Gashoken is located in this below ground Asian food mall called “Stix Asia”. There are several decent sized restaurants with different Asian cuisines, such as Japanese ramen, Taiwanese beef noodle, Japanese hot pot, Korean street foods, etc. We did our lap around, and ultimately landed first on this ramen joint because the host was really marketing it like crazy to everyone walking in front. Upon first glance, the menu was small, but alas we’re here for ramen.
Ambiance & Service
Because this restaurant is kind of tucked into a corner, it doesn’t see too much foot traffic. There were plenty of tables open, and the service was pretty fast.
Food
The Original Shiro Ramen ($15) came with perfectly cooked ramen noodles and a nice broth. The broth is somewhat similar to Shinsengumi-style that I’ve had in a number of ramen places in the US, e.g. Ichiran Midtown NYC. It’s quite flavorful and well balanced in richness. The noodles are thin, unfortunately, which are not my desired thickness or style. Regardless, the broth alone was very tasty, but unfortunately is not quite as good as Ichiran.
The Pesto Midori Ramen ($18) came with a green pesto flavor. This was actually rather unique, and if you’re a fan of pesto, you will love this. I’m not a huge fan, so I preferred the original flavor. The rest of my party though enjoyed the flavors here. The pesto was very balanced and did not overpower the broth flavors too much. The noodles are the same style as the original. For the price though, it touches into NYC territory.
The Tako Meshi ($7) came with a rice bowl and little bits of octopus. This tasted pretty good, albeit a little expensive for what it was.
Final Verdict
The ramen was quite delicious for what it was despite it being on the more expensive side. Gashoken needs a bit more options in order to attract more crowds, but if you’re missing LA/NYC ramen, for sure the ramen is decent here to satisfy your ramen cravings.
Yelp Jabs
Definitely my favorite ramen spot on island so far. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but the broth is perfection and the noodles are cooked to just right to give it that bouncy texture.
There really is not a whole slew of ramen spots on Oahu, let alone in Waikiki.
The aka ramen was awesome, enough heat to tingle the lips but not bring the pain. Lol. Wanted to try the tako Messi but they only serve it in the evenings for now. Definitely worth trying!
I would say the “tako meshi” can be skipped because it really is not super special. It’s good though if you really want rice.
Revisions
- Apr 25, 2023 - Initial revision.