Ramen Keisuke Brings Their Tori King Bowls Closer to the North

Ramen Keisuke Tori King (Second branch)
G/F Fame Mall, EDSA corner Mayflower Street, Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily 

(SPOT.ph) Ramen spots are aplenty in noodle-loving Metro Manila. What's few and far between are actual, honest-to-goodness, quality bowls of the Japanese dish. Call us snobs but not all can be said to be authentic, or at least, reminiscient to what you'd get in the Land of the Rising Sun. Unless, of course, you're at Ramen Keisuke Tori King. This little spot in BGC opened up in early 2020, the first in the Philippines of this popular chain from Japan with branches in Singapore, too, and arguably one of the few in the Metro that shine the light on chicken ramen. 

If you feel like the North's been missing out, we say hard same, which is why we're here to celebrate Ramen Keisuke's second branch in the country which opened up on Thursday, December 15. They opened up a new spot at the Fame Mall in Mandaluyong City, bringing their rich bowls of ramen a little closer. 

Also read: Chicken Is the Star at the Newest Ramen Joint in BGC

Ramen Keisuke Tori King opens up a second branch in Mandaluyong City

You can spot Keisuke right by the entrance of the mall; the wooden wall on one side that looks a lot like Japanese woodwork is hard to miss. Step right in and you'll notice the wider space this has compared to their OG BGC shop. There are tables for large groups, another large table you can share with fellow diners, and even bar seating from which you can watch your bowl being made. 

And yes, this branch is covered in the same vintage posters that adorn the first one. The retro feel makes for a great setting in which to slurp on steaming ramen. Think comfort and nostalgia filling all your senses.  

Tori King, of course, remains king at the new shop. Their menu has pretty much stayed the same, except for a few rice bowls that are exclusive to this new spot. Before we get to that, though, allow us to pay our respects. The Original Tori King Rich Soup (P400) is still our go to when in need of a reminder of the good things in the world. As always, practically all elements are made from scratch—the broth is made via an hours-long process, noodles are handmade, and the meats boiled, grilled, roasted, and more. No shortcuts here, and recipes pass through the team behind the ramen shops abroad, as founded by Keisuke Takeda.

Not to be missed is a seasonal bowl that adds in a new layer to their Tori King: the Crab Ramen (P590 for a basic bowl, P750 for a special with even more toppings). This bowl takes Keisuke's original award-winning broth and ups the ante via fresh crabs. Thanks to us being in the Philippines, Keisuke's local branches are able to use fresh crab to make a broth that's both creamy and clean. So think of a rich chicken soup given new depth by the taste of crab; a hearty broth that becomes home to handmade noodles, slices of soft chashu,  leeks, bamboo pith, and more. Oh, yes. Best hurry for a taste as there are only a limited number of bowls daily until January. 

Now back to the branch exclusives. While the BGC one is where you can get tummy-filling bento boxes, you can get rice bowls at Fame mall. Yup, good ol' crowdfavorites done the Keisuke way. You can get two meaty options: the Pork Chasyu Gohan (P200) or the Ginger Pork Gohan (P250). Bowls of steaming hot rice smothered in tender slices of meat, what more could you ask for? For something a little lighter, give the Keisuke Egg Gohan (P150) a try. Exactly as the name suggests, its a hefty serving of fluffy egg on Japanese rice. All these bowls are a testament to what Keisuke does best: execute simple recipes extremely well.

Also read: Top 10 Shoyu Ramen in Manila (2019 Edition)