Agu Ramen’s doing plate lunches in Kalihi

Old-style beef stew, hamburger steak and oxtail curry, plus this taco rice

February 26, 2018

Mari Taketa,

Agu, the chain of six ramen shops in Hawaii and six more in Texas, now has a seventh Hawaii slurp spot — and this one’s serving up plate lunches. Agu Express opened in Kalihi last week with the chain’s full lineup of ramen and rice bowls, plus this:

Everything comes with two scoops rice plus mac salad, and despite the ‘weekly specials’ header at the bottom, taco rice and fried chicken are available daily. Mostly everything is old-school, like the beef stew and the hamburger steak, which has bread added to the beef because that’s how grandmas in Hawaii make it. And there’s talk about rotating in dishes like roast pork with gravy, and chicken hekka. Who even sells chicken hekka any more?

All this is in Kalihi because that’s where Agu’s central kitchen is, next to Mitsu-Ken at the end of King Street just before it meets Middle Street. It’s a small space designed mainly for takeout. If you dine in, it’s counter service with only four high-top tables, and unlike other Agu locations, it’s only open until 6 p.m.

Early recs include the nostalgic beef stew and the Japanese-style oxtail curry, which has a nice kick. And the taco rice — get the taco rice. No tortilla chips, because that’s not how it’s done in the home state of Okinawa, but the fresh crunch of iceberg balances the ground beef and cheese and the rich, zesty housemade salsa brings it all together.