When Ramen Nakamura re-opened last year after a months-long renovation, I didn’t have the urge to go back.

I had seen photos of the updated decor — and it just didn’t seem like the same hole-in-the-wall ramen shop in Waikiki I had grown to love.

But every time I would drive along Kalakaua Avenue — which is more often than you would expect — I think, “One of these days, I gotta go back.”

Well, this past Tuesday was one of those days.

I was craving a warm, comforting bowl of ramen. And since I had to be in Waikiki anyway, I thought it would be a good time to revisit one of my favorite places for the Japanese noodle dish.

Here’s what we ate:

Closer look at the oxtail

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Despite this being the restaurant's speciality, we've had better oxtail soup/ramen, particular at Asahi Grill and The Alley (in Aiea Bowl). The oxtail wasn't meaty or super tender and the dish didn't have much to begin with. The shio (salt) dashi was nice, though, but light on flavor. Just don't expect this to be the local-style oxtail soup. It's clearly different.

Ramen Nakamura, 2141 Kalakaua Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily. Phone: (808) 922-7960