Mazesoba at Menya Kokoro

I found this unfinished article about the lunch we had at Menya Kokoro at the Podium in Ortigas Center. Their main dish is mazesoba, which is a brothless (soupless) noodle dish. The noodles are soba and not ramen. I haven't eaten this since the 1990s when I think I last had it at our university canteen (shokudo) in Yokohama.

Unagi mazesoba

Closeup of the noodles of this very satisfying dish

It's always nice to get reacquainted with the food I tried many, many years ago when I was a student in Japan. In this case, the mazesoba was a welcome departure from the ramen we usually enjoy. The unagi (eel) was a bonus that I readily opted for when I saw it on the menu. I wouldn't mind eating there again soon. But the serving is generous so I have to be a bit hungry to finish the food.

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Kuro Ramen at Ippudo

Last weekend, we had lunch at Ippudo to satisfy our ramen craving. We usually have our ramen at Ramen Nagi and occasionally Ippudo, Hokkaido Ramen, and Ramen Kuroda, in that order as their branches are most accessible to us. Our daughter also loves ramen so its not difficult to decide to have ramen for lunch or dinner.

Ippudo's Kuro Ramen 

The ramen was really good and I wouldn't mind having this regularly for the richness of the taste including the torched chashu. I still think Ramen Nagi's tamago is better though so if Ippudo can match that then this ramen will be close to perfection for me. I thought though that the taste may not be for everyone especially those who like the lighter ramen in terms of broth and ingredients. Baka nakaka-umay for others. Perhaps it's still better to have different ramen from time to time while remembering the "go to" or favorites from each ramen shop/restaurant.

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House Macaroni Gratin

Last weekend, I found this box of Macaroni Gratin from Japanese brand House. I had forgotten about this, which I bought at a Japanese store along Katipunan in the St. Ignatius/White Plains area. It's an easy to prepare (instant) pasta dish that you can prepare in a few minutes. You can add potatoes and even meat if you want to though cooking those ingredients properly will add to the time for this to be ready to eat.

The box contained sealed packets of macaroni and the gratin mix.

I used cheddar and quick melt cheese as topping before I placed the clay pot in the oven toaster. This is the result after I took it out of the toaster.

The cheeses served as a crust to hold the macaroni gratin. This is what it looks like after scooping some for dinner.

The gratin was a success. Our daughter loved it. It was a good foil for the savory viands we had for dinner.  The price tag is still on the box. I thought this was good value for the 189 pesos I paid for when I bought it last year. I will probably get another box or two the next time I get to go to that Japanese store. 

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Back at Tenya for lunch

We haven't eaten at Tenya for a while so we decided to have lunch there while at Tiendesitas last Tuesday. Here are a few photos of our lunch. We went for our usual orders that we consider comfort food.

Fried nori (seaweed) using tempura battter for starters

Lunch set featuring tempura, rice, and cold soba

Tendon - what we usually ordered

The tempura always brings me back to the Tenya branch in Akihabara that we frequented in the 1990s. This was the one right under the Sobu Line's elevated tracks that was just a few minutes walk from the JR Akihabara Station.

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Sukiya at SM East Ortigas

A couple of weeks ago, I spotted a new restaurant at SM East Ortigas. There were few customers then but we already had our lunch when we got there so we were only up for some dessert, which usually took us to Caramia. The name of the restaurant was very familiar to me and I just had to check if this was the same one in Japan. It was and I promised to myself that we'll be back for a nice meal.

Fast forward to last week and we go to eat lunch at Sukiya. I went for the unagi bowl with beef and was very happy with my meal. This time, the place was full of customers and there was a queue. So we decided to have a late lunch and we went to get some items at the department store first. When we came back, there were fewer people and we easily got a table for three.

Menue showing their special combination bowls

Gyudon is their bread and butter just like Yoshinoya so this was a must try for the wife and daughter. Similar to their branches in Japan, you can upgrade your meals with other add ons like miso soup, karaage, salad and drinks.

I was very happy with my unagi and beef bowl.

The wife and daughter had their gyudon.

We'll be back for more though we also want to try to the other new restaurants at SM East Ortigas. At least, we now have our go-to place for lunch or dinner there. 

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Onigiri dinner at Botejyu

I wrote recently about onigiri and that I usually bought them for lunch when I was a student in Japan. Here is a recent light dinner I had at Botejyu. It is much satisfying to me and I will probably order this if I am not so hungry.

Botejyu's version of the tuna onigiri

A close-up of what is regarded as Japan's version of the sandwich

 

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Onigiri for lunch

There was a stall selling onigiri at the food fair near the College of Science Library last month (March). I think I went there twice or thrice to get my lunch and drinks. This was where they had a stall selling Carmen's Best products including chocolate milk that my daughter loved.

I usually bought these on my way to the lab when I was studying in Japan. You can buy these at the bento shop or convenience store. I usually get them for my lunch if I was busy working and couldn't go to the nearby canteen (shokudo) for a meal. One is already satisfying but I usually got two for a heavy lunch.

I prefer the tuna or 'sea chicken' as it is sometimes referred to at the kombini.

I am still amused at the easy open packaging for the onigiri. It makes it less messy when eating.

I like eating onigiri and good ones take me back to my time as a student in Japan.

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Scallop King from Ramen Nagi

We sort of had a lot of ramen last January. It was the birthday month of the wife and daughter so we took advantage of the birthday promo at Ramen Nagi to enjoy their ramen. A basic rule is to have two companions pay regular on their order of ramen. Proof of the birth date is requested from the celebrant so be sure to bring a valid ID to avail of the promo. In one of those dinners at the restaurant, I ordered this special ramen that was on limited offer. I wanted to try something new and different from the usual Butao I order for my meal.

Scallop King featured a lot of scallops and a broth thick with what looked like powdered nori.

I remember the shots they usually took of food in Japanese TV programs to show how delicious the food would look like. This was an attempt to do something like that. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to include the smoke from the ramen as I lifted the noodles for the photo.

This is one of the best ramen's I've had. My only 'complaint' if I can call it that is that the soup or broth is quite thick that you get quite full even before finishing the bowl. So a recommendation to those trying this ramen to eat your noodles and scallop first before indulging in the broth.

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Binge watching: Midnight Diner

Last Christmas eve and New Year's eve, I was binge watching on Netflix. Perhaps among my favorite series is another one I discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic along with Ted Lasso, which I like to rewatch. Midnight Diner is about a small restaurant in the Shinjuku District of Tokyo that's open only late nights to the early morning (hence the title). The central character is the owner, "Master", who only has few items on his menu but will make whatever you request He has some regular patrons; various characters including a bar owner/manager, a photographer, a group of single women, several salary-men, policemen, a sports enthusiast, a stripper, a mysterious fellow (who's usually cracking nuts or eggshells) and Yakuza gangsters. Each episode features a new or old patron with their favorite meals. The stories often are about their meals, why they eat them, why they like them, what they associate the food with. The Master has a soft spot for those who are often underdogs or who experience hardships or challenges with their personal lives.

Screenshot of the two series currently on Netflix but is said to be gone soon

It is easy to identify or associate with one or more of the characters in the series. Perhaps my familiarity with Japan adds to my connection with the series and its characters. Midnight Diner is probably among my current top five together with Seinfeld, Frasier, For All Mankind, and Ted Lasso. Sadly, it is supposed to end its run on Netflix so I am rewatching the series maybe for the last time at least on this platform.

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Pasta or noodle sauce from Japan?

I was looking for some pepperoncino pasta sauce but the Japanese and other Asian stores do not carry or are out of stock. My brother checked out a store near his workplace that he said had a good selection of products from Japan and got me a couple of packs. One of them is this sauce packet from Yamasa. While it looks like tomato based meat sauce for pasta, it is actually for udon.

Sauce from Yamasa

Details on the sauce at the back. There is no English translation so I had to dig deep in trying to understand how this sauce was used and for what recipes.

The pasta came out to be on the spicy side. We used linguini instead of spaghetti. And no, we had no udon at home so we improvised with pasta as substitute for udon.

 

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Another unagi don at ABCT, Sakura Circle

Our daughter asked me what was my favorite Japanese food. I replied unagidon. Unagi, of course, is eel. I first ate this while in Japan and that was definitely a good meal. Unagi can be tricky and I've tried maybe twice in local restaurants with one being somewhat malansa while the other was overcooked. They also didn't get the sauce right. Fast forward to a lunch a ABCT's East Ridge branch and I found authentic and delicious unagi don. Since then, I've enjoyed this meal from time to time at their Sakura Circle branch (we don't go to East Ridge often and it is a bit far).

Unagi don at ABCT is prepared by a chef trained in Japan

I will definitely come back for more of this dish!

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Ippudo's Zero Ramen

We had a nice lunch at Ippudo a couple of weeks ago and the staff offered their Zero Ramen as an option as we were browsing their menu. This tuned out to be one of best ramen we've had.

A bowl of Ippudo's Zero Ramen was just perfect and satisfying for lunch.

The wife and I got one bowl each (bowls 6 and 7 of 20 they prepared).

The card reads: 

"A year before opening Ippudo in 1985, founder and "Ramen King" Shigami Kawahara crafted this rare ramen in Fukuoka, Japan.

Zero features our signature tonkotsu broth; authentic Hakata-style noodles; tender, slow-cooked salted chashu; green onions; ajikijurage; and sesame seeds. Experience the origins of Ippudo's #WorldFamousRamen with this flavor-packed bowl. 

Loud slurps encouraged."

As this is a limited edition ramen, I'm not sure we'll be able to enjoy this again soon. I hope they serve this again at least during their anniversaries.

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Mitsukoshi at BGC

Last weekend, we decided to have a staycation of sorts at our condo unit at the Uptown Parksuites. We took the opportunity to explore the Mitsukoshi that is just across from our building.

The mall or department store (it is what they call it if we were in Japan) is located just across from our building. We just couldn't cross in front of the condo so we had to walk to the corner to cross the street.

At the basement level are shops and restaurants including many (most actually) Japanese eating options. These are some of the options at the Itadaki Food Court at basement level 1.

There's a Key Coffee branch at the building. This one opens at 7AM so you can have your coffee fix or breakfast before heading to work or school particularly on weekdays. Key Coffee came to the Philippines later than its competitor in Japan, UCC Coffee, which had established several branches around the country already.

We had planned to eat dinner at Mendokoro Ramen but settled for food at the food court instead. Here's my ramen from Mitsuyado Sei Men.

 I am already looking forward to the next time I go there so I can try out other restaurants. There is a Fully Booked x Kinokuniya collab branch at the store as well as a branch of Muji. But there are other stores inside that I have yet to check out. Maybe later this month there will be an opportunity to hang out there.

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Hakata Ikkousha, Cebu City

In a recent trip to Cebu, I found this Japanese restaurant at one of the major malls located in the North reclamation area. I extended my stay in Cebu for a couple of nights in order to catch up on work as well as to serve as a panel member in a webinar organized by our center.

Menu cover

Restaurant interior including visuals for the food they serve

They seem to have a bar for individual customers though it also looks like something for a salad bar.

I ordered tonkotsu ramen and gyoza. These are items I thought restaurants should not be wrong on if they included these in their menu.

Close up of the ramen, which I thought was good considering I had no expectations.

The gyoza was also good and on the crunchy side.

I thought the food was okay quality and quantity-wise and the prices translated to good value for money. Will I eat there again? Certainly, if I was craving for Japanese food and depending on the preference of company. When in Cebu, of course, there are many options and Japanese food is not a default.

 

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Comfort food on a hot day (saved by heavy rains in the evening)

It rained last Friday. It was strong and long enough to cool our area after another sizzling day. The rains are welcome as the past weeks saw the mercury rise to heat wave levels. I would normally go for some comfort food to conclude the work week. It just so happened that it rained while we were picking up our daughter from Kumon so we decided to just eat out for dinner at one of our favorite places.

Our go to place in Antipolo for Japanese food are not the branches of chain restos found in the nearby mall but this restaurant/izakaya near the provincial capitol - ABCT.

Zaru soba is probably my all-time favorite. I actually like it slightly more than ramen. But that's just me.

Cold soba is definitely a treat for me on a hot day. I also like the cold somen but somehow I could not find this in the menus of most Japanese restaurants here. It's only in Japan that I have enjoyed somen as it is supposed to be prepared and eaten. Another food I like and first enjoyed in Japan during the summer is unagi (eel) usually as unadon. They have this at ABCT and I order it sometimes (sometimes only because it is expensive) and they always get it right. Their chefs were trained in Japan and they are very particular about their dishes being authentic. I already look forward to the next visit to ABCT.

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Dinner at Kimono Ken, Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas Avenue

We haven't eaten at a Kimono Ken (or a Sumo Sam) in a while. Of course, that's because there are a lot of Japanese restaurants to choose from and we have our favorites or preferences when it comes these restaurants. And there are no Kimono Ken branches near us so that's probably the most logical reason we haven't eaten here for a while. But there was one and the only Japanese option near The Medical City last weekend so we decided to have an early dinner there.

Table setting

The wife ordered shake don and miso soup

I ordered shake sushi

Pork gyoza to partner with my cold soba

Perhaps one of my favorites and usual order at a Japanese restaurant is

The food was good. The shake/salmon was excellent! We had a very satisfying meal at Kimono Ken. I would say that the prices also didn't hurt the pocket so there's value for money here.

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Melt in your mouth mochi

A close friend gave me some omiyage (souvenir) from his recent trip to Japan. It was a box of mochi from Osaka.

Cocoa, matcha (green tea), ichigo (strawberry) and milk-flavored mochi

Details on the mochi and the mochi variants inside the box

One pack contained 6 pieces of mochi

The two packs inside the box

The mochi was delightful as it was both soft and fluffy in texture. It was practically 'melt in your mouth' in softness and tasted great.

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Ramen Kuroda at SM Marikina

We've eaten at Ramen Kuroda before but I had not taken photos of previous meals there. I decided to take a few photos of our lunch to share these in this post. Here are three bowls we ordered for lunch and the additional tempura we had.

Shiro ramen

Kuro ramen

Aka ramen

Tempura

 

Ramen Kuroda serves good quality ramen at relatively more affordable prices than other ramen shops. This branch's facilities and service is straightforward and efficient. Nice for a quick, no frills meal to satisfy ramen or Japanese food cravings.

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