MANILA, Philippines - People put the “amen” in “ramen” this year — and for reasons past the hype. Whether it was shio, shoyu, or miso-based, ramens of all broths and bowl sizes were slurped anywhere by anyone, possibly even posing a threat to La Paz Batchoy as a Filipino food staple. Local ramen was always actually just around most corners, but went unnoticed due to our fondness for rice. Thanks to overall quality and word of (blogger’s) mouth, several ramen restaurants now enjoy a recent resurgence.
Newcomers like Nomama Artisanal Ramen, Ramen Bar, Kenji Tei, and Kokoro Ramenya only add fuel to this crazy noodle forest fire. But some classics are hard to beat, as proven by Ukkokei Ramen Ron’s Tantanmen. A spicy, creamy miso broth made with ground sesame paste and ground pork topped with a soft-boiled egg, this special ramen only gets dished out 10 times a day, the exclusivity of which supplies the bowl’s real kick. But while Ukkokei fans will remain Ukkokei fans, they can’t seem to disapprove of other veterans like Shinjuku Ramen House for its pork curry ramen and Izakaya Nihonbashitei for its Ankake ramen. At the rate we’re endorsing ramen, it’s only a matter of time before someone opens up a ramen school or something to that effect.
#2 Everyone’s a ramen nazi
Everywhere we slurp: Ramen Bar is just one of the many ramen joints that joined the noodle craze this year. Slurp on, bro.