FORKED UP

COLD NOODLE
GOLDEN PORK TONKOTSU RAMEN BAR

1279 S. King St.
Phone number (808) 888-5358

Sometimes it is just too hot to eat a bowl of ramen. Luckily, Golden Pork —if you’re lucky — will have another option in its limited-production Cold Noodles. Chilled ramen noodles are topped with cabbage, pork, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, seaweed and a soft-boiled egg. The sauce is tangy and the portion just right for eating without engorging (or overheating). We also recommend their Tokyo “Monja” Salad, which is a ridiculously excellent cabbage salad topped with corn, ginger, bonito, pork, curry powder and mayo, and probably also the best salad you’ll eat at a ramen restaurant or basically anywhere.

PORK MODANYAKI
OSAKA TEPPANYAKI & IZAKAYA KAWANO

McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Blvd. #107
Phone number (808) 944-9441

Here’s a quick primer on okonomiyaki: there’s Osaka-style (a thick, gooey pancake of cabbage) or Hiroshima-style (a layered series of crepe, cabbage and noodles). Here in Hawaii, Osaka outnumbers Hiroshima tenfold. So once you’re at Osaka Teppanyaki & Izakaya Kawano, you know you’re getting the Osaka variety. We recommend you go the modanyaki route — which takes the classic Osaka-style okonomiyaki and bakes a layer of noodles into the mess. It’s heavy but so, so good. And this one comes on a sizzling plate with the traditional spatula to cut right in.