shoyu – 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.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

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.

And since my daughter and I both unlocked our Zomato Gold privileges at this Hanamaruken branch, we got two of these dishes for free!

Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 (Buy 1 Get 1) deals on food or 2+2 (Buy 2 Get 2) deals on drinks for dining in at partner restaurants. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use the code JELLYB to get 45% off the membership fee.

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

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

Ramen time with Tongara Ramen, Lamp Quarters

My #RamenPhase has been going on for years now and is showing no sign of waning.

And with the metro just entering the season of ramen weather, it’s only fitting that I start looking for new ramen places to try.

Friends who reside in Marikina have been giving me rave reviews about Tongara Ramen for some time now. Located in foodie haven Lamp Quarters, this new ramen spot is lauded for its special broth which is also its namesake: tongara – a mixture of tonkotsu, broth made from pork bones, and torigara, broth made from chicken bones. The resulting broth has an additional layer of sweet-savory flavor to it that differentiates Tongara Ramen’s offerings from those of other ramen places in the metro.

During a recent foray to Lamp Quarters with my daughter #ExhibitA, we decided to have lunch at Tongara Ramen to taste its celebrated ramen for ourselves.

Our meal included:

Tongara Ramen Junior Bowl (Php220). Don’t let its junior size fool you. We each had a Junior Bowl of Tongara’s famed ramen and it was filling enough to sate our hunger. We loved its flavorful broth and firm noodles which are well complemented by the torched tender slice of chashu (seasoned pork belly), ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg) and crisp bamboo shoots.

Chicken Karaage (Php200). Tender and flavorful bite-size pieces of marinated chicken covered in seasoned what flour and deep-fried to a beautiful golden brown. These are best sprinkled with a bit of lemon juice upon serving and dipped in Japanese mayo.

Gyoza (Php200). Japan’s famous pot sticker made of minced pork, shredded cabbage and aromatics wrapped in thinly rolled dough skins which are first steamed then lightly fried on one side to achieve a slightly crisp texture that complements the dish’s garlicky flavor. Any meal at a Japanese resto with #ExhibitA will not be complete without this dish.

So, thanks to Tongara Ramen for another mother-daughter foodie adventure unlocked!

Tongara Ramen is located at Lamp Quarters, Gil Fernando Avenue, Santo Nino, Marikina, open Sundays to Fridays from 11am to 11pm and Saturdays from 11am to 8pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 3903773 or +63 917 1794718.

Did you know you that you and a friend can buy two drinks and get the same two drinks for free at Tongara Ramen through Zomato Gold? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use my code JELLYB to get 20% off the membership fee.

Enjoy your ramen during the wet season with Tongara’s Rainy Days Special: get a free side dish or cocktail for a minimum single receipt purchase of Php1,200 or 2 free side dishes or cocktails for a minimum single recept purchase of Php2,000.

Check out reviews of other Japanese restaurants on this blog:

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.”

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

View this post on Instagram

That #HappyLunch with @hanamaruken_ph’s #HappinessRamen finally took place! Here’s to the #ramen that started my #RamenPhase! And that #LavaCake was divine too! Read my resto review at beingjellybeans.wordpress.com (search: Hanamaruken). #happylunch #foodie #foodgasm #foodporn #foodphotography #foodtrip #zomatoph #zomatofoodie

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on May 7, 2018 at 4:51pm PDT

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

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Review Rundown: Ramen Joints in Tomas Morato

Much removed from the instant noodles that we used to associate with the dish, ramen nowadays, especially for foodies, call to mind creamy full-bodied broth from rich meaty stock, firm noodles as well as tender meat, sumptious seafood, crisp vegetables, and flavorful aromatics.

Ramen shops and Japanese restaurants that offer this tasty Japanese noodle dish have sprouted all over the metro, especially in the Tomas Morato area in Quezon City.

Personally, I gravitate towards ramen with chashu (seasoned pork slices): the more tender and melt-in-your-mouth, the better. While my preference when it comes to broth is more towards the shio (salt-based), I’m usually open to eating shoyu (soy-based) or miso-based ramen.

Here is a rundown of the ramen I’ve sampled among such restaurants located in this foodie-friendly area.

Tonkotso Ramen (Php295) at Omakase

Rating: 3/5

I found the blend and contrasts of textures from the creamy broth, the crisp black fungus and the firm noodles interesting but somewhat lacking in flavor.

Check out my restaurant review here.

Tokyo-style Ramen (Php250) at Ariake

Rating: 3.5/5

Again, it’s the blend of textures among the noodles and crisp veggies that give this ramen a boost.

Read my restaurant review here.

Chasu Ramen (Php245) at Tokyo Bubble Tea

Rating: 3.5/5

The cuteness of its kawaii surroundings is apparent in the pretty presentation of this miso-based ramen.

Read my restaurant review here.

Shoyu Ramen (Php250) at Kimono Ken

Rating: 4/5

Despite my marked preference for salt-based ramen, I found the flavor from the chashu slices full-bodied, amply complemented by the nori garnishing, egg and aromatics.

Read my restaurant review here.

Tonkotsu Ramen (Php300) at Isaribi

I loved the rich milky-white pork-broth (with a bit of a garlicky taste) with firm ramen noodles, thin slices of green onion, half of a tamago (soft-boiled soy-tinged egg), and slivers of chashu pork belly.

Read my restaurant review here.

Follow this blog for more foodie and resto reviews.

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