very fast so please come early (no RSVP). You have have to share tables, but it makes the experience even more enjoyable.

So many great and yummy items to try. -- Combo Meal (Udon, Fried Rice) -- Mochiko Chicken -- Gyoza -- Beef Curry -- Black Garlic Sesame Ramen

The Combo Meal is probably the most sought item if you want to try as many different variety items between you and another person (highly recommend ordering a side of something else to share as well, ie. mochiko chicken). The soup is standard and broth is very deep with flavor. The fried rice is made to order (yes to MSG) but in all seriousness, super flavorful!

Mochiko Chicken -- BEST karaage chicken on the island!! If you just want to order a side of something to snack on, This is it!! The best item of the night!!!!

Gyoza -- Standard but very crispy, hot and juicy. Great to share as a side dish amongst the group.

Beef Curry -- Thick curry, and lots of beef cubes. Beef is a bit dense and chewy, but the curry flavor helps you wanting more.

Ramen -- The broth is so good, very hearty and full of flavor. On the cold wet evenings, this is a must!!! Did I mention you should order a side of the mochiko chicken as well if you go with any of these dishes?!

Overall a great dining experience. You will have to wait if you dine in anytime after 6pm, so come with some patience as the wait is so worth it.

Locals and Tourists -- This is a MUST...

Ramen Ya is located inside a mall. I went there with a friend. The place was busy when I got there, but we still got seated right away. It's a small restaurant. Their menu contains pictures of each of the dishes which I really liked. My friend and I got their combo set A, which includes mini ramen, 4 piece gyoza, and one selection. The mini ramen that's included in this set is shoyu ramen, so if you want a different style ramen, then you have to pay a little extra (nothing crazy). For the selection item, you can pick one from the following: mini fried rice, chicken katsu curry, spam katsu curry, mochiko chicken, beef curry or gyoza curry. My friend got shoyu ramen and fried rice as part of his combination set A. I got tonkatsu ramen and chicken katsu curry as part of my combination set A. Our food came out really fast. Both the ramen were creamy, and even though it said mini ramen, it was a pretty decent size. Meat was tender and juicy. Chicken katsu was great. Rice was a bit undercooked, and gyoza was okay. Overall, it was a pretty good meal for the price we paid. Our server was very attentive. You pay at the counter instead of your table (after you are done eating), so that took 10 minutes because of the line of people and a big group ahead of us...