Add Junpuu to the List of Top Places to Eat Ramen

Junpuu 

Medical Arts Building 

1010 S. King St. Ste 108

(808) 260-1901

Daily 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Slurp baby slurp a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen from Junpuu

Word of Mouth (Max. 5 👄): 

Food: 👄 👄 👄 👄

Price: Reasonably Priced

Service: 👄 👄 👄 👄 👄

Ambiance: 👄 👄 👄 

Overall Value: 👄 👄 👄 👄 👄

Dreaming of Japan? So were we. Ever since the flight restrictions to Japan, we were longing for a fix that would comfort our ramen craving. We would drive past the Medical Arts Building at the corner of S. King and Victoria Street and notice the activity on the first floor. We did a little research and, starving after a surf session one day, decided to pay Junpuu a visit.

What piqued our interest was the sign that resembled the Supreme streetwear brand and the randomness of having a ramen shop in a medical building. Their friendly staff greeted us and we were pleasantly surprised with the lay-out of the restaurant. There was a large shared table sectioned off for people who wanted one-on-one time with their ramen, and tables separated with partitions for small groups. Our server brought us menus, water, and our own bottle of Purell.

After spending the day in the sun, we were hungry to the point of delirium. For appetizers we ordered the spicy cheese gyoza, char siu quesadillas, karaage chicken, and takoyaki. Our favorite was the spicy cheese gyoza which wasn’t as spicy as we anticipated. It was five pieces of gyoza covered generously with cheese and topped with a slightly spicy tomato based meat sauce. It was complex and strange, but the combination worked. You have the slight crunch of the fried bottoms but the chewy upper layer of the gyoza wrapper, the garlic and onion taste of the filling, the slightly spicy tomato topping and the cheese pull, oh the cheese pull! We could’ve eaten five each had it not been for the ramen that arrived shortly after.

Coming in hot were the bowls of spicy garlic tonkotsu ramen, garlic tonkotsu ramen, and the Junpuu original curry rice. As much as we love a thick, fatty tonkotsu broth that leaves our lips stuck when pursed together, this tonkotsu broth was different. It had all the flavor minus the heaviness of a typical tonkotsu broth. The portions were perfect especially with all those appetizers. There were two thick pieces of char siu, menma, onions, and of course we added an ajitama egg. 

Now this is the time when we get critical. The ajitama egg can make or break a ramen shop. There’s nothing worse than being let down by a fully hard-boiled ajitama egg. We all held our breaths right before cutting into it. When the egg cracked open, the golden yolk oozed and joined the tonkotsu broth in the bowl. Ahhhh yaaassss! Thank you Junpuu for fulfilling our quest for oishi ramen!