I first discovered Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant a few years ago when there was only one small location at Ward Centre in the Ward Centers complex. Although the original restaurant is still popular, I usually dine at their newer and much larger Ala Moana Center location. Both restaurants are always packed with locals and tourists from Japan, especially on the weekend. We just add our name, and the number of people in our party, to the clipboard attached to the door and try to find a shady spot to await our turn. If given a choice, I prefer to sit at the long counter instead of at a table. The tall chairs at the counter are comfortable and the service seems to be faster.
Today, my husband and I were among the first customers when the Ala Moana restaurant opened for lunch at 11AM. This establishment is famous for their Tan Tan Ramen dishes and I looked forward to having a delicious bowl of noodles, despite the hot summer weather. For those that are unfamiliar, Goma Tei's tan tan broth is made with a sesame seed miso (miso is a concentrated, fermented paste usually made with soybeans) that the restaurant makes in-house. A special dashi (soup base) of bonito (dried fish shavings) and konbu (edible kelp) are incorporated into the thick broth. Chili oil is also added and depending on the cook, the broth can be spicy and salty. The menu offers several variations of both Tan Tan Ramen and Shoyu Ramen (soy sauce-based broth.) I love the savory and slightly spicy tan tan broth and have tried the char siu (roasted pork), chicken, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), wakame (seaweed), vegetable, and seafood versions.
My favorite is the basic Tan Tan Ramen #1 ($9.05), which comes with a thick, fatty slice of Japanese-style char siu. This leaves a little room in my stomach for the plump, meaty gyozas (dumplings). A side order of five made-to-order gyozas ($7.55) takes a while to prepare and I'm usually half done with my ramen when it finally arrives. It's worth the wait because this restaurant makes their own gyozas and serves them fresh. (Some noodle shops serve commercial frozen gyozas that are sold in supermarkets!)
Today, my husband and I were among the first customers when the Ala Moana restaurant opened for lunch at 11AM. This establishment is famous for their Tan Tan Ramen dishes and I looked forward to having a delicious bowl of noodles, despite the hot summer weather. For those that are unfamiliar, Goma Tei's tan tan broth is made with a sesame seed miso (miso is a concentrated, fermented paste usually made with soybeans) that the restaurant makes in-house. A special dashi (soup base) of bonito (dried fish shavings) and konbu (edible kelp) are incorporated into the thick broth. Chili oil is also added and depending on the cook, the broth can be spicy and salty. The menu offers several variations of both Tan Tan Ramen and Shoyu Ramen (soy sauce-based broth.) I love the savory and slightly spicy tan tan broth and have tried the char siu (roasted pork), chicken, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), wakame (seaweed), vegetable, and seafood versions.
My favorite is the basic Tan Tan Ramen #1 ($9.05), which comes with a thick, fatty slice of Japanese-style char siu. This leaves a little room in my stomach for the plump, meaty gyozas (dumplings). A side order of five made-to-order gyozas ($7.55) takes a while to prepare and I'm usually half done with my ramen when it finally arrives. It's worth the wait because this restaurant makes their own gyozas and serves them fresh. (Some noodle shops serve commercial frozen gyozas that are sold in supermarkets!)
My husband wasn't in the mood for hot soup so he ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry ($11.35). His meal was comprised of a breaded, fried chicken thigh cutlet on white rice and smothered with Japanese-style curry. He enjoyed his lunch, but many restaurants in Hawaii serve similar dishes at a lower price. However, not many serve tan tan ramen and the ones that do, prepare it differently. I personally prefer Goma Tei's version over the others that I have tried. Although Goma Tei also serves a few other dishes, their specialty is Tan Tan Ramen and I recommend giving it a try.
The service is usually very efficient and both locations are clean and thankfully, air conditioned. The Ala Moana location also has its own well-maintained restrooms. As you can tell by the addresses below, the two locations are just down the street from each other. However, a little birdie told me that Goma Tei will be opening a third location at the Pearlridge Shopping Center in early-2014. That's great news for people who live on the Leeward side of Oahu - like me!
Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant
Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 947-9188
Located on the Street Level, Makai (facing the ocean)
The service is usually very efficient and both locations are clean and thankfully, air conditioned. The Ala Moana location also has its own well-maintained restrooms. As you can tell by the addresses below, the two locations are just down the street from each other. However, a little birdie told me that Goma Tei will be opening a third location at the Pearlridge Shopping Center in early-2014. That's great news for people who live on the Leeward side of Oahu - like me!
Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant
Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 947-9188
Located on the Street Level, Makai (facing the ocean)
Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 pm
Friday - Saturday, 11:00 am – 10 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
AND:
Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 591-9188
Located on Level One, Diamond Head (east side of the mall)
Hours:
Monday - Saturday, 11:00 am – 9:30 pm
Sunday, 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
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