tsukumen – Jellybeans in the City

The enjoyment of food need not be a sombre affair.

This is quite apparent when dining at Soru Izakaya, the Japanese restaurant hidden in Quezon City’s Tomas Morato suburbs.

An izakaya is the Japanese version of the gastropub, a place where office workers can hang out after hours to have some drinks and a light meal.

At Soru Izakaya, fun permeates everything. The colorful interiors, for instance, are inspired by the aesthetic of bishoujo manga, traditional Japanese art as well as the bustling Tokyo nightlife.

The food, on the other hand, is no less playful. Together with fellow Zomato bloggers and foodies, I checked out Soru Izakaya’s unique takes on Japanese food which include:

Whimsical Sushi.

Lava Maki (Php430). Salmon skin, crabsticks and mango topped with cubes of salmon and tuna doused with a mixture of spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce.

Gyu Maki (Php290). Thinly sliced beef strips, seasoned shiitake mushrooms, cream cheese and tamago topped onsen egg.

Tori Kasai Maki (Php290). Spiced chicken thigh, cream cheese and kimchi topped with torched cheese.

Fresh Salads.

Poke Bowl (Php330). Fresh salad greens, ripe mango, cucumber mixed with cubes of salmon and tuna doused in a mildly spicy dressing and topped with wakame and nori.

Spicy Maguro Salad (Php355). Cold salad greens with miso and salad dressing serve as a bed for fresh tuna cubes topped with crispy tempura flakes.

Filling Entrees.

Tomahawk Katsu (Php355). Tender pork tomahawk cutlet, breaded and deep-fried doused in a sweet and savory katsu sauce and served with shredded cabbage in a roasted sesame dressing.

Tsukumen (Php360). Thick udon noodles topped with chashu slices and tamago served with a hot flavorful broth for dipping.

Tempting Desserts.

Tiramisu (Php250). Layers of frozen coffee-flavored lady fingers layered with cream cheese frosting, creamy ganache and blueberries.

Dark Choco Moist Cake (Php220). A moist chocolate cake base covered in dark chocolate infused buttercream frosting.

Something new.

Soru Nabe Special Hotpot (Php399 per person | +Php100 with seafood). This includes unlimited refills of:

Broth: choice of two among Tonkotsu, Spicy Tonkotsu, Sukiyaki, Curry, Chicken, Miso and Spicy Miso
Meat: beef, chicken and pork
Seafood: shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and fish fillet
Balls: assorted balls and kani
Noodles: vermicelli, glass noodles and egg
Entrees: gyoza, yakisoba, tempura, beef bowl, pork bowl, smoked pork bowl, chicken wings, vegetable tempura, takoyaki
Vegetables: napa cabbage, carrots, squash, white onions, enoki, bokchoy, corn, taro, kangkong and black fungus

Sides: kimchi, potato marble, kakiage, cucumber, steamed rice and chahan

This offering inspired by the Japanese nabemono (from words nabe or “cooking pot” and mono or “thing”) is best enjoyed with a rambunctious group like ours.

So here’s my recommendation: when the enhanced community quarantine is lifted, how about we head off to Soru Izakaya along with our buddies for some fun times with food? You game?

Until then, why not have its dishes delivered to you? During the ECQ, Soru Izakaya’s Maginhawa branch is open from 10am to 5pm daily with a limited menu available for takeout or delivery via Grab Express or Lalamove. To order, text your name, address, contact number and orders to +63 917 7040515, +63 917 6363526 or +63 935 7830298.

This Soru Izakaya branch is located at Scout Torillo corner Scout Fernandez Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Ground Floor, 140 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a Zomato Foodie Meetup held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

My #RamenPhase has already spanned years.

From the first time I had a taste of what real Japanese ramen could be (as opposed to the instant noodles the defined the term during my childhood) I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve always been on the lookout for places to enjoy those firm, freshly made noodles in hot flavorful broth. I’ve tried a number of ramen restaurants in the metro already but this is the first time I’ve tried Sigekiya Ramen.

A franchise of the famous ramen chain in Yokohama, Japan, this shop opened in Estancia Mall’s East Wing in November last year. The place has a down-home izakaya feel to it, with colorful banners and lanterns hanging from the ceiling and a peek from the ramen bar into the hustlin’ and bustlin’ scene in the kitchen where the ramen orders are freshly made.

Last Sunday, together with my fellow East-based foodies, I had a taste of Sigekiya’s celebrated offerings, which included:

Sigekiya Ramen (Php325 small | Php375 regular | Php420 large). The store’s unique take on the shoyu ramen with pork meat broth taking the place of the pork bone broth resulting to a rich umami flavor. It comes with generous slices of char siu (seasoned and torched pork belly) which gives the ramen some added heft. Just imagine slurping this during these balmy January days. Yummy!

Tsukemen (Php375 small | Php420 regular | Php500 large). The so-called “dipping ramen.” Instead of being immersed in the pork broth, the ramen noodles are eaten after being dipped in the soup which is more intense in flavor than the normal ramen broth. A version called Tsukemen Gyokai (Php385 small | Php430 regular | Php510 large) is also available wherein the pork broth is supplemented by fish powder, giving the ramen another dimension in flavor.

Tantanmen Ramen (Php325 small | Php375 regular | Php420 large). Sigekiya’s take on the spicy Dandanmian noodle dish which originated in China. With a hearty peanut-based broth, ground meat and chopped veggies, this is a filling meal for the ramen lover.

Gojira (Php380). The name sounds so similar to what the Japanese call the monster Godzilla, hehehe! (I wonder if that’s intentional, hmm…) Well, this ramen bowl is such a monster in terms of serving size. With all those noodles, meat, loads of garlic and veggies, you’ll really get your fill.

Shirunashi (Php380). Another ramen that has very little soup, just a bit of rich-tasting sauce that together with a freshly cracked egg, veggies and loads of garlic to bring flavor and texture to the noodles.

Gyoza (Php110 for three pieces | Php160 for five pieces). Pan-fried dumplings filled with seasoned ground pork flavored with aromatics. The gyoza here are larger than the usual gyoza and are among the most delish my friends and I have tasted.

Okonomiyaki (Php160). Sigekiya’s version of the savory Japanese pancake is served on hot plates and topped with Japanese mayo and smoky bonito flakes.

Chicken Karaage (Php215). This version of the Japanese fried chicken is served with a sweet chili sauce but, trust me, request for some Japanese mayo and dip the karaage there instead. Add a bit of wasabi for a bit of spice.

With its delicious and affordable offerings and large portions, Sigekiya Ramen makes Yokohama’s celebrated dishes more accessible to hungry Pinoys.

Many thanks to Miguel Illescas and the crew of Sigekiya Ramen for the warm welcome and the delicious food!

This Sigekiya Ramen branch is located at Lower Ground, East Wing, Estancia Mall, Oranbo, Pasig City.

Another branch is located at Ground Floor, Commercenter, 1780 Commerce Corner Filinvest Avenue, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa City.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants: