Menya Musashi Ramen

Probly shouldnt give 5-​stars after just one visit, but dont know when I’ll be back as I dont work/​live too close, and their parking is not the best.
But after eating a lifetime’s worth of ramen, and thoroughly enjoying Honolulu’s boutique ramen surge via Gomatei/​Ichi, Agu, Kamitoku, Yotteko-​ya, Tenkaippin, etc, I can comfortably place them way up on the scale.
Had the Goma Musashi bowl with all the little garlic/​ginger/​tempura sprinkles and was seriously considering ordering another one right after. Was the portion small for the price? Maybe… but the service, ambiance, kakuni, and WHOLE aji tamago made up for it. I’m no stranger to paying up to $ 20/​bowl anyways… next time I might ask for extra noodles though.

I first went to Menya with one of my best friends, who was visiting from Oregon for the week. We went in early October, before their official launch, so I think they were still in the process of solidifying their menu. My friend is really picky about her ramen, but, being that she went here three times in the week she was visiting … I knew this ramen place had to be legit.
Since parking is super limited outside the restaurant, we parked at Ward (where we were shopping at Nordstrom Rack beforehand) and then walked. It’s not the closest walk, but it’s better than parking on one of the shady side streets close to Menya.
During both of my Menya trips for dinner, there was no wait. The first time, my friend and I were seated immediately and given menus. My friend said she really liked the tsukemen here, while I opted for the ramen. During my first visit, the prices were reasonable and I felt like I got what I paid for. Service was great – our server was really friendly and more than willing to answer all our questions – and I really enjoyed the noodles’ texture and the broth’s flavor.
Fast forward 1.5 months. Menya now had their official grand opening, and I came back with two friends in December. One of my friends really likes tsukemen, so I wanted to take him here before he moved from Hawaii.
We did the same thing – parked at Ward and walked to Menya from there. During dinner on Friday, it actually wasn’t busy, so our party of three was seated immediately. But, the menu was noticeably different – noticeably shorter and pricier. Each option now cost closer to $ 15, instead of the $ 12 – 13 that I had paid before!
I was disappointed to see the price hike, but I ordered the tsukemen during my second visit, since I had tried my friend’s during my first visit and really enjoyed it. Here’s what we got (during both visits):
«Gyoza Set»: During my second trip to Menya, both of my friends opted for this set. One of my friends had wanted the bao set, but they ran out of bao buns. This gyoza set came with ramen or tsukemen, plus three piece of gyoza. One of my friends got ramen, while the other got tsukemen. My friend who likes tsukemen really enjoyed the broth. Even though he wouldn’t say this is his favorite tsukemen place, he said it was definitely delicious and he would return. My friend who got the ramen said he enjoyed it as well; the gyoza was tasty and a perfect appetizer.
«Tsukemen — Musashi Style»: This was the option I chose during my second visit to Menya. It features a house signature bowl in any flavor (you choose the broth) and it includes negi, menma, nori and two pieces of kakuni. I chose the tonkotsu base, which was a rich and creamy soup … I had gotten this the last time with my ramen, and I really enjoyed it, so I now wanted to try it with the tsukemen. I absolutely loved the tsukemen from here. The noodles had the perfect texture and consistency — they were soft but not too soft; firm enough to not break super easily and readily soaked in the broth. My favorite part is breaking apart the soft boiled egg and letting it marinate in the broth before eating it. I would definitely get the tsukemen from here again … it’s delicious.
«Nitoryu Ramen»: This was the ramen option that I got during my first trip to Menya. It was like a sampler of sorts, which I really liked (my friend got the tsukemen version). You can choose your broth (I went with tonkotsu) and it came with one egg, a piece of the succulent, juicy pork belly and one piece of chicken. I wish they kept this item on the menu … it was great for people like me who couldn’t choose between the pork belly or chicken. With this option, you could get the best of all worlds. Plus, it was only $ 12.50!
«Garlic Shrimp Don»: This was one of the donburi options on the old menu, but I didn’t see it during my last trip to Menya (unless I just overlooked it). It features delicious, savory pieces of fried shrimp with veggies and rice. The garlic shrimp looked super delicious and I really wanted to order this don one day. Hopefully they either bring it back or add it onto the new menu.

Let me start off by saying I was so hesitant to try this place because I love love love agu ramen & it’s so convenient and open late so that’s usually where I end up. Enough about agu.
After trying musashi I haven’t been anywhere else for ramen. Eeeekk! I know! That’s how addicting this place is. I love both the ramen and the tsukemen! The tonkatsu broth is sooo rich and flavorful & the meat that they put in it is huge and delicious!!! I’m literally drooling writing this review because it’s that good!!! I usually get the set because gyoza to ramen is like the cheese burger to my French fries. I just can have one with out the other. The noodles are always perfectly cooked and I prefer them to other places that use a thinner noodle in their ramen. So far I’ve been very lucky with parking but I would honestly be willing to walk a mile in designer heels in the rain at 3AM for a bowl of ramen here.
I can’t forget about the little jars. There are 3 little jars on the tables. They have 3 different flavor additions in them. I’m obsessed with garlic so you know I add like 5 spoonfuls to my ramen and reek of garlic for days. Oh well. Feel free to experiment with the other 2, I think spicy & Ginger but I’m not brave enough to try. Let me know how they are!
Trust me this is a must try!!! But maybe don’t try it because then I won’t get as lucky with good parking. ;)

Ate here for lunch today. Parking is atrocious. Service was ok. Food was good though. We tried the musashi tonkotsu, gyoza and shoyu ramen.
Broth was rich and delicious. Adding the condiments changes the flavor and enhances the experience. That was fun. Noodles were cooked perfectly and chewy. in a good way. Kakuni pork was mmmm… thick and fatty which is just how I like it.
Overall a good experience and I would come again to try the tsukemen.

Our favorite spot for tsukemen!!! The staff are attentive and friendly, we’ve had good luck with parking, portions vs. pricing are reasonable, and the food is so flavorful and consistent!!! The broth for the tsukemen is out of this world flavorful. The fat to protein ratio on the Kakuni is perfection. Their dons are well put together. The baos are tasty as well. The Toriten is crunchy and incredibly juicy. The ONLY thing we would recommend is to cook the ajitama a bit less so it’s not so firm on the inside. Other than that, we looooove everything about this place and we’re going back tonight!

A great little ramen shop in the Ward — Ala Moana area. A really encouraging sign is that you’ll find a lot of Japanese nationals here.
I’ve had the Shoyu and Goma, but my go-​to is the Tonkotsu Ramen. The broth is rich & flavorful, and the noodles are thicker & chewier than other places. The Kakuni pork is hit or miss. Sometimes it’s great, and some times it’s too fatty. The soft-​boiled egg is perfectly cooked (sous-​vide?) but at $ 2, it’s a pricy add-​on.
I don’t usually add condiments at a ramen shop, but it’s fun here. There are three jars filled with raw garlic, pickled ginger, and spicy tempura flakes. Each changes the experience.
A fan of this shop. It’s a part of my rotation with Agu, Wagaya, and Santouka. Happy slurping…

My new favorite ramen place! I come here all the time now, like once a week. The service is great & the ramen is delicious. The only thing that sucks is finding parking… I usually have to circle the block a few times or park far & walk. Never had to wait to be seated.
I always order the spicy kakuni musashi ramen. It comes with a boiled egg, two pieces of pork, green onions & menma. The pieces of pork are so thick & juicy, I love it. The soup is very delicious, thick & flavorful but I always add garlic for a little more kick. The noddles are thick unlike some other ramen places with thinner noodles. The pork bao is yummy too.

Located in Honolulu, this ramen place is one among many out there. I can’t say this place ‘wow’ed’ me but I can’t say it was bad either. This place has great customer service and everyone here is super friendly and comes back to make sure you’re enjoying your meal. I got the spicy miso ramen, and it was a bit salty to my taste buds. I did however like that you got to choose your soup, your noodles, and your meat. You can get the noodles either with or without broth and they have a great selection of sides and apps. We had the dumplings and they were no mamas dumplings but they were still good. Give it a try if you’re up for it, not a bad place but didn’t blow me away.

(edit: MILESTONE REVIEW #100!)
Being the good Asian boy that I am, I’d be the first to admit my weakness for ramen. Unfortunately, and maybe this is just my «spoiled by Japan”-bias talking, I haven’t found many truly great ramen places in Hawaii even though I feel I’ve gone to my fair share of shops plus more. However, and much to my surprise, a fairly newish ramen shop adorned with comicbook-​esque graphics of Miyamoto Musashi on Pensacola (next to Nanzan Giro Giro) might have helped bridge that gap between Hawaii’s mediocre and awesome authentic Japan ramen.
As a ramen-​ya (ramen shop), Menya Musashi Ramen is fairly straightforward and simple. They know what they do well and don’t deviate. Although there are some other menu items not of the noodle variety (ex. gyoza, pork bao, fried shrimp, etc.), their bread and butter, excuse the food pun, are their four base soups and noodles. The four soups are tonkotsu (pork bone base), shoyu, goma (sesame seed), and spicy. And if I could make a suggestion, I’d recommend spicy every time, which you’re even able to choose your level of spiciness. The soup is a little thicker than what I’d expect most people are accustomed to, but it’s that genuine, legitimate stock base that adds true depth of flavor to each spoonful. As for the noodles, you have the choice of standard ramen or tsukemen, which is having the noodles served on the side while you dip them into the soup. An although both work very well, especially with certain soups, my preference is ordering my noodles the ramen way.
Menya Musashi’s ramen could honestly be just noodles and soup and I’m sure I’d keep coming back. However, you have the option of adding toppings to your noodles or going for the «musashi style» option, which is a set combination of toppings. Be as creative as you want, but for those looking to get a good sample of Menya Musashi’s character, I’d recommend at least ordering the «musashi style» your first time. It comes with your choice of two pieces of kakuni (braised pork) or four pieces of toriten (seasoned fried chicken), menma (bamboo shoots), green onions, nori, and an ajitama (seasoned egg). And although it might be a tad pricey for a bowl of ramen ($ 15), you will leave full, happy, and in desperate need of nap to fight off the oncoming food coma.
Menya Musashi Ramen is honestly one of the better ramen places I’ve been to on the island. I don’t know if I can confidently say it’s the best or even my favorite, but I’m eager to go anytime someone suggest it as a lunch or dinner spot. The décor is modern and the staff are attentive and friendly. The most major knock on Menya Musashi I have, and looking at other reviews it seems people are in unanimous agreement, is the parking… or for that matter, the lack thereof. If you can score street parking anywhere near Menya Musashi, you might’ve just used up all your good luck for the day. There are only a couple stalls in front of the shop, and street parking in that area is atrociously difficult to find no matter what time of day/​day of the week. But if you’re in the area, or maybe parked somewhere else like a shopping mall (totally not endorsing parking at Ala Moana or Ward and just walking over if there’s no street parking, of course), I highly recommend giving them a try sometime.

OMG, seriously, I hate to be so bipolar with my reviews of this place, but each time I come here it’s a wayyy different experience! The first time was not so great, second time was super awesome, and the third time was lackluster and almost disappointing. Sorry for being so wishy-​washy with my reviews but if this place was more consistent, I wouldn’t have this problem!
So I came back here a couple of weeks ago SOOO super excited to come back, and even brought some visitors from the mainland. They love a good soft-​boiled egg especially when it’s perfectly cooked with the yolk slightly runny. I raved about how tender the char-​siu was and how they would not be disappointed. Anyway, we all ordered different types of ramen and baos, and we noticed that all of our char-​siu was cut super thick and small, so it was like a chunk of meat rather than a slice. The meat was also dry and so thick that it was difficult to enjoy it inside of the bao as well as with the ramen. Additionally, the soft boiled eggs were solidified and not runny at all, and it tasted like the eggs had been sitting out and not fresh.
I was so sad to experience this and had to apologize to our friends for disappointing them!
Sighhhh, I don’t know what to say about this place. I mean, there’s so much potential but ²⁄₃ times of this disappointment is not making me want to come back =(

Not my favorite ramen shop on the island but I can see why others would enjoy it. I’m very simple in terms of what I like and this is fancy ramen to the max. I think if you’re a fan of spicy ramen this will be worth your time to stop by for lunch. The service was attentive and the décor is very modern samurai. And yes, as everyone else has written parking is going to be the biggest challenge you’ll face when trying to eat here.

I came here based on a fellow Unilocaler’s (Ramfis B.) review and I am glad I did. I skipped the front menu of build your own and instead ordered the musashi style with the noodles in the goma broth.
Although it was very tasty, the noodles was slightly overdone. Through no fault of the kitchen, I think because since it was sitting in the hot broth, the broth might have «cooked» the noodles longer. So I suggest ordering any of their ramens with the broth seperate.
Yes, the parking situation in front sucks, there is plenty street parking around on the side streets. (I ended up parking on the street that goes between Ala Moana Shopping Center and Ward Village)
The place is clean and the waitress I had was very kind and patient when explaining the menu to my parents and I.

Oishii food! The kakuni bao is a winner! The pork belly is cooked to perfection, it just melts in your mouth, especially if you eat the yummy layer of fat! The only thing about it I’d change is to put hoisin sauce on it instead of mustard, but this bao is made even better by the super fluffy bao buns. I don’t think I’ve ever had better bao buns, these just meld with the juicy pork.
The tsukumen ramen was so good, too. The noodles were thick and cooked al dente. The dipping sauce was rich and a tad too salty, but still delicious. The tonkatsu ramen was rich and tasty, and not as thick as some other places, so it was easier to eat more.
Any review of this place would be remiss without mentioning their GARGANTUAN char siu! It is the thickness of about 5 normal slices. It is nearly as soft and juicy as the kakuni pork. Impressive!
The gyoza were good but not spectacular. The fried shrimp were cooked in a medium– thickness batter, crispy enough so that you can eat the entire shrimp if you want. It’s served with a yummy sauce. There are also lots of condiments including fresh minced garlic on the tables to customize your food.
The waitress was super nice and helpful! This place is now one of our top choices for local ramen!

Menya Musashi Ramen has gradually won me over. The first time I visited them in the summer of 2015, I didn’t think very highly of the taste of the ramen broth and the consistency of their noodles and the cha-​shu was hard, chewy, and just plain awful. I was quite surprised because this is a Japanese chain ramen restaurant. Perhaps they were still working out the kinks at that time. I decided to give them another chance before writing a review otherwise they’d have gotten a 2-​star at the time.
I returned two times in the fall of 2015 and found a huge improvement with both their ramen broths, noodles, and the cha-​shu. I’ve recently had both their tonkotsu and their spicy ramen tsukemen-​style (dipping noodle). Both broths had good flavor and balance and they fixed their cha-​shu. It’s much more tender and flavorful. I also tried the gyoza which was delicious and well-​prepared and a friend enjoyed the shrimp bao.
Service here can be a bit slow when they are busy and parking at this location is terrible. Be prepared to park on the street or at AMC or Ward Village and walk a few minutes. However, I now consider Menya Musashi to be one of the better ramen-​yas in Honolulu and they’ve won me over!

I love their chicken spicy tonkatsu! Add a side of memma (bamboo shoots) and we’re golden! Their spicy chili flavorings are awesome!
Parking is a little hard to find around here, unfortunately. But their spicy noodles are delicious!

Musashi, the fabled and very real swordsman in history who survived 60 or so duels. I also read the book of five rings, which he wrote.
Anyways, this place has some musashi art. I love the design of the kitchen being slightly elevated from the dining area. The restaurant is pretty spacious and the waiters and waitresses are very nice and attentive.
I got to try both the Tsukemen and the ramen. I prefer tsukemen, since the broth is thicker, stronger, and more fun to eat. Also the noodles are flat noodles. When you order tsukemen, they offer you an additional hot broth bowl to mix with the thick broth, so it turns into a ramen broth, so you get both! The broth is rich, but not oily. The char su and chicken are both top notch! I will order extra next time. The gyoza is ok.
The parking is right off of Pensacola Street, which is a little dangerous. I don’t care to back out into a crowded street, but you really have no other choice here. I must say, it is a place worth going to again. the parking is the only downside here.

After 2 visits to Menya Musashi Ramen we came to a unanimous decision. They don’t serve up good ramen, they serve up great ramen. I wish I could put that in bold. We immediately took note that the noodles here have a nice bouncy texture. In our opinion they are the best ramen noodles in town. I would put that in bold too. Their Tonkotsu broth is rich, but not too rich and just right in every way. The bottom line is that I actually had a happy feeling after finishing my bowl of ramen. I also really liked the pork here which is also used in their bao (mini sandwiches). Take a look at the photos. They don’t mess around.
From the dining area there is a view into the kitchen. I am a fan of this feature because it adds transparency to the establishment’s food preparation, cleanliness, etc.; I feel like you get to see the inner workings of the place. I noted that Menya Msusashi Ramen’s kitchen is staffed by a crew of authentic looking ramen dudes who were all busy getting down to business in a very clean and orderly environment. That, and their ramen speaks for itself.
Here are the following 2 reasons whey Menya Musashi Ramen gets 4 stars instead of 5. They offer 3 levels of spicy Tonkotsu broth. We tried all 3 levels and this is just not the place for spicy broth — it’s not that spicy here and there are other establishments that do it better. Parking is an issue here. There are very few limited stalls in front of the restaurant. Otherwise it’s hard to come by street parking in the area.
All of the staff are very friendly and sincere in their efforts to make sure our experience was a good one (it was indeed). Much appreciated. I wish Menya Musashi Ramen all the best.

I came here for the tsukemen. After having tsukemen at Tsujita LA for the first time a few days earlier, I was addicted. I was glad to find this place.
The tsukemen was good but not as tsujita. The meat in the broth was very salty and barely edible. But the broth itself was phenomenal. Perhaps the meat was only meant to flavor the broth and not to be eaten. If that’s the case, they should just leave it out of the broth.
My hubby enjoyed his regular ramen. I got my XL sized and also got the works which included egg, chicken, and fried garlic shrimps. I really enjoyed the crispy garlic shrimps. You could eat the whole thing without peeling. The chicken was just meh for me. Kind of dry and hard.
I knocked off a star for it’s seedy location. I didn’t feel safe walking around there.

Doesn’t get anymore authentic than this! Almost everyone working here speaks Japanese.
The boyfriend and I have been wanting to come here since it opened! But with their weird hours, we’ve never gotten around to coming until this past weekend! The hours on Unilocal say they close at 8pm but we noticed they stay open as long as they have people waiting outside. We arrive there around 7:30pm. We waited around 10 minutes before we were seated.
The menu was a bit difficult to understand but I eventually got it and tried to explain it to the boyfriend. We ended up ordering a Kakuni Tonkotsu Ramen and a Musashi Spicy Level 2 Kakuni Ramen. Our food took a little while to come out but you can literally see the cooks taking their time to make each ramen, so we didn’t mind.
There were various containers of toppings on each table and I wish the waitress had explained each one but being Unilocalers, we looked on Unilocal and found out they were garlic, spicy tempura chips, and ginger. The boyfriend put garlic in his ramen and loved it! He also put the tempura chips but they were WAYYYY too spicy in his already spicy ramen. Note: taste before putting the toppings in your ramen! :P
I loved my Tonkotsu ramen. It was very creamy and not too salty. I’m not a big fan of salty foods so I thought it was perfect! My favorite part of the dish was the kakuni. A big piece of pork and fat. It literally melts in your mouth and has such good flavor. Way better than the pork at any other ramen place I’ve tried. You must try it!
The parking for this place is definitely difficult! If there’s no parking right in front on Pensacola, I don’t really know where else to park. We ended up parking at the Nordstrom Rack/​TJ Maxx parking structure and walking.
Overall, we loved the ramen and will most likely be back to try the other broth flavors.

Menya Musashi is located on Pensacola street next to Nanzan Giro Giro. Parking is limited in the front, only can fit a few cars. I would recommend looking for street parking in the area.
The décor here gives me a very masculine vibe. They have images of samurai on the door, bright red walls inside with black artwork of more fighting/​samurai images.
The service was okay. Our waitresses seems a bit annoyed, probably just having a bad day.
The Grub.
[[GARLIC SHRIMP $ 5 ]]

[[ NITORYU RAMEN $ 12.50 ]]

[[ NITORYU TSUKEMEN $ 12.50 ]]

The food here was alright, but nothing I would go out of my way to come back for. Maybe just not my cup of tea.