COURTESY AMANDA CORBY
courtesy amanda corby
Keizo Shimamoto, center, brings his famed ramen burger to town today, with the help of chef Mark Noguchi, right, and brother Jeff Shimamoto.
Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
Sometimes it takes a while for mainland trends to hit the isles, but distance could not delay this one for too long. The reason? Two words: ramen burger.
Since Keizo Shimamoto began selling his wildly popular mash-up dish in New York in August, versions have cropped up all over Hawaii. After all, what’s more appealing to a local palate than ramen and hamburger?
Ramen Burger at Taste » Where: Taste, 667 Auahi St. » When: Today, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. or until burgers sell out » Cost: $10 (limit three per person) » Info: tastetable.com |
But today, fans of the dish — a hamburger sandwiched between two "buns" of chewy fried ramen and topped with a shoyu-based sauce — can get their hands on the original when Shimamoto takes over the kitchen at Taste to turn out 700 burgers.
The chef is keeping the Kakaako eatery open until all burgers are sold, starting at 11 a.m. But if you plan on an evening drive to town to get some, be warned that the burgers are expected to sell out well before dark.
Shimamoto grew up in California, but his grandfather was born here and he has relatives who live here. With the assistance of chef Mark "Gooch" Noguchi, who oversees Taste, he was able to bring his dish to Honolulu.