You Only Have Two Days to Try Tokyo's Famed Cricket Ramen in Manila

(SPOT.ph) We've seen all sorts of ingredients work their way into our ramen bowls, from pork to chicken to seafood to mushrooms to rarer proteins like duck. But what about the smaller species on the spectrum—like insects? We never thought we'd get around using these two words in the same sentence, but cricket ramen is a thing at one famed dining spot in Tokyo. And you'll be able to try it right here from Manila soon, thanks to this special partnership with Ramen Nagi.

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Here's the deal on the upcoming insect-infused ramen at Ramen Nagi:

Tokyo is, of course, home to a multitude of restaurants covering different cuisines and genres. But ANTCICADA stands out for their use of insects in their cooking—and not just as some hidden filler, but as the star of the show front and center, in the name of what's called entomophagy, or eating insects. This is a subject their own Chef Yuta Shinohara (whose resume includes a stint in one-Michelin starred washoku establishment Yotsuya Uemura) knows by heart, as he describes himself as an "earth boy" who's loved insects from his childhood years.

On ANTICADA's menu is the infamous Cricket Ramen, which they're bringing to the Philippines for only two days at Ramen Nagi's Gateway 2 outpost. Mark your calendars: you can catch it from October 20 to 21, with Chef Yuta himself taking over the kitchen and only 150 bowls per day being available.

Up to 160 crickets (two domestic species of the insects, to be exact) are used in every bowl. Infused into its broth base are powdered Futahoshi crickets, which are said to have distinct umami character; it's then topped with chashu, menma (bamboo shoots), and more fried crickets (!) to really drive the point home. The open-minded are in for a treat (or at the very least, one item off the food bucket list). Sure doesn't hurt to know that bugs have been touted as a more climate-friendly source of protein versus the usual chicken, pork, or beef—so hey, plus points for the consumption of this bowl helping save the planet.

Ramen Nagi was founded in 2004 by Chef Satoshi Ikuta, who had experience working at other ramen shops for over a decade. It wasn’t until 2013 that the Japanese chain landed on the Philippine shores, offering their four signature “kings”—the Butao King, Black King, Red King, and Green King—which you can customize, as well as seasonal ramen flavors that keep ramen fans looking forward to something new every season. In September of this year, they also brought in the famous Jiro-style ramen by Japan's Ramen No. 11 to our shores as a limited-time offering; this is still available until November 10.

Ramen Nagi's Gateway branch is at Upper Ground B, Gateway Mall 2, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City. For more information, check out Ramen Nagi Manila's Facebook page.

Check our ranking of the Best Ramen in Manila.

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