Ramenlancholy

That's the first thing that came to mind after seeing this ramen that was served to me.

It looks sad. Melancholic, even. That's because of the position of the tamago and the chashu.

Despite that, this bowl of ramen made me happy.

Ramen Rave: Cheap thrills

With ramen places popping up everywhere, fans of this Japanese staple are spoilt for choice. 

Most of the ramen places that opened in Manila are very high end, though. Not that I'm complaining. After all, you need to pay a premium if you want to taste legit ramen.

But sometimes, you want the Japanese ramen taste without the Japanese ramen price. And recently, I found a place where you can get that exact experience.

Presenting, the ramen at Yoshinoya!

For the price its being sold, I must say that this isn't bad at all. The broth is very flavorful, and the add ons are substantial. My only complaint is that the noodles are a bit chewy, to the point where I was wondering if it was undercooked. Other than that, it's a pretty decent bowl or ramen.

Then again, I can't really complain. After all, it's just P129.00 for a big bowl of ramen and a glass of green iced tea.

Ramen-y options

Ippudo will be the latest addition to the growing number of ramen places opening in Manila. The past year alone saw ramen places sprouting like shitake and matsutake mushrooms, and that's good. We need more options when it comes to authentic Japanese ramen.

I hope the Ippudo here is as good as the one in Roppongi where Mark and I ate.

Meals with Mark: Ramen Rave 3

After mass last Thursday, we decided to have ramen at a restaurant near Church. And we ended up at Ippudo, which turns out to be a chain of restaurants with branches all over Asia.

I tried the classic ramen and Mark tried the special ramen, both of which was good. The noodles were very firm, the broth was very flavorful, and the toppings gave the ramen a more full bodied flavor.

On the side, we had a large order of gyoza, which was top notch.

I have to check if they have Ippudo in Manila. If they do, I'll definitely be back to eat more of their rave-worthy ramen.

Meals with Mark: Ramen Rave 2

Mark lives in a quiet side of Tokyo, so there aren't a lot of big chain restaurants in the area. This is actually good because we get to eat at hole-in-the-wall places that might be small in size, but definitely big on tasty offers.

One such place is this quaint ramen place in Suginami-ku called Bia Bia. If you don't keep your eyes peeled, you might not notice it because it's very small. But when you do, you'll be rewarded with good ramen.

Not just good ramen, but the "Best Ramen of 2013." They have the seal to prove it.

Bia Bia is a very small operation. There are only 2 people manning the restaurant, one of whom is the owner/chef. There are only 10 seats in the entire place, and we were lucky enough to get seats. Then again, we went early afternoon, so the lunch crowd isn't there anymore.

The star of the show is their Bia Bia Special.

The ramen has a light and flavorful broth with thin ramen. It has fried chicken breast, boiled eggs, green onions, and dried berries. Yes, dried berries! For a berry person like me, this is a big deal.

As far at the broth goes, I still prefer the one that Mark and I ate in Odaiba. But in terms of the overall flavor, this one is more interesting because of the interplay of the sour berries with the flavors of the chicken, egg and ramen stock.

Because of its unconventional fusion of flavors, I'd say this ramen is definitely worth raving about.

Not so bowled over

Since we've tried a lot of "legit" Japanese restaurants in Tokyo, Osaka, Urasa and other areas of Japan, Mark and I usually don't eat at Japanese places here in Manila. As I've mentioned to him before, he has the tendency to compare food, and it's going to be an unfair comparison as nothing compares to the original.

We decided to break that rule and have lunch at Sumo Sam. He was in the mood for ramen, and he was interested in the Tonkotsu ramen there. He ordered a bowl Buta Kakuni and I ordered the Sesame Chicken noodles. I liked my noodles because it was a nice blend of sweet, spicy and savory. And Mark wasn't too thrilled with his order. He gave it 6 out of 10.

When it comes to a bowl of really good ramen, it's really hard to find one that's as good as the ones in Japan. Everything there is perfection - from the subtle flavors of the broth, the chewiness of the noodles, the generous portions of veggies, seafood and meat inside - it's really hard to find anything like that here.

Heck, I remember we had this bowl of ramen from the canteen at Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens, and it was better than the one at Sumo Sam.

The closest thing we have here in Manila is Kitchitora in Glorietta. We had dinner there once, and I told Mark that it really reminded me of the ramen we usually ate in Tokyo. And he concurred and said that it was legit.

While the Sumo Sam experience wasn't as stellar as we thought it would be, I'm sure there's a bowl of ramen out there that'll bowl us over.

Meals with Mark: Ramen Rave

Presenting another food flashback from my trip to Tokyo.

Since Diver City is just a stone's throw away from TIEC, it became our default eating place of sorts. Among the plethora of restaurants there, two places that Mark suggested were the takoyaki place called Gindaro and a ramen place whose name I can't remember. 

So, one lunch time, we - along with Patty - ate at the ramen place and tried their specialty.

I do not exaggerate when I say that this is the best tasting ramen I've tasted so far. It's perfection in a bowl!

The soup was very thick and flavorful. It's as if the broth bursts in your mouth and fills it with a cacophony of flavors. The noodles are nice and firm, and they're quite thin, so they're not overwhelming unlike the thick udon noodles. 

There were a lot of add ons on top, including spring onions, red ginger, and some other Japanese ingredients that I don't remember. 

Overall, this bowl was just divine! It would've nice to have this ramen everyday, and frankly, I could've. But there were other culinary treats awaiting, so I only had this once during my trip.

Finally, here's the cutest touch on the dish.

It had a nori rap with "Thank You" in different languages. They say it's good taste to have manners, and this wrap is the embodiment of that.

Yes, I've spent an entry raving about a bowl of noodles. 

If you tried this paradise-in-a-bowl, you'd be raving, too.