Golden Pork Ton-kotsu Ramen Bar newest ramen hotspot

Nadine Kam photos
Meet your new obsession, the Golden Pork Classic ramen at Golden Pork Ton-kotsu Ramen Bar.

IKKA Dining International, the Hawaii subsidiary of Japan-based IKKA Dining Project, opened Golden Pork Ton-kotsu Ramen Bar with the intention of offering the best ramen in Honolulu, and I think they’ve struck gold with their Golden Pork classic Kyushu-style ramen.

This is the one foodies I know have been craving since their first taste of the collagen-thickened pork bone broth. Spicy and garlic versions also have their merits to the point where, until you find your favorite, you will be caught up in a vicious cycle of desire. If you order the classic, you will long for the spicy. If you order the spicy, you will long for garlic, etc., etc. As much as I like them all, I appreciate the unadorned purity of the classic.

The funny thing is that while the classic elicits many a “Wow!” and “OMG!” moment from local ramen enthusiasts, friends from Japan say people from the Motherland would not be as excited because all this is standard over there. If this raises standards here, so much the better.

The space formerly occupied by Mediterraneo has been fully transformed.

A moonscape featuring Mount Fuji was created in tile on one side of the room.

Of course the broth, created by extracting marrow, minerals and collagen from pork bones over four hours, is only half the equation. The other half is the noodle, and chef Masahiro Endo spent a year going back and forth with Sun Noodle to perfect the thin, straight noodle exclusive to Golden Pork. It is so fine and so much like ramen noodles from Japan that I was surprised it was made by Sun, which I associate with a bouncier, chewier noodle. This breakthrough is very impressive.

Golden Pork was set to be open straight through from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, but word spread quickly during the soft opening period. When the restaurant officially opened its doors March 29, they ended up having to close early after running out of broth by 8:30 p.m.

Beyond the three ramen and three tsukemen specialties, there are salads and side dishes. For something new, try the “Monja” salad, a variation of the Tokyo street-style monjayaki, or crisp veggie pancake. Shredded cabbage and crisp fried noodles are tossed together with corn, bonito flakes and a light dusting of yellow curry. My full review appears in the April 1 issue of the Star-Advertiser.

Golden Pork Ton-kotsu Ramen Bar is at 1279 S. King St. Call 888-5358. Until further notice, hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, and 5 to 11 p.m. for dinner with last call for food 30 minutes prior to closing. Also, while the restaurant awaits its liquor license, patrons are invited to BYOB with no corkage fee.

A D.I.Y. Caesar salad allows you to mix in as much or as little of the soft-boiled egg as you want (it’s hidden under all that Parmesan).

Golden Pork buns are juicy and topped with a teriyaki glaze and sweet aioli with mustard; currently $3.50 each.

Spicy red miso dragon ramen with shichimi tonkotsu broth.

Ramen Lab popped into Lucky Belly

Nadine Kam photos
Old School Tokyo ramen was one of three ramen options offered at the Sun Noodle Ramen Lab pop-up at Chinatown's Lucky Belly Nov. 25. The chicken and shoyu broth was topped with ajitama egg, charcoal-grilled char siu, wafu spinach and bamboo shoots. The flat, medium thick noodles are most popular with ramen lovers in Japan today.

Most people still think of Sun Noodle as the little company in Kalihi that supplies our ramen houses and makes pi for our won ton soups.

But the company, founded in 1981 by Hidehito Uki, is a major player on the national food scene due to the growing popularity of ramen. After shipping noodles to California and Washington for years, the company opened a Los Angeles factory in 2004, started shipping noodles to New York a year later, and now has established Ramen Lab in New Jersey, where executive chef Shigetoshi Nakamura helps would-be ramenya owners develop original menus and concepts for their restaurants.

They've also helped established restaurateurs like Marcus Samuelsson, who wanted a recipe incorporating Ethiopian teff flour.

With much of the country yet to discover the joys of ramen, it's definitely a business with an upward trajectory.

Nakamura was in the house at Lucky Belly on Nov. 25 for a one-night Ramen Lab popup. The particulars: No reservations, first come, first served from 5 p.m. while supplies lasted, and there were at least 60 people lined up from the corner of Hotel and Smith streets to Little Village, after the first in line, from about 4 p.m., were admitted.

I arrived at about 5, but was lucky enough to be part of a group that had been second in line at about 4:15 p.m.

The chef presented three types of ramen, representing local, Japan and New York styles. With the enthusiasm generated by this popup, more events may be coming our way. It's only fair, given that Hawaii has offered a warm, supportive environment for Sun Noodle to grow up.

New York Heritage ramen is Italian inspired, in a tomato broth topped with basil, crimini mushrooms, Italian sausage and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The chewy, curly temomi noodles are best sellers in Hawaii and New York.

Tonkotsu black ramen with thin, straight hakata noodles, pork broth topped with sumibiyaki charcoal-grilled char siu, kikurage (cloud ear mushroom), scallions and drizzled with black garlic essence. These noodles should be eaten quickly. Alas for the food blogger, time required for photography takes time from enjoying the ramen at its optimal.

Sun Noodle Ramen Lab executive chef Shige Nakamura and his wife Maiko.

Hisae Uki, daughter of Sun Noodle founder Hidehito Uki, wears a Sun T-shirt touting outposts in Honolulu, Los Angeles and New York.

On the table: Lucky Belly

Nadine Kam photos
Lucky Belly's savory Belly Bowl with pork belly, smoked bacon, sausage and onsen egg, in what else but a pork broth accented with sesame and miso.

Got a chance to stop for lunch at what is sure to be the Chinatown Arts District's newest foodie destination, Lucky Belly, now open at Smith and Hotel, in place of Mini Garden.

The brief menu comes in groupings of three: a trio of ramen options, a trio of appetizers, salads and sandwiches for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, with dinner service to start up around mid-July. I'm waiting for that before I do a full review.

Right now, it looks like they're off to a good start.

Nina Wu holds up her giant Lucky Bowl, Lucky Belly's basic ramen, at $8. The broth now is pork, but a vegetarian bowl is on the way.

Shrimp gyoza with Chinese won ton flavor, edmame and avocado puree and ponzu sauce.

After lunch, a thank you on the receipt.

The new sign on the corner of Smith and Hotel streets.