Tag: ramen

Tomochan Ramen Express, Ayala Fairview Terraces

Sometimes, you just want to console your poor tired soul with some hot ramen. The flavorful steaming broth, the firm noodles that you slurp into your mouth and tender soy-seasoned pork chashu all combine to give you a meal that warms both your heart and tummy.

However, with most ramen places charging Php300 to Php700 for a bowl, you would think that your ramen treat would be a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing.

Akiko Okomoto, founder and CEO of Tomochan Ramen Express, will have none of that.

“We want to be your daily ramen,” she said to a gathering of food bloggers at the Tomochan outlet at Food Choices in Ayala Fairview Terraces. “We want every individual to consider our ramen as their ultimate comfort food.”

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview

True to her statement, Tomochan’s food offerings are priced affordably, starting with the Shoyu Basic bowl at only Php99. With this bowl, you can already slake your hunger in flavorful soy-based broth, half of a marinated soft boiled egg, two slices of tender pork chashu and firm filling noodles.

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview Terraces

Other shoyu ramen variants are just as affordably priced with Shoyu Vegee at Php109, with the addition of vegee to the Shoyu Basic bowl; Spicy Shoyu Tantan bowl at Php129, with the replacement of the pork chashu with a spicier version; and Shoyu Special at Php149, with a whole egg and 4 slices of chashu pork.

Craving for miso-based ramen instead? No need to sweat it with the Miso Basic at Php129, Miso Vegee at Php139, Spicy Miso Tantan at Php159 and Miso Special at Php169.

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview Terraces

If you’re hankering for a rice meal, check these out, all at only Php79:

Chicken Karaage + Rice + Cabbage

Katsu + Rice + Cabbage

Gyoza + Rice + Cabbage

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview Terraces

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview Terraces

Ramen + Rice Meal combos are also available, giving you quite a filling meal:

Half Shoyu + Rice Meal at Php159

Half Miso + Rice Meal at Php179

To get a Whole Ramen + Rice Meal, just add Php69 on the price of any ramen.

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview Terraces

Tomochan, Ayala Fairview Terraces

Additonal items such as Chicken Karaage, Katsu and Gyoza may be ordered ala carte at only Php69.

According to Okamoto, Tomochan’s name denotes a “warm and solid friendship.” By making the warmth and satisfying comfort of Japanese ramen more accessible to more Filipinos, Tomochan is helping to solidify the JaPinoy bonds of friendship and shared love of food.

Want to have that ramen craving satisfied? Head on to Tomochan Ramen Express at Food Choices, 2nd Floor Ayala Fairview Terraces, Quezon City.

If you work in Makati, check out the Tomochan Ramen Express at Food Oddyssey, 11th Floor LKG Tower, Makati City.

Tomochan Ramen Express Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend 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

City of Dreams Manila opens a VR Zone and Food Park

City of Dreams Manila is changing the landscape of entertainment and dining as it unveils The Garage.The new attraction is a VR Zone and food park that enables guests to delve into the immersive experience of virtual reality entertainment and delight in a wide range of casual dining choices from the carefully curated selection of food and beverage trucks and trailers set in a comfortable, air-conditioned space.

Bandai Namco Amusement from Japan, one of the world’s leading video digital entertainment development companies, provides the virtual reality experience at the VR Zone.

“The Garage is City of Dreams Manila’s latest attraction featuring unique entertainment activities in partnership with Bandai Namco Amusement. With their creativity and cutting-edge technology, we are honored and delighted to partner with them, and together blaze a trail in delivering extraordinary entertainment experiences that go beyond gaming and recreation in the Philippines,” Kevin Benning, City of Dreams Manila’s Chief Operating Officer said.

The virtual reality experience provided by a leader in video digital entertainment development is complemented by quality food and drink choices offered by 10 of the hippest and contemporary food and beverage partners including the resort’s own talented staff. This concept, curated all in one place, makes The Garage a first of its kind in the country — “setting us apart from the rest,” adds Benning.

“Bandai Namco Amusement is honored to partner with luxury integrated resort City of Dreams Manila and bring to this exciting destination our first VR Zone entertainment facility in Southeast Asia. We hope to bring outside of Japan an immersive, multi-sensory and fun activities to Filipinos and foreign guests with our unique VR activities at The Garage,” Kunihisa Yagisita, Bandai Namco’s General Manager stated.

Set in a 2,714-square meter cool and comfortable space located at the upper ground floor, The Garage stands out with its modern industrial interiors catering to a 563-seating capacity. Designed by award-winning Paris-based creative design agency, Malherbe Design in collaboration with Westar Architectural Interior Design, a group known for its strong sensitivity to contemporary design aesthetics, The Garage is further given life and vibrancy with graffiti works of two prominent names in the street art scene: Kookoo Ramos and DeeJae Paeste.

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#graffiti that graces one of the walls of the newly opened #VRZone and #FoodPark @thegarageatcod. It helps set the mood for enjoyment among gamers and foodies. Wanna chance to check out the VR games available for free! Like and tag a friend in the comments under the giveaway posts here and at @sandundermyfeet, @herlculis, @hungryherl and @foodventuresbyfrapao. Be sure to follow all our accounts to qualify! #TheGarageAtCOD #VRZoneCOD #GamesGastroGalore #cityofdreamsmanila #virtualreality #bandai #bandainamco #VRPark #virtualrealitypark #virtualrealitygames #gaming #gamers #mariokart #skirodeo #philippines #itsmorefuninthephilippines #wheninmanila #wimadventures #virtualrealityworld #virtualrealitygames #virtualrealityexperience #virtualrealitygaming #virtualrealityarcade

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Game of a lifetime

The Garage’s VR Zone features a new generation entertainment facility that offers an exhilarating and startling experience with top-of-class VR technology.

One of the exciting activities at the VR Zone is the famed Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, which was developed by Bandai Namco Amusement under license from Nintendo. The three-minute Mario Kart Arcade GP VR enables one to choose to play as one of the characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Yoshi; step right into the action-packed world of Mario Kart universe; and race until the finish line through a course filled with traps such as giant Piranha Plants and Thwomps or large stone creatures that attempt to crush the players. This highly sought-after game can be played by up to four persons and is open to enthusiasts 13 years old and above.

For those seeking a different kind of thrill, the Hospital Escape Terror, which can be played by up to four participants, is described as a ‘horrifying experience unlike ever before’. This immersive horror room game is open to thrill-seekers ages 13 years old and above. Hospital Escape Terror’s players have the goal to escape and survive altogether the dark, cursed, and abandoned hospital within nine minutes while being restrained on a wheel chair.

The two-minute Ski Rodeo on the other hand, is a steep downhill ski simulator that lets a player ski a vast snowy mountain course with sharp slopes and steep drops at an immense speed with the goal to finish at the fastest time possible or within the allotted time. This heart-dropping game, which can be played in pairs, is open to individuals with a height of 140 cm and up.

Tickets are available on site. Single player ticket price is available at P450 nett; while packages are available for those playing in groups or pairs: P800 nett for two persons playing Ski Rodeo; P1, 200 per person for three activities; and P1, 600 nett for a group of four persons playing Hospital Escape Terror or Mario Kart GP VR.

Gastronomic Galore

Going hand in hand with the one-of-a-kind entertainment experience, The Garage’s VR Zone is offering a selection of 10 food and beverage trucks and trailers: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Katsu Sora, Pink’s Hotdog, Little Flour, El Chupacabra, Pizza Grigliata, Farmacy, Chocol8, The Roaster and Juiced. The casual dining experience is also enhanced with the sustainability drive of City of Dreams Manila: only eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable plates, utensils and take-out bags are used at The Garage.

Hailing from Japan, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka’s well-loved ramen is characterized by its mild, pearl-colored Tonkotsu soup which is carefully prepared by taking the time to simmer the pork bones before adding vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other special ingredients. This exceptional soup with thin-noodle ramen, and perfectly topped with mouthwatering slices of Char-siu pork and pickled plums is meant to be savored to the last spoonful.

Another food truck specializing in Japanese cuisine is Katsu Sora. A household name in the metro for good tonkatsu or Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet, Katsu Sora’s  secret to their naturally tender, marbled, and flavorful tonkatsu is the use of only premium pork meat. The restaurant is known for serving dishes that use four kinds of world-class pork that are of the highest quality: Iberico, Kurobuta, Shimofuri, and Sakura. Their Iberico and Kurobuta Tonkatsu sets are served with their famed Juugokokumai rice, a premium rice blend that includes white rice, corn, barley, millet, sesame seeds, and black beans.

Los Angeles’ most popular hot dog stand, Pink’s Hot Dogs has been hailed by multiple publications as the number one hot dog in America. A staple in Hollywood since 1939, their lip-smacking hot dogs especially the iconic “The Hollywood Legend,” which is a medley of Pink’s eponymous hotdogs with chili, cheddar cheese, mustard, and chopped onions, are sought after by everyone. This legend continues in Manila since opening their first store in 2016, and is offered together with other American favorites such as burgers, fries, nachos, and more.

Little Flour Café by the highly successful Wildflour Café + Bakery, is known for its well-loved and locally-inspired Filipino rice bowls, delicacies and grilled items.

El Chupacabra is a casual street taco bar serving a delectable array of Mexican-influenced dishes for lunch and dinner, as well as uniquely tweaked versions of popular local plates. Apart from Mexican-style street tacos, El Chupacabra is also known for burritos, enchiladas, and grilled chicken sticks.

Pizza Grigliata serves nothing but hot, freshly-made artisanal pizza to deliver a different kind of pizza experience that stands out from the rest. Uniquely prepared, Pizza Grigliata’s pizzas are handmade from scratch everyday using thin crust dough topped with the freshest ingredients which are torched and grilled.

Farmacy takes us back to the time of classic turn-of-the-century ice cream parlors. Satisfying the sweet tooth of guests, Farmacy is known for serving fresh homemade ice cream “the right way,” and for serving an extensive array of comforting treats such as milkshakes, sodas, coffee, and pastries.

Alongside the well-curated food and beverage outlets at The Garage are City of Dreams Manila’s own exceptional outlets: Chocol8, Juiced and The Roaster.

Chocol8 features handcrafted chocolates in a number of shapes and forms, and are enhanced with special ingredients such as fruits, nuts, and spices.

For those into healthy concoctions, Juiced offers a variety of freshly squeezed smoothies, slushies, and juices daily; while The Roaster is the go-to outlet for an array of gourmet coffee creations made from freshly roasted Philippine beans. In keeping with the resort’s sustainability campaign, the beans are sourced from coffee growers and farmers in various communities supported by the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc.

The Detox, Smoothies, and Sluhes

The bar at The Garage offers a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for guests to pair their choice of food from the trucks and trailers.

JASMINE RED SIGNATURE ICED TEA

The Garage is open daily from 10 AM to 2 AM. For more information, call (+63 2) 800-8080 or email guestservices@cod-manila.com or visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

Details provided by The Garage in a recent press release.

My favorite Japanese food at Menya Noodle & Bento Bar, Greenhills

Japanese cuisine has two main draws for me: ramen and katsu bento. Whenever I’m dining at a Japanese restaurant, I order either of those two staples.

Imagine my delight when I discovered a new Japanese place that specializes in my two favorite dishes.

Menya Noodle & Bento Bar is a newly opened Japanese eatery in the Promenade Foodcourt in Greenhills Shopping Center.

While the resto’s name which translates to “noodle house” (men for “noodle” and ya for “house”) proclaims its specialty in noodles, the owners also recognize the Pinoy preference for rice meals, hence the development of the noodle and bento bar concept.

Its bar area has a direct view to the open kitchen so that diners can watch the resto’s ramen and bento masters at work. Its interiors have an Asian minimalist aesthetic with both light and dark wood serving as design and architectural elements. While its actual seating area is limited, diners can just order their preferred dishes and have them served at the food court area.

Menya, Greenhills

Menya, Greenhills

Menya, Greenhills

Menya, Greenhills

Menya, Greenhills

During a Zomato Foodie Meet-up recently held here, my fellow foodies and I were able to sample the appetizing dishes that Menya has to offer. These include:

Ramen

Menya Tonkotsu Ramen (Php290)

Menya, Greenhills

My favorite among all ramen variants, it has a very flavorful 10-hour pork bone broth (developed with the help of a team of Japanese chefs), Menya’s signature noodles and thick yet tender slices of pork chashu.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen (Php290)

Menya, Greenhills

The Menya Tonkotsu Ramen made even more flavorful and garlicky with the addition of black garlic oil and garlic chips.

Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (Php290)

Menya, Greenhills

The Menya Tonkotsu Ramen modified to appeal to the more gastronomically adventurous having a red spicy broth and red chili paste.

Abura Soba (Php320)

Menya, Greenhills

The name translates to “oil noodles.”  Since this noodle dish is soupless, much of the flavor resides in Menya’s signature noodles, accompanied by chashu pork belly slices in a premium sesame oil sauce.

Tsukumen (Php310)

Menya, Greenhills

Menya, Greenhills

A new experience in ramen wherein Menya’s signature noodles are not served within the10-hour pork bone broth but are to be dipped into it.  It comes with a tender chashu pork belly slice on the side.

Bento Meals (Php290 each)

All of Menya’s bento meals include fresh salad and Japanese rice which is stickier and more suited in taste and texture to Japanese dishes.

Pork Tonkatsu Bento

Menya, Greenhills

Chicken Teriyaki Bento

Chicken Karaage Bento

Menya, Greenhills

Sides

It’s hard to fathom how you can still be unsated with your ramen or bento meal but, just in case, you can also order side dishes. They add a change in flavor or texture to the meal or serve as an addtional viand.

Gyoza (Php130)

Menya, Greenhills

Chicken Nan Ban (Php170)

Chicken Karaage (Php150)

Chashu Bun (Php130)

The dishes served were all flavorful and the portions were sizeable, well worth their price tags.

I can see myself dropping by this Menya store to treat myself to a bowl or Tonkotsu Ramen or a Tonkatsu Bento after a bout of shopping or right before a movie date.

Menya Noodle and Bento Bar is located at the Food Court, Ground Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills, San Juan.  For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 55 1288.  It is open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend 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.

Ramen Birthday Treat at Ramen Nagi, Greenbelt

For the third time, I was able to enjoy Ramen Nagi’s famous Butao King Ramen at half-price, thanks to its ongoing Birthday Blowout promo. Fortunately, my daughter, #ExhibitA, is also a ramen fanatic, and was game to have ramen for lunch on the last Saturday of her birthmonth. (Coincidentally, we were also able to score free admission to the Ayala Museum that same day, courtesy of its #InspireEveryDay event. In effect, our entire outing that Saturday was on the frugal side yet jampacked with fun activities.)

Butao King (regularly priced at Php390), one of Ramen Nagi’s signature variants, is its classic tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen. It’s soup is rich, creamy and flavorful, thanks to the pork bone marrow and aromatics simmered for hours.

After presenting #ExhibitA’s ID (to be able to avail of the birthday promo), we filled out the order form which enabled us to customize our ramen order. Here’s a tip: first-timers at Ramen Nagi (or those who don’t want the pressure of thinking about how to customize their ramen) can just opt for the Chef’s Recommendation. At level 1 in terms of spiciness, the broth has some kick but is not too spicy for me. The noodles were firm and has a good texture. In hindsight, though, I think I would have preferred the kukuni (pork belly slab) instead of the chashu (pork belly strips) as the meat in my ramen.

Ramen Nagi, Greenbelt 3

We also ordered some Gyoza (Php220), the famous Japanese dumplings which consist of meat and spices wrapped then steamed and pan-fried. Ramen Nagi’s gyoza are served on a bed of beans sprouts on a sizzling plate for some added crunch.

With the superb meal (and the discount!), my #Saturdate with my daughter was a very enjoyable time!

Check out my review of other Ramen Nagi branches:

Ramen Lunch at Don Bao, Kapitolyo

On our way to a bout of museum visits for our #Saturdate, my daughter and I decided to (again!) give in to our ramen craving and have an early lunch at Don Bao.

The resto is located in the foodie-friendly Kapitolyo area, along a line of eateries near D Ace Hotel. There is limited parking space here so you may want to park your vehicle in the nearby Pioneer Center if there are no more spaces available in front of the restaurant.

The resto’s name is a portmanteau of its main offerings: the donburi, or Japanese rice bowls (such Katsu Curry Don or Special Tendon), and the baos, or Chinese steamed folded buns that can be accompanied by practically any sort of fillings.

It is a quaint restaurant with cheery and colorful interiors, punctuated by cute and playful depictions of the resto’s ninja mascot on the walls and the store’s merchandise.

Thanks to an Eatigo offer, my daughter and I were able to enjoy 50% off on our orders:

  • Gyoza (Php160). The filling was flavorful but the wrapping was not as firm we were expecting.
  • Cheesy Bao (Php125) – I was intrigued by this combination of gyuniku, cheese, onion rings ans spring onions slid into a sliced bao. While I found the contrast of textures between the saucy, crunchy filling and the soft and puffy bao, the slightly sweet taste of the cheese was too overpowering.
  • Tonkotsu Ramen (Php299). I got the regular-flavored variant of this classic ramen flavor (as opposed to the spicier version). The broth and pork belly slice were full-flavored and the noodles were firm.
  • Pork Miso Ramen (Php299). My daughter was pretty satisfied with this ramen order but she requested that the corn kernels be removed (her personal preference).

We found the meal satisfying and a good departure from our everyday meals. Plus, with the Eatigo discount, the meal was made more affordable for us.

This Don Bao branch is located at Victoria Place 1 along Brixton Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. Another branch is situated at First Capital Condominium, along Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. For queries or to book a Don Bao stall for events, call +63 998 8638671 or email donbao.ph@gmail.com.

Register to Eatigo using this link and get up to 50% off your food bill in various restaurants in the metro as well as Php150 worth of rewards.

Want to have Don Bao delivered to your home or office? Download the HonestBee app through this link and get Php500 off purchases of Php2,500 or more.

Don Bao Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Ramen for a Rainy Day at Ramen Kuroda, SM Marikina

The recent bouts of heavy rain and colder weather gave rise to a craving for a bowl of hot, steaming and hearty ramen.  There really is something about slurping on some thick hot broth that drives the rainy day blues away.

During a recent back-to-school shopping trip at SM City Marikina, the fam joined me in giving in to my ramen craving when we decided to have lunch at the newly opened branch of Ramen Kuroda.

The place seems to be a hit as there was a line of people waiting to get in.  To help facilitate faster service, the hostess already facilitated the orders of the waiting patrons so that waiting will be minimal once the diners are seated in the dining area.

This restaurant’s mantra is to “make Real Ramen part of your everyday.”  This is central to its promise to its customers to provide:

  • carefully selected ingredients such as home-made noodles, soup and seasoned garlic oil that provide their distinctive flavor
  • speedy service to satisfy busy people
  • ramen that is affordable enough that you can enjoy it everyday
  • culinary supervision by an expert ramen chef
  • Japanese-quality ramen made accessible to more Filipinos

For the family’s lunch, we ordered:

  •  Ramen Chahan sets that already include ramen, rice and fruits such as:
    • Katsudon (Php380) with Aka Ramen. As Hubby likes spicy food, he ordered the ramen with a spicy bent.
    • Gyoza (Php320) with Shiro Ramen. I ended up splitting the gyoza with my daughter and giving my rice to my son as the ramen was hearty and filling enough, albeit a little bit too garlicky.
    • Karaage (Php360) with Shiro Ramen.  My daughter found the chicken pieces a bit small but she was able to get her fill of the ramen.
  • Tonkatsu (Php240) plus Rice (Php40) for my son.

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on We found the meal as a whole filling and affordably priced, and the service staff friendly and accommodating, though a bit overwhelmed at the influx of diners.

Still, we found the resto’s mantra to have its fair share of overpromising. The resto would do well to settle on one or two propositions (such as affordability and fresh ingredients) and build from those, rather than have such lofty goals and be found lacking in some of them.

This branch is located at Ground Floor, SM City Marikina, Marcos Highway, Calumpang, Marikina City. For reservations and other queries, call + 63 2 7772839.

Other branches of Ramen Kuroda are located at:

  • SM FAIRVIEW: Annex 2 Lower Ground Floor Quirino Highway Cor.Regalado Avenue Quezon City
  • TV5: LaunchPad Reliance Corner Sherdian St. Mandaluyong City (Tel: + 63 2 6370220)
  • SM MANILA: 2/F SM Manila Conception Street Corner Arroceros and San Marcelino Streets, Manila (Tel: + 63 2 2438665)
  • CYBER & FASHION MALL EASTWOOD: 3/F Cyber and Fashion Mall Eastwood City Bagumbayan, Quezon City (Tel: + 63 2 5343414)
  • MEZZA RESIDENCES STA MESA: G/F The Strip at Mezza, Aurora Blvd. Araneta Avenue Quezon City (Tel: + 63 2 2417449)
  • VENICE GRAND CANAL MALL: 2/F Venice Grand Canal Mall, McKinley Hill, Upper McKinley Road Taguig City (Tel: + 63 2 5521170)
  • LUCKY CHINA TOWN MALL: 3/F Lucky China Town Mall, Reina Regente corner Dela Reina Streets, Binondo, Manila (Tel: + 63 2 2418157)
  • ASEANA II: Ground Floor Aseana II BRADCO Avenue Aseana City Paranaque City (Tel: + 63 2 8326246)
  • RCBC PLAZA MAKATI: 3/F RCBC PLAZA 6819 Ayala Avenue Makati (Tel: + 63 2 8326216)
  • BF HOMES: #96 Aguirre Avenue, Phase 2 BF Homes Paranaque City (Tel: + 63 2 5536824)

Happiness Overload at Hanamaruken, Trinoma

I have been going through my #ramenphase for quite a while now.  I seek out ramen joints in the hopes of tasting rich creamy broth, firm noodles and flavorful melt-in-your-mouth meat.  The ramen that started this phase is actually the Signature Happiness Ramen I tasted during a Zomato Foodie Meetup at Hanamaruken, Ugong a year ago.  (Check out my Zomato review here.)

Since then, I have been converted to a Ramen Girl.  While I have gone around various ramen shops along my usual haunts in Pasig, Marikina and Quezon City, my thoughts would always go back to the ramen that started it all: the ramen that I measure all other ramen I tasted since against.

Imagine my absolute delight when one fine Friday, after a long and grueling meeting that extended to lunch time, my boss agreed to have a happy lunch with me and my work buddies at Hanamaruken in Trinoma.  And oh, what a happy lunch it was!

Our group of four divided among ourselves:

  • 2 bowls of Signature Happiness Ramen (Php580 each)
  • 1 order of Gyoza (Php240)
  • Initially 1 order of Chocolate Lava Cake with Ice Cream (Php180) but it was sooooo gooood that we ordered another one!

The Signature Happiness Ramen lived up to its legend in my mind.  One bowl was hearty and more than enough to satisfy two hungry and stressed office workers.  The gyoza was also flavorful and whet our appetite for the ramen while the lava cake with ice cream was a decadent cap to the meal.

I look forward to embracing this kind of happiness again when I eat at other Hanamaruken outlets.

This Hanamaruken branch is located at Second Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City (call 02 7209283 for reservations).  Other branches are located at:

  • The Grove By Rockwell, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City (tel: 02 695 3643)
  • Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (tel: 02 869 9857)
  • Hole in the Wall, Fourth Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati City

Hanamaruken Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Why not try your hand at preparing Japanese cuisine at home?  Check out these recipe books from Amazon.com!

Want to try some recipes today? There’s no need to leave home to shop for ingredients.  With Honestbee, just order your groceries online and you’ll get them delivered right at your doorstep at your preferred time. Use this referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500.  You can download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.

If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.

Ramen Choices at Ramen Nagi, Robinsons Galleria

Newsflash: I’m still in my ramen phase and the poor fam has no choice but to bear with me and my food choices.

That said, I don’t think they were too disappointed when we recently had our Saturdate lunch at Ramen Nagi at Robinsons Galleria.

Located at The Veranda, Level 2 of Robinsons Galleria, this ramen shop provides a unique experience to the ramen lover: the ability to customize your ramen experience.

You are given the choice of broth flavors: Butao King (its signature tonkotsu pork broth at Php390), Black King (broth infused with squid ink at Php410), Red King (the spiciest broth at Php 410) and Green King (broth infused with Nagi at P410).

From there, you can specify the following:

  • Richness of the taste
  • Inclusion of Ramen Nagi’s special sauce
  • Garlic taste
  • Pork Shoulder or Belly
  • Level of Spiciness, and
  • Firmness of the noodles

If you’re a ramen newbie like me, go for the chef’s recommendation (because he or she should know what tastes good, right?), but go easy on the spiciness, especially if you’re not much into heat.

I would also recommend adding a Tamago (Php60), a flavored egg that provides more richness to the ramen.

My daughter and I got ourselves bowls of Butao King, while the husband got himself a bowl of Red King. The little boy, on the other hand (being the only one who is not into ramen), had to content himself with an order of Chicken Karaage (Japanese fried chicken at Php250), which, sadly, he didn’t enjoy as much as the rest of us enjoyed our ramen bowls.

ZZ Blog Revisit
ZZ Blog Revisit

We also ordered a side of Gyoza (Php220) and a sheet of Nori (Php60) to nibble on while waiting for our order.

ZZ Blog Revisit
ZZ Blog Revisit

The service staff were attentive and helpful, prompt to answer our queries and assist our requests.

By the way, this year, birthday celebrants get free Butao King Ramen during their birth month. Remember, though, that you can only avail of this promo once (even though the originally announced mechanics indicated otherwise – a friend discovered this the hard, and apparently embarassing, way).

You can also check out my review of Ramen Nagi at SM North EDSA.

Ramen birthday treat at Ramen Nagi, SM North

A fried of mine posted a link to this Spot.ph article on Ramen Nagi’s birthday promo. Once during your birth month within this year, you can get a free bowl of Ramen Nagi’s signature Butao King Ramen as long as you’re with someone who will pay full price for his or her own bowl of Butao King Ramen, basically a buy-one-get-one deal.

Being a supportive friend (ehem! ehem!) and a newbie ramen aficionado, I agreed to pay full price for my bowl (at Php390++) so he can get his for free as it is his birthday month (he took care of the transpo to and from SM North for our ramen adventure). It will be my birthday treat for him.

I didn’t mind the relatively pricier ramen compared to offerings of other ramen places I’ve visited as the combination of flavors and textures made the expense worth it.

Butao King is characterized by Ramen Nagi’s luxurious milky tonkotsu pork-broth. A few slurps of the soup was enough to convince me I was getting my money’s worth. Unlike my previous experience at Ramen Nagi wherein I customized my ramen, I went a long with the Chef’s recommendation with few tweaks like opting for a rich broth and level 1 spiciness which is tolerable for us but still has a bite. The pork slices were not as melt-in-your-mouth tender as I would like it but still quite good.

I wouldn’t mind going back here during my birth month for my own free bowl of Butao King, hehehe!

This Ramen Nagi branch is located at the Ground Floor SM North EDSA’s Main Building in Quezon City.

If you want to avail of the birthday promo, be sure to bring a valid and original government-issued ID with your photo and birthdate.

Ramen break at Rai Rai Ken

While out on an errand with my daughter in SM City Taytay, we came across this branch of Rai Rai Ken.  We don’t normally come across Rai Rai Ken branches in our usual haunts and since I’m going through my ramen phase and my daughter is a tempura aficionado, we decided to have our dinner here.

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ZZ Blog Revisit

Rai Rai Ken started out as a humble eatery located along Bautista Street, Makati City in the early ’90s, which later started offering authentic Japanese ramen to its clientele.  Now, it has 30+ branches nationwide, all serving old-fashioned steamy, heartwarming bowls of ramen.  Its expanded menu now includes sashimi, sushi, teriyakis and teppans.

The branch in SM Taytay is clean with Japanese-inspired decor that includes a cherry blossom painting and paper lanterns that add character to the space.

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ZZ Blog Revisit

I chose Tonkutsu Ramen (Php375) for myself; it consists of a rich pork tonkutsu broth, Japanese noodles, slices of marinated and slow-roasted pork belly, topped with mushrooms, aji tamago (marinated soft-boiled egg), menma (bamboo shoots) and nori (edible seaweed).  The steamy dish does warm the heart with its full-flavored broth and the contrasts in texture of noodles combined with its toppings.

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ZZ Blog Revisit

I also ordered Ebi Tempura (Php355 for 5 pieces), Salmon Sashimi (Php350) and Kani Salad (Php179) as requested by my daughter.

This branch is located at the Upper Ground Floor, Building B, SM City Taytay, along Taytay Diversion Road, Bgy Dolores, Taytay Rizal.

More info available at the Rai Rain Ken website.