When Ajitama Hawaiʻi did its Tuesday pop-up at fishcake in Kakaʻako, its ramen egg musubi had me hooked. At the time, several different flavors were available, including a rotating special (I loved the risotto, which featured Parmesan and black pepper).
For those who aren’t familiar — ajitama are soft-boiled eggs that are marinated in a soy sauce-based sauce. A popular ramen topping, they’re known for their salty-sweet flavor and jammy texture. The musubi reminded me of those I would find at convenience stores in Japan — seasoned rice in the perfect spherical shape with a soft-boiled egg center.
If you’re a fan of its ramen egg-filled musubi, you’re in luck — Ajitama Hawaiʻi just opened a storefront in Kakaʻako, in the former Its Tea space near Whole Foods Market Queen.
“Locals are familiar with the traditional triangular shape or Spam musubis,” says business owner Mike Cobar. “Ajitama is pretty commonly sold in Japan, but not here. We thought we’d introduce ajitama to the locals as a ‘twist on a classic,’ something familiar, but new.”
“Our goal is to cater to as many people as possible — from all ages (kids to adults), palates (foodies to simple eaters), and dietary restrictions (gluten- and dairy-free, or vegetarian),” adds manager Mao Yorigami.
Ajitama Hawaiʻi currently offers three musubi flavors — furikake, shiso and sweet soy ($6.49 each).
“Furikake was a must, since that’s a staple to locals,” Cobar says. “Shiso may not be as common as furikake, but it’s another staple flavor. Sweet soy was a way to make us a little different from plain, salted rice.”
All musubi feature ajitama made with local eggs, Japanese short-grain rice and pink sea salt used for flavoring the rice.
“Local eggs — with a bright orange, sweet yolk — are a must,” Yorigami says. “The Mainland eggs have pale, yellow yolks and a higher water content. Gluten-free soy sauce is used for the marinade and for the sweet soy rice.”
You can also find drinks at Ajitama Hawaiʻi’s storefront location. The business offers a variety of hojicha, matcha and coffee-based beverages. So far, popular flavors include black sesame hojicha latte ($7.29), ube matcha latte ($7.29) and macadamia nut lattes ($6.59).
“We started out as a pop-up business, but when we decided to open up a brick and mortar location, we wanted to serve drinks that complemented our musubis,” Cobar says. “We will be releasing other types (of drinks) in the future.”
Ajitama Hawaiʻi is currently open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays to Fridays).
“We are just extremely grateful for everyone’s support,” Cobar says. “We never expected to be able to open a brick and mortar.”
CONTACT
Ajitama Hawaiʻi
435 Kamakee St., Honolulu
Ajitamahawaii.com
Instagram: @ajitamahawaii
Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays to Mondays, closed Tuesdays-Fridays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
