AGU Ramen

Had the Agu savory parmesan cheese ramen. It sounds weird but it actually tastes good. This time I asked if they could use a different type of noodle, but they said the chef is very picky and that he wouldn’t allow it. Booo!
The tori nanban chicken was good, but for $ 11, I thought it was a bit pricey. It was served with a little shredded cabbage.

First experience here was very impressive. I had the Shoyu Tonkatsu ramen. What made it even more
flavorable was the Parmesan cheese. That was a very first for me. On top of that I’m glad that they’ve explained the kitchen service charge to us consumers… being well informed about it.
Restaurants like Lucky belly doesn’t warn their customers about the hidden charge if you request for an Empty bowl (empty one).
My hats off to the staff and kitchen personnel on the quality of service and food. Keep it up!

Parmesan ramen is a MUST. I regret not getting it the first time I came here. At first I thought the serving sizes were a bit small for the prices, but after finishing the entire bowl, I ended up walking out verrrryyy full.
Try to avoid the busy hours if possible, restaurant is very small so seating is limited and wait times can get long.

Hype did not meet expectations. Had high expectations for the price point, but the small portion sizes and the meh broth base made my experience a-​ok. Would have given 3.5 stars if we could because the service was pretty good.
Place: location location location! Great location because it’s in Ward Village. Perfect place to go before or after a movie. It’s pretty small place, was told we would have a 20 minute wait but then we were seated almost immediately since we did not have a preference of counter or table and was seated at the counter for our party of three. Tip: If you don’t want other folks to hear your conversation, don’t sit at the counter. The counter area is in the middle of the restaurant, with two long tables facing each other separated by some decorations and low plants. I could hear everything the couple across us were saying on their date and vice versa.
Appetizers: Range between $ 5-​$ 13. We ordered three: IIDAKO (fried baby octopus) $ 11, RAFUTE (Stewed pork belly) $ 11, and the FRIED MIMIGA (deep-​fried Pig’s ears) $ 7. May favorite dish was the IIDAKO, perfect crunchiness and juicy on the inside. Good thing that we ordered appetizers because the ramen portions were small.
Entrée: We each ordered something different: original Kotteri; level 2 spicy Kotteri; and level 5 Spicy Kotteri. The highest level of spicy offered is level 5. Level 3 spicy is when they start adding Thai chilis. I was expecting an out of world experience with my first sip of the level 2 spicy Kotteri. But I just thought it was meh. A little salty and not the rich creamy flavor I was expecting. The creamy egg was the best part of the ramen.
I suggest they up the portion sizes so folks feel like they are getting more for what they pay for.

I’d always wanted to try out this establishment ever since they opened up on Isenberg Street, but sadly the stars never aligned for me to try out the Ramen everyone has been raving about until now.
We stopped at the AGU at Ward Centre, which is directly fronting Queen Street across from Pier 1. The establishment is small, but very nice — fresh flowers as centerpieces line the long table that bisects the room. No reservations are taken, so be ready to wait if there is a queue
I loved the appetizers that we ordered:
— The Iidako/​battered and fried baby octopus ($ 11): The Iidako is pretty much like all the other iidako that are readily available in any good izakaya, but just like the others, the Iidako is a great dish.
— Fried Mimiga/​deep-​fried Pig’s ears ($ 7): I was somewhat concerned that this might be a bit tough to eat — Their method of preparation of the mimiga is ingenious! it’s thin enough to be easily eaten, and the added spicy mayonnaise to dip into is a good match with the otherwise bland appetizer.
— Okinawan Rafute/​Stewed pork belly ($ 11): This has been incredibly well-​prepared, and it does really melt in your mouth. It’s sweet and the fat is eatable with your noodles. In other words, OMG GET IN MY MOUTH AND MELT IN THERE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE
Our little Unilocal gang decided to try out the different iterations of their popular Kotteri Ramen — the standard (non-​spicy) Kotteri, the Spicy Kotteri, and the Mega-​5-​level Spicy Kotteri. The noodles are firm, so if you do prefer the noodles softer, let it soak for a bit while you enjoy the appetizers.
I do have to say, that with the iterations I tried, I love the Spicy Kotteri #2. it seems to be just right for my tastes, since my palate growing up had always been fairly bland and understated.
One sip of the Spicy Kotteri #5 made me cry — the ice water obviously made it worse. Our friendly server related to us that it is a struggle and for most customers, the comfortable eating experience is usually the #2 or #3. #5 overpowers the kotteri flavor and makes you fully aware that you are about to take on a self-​inflicted challenge!
AGU Ramen, thank you so much for opening up this place! You certainly got it right when you came up with this amazing menu to share with the community!

Spicy! That’s what we left with!
My girlfriend and I came by to clear her sinuses, and we were not disappointed.
AGU Ramen offers several broth bases, and within them options for spiciness. They rate their spiciness on a scale of 1 – 5, where 1 – 2 is mild and 3 – 5 should proceed with caution. Our server compared 3 to eating a Thai chili.
We ordered the Spicy Kotteri ramen (tonkotsu with black garlic oil for extra richness) with a level 3. Our server confirmed with us if we wanted level 3, and when the food was brought out (by another server), we thought we heard the guy say level 2. We didn’t bother to confirm, but it was just the right amount of spicy for us.
The ramen was very rich, with a lot of depth and flavor. I was able to discern the garlic oil from the pork broth, as well as the chili they use to add heat. I like adding white vinegar to my ramen, which they had along soy sauce, chili oil, and white pepper, and it mixed pleasantly well with the broth. The noodles are thin (my favorite!), and were found in generous portions at the bottom of the deceptively small bowls they serve ramen in. Toppings include bamboo shoots, char siu (which we thought was OK), sliced green onions, and half a soft boiled egg. The egg was our favorite part, not only because of the yolk’s consistency, but also because it was sweetened in a soy sauce. A great surprise!
My taste memory is nothing to brag about, but I enjoyed this as much as I do a few ramen shops in California: Shinsengumi (Los Angeles), Ramen Parlor, Ramen Dojo (San Mateo), Orenchi (Santa Clara).
We also ordered the Zaasai appetizer, Chinese style pickled mustard greens. Not so pungent as what I grew up eating, but balanced and went well with our ramen.
Lastly, this location is very cute and tidy. My only complaint is that it is a little pricey ($ 14 for our bowl), but what do I know about the economy here?

So we were here for our weekly ramen fix. My son had the jidori chicken shoyu ramen, and I got the spicy kotteri level 7, spices on the side. I always have spice on the side because sometimes I can take the heat, and sometimes the spice turns me into a crying, red faced baby. It’s so good! We also had their delicious gyoza and the Agucini, a Japanese version of arancini, the rice formed into little balls, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep fried. These were much smaller than last time, which made me think of making them at home. Think of large sized marbles, 3 pieces, for an outrageous price. My son loves them so I’d better learn how to make them soon! We do love Agu, though, and come here weekly. The staff is wonderful. Highly recommended.

First time eating here and I was a little underwhelmed. After looking through all the mouth watering photos of this place, I imagined all sorts of tantalizing flavors.
I ordered the Original Kotteri which was the recommended favorite and when the waiter placed the bowl in front of me, the presentation was just like the photos — the bits of black garlic in wonderful contrast with the creamy broth, the bright yellow yolk of the egg, the green onion and bamboo shoots all looked delicious and eye popping.
Eager to dig in, I found myself continuously reaching for the chile oil to spice it up a notch. The broth and noodles were a bit bland for my taste (until the very bottom of the bowl which was salty).
The second item we ordered was the gyoza. The six pieces were pretty small for $ 6 and very oily.
As a heads up, you’ll find a «Kitchen Service Charge» added to your bill at the end of your meal.

$ 17 Ramen? It was delicious but pricey. Garlicky and Cheesy thick oil full bodied broth with not enough noodles for my taste. It’s about the broth but what about the noodles? My waiter was superb with his recommendations and attentiveness which saved me from having a nasty taste in mouth after the bill with the 4% service charge for the kitchen. Makes you go hmm
Probably won’t drop that coin again but if you have change to spare go for it!

After seeing lots of posts about ramen and hearing about the spicy ramen, I finally got to try this place out!
The place itself is fairly small (imagine Ala Moana Gomatei cut in half). We got the menu and I was just slightly overwhelmed with the choices, especially since there were no pictures to go with the meals.
In the end I decided to give their spicy ramen a try! After being told level 2 is comparable to sriracha spicy, I decided I better start small before I try a different spice level. Well, I got my ramen and was not impressed. It was weaker than the spice level of a Kim Chee bowl (LOL). I asked the waiter if I could bump it up to the next level, but it’s an additional $ 1. I know, $ 1 isn’t a big deal but I was also not impressed with my small bowl of ramen which cost $ 14 already. (I’m used to paying $ 9 – 10 for a large bowl of ramen from Ramen Ya, Daiichi Ramen, or Gomatei).
I may come back later on in the future and I’m prepared to try a spicy ramen that’s level 3 and above!

Fattie Ramen. Smallish portions for the price.
3.5 stars
Maybe I’m just not used to Hawaiian prices yet. Im used to big bowls of ramen with so much noodles I can barely finish it. Agu falls short of that .
Things we ordered
Chicken karage– crispy and juicy! Also enjoyed the spicy soy dipping sauce instead of the traditional mayo.
spicy kotteri ramen level 2– spice level 2 was very mildly spicy so if you like your food spicy I suggest go a little higher. The egg was perfectly cooked with a custard like yolk texture. The black garlic + spicy flavor together was all too overwhelming for me. Too rich in flavor, and a lot of fat/​oil floating around the broth for my liking. The fried garlic added nothing but bitterness. It was overdone :(
Kotteri ramen– also a very oily and heavy broth!
My cousin ordered the yuzu ramen and tried his broth. Very peppery with a hint of yuzu.
The décor was clean and service was friendly so I will give this place another shot :) until then…

I come back time and time again and this place never fails to disappoint. I always get the spicy kotteri #2. The balance in spice and robust garlic flavor always takes me aback. By far the best ramen I’ve ever tried.
All the appetizers are priced very well and taste amazing too! I can’t help but accompany my noodles with Gyoza… I guess that’s the Asian in me. Also, the «Cheek-​a-​bu Croquettes» are amazing, and the karaage is too! I always ask for a slice of lemon on mine, though.
Thanks, Agu! Keep it coming!

Loved the broth of the different ramen dishes we had. So deep, so flavorful, so distinctive. Even the non-​ramen dishes were good and well presented. I think this beats out Goma Tei. But the location is small and fills up quickly so expect to wait. If there’s no line, get in there!

Elevated ramen? Ok, I’d buy that. I mean seriously, show me an Asian that doesn’t eat ramen and I’ll show you that oceanfront property I recently purchased in North Dakota. Everyone I know eats ramen so when you infer elevating such a mundane dish to greater heights, i’m there. It’s not your regular packaged Ichiban ramen that’s for sure.
I’m a soup connoisseur and I can eat a hot bowl of soup even on the hottest of days. Agu Ramen is my kind of place — it’s good all day, everyday. I love:
–The flavorful broth in the Original Kotteri with the garlicky oil (I guess I’ve always lucked out and have never gotten an overly oily bowl of soup).
–Agu’s Savory Parm /​Kotteri soup is also a bowl full of comfort with the ooey-​gooey parmesan in ramen. Who would’ve thunk that ramen and cheese go together so well.
–The rich and «meaty» Miso flavored Tonkatsu also a winning bowl for me.
–Aji Tamago! I ask for extra in my bowl every time. Where can I buy a dozen of these goodies to go? Always perfectly marinated, never runny and always the perfect amount of goo!
My only «problem» and it’s really not a problem in the grand scheme of life is that this location does NOT substitute items. I love soup but I don’t like the meat (s) in my soup so I ask for no meat and extra something. Easy enough to not ladle the the meat into my bowl but give me something for that deletion. No substitutions although the original and Kapolei locations will do that.
I’m a believer, their pigs CAN fly!

A good friend who manages a local hotel chain told me about this place as her go-​to ramen place about a year ago.
If you can’t trust locals, who can you trust! Seriously!
As our trip was winding down, we stopped here as a stopover meal as we shopped at the Crazy Shirt Outlet store and Lin’s seed store for a mid-​afternoon lunch. There were only a couple of occupied tables so we sat along the right wall with our party of five. The menu has a variety of offerings and, given the number in our party, it was a perfect opportunity to try several items instead of just a bowl of ramen. After a serious study of the menu, we each ordered a bowl of ramen and shared several appetizers.
Here’s what I tried:
Appetizers (shared)
1. Fried Mimiga (
) — Actually only had a few bites as one friend is HUGE on pig ears. Came with a mayo based dipping sauce that contrasted the crisp morsels.
2. Fried Iidako (
) — Gice them credit for their frying skills, the baby octopus was perfectly cooked, again paired with a thicker creamy dip.
3. Buta curry rice, small (
) — Absolutely-​da-​BOMB! If it weren’t for my curiosity in trying a variety of menu items, this would do it for me. Rich curry sauce… melt-​in-​mouth tender pork belly… what more could you ask for?!
4. Cheek-​a-​bu croquettes (
) — Visually attractive, I wasn’t that big a fan of this one. The pork cheeks in these balls didn’t really stand out flavor wise.
Ramen
4. Kotteri savory parmesan ramen (
) — With the wide selection of broths and flavor preps, my friend and I asked our waitress for her recommendation. She suggested this one as «different’ and loved by many including herself. The description makes this interesting, especially with the flavor profiles from the various ingredients (black garlic oil and parmesan cheese). Sadly, this didn’t agree with my palate as I kept wondering whether I was in an Italian eatery now.
The food came in a timely manner and our water glasses for constantly refilled. Not wanting to hurt our waitress’ feeling, my friend and I withheld our comments about our ramen. Our other dining companion Al L. (
) declared his as «one of the best bowl of ramen» he’s ever had.
After coming home, the ramen popularity in the Bay Area shot up another notch with the recent opening of Mensho in SF. I hear horror stories about two hour waits to dine here… are you serious?!
Given this situation, the convenience and relaxed atmosphere that we enjoyed in February makes me appreciate Agu that much more. Can’t wait to try this again… hold the parmesan, please.

When I first found out that Agu Ramen opened at Ward Centre, I was so THRILLED! I was like finally, they opened up a second location and it was closer to home! Woohoo! My boyfriend and I now come here atleast every two weeks, sometimes once a week. Is that weird? We can’t help it that their ramen bowls are fudging delicious! One of the servers knows us cause when he takes our order he asks, «The usual?» Lol! SMART GUY!
Here is «THE USUAL.»:
*YUZU JIDORI: My all time fav! Light broth with a kick of spicy! I always add an extra Aje Tamago (egg) because it goes great with the soup and ramen! I don’t like charsiu, so I always give mine to my bf and he seems to enjoy it!
*NEGI CHARSIU TONKOTSU: My bf’s all time fav! It’s a light pork broth. The taste is wonderful. He always orders extra ramen noodles because he can’t get enough of it!
*CHEEKABOO CROQUETTE: FOOD BOMBS IN YOUR MOUTH! Hands down the most tasty and savoring appetizer on their menu!
We’ve tried other things on the menu, but «the usual» is the reason we come back often! Location is great! Parking is great! Food is Yummy! And service is always good! They get busy sometimes but so so worth it. Don’t be mad about the wait, you’ll always come out a happy eater! The only thing that sucks is NO TAKE OUT!

Hooking up with a friend for lunch, we decided on meeting at AGU Ramen at the Ward Centre. One good thing about the Ward Centre is the large parking structure on the premises. AGU, which is on the street level, is sleek and modern with a bar counter in the middle and tables on the sides.
After checking out the menu, we ordered some starters:
Cheek-​a-​Bu Croquette — these were hand breaded dumplings of pork cheeks and onions and deep fried. The crispy croquette were tasty with the Yuzu aioli.
Fried Idako — battered and deep fried baby octopus. Tender and crispy, the octopus went well with the Yuzu aioli.
For my bowl of ramen, I had the Shoyu Tonkotsu. It had a bonita-​infused shoyu tare and served with a black sesame paste. Good ramen noodles in a rich flavored broth topped with fresh house-​made pork char siu, a perfectly cooked egg, aji tamago, crunchy menma, fresh negi and sesame seeds. This bowl was tasty, one of best bowls of ramen that I’ve tried.
Our waitress was friendly and overall, a nice restaurant with tasty appetizers and delicious ramen.

We went to the Ward Centre location which has been opened for about a year. They specialize in Tonkotsu Ramen which has a broth made from simmering pork bones and marrow for many hours. Agu refers to the highest grade of pork from Okinawa.
We had the Miso Ramen $ 14 (Tonkotsu broth with a blend of miso). Good rich broth. Good quality noodles) and the Original Kotteri $ 13 (Tonkotsu broth with deep garlic and mushroom flavors. They use black garlic oil and thinly sliced garlic in broth.) Very good bowl of noodles.
We also ordered a side of Gyoza. They were excellent. The skin was thin, fresh and tender. The pork filling was well seasoned.
Tip: You can choose your level of spiciness from 1 – 5. I love spicy foods and thought level 3 was right at the top of my heat tolerance.
Excellent service. Our waiter was very knowledgable about the menu. The interior is small but very clean.
Lots of parking in the garage at Ward Centre.

I wasn’t very impressed after trying the level 3 spicy ramen, but after going back and trying a few other dishes (like the yuzu jidori ramen), I’ve warmed up to Agu. As mentioned in my previous review, the sides are to die for.
I’ve only ever been to this location, but even when they were busy, the food came out quickly and the staff was friendly. The restaurant is always extremely clean, too. Definitely stop by if you’re in the Ward area! It’s one of the better and more reasonably priced eateries in Ward Village.

Ramen noodles have revolve for generations and generations. More ramen shops opening up across the globe. Hawaii has so many ramen shops especially Ramen ya and Daiichi Ramen.
I heard of AGU ramen but never ate their food before. Interesting experience for both me and my bf.
This is the second location from the original location that is on Isenburg St. This Ward location is small. We came during the dinner rush on a Sunday evening. Glad to find a table to dine at before more groups of people started to show up at the front entrance.
I tried the Original Kotteri while my bf ordered the Char siu tan tonkotsu. Surprised at the size and amount of noodles for $ 13 while the ramen my bf chose costed $ 17 with negi. High price to pay for a bowl of ramen.
Original kotteri has plenty of black garlic in the soup base, very heavy flavor. The char siu tonkotsu had a much lighter soup base. The noodles themselves are much more thinner and lighter than your typical ramen noodles.
By the end of my meal, I nor my bf did not feel full from the ramen. My bf bought me some iced coffee to fill me up before the Chicago concert so my stomach would not growl during the performance.
There was only one waiter and waitress doing orders, busing tables, and refilling water. It took awhile for us to signal the waiter for the check and receipt because they were packed with serving customers and more folks were piling in.
FYI, if you are type you prefer lighter and thin ramen noodles, you should come down to the ramen shop. If you want to feel full, i suggest you go to Goma Tei or other ramen places.

You guys… I don’t know why I never tried this place sooner!!! My new favorite ramen spot!
Ok so we went on a Saturday night, just go inside and give your name. The wait was about 10 minutes — totally bearable especially for such a small restaurant. I love the interior it’s very hip and attractive to my age group lol.
Big shout out to our waiter! He accommodated us with our baby’s car seat and stroller, he suggested his favorite dishes and explained the menu really well. I was also impressed that he remembered a few of the customers that came in after us. (Our second time here I did not like our waitress I thought she wasn’t very unpleasant and tried to rush us out by giving us our check super early and trying to take it even though we hadn’t put our money in yet! Funny that it wasn’t even busy???)
Anyway, go with Agu’s savory Parmesan ($ 16)!!! I know it’s a little pricier than most ramen but it’s well worth it! Our waiter said that was his favorite and I totally understand why! Yes, it does sound weird to put cheese on your ramen but it’s sooooo delicious you’ll wanna come back to eat it for your next meal! Hence why I was craving it everyday for a week! The ramen noodles were not like all the other ramen places we’ve been to and the egg is really good too!!! I can’t complain about anything regarding the ramen!
If you like spicy they have spice levels 1 – 5 to add to your soup if you want. I tasted my boyfriends soup when he tried the 2 and 3. They were good if you like hot spicy food.
Will come back again and again despite not being so happy with my customer service the second time! I don’t know if I’ll ever try something else cuz I just love the Parmesan one so much!

This location is way more convenient than the spot in Moiliili. There’s ample parking and it’s not far from the theatres, so you can watch a movie (and get hella cold), then head it over for ramen and gyoza (and get hella warm). My date and I decided to try this Agu for this very reason. We were craving noodles after the movie and wanted to eat as soon as possible, so we walked it over and were relieved to find the restaurant relatively empty.
It took awhile, but with the waiter’s help (who happened to be an acquaintance of my date… Hawaii is so small!), we both went with the spicy kotteri ramen and a side order of gyoza. Love that we could choose our spice level! Date went with 3 and I went with 2 (which was still a little spicy).
The ramen was just ok. It was rather oily and the noodles were super thin. Not the traditional thicker ramen noodles that make ramen ramen. While the ramen was spicy, it wasn’t super tasty and the toppings were nothing special. Also, the bowls were so teeny!!! Don’t eat ramen too often, but when I do, the bowls are generally very large and full of stuff. This ramen just couldn’t compare. Although the ramen wasn’t too good, the gyoza wasn’t as disappointing. However, even the gyoza was on the smaller side (but cute!).
The service was great and the food arrived very soon after we placed our order, but the food taste and quality weren’t up to par. I’ve made it a personal goal to find a go-​to ramen place, and unfortunately (or fortunately? Always down to eat more noodles!) I’ll have to keep searching.

That’s HOT!
Some friends and I ventured to this location for a late dinner last week. I had been to this location once before, but did not truly appreciate its importance in the late night dining scene until recently. It was certainly a welcome remedy to combat the chilly evening weather.
LOCATION: Ward Center facing Auahi Street. Ample parking available in parking garages in the surrounding area.
The restaurant is not large, but utilizes the smaller space well. Table seating for two or larger groups are set against each wall, while a high top counter occupies the center space. We walked in slightly past 10pm, and thankfully the restaurant was not crowded at all. The server extended a warm welcome and invited us to take our pick of where to sit.
After some slight deliberation, we finally decided on our choices. Collectively we ordered the Hakata ramen, the Char Siu Tonkotsu with spicy kim chee, the small portion of the Buta Curry Rice, and a six piece gyoza to share. To accompany our meal, we also ordered a bottle of the strawberry nigori sake.
The food was delivered in a timely manner, and we were all very satisfied. I, personally, was very happy with my choice. The char siu tonkotsu is served in a large bowl with generous portions of char siu, noodles, and large heaping of kim chee. The broth was delicious. To me, it was true comfort food that evening. My dining companions were satisfied with their food as well. Interestingly enough, my friend was unable to conquer the small portion of the curry rice as it proved to be a bit much, while my other friend devoured his Hakata ramen entirely. We all agreed that the gyoza was yummy too.
SERVICE: Very good. The server was friendly, polite, and very patient as we took our time to peruse the menu. He returned with water refills throughout the meal, and checked on us in a timely manner.
BOTTOM LINE: Thank you Agu Ramen for being open late on the weekends, you made our group so happy to see your «OPEN» sign lit. The ramen was delicious and the service was just terrific Ample parking in the area is a huge plus in my humble opinion. I’ll be back for sure.

Oh Agu, Oh Agu…
Has the holiday season crunched your standard of service?
Dined at this Ward Center location on Monday, 12/​21/​2015 with my mom who had a mad craving for their Yuzu Jidori ramen. I put in my name with the server and was told 20 – 25 minutes, cool. We walked around and checked out some of the new stores in the area. Finally we were sat a little over 30 minutes, still cool. As a previous food&beverage industry worker, I could understand that it was busy and seating is limited in this location.
We were sat with three other tables, all next to each other– seemed odd that the timing of table turning would allow for 4 tables to simultaneously be sat right next to each other. Waters came a full 5 minutes after being sat, a little slow as there were three servers working this night. When we were finally attended to, we placed our order of 2 bowls of ramen, gyoza and tori nanban-​which our server stated, «oh, this dish takes really long, I don’t know if you want to order that»… Okay. Ultimately scraped that idea. Our server also neglected to notice the order of which the tables were sat, thus took orders from the nearest table towards the kitchen, also did not make any sense.
Food came in the order of which he took them, so from the table closest to the doors, towards the center of the restaurant. My Orignal Kotteri hit the spot, and my mom got her Yuzu Jidori fix. Gyoza came a few minutes later, not to fret.
On a previous visit, I received a «$ 1 off your next visit» coupon, which stated to present it upon ordering. Our server took it when we ordered and placed it in his apron, and of course, when our bill came, the coupon was not reflected. Sure, it was only $ 1 off, but isn’t it strange that they would have these coupons and forget to honor their own system?
In the end, as our server cleared our dishes, he actually asked me to stack the bowls onto his arms! I’ve never been asked to help bus a table I wasn’t an employee at! It may be a while until I choose to dine at this location again. I’m hoping its the busy holiday season that has skewed their perception of service.
TIP: The original Agu Ramen on Isenberg has a tight parking situation, but definitely excel at service.

I’ve been meaning to visit Agu ever since I moved back to Hawaii this summer, but it was initially too hot for me to even think about eating ramen. However, when a close friend and her family were visiting Hawaii over Thanksgiving, I suggested meeting at this spot, since it wasn’t too far from their hotel in Waikiki.
Agu won’t seat you until your whole party is present, so though I was there early, I couldn’t sign us in. We had a party of five and all the tables were taken, but we actually dined at the shorter counter near the eatery’s entrance … it was the perfect size for our group!
We got several plates to share, and each of us ordered our own ramen. My friend, her husband and his family all seemed to like it, and we each got something different.
What great service and delicious food. This spot made an impression on me, as it reminded me of some of my favorite ramen shops back in L.A. Plus, there’s a large selection to choose from; I already don’t know which one I’ll get next time!
Here are my recommendations:
«Agu’s Savory Parmesan»: I was initially torn between this choice and the «Original Kotteri.» The waiter recommended the parmesan version, saying that it was one of his favorites and really popular. Since I really do like cheese, I decided to follow his advice … and I wasn’t disappointed! The entrée features the Original Kotteri broth topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an added twist of flavor (Original Kotteri includes extra rich broth made with black garlic oil, garlic and silky se-​abura). Now, you wouldn’t think Parmesan cheese and ramen work together, but the combination is delectably savory and unforgettable. You get extra richness because of that oozing, melted cheese! I also normally never finish my ramen broth, but I certainly did in this case … it was amazing. It’ll definitely be hard to pass this one up next time, in order to try a different ramen dish.
«Vegetarian Ramen»: Since my friend’s a vegetarian, she was thrilled to see this option on the menu. It features miso-​flavored vegetarian friendly broth topped with negi, kikurage and zaasai. She said the broth was really flavorful and she enjoyed the assortment of veggies on top.
«Fried Mimiga»: This shared plate featured thin slices of pig’s ears, deep fried to crunchy perfection and paired with spicy volcano sauce. Eating this was basically like eating thin, crispy chips and I really liked that original volcano sauce … it contained the perfect amount of spice without setting my mouth on fire.
«Cheek-​a-​Bu Croquette»: Of all the small plates we got, this one had to be my favorite. It featured delectable hand-​breaded dumplings of pork cheek and onions that were deep fried to a perfect crispiness. Each dumpling was bite sized and it almost tasted like a potato mixture. I loved the sauce it was drizzled with and I would definitely order this again … perfect for sharing and, if you’re in a large party, everyone can try at least one.
«Ban Ban Ji Kurage»: I never ate jellyfish before … until this meal. This small plate included noodle-​like slices of crunchy jellyfish, marinated in sesame ginger sauce and was tossed with sesame seeds and cucumbers. I didn’t really know what to expect – and if no one told me I was eating jellyfish, I never would have guessed – but I did appreciate the flavor (the sauce really helped). I’m not sure how I felt about the texture of the dish, but I’m glad that I tried it!