Much has been written about Nomama‘s artisanal ramen that I’ve expected little else probably worth sampling on a visit to shoot for a magazine. So the Kitayama Flank Steak came as a very pleasant surprise. It took me over an hour to finish my to-shoot-list and I expected the steak to be a bit tough after an hour of sitting on its dish but no, it was very, very tender (made me wonder how much more tender it was hot off the grill). The liberal use of Miso butter lent an irresistible, exquisite taste so much so that even if I just had a bowl of ramen, I managed to finish the steak by myself. The crispy tofu slices are a nice foil to the meat, not that my taste buds quickly grew satiated to the flavor.
It’s almost a sin to go to Nomama and not taste their ramen because it’s really that good. Upon the recommendation of Chef Him, I was served the Braised Chicken Wing Ramen along with the Seafood Kilawin Japonaise for shooting and of course, for eating. Hmmm, I probably consumed a week’s quota of protein and carbs in a single sitting but nevermind. The Chicken Wing Ramen is a lovely and yummy piece of art. The soup stock is laced with gata (coconut milk) and curry which made the brew strong, hearty and a bit spicy, which I prefer.
The serving of kilawin as starters I must say is another inspired move, marrying the local practice of eating raw fish “cooked” with a souring ingredient and the Japanese practice of eating sashimi. It’s given a twist with a dash of pesto (my absolute favorite sauce). Having devoured a plate of kilawin, a bowl of ramen and an order of flank steak, I was too full to even give the Wagyu Steak with Onion Ramen a taste (next time, I won’t pass up the chance). Though I live in Makati, going all the way to Timog for Nomama is definitely worth the trip.
Nomama
G/F FSS Bldg 2, Scouts Tuason and Castor Streets,
Quezon City • Tel. 921.4913 • 0917.5228272