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.

There are only a handful vegan places you could try in Manila so Susi: The Key to Sustainable Living quickly got our attention.


Evident from the facade, Susi has an interesting interior design.


Inside there's a organic shop where we bought some Kale Chips by Take Root which we always buy whenever we see it.

There's a bar and a table for two.  As you can see from the outside, there's a glassed al fresco dining


We were led to the dining area upstairs.



Even the washing area looks exquisite.



The soft yellow lighting, wooden tables and pillow-filled lofts made the place look so cozy.



It's as if we're inside a quaint cabin home.


I even like the table pieces.  I really liked their menu.  It has an intro on veganism, gluten and items have indicators for being soy-free, corn-free, nut-free, protein-packed and sugar-free.

Food
For me there are two kinds of vegan.  One that uses raw foods and the other that makes use of soy-products.  I'm glad that Susi is the former.  I'm totally into Susi's concept which is meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free and cruelty-free.  And, they make everything from scratch.
 
Salads

♥ Lentil Provencal (375 php)

Because we love kale, we ordered the Lentil Provencal.  The taste is very simple and light.  You could taste every component: lentil, kale, sweet potatoes, candied beets and mushroom.   I also liked the contrast of the crunchy kale with the slightly mushy lentils, sweet potatoes and beets.   This was good for us but I think those who are used to the usual salads might find it lacking.

Soups

♥ Thom(ato) Yorke (225 php)

I have to admit, I hate the earthy taste of red beets so I really liked that the Thom(ato) Yorke tasted dominantly of roasted tomato that masked the taste of beets.  The gluten-free toast was better than I expected.  It was not dry nor rough.

Mains

♥ Sea Shepherd's Pie (345 php)

I've tried non-vegan shepherd's pie before so this vegan version was interesting.

♥ Sea Shepherd's Pie (345 php)

The Sea Shepherd's Pie tuned out to be the highlight of our dinner.  The mashed potato was so soft and creamy.  The veggie filling was delicious!

Pasta

♥ The Autumnal (415 php)

The Autumnal is spiced to pique the appetite.  It also had olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and crumbled tofu mushroom that made it a quite lively pasta dish.

Sandwiches

♥ El Chimichurri (475 php)

I have to say that the El Chimichurri is the most innovative burger that I've tried yet. And for that alone, it is worth ordering.  Taste-wise I liked the the beet was clean tasting.  The cream cheese, pico de gallo and chimichurri combined gave enough umami flavor to complement the beet.  However, I didn't like the barely solid pattie and the bun was too dry and hard.  The sweet potato wedges and dip is addicting though.

♥ El Chimichurri (475 php)

As you can see the bun is like a scone which I'm not a fan of. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're accustomed to enjoying the light and natural taste of vegetables like I do, you will appreciate Susi.  It's a healthy and refreshing meal for me.  But if you're used to the saucy and savory dishes, you might find the food here to be a bit bland or flat.  Price is a bit steep but I don't think there's any place you can go for the same experience.

Perhaps, it's because we're from Manila so we've never heard of Xin Tian Di until they had a discount for BDO card holders (Thanks Achi Rowena of Animetric.Net for the tip!)

One random weekend, we reserved a table just to try it out.


It is a bit more modern the traditional Chinese restaurant.  It has tea displays.  


And, there's a cold cut station and a chiller of fruits.


I initially thought that the dining area was small...


that was before we were ushered to the function room which I'm guessing is allocated for those who will avail of the discount.

Being in the function room made it difficult to call the attention of the staffs.  Good thing Kate was kind enough to be attentive to us.  We are almost invisible to the other servers.

Food 

Complimentary Peanut

Barbecue Corner

BBQ 3 Combination (Pecking Duck, Jelly Fish and Drunken Chicken) Small (540 php)

 Clear Soup

♥ Double-Boiled Black Chicken Soup with Oriental Herbs (250 php)

Thick Soup

♥ Dried Scallop Soup with Sea Cucumber and Fish Lip (200 php)

Live Seafood

♥ Steamed Cod with Wild Mushrooms

The Steamed Cod with Wild Mushrooms is not on the menu.  It was suggested by Kate which we approved.  Indeed, it is a must try!  It's the highlight of our meal.


Southern and Northern Cuisine

Sauteed Diced Chicken with Dried Chili Szchuan Style Small (450 php)

Pork

♥ Pork Spareribs with Honey Small (480 php)

Beancurd and Vegetables 

♥ Beancurd and Scallop in Celery Sauce

The Beancurd and Scallop in Celery Sauce is also not on the menu but suggested.  This is the first time I've encountered such a dish and we loved it!


Rice

♥ Fried Rice with Fresh and Dried Scallops Small (480 php)

 Dessert

♥ Ampalaya Buchi (100 php)

Don't let the appearance of the Ampalaya Buchi fool you.  It actually contained melted dark chocolate inside.  We enjoyed it so much we ordered one for each!

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Xin Tian Di just needs to work on their marketing because the food here is really good.  The pricing is also reasonable yet I hardly encounter any Chinese occasion being celebrated here.