Ramen Manichi

I’ve been to the location in town and I think that the taste is consistent. Now that I’ve been to nearly every ramen joint in town, I have a wider knowledge base for comparison than my review for the town location. The broth was too salty and not that flavorful. Like the town location, I liked the char siu (which were basically pork belly slices – very fatty) and the noodles. Considering the price and taste, I won’t come back.

I tried Manichi Ramen over the summer and can’t say I was impressed. I must’ve ordered the wrong thing or maybe I just need to try something else next time. But if I’m paying $ 14 for a bowl of noodles & you can’t impress me the first time I’m not sure I want to come back.
It’s kind of amusing that ramen, a supposedly humble dish, has gotten so upscale nowadays. But it shouldn’t be too surprising since the Japanese are known for taking simple things and elevating it to new heights.
I have to get used to the idea of eating gourmet ramen in a food court since this is just a preview of what’s to come for Oahu diners. I for one can’t wait until Ala Moana’s Japan food court opens next year.
Pretty shocking to pay $ 19.74 for just ramen and gyoza though. If I wanted a drink to go with, it would’ve cost more.
I didn’t know which ramen to order so I went with the #1 Special Tonkotsu Shibori ($ 13.35). The broth had good flavor but it was way too oily. I could see a thick layer of oil covering the broth.
Manichi also proudly displays the fact that their gyoza won some kind of award in Japan so of course I had to try that too. $ 5.50 for 5 pieces. So maybe the gyoza ingredients can’t be exactly duplicated to Japan’s version or the technique and method of cooking can’t be precisely matched, but it was okay. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever had.
If I’m really, really, really craving ramen the next time I’m in the mall I’ll bite. But I’ll try something different next time.

Just arrived from Japan but man… This is horrible. I feel sorry for people in Hawaii
Ramen taste like strait out of flour bag. Portion is too small. And price is as much as restaurent even though this is food court vender. And what I really didnt like was that employers had attitude. So terrible!

For $ 13, not sure if it’s worth it honestly. It’s not good or bad, it’s honestly just really average. Kind of disappointing.

I got the number 1 special for 13 bucks. 1.90 for hawaiian isles water. Ramen was ok but small. Feel ripped off.

The ramen here is excellent. My expectations weren’t too high because they’re in the food court at Windward Mall. I was wrong and the food was exceptional. I passed by here a couple of times before but never tried them out. Yesterday, I was at the mall for the pumpkin carving contest, and was craving ramen, so I placed my order.
I got the Special #1, which was the Manichi Special Tonkotsu Shibori. It contains two slices of thin pork, an ajitama egg, green onions, spicy miso, and black garlic oil. Ordering ramen from here can be confusing. All the names sound the same and the ingredients only differ a little.
The broth was amazing. It was so flavorful without being salty. I mixed the spicy miso and black garlic oil with the broth, and it was even better. The pieces of pork were thin but they were yummy. They had just the right amount of fat to them, for them to be tender. I hate when my ajitama is overcooked. The ajitama here was perfection. It was seasoned just right and the yolk was creamy. Yay, for perfectly cooked eggs!
I also ordered the five piece gyoza. According to this business, it was voted the #1 gyoza in Japan. The gyoza was on the smaller side. However, they were so good. The gyoza wrapper was on the thin side, which is how it’s supposed to be. The filling was spectacular. It consisted of ground pork, cabbage, ginger, onions, and garlic. All the ingredients blended so well together. It also came with this shoyu and vinegar dipping sauce. You need to get the gyoza from this place. I can see why it was voted #1 in Japan.

Very friendly and food is served pretty quickly. Tastes great and I enjoyed the area not being crowded.

Had shoyu ramen and gyoza tasted good but got sick soon after and definitely was from eating here not sure if it was from the food or dishes they used. They don’t have real dishwashing equipment so maybe best to eat from take out containers. I won’t chance it again the food poisoning was the worst I’ve ever experienced.

For some reason I think the Shirokya Manichi is much better. Maybe it was an off day. But overall the ramen is very good and I always enjoy their broth and noodles. I’d just prefer the Shirokya location.

Tasty dashi, but typical Sun Noodle company noodles and the surly cook burnt the Gyoza. I could see $ 15 for a bowl of ramen and 5 piece Gyoza, but not $ 22.00
Even with Windward Mall overhead, this meal was overpriced and the cook needs to stop bringing his emotional baggage to his cooking. While waiting he gave the counter help crap for trying to help with side dishes and the cook chewed him out and told him to throw it away. This cook was very slow and during lunch rush had 8 orders backed up and it wasn’t busy.

Being a local from Hawaii living in Japan for the last 6 years I came home for a visit and was excited to see a Ramen Shop in Windward Mall.
The first thing that struck a bad note was the service. As I approached the counter NOT ONE CUSTOMER was in line so I figured I beat the lunch rush. The girl behind the counter was on her phone texting or doing what ever and didn’t acknowledge me, so I told her Hi first. Without looking up she said hi back. I guess it’s better than nothing. I had to wait for her to finish on her phone before she looked up at me. STRIKE 1
I ordered the Manichi Special Ramen and an order of Gyoza. With in a few minutes my food was ready and I ate. If I could I would have given 5 Stars just for the Gyoza. They were delicious, the ramen on the other hand had very little taste and the noodles were in my opinion not the best. Noodles from Sapporo are much better.
All in all my experience was ok. Not good or great just ok. The food is excessively over priced as it cost me over $ 20 just for me.

I’m so happy that the Windward Mall Food Court finally has a ramen shop!
The ramen shop is set up like any of the other food kiosks in the food court. You order at the window, they give you your receipt, and you sit and wait for them to call your order number. Make sure to try and find seating around there, because they don’t shout very loud.
For lunch today, I got the Akamaru Spicy Ramen, extra spicy. I personally enjoyed it. The noodles were nice and chewy, done in the Tonkotsu style. I also liked the broth. It was JUST perfectly thick. Any thicker, and it wouldn’t have been enjoyable, though. The ramen came with 2 pieces of pork cheek, which I do wish had a little more meat and less fat.
It is a bit pricey here, a bowl of ramen running from 12 – 15 dollars. I have found other ramen places that were just as good, for a lower price. They also do not have a soda fountain, which I found off-​putting. All their beverages are sold in cans and bottles, making them more expensive. It might be just me, but I do appreciate it when (especially if the food is pricier) a restaurant offers the 1 – 2 dollar fountain drink. I ended up going to the Cookie Corner, which is right across the way, for my drink. However, since this IS the only ramen stop in Windward Mall, if you have that hankering for a good bowl of noodles, then it will be worth it to stop by here.

Very unasssuming ramen shop that’s front and center at the food court of windward mall. It sure looks gimmicky but taste-​wise it most definitely is not.
If you’ve been to the food court at Ala Moana you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’ve passed by Man-​ichi on more than one occasion here. thinking to myself it’s one of those «trying too hard», but flavor is bleh type ramen places popping up all over Honolulu.
Today, I wanted something different, after exhausting most options at the foodcourt at windward I decided to go for it. The wait for the ramen was a little longer than expected but it was worth it.
The Ramen was perfectly cooked and the flavor was so ono, I wanted more. I went with the #10 (black-​garlic oil ramen) which came with green onions and two slices of char siu.
My only beef with this place is that
1) More noodles please
2) Paper thin slices of char siu
3) COSTLY (Expensive at $ 10+ a bowl especially ones that have extra things in them… it could cost you a pretty penny! $ 15+/person)
I’d definitely come here though if I was in a bind, but if you’re looking for quantity over quality I’d say head over to the korean plate lunch place. But on a cold day, I say splurge. you can’t beat a piping hot, comforting bowl of ramen!

It seemed like almost a year passed after the first «Coming Soon» posters went up announcing the opening of Ramen Manichi before it finally did and in grand fashion… on «Black Friday 2014″. Perfect time to promote their products and business. Long lines made for long waits initially, but the crowds patiently waited for their chance to sample what was supposed to be one of Japan’s best Ramen and Gyoza. At that time this new addition to the Windward Mall food court seemed to have had high hopes of success and longevity.
The food here is good but not exceptional in comparison to other places with a similar menu selection. The portions are meager at best and they’ll charge you more if you want more noodles. Which seems silly because after you add on the extra noodles you’d probably get the same amount of noodles that most other places serve anyway. All of the previous concerns are okay if the pricing was more in line with the service and portion sizes. The prices is more of what you’d expect in a nice little eat in ramen shop somewhere in Honolulu or Waikiki where you get table service and reasonable portion sizes and not in a small town mall food court. Even more disturbing was a sign that advised customers not to request for extra soup. They might as well post a sign i.e.» It’s our way or no way”. Negative signs normally result in negative results and not something you do especially if you’re the «New Kid on the Block». I’ve always been an advocate of «Business Rule #1– The Customer is the reason you have a business. Small compromises need not be announced but should be practiced to satisfy customers needs within reason. If a sign was posted by the business advising the customers not to request for a product that they provide then there must have been a lot of requests and that in it’s self should have sounded off an alarm that changes need to be made to accommodate the local community.
It’s only been a few months since it opened and gone are the long lines and the excitement that came with the opening of Ramen Manichi. I’m probably still going to dine there but not as often as I would like. Hopefully the business will make some changes soon before it becomes just another vacant spot at the WM food court.

After four visits here, it’s about time I Unilocal about it!
Pros:
I don’t have to drive over the Pali to get good ramen!
Free and plentiful parking at Windward Mall!
It tastes REALLY good, especially on a cold (69 degree) night in Hawaii!
Cheerful, helpful and efficient service — the workers are dressed in «Japanese attire» and they call out Japanese greetings!
You can watch them preparing your meal!
Beautiful presentation!
Cons:
the price
I had Manichi Special #1 ($ 13.35) which includes soft boiled egg; and
Special #3 — Manichi Special with Shrimp ($ 16.85) for the first 2 visits and took them home to eat. I do not recommend this because the noodles stick together when they are separate from the broth.
Visits 3 and 4 were dine-​in where I ordered at the cash register, waited a while, then carried my tray to a nearby table in the Food Court to concentrate and examine my meal. I had #4, then #10.
#4: Shiromaru Tonkotsu Shibori — is the least expensive bowl of ramen that you can get ($ 9.85). The noodles are the firm, straight type. The broth is the «rich and creamy Tonkotsu soup… made in the Yobimodoshi style — a technique passed down for generations…»
#10: Kuromaru Tonkotsu Shibori — uses the same straight noodle and Tonkotsu soup. It is «topped with slow-​roasted, black garlic oil» for $ 11.85. The black garlic didn’t seem to make a difference in taste to me. It just seemed «grittier».
I really like the convenience of Ramen Manichi. If I was craving ramen, I would for sure get the #4. If I wanted to splurge, I would get the #1 Special.
Overall impression: delicious! You get what you pay for! This is quality ramen!

A new ramen place inside windward mall food court. Menu says they are known for their #1 gyoza in Japan. Quite intriguing and a challenge to the other ramen places.
Anyways, my boyfriend ordered the special ramen and the spicy gyoza. The soup was soooo oily. I don’t like the taste of it. The ramen was not boiled throughly because it was still hard. The gyoza had 5 mini pieces layered with spicy pork sauce. Sauce was not bad, the meat was soft inside the gyoza.
I guess it won’t hurt the try the #1 gyoza in Japan… but not the best.

I have been awaiting the opening of a ramen place at Windward Mall for awhile now. And when I saw the sign posted a few months ago I excitedly anticipated the arrival of this restaurant. So this past week I visited the mall and lo and behold they were open. Yippie! Since it was the holidays the mall was packed overall and this place was no exception. The cashiers and cooks looked really cool with towels wrapped on their head. (Sounds weird but you have to see it to realize the cool factor!)
I ended up ordering a red miso ramen with extra noodles because the serving size looked really small and I wasn’t certain if I was going to be extra hungry. The meal took about 10 minutes or so and the extra bowl of noodles was crazy big. The soup was completely delicious and I ate every single bite.
The ramen came hot and steamy in a big bowl along with a cool oversized spoon and chopsticks.
My Aunty ordered two plates of gyoza for the grandparents and they ate all of it.
The menu offered other ‘extras’ in addition to the noodles like a soft boiled egg, wakame, etc., however I stuck to the basics.
Love this place and happy that they have a ramen place at the mall.

Restaurant quality Japanese style ramen at a food court in Kaneohe — sweet!
Yup, Windward Mall Food Court’s newest tenant is Ramen Man-​Ichi. As with all food court vendors, there is no waiter service. You order on one side of the counter, and pick up on the other side. If you dine-​in, they serve your meal on re-​usable dinnerware (which you must return to the counter after you’re done). If you get take out, they pack your stuff in styrofoam bowls (noodles separate).
Their menu is similar to their Kona Street location — 9 different ramen choices, a few «special» ramens, side dishes, and their «special — awarded #1 gyoza in Japan» gyoza.
The broths are flavorful, and oily. The noodles are thin, straight and white in appearance. The pork is razor thin and melts in your mouth.
Gyoza — small, falls apart when handled. #1 in Japan? Really?
The thing that will bring them down is their pricing: 2 bowls of ramen, one 5-​piece side order of gyoza came out to a whopping $ 31. That’s pretty steep for a meal for two from a food court.
While I love the idea of having a Ramen-​Ya from Japan in Kaneohe, I think they are a little out of place at the Windward Mall food court.

SO TASTY! The broth is sooo rich and om nom nom.
Got the Mainichi Special, Gyoza, and the… ebi broth garlic oil noodles (ah! the exact name slips my mind, but it wasn’t the featured one on the menu with a stronger base that runs about $ 13).
Gyoza was tasty, but I’m not a huge Gyoza fan so I won’t be ordering it the next time. Try it though!
I was so sad when Ramen Kai closed down… it was my favorite ramen place. This place is my new favorite ramen place!

Ramen Manichi @ Windward Mall Pa‘ina Food Court: I’ve been watching them build this new ramen stand for several months. Then it just suddenly opened today, Black Friday 2014.
History: This is a Japanese based Ramen empire that began in 1953 has recently branched out into Hawaii. There is a sister shop at Shirokiya and a fairly new Ramen Manichi in the Ala Moana area on Kona Street. This Windward Mall location is a new concept for them. It’s a smaller limited menu ramen shop.
Menu: Several variations which all seem to start off with their slow cooked (14 hours) pork based broth. There is one Manichi Special ramen dish which has more components and a higher price. Some basic pork broth variations with a spicy option, miso option and shoyu ramen. And there is a shrimp version of all of them. They claim to have Japan’s #1 rated gyoza. There is rice and a couple of rice bowl options as a side dish.
What we tried: Basic Gyoza was good, but, was it the best in Japan? Well, I don’t know about Japan. I know that there are some gyoza here In Honolulu that are just as good. LOL … I tried the basic pork ramen with their original style broth #10 and thin slices of pork. My wife tried the spicy version of the same pork ramen. The broth is very smooth and heavy with rich pork fat and flavor. I mean that in a good way. I liked mine at first but felt it was so rich that about half bowl was optimal. After that I was on fat overload. I actually preferred the spicy broth that my wife tried. Perfect ramen noodles!
Hokkaido Winter: OK I’m sort of guessing here, but lets say I was in Hokkaido in the middle of winter. I just came in after two hours walking from one village to the next in about 10 degree weather and deep snow. This hot, rich, pork fat ramen would be the best ramen in the world. This is the ramen that you would go to sleep dreaming about. I know some people are going to love this broth!
Service: Lots of staff on opening day. I think they were mostly corporate pros who were making sure the opening went smoothly. Cool, iPad based cash register and ordering system. Bring a credit card. This is $ 10 to $ 15 ramen. It adds up quickly so that credit card might come in handy.
Vegetarian: I was hoping for a vegetable ramen variation with a lighter broth. But there is nothing like that on the menu here. Perhaps this will appear in the future.
Summary: High quality, authentic ramen Manichi style. This is a great new ramen shop and a great addition to Windward Mall. I hope they prosper here in Kaneohe. I know they are going to make lots of new friends here. I’m going to be back to try the Manichi Special.