(SPOT.ph) It's been a good couple of years since real-deal, restaurant-caliber ramen has become the Japanese dish du jour in Manila—yet to this day, the Filipino love for the dish only continues to grow and thrive. And though the most common kind of ramen you'll find in these parts is that of the pork-centric tonkotsu sort, we're seeing more and more spots exploring ramen's other variations—like the kind that highlights chicken, as is the case at BGC spot Ramen Keisuke Tori King! Since opening in 2020 they've had us see chicken in a whole new different light, as they crafted up stellar ramen bowls that are every bit as rich, thick, and decadent as their pork-based counterparts. If you're in a dipping kinda mood, we've got one real tasty suggestion: try their stellar take on Tsukemen.
Also read:Â Chicken Is the Star at the Newest Ramen Joint in BGC
We can't get enough of this recently launched dish at Ramen Keisuke:
Quick refresher, Spotters: tsukemen refers to a style of ramen where, instead of having noodles and other toppings served already submerged in a soup base, they're instead deconstructed in a way: You've got your soup (one that's more concentrated in flavor versus the soup in regular ramen) in one bowl, and the noodles and other toppings in another. That way, you don't run into the issue of the noodles getting soggy from being in the hot broth for too long. Plus, it's uber-fun to eat: pick up a couple of noodle strands (or toppings), dip it into the soup, and slurp away.
Now we've had our fair share of the dish around Manila, but Ramen Keisuke's Tsukemen is a real standout. They use their chicken broth, peppered with bonito flakes to amp up the umami without taking over the flavor of the poultry. For the noodles they use freshly made tsukemen noodles that are slightly thick (just a tad thinner than udon), cooked until al-dente so it retains a pleasant chewiness. The soup is properly thick and rich, clinging onto the noodles like a sauce, and gradually releasing its deeply savory, complex taste as you slurp and chew.
And then you've got the toppings. Its most basic iteration (P490) comes with menma (bamboo shoots), wood-ear mushrooms, and a quarter leg of chicken—and oh, what a glorious leg of chicken that is. It's seemingly similar to the kind they use in their regular ramen bowls—i.e., an uber-tender tender leg of chicken that's fall-off-the-bone tender, yielding easily to the prod of your chopstick and releasing its juices as you chew on its soft and succulent meat. Sure doesn't hurt that it's perfectly seasoned, too, delivering a potent dose of chicken flavor that goes perfectly with the other elements.
For an even more toe-curling, eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-your-head experience, it's well worth spending extra to get the Special version (P640), which include additional toppings: nori for added earthiness, ajitsuke tamago (their version of which has a properly bright-orange, slightly jammy egg yolk), and melt-in-your-mouth slices of chicken breast chashu. Even better, pair it with one of their special imported colas from Japan—take your pick from the earthy-zesty Green Tea Cola (P150), or the even more citrusy Yuzu Cola (P150).
Your best bet is to have the dish for dine-in given how ramen doesn't transport well; still, the thing about the tsukemen format is that it takes relatively well to delivery given its broth-served-separately format. You can order for delivery by looking for Ramen Keisuke on GrabFood, Foodpanda, or Pickaroo; do reheat the broth when you receive it, if you go this route.
Ramen Keisuke is at G/F Tower 1, Corporate Plaza, 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City. For delivery orders, find Ramen Keisuke on GrabFood, Foodpanda, or Pickaroo. For more information, check out Ramen Keisuke's Facebook page.
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this strange new world.
