INhonolulu Magazine Issue #14 - February 2014 | Page 22

FOOD + DRINK
Confusing but tasty
Kelsey Amos

T

he original Ramen Burger
came to Kaka‘ako last month,
attracting news crews and a
line of would-be burger eaters that
stretched from T.A.S.T.E. around the
block to Ala Moana Boulevard.
This reporter and a few of her
friends ventured down to Kaka‘ako at
10:30 a.m.—a misguidedly late hour
given the 11 a.m. start time. Luckily
someone knew a person further up in
the line and, with a few of us maxing
out our 3-burger limit, we were all
able to acquire the $10 english-muffin-sized sandwich without giving the
appearance of cutting in line.
Even with this tactic, there was still
more than an hour of wait time. The
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Ramen Burger crew had prepared
700 burgers, but only so many can be
grilled at a time, and the line moved
dishearteningly slowly.
The wait gave me plenty of time for
anticipation, but oddly, I wasn’t excited.
I’ve had ramen, and I’ve had burgers—
but never a ramen burger. It’s hard to
fantasize about an unknown element.
But the hype has been intense.
Keizo Shimamoto’s hybrid creation
debuted in Brooklyn last summer and
became an instant trend, spreading to
other cities and inspiring a number of
knock-offs. I HAD to go.
So how was it? Tasty. Sort of what
you’d expect. The ramen buns reminded me of fried saimin (duh) and Chinese cake-noodles; I like both of those
things. The patty itself was of good
quality and prepared well. But eating
the two together created a sort of cognitive dissonance, as one friend put
it. The Ramen Burger subverts your
mouth-feel expectations and leaves
you wondering what’s going on.

This is where Shimamoto’s secret soy
sauce comes in. It has an entrancing
sweet-savoriness that somehow bridges
the gap between noodle and patty. The
pork version crafted by T.A.S.T.E. chef
Mark Noguchi was potentially more
tasty—or at least less confusing.
Overall the Ramen Burger is quite
a treat, but it seems to me that meaningful fusion cuisine should be a little
less heavy-handed. I wondered: Are
my confused taste buds the symptom of some deep-seated culinary
close-mindedness I didn’t even know
lived within me? Or is the Ramen
Burger all shtick? Will its fame be
lasting? Does it possess that particular genius that bridges two food cultures—as with the case of the spam
musubi or the banh mi?
Unfortunately, we don’t know if/
when Shimamoto and his crew will be
back. If you missed it, you can check
out a similar creation at Tanaka Saimin. Momo Burger has also been known
to offer a ramen burger on occasion. ■

Bar food upgrade
Jackie Perriera
Photos by Jimmy Edens

B

ar food is not known for its
glamor. It’s usually something
deep-fried, oily and served in a
basket with a checkered-print liner. The
Safehouse, lounge and bar to The Republik, takes exception to that notion.
Rolling out a new menu this month
that is thoughtful, both in presentation
and in flavor, The Safehouse changes
bar dining from a second thought to
something to look forward to.
Spicy ‘Ahi Wonton Tacos ($14)—fresh ‘ahi tossed
with creamy house spice mix, Asian slaw and
avocado.
Perched atop a bed of shredded cabbage, these tacos look dainty. However, the wonton shells hold their

own below the ‘ahi, and you can eat
it in bites without worrying about
everything falling apart. Each taco
comes with an itty-bitty lime slice
that brings a tang to the otherwise
mayo-laden morsels. Even though
the fish is spicy, the mayo and coleslaw give it a cooling effect, keeping

the dish light.
Pairing the ‘ahi with wonton
taco shells works perfectly because
it breaks down easily once in your
mouth, so you simultaneously experience the crisp crunch of the shell
with the plump ‘ahi pieces.

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