Taiyo Ramen / Even the finest of diners occasionally have to slum. Too tired to make a reservation and dress to the nines after a hard day at work? Sustenance must be obtained, but Buddha forbid a colleague or fellow socialite should see you in a–gasp–drive-thru.

Luckily, Honolulu is conducive to that most user-friendly of restaurants that are slightly above the cultural snobline: the ramen shop. One could always go to a local plate lunch diner for saimin, but there’s just something moreÖinternationalÖabout obtaining wheat noodles from staff with predominantly Asian accents.

One of the most stalwart of local ramen shops is Taiyo Ramen (or Taiyo Noodle Shop as their logo says). Originally on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Kapi’olani, they were forced to change locations to make way for Nordstrom’s at Ala Moana Shopping Center. The new restaurant is now right behind the Game Rush sign for Blockbuster Video on Pi’ikoi Street.

The latest digs are a touch smaller than the previous ones, with few er tables, but somehow it seems cleaner and newer. Gone is the option of entering the restaurant through the kitchen, which always makes one feel like Chow Yun Fat going into a Woo shootout. The dÈcor is, of course, nothing extravagant. Bright green bamboo papers on one wall while a sheet-glass window and an awkwardly placed Samsung flatscreen mounts the opposite wall projecting Korean soap operas. Tragedy and noodles. (It seems they used to have their cute yellow, smiley logo on the screen, but perhaps they took it off when they realized that unmoving images burn in–the faint outline of the happy face can still be seen.)

Interestingly, for a noodle shop, some of the best things on the menu aren’t long and stringy.

The real reason to come here is the chicken katsu curry rice ($7.95). The curry sauce is excellent. Thick, yellow-ish brown and slightly tangy with a spicy bite, it was born to cling in globs to the generous plateful of rice and matches perfectly with the un-nutritiously fried chicken katsu. Interestingly, perhaps to give the curry its hearty flavor, there are occasional pieces of what can only be described as ‘bonus beef.’ A square of stew meat can usually be found in the mix–remnants of the boiling stock probably. (Or a gift from the gods for enduring the soap operas?) Regardless, there’s something charming about it and finding one is akin to unlocking an ‘Easter egg’ on DVD bonus materials.

Also excellent is their gyoza, which comes in a four-piece set ($2.25) or a six-pack ($3.50). The succulent little Asian dumplings are soft and moist on one side and browned and perfectly crispy on the other, making it the garlic-y, potsticker version of Frosted Mini Wheats. A vinegar-based shoyu-ish sauce is provided at the table and gives the side order a nice sense of salt. To really get the juices in, poke a small hole in the gyoza with your chopstick, dunk it into the sauce and let everything seep in before popping the whole thing in your mouth. Spice adventurers can add some chili sauce for an extra kick.

You’re blowing it if you don’t try the kim chee–the succulent, glowing red leaves of spicy fire. Taiyo has some of the best kim chee on the entire island, and it’s available as a side dish with no charge as long as you ask for it. It is literally red; hints of green vegetation can barely be made out among the bright orange pepper. They put a slightly different spin on the chopping, too. The leaves of cabbage and won bok are diced in small pieces, as opposed to simply existing as leafy chunks. The owners are probably well aware of its power and seek to distribute it sparingly. Not surprisingly, the Kim Chee Fried Rice ($7.25) can be a bit over powering for one sitting and generally requires a take-out container.

And the noodles aren’t bad either. In addition to the (duh) kim chee ramen ($7.25), the butter ramen ($6.99) and the good ol’ stand-by shoyu ramen ($6.25) are also recommended. The noodles are fresh and firm, and long and strong enough for Lady and the Tramp moments. Udon, fried and cold noodle varieties are available as well. (Vegetarian alert: The menu notes ‘all soup broth is made from pork bone.’ Looks like they probably caught hell from a rabid vegitarian/vegan in the past.)

For affordable, late-night casual dining (open ’til 3am every night except Sunday), Taiyo Ramen shouldn’t exclusively be considered as a last, Zippy’s-type option after the movies or during a bout with the midnight munchies. When the mood strikes, or depending on who’s looking, it can be a dining destination in itself.

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