Ted's oldtimer Lapaz batchoy

Ted's Lapaz batchoy is said to be the authentic Lapaz batchoy, if we'll believe the write-up of their advert poster. Then again the owner is said to be one of these so called originator of this local noodle soup, whether that has any substance to it's claim is still debatable.

To those unfamiliar to the dish, La paz batchoy is a Pilipino noodle soup dish that had it's roots in Lapaz dist. Iloilo city, mid-south of  the Philipines. It's a bowl of pork and beef broth with fresh egg noodles, topped with chopped pork meat, liver, offals and crispy toasted garlic and pork cracklings.

I usually partake a small bowl of batchoy when I had a little hungry pang for some lite meal of noodle soup. I ate this one at SM Mega-mall's food court.
 
I've never consider Lapaz batchoy as a full dish in itself. I treat it as something between a snack and a lite meal. Comfort food that one partakes usually at street food stalls when one is on his way to school/work. A lot of us Filipinos also take it as a side soup dish along with a main entree.

Now Ted's Batchoy is not something spectacular or even memorable, but it has all the basic essentials of a bowl Lapaz Batchoy that we've grown to used. Reminds me of those really old fashion ramen bars in Tokyo, their bowls unadorned and basically simple.

Their soup hearty but not salty, unlike other Batchoys being sold around. The noodle is partly dry fresh egg noodle that suits the dish strangely well. Using fresh Cantonese style noodles like one used in ramen seems, to me, is not that suited to this fatty pork laden soup. The salt semi-dry noodle strength is in it's inability to absorb the soup into it, making it's taste separate and texture distinct from the soup. It's like having two meals at one. Such idea to a noodle soup bowl is blasphemy to true Ramen lover, but to La paz Batchoy it works unusually quite well. 



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Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss - ramen shop

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss is one those new Ramen specialty shops that have been popping around the city. There had always been numerous Japanese food restaurants in the country for years. There are those catering to hi-end expensive ones and there those oh so dozens of Japanese fast-food chains with cheap good eats. Most of these had the standard menu with various popular Japanese food like Sushi, Tempura and Teriyaki meat dishes. Dishes that the Filipino palate found comforting that most have been taken in and absorbed to the Filipino cuisine, much like Chinese foods.

Ramen are available in these standard restaurants, but their quality tend to be much to be desired, some can't even hold against to instant ramen. Nowadays with these Ramen specialty stores coming out, Filipinos are slowly being reared to the rich ramen culture that is prevalent in Japan. Each of these store vying  for the Filipino market with each trying to present the real "authentic" Ramen taste.

I ordered a Shoyu ramen as sort of test case comparative menu, since Shoyu is the most common ramen type in Tokyo.

The soup is quite clear and clean, with a very respectable taste. Though the soy sauce base they use makes it quite pungent. The bamboo shoots they used isn't pickled right that it is soggy to bite and it's odor, though not unpleasant, conflicted with the broth.

The noodles are made in-house, that they are fresh and are cooked just right. Straight and smooth, they have that nice chewiness. I can't taste the wheat flavor that much but they go really well in soup that they get soaked on. Again there is a problem with the odor. The smell of kansui is slightly noticeable, especially to ramen connoisseur.  Perhaps letting the fresh noodles rest a lot longer before cooking will help remedy it.

Overall, they still have a very good bowl as a start. It is rather cheap than most specialty Ramen store. I sure would like to try their other menu.

I also ordered a plate of Gyoza. Again they're fresh with good filling. It's pan-fried with sesame oil like those done in Japan.


The shop is bright and had that nice modern minimalist design to give Japanese air, with that straight flat wooden benches and utilitarian setup. The Shop is partly self-service. that is you order in the counter that is right by the door, with the help of that large menu plastered besides it. The food will be served to your table by the staff.

 I should point out that this is specifically a Japanese Noodle shop, so it's not just ramen that they specialize but also Udon and Soba.

 The restaurant is quite close to the Studio that I'm connected to, so it is a must that I should try it.I ordered the Shoyu ramen as a trail order. It's not they're specialty ramen flavour so I must return to try their other dishes. I have high hopes for this store. I'll post on the other ramen, udon and soba when I got around to trying them.

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Moshi Koshi noodle boss
Shaw Blvd cor Ideal st, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

Konbini Store - ramen shop and Japanese grocery

Konbini Store is an aptly named Japanese products grocery that is conveniently located  just a few minutes walk from Greenhills shopping center and much closer to other Japanese themed restaurants in Connecticut st.

As stated, the place is were one can buy essential Japanese food product. From instant ramen to real Wagyu beef, you can buy it here for any Japanese expats to local Japanophile who wanted some real cool products from the Land of the rising sun.

The store has in it's corner a dinning area that one can order delicious Japanese food. Their specialty is their Ramen and fried chicken. I haven't tried they're chicken yet, but it is very popular to most eaters that I'll it make a point to try them sometime.

I ordered there their Chasu tonkatsu ramen and gyoza combo. For a grocery they do serve a very decent ramen. The noodles, straight thin variety, are not in-house made but are fresh and has good chewy texture with a right neutral taste.

It goes really well the Tonkatsu soup broth. The broth itself has that clean but tasty flavor that is ideal for that pork based soup. It has the right thickness but never being too heavy or fatty on the mouth, nor is it heavily seasoned or salty. The combination makes a very refreshing noodle soup that ones yearn on a rainy cold night.

 
My toppings consist of extra pork chasu that are thinly sliced lean cuts of pork. The hard-boiled egg is rightly half-cooked, though not stewed. The use of light green leeks and roasted sesame accent the dish quite well.


The shops gyoza are quite good and are freshly cooked. To local shoppers will find the products on display as being quite pricey for  even for imported items, but the price for the food being served in the store's restaurant is quite reasonable and and of very good authentic quality.

I quite recommend this store to any ramen enthusiast or to those who definitely want to have that little Japanese experience without leaving the county.




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Konbini store - ramen shop
Connecticut St, San Juan, Philippines

Ramen Bar - ramen restaurant

Ramen Bar in Eastwood mall Libis is one these new chic' looking place that tries to cater to the local populace with authentic Ramen experience.

I've eaten there a couple times and I must say they do serve a very decent bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen. When I first tried it is rather of flavorful and yet subtle in it's taste. More recently though their Shoyu ramen (it say shoyu flavor but it is more tonkotsu style) taste a little tepid and lacks character. The pork slices is tender and very tasty. They use too much of the green part of the leeks, giving it a little bitter taste that is rather too cumbersome.

The serving is slightly adequate, if you get my meaning, and the price is higher than average. Not that surprising for the location it is in. There is also a service charge that I should note, besides the menu price.

I also ordered a plate of their Fried Rice. It is good companion with the Ramen or their Gyoza, except they use too much garlic, making it more fitting for a Tapsilog companion than to a standalone Japanese meal of Chahan.

Ramen Bar is a very easy and comfortable place. The place is not that big so it could get crowded easily. It is is a cool place to have a good bowl and a cozy ambiance to sit to in a very convenient place to walk about, probably enough to make up for the price.


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Ramen Bar

Eastwood mall, Eastwood City, Barangay Libis Quezon City, Philippines.

Ramen Cool - ramen restaurant

I was driving from Pioneer st. Mandaluyong on my to Ortigas center when I noticed this brightly lit, well furnished new Ramen style restaurant called Ramen Cool. It looks like a nice place, so I got try it.

I checked their menu and It's very reasonably priced. It's a good place to take your friends or your girl to for some nice Japanese meal without blowing your budget.


I ordered Shoyu Ramen as a trial base. The serving is of the Japanese standard portion. You can order extra toppings and noodles.



It is a filling and hearty meal, something you can find in some standard Japanese shops in Tokyo, Nothing special. The Chasu barbeque pork is of the lean meat variety, its more boiled than roasted, lacks the layers of fat to make it tender and flavorful.

The noodles, though not home made, is smooth and has a nice texture. The pork base soup lacks punch and owes a lot to the soy sauce than the base broth for flavor. Wish it could come much hotter also.

I also ordered an order of pork fried rice. Definitely much better than most fast-food Japanese restaurants. Very filling with lots of meat in it. It's tastes is not diluted like your standard fried rice and it can be eaten by itself without any added entree.




Overall, Ramen Cool is a good place to try out some authentic Japanese fare. The price is cheap and portions are good and the service is prompt. I'll most definitely come back to check out on how the place's progress will turn out.


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Ramen Cool
#25 East Capitol Drive
Kapitolyo, Pasig city, M.M.