Wagaya

Wagaya is a wonderful ramen establishment that fits nicely into the weathered walk up apartments, and multiple-​family houses of the McCully and Moiliili neighborhoods. It sits at the back of a tiny strip mall on the Mauka side of King Street, almost under some stairs, hard to see from the street. Although newly opened by a young transplanted couple, the place feels like the older mom and pop operations that were once common in this area.
Your basic Ramen Shiro has the option of less concentrated, regular (ふつう), or more intensely concentrated tare, flavoring anywhere from regular to crazy spicy, and if you ask politely, more seabura added to increase the silky lingering mouthfeel of fat. The noodles are usually the thinner straight style but you could opt for wavy medium thick chijire noodles. Either can be made softer or hard firm. If you are the type who talks a lot and eats slowly, noodles scooped into a spoonful of broth, go with firm noodles and don’t bother asking for more seabura.
My preference is the tsukemen. The depth of the tare is enhanced with some black garlic oil and vinegar. Adding dried fish powder and asking for s little more seabura enhances the flavor. The bowl of broth stays hot enough to enjoy the medium thick chijire noodles and you can ask for some soup wari if you want to finish your broth. They make one of the best ajitama eggs (ajitsuke tamago or にたまご), served whole not halved, with a gooey yolk. It makes a wonderful few bites eaten along with the cubes of soft pork from the tsukemen broth, or better yet a small bite to release the oozy yolk onto my noodles before I dip.
I really enjoy the relaxed warmth of this place. You might notice a ramen eating warrior on one the walls alongside the framed tenogui — a gift from a friend if theirs who worked briefly worked for Wagaya while at the university. Tada and his wife Pearl run Wagaya — a polite formal way of saying «my place» — as a place of the heart.

Located on South King Street right before Ross, I missed this hidden gem and had to make my way around again to spot it. The parking lot is small, so you may end up having to find street parking, or you can park at Ross and walk on over. When my party and I first arrived, it was 7:30 on a Sunday night and the restaurant was full packed. For a ramen shop, it is pretty big and could possibly fit 40 guests. I had a party of 6, we put our name on the list and was seated in fifteen minutes. They were able to accommodate my party of 6 and another party of 7 who was seated shortly after us. We did not feel cramped like other ramen shops, which was pretty nice.
What sets this ramen shop apart from others is the beef tongue. It was so delicious and flavorful, we ordered two. For my entrée, I ordered the tan tan ramen with a spicy level of 2, which I thought was alright. Gyoza was okay also.
However, I thought service was great. Staff was friendly, informative and quick.
Overall, there are so many ramen joints on the island to be compared to, in my book, they have tough competition. This place was good, but not a place I am dying to go back to. I have my own list of favorite ramen shops, and this place did not make it.

With the weather being a little chilly and feeling a little bit under the weather ramen felt like the perfect dinner choice.
After doing a quick search on Unilocal,we decided to check out Wagaya.
I had the Wagaya Tsukemen (Level 1). I like dipping my noodles into the broth. My boyfriend had the Tonkatsu Tan Tan Mein (Level 2). We also ordered the gyoza. I loved that the ramen was customizable. You are able to choose the tenderness of your noodles, the saltiness of your broth and the spice level.
The place was clean and the service was good. The only downfall would be the small parking lot. This would could be a problem with a rush crowd and competing restaurants in the same structure. However, I noticed that their was street parking.

I learned about Wagaya thanks to Emi H., when she posted a photo on Instagram a few months back. Oh my, they had me at the photo (which I believe was the garlic ramen… fyi, she says the tsukemen is also very good). I’ve been 3 times with 3 different people, and everyone has loved their food as much as I do!
Ramen at Wagaya is completely customizable! You get to choose your level of saltiness, the softness or firmness or your noodles, and the spice level. Of course you can also add extras (I love extra fried garlic). Also, there is a whole perfectly soft-​boiled egg in your ramen – so you can choose to eat it, or break it open and let the yolky goodness further enrich the already rich and oh-​so-​flavorful broth. I’m a lightweight – no salt, no spice, soft noodles – so for me to say the broth it super ‘ono, keep in mind that this is in it’s «au naturel» state, too! My favorite ramen is the garlic ramen. Sorry, I can’t tell you about the tsukemen or other ramens because I keep going back for my favorite.
I can, however, tell you about the sides and dessert! On my second visit, we tried out the karaage chicken. It was tasty, not to hard but just right in crispness. We wanted the pork belly, but they were out, unfortunately. It must be popular. More recently, Li Y. and I tried out the mizuna salad, agedashi eggplant, and fried calamari. All were oishi! The fried calamari stole the show. It was just slightly greenish, which I’m sure has to do with the seasoning. SO tender and delicious with in a mayo-​ponzu dipping sauce. The mizuna salad was a nice, refreshing counterpoint to our hot ramen and other sides. Very fresh and light. The agedashi eggplant was also very good, but it just got upstaged by the other 2 sides. One could definitely go to Wagaya and dine very well on on just side dishes, but I’d never be able to pass up the ramen.
My dining partner on my 2^nd trip to Wagaya was super excited to see coffee jelly on the dessert menu. I was so full, I couldn’t eat another bite, but he loved the coffee jelly. I really wanted to try the warabi mochi ice cream, but there was absolutely no room. I got it on my last visit, despite being stuffed to the gills once more. Ooooooh, was it good! You have a choice of having your mochi dusted in green tea or kinako. I went with kinako. This is not your regular opaque pastel-​colored mochi, but a warm, clear and greenish jelly-​er (is that a word?) style. It’s an amazing and delicious contrast to the vanilla ice cream.
My future visits to Wagaya for ramen have just become more challenging, as I will now have to decide if I have room for side dishes or warabi mochi ice cream to go along with my main event.
Wagaya is very bright and clean inside. It’s pretty quiet, and I’ve seen patrons from a wide-​eyed toddler to tutus pushing walkers. All of the servers are super friendly, and I feel liek this is a place where everyone would feel comfortable.
The only drawback to Wagaya is that there’s a pretty tiny parking lot. In the evening, you can also park in a few spaces fronting the church next door, but keep in mind you’re sharing parking with Mama Woo’s and other shop patrons. Definitely carpool, if you can. That being said, I’ve been twice just before opening (5:30), and once around 8:30, and there was easy parking every time.
Yum!

I’m not typically a ramen fan but ever since I got pregnant, I have been craving every carb under the sun, much to Michael W’s delight.
We met a group of friends at Wagaya, all of our first times there, and we were all pleasantly surprised! The prices were reasonable and the ramen was tasty! I ordered the Tonkotsu Tan Tan. Though the broth could have used a bit more depth, I was really happy with it, as the noodles were firm and chewy and the broth had just the right amount of spice (I ordered level 1).
The staff was super friendly and attentive, and the shop was very cozy — I’d like to go back and try more!

I AM A FAN!
I absolutely LOVED the garlic ramen! I had it done level 1 spicy, regular saltiness with soft noodles. It was delicious! The broth was so flavorful and the noodles were perfectly soft, just the way I enjoy it!
The portion was good and they give you a WHOLE SOFT BOILED EGG. A WHOLE EGG!!! I usually need to order extra egg with my ramen, but this was a big fat juicy egg. You bite into it and that yolk just oozes. OOZES!!! Oh my gosh, dat egg doe.
I like the options to customize saltiness, tenderness or noodles, and the level of spice. It makes for a more personalized dining experience.
The service was great. The waitress was nice and didn’t rush us out of the restaurant. The décor and atmosphere is also very pleasant. It’s a nice little nestled joint in town. Only thing is, I can definitely see parking being an issue during peak hours since the lot is small and shared with other businesses.
I would definitely recommend to try it out! This place is a top contender for ramen!

Best Ramen Spot!!!
Our first night landing in Oahu, we were recommended to try Wagaya out. Needless to say, we were not disappointed!
Staff greeted us immediately at the door and we were seated promptly. Pearl (owner) was phenomenal in helping us also recommend some appetizers and pointing out to us we can choose the «al dentiness”(is that a word?) of the noodles.
Must haves:
Tofu Karaage (not sure if on dinner menu, but was delicious)
Agedashi Eggplant — tasty
Pork belly — ermehgawd… melts in your mouth.
Ahi Katsu — Yummy with a surprisingly taste of little tomatoes.
Garlic Ramen
Curry Ramen
Tonkatsu Ramen
Warabi Mochi Ice Cream
The ramen’s had a wonderful depth of flavor that is in the rich broth. The soft boiled egg is cooked to perfection (egg porn anyone?). Kudos to the chef for really not skimping on portion and quality of the broth. Portion size was perfect and enough to fill you up!
Warabi Mochi Ice cream — mmmm. Just get it! So good
Wagaya ranks pretty high next to my all time favorite, Ramen Dojo in San Mateo back in CA and on top of that, no long wait! We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are planning another trip soon!
See you guys! Mahalo for the hospitality!

I came here on a good recommendation from a few family friends and wasn’t disappointed at all.
For the smaller plates we had the ahi katsu, eggplant, tofu karaage, and the pork belly. Seriously you could just make a meal of all the small dishes, but the last two are definite tries.
The ramen is straight up on point with some of the best in the sf Bay Area. I can easily say that if they opened closer to home I would be a weekly customer. We had the garlic ramen, curry ramen, and tonkotsu ramen. All three were super delicious and perfectly done to our choices in spiciness and softness of the noodles.
The staff is super friendly and answered all the questions we had about everything.
At the end of the meal we were all stuffed but I’m a fatty so I had to get the vanilla ice cream with both mochi flavors, this was perfect after such a huge meal.
I can’t wait to go back and try all the other flavors on the menu.

Hidden gem alert. Love my ramen and was excited to try Wagaya, it did not disappoint. I had the garlic ramen and it was scrumptuous; the broth was full-​bodied, flavorful, and hot. The noodles were very good. The egg was perfect. My husband’s shio ramen was similarly delicious. You have many options for levels of spiciness, saltiness, and noodle chewiness.
Service was excellent. I was impressed by the provision of a «take and toss» child’s cup and straw for my 11 month old. They also gave us a really cute children’s bowl, fork and spoon. It shows that they’re family friendly.

Saw the rave about the tsukemen and had to try this spot out! This little quaint place is tucked inside of a parking lot on king street in moilili.
Came for lunch around noon, and we were seated right away. I was in a party of 3 and we all had the Tsukemen, and we shared a gyoza order. We weren’t aware that we could customize the broth to be less salty, so it came default saltier than we all had anticipated. The food here was just okay. I have definitely had better. I did like that it was thicker noodles, and they give you a whole soft boiled egg, unlike other ramen houses. The soft boiled egg was my favorite part. Very ooey gooey on the inside, just perfect.
Price is kind of expensive, you’re looking at 5.95 for an order of gyoza they do add additional pieces for $ 1 extra each. The ramen ranges anywhere from $ 10−13+ if you do any add ons it’s additional $ 1 – 3.00. Portion was good, but overall, what stood out the most was the service. I would say if you’re on a ramen journey, this probably would be a place to check out at least one time.

It was time for Mothers’ Day dinner and we did not know where to go. so I checked on Unilocal… thank you Unilocal for he reviews on Wagaya…
We headed over there and easily found parking… Upon entering, I noticed it was bright and clean, very unassuming. We were told to sit anywhere.
Upon seating we checked out the menu… narrowed it down to 2 ramens, garlic Wagaya ramen and Tonkatsu tan tan mein. We decided to share so Stuart brought us extra bowls. Both ramens were very good, but we thought we were missing something…, so we ordered a 3^rd ramen, Wagaya tsukemen… that was the best!
Noodles were al dente, broth so delicious… needless to say, ere were stuffed.
This might be our new go to ramen restaurant!
As previously mentioned by another Yeep, Wagaya has only 4 stalls, but you can park in the other stalls too…
We returned a few months later and I’m can’t figure what I liked about this place. sorry, I now think they are ok.

I lava Wagaya! It’s one of the best that I’ve had! It’s located in the same area as Mama Woo’s – just tucked into the back of that same free parking lot. There’s also plenny street parking along King.
It’s relatively new, and the owners hail from California, where the land of great ramen shops live. It’s family owned and operated, and the couple who own it have the CUTEST little boy! He’s darling!
The interior is nice and clean, with plenty of room for larger groups or tables of 4.
On to the food!
Ramen: super customizable, with three levels of done-​ness for your noodles (softer, standard, harder), five (!) levels of spice, and three levels of salt! I have to say the harder noodles are better imho (Japanese style), but the standard level of salt are just fine. We got the Tonkatsu tan tan men ($ 12.75 bowl of delicious), and the garlic tonkatsu ramen ($ 11 amazing bowl of breath freshening broth goodness), the ahi belly katsu ($ 7), edamame with Hawaiian salt ($ 3), and their PARMESAN LOTUS ROOT CHIPS ($ 4).
YES. SO MUCH YES. Their garlic ramen is AMAZING. The only other ramen I’ve had that is like it is the black garlic ramen from Shirokiya, but price-​wise, this one wins hands down, AND dat egg doe! The soft boiled egg is pure heaven. It is so creamy and perfectly cooked. It’s amazing. The garlic broth is rich, flavorful, and you can tell it was cooked with love. Potentially my favorite bowl of ramen, and I’ve been on a ramen trip recently!
Their tonkatsu tan tan men is also good, with strong sesame and chili flavor. It also comes with ground pork and half of a soft-​boiled egg.
Their ahi katsu is pretty good, they give solid portions, cooked well, and each piece of ahi is separated by a cherry tomato (interesting choice). Their edamame is delicious – and the Hawaiian salt makes it. Even though they’re from California, I like the nod to the islands, and it is good!
The star of the show (besides dat garlic) was the PARMESAN LOTUS ROOT CHIPS. They are so light, so crispy, and so seriously delicious. I can’t even. I could seriously eat a whole bowl full of these. They are amazing. Definitely get them!

Came here twice and both were great experiences! (With the exception of parking xP)
Parking is a luck kind of game. Either you find one or you don’t lol it’s a small private lot shared with other places and a private church school so look for the correct marked stalls that say customer parking~
For all the ramen choices, you can customize it to your own taste! You can choose your level of spice and the texture of your noodles (softer, standard, harder)
Both times I came here I got the Garlic Wagaya Ramen (gotta have my garlic yo) but this time I decided to make it a lunch combo ($ 3.50 extra) I got set B which is 3 pieces of gyoza + mini chicken karaage don. The bf got the wagaya ramen (shiro) with set A which is 3 pieces of gyoza + mini charsiu don
Anything with garlic tastes superb ;3 I think each ramen comes with at least a soft boiled egg, wood mushrooms, choy sum, a s slice of charsiu, and nori! I only ordered level 1 spice but it was stronger than I expected o. o but it was still so good hehe I also sampled some of the shiro ramen and it was pretty good too o: there’s something about the ramen here that makes it feel authentic? Whatever it is, it’s gonna keep me coming back ^o^
The gyoza isn’t anything special but gyoza always yummy so no complaints here x) the chicken karaage was delicious! There’s 3 pieces and comes with a side of mayo with some chili flakes for you to dip in. The charsiu comes in cubes and was a bit dry so I would recommend dipping it in your soup or soy sauce
This meal overall was a 10 especially since it had us leaving super full! This would be my to go place for ramen, particularly during lunch because the lunch combo is so worth! I hope to come back for happy hour at night so I can try the ahi katsu people rave about =3

Earlier reviews kept me away, but current reviews got me to give it a go. I arrived on a Thursday at opening and the place was empty. One trip to the bathroom later, 5 or 6 tables were full! It’s a good size restaurant, but their staff is limited.
My friends and I all ended up getting the same tonkotsu tan tan men, but we were all able to customize the spice level, noodle hardness, and broth saltiness to our own liking. The ramen was delicious and I enjoyed everything about it. The half soft boiled egg was exceptional!
I didn’t care for the gyoza. It was okay and lacked flavor, but my friend liked it because it was really juicy which reminded her of Xiao long bao.
Parking is limited in the lot, but there’s plenty of street parking available. Really enjoyed the ramen here!

This is a great improvement over Chinpei that previously occupied this location. I decided to try the basics.
Gyoza. The gyoza was okay. It tasted like a very mild Japan gyoza. For a ramenya serving spicy ramen I would have expected more garlic or ginger. a crispier harder shell on the pot sticking side would have been nice.
Kurobuta. Presentation was great but it was stringy. I was as if there wasn’t enough fat in the layers or it wasn’t cooked long enough. Disappointing. The savior was the perfectly soft boiled egg.
Shiro Ramen. Yes! Beautiful Tonkotsu broth. Another perfectly soft boiled egg but the noodles were too soft on the outside. This has been an issue at most ramen places I’ve tried in Hawaii expect Menchanko-​Tei.
Flavors are good but the soft noodle without a nice «koshi» are driving me crazy in this town. Fix that, and I’ll make this a regular place.

If you haven’t been here since the soft opening, I’d suggest you come back! Even during the soft opening, the ramen was tasty. Now with the regular menu, Wagaya is by far my favorite ramen spot on the island. (I now need to adjust my star ratings for the other ramen joints that I’ve reviewed.)
I love the Garlic Wagaya Ramen (Kuro) at Spiciness Level 2. (You can pick from levels 1, 2, or 3.) Also total winners is the kinako mochi + vanilla ice cream. If you’re indecisive, you can order a trio of all 3 desserts, but really, you’re gonna wish that you just ordered the full-​size mochi + ice cream.

WoW WoW Wow… Where do I start…
So, you know how you go to a ramen shop, and usually it’s only ramen and gyoza. Maybe you’ll find a few other side dishes, but ya… it’s usually just ramen and gyoza. Fear no more! This ramen shop as an extensive menu aside from the traditional ramen and gyoza. In fact, I was so happy and full even before the ramen came! Don’t worry, I still was able to enjoy the ramen because it was VEGETARIAN! Ya! They have vegetarian ramen!
Ok, so when you go, you MUST MUST MUST get their ahi katsu. Oh my. (Yes, I eat some seafood.) It’s the BEST ahi katsu ever! Oh and the shio cabbage is good too. One might think why am I going to order just cabbage? Trust me… just order it.
Oh and their service is great!
Ah… I’m drooling just writing this review. I need to go back. Now.

I hot lava this new ramen shop! The wonderful staff is so welcoming! The prices make my wallet smile! They’ll make your noodles any way you want it! And the food? MmMm-​MMH! Oishii!
From the moment I opened the door, I had a great experience.
1) They let me bring my bike inside and put it in the waiting area.
2) The waitress smiled and kept on smiling the whole way through. A friendly smile is the best invitation to dine and as key an ingredient as «love» when it comes to restaurant food.
3) The prices are wallet friendly!
4) The food is so good!
MORE ABOUT THE FOOD
I ordered shio cabbage as a fresh start. There was this wonderful flavor of garlic and magical secrets that hit the spot! I was not expecting to be surprised by cabbage!
The ahi katsu is the best! That’s a huge statement because many restaurants offer ahi katsu. Their version consists of two big chunks on a stick. She explained they use ahi belly which has more fat. If you undercook ahi belly, it’s got a chew. If you overcook, it becomes tough. They did it just right. I feel like Goldilocks who found the baby bear’s bed.
Vegetarians need to try the vegetarian ramen! It is loaded with all manner of veggie friendly items and tastes good!
The tsukemen is also delicious! I really like the noodles they use for it! The broth is smooth, almost creamy and nicely balanced. It’s like their regular broth reduced just a bit.
Now let me tell you about that soft-​boiled egg. I love the yolk just a wee bit cooked and mostly runny. Wagaya nails it! The egg white is somehow cooked enough to hold shape and be mostly firm but the yolk is luscious liquid. It must be sorcery.
WHAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW
This is a mom and pop shop, where mom is the service and pop is the chef. I really miss family restaurants where you are welcomed and appreciated. It was nice to have that feeling again.
They get their noodles from their friend’s LA factory! I love that! Family, friends, ramen!
You can order your noodles any way you want it! They’ll undercook it, overcook it and they’re looking to get thin noodles. Just ask!
WHERE IS IT?
On the left-​hand side of King St, in the same building as Mama Woo’s about half a block after you pass McCully St. They’re secluded in the back.
HOW’S THE PARKING?
The building has a small lot, 4 stalls for ramen and you can use the church stalls after 6pm I think, for a total of about 10. There’s also street parking along King St. I, however, am looking forward to another bike ride just to eat here!

I think I found my tsukemen (dipping noodles) go-​to place. Ever since Taishoken closed down a few years ago, I have not had much luck with tsukemen except Kiwami. However, Wagaya beats Kiwami in substance and style (Kiwami is a bit plain). I ordered the tsukmen with tonkotsu dipping broth for $ 11.95. The noodles were al dente, thick and the sliced nori garnish was a stylish touch. The tonkotsu broth was hearty with a touch of oil vinegar, thick, and filled with veggies and pork. The combination of noodles and broth worked well.
As a matter of background, the place is run by a young husband and wife team, with the husband as the chef and wife running the front of the house. It is a small place, but there was plenty of seating. There is also ample parking in the small strip mall by Mama Woo’s. She told me that although the tsukemen noodles are not hand made (like Taishoken), they order their noodles custom from the mainland. The lunch char siu don + gyoza starter for $ 3 more was also a nice (and pretty substantial) appetizer. Oishidesu!

Everything seems just A-​OK. Nothing really stood out. What was ordered:
Daikon Salad — Daikon cut too thick. Dressing was ok, but did not like the bonito flakes on top.
Gyoza — average
Spicy Umami Ramen — average. soup and noodle were passable but nothing special.
Sorry for the crappy review, but nothing was memorable about this dinner.