Ikkoryu Fukuoka ramen

A new ramen shop has opened just a few weeks ago at the new wing of Shangri-la shopping center at Edsa/Shaw crossing.

I happened upon it's initial opening day as I was checking out the new wing. I've eaten already on that day, but I surely made a point on checking their ramen.

They have a very decent ramen bowl. Like most new ramen shops that open these days they go for the rich pork broth kind. Such creamy rich pork soup that are derived from constantly boiling loads of pork bones have been the style found in Fukuoka. From other ramen blogs, it seems to be the preferred taste in Japan these days.

As I stated this shops ramen is sure very decent. It definitely satisfy  any one's ramen crave. The soup is milky and sweet with a clean taste. The toasted garlic and oil blends really well with it without giving any strong garlicky taste as most other soup tends to have.

The noodle are straight and thin. Picks the soup with it to every slurp. Very delicious and filling.

It's topped with some simple Chasu pork that are tender but nothing to write about, and hard-boiled eggs, the yolk is slightly over cooked than it should be but it's still ok.

Now the bad side. The pickled bamboo shots they used gives a rather unpleasant smell, that most costumers will notice. I pointed this out to the floor Manager, he said to me that it is problem and that they're still looking for a new supplier of pickled bamboo shoots. It's such a pity if they remove it from the bowl since I like Menma with my Tonkotsu bowl.

The Gyoza they had are pathetic and really sorry looking. It sure needs some Atlas work-out to get some meat into it. For now I'll just call it the Mac of gyoza, it's almost paper thin and ready to be blown away.

I find the interior decor rather interesting. The wooden panelings they had as dividers with some brush Kanji written on them kinda invoke some Japanese temple images that one see in their horror/supernatural movies or like an old-fashion wooden jail cells. I guess they're trying to emulate giant strands of noodles all over the place and the Kanji are like some secret family recipe written on those bamboo scrolls in the olden time. maybe.

I'll come back to it sometime just to see if they improve on their dish, here's hoping that they get better on their main menu and on their side dish.



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Le Ching tea house

Le Ching tea house shoppesville Greenhills.

Anyone who are familiar to Greenhills shopping center would certainly knew Le Ching tea house. It's been a mainstay of the place since who knows when.

Like most Chinese tea houses, you don't come here for the tea but for the food. But unlike the usual Yamcha menu that is synonymous to tea houses, Le ching is more a Noodle and Rice bowl establishment.

I've been dinning at it's restaurant since I was a kid. It was originally called "North Villa" or "South Villa", actually I quite forgot about it. I think there were two competing stores serving the same menu that over time they then merge into one entity. That's why there are are two independent stores inside Shoppesville. (Le ching 1 and Le ching 2) facing either ends of the mall.

Their Beef and Wonton noodles comes in these small bowl that's seem readily overflowing. It looks like a small dish but the noodle are tightly packed when served that one will find that they're a heaping helping of noodles when untangled.

The soup is salty and as much possible one shouldn't consume. It absorbs the yellow color and shrimp flavor of the thin Hong Kong style noodles. Just let it soak and heat up the noodles.

Eating these noodles remind of a scene from Jackie Chan's Drunken Master film.

When one eats at Le Ching one should order their Spare-rib rice. Much like a Burger is to Mcdonalds or the Gyudon to Yoshinoya, their spare-rice is Le Ching signature dish. That dish alone lays Le Ching's reputation. It's been touted by quite a few food reviewer as the best spare-rib rice in the country. Though such distinction is debatable, Le Ching's a good contender. I myself imagine that it's emergence in the mid- 80's brought about it's popularity to the menu of other small shop Chinese restaurants in the country.

Now mind you I've been eating this stuff for a long time, and even though my taste to it might be a little prejudiced, I've got to admit the quality of the dish sometimes varies from time to time, possibly from the temperament of the cook on that day.(the food are already pre-cooked off-site)

They sometimes use cheaper cuts meat instead of the tastier by the bone spare-ribs piece. And, the rice they use is isn't something to write about. Still when they got it all right, it's unbeatable as a satisfying hunger buster.






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Santouka Hokkaido Ramen

I was fortunate enough to be able go to Glorietta's new ramen shop Hokkaido ramen Santouka on it's opening day, last Thursday. The first 300 costumer gets a free ramen voucher, and I can assure you having tasted their bowl, I'll sure be back to cash it in for more ramen goodness.

I was told they're still in their "dry-mode", hence they haven't yet a full menu. Only their essential Ramen dishes are available for order.

From the shops name I gather that their specialty is those Miso ladden broth ramen with butter and corn, the usual image of a Hokkaido style ramen. The bowl I was serve is more Hakata style with it's distinctive rich and creamy pork broth.

Either way from their selection I ordered their Shio ramen instead. I wanted to judge their soup without the added element of soy sauce or miso  from the other types. I can say happily that my decision had been most rewarded.

The ramen is topped with two meaty slices of Chasu that seems to marinated in honey, giving that extra tangy and sweet taste like one finds at some Chinese asado barbecue. some chopped welsh onions, sesame seeds, naruto fish cake and slices of Kikurage mushrooms. It's a topped with a single fresh Umeboshi (pickled plum) giving it a nice color.

The noodles are the eggy  crinkly kind. The noodles are cooked just right and has a delightful chewy flavor. My complaint is that the texture of the noodles seems pretty rough to the lips, probably it was agitated to much in it's boiling. Still it is delicious.

The soup has a delightful rich and sweet creamy taste. Not salty or strong , very easy on the tongue but it's flavor still permeates fully with the noodles.

The place is quite cozy though a little tight for all the waiting costumers. note the use of large and heavy wooden furnishings. The service is prompt and  though a little chaotic, this I gather from being just starting run of the shop.

The price is a little steep for a bowl, but it's definitely worth it for every drop and waiting one goes through for a very filling and fulfilling dine. See you there.



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Mu Noodle Bar

Near the corner of Wilson ave. and P. Guevarra st. at San Juan, with it's distinctive bare wooden panel front design is Mu Noodle Bar.

Despite it trade specific name, a glance from their menu one can easily surmise that this is more of a standard Chinese cuisine restaurant than a noodle specific store. Nevertheless they seem to have some noodle dishes that one got to try.

I ordered their Miso ramen with thin noodles. The Ramen comes in this stone hot-pot bowls where they seem to cook the noodles. The broth is still actively boiling when it came to the table, which is quite promising for a group share dish.

It's pretty hot, best to get one's servings in another bowl than getting it straight from the bowl.

The 'Miso ramen' seems to be lacking in miso, the soup taste more distinctively Chinese than Japanese ramen with it's slices of radish and hints of ginger.  It's warm and refreshing flavour makes it a good broth, not Japanese but it still taste good just the same. The toppings are slices pork chasu with alfalfa sprouts and hard boiled egg.

The noodles are thin and straight. More like Saan mien than La-mien, so it tends to be starchy and soggy. I probably would recommend that you try the thick noodles if one is bothered with it being too soggy. The thin noodles suck up the light broth as it slowly cools down making it thicker in the process.

I've eaten here before during their initial opening months ago, I've commented how soggy their noodles are due the stone hot-pot bowl they use, which continually cooks the dish. I recommend that they try not to cook it much and just let it sit and simmer in it's pot when it's served.

They have the thin noodles now in the side and the costumer themselves add it to the bowl, so they can cook it themselves with how they like it done.

The ambiance of the place is cool and comfortable. With it's low light and simple stone and wooden furniture's, gives it a calming feeling without being too imposing.
 
Again, Mu noodle bar has some decent noodles but I would suggest that one try their Chinese entree dishes. Their Shrimp egg fu-yong is really good. 




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