Ramen Cool
25 East Kapitolyo Drive corner West Kapitolyo Drive
Kapitolyo, Pasig
Tel. No. 636-0972
Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

A new neighborhood hub for ramen bowls. Click for more.

(SPOT.ph) Serving up hot simmering Japanese ramen favorites amidst interiors decorated with Japanese cherry blossoms is Ramen Cool in Kapitolyo, Pasig.

The brainchild of husband-and-wife team, Harvard and Rina Yu, Ramen Cool is the newest neighborhood hub where old Japanese favorites are given a cool, new twist. Liempo in ramen? Their signature ramen dish, Pork Shoyuramen (P160) has specially marinated, thinly sliced and incredibly tender liempo set in a clear broth made from chicken and pork stock, mixed in with seaweed and Ramen Cool’s homemade noodles.

Another signature ramen dish, the Salmon Miso Ramen (P320), is good enough for two: the bowl of rich miso soup is filled with soft tofu, bits of salmon meat, seaweed, and spring onions topped with a thick slab of seared salmon. Salmon can be found in other dishes on the Ramen Cool menu in various forms, but always in generous amounts.

“There are so many parts of salmon that can be used to add flavor and not just add meat and filling,” explains Harvard. The Salmon Fried Rice stands out in the Ramen Cool menu, sitting beside the usual fried rice fare. Flavored and filled with salmon meat and vegetables, the Salmon Fried Rice is a deliciously filling meal in itself. And then there is the Salmon Freedom (P235): a sliver of salmon is wrapped around Japanese rice, cream cheese, and cucumber, then topped with salmon skin fried to thin, crisp perfection.

California maki lovers won’t feel left out and will surely appreciate a dish that was made with them in mind. California Love Maki (P195) has a double serving of mango, crabstick and mayonnaise—all the good stuff—on top and squished inside the Japanese rice.

And for washing all this down, there are various types of fruit-flavored iced tea. Best-selling thirst quenchers include the Orange Burst Ice Tea (P85) and Cool Mango Ice Tea (P90). But if you must try only one drink, make it the Iced Matcha (P130), a green tea that is topped with a dollop of soft-serve ice cream, with a consistency playing between an iced tea and a thicker drink like a frappuccino--this drink is oh, so good.

Save space for dessert: post-meal choices at Ramen Cool skew towards satisfying simple treats like their classic vanilla soft-serve ice cream topped with your choice of crushed Choc Nut or black sesame. Dig your spoon in as deep as you can into the ice cream to pick up the chewy pieces from the surprise found at the bottom: a soft sweet potato cookie! Ramen Cool likes turning the usual ramen dining experience into something deliciously new and surprising.

Photos by Ana Santos