Gastronome

Kim Chee Miso Stew

SLURP AT VINO

500 Ala Moana blvd. Honolulu, HI

Phone number
(808) 524-8466

website
slurphawaii.com

Last week, DK Restaurants announced it would not renew its lease at Waterfront Plaza. NO, was my initial thought. I’ve long been a fan of Vino and its lunchtime pop-up Slurp, and I’ve always heard great things about Hiroshi.

DK Kodama tells me that it’s simply time for a change. “We’re looking for a new place,” he says. “We’ll see what happens.”

As sad as this news was, it did come with a very small sliver of silver lining: There still is some time to dine at these eateries before they close. Naturally, I took full advantage of this opportunity to head down to Slurp for lunch, which will end May 15. (The last night of service for both Vino and Hiroshi is May 21.)

Metro social media manager Nicole Kato wrote about Slurp a few months ago. Check out the story at metroHNL. com to read more about her first experience there.

Me? I’m just going to take a moment to pay my respects to what may have been my last visit there. (Eh, who am I kidding, there’s still this week. I’ll probably stop in or take-out at least once more.)

Usually, I order the Tan Tan Ramen — simple, satisfying, delicious. But for this last hurrah, I decided to go all out and began first with the Crispy Bao With Pork Belly. I ordered mine with a steamed bun, which probably was the better route for something light. It was served with a generous portion of pork. It was, however, a bit tough to bite into sometimes (at one point, my bun-to-pork ratio was imbalanced). It was like eating Pe-king duck, with all those familiar flavors balanced with some lightly pickled cucumber that accompanied the appetizer.

Then, for my entrée, I really splurged. I ordered the Crab Specialty Ramen. I’ve been eyeing it out since Slurp first opened its doors some 10 months ago. But, at $16.95, it also happens to be the most expensive item on the menu, and I could never justify it.

But that day, I could. So out it came with its lumps of crabmeat and a truffled dashi that I could smell almost immediately. Thai basil, cilantro, peppers and Tokyo negi (aka big green onions) helped to cut through this very rich dish.

I’m glad I ordered it, but I think it makes for a better dinner than lunch. Especially when you can more appropriately pair it with a glass of wine.

Slurp may not have been home to my favorite bowl of ramen, but damn, it was good. And now where am I going to get ramen for lunch?

On my last visit to Slurp, I dragged some of the Metro staffers along with me. Though “drag” makes it all sound rather dramatic — we’re always in the mood for ramen. It’s why we’re going to miss Slurp so much. Located on the ground floor of Waterfront Plaza, it was always a mere elevator ride away.
With only a handful of days left to sample Slurp or get in one last bowl of ramen, here’s what the rest of Metro tried, to give you insight to its menu.

NICOLE – KIM CHEE MISO STEW

It’s my favorite thing on the menu. I’m a huge fan of all the vegetables they put inside. A big part of why I like it so much is that it’s comfort food for me. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I also ordered gyoza, which was more similar to gau gee than gyoza. But still, I enjoyed it because Slurp has a canister of vinegar for dipping.

CHRISTINA – SHIO RAMEN

I liked that it was a lighter broth than a lot of the other ramen places that I frequent — I felt ready to get back to work after a lunch break, rather than wanting to fall asleep like I do if the broth is too heavy — but that seemed to come at the cost of flavor. It was kind of bland and watery. That said, the pork was probably among the better that I have had lately — it was incredibly tender.

PAIGE – MISO RAMEN

It was … pleasant. The broth is light, though not as strong as Slurp’s tan tan. I don’t think I am actually the biggest fan of Slurp, on the whole, to be honest. I’ve got other ramen places set in my mind as my stalwart favorites. They do have some very excellent pork, though — it’s firm yet fatty, which is a difficult oxymoron to capture.