Ramen overload at Shinjuku

Shinjuku Gekikara Ramen (Php 345)
Gekikara Ramen (Reg - Php 250, Large - Php 345)

Being named after one of the special wards of Tokyo, Shinjuku Ramen House has some big shoes to fill. But this virtual institution in the restaurant front is more than capable of meeting big expectations and big appetites. I remembered eating at their rather non-descript branch in Makati Avenue years back and know from memory how good the food was.

Their other Makati branch was also rather old and non-descript until it got a major renovation some months back. As part of the Little Tokyo complex, it gets immediate attention from passersby since it is located along the busy thoroughfare of Pasong Tamo, at the much-coveted corner where one turns before heading off to Makati Cinema Square. At certain times of the day, the parking lot is full and the restaurant plays host to a mixed clientele eager to taste their authentic ramen and other Japanese fare.

Shinjuku Gyoza (Php 225/ 6pcs)
Shinjuku Gyoza (Php 225/ 6pcs)

The façade and the interiors

Lagal[og] said: I pass by this corner most days of the week and by golly, the renovated Shinjuku façade is really something, especially at night. It now looks like a very upscale restaurant, with warm uplighting and a stucco-like finish. From the outside, the interiors glow with warm lighting, inviting the passersby to come in and try the food.

Ironwulf said: From the outside, the interiors have a wide spacious feel inviting us in. It has a modern Japanese motif of dark brown, white and red with touches of organic design such as the bamboo sticks strips on the tables which make them look very elegant. The owner also has some photographs he took himself hanging on the walls. The scenic photographs from Japan and Palawan add a sense of atmosphere to the place.

Gyozas Tasty Filling
Gyoza's Tasty Filling

The food

Lagal[og] said: I never fail to order gyoza in all Japanese eating places I go to. But I must say the Gyozas in Shinjuku are the best. I never thought I’d describe gyozas as melt-in-your-mouth for that description seems to fit cakes and chocolates better. But biting into Shinjuku’s Gyozas, the soft and moist wrapper seems like thin pastry crust that melts with every bite. The delicious filling inside releases a delicate flavor that harmonizes with the sauce. The Gyoza alone is very tummy-filling.

Ironwulf said: The Japanese Gyoza has been a staple dish on any Japanese restaurants so we didn’t miss out on an order of this dumpling. Their gyozas are pan-fried with the dough wrapper slightly moist but with a golden brown color on one side. Taking a bite, I enjoyed the slight crisp texture on the fried side and the soft one on the other. Sinking your teeth deeper will take you to a soft, flavorful and well grounded mixed meat and vegetable filling that truly melts in your mouth. This is probably the best gyoza I have tasted so far.

Mabo Tofu Ramen (Reg - Php 245, Large - Php 340)
Mabo Tofu Ramen (Reg - Php 245, Large - Php 340)

Lagal[og] said: For the main course, I opted for the Gekikara Ramen. I’m a big eater but even I was overwhelmed by the size of the serving. The bowl was humongous. But the soup stock was really, really excellent, with the deep satisfying flavor of pork and selected condiments – you know it was steeped for quite sometime as each spoonful was full of flavor. It was also chockfull of vegetables and pork slices so it’s very, very filling. I think I missed out on merienda that Sunday because my tummy was so full.

Ironwulf said: I’m on the spicy side so I ordered a huge bowl of Mabo Tofu Ramen. The dish is inspired by one of my favorite chinese spicy dish, the Mapo Tofu so I was interested to try it. The ramen was steaming when served, filling a delicious aroma in the air. The soup has fiery color as I expected with cubes of tofu, grounded meat and noodles swimming under. The soup was rich and spicy but not as spicy as the original mapo tofu I tasted. Still it was good enough to render flavor to the tofu and lean ground beef they used. The noodles were just right with flavors easily seeping through each strand.

The prices

Lagal[og] said: The eating places we’ve tried at the Little Tokyo complex all offer authentic Japanese fare and that being said, the prices tend to be on the high side. It’s money well spent anyway as the food is really, really excellent and the service is very courteous and efficient.

Ironwulf said: Like Og said, prices is on the high side but the ramen servings are big enough to share. In Shinjuku, you get what you pay, just stay away from their forgettable coffee jelly though.

Shinjuku Ramen House
2277 Chino Roces Avenue (Pasong Tamo) Makati City (beside Makati Cinema Square) • (02) 8191242 • Open from 10am – 8pm • Accepts major credit cards

(with other branches at Makati Avenue and West Avenue, Quezon City)

9 thoughts on “Ramen overload at Shinjuku

  1. Seems like a good hearty dish for the cold weather. The prices are on the high side? Must be the location then, eh.

    Little suggestion if you dont mind guys. Why don’t you like do a rating system like five stars for the best and one star for the worst. And like give a rating at the end of the post, eg, rating for ambience, food, prices, noise level, accessibility, parking, etc. Sorry daming request.

  2. Thanks Photo Cache! Location, quality of food and serving size dictates the price. Many thanks for the suggestions, we’ll look into how we’ll go about it. 😀

  3. many thanks for being a regular visitor to happyfoodies, photocache.

    early on, the idea of putting happy foodie icons to rate the featured restos was floated around but i have my reservations when it comes to grading or rating food and food establishments. when we came up with the idea of creating happyfoodies, we aimed at being different from other foodblogs by sharing our views and opinions on food and the establishments that serve them through comments that intimate our affinity to the flavors, the serving styles, the cooking process, etc. we want to differentiate the site by honoring the establishment by capturing their food in good light and describing them using our own words. i also personally feel that things like ambiance are very subjective and while i believe ambiance do enhance the eating experience, if the food is not good, it’s not going to make the foodie happy 😀 just my thoughts but hey, we’re hearing you loud and clear 🙂

  4. I am not a big eater… and the older I get the less I eat since most of the things you eat nowadays are unhealthy…
    But I must say that I am impressed by the quality of your pictures. First class…
    I also like the clean…clutter free design… very classy…
    Keep up the good work !

  5. thanks sidney for that wonderful comment. it certainly made our day. early on, we felt we have something different to contribute to foodblogging, hence our deliberate move to de-clutter and dial-up the quality of the food shots. thank you very much for the encouraging words and for being a regular visitor here.

    photocache, we read each and every guest’s comment and indeed, we hear you loud and clear 🙂

  6. Keep it up guys. Actually my aunt owns Shinjuku Ramen House.. All comments will be recognized.. thanks a lot..

  7. are the ramens authentic?? I’ve been looking for authentic japanese ramen here in the philippines, just like those ramen japanese used to eat in tv shows. Ive always wondered how it tastes like. can’t wait to visit little tokyo! it’ll be my first time!

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