Ramen is usually considered to be the headliner at ramen restaurants, but star billing goes to the gyoza at the newly-opened Tanto Gyoza & Ramen Bar in Puck’s Alley, where it sits in the space formerly occupied by The Nook.

The restaurant specializes in gyoza and ramen from Hamamatsu, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, known as the city of success, having birthed such companies as Honda, Toyota, Suzuki-Yamaha and Roland.

And to hear those at Tanto tell it, some of that success can be attributed to gyoza, imbued with the magic pow er of bringing people together, nurturing friendships and partnerships.

The gyoza here are delicate numbers, with a balanced filling of pork, cabbage, chives and garlic in a thin shell that fries up to a crackly crisp instead of a more typical soft, doughy exterior. They take front-of-the-menu billing and come in orders of eight ($8), 16 ($15.75), 24 ($23) and 32 pieces ($30.75), accompanied by condiments of ponzu, garlic chile and salt.

Small and delicate, most of my friends can easily polish off eight in a sitting.

Beyond gyoza, starters range from salmon carpaccio ($12.75), the fatty fish balanced by a citrusy yuzu sauce to fried shrimp ($8.75) drizzled with a rich mentaiko-mayo sauce.

Always popular are the dashimaki Japanese-style rolled omelets, both plain ($7.75) and cheese-filled ($8.75).

Other starters include cold tofu with soy-ginger ($4.75) or spicy sauce ($5.75); takoyaki ($10.75); deep-fried shishito peppers; and chicken karaage ($9.75).

The ramen is just as special as the gyoza. The house ramen is the Tanto shoyu ramen ($14.75) that starts with a chicken and pork broth flavored with aged shoyu and topped with char siu, menma, green onions and red onion. There’s also an ajitama egg that tends to be overcooked each time. A spicy version is available for $15.75.

Similarly, the Hakata black tonkotsu ramen ($15.75) also unusually combines the typical rich pork broth with chicken broth that doesn’t water down the flavor at all. It’s coated with black garlic and topped with char siu, green onion, red ginger, wood-ear mushrooms and that overcooked ajitama.

Miso lovers will be drawn to the Sapporo miso ramen ($14.75) in an aged miso and shoyu chicken broth, with char siu, corn, butter, menma, seaweed, green onions and ajitama.

Fans of tantan ramen will find Tanto goma ramen ($15.75) of chicken broth with sesame paste, peanuts, ground miso beef, green onions, spinach and red onion. A spicy version is $16.75.

Additional toppings can be purchased, ranging from $1 for butter, $2 for corn or egg, to $3.50 for char siu.

As a finale, there is a single dessert of ultra chewy daifuku mochi ($7.75) accompanied by vanilla ice cream dusted with kinako and matcha powders. It’s a bit difficult to eat because the mochi doesn’t pull apart easily. As tempting as dessert usually is, I would skip it.

Another problem is that with just one server working the dining room, service can be slow. Inattentiveness compounds the problem.

Tanto Gyoza & Ramen Bar

Puck’s Alley
1035 University Ave., Honolulu
Food: ***½
Service: **½
Ambiance: ***½
Value: ***½
Call: 808-942-1000
Hours: 5-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays
Prices: About $50 for two without alcohol

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).