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Sun Noodle

Why tailored noodles?

At Sun Noodle, we don't look at noodles as just something you eat, we look at noodles as a way to communicate. When we first came to Hawaii, we didn't know how to speak English. But we knew how to make quality noodles. Noodles was the language with which we first connected to the chefs and people of Hawaii.

Like any language, the language of noodles has many dialects. It's interpreted differently by region, by ramen-ya, by chef. One noodle does not fit all. Or at least, it shouldn't have to. After all, chefs pour so much heart into making their soup, we feel there should be a supplier that tailors noodles to match that heart and soul. Sun Noodle fills this void with tailored noodles. We feel that when both sides work hard, and you can match unique noodle to unique soup, that's when chef and customer can connect without ever saying a word.

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A Visit to Rai Rai Ken
Rai-Rai Ken Noodle / medium-thick, chewy, high-protein Second Noodle / thin, chewy, straight

For ten years, Rai Rai Ken has been a standby ramen-ya in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Much of that reputation has to do with the shop's undisputed authenticity. From the bright red banners that welcome you, to the slatted backdrop framing the dining room, the owner Bon Yagi's vision was to offer people in New York a place to enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen in a similar setting you would find in Japan. That means serving the traditional shio, shoyu, and miso ramen. And more importantly, serving tailored noodles that complement each addictive broth.

Sun Noodle worked with Rai Rai Ken to bring Bon Yagi's vision to his noodles. Previously, Rai Rai Ken could only import one type of ramen noodle from Japan since the exchange rate was so high. Because Sun Noodle is based here in the U.S., we are able to provide them with fresh, customized noodles for their soups. We sourced different types of flour and tested different batches until we perfected Rai Rai Ken's noodles. One tailored noodle for their miso and curry ramen and another for their shio and shoyu ramen. Tailored noodles that didn't sacrifice Rai Rai Ken's honored ten-year Japanese noodle tradition.
A Visit to Ramen Yebisu
Ramen Yebisu Ramen / thick, wavy, firm, very yellow

Those of you still unfamiliar with Ramen Yebisu may only know Sapporo as a Japanese city or more likely, a Japanese lager. But get ready to equate Sapporo with its unique miso-style ramen. Executive Chef of Ramen Yebisu, Akira Hiratsuka, leads the charge in introducing both ramen enthusiasts and novices to a complex, comforting broth made from pork, chicken and lobster. This isn't just ramen for the taste buds, this is truly ramen for the soul.

Born and raised in Sapporo, Chef Akira honed his technique during its frigid winters. Since it's so face-numbingly cold, it became traditional to put lard in the soup to keep the soup hot. Chef Akira carries on this tradition, arming you with a deliciously warm arsenal against New York winters. Also traditional to Sapporo-style ramen, each bowl is made by the wok. The wok gives the miso a burnt flavor bursting in aroma and taste. For the noodles to retain its integrity during this process, the noodles are aged (jukusei) for 3 days to let the gluten develop fully and get firm. Sun Noodle has tailored Ramen Yebisu's firm noodle to hold its texture in the hot soup. Together with Chef Akira, Sapporo-style ramen will finally take its cold-winter legacy and have its moment in sun.
A Visit to Nakamuraya Essence
The Essence Noodle / thick, flat, chewy

Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura is the Michael Jordan of ramen chefs. Not only is he one of the most celebrated, artistic and innovative ramen chefs in Japan, he is also insanely fun to watch in the kitchen. So much so that Chef Nakamura actually has a trademark ramen "scoop" technique celebrated in ramen circles much like Jordan's dunk through mid-air is heralded on the court.

While Chef Nakamura's famous ramen shop, Nakamuraya, is in Kanagawa prefecture, he has moved stateside to educate people about ramen. He began by creating a new dining concept to enjoy ramen - a tasting menu called Essence. Essence is a dining experience where chef Nakamura deconstructs a bowl of ramen into a meal of 10 - 12 courses. Each dish changes with the season and the chef's mood. Sun Noodle has worked with Chef Nakamura since the conception of Essence, tailoring premium noodles to match with his varied dishes. Some are corn noodles, others are thick, flat and chewy noodles, while other noodles are blended with squid ink. It's a collaborative and often complex process to perfect the noodle to Chef Nakamura's standards, but more importantly, it's always rewarding and inspiring to work with a future ramen legend.
A Visit to Chuko Ramen
Chuko Shoyu Noodle / thin, wavy, chewy Chuko Tonkotsu Noodle / thin, floury Chuko Miso Noodle / thick, chewy

When you think of ramen, Prospect Heights in Brooklyn is not the first or even tenth New York City neighborhood your mind goes to. Though it seems just about right that this unexpected part of the city is home to Chuko's unique style of ramen. At Chuko's helm are three highly-skilled chefs, Jamison, Dave, and James, who have developed a trio of non-traditional but tasty ramen concoctions.

To pay proper tribute to these broths, Sun Noodle has worked with these chefs to develop a custom noodle trifecta. Whether it's the shoyu, tonkotsu or miso, the Chuko noodles are tailored to match the integrity of the broth. Tailored to be just as unique as this soon-to-be ramen institution.

President's Message

In Japan we say that "10 years make an epoch", but 30 years have already passed since I started Sun Noodle in Hawaii.

I think I've been able to reach this point because, while totally absorbed in my work each day, I've been guided by the desire to provide everyone in Hawaii and the U.S. with the authentic taste of Japanese noodles. My belief that "noodles will be accepted anywhere in the world as long as they're delicious" has not been mistaken.

We strive to provide the authentic taste of Japanese noodles here in the U.S. That is easy to say. But here, the climate, the wheat and the water are all different than in Japan. These last 30 years have truly been days of research and improvement.

Today, at Sun Noodle, our products range from fresh ramen noodles for ramen shops, Hawaiian saimin for local restaurants, cold Chinese noodles for in-flight meals to yakisoba that you can prepare at home. In short, we have become able to manufacture noodles and dumpling skins that meet the various needs and expectations of our customers. From approximately 100 types of products, we produce daily about 90,000 servings that are used with confidence in their quality and taste.

The past 30 years. The next 30 years. The days of research and improvement have not ended. We provide the authentic taste of Japan, but we also aim to improve on it. Please continue to look for the best from Sun Noodle.

Company Overview →

Founding

July 10, 1981

Capital

US$131,000.00

Employees

80

Activities

Manufacturer of fresh tailor-made ramen noodles, pre-cooked yakisoba, udon, Okinawa soba, saimin, Japanese soba, Wakana soba, gyoza skin, wonton skin. Importer and wholesaler of ramen soup, sauce, and other products.

Main Suppliers

HFM Foods, Rogers Foods Ltd., Prima Ltd., Matsuya Flour Mills, Shoda Shoyu, Menzu Unoki Factory, Fuji Foods.

Main Customers

Ramen shops, general restaurants, in-flight meal catering, hotels, supermarkets, hospitals, school lunch programs, military commissaries, food wholesalers, and other establishments on the Hawaiian Islands, North America, and South America.

Factory Size

10,000 square feet Honolulu Factory

10,000 square feet Los Angeles Factory

6,000 square feet New Jersey Factory

Production Capacity (per 8-hour day)

50,000 servings Honolulu Factory

30,000 servings Los Angeles Factory

10,000 servings New Jersey Factory
Company History →

1981

Company was founded by current President Hidehito Uki

1982

Production of fresh noodles from factory on Hoe Street in Honolulu, Hawaii.

1983

Introduction of pre-cooked noodles and started business with local supermarkets on Oahu.

1986

Sun Noodle HI started to ship noodle products to distributors in California. This was the first step to enter a market outside of the Hawaiian Islands.

1989

Sun Noodle HI has acquired a 5,000 sq. ft. property on Colburn St in Honolulu, HI.

1992

Sun Noodle HI completed the construction of a new building and installed an automatic production line for fresh noodles and pre-cooked noodles. This same year, we started to ship products to Vancouver, Canada.

1994

Two years later, Sun Noodle HI acquired the adjoining 5,000 square feet lot to expand the production line to increase production and to meet demand.

1996

Sun Noodle HI started to manufacture noodles for in-flight meals for airlines departing from Honolulu International Airport. We also invested in a second production line for fresh noodles and started to manufacture gyoza skins for local restaurants..

1998

Sun Noodle HI invested in a new production line to make steamed yakisoba noodles.

1999

In 1999, Sun Noodle HI started shipping noodles products to Seattle, WA.

2002

Sun Noodle HI invested in a new equipment line to manufacture pre-cooked noodles for customers looking to prepare noodles quickly.

2004

With the growing demand of Sun Noodle products on the mainland, Sun Noodle CA was established and leased a 5,000 square foot lot to start manufacturing fresh noodles for restaurants.

2005

In 2005, Sun Noodle CA started manufacturing noodles for restaurants across the U.S. working with distributors to get quality noodles to restaurants as far as New York.

2006

In 2006, we acquired the famous S&S Brand, a local favorite of saimin products.

2007

With the production line now set-up to start manufacturing the S&S products, Sun Noodle HI started rolling out the S&S product line for customers on the Hawaiian Islands as well as the continental U.S.

2008

Sun Noodle CA invested in a 10,000 square feet factory in Rancho Dominguez to increase daily production output.
Sun Noodle CA started shipping fresh noodles to Canada and South America.

2011

With an increase in demand of fresh premium noodles on the east coast of the U.S., Sun Noodle NJ is established with a sales office located in Fort Lee, NJ.

2012

Sun Noodle NJ completes the construction of a 6,000 square feet factory to start manufacturing fresh tailor made noodles for restaurants on the east coast and Europe.

Sun Noodle NJ partners with Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura to establish Ramen Lab, an education driven program to educate consumers and chefs across the world about ramen.

Ramen Lab built a kitchen in the Sun Noodle NJ factory where people can come to learn about how to make ramen and see the art and craft of Sun Noodle's noodle making process.

Our Products

Temomi Noodle
Tonkotsu Noodle
Tokyo Wavy Noodle
Tokyo Straight Noodle
Hirauchi Noodle
Sapporo Noodle

Contact us

Have any questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you. Simply fill out the form to the right, and we'll try our best to respond within one business day. We look forward to speaking with you!

Hawaii

1933 Colburn St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 841-5808
New Jersey

375 North St. Unit O.
Teterboro, NJ 07608
(201) 530-1100
California

1505 W. Mahalo Place.
Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220
(310) 764-0100

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Sun Noodle

Why tailored noodles?

A Visit to Rai Rai Ken

A Visit to Ramen Yebisu

A Visit to Nakamuraya Essence

A Visit to Chuko Ramen

President's Message

Founding

Capital

Employees

Activities

Main Suppliers

Main Customers

Factory Size

Production Capacity (per 8-hour day)

1981

1982

1983

1986

1989

1992

1994

1996

1998

1999

2002

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2011

2012

Our Products

Contact us

Hawaii

New Jersey

California