Revisiting Tao Yuan *****

We were back at one of Manila's finest Singaporean/Chinese restaurants after my niece's recital at Resorts world's Performing Arts Theatre. Clearly we were back for their favorites - Hainanese  Chicken and the Cereal Prawns.

We had a few new dishes and left with full tummies. This place is clearly one of the best and it won't disappoint.

Cereal Prawns

One whole Hainanese Chicken

Barbecued Pork

Laksa

Sliced Pork with Diced Fish and Shallots

Tao Yuan

Newport Mall

Resorts World Manila

Tsui Wah, International Comfort Food in HK ***

If there's anything more defining of HK local cuisine, it's the cha tsaan ting or teahouses that has breathes life to the HK dining scene. The cha tsaan ting has braved the sign of times in bringing you food closer to the culture of this great city, with myriad of choices and all day breakfast entrees and tourist-friendly comfort food served day in and out.

Among the cha tsan tings, Tsui Wah has managed to stand out and carve a name for itself in a very cutthroat business where everyone served the same thing. It has managed to come out with a local and foreigner friendly menu  ( think sandwiches, pasta, noodles, etc) that can be enjoyed by all anytime. 

Milk tea and toast with condensed milk are must-orders here. In fact their milk tea is one of HK's best, but if you need pointers on what to order their top 10 is a great cheat sheet of their bestsellers. 

Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings

Nothing European about this dish, it's chicken wings basked in light soy sauce and sugar. Think of it as a lighter version of the buffalo wing, except that is not crispy. delectable appetizer.

Toast with condensed milk

This is excellently done, the toast crunchy but not hard, the condensed milk sweet but not overpowering. We tried the toast at other places, Tsui Wah has the best

Fish Ball and Fish Cake Noodle Soup

The soup is a creamy fish based broth reminiscent of the Halibut noodles at Tuan Tuan (though the base is not that decadent) but the noodles does the job and the fishballs have excellent texture.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set HK $80

If you love this Singapore classic, Tsui Wah's version doesnot disappoint. The rice is fragrant and flavorful, the chicken is tender and juicy. If only it came with sambal this would be perfect.

Among the ctt's they have a ready English menu. A lot of branches scattered all over HK there's even one at the airport. Tsui Wah is more expensive compared to other cha tsaan tings, but the quality speaks for itself.

Drop by Tsui Wah if your in HK.

Is Mak's Noodles the best noodles in HK ****

Noodle places are a dime a dozen in HK. Inexpensive, warm and filling, it is indeed the ultimate comfort food. One of the must visit places in HK is Mak's. Thanks to food celebrity Anthony Bourdain's recommendation, people all over the world has come to visit this humble noodle place. We visited the branch in Lock Road at the back of ISquare Mall along Nathan Road.

Their specialty is the Wanton Noodle (HK$39) the noodles are slimmer than your usual mami noodles and fragrant, the soup is light and the wantons in light paper thin wrappers with bits of shrimp inside. It is as delicious as advertised but it comes in very small bowls. A must try. 

We also ordered dumplings which was served with soup. Loaded with bits of mushroom and pork, these were ok with the wanton tasted superior.

Being a group of 4, we also ordered the beef and wanton noodle, the beef was tender and the noodles were as good. The bowls were also small.

Since we were still hungry, we splurged a bit (ok we overspent) and ordered the Tossed Noodles with Prawns and Shrimp Roe. (Hk$90) these came with a separate bowl you can use to dip the noodles. Our server suggested soy sauce should be added a bit to the noodles for more flavor  which we followed. Just look at the those big shrimps.

Our total bill was more than HK $300. This was a bit expensive because you can order so much food for tgat amount. But the experience is worth it. Skip the expensive Tossed Noodles and you're good.

Staff were friendly and they have an English menu. (Say this if you want an english menu: ing wen choi tan)

Till then, enjoy.

Summary:

Spend about $39 - $ 50 

For a good bowl of noodles

Location:  

Lock Road near Nathan Road

Kain Manila's 8 Favorite Ramen Places

What could be better than a hot bowl of freshly prepared noodles? The flavorful soup plus the long noodles are not just epic comfort food, they're also a testament on how meticulous details go into every flavorful bowl of hot, piping goodness enjoyed around the world.

Here are our 8  go-to places for that ramen fix:

8. Kokoro Ramenya

Started by the ex-chef of  Shinjuku, Kokoko has some of Shinjuku favorites, and a Hakata ramen to die for. Ramen is priced just right and can be shared. The place serves more than just noodles with some classic Japanese classic dishes like Tempura. And their fried rice is insanely good.

The Hakata Ramen has a creamy soup base, not as creamy as Santouka's but definitely a hit among ramen enthusiasts and foodies alike

Don't miss: Fried California Maki, Fried Rice, Hakata Ramen.
Pricing about P 280 per bowl, Hakata Ramen cost about Php 380 per bowl
Update: The original one in Roxas Boulevard is already closed but there's another branch in Fisher Mall, QC 

Hakata Ramen now

Fried Rice

Shoyu Ramen

7. Ukkokei Ramen Ron

Love 'em or hate them, Ukkokei has adhered to strict standards  over the years. You've heard of the horror stories and the snootiness of their Japanese Chef. But this ramen place named after the a Chinese fowl still earns its wings among ramen aficionados.

Don't miss: Tantanmen (only 40 bowls per day), Gyoza (others love this, I feel its overrated)
Pricing about: P 380 - 420 per bowl

Miso Butter Corn

Tantanmen

6. Ramen Santouka Hokkaido

I keep going back to Santouka because the best Shio Ramen is here hands down.
I love simple flavors and Santouka delivers, whether its in MOA or Glorietta,
Some say the quality has gone down but I beg to differ. They have removed the Small, Medium and Large portions from the sets. But I love a good bowl of steaming hot ramen and pork cheeks.

Must Try: Shio Ramen, Pork Cheeks, Ebi Furai
Pricing: About P 380/ bowl and 500+ for the set, which includes rice and viand

Shio Ramen Set

Kara Miso Ramen, spicy and creamy

Ebi Furai

5. Ryu Ramen and Curry
Ryu keeps coming up in my lists. Why? because the place serves up sulit portions,
its value for money goodness, without shortchanging you  with the add-ons.
The Shoyu Ramen is pure love, with generous helpings of Chasyu and Menma (bamboo shoots)  and the tamago. Catch them at SM Jazz Mall or UP Town Center
 
Must Try: Tamanegi (Fried onion strips with seafood) Shoyu Ramen

Shoyu Ramen

Tamanegi Php 175, don't miss this

Chashu Ramen Php 390

4. Ramen Kuroda

How can you make ramen taste good and keep it affordable at the same time?
The people behind Ramen Kuroda knows the answer. Whether its their full restaurant at BF Paranaque or their takedown ramen places, Kuroda offers delicious tasting ramen at prices you'll love. Their ramen goes as low as Php 180 at their ramen joints in Aseana Pasay and RCBC Makati

Must try: Aka Ramen, a mildly spicy Hakata ramen with a strong array of flavors, Kuro Ramen, a creamy soup ramen with fragrant garlic oil

Kuro Ramen from their BF resto

Aka Ramen from their newly opened Aseana branch

Kuro Ramen from Aseana branch

3. Ippudo

Ippudo came to the ramen craze a bit late, but this international chain is no greenhorn when it comes to ramen. Every bowl is indeed ramen perfection and seamless to a point it looks art-directed. The flavors are like a katana blade, subdued at first then it cuts you before you know it. The long lines at Megamall says it all. The question is when do they open a new branch to satiate the people's craving for ramen?

Must Try: Akamaru Shinaji ( Red Sea) slightly spicy ramen with a strong hint of garlic and miso paste. Ippudo Pork Bun - this is Chinese Cuapao with a Japanese twist, yum!

Akamaru Shinaji

Pork Bun

2. Ramen Nagi/ Butao

2 Words: Black King!
Expensive, quirky ramen place that serves excellent ramen.
I don't know how they make the bowl of darkness into a delicious pit of umami.

Must Try: Black King, Gyoza

Black King

Gyoza

 1. Ramen Yushoken

Probably the reigning ramen king in town, hard to go all the way to Molito, Alabang and find long lines of people anxiously waiting for their divine ramen. This is not the most kid-friendly place, the service sucks, sharing of ramen is also frowned upon. Ramen can't be brought home or taken out, and you're given a few minutes for the smoke to settle and eat the ramen at its best temperature. Everything is on the menu is spot on.

Must try: Shio Ramen, Chjcken Karaage, Gyoza, Tsukemen

Gyokai Tsukemen

Shio Ramen

Gyoza

Chicken Karaage

What's your favorite ramen place?


Note: This list is compiled from my different posts on ramen.

Ramen Kuroda's Unbelievable 180 peso ramen

If you're from the South, chances are you have tried Ramen Kuroda at Aguirre Street. Ramen Kuroda's signature ramen is the Kuro Ramen, a tonkotsu ramen with a milky soup base and a strong garlicky flavor.There's a new branch open across S&R near the MOA area, this time with a more casual ambiance. The place has only 4-5 tables with a semi open kitchen.The place is small. And a Japanese chef is at the helm.
And the ramen are unbelievably priced at Php 180 per bowl. That's right, 180 pesos.

Aka Ramen

What you get for Php 180:

This is the most basic and bare bones of the ramen but the same one served at BF with less frills. The bowl comes half a hard-boiled egg and a small slice of chasyu, plus leeks.

The soup is big and filling. And for 40 pesos more.
you can add extra noodles.

What they offer:
Kuroda favorites - Shio or Shiro (salt-based), Kuro (garlic oil) and Aka (mildly spicy)
If you want more chasyu, there's a more expensive one at 220 with more meat.
You may customize your bowl with additional add-ons.

their menu

The good news is the ramen is as tasty as the one in BF at a very affordable price.

Aka Ramen Php 180

I like Aka the best, followed by the Kuro, the Shio I find a bit light, but the soup for all has a creamy texture and full in flavor. The freshly made noodles are tasty and firm but not as hard as the top ramen shops..

Gyoza

Gyoza comes at 4pcs at P100. Rice toppings like Gyudon and Pork are available.

The system here is typical of a Japanese ramen stall - pay as you order They allow sharing but take away is not allowed. Visit kuroda.ph to know more. This is proof that you can serve good ramen for less than 200 bucks.

Ramen Kuroda

Aseana Bldg 

Bradco Ave
Tambo Paranaque

beside Jollibee and across S&R

Parking is near the Ford dealership

There's also another branch at RCBC building in Makati

Tuan Tuan is worth the wait ****

If you're scratching your head why the line at Ippudo is always long, you might also notice that there's also another snaking line at the restaurant beside it - Tuan Tuan Brasserie making the hallway at the third floor a long waiting area for patient diners.

But despite the agonizing wait hours, the food experience at Tuan Tuan is worth every minute. Tracing its roots from Vancouver's Mui Cafe, this gem of a restaurant serves glamorous Chinese fare, starting with their noodles with a Halibut soup base (sosyal). Like the ramen, their noodles can be toppings-customized and comes with a order of their famous Milk Tea. Bowls are big and can be shared by two. The noodles are well-done and the soup delicate and fragrant, without the fishiness (lansa) that one finds in a fish-based soup. Milky and rich, add some tender beef slices and you're good. Oh, and you can order a piece of Fried Fish Fillet on the side.

We also ordered their famed Curry. I rarely hear or see curry on the menu in a Chinese restaurant and their version is unbelievably well-done. The curry is light on the spice and easy on the mouth, much like the consistency of Chicken Pastel. The chicken curry is tender adorned by a velvety curry plus pieces of potatoes. Trust me, you'll want more rice with this.

We also ordered the Honey Lemon Spareribs, this was not one of my favorites and their honey glaze has a bit of an overwhelming tartness, much like a syrupy tamarind sauce.
The spareribs has a bit of crunch, some may like it but I'm not really a fan of this dish.

Order for the noodles and the curry, both are excellent and guaranteed to satisfy.Tuan Tuan is a great, great culinary experience but service needs to be improved. (Our drinks did not arrive til we called the attention of at least 3 waiters)

And if you thought Tim Ho Wan's barbecue buns are the best, wait til you try theirs.
It is soft and not crumbly, with generous barbecued tender pork lsices, it is indeed heavenly (with a hellish one hour waiting time.)

Tuan Tuan
3rd Floor Megafashion Hall
SM Megamall
Beside Ippudo