Unlike my experience at Goma Tei in Ala Moana, I had a great time! We were seated and given menus quickly which was nice because we were so hungry. I got the chicken cold noodle and my boyfriend got the ramen with katsu on the side. Our food came out quick and absolutely perfect! The restaurant was quite busy so we thought for sure we were going to have to wait a while for our food. I highly recommend going to this location and the Pearlridge one if you're craving Goma Tei!
Wendy N.
I went go Goma Tei Kahala to eat the Shredded Pork and Szechuan Pickle Sun Ho. According to their menu, it states that it includes shredded pork, Szechuan pickles, and vegetable garnishes. One year ago, I ate the same dish at this location. What happened to the taste of the Szechuan pickled vegetables? I hardly tasted it. The broth is spicy, but that's it. It's full of the chili oil. There's no depth of flavor. Unfortunately, this particular ramen's flavor definitely has changed in my opinion. Service is fast. Lots of space to sit where you want.
Kristin K.
One of the family go-to's for a quick lunch or dinner! We each have our favorites -- hubs always gets the veggie tan tan ramen with the ajitama (like a seasoned boiled egg). My daughter alternates between the seafood fried rice and the chicken cold noodle (every so often will get ramen). I get the ramen most of the time -- favorites are the veggie and wakame. The shoyu broth is better if I want something a little lighter (and sometimes I don't feel like having anything spicy) -- but both are very good. We also get a starter every now and then, like the gyoza (5 good-sized pieces) and the tatsutaage (fried chicken, like karaage). The banbanji is also pretty good (slices of cold chicken with the sauce, served on a bed of cucumber). I also like the lemon iced tea. I have not gotten the curry dishes, but they seem popular. I think I tried it once and thought that it was pretty good .. but the ramen is better. The servers are all pretty good, but there is a LOT of turnover, it seems. Perhaps related is the inconsistency in food quality. Most of the time it's pretty good, but every once in a while it is not (and then it takes a while to convince me to come back). I think the consistency and quality were better at the Ward location (closed now).
Lois I.
Here at Goma Tei for our noodle fix. Ordered Tan Tan and Shoyu Won Ton Ramen. Great food and very consistent in taste. Broth tasty and delicious. Service is good. Wait staff friendly and accommodating.
A. Michael G.
Had a late dinner here recently with a couple of my neighbors. We live really close by. It's a "go to" favorite for two us and was the first time for one who is new to the area. Seating was quick because we got there as the dinner rush was finishing at around 8pm. The place was also clean, no un-bussed tables to be seen. Service was prompt as we got our water and a request for orders before we had all decided. I usually eat the Tonkatsu Tan Tan which is great all the time, but switched it up after hearing some good things about the Kakuni Udon. It didn't disappoint. Firstly, it's massive-- easily enough for two people. Ample, well balanced broth-- not overly salty like some other places. Perfectly textured noodles and huge cuts of tender, braised pork--much larger than bite-sized, filled the bowl. It's served with a tasty garlicky, spicy, and slightly sweet chili sauce. Delicious, well thought-out dish! The other two in my party ordered Kakuni Ramen and Chicken Katsu Ramen. We also had an order of Gyoza. The tables had all the sauces we needed. But, really the dishes had plenty of flavor as served. Smiles and full bellies all around. Service was friendly throughout, no one ran out of water or napkins. I particularly liked the large ladles that come with the bowls-- these weren't the small plastic ones that you might get elsewhere. Great restaurant vibe, too--just people enjoying delicious, quality food. Thanks, Goma Tei!
Nic T.
My friend Makani brought me here. He is a regular & I can see why. So good!! The menu has something for everyone. Gyoza has a lot of meat & is juicy. The Ramen is authentic, fresh veggies & you are able to substitute the protein or meat choice. Even their Chicken Katsu Curry ramen is amazing. The portions are big and not a bad price either. Highly recommend!
Wina G.
Shame on me ! I've been here several times for ramen here at Kahala Mall and have never reviewed it! 1000 Yelp lashes with a soba noodle! So this place has been here like forever, located at the theater end of Kahala Mall. There can a wait sometimes especially in the evenings at dinner time. Today was midweek at 12:30 and there was no wait. The ramen here is pretty good, not soggy and the tan tan broth is thick and flavorful. It does have a tiny bit of spice kick, a little less than a level 1 and it wasn't overly salty. I added a soft poached egg for an additional $2 and change. It made the broth even more creamier...yum! This place is always changing up the menu and I haven't been here in a long long while so when I saw ramen with FISH dumplings, I had to try it. They were pretty good! Softer than the usual pork stuffed ones, they were boiled not fried. I'd definitely get them again. My friend had the cold noodles with vegetables. They were plain thin noodles with steamed carrots, celery, and mushrooms. The sauce came on the side. I wasn't sure what kind of sauce it was. The servers were very nice and checked on us several times. Prices ranged from about $15 to $24, depending on how fancy the ingredients were ( looked like the truffle ramen was the most expensive dish on the menu) Thumbs up!
Janelle A.
This is our go-to ramen restaurant. It always hits the spot for our ramen cravings. The food is so good for my whole family. They always have a good amount of staff to make our dining experience quick and yummy.
Jackie K.
Movies and Ramen? Sounds like a great combination? Kahala Mall has it all. Dinner at Goma Tei Ramen Kahala and Consolidated Theater next door. We ordered Shredded pork & Szechuan Pickle Sunho with hot and sour soup (No. 18) , the Tan Tan Ramen (No. 1) and an order of gyoza. No. 18 was very spicy and vinegary tasting. If you like hot and sour soup, you can order this one. 3 out of 5 stars. No. 1 was too oily for my taste. The soup base was sesame oil based? The char siu pork slice was chewy and bland. 2 out of 5 stars. The gyoza was filled and cooked perfectly. 4 out of 5 stars. This was the best dish we ordered. Service was spotty. I needed to get the attention of multiple servers for water and later for the bill. I ended up having to walk into the back of the restaurant to pay the bill because every time I tried to get the attention of a server to pay the bill, it's like tunnel vision overcame each server. No one wanted our money lol. It didn't appear very busy. 3 out of 5 stars. The location or acoustics of this restaurant reverberated all sounds. It was very noisy here. 3 out of 5 stars.
Seagem Fix
Always good noodles ? and service and we love ❤️ and miss the Japanese souffle pancakes ?
When work tells me to work in Kahala for the day I say "say less," because I know just where I want to go for lunch. I remember my first time trying Goma Tei was the ramen shop in Pearlridge, and to see it thriving and still putting out great food for every visit year after year makes it my go-to when I'm in the area and I don't know what I want to eat. On the inside, Goma Tei looks consistently the same at all their locations. What I really love is that this is one of the only spots on island that have a high bar that easily accommodates those like me who dine alone during their lunch break. I don't know why, but dining at that bar is different, I've even dined there with a group of ten as well! Don't ask us how we did it, guess we just got lucky. On this day specifically, I decided to do take-out because I wanted to sick in the breakroom and eat to help train and be available if needed. Even when the food is take-out, it still tasted great! Suggestions I've tried many ramen whether they were tantan or shoyu. I'm no stranger to their temporary specials from their five levels of spicy to the truffle noodles they once served. I've tried them in rain or shine, counter or table, and dine-in or take-out. Every time, I can rely on Goma Tei to satisfy just what I'm looking for.
Jon B.
Service was great, very friendly staff! And anything with Hot & Sour broth is worth getting, won't be disappointed
Jennie D.
Food is good. Too busy to get good service with waiters rushing around. Ambiance is so so. I'm only going to give it a 4 star instead of a 5 star. Too bad they are not serving their soufflé pan cakes anymore, otherwise I would be going there more often.
Lisa W.
This restaurant refuses to push two tables together so a family can eat together. We had a party of seven and the restaurant wasn't even busy but they insisted we had to split up and use two separate tables when they could've easily just pushed the tables together. It's this "can't do that" attitude and unwillingness to accommodate simple requests that will turn away paying customers. Not a good thing to do when all restaurants are struggling to stay in business.
Josh M.
Always one of my first places I stop at when I come back to Hawaii. This place is nostalgic to me and always brings back good memories of my hometown mall. Good food, good prices, and very consistent when it comes to the taste of their ramen and their service.
Unlike my experience at Goma Tei in Ala Moana, I had a great time! We were seated and given menus quickly which was nice because we were so hungry. I got the chicken cold noodle and my boyfriend got the ramen with katsu on the side. Our food came out quick and absolutely perfect! The restaurant was quite busy so we thought for sure we were going to have to wait a while for our food. I highly recommend going to this location and the Pearlridge one if you're craving Goma Tei!
I went go Goma Tei Kahala to eat the Shredded Pork and Szechuan Pickle Sun Ho. According to their menu, it states that it includes shredded pork, Szechuan pickles, and vegetable garnishes. One year ago, I ate the same dish at this location. What happened to the taste of the Szechuan pickled vegetables? I hardly tasted it. The broth is spicy, but that's it. It's full of the chili oil. There's no depth of flavor. Unfortunately, this particular ramen's flavor definitely has changed in my opinion. Service is fast. Lots of space to sit where you want.
One of the family go-to's for a quick lunch or dinner! We each have our favorites -- hubs always gets the veggie tan tan ramen with the ajitama (like a seasoned boiled egg). My daughter alternates between the seafood fried rice and the chicken cold noodle (every so often will get ramen). I get the ramen most of the time -- favorites are the veggie and wakame. The shoyu broth is better if I want something a little lighter (and sometimes I don't feel like having anything spicy) -- but both are very good. We also get a starter every now and then, like the gyoza (5 good-sized pieces) and the tatsutaage (fried chicken, like karaage). The banbanji is also pretty good (slices of cold chicken with the sauce, served on a bed of cucumber). I also like the lemon iced tea. I have not gotten the curry dishes, but they seem popular. I think I tried it once and thought that it was pretty good .. but the ramen is better. The servers are all pretty good, but there is a LOT of turnover, it seems. Perhaps related is the inconsistency in food quality. Most of the time it's pretty good, but every once in a while it is not (and then it takes a while to convince me to come back). I think the consistency and quality were better at the Ward location (closed now).
Here at Goma Tei for our noodle fix. Ordered Tan Tan and Shoyu Won Ton Ramen. Great food and very consistent in taste. Broth tasty and delicious. Service is good. Wait staff friendly and accommodating.
Had a late dinner here recently with a couple of my neighbors. We live really close by. It's a "go to" favorite for two us and was the first time for one who is new to the area. Seating was quick because we got there as the dinner rush was finishing at around 8pm. The place was also clean, no un-bussed tables to be seen. Service was prompt as we got our water and a request for orders before we had all decided. I usually eat the Tonkatsu Tan Tan which is great all the time, but switched it up after hearing some good things about the Kakuni Udon. It didn't disappoint. Firstly, it's massive-- easily enough for two people. Ample, well balanced broth-- not overly salty like some other places. Perfectly textured noodles and huge cuts of tender, braised pork--much larger than bite-sized, filled the bowl. It's served with a tasty garlicky, spicy, and slightly sweet chili sauce. Delicious, well thought-out dish! The other two in my party ordered Kakuni Ramen and Chicken Katsu Ramen. We also had an order of Gyoza. The tables had all the sauces we needed. But, really the dishes had plenty of flavor as served. Smiles and full bellies all around. Service was friendly throughout, no one ran out of water or napkins. I particularly liked the large ladles that come with the bowls-- these weren't the small plastic ones that you might get elsewhere. Great restaurant vibe, too--just people enjoying delicious, quality food. Thanks, Goma Tei!
My friend Makani brought me here. He is a regular & I can see why. So good!! The menu has something for everyone. Gyoza has a lot of meat & is juicy. The Ramen is authentic, fresh veggies & you are able to substitute the protein or meat choice. Even their Chicken Katsu Curry ramen is amazing. The portions are big and not a bad price either. Highly recommend!
Shame on me ! I've been here several times for ramen here at Kahala Mall and have never reviewed it! 1000 Yelp lashes with a soba noodle! So this place has been here like forever, located at the theater end of Kahala Mall. There can a wait sometimes especially in the evenings at dinner time. Today was midweek at 12:30 and there was no wait. The ramen here is pretty good, not soggy and the tan tan broth is thick and flavorful. It does have a tiny bit of spice kick, a little less than a level 1 and it wasn't overly salty. I added a soft poached egg for an additional $2 and change. It made the broth even more creamier...yum! This place is always changing up the menu and I haven't been here in a long long while so when I saw ramen with FISH dumplings, I had to try it. They were pretty good! Softer than the usual pork stuffed ones, they were boiled not fried. I'd definitely get them again. My friend had the cold noodles with vegetables. They were plain thin noodles with steamed carrots, celery, and mushrooms. The sauce came on the side. I wasn't sure what kind of sauce it was. The servers were very nice and checked on us several times. Prices ranged from about $15 to $24, depending on how fancy the ingredients were ( looked like the truffle ramen was the most expensive dish on the menu) Thumbs up!
This is our go-to ramen restaurant. It always hits the spot for our ramen cravings. The food is so good for my whole family. They always have a good amount of staff to make our dining experience quick and yummy.
Movies and Ramen? Sounds like a great combination? Kahala Mall has it all. Dinner at Goma Tei Ramen Kahala and Consolidated Theater next door. We ordered Shredded pork & Szechuan Pickle Sunho with hot and sour soup (No. 18) , the Tan Tan Ramen (No. 1) and an order of gyoza. No. 18 was very spicy and vinegary tasting. If you like hot and sour soup, you can order this one. 3 out of 5 stars. No. 1 was too oily for my taste. The soup base was sesame oil based? The char siu pork slice was chewy and bland. 2 out of 5 stars. The gyoza was filled and cooked perfectly. 4 out of 5 stars. This was the best dish we ordered. Service was spotty. I needed to get the attention of multiple servers for water and later for the bill. I ended up having to walk into the back of the restaurant to pay the bill because every time I tried to get the attention of a server to pay the bill, it's like tunnel vision overcame each server. No one wanted our money lol. It didn't appear very busy. 3 out of 5 stars. The location or acoustics of this restaurant reverberated all sounds. It was very noisy here. 3 out of 5 stars.
Always good noodles ? and service and we love ❤️ and miss the Japanese souffle pancakes ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
When work tells me to work in Kahala for the day I say "say less," because I know just where I want to go for lunch. I remember my first time trying Goma Tei was the ramen shop in Pearlridge, and to see it thriving and still putting out great food for every visit year after year makes it my go-to when I'm in the area and I don't know what I want to eat. On the inside, Goma Tei looks consistently the same at all their locations. What I really love is that this is one of the only spots on island that have a high bar that easily accommodates those like me who dine alone during their lunch break. I don't know why, but dining at that bar is different, I've even dined there with a group of ten as well! Don't ask us how we did it, guess we just got lucky. On this day specifically, I decided to do take-out because I wanted to sick in the breakroom and eat to help train and be available if needed. Even when the food is take-out, it still tasted great! Suggestions I've tried many ramen whether they were tantan or shoyu. I'm no stranger to their temporary specials from their five levels of spicy to the truffle noodles they once served. I've tried them in rain or shine, counter or table, and dine-in or take-out. Every time, I can rely on Goma Tei to satisfy just what I'm looking for.
Service was great, very friendly staff! And anything with Hot & Sour broth is worth getting, won't be disappointed
Food is good. Too busy to get good service with waiters rushing around. Ambiance is so so. I'm only going to give it a 4 star instead of a 5 star. Too bad they are not serving their soufflé pan cakes anymore, otherwise I would be going there more often.
This restaurant refuses to push two tables together so a family can eat together. We had a party of seven and the restaurant wasn't even busy but they insisted we had to split up and use two separate tables when they could've easily just pushed the tables together. It's this "can't do that" attitude and unwillingness to accommodate simple requests that will turn away paying customers. Not a good thing to do when all restaurants are struggling to stay in business.
Always one of my first places I stop at when I come back to Hawaii. This place is nostalgic to me and always brings back good memories of my hometown mall. Good food, good prices, and very consistent when it comes to the taste of their ramen and their service.