ramen – Page 2 – Jellybeans in the City

Double servings of Ramen at Dabururamen, SM Megamall

Are you loving the recent spate of cold weather, foodies?

Chilly days like these make me want to slurp on some fully loaded and steaming hot ramen. When I’m feeling particularly ravenous, I don’t think a single bowl would suffice.

Well, wouldn’t you know it: at the newly opened Dabururamen at SM Megamall, I can get two bowls for the price of one! Yey!

“Daburo” is one way of saying “double” in Japanese. With its ramen dishes available on Buy 1 Take 1 deals, Dabururamen gives you double the flavor and double the ramen goodness with every order.

Are you curious yet on what you can enjoy at Dabururamen? Here’s a sampling:

Daburu Ramen (Php358 for double | Php188 for single). The house special ramen with rich broth, chashu slice and marinated egg, resulting to a hearty blend of authentic Japanese flavors. Definitely incredouble!

Kamabaku Ramen (Php348 for double | Php198 for single). Dabururamen’s version of the Tantanmen and my new favorite! Its blend of nutty and spicy sweetness can’t be beat!

Melting Gyoza (Php98 for 6pcs | Php190 for 12pcs). The classic Japanese dumpling made with minced pork and chopped vegetables gets an upgrade with the addition of oozing melted cheese!

House Special Takoyaki (Php168 for 6pcs | Php298 for 12pcs). A mixture of wheat batter and chopped octopus formed into succulent and savory balls topped with special sauce and bonito flakes.

So the next time you’ve got a monster craving for ramen or just want to chase the chilly weather blues away, drop by Dabururamen!

Update: I went back to Eatogether Food Hall with my foodie friends and was able to try more of Dabururamen’s dishes. Check them out!

Shoyu Ramen (Php328 for double | Php185 for single). Crispy pork katsu tops a bowl of savory clear soup, spring onions, nori and mushrooms.

Cheesy Katsudon Poppers (Php275). Cheese-stuffed breaded pork roulade drizzled with Dabururamen’s Emperor sauce and served with cabbage salad and oriental veggies.

And again, more of that fabulous Dabururamen. Yey!

Now I’m looking forward to more visits!

Dabururamen is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For delivery, call in your orders at +63 917 1598522 or +63 9605151688. You may also course your order through FoodPanda, GrabFood and Poodtrip.

Disclosure: I attended a food tasting here together with fellow foodies. Food items mentioned here were served to let us sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Comforting ramen at Ippudo

Did you know that Tokugawa Mitsukuni, a prominent daimyo that lived during the early Edo period in 1600s, was claimed to be the first person to ever eat ramen? The dish was said to have been introduced to him by Chinese neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Shunsui who became the daimyo’s advisor after fleeing the Manchu rule in China and seeking refuge in Japan.

After a business meeting in SM Mall of Asia, my officemates and I decided to have lunch at Ippudo for a taste of its celebrated ramen.

Founded in 1985 by Shigemi Kawahara, who has been dubbed The Ramen King, Ippudo is the stage by which the famed ramen chef showcases his “tao” – the way of the ramen. This is centered on the philosophy of continuously innovating to remain true.

My lunchmates and I were able to het a taste of Ippudo’s artistry and innovation with our orders.

Tantanmen (Php520). Made with thick wavy noodles immersed in Ippudo’s signature tonkotsu (pork bone) broth infused with tantanmen oil. It topped with a generous serving of ground pork, torched chasu (pork belly), cilantro, parmesan cheese and onsen tamago.

Shiromaru Special (Php495). In this classic Hakata-style ramen, pork belly and pork loin are placed on top of ultra-thin noodles in Ippudo’s tonkotsu broth, garnished with salted soft-boiled egg and seaweed.

Shiromaru Tamago (Php420). The Shiromaru with salted soft-boiled egg.

Akamaru Special (Php499). In this modern-style ramen, a special blend of miso paste and garlic enhances Ippudo’s tonkotsu broth. Served with thin noodles and pork belly slices, it is topped by ajikikurage (flavored black fungus), salted soft-boiled egg and seaweed.

It was easy to discern the care and craftmanship that went into the ramen, from the flavorful broth, the springy noodles to the meticulously prepared toppings. These bowls are quite pricy too, so they’re not for everyday eating, but well-suited for those times when you want to treat yourself to an exceptional bowl of ramen.

You might be wondering how you can enjoy Ippudo’s carefully crafted ramen during quarantine. You would be glad to know that it recently opened some of its branches for curbside or courier pickups, making it possible for ramen lovers to have Ippudo at Home. Here’s how:

Send a message to a Yabu branch nearest you via Viber (+63 919 0744557 for SM Megamall, Greenbelt 5 and Powerplant Mall | +63 919 0744564 for Ayala Malls the 30th, Robinsons Magnolia, Ayala Malls Vertis North | +63 919 0744560 for Uptown Mall, Mall of Asia and Robinsons Place Manila)
Include the following details in your message: name, email address, birthday, date, time and store for pickup, orders and desired quantity
After receiving billing confirmation, make your payments via GCash, BPI or BDO
Send proof of payment via Viber
Arrange for pickup

So if you’ve been longing for a taste of Ippudo, fret not. Your lovely bowl of ramen is just a few phone taps away!

This Ippudo branch is located at Second Floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

Other branches are located at:

Robinsons Place Manila
Robinsons Magnolia
Ayala Malls Vertis North
Greenbelt 5
Power Plant Mall
Uptown Place Mall
SM Megamall
Ayala Malls the 30th
Eastwood

Ramen fave at Ramen Nagi, Trinoma

Whenever my officemates and I get that craving for ramen, we head straight for the Ramen Nagi branch nearest to our workplace: the one at Trinoma Mall.

We even agree on which ramen to sate our craving on: the Butao King (Php395). It’s Ramen Nagi’s award-winning tonkotsu pork broth, painstakingly prepared in the traditional method, with fresh hand-crafted noodles and classic Nagi pork chashu.

It’s a magical bowl of flavor that can fill you up, warm your tummy, lift your spirits and power you on for the rest of the day.

Last year, Ramen Nagi offered a free bowl of Butao King to birthday celebrants so long as they’re accompanied by someone paying for bowl of Butao King. So every time someone’s birthday month would come along, there would be a clamoring to go to Ramen Nagi to take advantage of the offer, thereby cementing the Butao King as everyone’s favorite ramen bowl from Ramen Nagi.

This Ramen Nagi branch is located at Garden Wing Area, Upper Ground Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Craving for ramen during the enhanced community quarantine? Worry not! Ramen Nagi recently launched its first-ever takeout box – the Ramen-to-Go (Php790/box). It’s a kit with two servings of Ramen Nagi broth (available flavors include Butao, Red, Black and Green King), noodles, pork chashu, vegetables, minced garlic, green onions, and the other ramen toppings, thereby allowing you to be a Ramen Chef at Home. To get your own box, place your order at the Ramen Nagi website at least two days in advance.

Selected Ramen Nagi branches are also open during the ECQ for takeout and delivery serving these areas:

Trinoma: Quezon City, San Juan, Pasig and Caloocan
Alabang Town Center: Alabang, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Paranaque
Signa: Makati, Taguig, Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasay

Get your bowl of happiness at Hanamaruken

I wasn’t always a ramen lover.

Once upon a time, I wouldn’t be able to differentiate among ramen varieties, nor appreciate the artistry that goes into crafting and delicious bowl of ramen.

That changed when I first tasted Hanamaruken’s Happiness Ramen three years ago.

Thus started my #RamenPhase that’s showing no signs of fading away.

Before the enhanced community quarantine, I was lucky enough to take my fam out to dinner one Saturday night at the place where my love affair with ramen started: Hanamaruken at The Grove along C5.

Hanamaruken is a ramen chain that originated from Osaka, Japan which was established in 1982 by Takaku Arakawa who belonged to a family of butchers. By drawing from its founder’s background in butchery, Hanamaruken became known for ramen dishes that feature choice cuts of meat and uniquely flavored broth.

There, the fam enjoyed a meal that included:

Signature Happiness Ramen (Php445 half | Php580 whole). Arakawa’s ramen masterpiece features a combination of shoyu (soy) and tonkotsu (pork bone) broth topped with ginormous piece of tender slow-braised pork bone rib. This is still my benchmark when it comes to ramen.

Pot Belly Ramen (Php410). Another showcase for the tonkotsu and shoyu broth combo topped with roasted pork belly.

Spicy Tobanjan Ramen (Php320). Tonkotsu broth spiced by tobanjan paste. Hubby liked it so much that he ordered extra noodles (Php80) to savor more of the spicy broth.

Gyoza (Php240). My daughter #ExhibitA will not consider a visit to any Japanese resto complete without these Japanese potstickers.

Ebi Tempura (Php580). Large prawns battered and deep-fried to a beautiful golden brown and served with umami-rich tempura sauce.

I look forward to tasting this kind of happiness again and again.

Wanna have your own taste of ramen happiness but can’t leave home because of the ECQ? Here’s a bit of good news for you: Hanamaruken Forbestown is now open for pickup and delivery via Grab Assistant or Lalamove. To order, call +63 917 6356254 or +63 916 2142208.

This Hanamaruken branch is located at The Grove by Rockwell, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Barangay Ugong, Pasig City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 86953643.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Forbes Retail, Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Ground Floor, Santolan Town Plaza, Colonel Bonny Serrano Avenue, Little Baguio, San Juan
Hole in the Wall, Fourth Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati City
Second Floor, Garden Wing, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City
Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Ramen Cool, Kapitolyo

Back when I worked in the Ortigas area, my officemates and I used to venture to the foodie-friendly Kapitolyo for our happy lunches.

One of our favorite haunts is Ramen Cool which was established in the area before the ongoing ramen craze.

It offers Japanese food lovers their favorite dishes, some with a few twists.

This branch now offers lunch sets which allow diners to enjoy a well-curated set of dishes which include solo servings of a main viand, soup, salad, drink and more all for under Php400. In this way, diners can have a flavorful variety of Japanese dishes while still staying on budget.

While out on field work in the area, my coworkers and I took advantage of these offers by ordering:

Karaage Lunch (Php219). Chicken karaage served with iced coffee, plain rice, pulled pork ramen, two pieces of California Maki and Kani Salad.

Tuna Ahi Poke Lunch (Php269). A yellowfin tuna poke bowl served with iced coffee, miso soup, yakisoba and kani salad.

Chirashi Lunch (Php379). A bowl of chirashi (sushi rice topped with various sliced and chopped sushi flavored with Japanese mayo, wasabi and spring onions) served with iced coffee, miso soup, yakisoba and kani salad.

Aside from these lunch sets, our group’s orders also included:

Seared Tuna Salad (Php315) and Spicy Tuna Salad (Php295). Both prettily served on a specialized bowl which kept the salads cool and the greens crisp.

Karaage Wasabi Mayo (Php195). Japanese-style fried chicken doused with wasabi mayo.

It was a delicious return to an old haunt and I’d love to revisit the place and its specialties again soon!

This Ramen Cool branch is located at 25 East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City, open Sundays to Wednesdays from 11am to 10.30pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 12 midnight. For inquries and reservations, call +63 2 86360972 or +63 2 89984168.

Other branches are located at:

San Lorenzo Village Condominium, San Lorenzo, Makati
Westlife Building, West Avenue, Quezon City

An authentic taste of Japanese cuisine in Cainta: Fukurou Nihonryori

I have lived in the East for most of my life… in the Far East, it sometimes feels like, because of all these horrendous traffic jams! Sometimes, the hassle of going to places far north to Quezon City or down south to Muntinlupa, for instance, can be quite daunting.

Well, it’s a good thing then that the East is starting to become even more interesting with all the food destinations it offers. That way, Eastern foodies like me won’t have to travel far for gastronomic adventures.

One such destination is Fukurou Nihonryori, located along Marcos Highway in Barangay San Isidro, Cainta. I admit: I have often overlooked this area when I go looking for new food places. I usually gravitate towards the places nearer my home in Pasig, or skip on to Marikina or Antipolo.

This just makes my first dining experience here even more special. Imagine: a treasure trove of Japanese dishes available all this time, right under my nose!

Together with fellow food bloggers from #WeLoveToEatPH, I attended a foodie meetup here and quickly got myself acquainted to a new favorite place for Japanese cuisine in my neck of the woods.

In Japanese, “fukurou” translates to “owl,” while “nihonryori” translates to “from Japan.” The Japanese regard the owl symbol as a lucky charm; in the restaurant, the owl emblem can be seen in the menus and paper placemats.

Inside, the place is simple and welcoming yet elegantly designed, perfect for gatherings of small groups or intimate dinners for two. Pinewood furniture complement the beige interiors highlighted with Japanese watercolors of nature. Light installations add some warm illumination to the room for a relaxing atmosphere and to showcase the meticulously prepared and beautifully presented food. The resto also has a well-stocked bar for those who also want to indulge in some spirits along with their meal.

Our meal of tasty and authentic Japanese dishes consisted of:

Vegetable Fried Rice (Php110). A type of yakimeshi (Japanese fried rice) that complements the other Japanese dishes.

Saba Shioyaki (Php325). Grilled mackerel with a crispy skin and tender meat that’s just so flavorful.

Tebasaki (Php125). A yakitori (skewered meat dish) made of bone-in chicken wings (“tebasaki” translates to “wing tips”) which is seasoned after frying.

Sashimi Moriawase (Php695). A sampler of various sashimi (fresh and thinly sliced fish) which include yummy morsels of salmon, tuna, mackerel and squid.

Tempura Moriawase (Php398). A basket of shrimp and vegetables all coated in light batter and deep-fried, accompanied by a tempura dipping sauce.

Yaki Samon Mayo (Php135). Two hefty slices of salmon draped over balls of Japanese rice and complemented with Japanese mayo and fish roe.

Fried Maki (Php265). Rolled sushi of mango, kani (crabstick) and ebi (shrimp) which is also deep-fried before slicing which gives each piece a crispy texture unlike other maki.

Sukiyaki (Php350 for half | Php650 for full). One of the resto’s nabemono (hot pot dishes), it is made of beef slices, tofu, noodles and veggies cooked in shoyu and Japanese wine giving the broth a sweet-savory taste.

Miso Ramen (Php328). Chashu pork slices, tamago (soft-boiled egg), carrots, wakame (seaweed), leeks and nori in a bowl of slightly spicy miso-based broth.

Zaru Soba (Php220). Chilled buckwheat noodles served with mentsuyu (sauce made from sake, mirin, soy sauce, kombi and dried bonito flakes) for dipping.

Japanese Cheesecake (Php198). Fluffy cheesecake made in the traditional Japanese way drizzled with dulce de leche.

Kinako Korumitsu Mochi Ice Cream (Php158). Vanilla-flavored mochi ice cream topped with soybean powder and syrup.

We also chased our thirst away with some house-brewed iced tea.

These dishes – some already familiar to me and my companions, some not – served as a sampling of the sheer breadth and variety inherent in Japanese cuisine.

I’d love to come back and discover more of it. But that’s an adventure for anothef day.

Thanks to Chelsea Tuazon and the staff of Fukurou Nihonryori for the warm welcome and the fabulous Japanese food feast, and to Alfred Pineda for extending the invitation.

Fukurou Nihonryori is located at Ground Floor, The Pinnacle Plaza, Marikina-Infanta Highway, Bgy. San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal, open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 917 1336302.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Get ready for unli ramen at Yummy Tokyo, Maginhawa!

The rainy season is upon us. With those rain clouds come a bit of cooler weather, giving us Metro Manila denizens a much-welcome break from the heat.

But with those rainshowers and cool breezes come the craving for something hot and hearty that will warm the stomach and soothe the soul.

What better way to enjoy the rainy season than to sit down and slurp on some tasty ramen?

How about taking on Yummy Tokyo’s Unli Ramen offer?

But first, let’s get to know Yummy Tokyo and its ramen offerings.

After meticulously developed his ramen recipes, self-taught ramen master Jin Chiba left his corporate research job, found a partner who helped him launch his own brand of ramen in the Philippines, and thus, Yummy Tokyo came to be.

My friends from #SaanSaPH recently visited its store along Maginhawa Street and sampled some of its dishes, which include:

Tantanmen (Php189). Did you know that this ramen dish originated from China where it was known as “Dandanmen?” It became popular in Japan’s northern prefectures where its miso, peanut and sesame base was perfected. I like the peanutty taste, its flavorful ground pork topping and its slightly spicy kick.

Miso Ramen (Php149). Initially having gained foothold in the Sapporo and Hokkaido prefectures, it is made by incorporating lots of miso (soybean paste) with meat stock, resulting to a hearty and slightly sweet soup. Topped with a slice of tender chashu, it is quite a filling meal.

Seafood Ramen (Php149). Originating from Nagasaki, this ramen dish with a scallop base and topped with shredded cabbage, kani sticks and narutomaki, it is lighter than the other ramen dishes.

Tonkotsu (Php129). One of my all-time favorites, the soup for this ramen dish originating from the Fukuoka and Kyushu prefectures is made by boiling pork bones, fat and collagen for hours, resulting in a creamy and flavor-filled broth.

Cold Ramen (Php149). The idea behind this ramen dish originating from the Tokyo and Honshu prefectures is to top cold ramen noodles with assorted vegetables and meat then toss them in a vinegary dressing which makes for a refreshing meal.

Now, about that Unli Ramen. For only Php399, you can stuff yourself with all the broth, noodles and toppings your heart and tummy can hold.

Rainy days don’t seem so sad now, do they?

Want to take your ramen experience home with you? Why not bring home some of Yummy Tokyo’s Ramen Kits (prices range from Php149 to Php169) to enjoy the store’s tasty and authentic ramen dishes at home.

Many thanks to the folks of Yummy Tokyo for having us!

This Yummy Tokyo branch is located at 103 Maginhawa Street, Teacher’s Village East, Quezon City (inside Moonleaf Tea Shop Compound), open daily from 4pm to 12 midnight.

Another branch is located at the Fourth Floor, East Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange, Ortigas Center (inside Moonleaf Tea Shop), open weekdays from 11am to 6pm.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers of #SaanSaPH, I was invited to attend a foodie meetup held here wherein in food items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Ramen dinner at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Bellevue

I’ve been going through my #RamenPhase for several years now and it shows no sign of abating.

And why should it?

Slurping on some tasty, steaming-hot ramen is one of the most comforting things to do, specially on a chilly spring evening in the first week of my family’s visit to the Pacific Northwest.

That night, we ventured out to the beautiful city of Bellevue for dinner after a round of malling. From the mall, we walked across the Bellevue Downtown Park to the local branch of Hokkaido Ramen Santouka to enjoy the crisp spring air and to work up our appetites.

This ramen restaurant is quite familiar to us as it has several outlets in the Metro Manila. It has become one of go-to ramen places because of its tasty ramen and katsu dishes that fave become family favorites.

The restaurant was founded in Asahikawa, Hokkaido in Japan by Hitoshi Hatanaka when he produced the tonkotsu (pork bone) soup, the flavorful base of the restaurant’s ramen dishes. The soup is made by hand in all of the chain’s outlets in Japan and abroad; the process involves simmering the pork bones for twenty hours, then adding in vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other savory ingredients as well as seasonings, resulting in a mild but tasty broth. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka’s bowls are also specially made, with a specific thickness that slows the cooling down of the broth, allowing diners to enjoy their ramen in steaming-hot soup for as long as possible.

Upon arriving, we entered our name in the tablet provided so that we can be part of the wait list, one of the innovations that we haven’t yet encountered back home.

The place was cozy and frenetic with activity, from new customers being ushered in and the orders and requests being called out.

For tonight’s meal, our group got for ourselves several orders of our favorites:

Shio Ramen. The restaurant’s signature dish featuring a milky white salt-based broth, firm hand-pulled noodles, slices of marinated chashu pork belly and more.

Neginanban Ramen. The resto’s spiciest ramen variant topped with chashu, fried onions, onions and jalapenos.

Karamiso Ramen. A miso-based ramen with bit of red chilis to spice it up.

Tonkatsu. Deep-fried pork cutlet covered in crispy panko breadcrumbs and served with a tangy katsu sauce.

With our ramen and katsu orders, we also availed of sides such as the aji-tama (soft-boiled egg marinated in a soy-based sauce) and gyoza (pan-fried dumplings filled with minced pork).

With our dinner at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, the fam was able to enjoy some of the flavors we love back home right here in Bellevue.

This Hokkaido Ramen Santouka branch is located at 103 Bellevue Way, NE, Suite 3, Bellevue, WA 98004, open daily from 11am to 9pm. For inquiries or reservations, call +1 425 4620141.

For more details, visit www.santouka-usa.com.

Check out the other restos I’ve tried in the Washington State area: