Remember when I shared that Ramen Yushoken is the best ramen in town?  So imagine our joy when we heard that it is open under Mendokoro Ramenba in Salcedo Village Makati.


It is just beside La Creperie which we've tried before.

Upon arrival, we made our order.


Upon paying, we were issued our order slips with a queue number.  When our turn came, we were asked if it was okay if we seat apart.  Eventually, we managed to seat together. 


Total seating capacity is limited to 25.   A pitcher of water, condiments and paper napkin can be found by the table.


The servers are at the center and they are attentive enough to refill some water.


While waiting for our order, I observed how they prepared the ramen.  This guy is cooking the chashu.


The noodles are placed on the bowl see?

... and then the shoyu sauce is added. 

Food

♥ Shio (360 php)

The Shio broth is exactly the same as in Yushoken.  The chashu is a bit fatter than the cut in Yushoken.

♥ Shoyu (390 php)

We usually go for Shio on most ramen shops but at Yushoken and Mendokoro, the Shoyu is really the better one.

♥ Garlic Miso Ramen (440 php)

Not on the menu is the Garlic Miso Ramen which is available only here so it's the first time for us.  It's really good!



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 Verdict
I'm so happy that I can conveniently visit Mendokoro Ramenba and reliving the Yushoken bliss as much as I want.  This is still the best ramen for me.

One important lesson my mom has always impart on us is the respect to the elders.  There is always ranking when it comes to age.  So when her eldest brother or my Twa Koo told us to try the Ramen Yushoken, mom said we will.  I guess Twa Koo really liked Ramen Yushoken because after he had a meal there with his golf buddies, he brought home their menu place mat for us to see.  

According to the place mat, Ramen Yushoken's ramen is derived from "Ramen God" Kazuo Yamagishi, who in his 80's, still manages to his Taishoken ramen shop in Tokyo.  He is also the inventor of the tsukemen or dipping ramen.  His successor known as the "son of ramen god", Koji Tashiro, came to train Ramen Yushoken's staff in December 2012.  Ramen champion Hideo Aoyama, known to be have a "golden tongue" with the ability to adapt to any of the 22 known styles in Japan regularly visit Yushoken. 

During the non-working holiday for Barangay election, we took the chance to drive all the way from Manila to Molito Alabang just to try it.  We arrived at around 6 pm.  We were quite happy because we got to park just in front of it.  And, we saw an empty table through the glass window. 

As we entered, I saw them making the gyoza.  So my mind automatically listed that as a must order. 

The staffs explained that we couldn't fit on the table so two of us had to seat on the ramen bar.  We asked why couldn't we just add an extra chair and they reasoned that the other table might not have a wide enough easement to go out.  But, after insisting they allowed it.  We were so excited to dine that we didn't realize who was wearing yellow on the next table.  Oops! That explained everything, I guess.  >.< 

Food
A quote from a movie called "Ramen Girl": "A bowl of ramen is a self-contained universe with life from the sea, the mountains, and the earth. All existing in perfect harmony. Harmony is essential. What holds it all together is the broth. The broth gives life to the ramen."

Tonkotsu Ramen

♥ Shio (320 php)

Mom ordered the Shio which is salt-based to appreciate the basic broth.  Since we went all the way, we ordered all kinds of their Tonkotsu Ramen to try and compare.  Every one agreed that this was the least favorite among the selections.  The texture of the noodles is the best I've tried so far. 

♥ Shoyu (350 php)

The Shoyu which is soy-based won all our vote.  We love the flavorful broth.  It's so good we ordered another one of this.

Tantan-men (380 php)

I ordered the Tantan-men.  The spiciness is just enough to tickle my taste buds.  But, my siblings apparently felt it was too spicy after one spoonful.  The blend of spiciness, nuttiness and meaty flavor makes this a great tantan-men but I still prefer Ukkokei's. 

♥ Miso (380 php)

This is the best Miso I have ever had.  What makes this so special is that they blend 7 different kinds of miso to concoct this masterpiece.  It's not the ordinary sweet miso. 

Tsukemen

♥ Tonkotsu (390 php)

I have to be honest here. None of us are fond of Tsukemen.   But since we wanted to try it out, we ordered just one.  After we found out that the half Aji Tamago (egg) as part of the Tokusei is not available, we settled for the Tonkotsu.  It offers a bolder yet smoother taste than the ramen which we all loved. 


I just had to note that the convenience that their spoon is offering is cool. =D 

Side Dishes/Extras

♥ Gyoza (150 php)

I was totally blow away with a bite of their Gyoza.  The shells are lightly moist and not soggy at all.  And, yet look at how thin and beautifully molded they are.

♥ Gyoza (150 php)

One side is evenly fried to be crisp and dry. 

♥ Gyoza (150 php)

Each Gyoza was plump and juicy!  So far this is the best among the rest I've tried. 

♥ Karaage (210 php)

Crunchy skin plus succulent chicken meat equals a superb Karaage! 

♥ Chahan (220 php)

I rarely rave over Chahan or mixed fried rice.  But, their Chahan deserves it.  So although the ramen gets the highlight, reserve some space for 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 Cool
Ramen Ichiban-Kan
Ramen Nagi
Ramen Sora
Ramen X (Closed)
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Ramen Yushoken offers the best ramen in the country yet!  Its ramen is worth going all the way to Alabang and maybe even further because the other dishes are also exemplary.  I'm so glad the hype and tales about it was true. =D  Better go early because by the time we were finished, there was a long waiting line.