Oodles of Japanese noodles
Friday - February 29, 2008
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When Nihon Noodle owner Mayumi Kaneshiro says that many of her customers find the taste of Nihon’s broths and noodles so appealing they come back for more, it doesn’t take long to see that she’s not exaggerating.
I stopped by the South King Street noodle house last week at lunchtime just as a small crowd descended. Four ladies sat down at one of the tables and I could-n’t help but overhear as one immediately began to tell the group what to order.
“You ate here already?” asked one lady of her friend.
“Yesterday,” the lunch-leader replied. Then a pause ... “and the day before, too.”
Lots of laughter followed that remark.
At another table, where a sprightly elderly man took a seat, the waitress greeted him like an old friend. “I’ve been here twice this week already,” he told me, smiling.
Is there something addictive in the broth?
“I don’t think so,” Kaneshiro answers, laughing. “But I do know that people like the noodles, and it is true that they come back the second day to try them - and sometimes soon after that.”
Nihon Noodles is located at the corner of South King and McCully (in the same little mall as Any Place Lounge). For almost a year, the building’s bright orange canopy and cool, curiously marbled interior was home to Neo Nabe, a nabe house that enjoyed its 15 minutes of fame specializing in homemade broths and gourmet toppings. The variations-on-a-theme trend continues with Nihon and its simple menu of fresh noodles.
“We brought the three most popular noodle dishes from three different regions of Japan,” says Kaneshiro, who was born and raised in Hiroshima. From the south of Japan come Hakata noodles, from the north comes the Sapporo noodle and from the central part of the country, Tokyo noodles.
“We wanted to bring these specialized broths and noodles to Hawaii,” says Kaneshiro, “because we thought that people here would really appreciate their differences.”
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In Japan, each region offers a different noodle, with different broths and garnishes, and at Nihon there are several choices. The most popular dish on the menu is the Nihon Noodle Special, a sampling of three types of noodle in three different broths. Hakata features thin noodles served with a Tonkotsu broth, made by simmering pork bones for eight hours. The resulting broth is rich, milky white and oily. Tokyo noodle is a medium-thin noodle served with shoyu broth and garnished with bean sprouts, char siu, green onions and nori. Sapporo features the thickest of noodles in a miso broth.
From a side bar on the menu you can choose among bok choy, broccoli, kim chee and scallops (and almost a dozen other garnishes), each between 30 cents and $1.50. All soups come with bean sprouts, nori, char siu and green onions - and don’t be surprised by the red ginger garnish on the Hakata noodle; it’s traditionally served that way.
A number of cold noodle dishes (tsukemen) are featured - an assortment of thin, medium and thick noodles with a variety of broths.
“You take cold noodles and dip them in the hot broth,” explains Kaneshiro. The fresh noodles here are enhanced by a saltier, more concentrated broth. Each of the cold noodle dishes comes with sides of vegetables and a small slice of char siu. For the most part, dishes are all under $7, except for the Nihon Noodle trio, which at $7.95 is an attractively presented great deal. No wonder, really, that it’s the restaurant’s best seller.
There’s a warmth about Nihon Noodles, despite the strange décor that has now remained unchanged through three owners.
With a young, helpful staff, good parking, an accessible location and a gracious owner, it’s easy to see why diners feel inclined to return. As word spreads, Nihon Noodles ought to become one of those highly recommended neighborhood stops where the food is different enough to be interesting, and interesting enough to stay the course.
Nihon Noodles
2065 South King St.
944-6622
Monday-Saturday
Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner: 5-11 p.m.
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