restaurant review – Page 36 – The Jellybeans Edit

Chef Jessie’s creations are now available for delivery and pickup!

Fans of Chef Jessie Sincioco will surely be glad that her well-lauded creations will be easily accessible to them as we all enter the New Normal.

From her memorable beginnings as the baking category grand prize winner in The Great Maya Cookfest in 1983, becoming the very first Filipina Pastry Chef in 1990, her hands-on management of upscale restaurants through own company JCS Gastronomie, Inc, to being hand-picked to cook for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s 2015 visit to the Philippines, Chef Jessie has shown time and again that she can adapt to the changing needs of her clientele while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship her food creations have become known for.

With the metro now under a general community quarantine, with some restrictions still being applied to people’s movement, especially when dining out, Chef Jessie has made many of her celebrated culinary ouvres available via pick up and delivery, some of which were sent to me to sample and enjoy with my family.

Ciabatta Bread (Php100/loaf). Italy’s response to the French baguettes, this long, flat and rustic-looking loaf of bread (named after the slippers it resembled, apparently) was only invented in 1989 by Arnaldo Cavallari, but has the look and taste of old-fashioned breads. It’s perfect as an accompaniment to pastas and other savory dishes or as an appetizer when slathered with butter or dipped in to oil and balsamic vinegar.

Chef Jessie’s Special Dip for Bread (Php450 for 220g bottle). Speaking of dips, I also received a bottle of finely chopped red and green bell peppers, pimiento and grated parmesan in herbed olive oil, which went so well with the ciabatta bread. I liked the dip as is but Hubby preferred adding more grated parmesan to the dipped bread. Aside from snacking on the bread and dip while binge-watching on Netflix, we also included this combo to our meal when I cooked up some Creamy Pesto Chicken for the fam’s dinner.

Chocolate Gateau ala Teddy Keng (Php1,000 for 6-in | Php1,500 for 8-in). Chef Jessie’s version of the decadent chocolate cake, this confection is made of alternating layers of light chocolate cake and rich chocolate cream filling all covered with a rich, shiny ganache and decorated with an unfurling flower fashioned from chocolate.

As you can see from the description, this gateau is a chocoholic’s delight! Named after one of Chef Jessie’s friends, The Landmark founder Teddy Keng, the cake is said to be a rich, generous and subtly sweet as he is. Well, high praise indeed!

These culinary delights and more are available at Chef Jessie’s Place, the newly-built building which houses Chef Jessie’s pattiserie, restaurant and corporate offices. You can read more about it here.

Chef Jessie’s Place is located at 1997 Pililla corner Obrero and Tanay Streets, Valenzuela, Makati City, open daily from 9am to 4pm for pick up and delivery. To order, text or call +63 917 8967880, +63 917 8330797 or +63 977 0976649 or email chefjessiesplace@chefjessie.com.

Missing the experience of fine dining? Well, here’s some good news: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is now open everyday from 10am to 5pm for dine-in. Prior reservations are required at +63 2 88906543, +63 2 88907630, +63 2 77290122 or +63 917 8967880. Read about my fine dining experience at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club here.
Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

A comforting meal at Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Malls Vertis North

Don’t you sometimes crave for good ole’ comfort food? The kind that you used to anticipate all week for your mom to serve for Sunday lunch?

Well, that’s what you can expect at Katherine’s Cafe.

Over our lunchbreak, my officemates and I hied over to Ayala Malls Vertis North and discovered this cozy cafe where we could have a quiet lunch to catch up over a good meal, which included:

Corned Beef Hash (Php345). Traditional corned beef, country-fried potatoes, egg and garlic fried rice.

Chicken and Pork Adobo (Php288). A traditional chicken and pork adobo recipe served with soft-boiled egg garlic fried rice.

Stuffed Pork Chop (Php368). Juicy grilled pork chop stuffed with bacon, spinach and white cheese, served with buttered vegetables and herbed rice.

Chicken Paillard (Php298). Fillet of chicken that has been pounded thin and grilled, served with brown rice, tomato and pepper salad and balsamic glaze.

Pasta Puttanesca (Php298). Fettucine tossed with tomato, olives, capers, anchovy and garlic chips.

We also took advantage of a Facebook promo to get a free slice of Chocolate Cake to complete our meal.

We dined on such tasty, belly-filling and heart-warming dishes, well-attended to by the friendly and accommodating staff.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to repeat this homey lunch experience as Katherine’s Cafe had to pause its operations due to mall closures brought about by the community quarantine.

Recently, though, this branch re-opened for takeout, pickup and delivery.

Want to enjoy these comforting dishes at home? Just call in your order at +63 2 79466133, send a message via Facebook, or course your order Grab, Lalamove, Joyride or Angkas Pabili services.

This Katherine’s Cafe branch is located at Level 1, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City. Other branches are located at:

Second Floor, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City
Ground Floor, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Entertainment City, Parañaque City
Second Floor, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

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

Katsu family lunch at Yabu, Robinsons Galleria

Weekend lunches used to be the time when the fam can go out malling and spend time together, after a whole week of going our own way.

While strolling around and running errands in Robinsons Galleria one Saturday, the fam decided to have lunch at Yabu: House of Katsu. While waiting for our meal, we munched on some tasty appetizers.

Mozzarella Katsu Sticks (Php285). Large sticks of crunchy, deep-fried panko-coated mozzarella cheese tossed in Yabu’s special blend of Furikake and served with a spicy aioli dip.

Furikake Fries (Php215). Steak fries tossed in Furikake herbs.

What we actually came here for are Yabu’s Katsu Sets. Yabu’s katsus are made with generous cuts (nothing less than 0.75in) of premium pork sourced from local farmers and delivered straight to Yabu’s kitchens. Each cut is freshly made upon order, coated with fresh panko and cooked at precisely 165 deg C to achieve a bright and golden appearance and a tender and juicy texture.

Rosu (Php390 for 120g | Php445 for 180g). Thick and juicy pork cutlet with a trimming of fat.

Hire (Php405 for 120g | Php485 for 180g). Thick and juicy cutlet with no fat.

Each katsu set is served with refillable Yabu staples which include white rice, miso soup, shredded cabbage and fruits.

Prior to our meal, we took part in the Yabu ritual of preparing our katsu dips. This consists of grinding toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl, pouring the salty-sweet and slightly tart katsu sauce into the bowl, and mixing both until we get our desired consistency. For me, the katsu dip is as essential to the katsu experience as the pork cutlets themselves. It goes so well with the katsus and adds another dimension of flavor to the dish.

Another part of the Yabu experience is the warm and friendly service from the wait staff, who were quick to accommodate our requests and anticipate our refill orders.

Ever since the community quarantine was implemented, I’ve been missing having that katsu experience. Imagine my delight when I discovered that it recently opened some of its branches for curbside or courier pickups, making it possible to have Yabu at Home. Here’s how:

Send a message to a Yabu branch nearest you via Viber (+63 929 7426357 for Ayala Malls the 30th, SM Megamall, SM Aura and Powerplant Mall | +63 999 8871401 for Glorietta 2, Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center and Robinsons Place Manila | +63 919 0744572 for UP Town Center, SM North EDSA and Robinsons Magnolia)
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

If you’ve been longing to have that Yabu experience, this is your best bet for the meantime.

This Yabu branch is located at Level 2, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Pasig: Ayala Malls the 30th, Ayala Malls Feliz
Quezon City: UP Town Center, Robinsons Magnolia, Ayala Vertis North, SM North EDSA The Block
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall
Taguig: SM Aura Premier
Makati: Powerplant Mall, Glorietta 2
Manila: Robinsons Place Manila
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center
Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Pasay: MOA Main Mall

Krispy Kreme OGs for International Donut Day

Have you ever wondered how the delightful donut came about?

Back during the time when New York was still called New Amsterdam, Dutch settlers were making olykoek (or “oily cake”). Historian and Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving described these as “balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog’s fat, and called dough-nuts or oly koeks: a delicious kind of cake.”

The donut is said to have gained its characteristic ring shape in 1847 when American Hanson Gregory punched holes into the dough to prevent uncooked portions in the middle.

Today, donuts comes in various shapes, from the most common ring shape, to donut holes and filled, and also in a myriad of flavors.

They have become so ingrained in culture that there is actually a day dedicated to celebrating donuts. In the late 1930s, the Salvation Army started a fund-raiser called National Doughnut Day to help those in need while also honoring the Salvation Army “Doughnut Girls” of World War I who served donuts soldiers.

By today, it is has grown into an international celebration wherein donut lovers the world over feast on their favorite donut treats.

This year, I celebrated International Donut Day with the fam at home when I got a dozen Krispy Kreme OG donuts for our dessert.

International donut brand Krispy Kreme is most famous for its light and fluffy original glazed donuts which have recently been re-dubbed as “OG” donuts.

These are usually best enjoyed fresh and hot off the line but with restrictions on movement outside of home still in effect due to the community quarantine, I had to have these OG donuts delivered to me. You should have heard my son cry “Do-NUT!” as soon as he saw the boxes! I just had to reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds to approximate that “hot from the line” feel.

With more and more Krispy Kreme branches in the metro re-opening, with donuts available for delivery or pickup, donut lovers can get their hands on their favorite Krispy Kreme donuts by ordering online, calling Krispy Kreme’s hotline +63 2 88879000 or by coursing their orders through GrabFood or Lalafood.

This Krispy Kreme branch is located at Il Centro, Santa Lucia East Grand Mall, Cainta, Rizal.

Bar chows and chill drinks at After Hours, Tomas Morato

After hours is that precious time when the day’s work is done and we can finally sit back to relax and spend time with friends.

After Hours is also the name of a newly opened bar in foodie haven Tomas Morato. This is where my foodie friends and I, shortly before the Covid-19 and the ECQ came down upon all of us, were able to enjoy a few hours chillin’ in each other’s company while discovering all the fun to be had after hours.

1) The buzzy welcoming vibe

You would think that Tomas Morato would already have its fill of concept bars but there’s definitely room for more, especially this one.

With its ample parking space, trendy decor, comfy furnishings, a playlist made up of 80s and 90s hits (which my friends and I sang along with!), excellent chows and a well-stocked bar, After Hours is a haven for those looking for some well-deserved R ‘n R.

2) Chill drinks

According to co-owner Rey Trillana, the focus of After Hours are on cocktails, whiskey and a bit of wine, drinks to chill with after work. Each cocktail is handcrafted (no pre-mixes). For whiskey connoisseurs, the bar also boasts of a well-curated whisky collection. Guests even have the option of getting the bartender to craft something Out of the Blue, based on their favorite liquor and taste profile.

During our visit, my foodie friends and I were able to sample:

Jack Estate’s Pink Moscato. A fresh and fruity wine from Australia.

Perfect Pear. A fruity non-alcoholic mocktail for lightweights like me.

Smoked Old Fashioned. The classic mix of bourbon, simple syrup and Angostura bitters, served with a bit of smoke and flair.

Red Sangria Spritzer. Handcrafted sangria made with wine, brandy, mixed berries, chamomile honey, calamansi and soda.

After Six. Gin mixed with elderflower liquor, lavender syrup, egg white and lemon juice.

Punch Drunk Love. After Hours’ signature cocktail made with spiced rum, chai pandan syrup, lemon and pineapple juice, Angostura bitters and clarified milk, served with a dehydrated pineapple.

3) Tasty bar chows

Of course, we needed some chows to go with those drinks, and After Hours has a very good kitchen going managed by Chef Miggy. He and his crew whipped up some tasty bar chows to complement our drinks, such as:

Beef Salpicao. Tender USDA beef tenderloin sauteed in a garlic butter sauce, definitely a favorite among tipplers and foodies.

Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers. Spicy, salty and slightly sweet bite-sized chicken breasts.

BBQ Beef Pockets. Crispy wonton pockets stuffed with ground beef doused with bourbon BBQ sauce and cheese.

Four Cheese Pizza. Mozzarella, feta, parmigiano reggiano and gorgonzala, all the good stuff on a thin-crust pizza.

All-Meat Pizzadilla. Gooey mozzarella sandwiched in two flour tortillas and topped with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, BBQ sauce and even more cheese.

Pork Binagoongan Pasta. Spaghetti with crispy-fried pork cubes tossed in shrimp paste.

Bacon Mushroom Truffle Pasta. Creamy truffle spaghetti topped with crunchy bacon.

Oh, such a happy time! There were good food, good drinks and good company.

But then, the community quarantine came and, sadly, After Hours had to close its doors for a while.

It seemed like the entire bar industry had been severely affected by the community quarantine.

However, a few weeks ago, I had the pleasant surprise of finding out that it had resumed operations to enable its loyal customers to get that After Hours experience even while at home through Buy One Take One offers on its wines, its signature cocktails by the bottle, as well as a selection of its bar chows, all available for delivery or pickup!

Thanks to Rey Trillana and the rest of the management and staff of After Hours Bar for having us and congratulations for succeasfully pivoting your business to operate in The New Normal.

So until the next time I can visit After Hours again, I can enjoy my after hours at home.

After Hours is located at 125 Don A. Roces Avenue, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City. To order its bar chows, wines and cocktails for pick up or delivery, fill up this form, send a message over Instagram or call +63 917 1767383.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, 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 to facilitate honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, Tomas Morato

If you’re eating lunch with a big group and you all want to stay together in one place, what do you do?

Head straight to Buffalo Wings N’ Things, of course! Here, everyone in the fam and barkada will find something to like.

Deep-frying chicken wings is rooted in Southern cooking but cooking them in peppery sauces started in Buffalo, New York in 1964. A bar owner in the area decided to cook leftover wings in hot sauce as a snack for her son and his friends. Served with celery slices and bleu cheese, it was a hit among the guys and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buffalo Wings N’ Things enriches its buffalo wings by having eleven savory flavors and seven spicy ones for its customers to choose from, along with tasty add-ons that chicken lovers can enjoy along with their Buffalo Wings.

While out on my lunch break with my office buddies (ten people in total!), we decided to maximize our budgets while sating our hunger by getting Grand Slam bundles of Buffalo Wings, and, well, things:

Grand Slam 6 (Php688 Good for 4). 8 pcs Champion Buffalo Wings, 8 pcs Signature Chicken Tenders,Bacon & Cheese Fries, steamed rice (we added Php98 for iced tea.

Grand Slam 4 (Php988 Good for 6). 12 pcs Champion Buffalo Wings, 12 pcs Signature Chicken Tenders, Chili n’ Cheese Nachos, steamed rice (we added Php138 for iced tea.

With these bundles, we were able to enjoy these Buffalo Wings flavors:

Honey BBQ. Southern BBQ flavor blended with sweet honey.

Creamy Salted Egg. Rich and creamy version of the regional favorite.

Chipotle Lime. Creamy smoked Chipotle sauce enhanced with the tanginess of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Garlic Parmesan. A blend of garlic butter sauce and real Parmesan cheese.

New York’s Finest. Medium heat Buffalo Wing sauce.

Thanks to the bundles, our meal amounted to just a little Php200 per person!

How’s that for value for money?

The good news for chicken lovers out there is that you can enjoy these with your family at home during the quarantine by ordering from these Buffalo Wings N’ Things branches now open for takeout or delivery via GrabFood, FoodPanda or LalaFood:

Brixton Kapitolyo, Pasig
Banawe, QC
Calle Bistro , Ever Gotesco Commonwealth
BGC Stopover
SM Manila
Grace Mall, Taguig
SM North EDSA
SMDC Jazz Mall
Southwoods Mall
SM Valenzuela

This Buffalo Wings N’ Things branch is located at M Place, Panay Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City.

For the kids at heart – Scout’s Honor, Ayala Malls Vertis North

Every once in a while, even responsible and serious adults need to let loose their inner child.

Well, guess what: you can do exactly that the camp-themed Scout’s Honor branch in Ayala Malls Vertis North.

Designed to be a place where kids can hang out and enjoy their favorite food, it can also be a place for adults to give in to their playful side.

Together with my officemates, I set out to allow my inner child free rein over lunch at Scout’s Honor.

There, we munched on kid- and kid-at-heart-friendly fare which included:

Crackers, while waiting for our order.

Campfire Potatoes (Ph135). Handcut fries deep-fried to a crisp golden-brown topped with bacon bits and doused with cheese sauce.

Crispy Calamari and Chips (Php165). Crispy battered squid rings flavored with oregano and fennel and served with freshly crisped potato chips.

Scout’s Honor Cheeseburger (Php160 + Php75 for drink and fries). Scout’s Signature beef patty topped with melted cheese sauce between buttery toasted buns.

Tapsilog (Php245). Sukiyaki-cut USDA Beef tapa served with garlic rice, two sunny side up eggs, atchara and spiced vinegar.

Burger Silog (Php235). An all-beef burger steak in savory gravy served with garlic rice, two sunny side up eggs, atchara and spiced vinegar.

1 Bite 2 Bite (Php80/10 pieces). Mini-bite size milk chocolate chip cookies that we divided among ourselves.

I love how Scout’s Honor totally gets a kid’s predilection for melted cheese sauce, and of course, cookies!

And since two of us unlocked our Zomato Gold provileges here, we got two of these dishes for free!

Want to have some of that kiddie joy right at home?

During the enhanced community quarantine, two of Scout’s Honor’s branches are open from 11am to 7pm Tuesdays to Sundays with a special menu for takeout, delivery via GrabFood and FoodPanda or pickup via Grab Assistant or Lalamove Purchase Service:

Uptown Bonifacio: To order, call +63 917 631 0765 or +63 2 79467374
Santolan Town Plaza: To order, call +63 917 7061607 or +63 2 77288902

This Scout’s Honor branch is located at Level 1, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City with store hours from 8am to 10pm daily. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 79406480 or +63 917 7021404.

Other branches are located at:

Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Oranbo, Pasig
Uptown Place Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Santolan Town Plaza, Little Baguio, San Juan
SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
SM City Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City
Century City Mall, Poblacion, Makati
Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila

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