Local entrepreneur Lanai Tabura and Redefined Media co-owner Andrew Tran have won an Emmy Award in the Lifestyle-Program/Special category for their program “Ramen Yokocho” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPthXHAWIj8) at the 47th Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards that took place on Saturday, June 2, 2018.

(Photo1: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201806084817-O1-b8WsZH2T)

(Photo2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201806084817-O2-t5P0y5Xn)

Ramen Yokocho (yokocho means “alley” in Japanese) is about ramen restaurants found off the beaten path in alleys. Show creators Tabura and Tran wanted to capture how ramen came to the United States, and specifically how it came to be a staple food here in Hawaii. They explain to viewers the deep history of ramen, the differences between Hawaiian noodle dish saimin and ramen, and elaborate upon what makes local-style ramen stand apart. The documentary was filmed entirely at Waikiki Yokocho (http://www.waikiki-yokocho.com) in Hawaii, the first yokocho in the United States.

“We are very honored to receive such an award, and proud to have spread knowledge of ramen with this film,” said Frank Clark, CEO and creator of the Waikiki Yokocho concept. “Initially, Ramen Yokocho began as a ramen-themed part of our local promotion efforts, and I’m incredibly thrilled that it has won an Emmy Award.”

“Mahalo to Mr. Frank Clark of Waikiki Yokocho for giving us the opportunity to showcase such great eateries,” said, Tabura, the host of Cooking Hawaiian Style, a show airing in 250 cities across the United States and in five other countries. “I have been doing TV for a long time now, and it is truly awesome to be recognized for something I loved creating!” Ramen Yokocho is his first show as producer, writer and host. The Emmy Award is likewise his first.

“It’s still pretty surreal to me, but I’m extremely grateful to everyone who made this possible,” said Tran, a 25-year-old creative director who served as producer, director and editor of Ramen Yokocho. “This is just the beginning. I can’t wait to show you guys what we have been working on in the meanwhile!” His other works include videos and commercials for Hawaiian Airlines, First Hawaiian Bank, Starwood Hotels, Cutter Ford, Cutter Chevy and Ruby Tuesday. The Emmy Award is a first for him as well.

The contributions of Clark as executive producer, Yunji Denise as writer, and everyone at the Oahu Media Group were also crucial to the success of the project. Filming of the second part of this yokocho filming project, “Tokyo Yokocho,” has also been completed.

Ramen Yokocho is currently airing on Hawaiian Airlines flights.

About Waikiki Yokocho

Based on the dining alleys popular in Japan, Waikiki Yokocho is a gourmet dining alley featuring a selection of 16 first-in-Hawaii eateries. Located in the basement of Waikiki Shopping Plaza, the 23,000-square-foot space is sectioned into three distinct areas -- Ramen Road, Noren Street, and Engawa Terrace. Waikiki Yokocho opened in December 2016. For more information, visit http://www.waikiki-yokocho.com.

About the Northern California Area Emmy Awards

The Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards are presented for outstanding achievement in television by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), with San Francisco/Northern California as one of the 19 chapters awarding regional Emmy statuettes. For more information, visit https://emmysf.tv/.