Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant

Within the last couple of years, the area around Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre has been a flurry of activity.  New condos are coming up as well as stores and restaurants.  The first of these to be completed was the small building which houses a new Starbucks, Jamba Juice and the Wahoo's Fish Tacos place.  Meanwhile, work begins on the site that will house a new Whole Foods store and I believe construction has already begun on the PF Changs that will also be located in the same area.  The activity is not only confined to currently empty spaces though.  Ward Centre has also gotten some new tenants in where the old Scoozies was.  Besides Red Pineapple, which opened before the 2005 holiday season, there is this place, Goma Tei, which only opened about a week ago.

Upon entering the restaurant you'll notice the blond wood tables and counter as well as the black wood stained chairs.  The restaurant is clean and modern, and was fairly empty at dinner time, with only two seats at the counter and one table being occupied.  Perhaps word hasn't gotten out about this place yet.

After looking over the menu, I made an inquiry with the waitress.  It seemed as though the restaurant specialized in tan tan ramen, which, according to the menu, is a "Japanese style soup broth with spicy sesame flavor".

So I ordered #5, chicken tan tan ramen (US$7.50).

On the menu, it said that this was made with the restaurant's ban ban ji chicken and veg. garnishes.  When the bowl arrived, there was a pile of choy sum on one end of the bowl, and a pile of sliced white meat chicken on the other.  Well, I don't quite remember what the ban ban ji chicken was (I should have taken better notes), but I'm sure it didn't mean dry and flavorless -- which is exactly how I found this chicken.  The soup, however, was thick and flavorful, with only a hint of spiciness.

To go along with the ramen I also ordered a side of gyoza (5 pieces, US$4.95).

The gyoza took way too long to come out of the kitchen and when the plate arrived at the table, they were already starting to get cold.  There was just enough filling inside the wrapper, but if you ask me, these seemed a lot like the gyoza that's found in the frozen section of the supermarket.  Average.

On another visit, I decided to try the tonkatsu tan tan ramen (US$8.95).

The broth was the same as the first time (how I wished it were spicier) and the ramen was garnished with both choy sum and chopped leeks.  The piece of tonkatsu was quite big, filling up almost the entire surface of the bowl.  It was still crunchy when the ramen arrived, but I felt it could have been tenderized a bit more -- it was a bit tough when I bit into it.

Being that Goma Tei has only been open for about a week, I feel that they still have time to improve.  If the food stays on course, then they could be in for some real trouble.  While the ramen was quite good (the broth could use a bit more spice), it's the toppings that need a bit of work.  The service was good, but it could have been because it wasn't too busy.  The ramen is a bit expensive though, so I'm still a bit unsure if my initial impression warrants a return visit.

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant
Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.591.9188

Comments

[alan]

I almost ate at Gomen Tei for lunch today. Wouldn't that have been funny if we'd bumped into each other?

[OsloFoodie]

Mmm, I wonder what the noodles taste like, I never had Szechuan-style noodle before. Are they spicy hot with sesame or peanut taste in the background?

[Kat & Satoshi]

ooh, that looks so good!! will have to check it out the next time I'm home.

[Wena]

that looks like a nice spoon.

[Embla]

Mmm, looks good! Can't wait for this post to be finished. Hope you found it as good as it looks like it should've been. :)

I'm liking the renovations going on at Ward. What do you think about them?

[Lajja]

Regarding renovations at Ward - makes me want to move there! Esp. since hearing the good news that Whole Foods will open in 2008!

[Robyn]

Hey Reid!! It's been a while huh? Hah... ANyway... Where's a good place to eat lunch in Downtown? There are so many places to eat, but it's so hard to make a decision... :) Let me know if you have a suggestion for me! :)

[cindy]

It looks good!!! I'm coming back to visit again in April! I need me some ramen ^_^

[808650foodie]

Hey Reid--

I should be signing 808425foodie now that I've moved to Seattle ;-). I guess I have to wait until your review, but was this place run by Chinese or Japanese folks? It reminds me of an incident I had in Tokyo when looking for gyoza in a ramen shop. The owner told me that his ramen shop was not the Chinese kind and thus does not sell gyoza. I noticed that shop also didn't have my favorite mabo-ramen (ramen with Mabo Tofu on top) so that should have tipped me off. Anyways, it wasn't as good as the ramen I had in Sapporo. YUMMY!

[Rachel]

Wow that looks yummy especially now as its starting to cool a bit gearing up for Autumn down under.

I just love it when they serve the soup with those traditional ladles!! Its so cute :)

[ww eater]

Hmmm...I remember eating tan tan noodles at this place in Kalihi...it's long gone... Ayame Curry at Windward City was doing tan tan ramen for awhile, not sure if they are still doing it. Goma tei looks interesting and I always love good ramen. Looks a bit upscale though and a bit on the pricey side? Waiting to hear your comments on the taste, the most important part...:)

[Julie]

Wow another tan tan mein place! How do it stack up to my favorite Gomaichi? Can't want to hear what you think about this place. Maybe I have to plan a trip back home for a taste. :0)

[kitsy]

I'm interested in hearing your review on this place! The bf-unit and I stopped by a few days after their opening and we're wondering how things are now~ :D

That and we're curious about the gyouza~

[anthony]

Well it looks great.

Tonkotsu ramen. What porky joy!

[veruca salt]

All looks so good. It is 11.30am here and my stomach is starting to rumble

[keiko]

Hi Reid, I can see you've been eating lots of Japanese food recently... (and I'm jealous of course) I'm not sure about tonkatsu in ramen though! I love the sound of Well Bento too :)

[Reid]

Hi Alan,

It would have been funny if we had bumped into each other, especially here. I don't think very many people know that this place is open.

Hi OsloFoodie,

The broth is slightly spicy with a hint of sesame. I would have preferred a lot more heat, but then that's just me! =)

Hi Kat & Satoshi,

Please do try it and let me know how you like it. Since they only recently opened for business, they can only get better. I did find the prices a bit high though.

Hi Wena,

Nice to hear from you again! It's been a long time.

The spoons are commonly served with Japanese noodle soups in many ramen shops. I like them because they can hold a lot of noodles.

Hi Embla,

I'm excited about what's happening in the Ward area. I'm there quite often since I only live right up the street.

I'm hoping for a lot more restaurants and was quite disappointed to hear that PF Changs was opening there. Nothing wrong with chain restaurants, but I was hoping for something new.

Hi Lajja,

I'm glad I live nearby because I certainly am unable to afford property in the area, especially since the condos are priced in the $500K + bracket. I can't wait for Whole Foods too.

Hi Robyn,

Hmmm. Downtown huh? What do you feel like having? Let me know, OK?

Hi Cindy,

This was pretty good, but I think Gomaichi is better. You should try it. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion.

Hi 808650foodie,

No wonder you haven't been around. Congrats on the move.

The manager of this place was Japanese (at least he looked it), but the waitress that I had looked Chinese and one of the cooks in the kitchen looked Filipino.

Hi Rachel,

When the weather starts to cool down, I love to eat pho, ramen and saimin. And yes, those wooden ladles are cute! =)

Hi wweater,

Welcome to my blog!

I've only had tan tan ramen at Gomaichi near Ala Moana and find that it's better than the tan tan ramen here.

It is a bit pricey and they are cash only. It might make it hard for people to dine here, especially after doing some shopping.

Hi Julie,

This place was OK, but I have to say that Gomaichi is better. Maybe you can come home and try this and let me know what you think.

Hi Kitsy,

Average and average. What did you think about the tan tan ramen? I wanted it to be spicier.

Hi Anthony,

Looks can be deceiving sometimes. In this case, they were...if only just a little. Porky joy? WOO HOO!

Hi Veruca Salt,

It does look good, doesn't it? Too bad it wasn't as good as it looked. I was wanting it to be better.

Hi Keiko,

I eat Japanese food at least once or twice a week. If not out, then I prepare it at home. It's probably my favorite type of food to eat.

I don't usually eat tonkatsu in ramen either, but I thought that I would give this a try.

[kitsy]

Hey Reid! Thanks for the full review of Goma-Tei! Like you, I found the tantan mein rather average as well... I found the broth by itself was pretty good.. the noodles by itself were pretty good... but when you put them together, it came out bland - as if it were watered down. (and definitely needed more spice to it~)

Also, my thoughts on the char siu slice... it was kinda bland on the outside, but rather salty and perhaps "too" flavorful on the inside.

I too am hoping that they improve as time goes by~ I'll probably give them another go as we frequent the Ward area often. ^_^

Thanks again for the review!
-kitsy

[Reid]

Hi Kitsy,

I'm glad you agree. I'm not sure if you've eaten at Gomaichi before, but I find that this isn't as good.

I'm going to go back in a couple of months just to see if the food has gotten any better.

And...you're welcome!

[Angrywoebots ( Aaron martin)]

I definately like the TaTan at Gomaichi's better. I mean its great that Goma Tei's has Karage chicken but the broth at Ichi's was much better. Its classic spot and been going there for years. Its like "Cheers" for me they know my name and I don't need a menu haha.

[vivian]

Do you go back to try this Raman recently? For my opinion, I think I like the noodles,goyza and they also have something new if you compare with Cantonese Raman.
Vivian(^-6)

[Reid]

Hi Vivian,

I haven't been back to Goma Tei yet (no time!), but I will soon. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Remle]

Well. Actually I like Goma Tei The service is Really Good as much as the Food..It Actually got pretty busy now..I actually got the twice a week. Last time was 3 days in a row. Price is Reasonable Considering the Rent is High there. Gyoza is really good. One of the best I tasted. price is a little high for 5 pieces but they said it's freshly made. Can't be the Half Off Kirin Draft..Just Hits the Spot. Your right on one thing though It Could be a little spicy..but I guess you can request that. Kinda wish we can request Extra Noodles.. hehehe.. Went to Gomaichi before.. It's okay.. Just When I hungry I hungry.. and they close in certain times.. So Goma Tei is open when I'm hungry and that to me it's a plus. Heard they are planning to open another Goma Tei .. So I guess they must be doing something right? Awesome Website.. Very informative.. Bookmarking it right now. Aloha!

[skraps]

Is this thing still on? I've been away from Hawaii 5 months now and I miss this restaurant. I'd say it was one of my top 5 places to eat- where else can you get green vegetables in your ramen, eh?

[Rachel]

I Love Goma Tei! It makes me sad to read some of these reviews! I hope you all will give them another chance :)... Here is my recommendation on what to order..

-tan tan ramen (or char siu tan tan if you're really hungry)

**ask for it extra spicy and with a shoyu boiled egg inside (very important!)

-"extra crispy" gyoza (they'll just leave it on the pan a little longer)

- fruit punch!
you don't really have to get this =P i just really like fruit punch

i discovered GT about a year ago and have taken a bunch of my coworkers (we work in a restaurant) already. They all love it and we go there maybe every 2 weeks.

One order of gyoza should be enough to share with one other person if you are both getting the tan tan. The chicken tatsutaage is also pretty good and can feed 3 people.

ENJOY!!! :)