Someone once asked me, “What do you really love to do?”
“Eat. Try new food. Experience exciting flavors,” I replied without hesitation.
I often passed by a sleek ramen shop at Oakridge Business Park, but I never took the time to stop. However, one Sunday afternoon while grocery shopping, the sign caught my eye once again: “Yushoken.”
Neil, noticing my interest, asked, “Would you like to try it?”
“Absolutely!” I eagerly responded.
As we entered the ramen place…
a chorus of “Irasshaimase!” greeted us. The staff, dressed in sleek black uniforms, welcomed us in traditional Japanese fashion.
The open kitchen, a centerpiece of the restaurant, offered a glimpse into the meticulous ramen-making process. This clever touch added fun to the dining experience.
We found a cozy couch near the entrance and settled in. Being a Sunday afternoon, the restaurant was pleasantly quiet. The tastefully decorated interior, well-lit tables, and a concise menu hinted at the culinary delights to come.
I carefully studied the special paper placemat, seeking a familiar dish to order. Yushoken offered a tempting array of ramen:
- Tonkotsu Ramen: The classic, featuring a rich pork bone broth simmered for 14 hours, paired with freshly made wheat noodles, your choice of tare (a concentrated sauce that flavors the broth), and an array of toppings.
- Shio Ramen: Tonkotsu in its purest form, seasoned with a savory salt-based tare.
- TanTanMen: A creamy, nutty, and spicy delight with a sesame paste base, ground pork, chilis, and chili oil.
- Miso Ramen: A complex and flavorful blend of seven different miso varieties, requiring a little extra time to prepare but well worth the wait.
- Maze Soba: Noodles dressed with seasoning instead of soup, topped with various ingredients and a raw egg yolk. Choose from Shio, Shoyu, or Karai (spicy, with levels from mild to extreme).
With so many tantalizing options, choosing just one would be a challenge.
My eyes then caught sight of a mouthwatering starter: karaage! Neil, meanwhile, spotted “chahan” (fried rice) on the menu. Now, the tough part – choosing just one ramen flavor. But the decision was unanimous: TanTanMen. To round things out, we added a wild card – gyoza. We may not be the most adventurous eaters, but dumplings are our shared weakness.
So, our order was set: a plate of gyoza, karaage, chahan, and a steaming bowl of TanTanMen.
Ordering hot ramen in the middle of the day felt a bit unconventional. The idea of a freshly-boiled broth on a sweltering afternoon seemed counterintuitive, but there were no rules against it, right? Besides, the air conditioning inside would provide a welcome respite from the heat.
Here’s what we ordered!
Gyoza: These savory pan-fried dumplings are a universal crowd-pleaser. Yushoken’s version is a must-try. Who could resist such a tempting appetizer?
Karaage: This Japanese fried chicken is a textural masterpiece – crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Another irresistible appetizer!
Chahan: Of course, Filipinos can’t enjoy fried chicken without rice. It would be culinary blasphemy! So, we added a side of chahan, the Japanese version of fried rice.
Chahan is a Japanese fried rice dish prepared with rice as the primary ingredient and myriad additional ingredients and seasonings.
TanTanMen: This is where the main event comes in. The menu even includes instructions on how to properly slurp Yushoken’s ramen: eat it piping hot, never share a bowl, and use chopsticks only. I may have broken rules 1 and 2, but I can confidently declare that Yushoken’s TanTanMen is more flavorful than Hamakaze‘s (though Hamakaze wins when it comes to tsukemen).
Tantanmen, a spicy (not so much) noodle soup with bok choy, ground pork, and ramen chicken stock
This ramen chain takes the Japanese dining experience seriously, even printing a “Ramen 101” guide on every placemat. Visit Yushoken for yourself and discover your own favorite dish. Happy slurping!
Ramen Yushoken Cebu
Address: G/F Oakridge Business Park, 880 A. S. Fortuna St, Mandaue City, 6014
Opening Hours: 11AM – 11PM
Contact Info: +63 32 367 7017 (phone) | Facebook page
Reservations: Not accepted. | Dine-in only.
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