Soothing eats to warm the soul

Sho-yu Ramen ($9)

The cool weather that’s taken hold of the Islands this holiday season has created a local winter wonderland of sorts, perfect for hot chocolate, cozy sweaters and a plethora of warm treats. At a time like this, there’s nothing like a bowl of ramen to fill your tummy up and soothe your soul.

With the saying, “One heart, one soul, one bowl,” found inside Manichi Ramen on Kona Street, you are sure to slurp up authentic Japanese ramen, which has been handcrafted since 1953.

Volcano Spicy Ramen ($11.50)

With a variety of bowls to choose from at the restaurant — located across from Ala Moana Center — it can be hard to narrow down your noodle of choice.

Start with the classics, like the simple, yet wildly flavorful bowl of Sho-yu Ramen ($9), a soy sauce-based noodle soup topped with scal-lions, bamboo shoot, a half boiled egg (ajitama), nori and char siu. You also can dress it up with toppings of your choice, such as cheese, red ginger or mustard cabbage — to name a few.

Miso Butter Corn Ramen ($13.75)

Or, go for the decadent Miso Butter Corn Ramen ($13.75), which also happens to be a great choice for veggie-lovers. The beautiful blend of miso and butter creates an enchanting aroma that’ll make anyone envious of your selection — even strictly meat-eaters!

And for the spicy-lover at the table, enjoy Volcano Spicy Ramen ($11.50) with extra spicy chili and a tonkotsu-based broth that’s topped with ample amounts of bean sprouts, green scal-lions and char siu.

Pair your bowl with an appetizer, like chicken karaage, or one of the signature gyoza selections. Nothing goes hand-in-hand with ramen like gyoza does, and Manichi Ramen has mastered its recipe. Enjoy the eatery’s award-winning original gyoza recipe that has spanned three generations. There’s also vegetable gyoza, karamiso spicy gyoza, negi negi gyoza, and so much more to choose from.