Malate's 50 peso ramen **

Would you believe this is just 80 pesos?

Recently, after a get-together with some friends one was raving that there's a place in Malate that sells ramen for 50 pesos. But she said, "Pero cart lang, as in sa kalsada" I was like. "What? 50 pesos? You have to be kidding." We were supposed to head out to Malate but it rained so we went somewhere else.


Last Saturday, one of my friends Carlo confirmed this when he posted a photo of a Tantanmen that's priced for 80 pesos. That made me curious and I searched for the ramen cart beside Erra's Grill. So off we went on a Sunday night.

The place is located near a row of small eateries at Adriatico. Erra's Grill may be small but it is not hard to find. This is just across Upstage KTV and before you reach Starbucks (The old Portico's in Malate) There is a ramen cart with red banners, and judging from the line of people waiting, this is easy to spot.
 

Erra's Grill is small and a bit dingy. It is after all a hole-in-the-wall inside another hole-in-the-wall. There are lots of people drinking inside, and cigarette and balut vendors are free to sell their wares inside. Expect foreigners, some not be the ideal ones, complete with girls in tow. Hope you get the picture. But the place is downright humble and no-frills, a bit cramped complete with the Pinoy quirks.

Mingle with the drinking crowd

A customer ordering ramen to go

The ramen cart is situated at the middle. With the right side of Erra's Grill for the ramen diners and left for Erra's customers. You're free to cross order.

Now comes the good part - the ramen, . Shoyu for 50 pesos. Miso Ramen cheaply priced at 60 pesos
Shio (Salt) at 60 pesos, Tantanmen at 80 bucks. At that price it was definitely a steal. The bowls were not shabby small either it was sized right, good for one and the soup arrived steaming hot.
You add P 10 for Chili and another P 20 for extra slice of chasyu.

Shoyu Ramen.  I had mine spicy with extra Chasyu. This one is hot but the soup was good.
The noodles were of course not even near Ramen Nagi's quality but it does the job and soothes your hunger pangs. Best with Coke.

Shoyu Ramen with chili and extra Chasyu Php 80

Shio Ramen Surprisingly tasty despite looking like plain white mami soup. When they were making this, I think they added something that looked like garlic paste. The flavor is milder than the Shoyu and its not as milky as Santouka's, but at that price who's complaining?

Shio Ramen Php 60

Tantanmen Photo credit: Carlo Cruz

Fried Tokwa P 40

Before the owner finds out that their ramen is underpriced, I suggest you check Erra's Ramen out.
Perfect for those days you want a steaming bowl of hot ramen with a cheap bottle of beer Cheers.


 Erra's Ramen
Adriatico St. Malate Manila
Open from 12 pm to 5 am (closing time needs to be confirmed)


     

Four Seasons Claypot Pot Rice 四季煲仔飯, in Yaumatei (廟街, 油麻地) Hongkong

the queue during 7 pm

the menu says it all

rows of claypots waiting to be served

The oyster are big

Oyster cake in duck egg batter, delicious!!

They say that if you want a good dining experience, follow where the locals eat. I have read good reviews of the claypot rice in HK, but I never thought this one was near our hotel. If you're in the Yaumatei, make sure to visit Four Seasons Claypot Rice at Arthur Street. I've even read that the great Anthony Bourdain even ate here and loved it.

But... this place looks like a hole-in-the-wall and the tables are cramped.
But judging from the fragrant smell of claypot rice wafting in the air, and the people patiently waiting for their turn, it looks like its worth the wait.

Spareribs and Sausage Claypot rice

Chicken and Salted Fish Claypot rice... yummy

Claypot rice is literally toppings like chicken or sausage over fragrant rice and cooked in the famous stoneware originating from the southern regions of China and Malaysia. Four seasons offer you a no-frills setup in their menu, there's an English Menu but most of the stuff they serve are already in the wall.

You add the soy sauce last then mix the rice

Surprisingly, turnover is pretty fast and we already have a table in 10 minutes (well its communal). After scanning the menu, we settled with the classics -

Spareribs and Chinese Sausage Claypot rice HK $32
Chicken and Salted Fish Claypot Rice HK $ 32
Duck Egg Oyster Cake (2pcs) HK $25

First to be served were the Oyster cake since the claypot rice took 20 minutes to cook.
This was absolutely one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.
It was fried perfectly, and the batter was crunchy and not over-oily. The oysters were big and my tastebuds were excited. This indeed is a must-order in their menu, and there goes my cholesterol level.

Then came the claypot rice. When I opened the lid, the fragrant aroma immediately seduced my appetite, the spareribs and sausage balanced each other out. It was delicious. But one difference I noticed is that they don't cook it with the the soy sauce and let you add it to your desire. Tip: You have to mix the rice immediately when you open the lid, to prevent the bottom from getting burned, but that was the burnt rice best part for me, in Tagalog we call it "tutong"The chicken with salted fish was even better, this is one of my unforgettable meals in HK. Try this just in case you're in HK.

4 out of 5 spoons 

Four Seasons Claypot Pot Rice 四季煲仔飯
46-58 Arthur Street , Yaumatei