Got the black garlic ramen extra noodles and extra boiled egg. The broth is rich and flavorful. We also shared Ahi katsu, calamari, and agedashi tofu. Agedashi tofu always hits hard and never disappoints. The ahi katsu was delightfully soft and not tough. Our server was friendly and accommodating. The place is small so you might need to wait a bit if you come during the rush hour. read more

Wagaya - Black garlic ramen with extra noodles and extra boiled egg. - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food - I'm going through a cold noodle phase right now, so I ordered their cold noodle dish. It was good. I really like their noodles. It was firm, nice and chewey, and was not mushy. The sauce to dip the noodles in was good. It was flavorful, salty, and sweet. My wife had a bowl of ramen. I got to try the soup and it tasted really good. I also like how thick it was. I don't like thin soup on my ramen, so this I really liked. My daughter was gulping down her noodles... just shoving it into her mouth. That is a huge thing for me because she's picky with food. We also had the potato mochi. I also liked that one. It had good texture, crunch, and chew. It was brushed with a glaze. The flavor was good. I'm not a chicken karaage guy. But I'm mentioning it because we ordered it. The chicken karaage were good chunks of chicken. Not like other places who give small chunks. My wife liked it because it had more chicken than batter. Service - The Place had good service. The food came out on time. Servers were checking up on us without hovering or being overbearing. They paid attention when we called asking for help. I was listening to the workers, and they seem to like being there. I mean, "work is work", and no one REALLY LIKES going to work. I'm pretty sure we'd all rather be someplace else besides work. Maybe I caught them in a good mood, but, it genuinely seemed like the moral in the place was good and the people working there that night didn't mind being there. Vibe - Small, family vibe. I liked that there was buzz but it wasn't loud. When we came, most of the people there were older, but as we left later in the evening, a more younger crowd started lining up and coming in. That tells me, they appeal to a wide demographic/pallet, which is good. Overall, it's going on the list of places to go back to and recommend. I don't really like going to ramen places during the summer because it's hot. But I would go here. read more

Wagaya - Potato mochi. - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is one of my favorite ramen spot. Def in top 3. The noodles are excellent and have a great chew to it. Noodles has no aftertaste. The eggs and topping are great too. I can taste the flavor and the egg is well cooked. The broth isn't my favorite but some people might like it. I think I prefer the tsukemen more. I like how you can adjust their saltiness and firmness/thickness of noodle. The first time I had the ramen, it was beyond salty. I actually did not know about the customization so maybe they made a mistake. That was 2+ years ago. Went here twice this month and my opinion changed. I love it. Will come back. Will try the lighter broth next time. read more

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I feel I need to update this review as it has been 7 years! My family and I still come to this ramen shop and we come here once a month! My daughter and I like to order the Shiro Wagaya Ramen and my husband loves the Garlic Wagaya (Kuro) ramen. We also like to order the corn tempura as an appetizer. The restaurant itself is not so big but fits quite a good amount of people. The workers are very friendly and accommodating. You can also order your food through a QR code and pay online when you're done. There are also restrooms onsite. Parking is still small and can fill up when it's busy (you also aren't allowed to park in the Church parking lot) If you haven't eaten here before, I would suggest looking on their website at the waitlist to see how many people are on there prior to going there as they can get really busy. You can also put your name on the waitlist online so you don't have to do it on site. They have a really good text messaging system letting you know when your table is almost ready. read more

Wagaya - Corn Tempura (they actually give more than this, my daughter just ate a couple already!) - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was good. Cold noodles had a great texture and dipping sauce was very tasty- Tan tan was ok as was the garlic soup base- the potatoe mochi tastted like a tasty hash brown and the gyoza was also delicious and it was perfectly cooked. read more

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Great for authentic ramen and tsukamen with a small, the intimate ramen shop appeal. I've seen Wagaya on TikTok a lot recently and was happy that I put this on my list of places to visit while on the island. The appetizers were pretty good. I enjoyed the sweet and savory flavor of the agedashi tofu but was a little underwhelmed with the ahi belly. I was excepting a slightly fattier cut of fish and wasn't anticipating onion on the skewer and felt it didn't pair well with the fish (personally). I'll definitely be back! read more

Wagaya - Garlic tsukamen (bottom), ahi belly (middle right), agedashi tofu (middle left), garlic ramen (top) - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The corn tempura here is my absolute favorite. It's so good and honestly addictive. The balance of sweet and salty is perfect and the corn stays super juicy inside that crispy fried coating. The karaage is also really good, with a light breading that keeps it crispy without feeling heavy. The tonkotsu is great too. I love that you can customize everything from the saltiness to the firmness and thickness of the noodles, and even the spice level. The soft boiled egg was incredibly flavorful, definitely one of the best eggs! read more

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Wagaya is one of my favorite comfort food spots! While their ramen is great, the real star of the show is the corn tempura. The corn tempura is always perfectly crispy. I also got the garlic tsukemen. I like the texture of the noodles, and the sauce is so flavorful. The parking lot here is pretty small, but I was lucky to get a stall. I always join their waitlist when they open and am able to get seated when I get there. Service here is quick and friendly. I would definitely recommend coming here if you're craving ramen and want to have corn tempura! read more

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I saw that Wagaya is one of the best ramen spots here so I wanted to give it a try! We tried coming here for dinner a while ago but saw that the waitlist had 80+ parties ahead of us so this time we went for lunch right when it opened and got seated right away! We ordered the calamari isobeage, house made gyoza, and each got the garlic Wagaya ramen. We enjoyed the calamari, it was crispy and I liked how it was a bit different with the seaweed type of batter. The gyoza was like your standard gyoza, still good though! The ramen was flavorful with a great broth that wasn't too heavy. Service was quick and it does get busy because of how popular it is so come early! Overall, a nice ramen spot and I would come here again. read more

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Wagaya is one of my favorite ramen spots in Honolulu! The servers are always so nice, they have a waitlist in-person and online to help you gauge how crowded the restaurant is, and their ramen is so delicious! I got the Vegetarian Hiyashi, which comes with a refreshing sesame-style broth and toppings that make it even more flavorful than their other popular ramen dishes. I also love their lunch sets, which are surprisingly filling. I got the C Set with the gyoza and tart, but umami-filled daikon salad. Vibe: The restaurant has many tables and bathrooms in the back. The music isn't loud, so it's easy to have conversations at the table. Parking: They have a small free parking lot in front of the store. The stalls fill up when the area is busy, but there's also street parking available on South King Street. read more

Wagaya - C Set - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I just had some of their potato mochi appetizer the other night. It's delish!!! I think it's a new menu item. There are only four pieces, but if you are into mochi, the blend of savory and some saltiness, with the hint of potato, it's worth it for an appetizer.....or even for dessert! read more

I came here with a group of four at around 11:50 AM. There was already a waitlist however it moves quickly. The restaurant opens at 11:30 and they're usually is already align. Also be aware of parking, the parking lot is shared with a church so make sure you do not park in the church parking lot or else you are at risk of being towed. Anyway, the restaurant is relatively small so if you have to wait, you'll be asked to wait outside. We put our names down again at 11:50 AM and waited. Probably about 15 to 20 minutes. As we were seated, there was already water, napkins, and chopsticks waiting at the table. Since we were waiting outside for our table, we were already able to know what we wanted to order and wasted no time in ordering. The food comes out very quickly and is full of flavor and aroma. The pictures don't do it justice. Each bite was so flavorful and so delicious. It was definitely worth the wait. I ordered the tan tan men, which was spicy however for the day that it was today, it had me sweating. The food portions are relatively large so we left very full. We had four appetizers to share and that might've been a little bit too much food. If you are coming to this restaurant with the group, the receipt allows, you to split the check evenly amongst the group, which is nice. Or you can just pay with the card and your server, whatever is easier for you. This was a great spot to visit if you're in the mood for ramen. read more

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This place was awesome!!! I got the Tan Tan ramen, it was sooo good and flavorful: perfect amount of salt, amazing broth, great portion of meat and the broth to noodle ratio was perfect. The staff was professional and welcoming! I'm sad this place didn't exist when I lived in the McCully area, cause I would have been there every week! read more

Wagaya - Tan Tan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First time here. Very small space, So be prepared to wait if it's crowded. Tried the Wagaya ramen (shiro). Got it with extra noodles, but it didn't seem like there were extra noodles, So I wonder what the regular amount of noodles looks like. The ramen was flavorful and the noodles were delicious too. Also tried the daikon salad with the gyoza, That was delicious. I wanted to try the beef tounge and calamari appetizers but they didn't have any fried foods that day. I gave 3 stars for the little amount of extra noodles I received and for getting the waiters attention to order an extra soft egg for my ramen, But got ignored by him, So I ended up not ordering an extra egg. Oh well. Other than that food was tasty. read more

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This is a top-tier Ramen spot. Great service in a cozy location. But I can't say enough about the food. Delicious. I cleaned my Hakata Ramen bowl. Definitely will be going here again. 10 outta 10 !!! read more

My lunch bud and I go out searching for either deals or really good grinds at least once a week. One of our regular spots Hokkaido Ramen in Kaimuki has recently closed, and while we are fond of Onoya, we decided to expand our horizons. Reading Chelsea's ramen reviews always gets the juices flowing... so this week we decided on Wagaya. I had been to Wagaya when they first opened. While I thought it was good, I also thought it was pricey. Of course that was years ago. Looking over the menu today, it seems the prices are quite reasonable. Maybe I was even cheaper back when. But let me tell you, the food was good. I had a tan tan, side karaage chicken, and a Sapporo. The ramen was really tasty. The noodles had a real "bite" to them and the chicken was ono. This cute lady next to us even commented that, it didn't look like karaage... and it didn't. They were rather big pieces, and breast meat. But it was fried perfectly and was very moist. The add-on even came with gyoza. That was good too. Not Taiyo () good, but tasty. I notice that Wagaya, Onoya, Junpuu, and golden pork all have similar ratings. I love all of them. Can't go wrong with any of these. Manichi also. read more

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As a self-proclaimed Hakata ramen connoisseur (i loooove Hakata ramen and have tried some of the best Hakata ramen shops in NYC, LA and Tokyo) I was really excited to try Wagaya! However, between the service and taste of ramen, I can only give this place 3 stars. Though they did have a few stand out dishes, aka their appetizers. Appetizers: Potato Mochi & Corn Tempura. These were the best part of our meal! They were very unique and yummy. The chasiu rice bowl was pretty standard, nothing special, and didn't have much flavor. Ramen: So-so. I can't give it 5 or even 4 stars. Mainly because of three things. 1) the noodles were not firm as we had ordered (server told us they make them firm, but they were most definitely soft) 2) the meat in their ramen is really lacking, compared to other ramen shops (they don't give much). 3) the broth isn't very tasty... it's just not impressive. Service: Not great. We waited a long time to be served and have our orders taken & we're not checked in on often enough. My husband wanted to order extra noodles, but they brought us the check without checking in on us once during our meal. Oh well! I did like that they had a lot of tables inside to be seated quickly. Parking: Minimal for the building. There's honestly not a lot of parking and my family had to wait a while for a stall (we had 3 cars total). read more

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Authentic ramen in Hawaii?! Yes, please! The owner of this ramen shop is actually from Japan so you know it's gotta be legit! This place is located on King Street with a small shared parking lot in front. We got there around 11:30 and we walked right in. When we were seated they brought my daughter a plastic cup with a straw as well as a plate, bowl, spoon & fork! It's such a nice touch when restaurants think about young children. Now on to the important stuff, what we ordered: 1. My hubby ordered the Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen with Hakata noodles. These are thinner noodles. It was suuuuper garlicky, like you could see the pieces of garlic in the bowl. He loved it. If you love garlic, this is definitely for you! 2. I ordered the Wagaya Ramen (tonkotsu). It was very rich, had lots of veggies and my fav ramen topping, wood ear mushrooms! I got the regular portion and regular noodles and it was such a huge portion, I couldn't finish it! 3. We saw on the back of the menu they had a lunch set add on and opted to get the charsui bowl for our daughter. The lunch deal is you can get a small portion of rice & charsui with 3 pieces of gyoza for $4.50 with purchase of a ramen! What a deal! If you just want the lunch set without a ramen it's ~$9. She loved the charsui. It was small chunks of marinated pork on the bed of rice. Lastly, my hubby commented on how good the soft boiled egg was. First off, they give a whole egg, not just half. Secondly, it's marinated so it has such an umami flavor. Overall, we love this place & prices are reasonable for all the food we got! read more

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Food was amazing. Service was super friendly. The parking sucks but it ain't their fault. The Shiro broth was much lighter than the Tantan but both were great! Potato mochi was sweet crunchy and chewy. Very interesting but it tasted great! 9.32/10 read more

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Great spot for ramen and small plates! We got lucky and came right before the rush for dinner. Very easy to order and pay through the QR code. And the food came out super quick! Our server was really nice and we asked her recommendations for her favorite shaved ice. read more

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Food - got black garlic ramen, agedashi tofu, ebi spring roll, potato mochi, lunch c set that comes with three pieces of gyoza and a small daikon salad. Everything is pretty average. Maybe the shrimp spring roll was pretty decent. It's just deep fried shrimp from spring roll as expected. Service super nice people and food came out fast Atmosphere casual read more

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Parking spaces were kind of tight but the restaurant was good. It was clean and felt cozy. Service was amazing and the staff were friendly. Got the tan tan ramen and it was really good! Not too oily and very flavorful. They also gave generous amount of meat. Ahi katsu was crispy and light which was good with the sauce. Would definitely come again to try their other ramen and dishes. read more

Wagaya - Tan tan ramen - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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One of the best ramen restaurants on Oahu and one of my personal go-to's! My boyfriend and I were craving good ramen so decided on Wagaya for dinner. Ordered several appetizers to share- gyoza, beef tongue, corn tempura, and ahi katsu. Everything was great! Corn tempura was crunchy, ahi katsu came with a dipping sauce of spicy mayo and katsu sauce- went great together! Beef tongue was a little chewy but flavor was good. I ordered the garlic wagaya, boyfriend had hakata style- we both enjoyed our ramens, noodles were cooked perfect. You can also customize with extra noodles, think/standard/thick noodles, firm/standard/soft noodles, extra spice levels. Service was super fast! Our apptizers came out within 10min of ordering followed by our ramens shortly after. Server was attentive and checked on us but they were also super crowded. Small restaurant with only 10-15 tables so wait times can get long sometimes. You can join the waitlist online prior to arriving so your wait there is less. Parking lot is also small and shared with other businesses during the day so sometimes might need to find street parking. read more

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Ramen was good, tofu was also good, but the beef tongue was so salty. Service was mostly good too, but there is a wait to get in as usual. Otherwise I would say it's slightly hyped up compared what we normally get in California. read more

Small shop with maybe a dozen tables but comfy and decent size lot shared with other shops. The waitress was very quick and friendly. Our food came pretty quick even though the app we ordered said it takes time to make. The food was really good. Ramen noodles were good. The broth was so tasty but I could eat it all. That means good, healthy portions. My wife said the Yuzu Sake was refreshing. Will definitely be back and try another flavor Ramen. read more

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I go to wagaya for the tsukemen. If you haven't tried it before, it's like ramen but the flavor is concentrated, thick, smoky. It's just what you want when you don't want some "light" food. You want that heavy, meaty, full flavored stuff. Set meals also available for reasonable prices if you eat a lot. Clean and fast service. read more

Wagaya - Garlic tsukemen - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

In all honesty, this would be my favorite ramen shop if Broth Bar hadn't opened up recently. The service is great, the ambiance is what you'd expect from a sit down ramen shop, and the food is top notch. It's just the wait time and parking that we don't love so much. All in all, if you're willing to wait a bit, it's a great spot any day of the week. read more

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Went a few months ago, after a long time away. Then went again. Ramen - Really like the noodles. Tori Shio shiru was a little salty for me. Baby loved it so I had to water it down for her. Whatever meat was in it was so soft. Corn Temp - baby loved. Daikon Salad - baby ate some...but I really like it. Tongue - nice and soft. Choke negi so even better. Baby liked it too. Potato Mochi - a little oily. Too sweet for me, but hubs/baby ate it. Gets busy...luckily we go early b/c of baby's curfew. Workers nice. Pretty efficient. I am not a fan of that lot, but there are enough spaces at night. read more

Delicious tsukemen! The wagaya tsukemen was a solid portion, with a decent amount of toppings without adding extras. The broth is tasty and thick. Daikon salad a nice start to the meal as well. read more

Wagaya - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was excellent. Food came out faster than Mcds. I have to say for my First-time, this not so hidden gem really impressed me. I passed by so many times thinking...ugh the parking is small and junk. Im glad I finally tried this place and 100% will be back. As of this post, best ramen in Honolulu. Thank you Wagaya staff for making my dinner a very delicious and positive experience read more

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Stopped by for dinner. It's great that you can get on the waitlist from your phone. Arrived and seated in 5 min. I ordered the Hiyashi Tan Tan Men cold noodle dish. Noodles was cooked to a perfect chew. Came with a bunch of toppings and the tan ran cold dipping broth. All in all, pretty good. My family also had the Garlic Wagaya and Tan Tan Men cold noodle both said it was good. read more

Wagaya - Hiyashi Tan Tan Men Cold Noodle - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My family and I visited Honolulu, Hawaii. We love ramen. This place was incredible. The Tan Tan Men was phenomenal. They also have the best Gyoza. Would hands down recommend. It is small, but will not disappoint. The staff is friendly, and the owner is very nice. 10/10! read more

Tonight was my first time at Wagaya. It is a fan favorite of my friends so I decided to try it out with her. She gave the amazing idea of signing up for their wait list prior to arriving. It can be done on their website virtually and it moves very quickly and guarantees you a seat when your name is called. Lots of adequate parking in their lot in front. We ordered the cucumber salad and Shiro ramen. The service was very efficient and quick. We got our ramen within five to ten minutes of being seated. My only complaint was that the noodles were a bit hard. We commented this to a server who was kind enough to redo the ramen and presented us with another bowl just as quickly. Unfortunately the second batch was just as hard. I have to say though that the broth was very clean and tasty and there was a good serving size of pork, which was well cooked and juicy, not dry like some other places. The staff was very kind and it was a clean restaurant with what seemed like regulars. Hopefully the noodles were just a one off. Definitely will return to try again. read more

Wagaya - Cucumber salad - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wagaya is hands down the best ramen joint on the Oahu at the moment - the food is consistently delicious, filling, and considering both the quality and amount of food you're getting, reasonably priced. The dining area itself is fairly small and can feel a little cramped when busy, but adds a cozy charm to the restaurant, especially when considering the blend of modern and traditional Japanese artwork and decor throughout. Fortunately, the service is quick and the waiters/waitresses are often attentive at all times. You can even order on your phone if you're in a rush, with a large group, or maybe just socially inept - even we deserve to eat some good food. On first glance, the tori (chicken) shio ramen could be overwritten as a lighter and less complex bowl compared to the restaurant's tonkatsu and shoyu offerings. This ramen however, is deeply flavorful and packs one fat umami punch. Though it is indeed lighter than the other dishes on the menu, the broth is simultaneously creamy and clear, rich and light - it is a list of oxymorons ("fulfilling chicken ramen" being the biggest one). In particular, the lighter vegetable toppings complement the bowl in a way that may sometimes be missed in the heavier, tonkatsu, shoyu, and sesame broths found on the menu. The Wagaya tsukemen has a different characteristic, the broth is intentionally tangier than the ramen bowls. Though, in my opinion, not as complex a flavor as the other menu options, the density of the broth and the meat hunks inside provide a comfy, satiating dish. The noodles are meant to be dipped into the broth, but I find the best experience is to dual-wield your chopsticks and spoon while going to town on both noodles and broth together. Is it 100% authentic? I'm not sure. Is it good? Yeh it is. This is a place I recommend to everyone, and is among one of the first places I think about coming to when looking to eat out. read more

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My honey and I took grandpa to Wagaya on a Thursday night right at 7:45pm. We joined their virtual waitlist about 30 min earlier and were seated right away. The shop is small and cozy, but has tables that sit both 2 people and 8-10. The menu was extensive and we ended up getting the garlic ramen and garlic tsukemen. Both were incredibly flavorful and service was fast. My only criticism was the noodles were a bit over cooked. Next time we will definitely order apps/starters as they looked absolutely delicious coming out of the kitchen. The restaurant is in a little shopping square, and during that hour, parking was easy. We've heard it can be busy around lunch and dinner time, but we're pleased to have such a quick in and out experience with full bellies at the end of the night! read more

Wagaya - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is my boyfriend's favorite ramen spot so when he needs his ramen fix, this is our place to go! One junk thing is that the parking lot is so small and the stalls are very tight. The restaurant is on the smaller side so it tends to fill up quickly. Luckily we went earlier in the evening before the dinner rush so we were quickly seated with no wait time. I got ramen and he got tsukemen which we devoured! I've tried a lot of their appetizers and I've always been impressed. I highly recommend coming here earlier in the evening and try to carpool if you're eating here with a group! read more

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Came here as party of 6, wasn't busy so got seated right away. They sell Ramen, a lot of apps, tsukemen, Donburis, drinks, and desserts. A lot of selection to choose from. my party ended up ordering gyozas, corn, ramen, tsukemen, donburis, beers. the whole works. might I add this was 12:00pm, lunch time haha. service was great, they accommodated to all of our customizations and weird requests. food was great, sometimes you forget about great things and when you do try it again, you remember why it was so great the first time. Parking is limited and stall size is on the smaller side so just be careful. would definitely recommend to come here in bigger groups (4+) so that each person can have a ramen and enjoy sharing different apps read more

The ramen was delicious, with a rich, flavorful broth, but I definitely wished it was spicier. I ordered the spicy version, and when I asked, the waiter assured me it was spicy enough--but if you're a true chile lover, it's pretty mild. Also, I wouldn't have minded a bit more meat in the bowl.The atmosphere was...interesting. The waiters were even odder--we could clearly hear them talking about how another place they worked at was way better than this one. Kinda funny but also...why are you saying that out loud? Haha. Overall, I'd recommend it, but I'd also be down to try somewhere else next time! read more

Wagaya - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The ramen here is delicious! I ordered the garlic wagaya ramen and it was so good, I contemplated on ordering extra noddles! We also had the potato mochi, which was less of a mochi texture and more of a flaky potato texture. I don't know if I'd order the potato mochi again, but I could definitely eat the ramen again! Also, beware, parking is tight in this plaza especially during peak hours. read more

Wagaya - Garlic wagaya ramen (so good I forgot to take a photo of it before eating) - Ramen Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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So I've gone to this place three times and had a bad experience each time I was there. 1st: we signed in thru the iPad thing outside and waited about 15 min. Once the guy came out, he got us and sat us down. We looked inside and no one else was in there. Just two other two tops. I was really confused on why we waited 15 minutes. Then when we ordered everything, the food took a while to come out weirdly. Almost half an hour. 2nd: We were sat near the front door. When we sat down, there was a weird sulfur smell coming from somewhere. We told our waiter if that's a normal thing and he said it happened yesterday and they hadn't fixed it yet. The restaurant was full, so we couldn't sit anywhere else. We were hungry so we endured. *by this time, I thought the food was okay. Never had a need to go back, but a couple of my friends insisted that they wanted to try it themselves because they heard such good things. 3rd and last time: By the third time, I personally didn't like the place. The food was pretty mid and with the last two weird complications I had, I didn't want to be there again. But I gave the benefit of the doubt. Ordered our food and our appetizers. The apps came out and they were different from what we ordered. The waiter went to the back for like 15 minutes so I couldn't question anything yet. We didn't eat our apps til he got back and realized he switched up the orders. He took it back and brought out our ramen. We didn't wait so we ate our ramen. By the time we were done, the correct apps came out. We took it to go, but it was kinda off putting. Never went back. First time was before covid. Second time was after covid. 3rd time was a couple years ago. Ppl do like it. But with my experience with them and from what I have, it's not my personal choice. read more