DIY Ramen at Ramen Nagi

Just yesterday, I blogged about the latest pizza craze, Project Pie. Little did I know that hours after having written that, I would experience yet another DIY kind of restaurant.

After Italian cuisine, I would have to say that Japanese cuisine is my second favorite. And these past two or so years, I've increasingly become a fan of ramen. Maybe because there are noodles involved (my all-time favorite source of carbs!).

Or maybe — if I were to attempt to articulate why people love ramen in a nutshell — because of that delicate balance of soft handmade noodles, its rich and flavorful broth, and those melt-in-your mouth pork belly strips.

So when the opportunity came to try Ramen Nagi (the latest ramen restaurant to set foot in Manila), I was one of the first to jump for joy.

My colleagues and I had lunch there yesterday and the first things we were given were these.

Choices, choices!

I went for their basic ramen first, because I prefer to order shoyu (soy-based) or tonkotsu (pork broth) whenever I try out a new ramen restaurant. So I ordered their Butao King.

This was how my order sheet looked like. (Tip: use the red crayon given to you by the entrance. Apparently, the ramen master/s only accept/s orders if you use the red crayon. I don't know why.)

I didn't want to go overboard in terms of flavor and richness (after remembering what my friend Carina mentioned in her blog). My strategy was to play it relatively safe so I'll know what to order the next time I go back.

We were a group of 14, so I could only imagine how stressful it would be to manage our different order preferences (plus the rest of the diners').

You may have to do a bit of waiting outside of the resto. It gets packed quickly, being the new "kid in town", so to speak.

After 10 minutes, we were led inside. The first thing I noticed were the different ramen "cooks" working on the orders behind these brick counters that served to separate the kitchen from the rest of the place.

You get a casual but cozy vibe in the restaurant. Different Japanese touches, such as banners and plates, give a traditional spin to otherwise pretty funky, modern-looking interiors.

Surprisingly, despite how many people they had to serve, our orders came out quickly. Score for Ramen Nagi!

Here's what my Butao King (PhP 390) looked like. I was very happy with my order. Since I went the "light" route, I was able to savor the subtle richness of the broth. Plus, I loved how juicy and flavorful the pork belly cuts were. Oishi!

Tess chose the Red King ramen (PhP 410), which is chili-based. You can choose the level of spiciness that you want, and hers was on the milder side. That way, she could enjoy that kick of chili without setting her tongue on fire.

Isa chose the Green King ramen (PhP 410), which is supposedly their gourmet ramen. I'm not sure what the base of the broth is (tonkotsu, if I may venture a guess), but it's topped with basil and cheese. Sound familiar? It tasted like Pesto x Ramen Noodles, somewhat.

Sanya chose the Black King ramen (PhP 410), which is squid ink mixed with a garlicky tonkotsu broth. She added some spice to it, which made her give up two-thirds of the way. Make sure to wipe off all of the black broth around your mouth and teeth (!) before you go!

Everyone else ordered variations of these four basic types of ramen.

The thing about DIY-ing your food is this: either you'll love it, meaning you chose well; or you'll hate it, because you had no idea what you were getting yourself into.

I'm glad to say, though, that everyone was very happy with their orders. Which is saying a lot, since some of us are serious ramenholics (I'm part of this cluster), some are lukewarm about it, and a few don't really care.

The next time I go back, I'll try the Red King ramen. And this time, go overboard in terms of richness of the broth and sauce.

I'm glad that the Philippines has added another authentic ramen franchise from Tokyo to its list (its Hong Kong counterpart, Butao, sees people lining up in droves). I wonder what's next.

Thank you for lunch, Kat!

Photo from Joven.

Ramen Nagi Manila

5/F SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway,
McKinley Hill, Taguig

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