It's been more than three years since I first tried Ramen Nagi.  That was the time when the Ramen Craze just landed in the Philippines.  Having more ramen houses with multiple branches has proven that ramen is here to stay and has become part of our food culture.

Good news for Makati peeps because Ramen Nagi has just opened its very own stand alone store (not a store mall) in Signa Residences Valero Makati that is open until 12 midnight.

This is the very first Ramen Nagi that has a ramen bar style.  It's just like it's neighbor Mendokoro Ramenba but with a another bar type on the side and casual table set up on the outside.


Food

Ramen
Just for the opening of this new branch, Ramen Nagi offered the Nagi Jiro as a Limited King (only 100 bowls) for this branch alone.

Nagi Jiro (490 php) plus add ons

I was surprised with the Nagi Jiro!

Just look at the huge Jiro Chashu chunks!  I almost couldn't finish this because it has a heapload of beansprouts and it wasn't my only order.  But, it was so good that I just had to.  I advise you to finish it as fast as you can though because the chashu gets tougher to bite as it gets cold and dry.

Green King (Midori) (410 php)

After 3 years, I'm happy to report that the serving size, price and consistency of the Green King (Midori) is exactly the same. =)

Side Dishes

Perilla Gyoza (240 php)

They didn't have any side dishes before so I got a bit excited in ordering, not expecting the huge Jiro Nagi.  Ramen Nagi also launched their new flavored side dishes.  So for their Gyoza there is Perilla, Garlic and Cheese.  I loved the Perilla Gyoza!

Matcha Chicken Karaage (290 php)

The Chicken Karaage also comes in three flavors: 7 Spice (300 php),  Curry (270 php) and Matcha (290 php).  The Matcha is bitter and bold.  Try if you think you can appreciate its authentic Japanese taste.  I liked it but my mom found it to be quite bitterish to her dismay.

Pork Katsu Roll (295 php)

Surprsingly even with the new flavored Gyoza and Chicken Karaage, everyone still loved the Pork Katsu Roll the most.

So there you have it.  Now you have Ramen Nagi Signa Residence (found at the Ground Level, Signa Designer Residences, V.A. Rufino St. corner Valero St., Salcedo Village) to consider when you have those late night ramen cravings!  And, they have great side dishes so you can tag along friends who may not have the same craving as you do.   Ramen is also my ideal break time meal whether for lunch or dinner or in between since it is served and eaten quickly.
 

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I guess the rush hour has passed since it was the only time I've seen it without a waiting line.  It's quite spacious with traditional plain square wooden tables and chairs.  

Condiments and chopsticks were already on the table.  We were also given complimentary brown rice tea (choice of hot or cold) while waiting for our orders.
 
Food
 

Yaki Gyoza (195 php)

We ordered the Original Gyoza as our centerpiece for sharing.  We've grown accustomed to that sharing routine through the years.  


The gyoza is delicious.  The dimsum skin is perfect.  It was thin and soft and was neither too moist nor dry.  The pork filling is juicy and savory as well.

♥  Chashu Miso Ramen (265 php)

My friend had the   Chashu Miso Ramen which was a wholesome bowlful with fatty chashu bits,  ground pork and green onions.  I was really impressed with their miso broth consistency and flavor.  It had a bold miso taste with only a slight hint of salt.  It also had a slight paste-y texture making the miso quite evident.

♥ Curry Ramen (265 php)

I had the Curry Ramen.  It was served in rich Japanese curry broth with tender beef strips.  I loved it!  I also enjoyed the right chewiness of their noodles.





Tsinoy Foodies Other Ramen House/Shop Reviews
Akira Restaurant 
Curry Bee Japanese Curry Shop
Hanamaruken Ramen 花丸轩  
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Kitchitora 1 | Kitchitora 2
Kokoro Ramenya
Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen
Miso-Ten
Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Moshi Koshi 1 | Moshi Koshi 2
Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House
Ramen Bar
Ramen Cool
Ramen Ichiban-Kan
Ramen Nagi
Ramen Sora
Ramen X (Closed)
Ramen Yushoken
Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen
 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We both agreed that Kenji Tei Ramen House delivered an enjoyable and fulfilling ramen lunch.  The service is good too.  Food delivery was fast and precise.e

We've been to ramen houses and tonkosu joints but why not go to one that specializes in both?   Thus, we decided to dine at Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines one random Saturday night in Greenhills Promenade. 

It is located at the first floor, highly visible by passerby.

It has an enticing display too.

The interiors is one of a kind.  It has a nice Japanese feel because of the bamboo and wood material.

Food

Kyushu Ramen

♥  Deluxe Tampopo Black Pig Shabu Ramen (460 php)

Everyone in the family ordered the Deluxe Tampopo Black Pig Shabu Ramen because they were enticed by the 2-day boiling process of the black pork bone soup.  Kyushu is the province which Hakata district of Fukuoka City is part of.   Thus, the preparation of this is Tonkotsu or Hakata-style.  This is spicy which is evident from the chili powder so you can request for a milder version.  It comes with thin, hard and straight noodles.  The Charsiew is thinly sliced, tender and lean black Berkshire pig.  

The ♥ Tasty Egg is cooked perfectly.  Thus, I'd convince you to go for the deluxe for more toppings.

Hokkaido Ramen

♥ Deluxe Hakodate Ramen (440 php)

Unlike the white and rich Kyushu Ramen broth, the Hakodate Ramen comes with a lighter clearer yellow chicken and pork bone broth resembling that of the Chinese noodle soup because its birth is influenced by the Cantonese settlers during the Edo Era who came to Hakodate to trade seaweeds.  The Hakodate-style ramen is usually salt-based and mixed in with seafood and vegetables.  The simple light ramen is comforting enough to warm the tummy as the climate in Hakodate is not as cold as its other Hokkaido counterparts.  Tampopo's version Deluxe Hakodate Ramen is dominantly a salted chicken and pork bone broth enhanced by small dried shrimps (In Fookien, we called these hebi) and vegetables.  The noodles are thick and chewy. 
 

Pork Katsu

♥ Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu Set (750 php)

Of course, we ordered their highly marketed and best-seller Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu Set.  According to the menu, they make use of black berkshire pork from the US.  The black berkshire pork is equivalent to the kurobuta pork in Japan.

♥ Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu

It had a slight greyish shade and some fattiness.  It was tender and soft.  The coating has a nice crisp and not oily at all but nothing that would stand out to leave a lasting impression.

Black Loin Tonkatsu Set (690 php)

With 60 php less is the Black Loin Tonkatsu Set.  When you order set, you get a bowl of Miso Soup, bowl of rice and slices of fruits.  The Miso Soup is fulfilling because it has pork slices on it.

Black Loin Tonkatsu

The Black Loin Tonkatsu is dry and tougher than the Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu.  I'd choose the latter even if it comes with an additional price.

Don't forget to prepare and dip it into their sauce.  They also have the roasted sesame dressing for the cabbage.

 And, leave your feedback.  Their feedback form is also their chopstick wrapper.

Tsinoy Foodies Other Ramen House/Shop Reviews
Akira Restaurant 
Curry Bee Japanese Curry Shop
Hanamaruken Ramen 花丸轩  
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Kenji Tei Ramen House
Kitchitora 1 | Kitchitora 2
Kokoro Ramenya
Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen
Miso-Ten
Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Moshi Koshi 1 | Moshi Koshi 2
Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House
Ramen Bar
Ramen Cool
Ramen Ichiban-Kan
Ramen Nagi
Ramen Sora
Ramen X (Closed)
Ramen Yushoken
Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines
Takashi Japanese Cuisine
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen

Tsinoy Foodies Other Katsu Reviews
Ginza Bairin
Katsu Cafe
Kimukatsu 
Saboten
Tonkatsu by Terazawa
Yabu 1 | Yabu 2
 
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'd visit Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines for the ramen.  There's no other ramen house than can offer the same experience.  But, in terms of tonkatsu, I find it to be behind its competitors especially when considering price and quality side-by-side.  I'm also noting that their service is great.

Ramen Daisho has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the best Ramen houses by Japanese ramen consultants and influential food bloggers so we just had to try it out for ourselves.  Daisho means big and fly high.


According to other posts, the owners of Ramen Daisho bought the same ramen recipe used in Ukkokei Ramen Ron which so happens to be one of the first ramen houses I reviewed in this blog and my favorite too.  So, no doubt I just couldn't help but compare or use Ukkokei as a referrence. 

For the ambiance, Ramen Daisho and Ukkokei Ramen Ron as so far apart.  The former is so bright, modern and spacious.  While the latter is traditional, dark and a bit eerie.


On the table is an origami for the chopstick holder.  It can keep you pre-occupied while waiting for your order.


It transforms into this.


Both Ramen Daisho and Ukkokei has a paper place mat.  But, as you can see the former has informative cartoon pictures, comic strips and English texts.  While, the latter has an image of an old man and Japanese texts.

Ramen Daisho's menu is more informative as it describes the broth and the kind of noodles used.  I noticed that there's an error in the description of the Shio Chasyu Ramen.  That description is meant to be for the Hakata Ramen. =p  It also offers ramen in two serving sizes: Regular and Large. The Regular is priced near that of Ukkokei's.  Ukkokei's menu has a clearer product image so you can see the size and the toppings well.  But, there are no descriptions.

Food

Ramen
The two are also different in terms of ramen variety.  Ramen Daisho has Shio, Shoyu, Miso and Hakata.  While Ukkokei has Shio, Shoyu and Miso with a twist of the butter corn for each kind and their limited Tantanmen.  Ramen Daisho uses different kinds of noodles while Ukkokei uses only one type.

The toppings of their ramen is different as well.  Ramen Daisho serves their ramen with a runny ajitsuke tamago (egg), nori (seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), green onions and fried onions.  While Ukkokei's ramen toppings vary depending on the type of ramen.  The default rameen toppings is menma (bamboo shoots), green onions and  bean sprouts.

For the Chashu, Ramen Daisho makes use of the pork shoulder part which is thin, lean and meaty.  While Ukkokei makes use of the pork belly part which is marbled with fat.
 

Shoyu Ramen Regular (300 php)

The Shoyu Ramen is soy based.  The taste of the broth is similar to that of Ukkokei so its hardly distinguishable. 

♥ Shoyu Chasyu Ramen Regular (380 php)

The Shoyu Chasyu Ramen has an addition of two more Chashu so its 80 php more expensive.  With this option, I really wonder why there is an extra topping of Chashu available for 120 php. 

 

♥ Shio Chasyu Ramen Regular (380 php)

Mom really loved her Shio Chasyu Ramen.  The flavor of the salt-based broth is mild and soothing.  Its slightly lighter and less oily than Ukkokei's.
 

♥ Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen Regular (300 php)

The Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen is not offered in Ukkokei so I was eager to try it.  You can just from the looks of the broth that it is milky white as proof of the tastiness it acquired from long hour of cooking pork fat and bones.  I loved how flavorful it and it would have been the best one I've tried yet if only it wasn't a bit salty. 


Side Menu

Gyoza (110 php/5 pcs)

Aside from ramen, the family has also grown fond of searching for the best gyoza.  Price-wise, they are one of the cheapest.  But how about the taste?

Gyoza (110 php/5 pcs)

We loved their juicy, meaty and ginger-y Gyoza!  This is one of the best we've tried.

Tsinoy Foodies Other Ramen House/Shop Reviews
Akira Restaurant
Curry Bee Japanese Curry Shop
Hanamaruken Ramen 花丸轩  
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Kitchitora 1 | Kitchitora 2
Kokoro Ramenya
Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen
Miso-Ten
Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Moshi Koshi 1 | Moshi Koshi 2
Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House
Ramen Bar
Ramen Cool
Ramen Ichiban-Kan
Ramen Nagi
Ramen Sora 
Ramen X (Closed)
Ramen Yushoken
Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Ramen Daisho is definitely worthy of being one of the top best ramen houses in the Metro!  Surely, this should be included in every ramen lovers list.  I'd love to come back and try their Miso Ramen next.  In referrence to Ukkokei Ramen Ron, I think it offers a different dining experience in its own. 

Kapitolyo really has a lot of dining options.  This time we're out to try some ramen at Ramen Cool.  

We've heard a lot of raves about this huge ramen house.  Unlike other restaurants in Kapitolyo, this is no hole-in-a-wall but a really nice, spacious and cozy full-blown restaurant.  It even has a parking area.  But, still not enough due to the numerous diners that are rushing in during peak hours.



It's got bright lights and interiors with savy Modern Japanese influences.  There are more private rooms too.

Food

Red and Orange Roll (235 php)

The Red and Orange Roll is a maki with fresh tuna and salmon sashimi  and crabsticks.  The size is huge.

♥ Gyoza (115 php/5 pieces)

The Gyoza is plump and juicy.  For the price, it's a bargain. 

RCool Ramen (260 php)

The RCool Ramen is a big bowl of chashu ramen.  The egg is over-cooked.  The chashu was tender but it also had a lot of fats.  The ramen broth is very light.  The noodles were not too soft and not chewy enough to enjoy.

Update (December 2016): Revisited so read about the improvement here.

Nabeyaki Ramen (235 php)

The Nabeyaki Ramen is a big bowl of nabe ramen with tempura shrimp, seafood, egg, carrots, onions and leeks.  The flavor was too light for me.  I didn't like it. =(
 

Miso Ramen (175 php)

The Miso Ramen is a big bowlful of miso ramen with butter, corn, chashu, crabstick and egg.  Again, the egg is over-cooked.  This has a nice miso blend.  This is richer in terms of flavor compared to the other ones we ordered.

Tempura Ramen (195 php)

The Tempura Ramen has a mild sweet broth with tempura shrimp and eggplant.  My little sister enjoyed this.


Tsinoy Foodies Other Ramen House/Shop Reviews
Akira Restaurant 
Curry Bee Japanese Curry Shop
Hanamaruken Ramen 花丸轩  
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Kitchitora 1 | Kitchitora 2
Kokoro Ramenya
Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen
Miso-Ten
Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Moshi Koshi 1 | Moshi Koshi 2
Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House
Ramen Bar
Ramen Ichiban-Kan
Ramen Nagi
Ramen Sora
Ramen X (Closed)
Ramen Yushoken
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
The cool things about Ramen Cool are the affordable pricing for their hefty ramen servings (ladies can share) and great ambiance.  But, their ramen felt lacking in terms of substance.  The broth base was dull and lacking in flavor.  It felt as if they skipped the vital boiling preparation of making a ramen broth and relied heavily on the seasoning (i.e. soy sauce, miso etc.)  Their noodles is also one of the worst I've encountered.