This ramen bar serves double the umami
In my favorite movie about ramen, Tampopo, the mark of an exceptional ramen is that — once you finish the noodles and all the other ingredients — the soup broth is so good that you drink it down to the last drop, straight from the bowl.
I was reminded of that movie when I ate at Tongara Ramen, which opened its flagship branch at Estancia Mall in Pasig last week. What sets Tongara apart from other ramen joints is its soup base, a mixture of tonkotsu (pork bone) and torigara (chicken bone) broths, from which Tongara derives its name.
A Japanese franchise, Tongara was initially brought to Cebu by a couple who discovered it in Japan. “The story behind that is (they) were having a family trip in Tokyo 10 years ago almost, and they stumbled upon Makoto’s ramen shop in Shinjuku,” recalls Vinch Cuevas, one of Tongara’s managing partners.
Chef Makoto Okazaki is the founder, a Japanese architect who found his true calling in creating a ramen that’s good to the last drop. “I started my ramen shop because I simply like ramen,” Okazaki has said. “Ramen is special because it is ‘difficult.’ The process itself is easy; however, the taste would always turn out different even if you use the same ingredients. The aim is to achieve consistency and perfection — the taste, that is. That’s why ramen is special.”
Cuevas tells us that Okazaki’s ramen bar in Japan is not called Tongara Ramen. “His dish is called Tongara Ramen, but his store is Mententen Shinjuku.” Cuevas’ Cebu partners instantly fell in love with Okazaki’s ramen. “It was a unique taste to them.”
While most ramen bars use either pork-bone broth (tonkotsu) or chicken-bone broth (torigara or paitan), Tongara is the only one in the Philippines that blends both, and it’s a flavor experience not to be missed. But more on that later.
“The broth is uniquely chef Makoto’s,” notes Cuevas. “It took a long time developing it before he opened a shop in Japan, where he just has that one shop in Shinjuku, Tokyo. He still makes everything from scratch; the broth is made for hours. The Tare, which is a secret sauce in each ramen dish — we have it shipped from him all the way here. He still makes it up to today.”
Cuevas and his partners brought Tongara to Metro Manila in 2018, opening in Marikina, but now they’ve closed that branch to focus on this 60-seat flagship in Estancia.
“We’re happy to be here closer to the center of the city,” Cuevas says. “The challenge of Marikina was bringing people there; it was a bit far.”
For first timers, Cuevas recommends their signature Tongara Ramen (P460). If you like it spicier, try the Tantan Ramen (P645). Side dishes like gyoza, chicken karaage (P230 each) and ebi tempura (P340) are served family-style and made for sharing.
For those not in the mood for ramen, Tongara offers rice bowls like Gyudon (sukiyaki beef with an onsen egg, P380), Katsudon (a breaded pork cutlet with egg, P350), Oyakudon (chicken simmered with egg and scallions, P350), and Chashudon (braised pork belly with ajitama, a soft-boiled egg marinated in sweet soy sauce, P350).
As a pescatarian, I wanted to order the Seafood Ramen (P475), but Tongara serves it with the meat-based broth. Though Cuevas says pescatarians can opt for the kelp-based shoyu broth and switch the chashu pork for shrimp, I secretly wished they would have a shoyu version of their seafood ramen.
Scott had the signature Tongara Ramen, and said the soup was a different level of tasty. Basically, mixing the pork and chicken broths ups the umami twofold, and you get different flavor nuances in the creamy soup that is addictive.
As in Tampopo, after consuming the noodles, tender chashu pork belly and menma (fermented bamboo shoots), you’ll want to finish by slurping every drop of the soup down Japanese-style. I can’t think of a better endorsement than that.
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Tongara Ramen is located on the 3F of Estancia Mall’s East Wing, Capitol Commons, Pasig City.
