Osaka's Hanamaruken Ramen now in Manila

Ramen, oh, ramen... you are taking the Philippines by storm! Ha! It's ramen here, there, and everywhere. Each noodle place is trying to capture the hearts of Filipinos by offering something new, unique. Hanamaruken Ramen, a popular restaurant in Osaka has opened its doors to the public since November 25, 2013.

Having 40 branches in Japan, the local owners of Hanamaruken Ramen definitely loved what they've eaten for them to bring it here in Manila. This new ramen plance is located at the alfresco side of TriNoma and has a sign board that you definitely won't miss. 

Inside the restaurant is a minor resemblance of the look and feel of some Osaka dining places. The lighting gives the place a warm ambiance, with wooden-polished tables and chairs to match the look. On one side is a glass window pane with displays of Japanese ornaments, and another side with Japanese words painted on the wall.

Depending on how many you are in a group, Hanamaruken Ramen has different sizes and types of tables and chairs. What's good about this restaurant is that it has plugs and sockets on the wall. I guess the owners brought their techie side on that seemingly minor (but major) restaurant feature.

The menu is pretty straight forward with just four sections: Ramen (6 choices ranging from Php280-Php480), Rice Bowls (5 choices ranging from Php140-Php250), Sides (4 choices ranging from Php120-Php220), and Drinks (2 choices at Php80). I like the fact that you don't have to think too much before being able to order.

As a starter, JR and I ordered a Hot Green Tea (Php80). It's actually written as "Iced" on the menu, but you can request it to be otherwise. The matcha green tea came in a half-filled transparent glass - it'll look full glass when served with ice. As mentioned in my previous posts, I'm not a green tea fan, but I never say "never". Guess what, I liked it! It's actually really good with just the right sweetness. Don't forget to stir it before drinking.

Since the Karaage (Php220) is not available, we opted to call for the Gyoza (Php150) instead. Our order came with 8 pieces of pan-fried dumplings with gyoza sauce and chili oil. It's best to mix both sauces for a bit of spice. Hanamaruken's gyoza reminds me of Osaka's version that's chewy and with just the right size.

Hanamaruken is known in Osaka for its Signature Happiness Ramen (Php480). What sets it apart from all other ramen places is its huge slab of slow-cooked pork ribs that's flavorful, tender and soft - a sign that it took hours of preparation to bring it to its texture and taste.

We also got to try the Pot Belly Ramen (Php380) that had big pieces of roasted pork belly. I love the fact that this restaurant appears to be generous in meat sizes if compared to other ramen establishments.

Both orders used shoyu tonkontsu broth soup base. As such, it was light and very classic with a bit of fatty taste. Good thing the meat was flavorful, which blended well with the soup. Every single sip of the soup gives warmth to the body, which is just great for a cool weather that we have now.

I'm the type of guy who likes my ramen rich with a lot of garlic. What Hanamaruken Ramen offers is not exactly that, but nevertheless a must-try for its tasty slow-cooked pork ribs and roasted pork belly.

For more information, visit their Facebook page or Twitter and Instagram @Hanamaruken_PH. 

Hanamaruken Ramen Philippines

2/F TriNoma Mall, North Ave. corner EDSA

(02) 720 9283 / (02) 628 1603

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New Year. New Beginnings. New Experiences.

Two weeks into the year of the horse, I've managed to clean up my desk, post new blog entries coming back from hiatus, work out more frequently, and leave the office earlier than usual. What I like about each new year is the hope that it gives to people like me to learn from my mistakes, acquire new experiences, and be a better person overall. 

So sorry for the pic! I was so engrossed listening and looking at her, I didn't notice there's someone's head down there! Haha!

Last Saturday, I got the chance to attend PJ and Alessandra Lanot's Visioneering and Chalk Typography Workshop hosted by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. PJ started the session by allowing us to think of the current achievements and future goals in life. Allow me to share some of the tips and realizations from him.

1. Recall your achievements in life. Think of what you have achieved, no matter how small it is, from the time you were born until today. This helps you realize how good you are and what blessings God has blessed you with. 

2. Plan your life two years from now. Each year, we have 12 months to strive hard and reach for our dreams - may it be for personal, relational or professional. Try listing down what your goals are two years from now. Putting your plans on paper makes you hold on to something and reminds you to keep on persevering.

3. List the things you need to do to achieve the goals. Our future plans are all nothing without acting upon it. We need to work hard for it, so we can reach our dreams. Write down what steps you need to take in order to achieve each of the goals you've written in number 2. 

4. Set a deadline for yourself. Deadlines are there for a reason. Doing things without a deadline may not push you to achieve your goals, because you'd think that there's forever to get what you want. Remember, each second in our life is precious. It's better to achieve more things while you're young and able, rather than be regretful when you become old and sickly.

5. Enjoy life, still. Having goals in life doesn't mean becoming too serious all the time. Have a balance of still having fun while maintaining hard work and perseverance. We always see YOLO, which stands for You Only Live Once. Yes, we do. So do you want to live it by being foolish or you want to live it with meaning and purpose?

The second part of the workshop was led by Alessandra, PJ's wife. She taught us the basic concepts of typography and how each of us can actually do it using chalk - think coffee shop boards with written menu. 

We had a cheat sheet of different fonts and styles, as well as banner designs. We used a compass, ruler, pencil, and colored chalks to write our own "signage" with quotes taken from our visoneering workshop earlier.

We were able to try it out ourselves and this is how mine ended up (pictured above) - very simple, looks like a work of art by an elementary student! I suck at art! Even stick people. LOL.

This entire workshop was inspired by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Giving Journal, which was actually illustrated by Alessandra herself. I don't usually use journals, but this one is really really nice! It's all about myself and how I can brew my life one day at a time. 

The Giving Journal is the first journal I appreciate the most. Apart from giving missions per month, it also has free coupons that I can use monthly for my CBTL orders. It does not only allow me to take notes on a daily basis, but also helps me think of how I can improve life for the better, one step at a time. Love it!!!

This 2014, let's all hope for a better life for you and me! Start writing down your achievements, goals, and deadlines today, so you can have the rest of the year simply crossing out items you've already reached. 

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New Serenitea Snacks and Low Sugar Pearls this 2014

I love Serenitea not just for its milk teas, but also for its yummy snacks that greatly complement each other. This 2014, Serenitea kicks off the new year by offering new snacks – an added variation to its well-loved chicken chops, corn on the cob, and more.

Who loves Serenitea’s Peppered Corn (Php60 for three sticks)? I do! It’s a great partner to my usual Hokkaido Milk Tea – sweet plus peppery equals happy tummy. But wait, check out the next pictures!

Serenitea decided to give the corn an upgrade with four new flavors at Php75 for three sticks per order. This time around, the roasted corn has been lightly battered and sprinkled with cheese and curry flavors, as pictured above. I like the cheese better, since the curry was quite strong for me.

They also have the seaweed flavor. I’m not fond of seaweeds, so I wasn’t able to taste this.

And finally, the wasabi flavored corn. While this flavored corn tastes delicious, be ready to wipe your nose and forehead as you start perspiring – like I did.

I’m sure you also like Serenitea’s Peppered Chicken Chops with basil leaves on the side (Php70). I usually match it with my favorite Taro Milk Tea. But hey, it has been upgraded too with three new variants at Php120 per order! Look!

This one’s called Formosa Chicken Chops (Php120), where it is topped with diced tomatoes and basil. The taste is very light, and is very much refreshing to the palette.

The second variant is called the Western Chicken Chops (Php120). With onion and mustard as its main toppings, the flavor turns out to be a bit sweet.

Want it hot? Try the third variant called the Thai Pepper Chicken Chops (Php120). It has tons of chili and garlic. Each piece of chicken chops gives a kick, but is surprisingly very yummy. I like this the best among the three, but I would still get the peppered one depending on my mood.

This may look a bit odd, but Serenitea’s Chix-on-Stix priced at Php85 for two pieces per order, is actually a good afternoon snack coupled with Okinawa Milk Tea or Wintermelon Milk Tea. Pictured above is the Italian flavored Chix-on-Stix with rosemary and herbs.

This next variant is deep fried chicken wings with Mexican spices. It’s actually skewered like that for easy eating. It makes sense, if you ask me. They also have the Oriental-flavored Chix-on-Stix, which is seasoned with cumin and spices.

Serenitea is also introducing a line of cakes available in Congressional and Shangri-la branches priced at Php100-135 per slice – these are Rainbow Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Chocolate Nutella Cake, Almond Matcha Cake, and a variety of Cheesecakes as well.

I got to try the Mango Cheesecake that has mango bits and syrup atop the creamy cheesecake. It wasn’t too sweet – a perfect cap after eating the snacks.

Though not a fan of matcha, I still tried the Almond Matcha Cake that combines the taste of almonds and green tea on a layered chiffon cake.

What’s more, Serenitea is also now offering Low Sugar Pearls as sinkers to our favorite Serenitea drink. Many people don’t know that standard pearl sinkers are usually cooked in sugar before they are added to a drink. With the new low sugar pearls, the texture and delight is still the same, but will lesser sweetness and lesser guilt!

Searenitea’s new snacks will be available in most branches in Metro this January 2014, and will be labeled as Captain Pepper, Serenitea’s food snack outlet located in Little Baguio, San Juan.

Meanwhile, Low Sugar Pearl sinkers are already available in all branches without any additional cost – just inform the staff when you order.

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Meat the Blends at 8cuts Burger Blends in Katipunan

Are you familiar with Burger Bar and Cue Modern Barbecue? You probably love their food like I do! The same owners of the said establishments have opened a new food brand that you should try – it’s called 8cuts Burger Blends located at the second floor of the rather new foodie/shopping place known as the UP Town Center in Katipunan.

One fine day, I went there with my friends LAg to check out the scene and try their food.

8cuts Burger Blends is brightly lit in the morning till afternoon thanks to the sunlight that naturally shines through the transparent window panes. The interiors are nothing fancy – on my right as I enter is the open kitchen that shows the on-the-spot preparation of orders as they come, and on my left are simple signs and symbols about the restaurant. The tables and chairs were mostly blue and orange, which are refreshing to the eyes.

You may ask, “What makes 8cuts Burger Blends unique from other burger brands?” Well, their patties are made from either 100% pure US beef, fresh NZ lamb or the happiest mushrooms out there. Patties are custom-blended and hand-pressed daily without any artificial additives.

The restaurant’s name, 8cuts Burger Blends, signifies the eight different cuts of a cow, namely Chuck, Rib Eye, Short Rib, Sirloin, Brisket, Hanger, Flank and Ox Tail. It also boasts of the five different custom patty blends such as House Blend, Beef Bomb, Steak Cut, Big Game, and Ox Blend.

We ordered a Boss Burger, which gave us the freedom to choose the type of bun, meat, sauce, and add-ons. Depending on the beef you choose, a burger will cost either Php190 or Php255. You can add cheeses, sauces, and other toppings for Php25 to Php50 each. There’s also an upgrade option to Go Lunch Box, which allows you to add Skinny Fries and Beer/Soda/Classic Shake for an additional Php90 to Php255.

For us, we got the Kaiser Bun (flower design) with Ox Blend (Flank and Ox Tail), added fresh red tomatoes, ketchup, and mayonnaise, barbecue aioli, crisp bacon strips and fried oyster mushroom tempura – a total of Php330.

From the first bite, we already knew that it was made from genuine beef. It was very tasty and juicy. In addition, the combination of the sauces we chose tasted great! I find the oyster tempura tasteless though, so the burger could’ve been a bit cheaper without it.

If customization is not your thing, 8cuts Burger Blends also has Classic and Tribute Burgers, which offers a wide variety of burger choices. Like the Boss Burger, it can also be upgraded to Go Lunch Box. You may also opt to get double patty, which comes with a minimal fee.

We ordered the Four Cheese burger (Php245). It’s a parmesan-crusted quarter-pounder with Beef Bomb (Chuck and Short Rib) patty, yellow cheddar, aged gruyere, mozzarella, arugula, and garlic aioli on a Sesame Seed Bun.

I liked how this burger tasted. The blend of chuck and short rib beef was awesome – not dry, very chewy, no fats. The mix of cheese on top of the patty gave the burger a hint of saltiness, but not too much.

Their Skinny Fries (Php45) can also be customized with toppings and sauces. For us, we added Sub-atomic Bacon and Cheese for Php70 and ordered a separate barbecue jalapeno & mozzarella for Php90. There’s nothing spectacular about it, but it was okay.

Draft Beer Battered Fish & Chips (Php190) came in three big pieces with a good portion of fries. We could taste the beer flavor of the fish, which was complemented by the green lemon mayo dip. It can be improve though, since the fish can taste a bit bland without the dip.

The Golden Cheddar Mozzarella Sticks (Php225) with five pieces of sticks filled with yellow cheddar and mozzarella cheeses are best eaten with the marinara sauce. Eat it while it’s hot!

We super love the Onion Rings (Php65), which was topped with barbecue flavor. As compared to others that had small onion wrapped on huge batter, 8cuts’ version was the opposite. It really tasted very good as it is, the garlic aioli dip that came with it also have it a different twist.

Another big hit for us was the Good ‘ol Hot Fried Wings (Php285) that came with 8-glazed pieces of chicken wings. Unlike others, the great taste doesn’t end in the skin, but also in the meat itself. You don’t have to worry, because it isn’t too spicy that will make you sweat. Matched with the ranch sauce, the taste is perfect! Our favorite!

For drinks, we got a Salted Caramel Classic Shake (Php150 for 120oz. and Php180 for 16oz.), a combination of Nutella and Speculoos Cookie Butter called Nutelloos Leveled-up Shake (Php220 for 120oz. and Php295 for 16oz.), and a Red Velvet Caked Shake (Php220 for 120oz. and Php295 for 16oz.). We found the shakes really delicious and creamy, but not too sweet - just perfect! 

Finally, we had the Molten Chocolate Bottoms (Php135) and the Blueberry Cheesecake (Php135) for dessert. It came in a jar with moist hot chocolate cake, chocolate bits, ice cream, whipped cream, crushed cookies, cheesecake, and syrups. These desserts were a great cap after a filling lunch of burgers, fries, and wings.

If burgers are your thing, I highly recommend you try 8cuts Burger Blends at the UP Town Center in Katipunan. You can easily see it from the parking lot beside it. Each meal may cost an average of Php300 per person.

For more information, you can visit their Facebook page here. You can also tweet them @8cutsburger or post your pictures on Instagram @8cutsBurgerBlends with #MeatOurBlends

8cuts Burger Blends

2F UP Town Center, Katipunan

Mondays to Sundays 11AM-11PM

(0917)8182139 / (02)9552264

Images were taken by my friend AGC.

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