RAMEN YUSHOKEN - When you want the best ramen, better go South. *****

The best ramen place is not found in Manila. It is in Molito, Alabang, where the ramen gods call home, at a place called Ramen Yushoken. 

Yushoken's ramen recipe is derived from ramen god, Kazuo Yamagishi, who invented the popular tsukemen or the "dipping" ramen. His skills were passed to successor Hideayi Aoyama who personally ensured that Yushoken's ramen is at par with the ramen houses in Japan.

Their ramen base is the Tonkotsu, made from pork bones boiled for 12 hours.
From there, 4 different tare or base sauces that give flavor to the ramen.
These are the stuff you're familiar with: Shio, salt-based, Miso, soy bean paste, Shoyu soy-sauce based and Tantanmen, which has sesame paste, chili oil and ground pork.

Yushoken also serves tsukemen, or dipping ramen, this is composed of having a thicker soup and dry ramen on the side. Other signature items include the gyoza.

The place  has a no-frills decor and their  wi-fi is fast.  I heard that there are lines at this place as well, but with the quality of the ramen, I think that's a small price to pay to enjoy a really good bowl of noodles.

Here's what we ordered and loved:

Shio Ramen P 320
One sip of this ramen and you know this what good comfort food tastes like. The soup is rich, flavorful and creamy. Among all the Tonkotsu based ramens I have tried, this is the one that
gave me that "Eureka!" moment. With a piece of tender Chasyu, bamboo shoots, leeks and sesame seeds. The moment the bowl is served on your table you know that this is a good thing, just by the fragrant smell alone. 

 Gyokai Tsukemen Php 390
Tsukemen is a new way to enjoy ramen. The noodles are al dente and firm, almost spaghetti-like and  dipped in the sauce. Gyokai has bonito flakes giving it a smoky flavor. I love to swirl the noodles around the soup and dig in. This is so enjoyable that I wanted to ask for more ramen to dip into the soup. Delish!

Gyoza Php 150
5 pieces of pan-fried dumplings. The gyoza skin is very thin and the meat fillings are delicious.
If I have to rank these, this will be at least top 3 of the gyozas I had.

Karaage  Php 210

Had to order these, since we saw that most of the tables had these. The chicken karaage looked as good as it tasted. The juicy morsels of chicken was fried well and it could work well even when not dipped into the Japanese mayo. If kids enjoy this, adults will enjoy this dish more. 

I had high hopes for this place and Yushoken was worth the long trip to Alabang.
The ramen was outstanding and crave-worthy but what blew me away was the side dishes were holding their own against the mains. That is why I'm giving Yushoken, a 5 spoon rating, for taste, service and efficiency. Hands down the best ramen house I've experienced.

Ramen Yushoken
Molito Mall Alabang
8087424
 

The Yummy List: Ramen and more

We've come up with a list featuring the best and most delicious dishes in Manila.
Because there's nothing like good food worth visiting and revisiting.
For this article, the theme is Japanese food classics.

RAMEN - the food of the moment. There's nothing like a hot bowl of noodles in flavorful soup to stir up the soul.

Our picks:

#1 Ramen Yushoken's Shio Ramen

What we love: Simply delicious and worth the long drive. This ramen place in Molito, Alabang has the secret ramen recipe of Japan's ramen god -Yamagishi Kazuo. Hear the hearty slurps of the patrons, this bowl is an umami bomb of deliciousness, the soup has a milky white texture, the noodles are al dente with the flavors that scream...eat me loud!

Budget: P320 per bowl
Location: Molito Mall, Alabang

#2 Ramen Nagi's Black King

What we love: The image is a contrast to Shio Ramen, instead of milky white, the soup is pitch black and garlicky because of all the squid ink. Unlike other places, you can customize your bowl at Ramen Nagi, choosing from the hardness of the noodles, richness of the taste, level of spiciness, etc. This place is known in other parts of the world as Butao. Expect long lines, sharing tables, and noisy patrons but the gooey, black bowl is worth slurping for.

Budget: P 410 per bowl.
Location: SM Aura, 5th Level

TSUKEMEN - deconstructed ramen
The way you eat this ramen is to dip the al dente noodles into the thick soup, then eat. Enjoy!




#1 Mitsuyado Seimen's Cheese Tsukemen

What we love: If you're fond of cheese, this bowl is extremely addictive. Comes in two sizes, we suggest you go for the large one. They give you a plate of al dente noodles, then a small bowl of cheese you can pour over the noodles, then you dip into the thick gooey soup. The soup is thick glob, that reminds us of adobo with hints of citrus. When you dig in, there are pieces of meat that say "Open up". This is a more modern way to enjoy ramen.

Budget: P310 small bowl, P 350 big bowl
Location: Jupiter, Makati














#2 Ramen Yushoken's Gyokai Tsukemen

What we love: Yushoken's version of the Tsukemen is a seafood lover's dream. The soup has hints of flavors of shrimp and seaweed, although it is not as thick as Mitsuyado's. But dip the noodles into it and you can taste heavenly bonito flakes dancing in your mouth.

Budget: Php 390
Location: Molito Mall, Alabang

GYOZA - Pan-fried dumplings that are sidekicks to every ramen lover's meal.

#1 Shinjuku Ramen House's Gyoza

What we love: Yep, the grandaddy of ramen houses does the gyoza best, pan-fried to perfection, these will tickle your taste buds as you dip in its sauce.  

Budget: Php 185 Big plate: P 270
Location: Makati Avenue

Gyoza   image is from tripadvisor.uk

#2 Kenji Tei's Cheese Gyoza

What we love: Proudly born in BF, Paranaque's Kenji Tei's Cheese Gyoza may not be as thin as the gyozas in Shinjuku or Yushoken, but this dish gets our thumbs up for innovation. The cheese just makes the taste of the gyoza richer, and the SB Hot sauce on mayo dip and could also pass for a good spring roll dip.

Budget: Php 198
Location: Greenbelt 5, Makati

SUKIYAKI - Slow-cooked soup of thinly-sliced beef and vegetables with soy sauce and mirin



Mangetsu's Beef Sukiyaki in HotPot

What we love: We can't get over this dish. This sukiyaki is light and flavorful, shunning the sugary sweetness of other versions. Comes in a weird-shaped iron pot, and with strips and strips of beef that say "hello" with every scoop of the ladle. Good for 4.

Budget: Php 470
Location: Jupiter, Makati






















TONKATSU - a breaded pork cutlet using panko or bread crumbs, the pork may come in lean parts or with fat



Yabu's Oroshi Katsu

What we love: Yabu has perfected the Tonkatsu to an artform, but how do you outdo yourself when you're on top of the game? Add citrus!  Yabu's Oroshi Katsu adds radish and piece of grapefruit you can squeeze on top of the fried katsu giving it a zing. More rice, please!

Budget:  Php 395
Location: SM MOA, Megamall, Robinson's Magnolia, SM Aura



















DONBURI

You can never go wrong with rice toppings. It's the ultimate cop-out way of enjoying a good meal without destroying your budget. Yoshinoya is an example of famous Japanese donburi chain.


















#1 Ryu Ramen and Curry's Toridon

What we love: There's a perfectly good reason to smile when you come in Ryu because there's a bit of something for everyone. The Toridon is strips of chicken teriyaki and mixed vegetables on rice. The chicken was grilled perfectly, the rice was generous. This also comes as a set meal with drink.

Budget:Php 230
Location: SM Jazz, Makati and UP Town Center




#2 Mitsuyado Seimen's Black Pepper Chicken Don

What we love: It's chunks and chunks and chunks of seasoned chicken over rice.
Our tip: eat them while they're hot.

Budget: Php 260
Location: Jupiter, Makati

 
















#3  Komoro Soba
What we love: It's delicious donburi insanely priced at P 99 each. This hidden treasure in Megamall serves Japanese food that is both tummy and wallet-friendly. We just can't get enough of their Oyako don, Gyudon and all those dons that we will make our mouths water. Add a side dish of Kara-age (Php 22 per piece) or Kaki-age (Php32 per piece) and you've got a winner! 

Budget: Php 99
Location: UGL, Building A, SM Megamall


LUNCH SETS/ BENTO BOXES

Kaizen Gozen Photo courtesy of Seryna's FB page

Seryna
What we love: Probably one of the best Japanese restaurants in Makati, Seryna's luncboxes are a treasure trove of Japanese delights. The best time to visit this place is during lunchtime, where you get a menu of only 7 - 8 items, each a specialty worth trying.  The Kaizen Gozen is seafood lovers delight with different kinds of sashimi, tuna, salmon, shrimp, uni, It also comes with 2 pcs. Chicken Kara-age, Rice, Salad, Fruit, Miso soup and side dish.

Budget: P 380
Location: Little Tokyo, Makati