So at the beginning of this year, my mom had to find a new tenant for the studio she rents out. Among the applicants was Chef Aoki, a slender very a-typical asian man who had was looking for a more affordable place to live. My mom was hesitant to let him move in; she prefers quiet students. But when he illustrated his daily work schedule it became apparent that he'd be spending little time here because he owns a ramen shop on South King! MY DREAM COME TRUE. I was thrilled at the idea of a new ramen shop in Hawaii. And with the owner as my neighbor, I was so sure to get some serious deals (can you say discount?)
Situated on South King between Piikoi and Pensacola, Raraya is super easy to miss. They offer parking but it's relatively limited; street parking is always readily available. Aoki received his training in Yokohama, so his style of ramen is very unusual for the local scene, a type of broth and noodle I was unfamiliar with but so excited to try.
Personally, if you're going to make me a bowl of ramen it damn better well be pork based broth. Tonkotsu ramen has an amazing flavor unmatched by it's miso and shoyu based counterparts. This just so happens to be Raraya's specialty. Boiling the marrow for three days to prepare the broth shows true dedication to amazing flavor. Two words: simply delicious.
I can see why most locals are hesitant to try this place. The noodles are thick, like saimin, but the restaurant allows you to really customize your ramen experience. Soup too oily? Get a little less. Noodles too thick? They offer thinner ones. Basically even if your first experience isn't mind-blowing like mine was I can assure you that whatever you didn't like can be changed for something you will.
My brother (who does not read/understand Japanese) struggled to understand the menu as it was a bit confusing for English speakers. So he chose to eat the Mini Loco Moco Curry. Very similar to the local staple, the only difference being that instead of gravy the rice was covered in beef curry with vegetables. Even for the mini, the portion was ridiculously huge.
In the top corner there, barely visible, is the gyoza we ordered as well! This paired really well with the ramen. Unlike most places, I believe Aoki pours a potato-starch mixture towards the end of frying, creating an extra crispy bottom that adds more crunch to the usually soft texture.
Overall, I was absolutely stuffed and barely managed to drink all of my soup. My brother wasn't even able to eat half of his meal. And while I wasn't given a discount as I had hoped, it didn't put a damper in my meal. Since the weather has been so gloomy lately, I've been dreaming of their thick soup and seriously can't wait till the next time I eat there. This isn't just a plug for my mom's tenant. Really. This ramen is just that good.
