My Happiness in Eating Hakata Ramen at Ippudo

It has been months since I’ve been in Osaka but I am still basking in the high of having gone to Japan and returning in one piece. One of the masterpieces that I tasted there was not a native Osaka dish but still one of the best in Japan.

Hakata ramen claimed its fame in the late 80s as it was  a fresh vibrant flavor for Japanese ramen. One of pillars of Hakata ramen is a shop called Ippudo who greeted me with a sign that eagerly awaited the happiness I’ll feel when I eat their ramen.

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Off to Osaka!

Hey lovelies!

Not sure if people are tracking but yes, I shall be going to Osaka in a few hours or so and it will be quite an experience noodling around the area.

Yes! Can you believe it? More and more noodles to eat and consume and yes! Strange foods, I has it! <3 Don't worry. I will be prompt in posting for my blog since unlike my recent travels, I'm more online than ever! I hope. See you folks! o/

An Artist in Le Petit Artisan

Nothing entices my nose more than the smell of something really fragrant. Usually I’m drawn by the scent of broths or grilled meat but this time I’m drawn by the warm scent of bread baking inside an oven. Usually I’d get these cravings when I pass by old pandesal shops in our area. Hence, I found it strange that I was drifting towards a little outside the row of restaurants in Greenbelt 5. The shop’s name was Le Petit Artisan, a humble yet proud name for some of the best French breads in Manila.

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Keeping warm with Tantanmen

When it rains like this, I say, it’s about time I talk about noodles, again.

See, nothing else warms me up on a really cold and damp day other than a hot bowl of noodles. And it’s not just hot noodles. It’s got to be the soupy kind. The kind where the broth lines your throat with its yummy goodness and it’s got more than just its temperature to keep you warm. So it’s not just the heat we’re talking here. It’s also about the spiciness. And when spice is concerned, currently, I’m dreaming of nothing but Maruchan’s Tantanmen.

Served with a thick spicy pork broth, tantanmen is smothered in chili and sesame oil with some ground beef, maybe spring onions and egg on top. I’m honestly drooling by just narrating those ingredients down and I think my stomach is protesting on why I’m not eating this noodle dish right now ((Honestly, I’m just lazy)).

The flavor is close to curry because of the intense flavor and spiciness of the broth. But I know as much that it’s not exactly like curry because it doesn’t have curry in it. At most, the flavor of the pork broth melding with the beef, noodles, and spring onions is divine. There’s a balance in the heat and the spiciness and the noodles serves as a perfect medium to take in all those flavors in a bite or a slurp.

It’s perfect for this kind of weather. The kind of comfort food that warms your gut and even helps you break a sweat.

Tantanmen costs around Php260 in Maruchan ramen. And now that the weather seems to settle a little more, I think I’ll grab my keys and get myself another bowl of tantanmen. Maybe even add menma to my noodles. I’m sure that bowl will keep me warm for an entire night.

Restaurant Tip

Maruchan Dining
2282 Chino Roces, Makati City
Just across Makati Cinema Square and Little Tokyo.

Morning Taho

I was a little more than amused today. Getting my body clock right on track (trust me, it hasn’t been easy lately) got me to hear that familiar call from my childhood.

“TAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~~”

It’s been a while since I’ve heard this. And just like the time when I was a kid, I ran downstairs, grabbed a mug and asked the guy to fill up my mug with some nice warm taho. I must admit that I always find it mouthwatering and exciting to see the taho guy fill up the cup with taho to the cup’s rim, sprinkle some sago and douse the white globs with rich caramel sauce. The most fun part is asking for the dagdag for the sago and the caramel.

It’s been a while, but I say, having taho in the morning is awesome.

In the Mood for Crabs

Happy New Year, folks! I hope you guys had a great new year. Mine was relatively quiet, matched with a glass of champagne.

Anyway, I’m here to share with you one of the things that I love about the year that has passed, Emerald Garden’s Sesame crabs. The crabs was introduced to me by a friend a couple of years back and I’ve been longing to eat it ever since.

The crab is cooked simply, seasoned only with some salt and sesame oil. What I love about it is how the shell has this lingering saltiness that permeates to the flesh inside. I love how even my fingers taste like the crab when I give it a lick. My favorite part is the crab fat under the shell. It’s fried to a crisp and it’s strangely light to taste buds. So far, I haven’t felt my heart wrenching after eating the crab.

It’s such an amazing crab that I long to eat it every time I’m in Emerald Garden. It’s a little costly, costing around 800/crab, but the crab is big enough to feed a group of 4.

Next time you pop by Emerald Garden along Roxas Boulevard, make sure to order some Sesame Crabs!

Restaurant Tip

Emerald Garden
1170 Roxas Boulevard, Manila.
Just across the US Embassy.

7100 tastes at Bistro Filipino

Lapulapu and prawns in coco-lambanog sauce

This season’s a great time to experiment with different kinds of cuisine, but a recent experience in Bistro Filipino taught me that if you have 7100 islands to get different flavors to get from, wouldn’t it be best to experiment with our local cuisine?

At Bistro Filipino, chefs Rolando Laudico, Myrna Segismundo, and Jill Sandique showed us the 7100 different flavors that we can taste.

See the 7100 flavors the chefs have prepared for us!