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Cheap Eats: Dairyu Ramen & Curry

with Lyle Galdeira and Russell Yamanoha

This week's Cheap Eats takes us to Kapalama for a place that had been a fixture in Honolulu for years. But now, after a three year hiatus, it's back. We're at Dairyu Ramen & Curry in the Kapalama Shopping Center.

When Dairyu shut its doors back in 2005, longtime fans thought their favorite noodle shop was gone forever. But now, it's back, same chef, same menu and the same top notch ramen.

"What makes a great ramen? It's the dashi which is the soup. We simmer it all day long with pork bones and vegetables and seaweed and dried fish" said manager Kim Nguyen.

And what else is in it?  

"No, it's a secret. So we have secret dashi over here' said Nguyen.

Secret or not, longtime fans were just happy to see Dairyu back in business, and not just for the ramen.

"The fried rice: the taste is really good. We tried a lot of other ramen shops but this one is great" said Erma Soma of Pearl City.

The most important thing is, how's the prices?  Reasonable, very, very reasonable, everything was under seven or eight dollars.

Dairyu features a wall of ramen selections. Throw in udon and yakisoba, curry plates and combo plates, and you've pretty much got it all. Most of it on the south side of eight bucks.

"Well Lyle, it's been three years, but the wait has been worth it because Dairyu is back and is back in a big way. It's got everything. The ramen with the secret dashi, shrimp tempura, tofu, katsu, fried rice, who could ask for anything more?" said Russ.

It's the return of Dairyu Ramen and Curry, at the Kapalama shopping center on Dillingham Boulevard. And not only Dairyu a great place for cheap eats, it's also convenient! The restaurant has free delivery to the areas around Kalihi, downtown and the airport area.