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:

Some things don't change

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Despite the new interior, some things didn't change, including the friendly service, wrap-around communal counter, simple menu and throngs of ramen-seeking patrons who sometimes wait in line outside the little shop on Kalakaua Avenue to get a bowl of its speciality noodle soup.

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