Upon my introduction to Nagasaki champon and sara udon noodles at the newly open Ringer Hut, my first thought was, "This is Chinese."
Not that there’s anything exactly like it in the Chinese repertoire, but the champon idea of noodles in broth stirred with bean sprouts, cabbage and other ingredients struck me as chop suey in soup form. Even more familiar were the sara udon components of crisp noodles layered with vegetables. Let’s just say it’s a lot more casual, with a thrown-together vibe, than the fastidious nature of Japanese culinary pursuits usually allow. Even Japanese fast food is carefully arranged. Just think of the bento with all its jewel compartments.
RINGER HUT
Waikiki Trade Center, 2255 Kuhio Ave.
» 924-8366
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I had questions. For one thing, historically, Japan has been a closed society. There’s even a term for the country’s foreign relations policy enacted in 1633, "sakoku," meaning "locked country." Under policy enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate, no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. So I wondered, when did the Chinese influence slip into the xenophobic culture?
I love how there’s so much history connected to what we perceive as just a humble bowl of noodles, and I’m convinced that students would learn and remember more history if school lessons were intertwined with subjects they care about, like food, for one.
Of course, Americans had everything to do with ending Japan’s isolationist policies, forcing the island nation to open to Western trade in 1853. That paved the way for the arrival of Chinese students and businesses that opened to cater to their tastes. Champon, first served by a Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki in the Meiji Era beginning 1868, proved to be a cheap, filling meal.
Coincidentally, Frederick Ringer, an English merchant, also arrived in Japan in 1868 and came to dominate Nagasaki’s commercial scene. By the time he left in 1906, he had established a mechanized flour mill, steam laundry and petroleum storage facility while also operating stevedore, trawling and whaling enterprises.
Which brings us up to date, almost. In choosing a name for what one hopes will be a thriving restaurant empire, one could do a lot worse than by picking the name of a merchant whose name is associated with success and progress, and that’s what Tsuyoshi Yonehama did in 1962 when he founded the first Ringer Hut. He was soon joined by brothers Kazuhide and Shoji, while another brother, Akihide, went off on his own to open Menchanko-Tei in 1982.
OK, keep up now. Menchanko-Tei formerly stood on the spot in the Waikiki Trade Center now occupied by Ringer Hut. When the successful Menchanko-Tei closed earlier this year to move to an unproven location on Keeaumoku Street, I went, "Huh?" It didn’t make sense. But it all comes clear now that I know it’s for the sake of family, the idea being that the more established Ringer Hut, with 550 locations in Japan, is already familiar to thousands of Japanese visitors, and grabbing this market first will be key to success here. Not that they have any doubt about it. They’re already scouting for four more locations.
Hawaii diners have an affinity to noodles, and the champon is different enough from anything currently being served that the curious will be lured and eventually seduced by the comfort combination. It may not start as a wow attraction, but over a few days or weeks, you’ll probably find yourself craving the slippery noodles, fried pork, crunchy cabbage and warm broth similar to tonkotsu (pig bones) ramen soup. The creamy, addictive broth is made from boiling chicken and pig bones over high heat for many hours to achieve a milky consistency. The noodles are boiled in the soup for saturated flavor, and a stir-fry of pork, fishcake, small shrimp, cabbage and bean sprouts is layered on top. Corn kernels are a uniquely Japanese finishing touch.
True to its humble roots, the dish remains filling and affordable. A small bowl runs $6.50 for dinner; at lunch time it comes as a $6.50 set with three pieces of gyoza. If you’re familiar with the Menchanko-Tei gyoza, these have the same soft, squishy consistency, with thin wraps that fry up extra crispy but have the tendency to stick together. In the evening the three pieces of gyoza run $3.25, five are $5.25 and nine are $7.25. Note that parking validation in the building is available only from 5 p.m., so you probably won’t save money by showing up by day, when the menu is also limited.
The champon is the main attraction. If you crave meat rather than noodles, tonkatsu forms a large part of the menu. The pork tenderloin cutlet ($8.95 day, $17 in the evening) is the way to go. It’s also available curry style by day, for $8.50.
By day you can also get cold dipping noodles with three pieces of gyoza for $4.99, but even with the bright flavor of yuzu, the noodles alone are not enough to hold diners’ interest over the full course. But this is the extent of the day menu.
At night there are a lot more side options, such as simmered pork ($9.95), bland chicken karaage ($3.25 to $7.25 for three to nine pieces), grilled mackerel ($8.25), deep-fried calamari ($4.95) and a spinach and bacon salad ($5.25).
Oden is also an option, with pieces of fishcake, beef tendon, daikon, deep-fried tofu, mochi in bean curd and egg running $2.25 per piece. I didn’t try it because I’m so sold on the champon, it’s hard to get away from ordering it every time.
Nadine Kam‘s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
