Someone once asked me, “what is it that you really like to do?”

“Eat. Try new food. Experience exciting flavors.“

I used to pass by a fancy-looking ramen shop at Oakridge Business Park but never bothered to stop. Yet one Sunday afternoon while we were out grocery shopping,  I read the sign yet again, “Yushoken”.

Neil asked if I’d like to give it a try.

“Sure!” was my prompt reply.

As we entered the ramen place…

“Irasshaimase!” The staff in black uniforms said in unison. You would have guessed that meant “welcome” or “come in”.

Visitors get a peek into the ramen-making process because the kitchen is located at the center of the restaurant. Good thinking.

Scanning the room, we found an available couch near the door. It was 2pm on a Sunday so there weren’t a lot of customers.

Tasteful interior. Well-lit tables. A checklist of a menu. This must be good.

I spent some time studying the special paper place mat, trying to look for a familiar Japanese dish I could order.

Then I noticed a yummy starter: karaage! Neil also spotted ‘rice’ or ‘chahan’ on the menu. Then we had to decide on only one ramen flavor. The vote was unanimous: tantanmen. We then added a wild card: gyoza. Not that adventurous but we both love dumplings.

So we settled with a plate of gyoza, karaage, and chahan plus a big bowl of tantan-men.

It didn’t seem right to order a hot ramen soup on a mid-day. A newly-boiled broth on a sultry day would make a sticky weather even worse.

But there are no rules (or so we thought). Plus there’s air conditioning inside.

Here’s what we ordered!

Dumplings are internationally famous. Yushoken offers it as a starter. Who could resist this beauty, really?

Gyoza, savory Pan-fried Japanese style dumplings

The crispiness of this chicken karaage is really just a mask for the juicy chunks inside. Yes, it’s also an appetizer.

Karaage, a Japanese fried chicken which is crispy on the outside while tender and juicy on the inside

But Pinoys, of course, couldn’t eat fried chicken without rice. It’s like betrayal. Hence, chahan.

Chahan, a Japanese fried rice dish prepared with rice as a primary ingredient and myriad additional ingredients and seasonings.

There’s a printed instruction on how to properly slurp Yushoken’s ramen. (1) Eat it while it’s piping hot; (2) Never share a bowl with your dining companion; and (3) Only use chopsticks. But I violated rules 1 and 2. I can say this with confidence: Yushoken’s tantanmen is more delicious than Hamakaze’s. (When it comes to tsukemen or ‘dipping noodles’, though, Hamakaze wins.)

 Tantanmen, a spicy (not so much) noodle soup with bok choy, ground pork, and ramen chicken stock

This ramen chain is so serious about eating the Japanese way that it prints a “Ramen 101” on every paper placemat. See the place for yourself and tell me what you enjoy most about it. Slurp away!

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.