AGU Ramen

I had the newly added jidori chili cilantro ramen. It was refreshing with a hint of heat, very delicious. The portion was generous but I wish there was an option for a larger serving. I will definitely come back to try the spicier stuff.

This is the best spicy ramen place to eat, the taste is phenomenal and very consistent. If you’re a lover of spice and noodles then this is the place

I always come to the Agu on Isenberg because it’s super close to my house. It’s always pretty busy and usually there’s a wait.
LOCATION: next to the St Louis alumni club house on Isenberg by S. King St. Moiliili. There is a small parking lot but it fills fast so there’s also meter parking on Isenberg.
Food: GYOZA is okay, i believe comes in six pieces & you can eat it with shoyu/​rayu. It is prepared pan-​fried. Nothing special though. AGUCINI appetizer is fried risotto balls. These are pretty tasty. ZASAII (?) is like a pickled cabbage maybe? But super yummy, they also have decent KIMCHEE. CURRY RICE is standard curry rice but good. FRIED TAKO: good and the sauce it comes with is good. FRIED SQUID LEGS: these are so good, probably my favorite place to get this dish. Again, the sauce it comes with is so good. The legs are always fried perfectly and squeezing the lemon on top is the perfect finish. CROQUETTE: comes in little balls, these are really yummy too. Agu has interesting starters and they don’t disappoint. RAMEN: yummy thin NOODLES, which i prefer. Good portion. I’ve had a few of their ramens and to me they all taste too similar. BROTH takes like it was well made but it just doesn’t stand out to me. I like a broth that you can’t stop drinking. This is probably the one thing I don’t like about Agu. Their TONKOTSU wasn’t as flavorful as Golden Pork’s. KOTTERI ramen is average. HAKATA is average. I really love their TAN TAN MEN. This is usually what I order. Comes with some minced meat and bok choy. Broth is really good. Agu’s AJI-​TAMA is really good. It’s a little bit sweet and the yolk is cooked perfect. Ramen comes with CHA SHU and MENMA & NEGI. Overall I think the ramen toppings and noodle are good, I just wish the broth was better. Another thing to note before ordering something spicy is that it can get pretty hot. You can chose the spice level 1 – 5 I believe, I ordered a level two and I could barely handle, & I like spicy food. So be careful.
DRINKS: they have beer & Japanese sake and shochu… I think.
SEATING: there’s like 6 – 8 tables and maybe 10 – 12 seats at the ramen bar. No divider so you’re gonna see the people across from you. Small restaurant. Do not seat yourself. The staff is busy trying to accommodate existing guests while still maintaining a wait list, so even if you walk in and aren’t acknowledged immediately just hold on and they will take care of you.
SERVICE: the staff is always nice and on top of water refills.
PRICING: soooo expensive for ramen. It’s ridiculous, you can spend up to $ 20 for one bowl of ramen here. It’s really not worth that much money. Be prepared to spend around $ 50 for two people, just on food.
Note: this place adds an automatic kitchen gratuity.

Agu Parmesan Ramen. That’s all I have to say…
I was quite hesitant to my friend insisted so I went ahead ordered it and this was by far one of best bowls of ramen I’ve ever had. It was very flavorful and the parmesan was not overpowering at all. One thing I noticed as well was that they did provide a lot of noodles, which is rare for me since I always end up wanting seconds when I eat ramen but this bowl had me satisfied.

Agu ramen is one of my favorite ramen shops in town. My favorite dish is their Cheek-​a-​Bu Croquette. Must try! Only negative note from me is… their ramen is a bit too pricey. But if you are craving some ramen on your pay day, try Agu! :)

If I had known…
I am confessing, I am a ramen novice. Ramen is a lot of thick, pasty noodles in a rather boring broth, right? See? I have a lot to learn. In fact, when my friends suggested a ramen meal immediately after indulging in some really great sushi, I initially thought they were crazy. I should have known.
Little did I know I was going to experience a ramen that I could possibly embarrass myself over. Swoon. If I had known, I would not have shared my ramen.
What we shared was the Shio Tonkotsu ramen, mild. I was told this was hakata style, made with fresh, thin egg noodles, a creamy pork broth, and ultimately topped with a hard boiled egg and thinly sliced pork. Especially loved the noodles. So delicious. If I had known, I would not have eaten so much before we came here.
Be prepared to wait for a table. This place is small. Popular. But worth the wait.
And now I know, friends won’t let friends eat bad ramen. At least, not these friends. But now that I am enlightened, I need to look for something close to this, but in So Cal.

While Agu used to be one of my top ramen places to go, my experience tonight has tarnished my feelings towards them.
My boyfriend and I sat down about 10:05 and this was perhaps the worst service we have ever gotten. The restaurant was not crowded maybe 4 tables that were seated when we got seated. The table behind us ordered shortly after we got seated, and we tried to get the waiters attention that we were ready to order. After about 10 minutes he came to take our order. Around the same time 2 more parties came in. My boyfriends beer came right after we ordered, but we waited a long time for our food. Long enough that the 2 tables that got sell seated when we ordered got their food and another table got seated after them got their food as well. At this point no wait staff and made any attempt to let us know what was going on. I was quite irritated and had to ask them if our food was coming. He muttered something and walked away. Our food came out about 5 minutes later.
The waiter never came to check on us or even just talk to us. I was utterly shocked and disappointed by a place I used to love. He did give us a $ 1 off each of our ramen, but honestly I wasn’t upset about how long our food took but rather the fact that neither of the waiters came to acknowledge that we were waiting.
Not sure if we’ll be back, especially to this location.

AGU is ok. Nothing very special if you ask me. The broth is ok. The noodles are good. The condiments are so-​so. The char-​siu pork, cut ever so delicately had very little flavor and seemed dried out. I just don’t know what the hype is about this place. The lines used to be witheringly long outside, but now it doesn’t seem as busy anymore, perhaps there is a reason. The prices are far higher than the other ramen places in town, and the food, well, okay. Nothing to write home to mama about. I doubt if I’ll be going back.
Give me Goma-​Tei any time which has better food, larger portions, and quite a bit cheaper prices.

Get the Yuzu Jidori, if you hate chicken get original Kotteri Tonkatsu.
A side note: when they make stuff extra spicy it’s not like chili oil or hot chili peppers. They use like a handful of black pepper. Not good.

AGU has seriously become my new favorite ramen place!!! I always get the spicy kotteri with level 2 spice! It’s literally SO GOOD. End of story.

Try the Yuzu Jidori ramen! Omgosh it was so tasty. It’s light and not as creamy/​heavy as tonkatsu based ramen. Great alternative. It also has a spicy kick! The parking is also limited in this area.

I love love love AGU! This is my favorite Ramen bistro hands down. We probably go once a week. The first time I came here was a little over a year ago and I found it one night because all my other ramen places were already closed. I thought I would go in and get ramen take out. Well… ramen ‘to go’ is apparently a sacrilege and is not allowed at said establishment so I sat by myself at the little bar and boy, did I enjoy!!! The experience was so delicious and amazing I never looked back! I now totally understand why they would not put Ramen in a to-​go container because it, everything would get over-​cooked and mushy so I am now a true believer in fresh cooked Ramen!
AGU has a trendy atmosphere, quick and easy in and out service and the prices are moderate. We love getting the karaage chicken, gyoza and then enjoying Ramen. Also it is seasoned perfectly which I really appreciate because sometimes Ramen can be way too salty! I always add a different spice level 3. We really enjoy this meal with a nice little bottle of kikusui sake and the ice water is always refilled which is soooo good for all the spice! I’ve tried many different ramen but the yuzu jidori is my favorite. The others can be on the rich and heavy side, it just depends on what kind of meal you’re looking for.
The only thing to keep in mind when tipping is that they are already adding an extra fee on for the kitchen staff. I highly recommend AGU!

This place is getting a 5 star review simply for having a dish that no one else has… Jadori Kawa!!! I’m a fried food junkie and enjoy a good fried chicken either from Ray’s, KJ’s or even Foodland… I always save the fried skin for last. These ppl realized that it’s a gold mine and made a dish that explodes in your mouth with flavor and satisfaction that melts in my mouth and not in my hands.
The service is cool. They are great in keeping your water full and checking if everything is fine. I think that is important after they drop off your food… Ensuring you got what you wanted… And we did. One thing they don’t have… Any HOT drinks… Tried to order hot tea and they don’t sell any… No biggie.
As for the other items we had… Gyoza… Nicely wrapped and cooked and very ono! The Tonkatsu Shoyu & Original Kotteri was our ramen for the night and didn’t disappoint. The broths in both were tasty and not over flavored as some can usually be… Unique type of noodles… Thin but don’t get soggy and are flavored well.
For the average ramen eater, this is a spot you save extra cash for… Our meal for 2 was $ 50 including an $ 8 tip. But, if you can afford the price more than the occasional then this is your ramen spot! Grind On! Pau!

I cannot love Agu ramen enough! We go at least a couple days a week for lunch or dinner. Everything on the menu is great, but I’m a particular fan of the «Innovative Hot Mess».
Insider tip: you can actually go off the menu and order higher than spicy #5 (it goes up to #10… If you dare!!) I like spicy food and can do the level 4 regularly.
This is one of my favorite places to take friends or clients! You can’t miss with this place. Parking on the street or at St Louis Clubhouse, or at FHB after banking hours!

Tiny with very little parking but the fried pig ears were yumz!
Tables and raised tables, about 10 in all make for an intimate experience.
We had Ramen and some small plates: chicken karaage, fried pig ears, gyoza.
I had Spivey tonnkotsu level 1 and it was pretty mild. The broth was rich.

I don’t eat pork so I was so happy to see a ramen place that offers chicken stock as an option! They even have a vegetarian broth but I definitely liked the chicken better. Although, I give the veggie one props as they load it with a nice selection of veggies
My favorite on the menu is the Yuzu Jidori. I like spicy too so it has a nice spiciness to it and you can also up the spicy level if you want. The chicken Karaage here is also great here, nice big and juicy pieces to compliment your ramen.
Also they have Asahi on draft which makes me extra happy because I think one of the best combinations is the world is ramen with a nice ice cold beer :).
Parking is kinda complicated here, we’ve gotten lucky and always found a spot in the front but they only have a few spots there.
I love ramen so I get super excited when I find a place I an actually eat at. Not the best ramen I’ve had but a great spot that actually has options for me to eat.
Agu is definitely one of my go-​to spots for that late night ramen craving.

Spice me!!!
Ramen x spicyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy fun!!!
I stumbled upon this place accidentally when they first opened. And discovered their super epic hot ramen. I was hooked! Hello, spice land! Epic level you say? Sign me twice on sundays!
Shio Jidori * ground pork, char siu, seaweeds and all that fun in a bowl! You can get this spicy! Or enjoy that clean tasty, yummy broth! I may like this version better.
Hakata * shio base with fresh ocean flavors from Hawaiian sea salt & dried konbu! Delicious! This and yuzu are a tie for me. I like them both equally!
Spicy Kotteri * Same tastiness like the original kotteri, lots of black garlic, garlic oil and you choose your spice level. I went with epic level! Go big or go home!!!
FYI~ levels 3 – 5 come with a caution!
They also have small plates and of course: other types of ramen. I like the spicy tonkatsu but it was a little too heavy for me. One thing I love~ their ramen! The noodles are always consistently chewy and tasty. So good!!! Food comes out fast, lines aren’t that long usually. I like the clean refreshing noodles as much as their heavy duty spicy epic one. Just don’t plan to go on a date after! They’ll run away faster a vampire from a garlic clove.

We had dinner there on 12.11.15 & arrived around 5:45 to grab a table for 7 people. They don’t take reservations. It’s a small dining room but there were spots on the dining island in the middle of the restaurant.
While we waited for the rest of our group, was had house made gyoza (6 pcs), which were crispy, flavorful $ were juicy on the inside. We also had kurobuta sausages (4 pcs), hot (temperature), juicy & flavorful too.
I had the char siu tonkatsu which was a nice, flavorful broth that wasn’t heavy or too salty & There were lots of char siu pieces (I think 4 or 5) so I was happy. The ramen was a little different from the egg noodles that I’m accustomed to having at most ramen places and as these noodles are similar to spaghetti. I’ve only had the spaghetti style ramen noodles when I visited Shanghai. The noodles weren’t as heavy as the egg noodles but I usually prefer egg noodle ramen when having tonkatsu broth.
Hot mess ramen-​my boyfriend had this & it was he said it was just ok. It’s a blend of 2 broths (black garlic & Parmesean style broths). I guess Parmesean broth goes well with spaghetti noodles. It was pricey at $ 20 though.
Service is quick & friendly. Parking is a huge challenge but we parked at the FHB lot & their guard said it was ok to park there.

After having Agu Ramen Bookmarked for some period of time, what are the odds that I would actually visit both locations in the same night! After having dinner with friends visiting from out of town, I dropped them off in Waikiki and immediately got a text from another group of friends who were meeting at the original Agu location. Although I was already full from my ramen (the «Agu Parmesan» is a must try), I joined up with my other friends just to hang out, since we were celebrating one of their birthdays.
I was the first one to arrive at this location, and though I had a hard time finding it at first, I was just glad there was parking. There are a few stalls in the front/​side of the store, and they’re labeled «Agu Ramen.» When I checked in for our group of four, I was told it would be a 20 – 25 minute wait.
The wait turned out to be closer to 30 minutes, but we were just glad to finally get out of the rain and enjoy some good food! One of my friends commented that he likes this location better than the Ward one, based on the service, the eatery’s set-​up and food.
All three of my friends ended up ordering the same dish; no one felt like deviating from his favorite. They also got gyoza to share. Though I had already eaten dinner, I had one gyoza and tasted some of my friend’s ramen … it was delicious, and if I can bear to be separated from the «Agu’s Savory Parmesan» ramen, I’m definitely ordering the one they got the next time I visit.
Here’s what we got:
«Bari Kote»: Since all three of my friends were ordering this ramen, I knew it had to be good. It features an extremely rich and flavorful broth with garlic, black garlic oil and garlic butter. The broth definitely looked rich and dark when all three steaming bowls came to our table! I tasted some of the noodles and enjoyed the rich broth when I sampled my friend’s dish. The garlic flavor is definitely unforgettable, so if you love garlic like I do, this entrée is sure to be a hit. It’s buttery and super savory; you’ll just get really thirsty (and crave something sweet) once you devour the whole bowl. I really did enjoy what I tasted from this dish and would be down to order it myself.
«Innovative Hot Mess»: I initially thought this entrée would be too spicy to handle, but based on the menu description, it actually sounds like an entrée I would like. It features a perfect marriage between the Bari Kote and the Savory Parmesan to create an ultra-​rich ramen. Because I liked the taste of both, I’m sure I would enjoy this ramen hybrid.
«Agu Gyoza»: The guys got this traditional app to share and I enjoyed the taste of the gyoza. It tasted really fresh and the exterior wasn’t overly crispy or cooked, but it had sufficient flavor. You get six pieces of that tantalizing medley, made with ground pork, cabbage and nira.
«Kurobuta Pork Sausage»: If I had my chance to get another appetizer, I would want to try this dish. It features fried pork sausage – whose flavor is distinctive – and it’s served with Dijon mustard, perfect for dipping. I actually really like sausage and Dijon, so I can’t wait to try this app one day.
«Tan Tan Tonkotsu»: I do like tonkotsu, and Agu has a variety of options available. This is another entrée that I was eyeing from the menu, and I definitely want to give it a try one day. It includes tonkotsu broth blended with mildly spicy sesame tare and it’s served with thicker tan tan noodles that pair perfectly with ground pork miso, bok choy, zaasai and aji tamago. Yum! Sounds like a great combo, and I’m interested to see how their tonkatsu tastes.

This place is amazing. I would even go as far as to say it is probably the best ramen I have ever had. Unfortunately for me, I had to travel to Oahu for this. I ordered the spicy kotteri and I believe I ordered a Level 3 spicy, and it is SPICY! (they do warn you on the menu, but I didn’t want it too mild). We had just landed after a 9 hour flight from the East coast and this was just the perfect meal to start our trip. The broth is rich, the noodle cooked to perfection, the egg perfectly soft-​boiled. I can go on and on about how delicious it was. The gyoza is also yummy! It is perfectly pan-​fried and the dipping sauce was good too.
The service from our waitress was attentive and she was extremely nice! Just an overall amazing experience and an amazing meal. We also enjoyed the music that was playing. It was by one group who sang popular songs. Just AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING!