Ramen Daisho... Daisholicious!!!

Ramen Daisho big wigs and us, girls!

Who wouldn't like to have a ramen? Or noodles perhaps... as we all commonly call it. For us, Pinoys,, two of our comfort foods that we have in terms of noodles,  are "mami," and "lomi," both are of Chinese origin, 

Aside from the two kinds of noodles I've mentioned above, we are also fond of eating the so-called "instant noodles," do you agree with me? I guess, the remarkable hike in popularity of this kind of noodles was brought about by the fast-paced lifestyle of the new generation. You see, the reason maybe for the increase in demand for "instant noodles," is to cope up with the modern living and in addition to that, it's one of the most readily available and affordable products.


I grew up with having this kind of locally distributed instant noodles 


The instant noodle imported from Japan, which is of course more expensive :) 

Anything that is too much, is harmful. It has been told that commercialized instant noodles isn't that nutritious at all since it contains some preservatives, a lot of salt and MSGs. I admit, we do eat it but not as often as before, most especially, after having the most authentic and delicious ramen I ever had. 

 Just recently, I had a great chance to lavish on authentic Japanese Ramen in Ramen Daisho, which is accessibly located at Unit 2, Sunshine Square, Liberty Center, 312 Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City. It was a very satisfying, comforting and memorable gastronomic experience for me. Before I share you what we had in Ramen Daisho, I just wanna share you just a brief history of what a true RAMEN is and where it was originated, I assure you, this will be very helpful for all of us.




Basically, what is Ramen? Ramen (ラーメン) is a noodle soup dish, made up of that was originally imported from China, that's why it is made up of Chinese-style wheat noodles, and has become one of the most popular dishes in Japan in recent decades. Ramen are inexpensive and widely available, two factors that also make them an ideal option for budget travelers. Ramen restaurants, or ramen-ya, can be found in virtually every corner in Japan and produce countless regional variations of this common noodle dish.

Brief history of Ramen in Japan

Ramen originated in China before making its way to Japan and was used in Japanese cuisine. The men in ramen is , "noodle", in essence the same character as the Chinese employed in chow mein.

While Tokugawa Mitsukuni reportedly ate ramen in the late 17th century, it was only during the Meiji period that the dish became widely known (perhaps because for most of its history, the Japanese diet consisted mostly of vegetables and seafood rather than meat). The introduction of American and European cuisine, which demanded increased production of meat products, played a large role in ramen's increased popularity.

Ramen was first introduced in the Chinatowns of Kobe and Yokohama during the Meiji era. Salt ramen originated in Hokkaido in the Taisho era.

Though of Chinese origin, it is unclear when ramen was introduced to Japan. Even the etymology of the term "ramen" is a topic of debate. One hypothesis and probably the most credible is that "ramen" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese: 拉麺 (lamian), meaning "hand-pulled noodles." A second hypothesis proposes 老麺 (laomian, "old noodles") as the original form, while yet another states that ramen was initially 鹵麺 (lumian), noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce.

In the early Meiji period, ramen was called shina soba (支那そば, literally "Chinese soba") but today chūka soba (中華そば, also meaning "Chinese soba") is the more common and politically correct term. By 1900, restaurants serving Chinese cuisine from Canton and Shanghai offered a simple ramen dish of noodles (cut rather than hand pulled), a few toppings, and a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. Many Chinese also pulled portable food stalls, selling ramen and gyōza dumplings to workers. By the mid 1900s, these stalls used a type of a musical horn called a charumera (チャルメラ, from the Portuguese charamela) to advertise their presence, a practice some vendors still retain via a loudspeaker and a looped recording. By the early Shōwa period, ramen had become a popular dish when eating out.

After World War II, cheap flour imported from the U.S. swept the Japanese market. At the same time, millions of Japanese troops had returned from China and continental East Asia. Many of these returnees had become familiar with Chinese cuisine and subsequently set up Chinese restaurants across Japan. Eating ramen, while popular, was still a special occasion that required going out.

In 1958, instant noodles were invented by the late Momofuku Ando, founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a Japanese poll, instant ramen allowed anyone to make this dish simply by adding boiling water. Beginning in the 1980s, ramen became a Japanese cultural icon and was studied from many perspectives. At the same time, local varieties of ramen were hitting the national market and could even be ordered by their regional names.


So that's how "Ramen" invaded and conquered Japan But today, since Japanese Ramen is slowly making raves here in our country, a lot of Ramen-ya wanted us, Filipinos to have a taste and let us experience the authenticity of their comfort food. And one of those is Ramen Daisho. 

We were privileged to meet the big bosses of Ramen Daisho that one fine night..

Daisho Global Inc. officers (from left to right): Yoshihiko Hara; Katsuyuki Nakata, President ; Takashi Sato, Gen. Manager ; Gen Watanabe, Vice President

During the said event, Daisho Global, Inc. President Katsuyuki Nakata shared to us that he wants to also cater the young generation while Vice President Gen Watanabe dreams of having more Ramen Daisho branches/franchises all over the Philippines. As of the present time, they're working on expansion here and abroad and we'll gladly join them again (hopefully) in the opening of their next branch and more! 


Since we all know what ramen means, I asked the big bosses what does "Daisho" means, and Mr. Yashihiko Hara answered that, Daisho means "fly high." So overall, what he was stating was that, when you experience dining in Ramen Daisho, it feels like flying, it uplifts you, feels like everything is so light and alright. 


Ramen Daisho Shaw blvd. has just opened last December, 2013 they cater mostly to the young ones, the "not so young ones," office peeps, families, yuppies, groupies and even kids since they also have meals especially created for them, in short, this is a truly customer-friendly resto with a humble, cozy Japanese ambiance. 


Ramen Daisho interior

Before we start with the actual food they serve, here's another trivia for you my dear amazing readers. This unique and cute place mat also caught my attention, please read: 

Very informative right?



Kenichi Kawamura happened to be the artist behind the original place mats that we see on our table in Ramen Daisho (pct Ramen Daisho facebook)

And now, finally, we've come to the most-awaited and mouth-watering part! First, they served us a cold tea which was very helpful since we were really thirsty that time, the weather was so humid. 


Ramen Daisho cold tea
Would you believe I had three glasses of this?! It's a good thing it's on an "unlimited" basis  (that's a tip!). For a fresh start, I really liked the taste of their cold tea huh, no sugar and it tastes like a roasted herb that blended well with the water and ice. So healthy... my kind of refreshing tea.



Here is the set menu that I think is very much fulfilling and affordable for everyone! This set menu is available during lunch time from 11:30 'til 2:30 pm, Mondays thru Fridays


First, you have to choose your kind of ramen, and I picked Tonkotsu Ramen which was highly recommended by  Mr. Louie and our friendly server Dolly and it's the resto's best seller, FYI.

Oh my! Ramen Daisho's Tonkotsu Ramen. Been dying to have this again soon! This regular bowl alone costs P350.00 while if you avail their lunch set, you get to still have additional dish for only P375.00

Tonkotsu Ramen's soup was taken from pork bone marrow broth being broiled for several hours that accounted for its milky white glazed soup that I really love to sip! It's so tasty and has that unexplainable kick that you'll definitely love to linger on your taste buds. For the toppings, it has Chashu or slice of  roasted or braised pork; it has Menma or the preserved bamboo shoots with a salty flavor; Tamago or the soft boiled marinated egg (super like!); Nori or seaweed, my fave! It also has Negi or the shredded onion leeks; I'm not that sure if it's Karanegi (spicy version of shredded leeks) that is present there beside the Chashu, because it added spice to the soup's flavor and for me, it's a plus factor! 

According to Ramen Daisho, "The meat is served as a delicacy, while the soup is served as medicine. This is how 'ukokkei' is described in ancient China. The extract of this luxury food ingredient is produced in our kitchen by slowly simmering for more than 12 hours. It's not only delicious, but also very nutritious. Definitely it's an ultimate ramen broth soup." 

Special noodles play a major role to achieve a "Daisholicious" ramen! According to them, "Our variety of noodles prepared with top-quality wheat flour and eggs are the ones made by Japanese professional. The thin, flat noodles feel smooth and silky on the palate while the texture of the curly noodles is chewy. Also available are the thin, straight noodles served specially for our Hakata variety. We use noodles that perfectly match the soup for your perfect ramen experience." One more thing, all the noodles are actually imported from Japan, so we can really have that authentic Japanese Ramen experience. 


Second step, I chose Chahan (Japanese fried rice) since I am a rice person and I'm really fond of "fried rice" of all kinds, I can basically eat it alone, without any dish at all. 


Ramen Daisho Yakibuta Chahan 

The simplicity of its appearance doesn't mean it didn't meet the standard of a tasty Chahan. The reason for its flavorful taste is the Chasu filled with Tare and Ramen Daisho's secret ingredient. 

Another good thing about Ramen Daisho, is that they're very generous! They didn't only serve us one set, but both sets as well and more of their delightful dishes! So here's more Japanese authentic dishes from Ramen Daisho. 

Ramen Daisho's Gyoza. A la carte price is P150.00 (5 pcs.)


Gyoza or sometimes called pot stickers, are pan-fried dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables and wrapped in thin dough. What I like most in Ramen Daisho's Gyoza is that, the ginger and garlic-ky taste is not that strong, unlike other Gyozas I've tasted and the Gyoza sauce is really that good huh, a plus factor, actually. No wonder, according to Ramen Daisho, their Gyoza sauce is "Unlike the usual mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, our Groza sauce is composed of various vegetables and seasonings mixed with the finest selection of Japanese soy sauce. It's refreshing flavor enhances the flavor of Gyoza." 

Last dish (but definitely not the least), of the lunch menu set is

Ramen Daisho's Salad. This is just a simple coleslaw or shredded cabbage salad but was made uniquely delish because of the special secret dressing by the chefs of Ramen Daisho.

We're now done with the four dishes, Tonkotsu Ramen, Chahan, Gyoza and the Salad. Actually, you can avail those four, just add P50.00 in your P375.00 budget for the lunch set menu, cool isn't?! Reasonable enough and worthy of our budget since they really serve authentic Japanese Ramen and other great meals. 


Presenting Ramen Daisho's  Lunch Set Meals A & B: Tonkotsu Ramen, Gyoza, Chahan and Salad

Now, I am so much ready for dinner. Before I forget, the regular bowl is still too huge for one person, so you have the option to share it with your Ramen buddy. I've read in an article that ramen is best eaten while it's still hot since the noodles tends to get soggy quickly and one must eat it with a slurping sound just like any other noodles in Japan.,

 You must be asking if  "Is it really necessary to create a slurping sound?" Hahaha, I guess, it's all up to you, but the thing is, I've learned that slurping enhances the flavors and helps cool down the piping hot noodles as they enter our hungry mouth. The pair of chopsticks of course is used for picking up the noodles, a Chinese-style spoon is also available for the toppings and for the soup. In Japan, it's also acceptable to lift up the bowl when you wish to drink it all up and finish the whole soup. 


My good friends Nikole, Bedalyn and me. We're so ready for our "Daisholicious" ramens!!!



More Ramen Daisho dish coming up! 


Ramen Daisho's Chicken Karaage

Good things the chicken is boneless that's why it's easier to munch, this can be a good pair for Chahan. This actually costs P200.00 per order. Chicken Karaage also known as Tatsutaage (竜田揚げ), is the Japanese version of fried chicken. Pronounced kah-rah-ah-geh, the name literally means “Tang fried” (Tang as in the Chinese dynasty). Like Gyoza and Ramen, Karaage is an example of Wafu-Chuka (Chinese-style Japanese) cuisine, whereby dumplings, noodles, or in this case fried chicken, was adapted from the Chinese culinary repertoire and turned into something uniquely Japanese.



Ramen Daisho's Ebi Fry (actual Ebi fry count is 4 pcs.)

Fried prawn (海老フライ or エビフライ ebi furai?) is a deep fried cuisine popular in Japan as well as Japanese restaurants worldwide. It is a speciality of the city of Nagoya.It is thought that ebi furai was created around 1900 in response to the growing popularity of similar dishes such as Tonkatsu and minced meat cutlets in the Western food restaurants of Ginza and Tokyo. Ramen Daisho's Ebi Fry costs P180.00. 



Ramen Daisho's newest member in their menu: Ebi Mango Maki


Ramen Daisho's own rendition of flavorful ebi fry (instead of ebi tempura) wrapped with seaweed and rice. The whole roll is topped with mango. This really taste so good I wanna ask for more! This combination only costs P230.00. Don't forget to order for this, you'd definitely feel the same way too! 



Ramen Daisho's Cold Zaru Ramen 


I wasn't able to have a taste on this, it was just ordered by my blogger/friend Carl, who's a vegetarian. But if you dine in Ramen Daisho, and you're curious to try this, feel-free to order, after all Carl liked it. This costs P300.00 and the recommended topping for this ramen is the Nori or seaweed. 



Ramen Daisho's Edamame


You know what, this side dish really surprised me! Actually, Edamame literally means, "stem bean" (eda = "branch" or "stem" + mame = "bean"), because the beans were often boiled while still attached to the stem. That was my first time to see a steamed bean being served as a side dish, and in all fairness, it's tender and has a sweet taste. How to eat? Just open it like opening the regular string beans, you then munch on the beans found inside then that's it! Curious? Order for it and see for yourself, it only costs P100.00. 


And now, it's dessert time!!! 

Jameson's Gelato is the official ice cream dessert for Ramen Daisho. Now it's time to try them all! 

Guyabano flavored gelato, this really possess the taste of the real flavor of the fruit. Per serving of Jameson's gelato costs P120.00


Salted Caramel, I like this one


Green Tea flavor, very refreshing

You can choose from a lot of flavors... 




Whew! Such a hefty and scrumptious dinner. All I wanna say is... 

DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU, RAMEN DAISHO!!! 


Oishi!!! Thanks to chef Carlo Banarez, Mr. President Katsuyuki Nakata, Gen.Manager Mr. Takashi Sato and Mr. Vice President Gen Watanabe 



The food bloggers shout out: Ramen Daisho, No. 1 ! Cheers!!! 


Special thanks to Carl Valenzona of thewebmagazine for extending the invite to us! 


More exciting pics from our Ramen Daisho experience can be seen here



OVERALL VERDICT:


    
5 loves for Ramen Daisho

See you all there! 






Hope you'd like Ramen Daisho Facebook page for more updates! 

INSTAGRAM: ramendaisho_1217

For parties, reservations, franchising and other inquiries, you can contact them through the landline indicated above. 

Ramen Daisho Holy Week schedule: 

Mar.30 - regular operation
lunch - 11:30am to 2:30pm
dinner - 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Mar.31 - regular operation
lunch - 11:30am to 2:30pm
dinner - 5:30pm to 10:00pm
April 1 - regular operation
lunch - 11:30am to 2:30pm
dinner - 5:30pm to 10:00pm

April 2 (thursday) - store closed
April 3 (friday) - store closed

April 4 (saturday)- regular week end operation
open 11:30am to 10:00pm
(no break time)
April 5 (sunday) - regular week end operation
open 11:30am to 10:00pm
(no break time)

GRADUATION PROMO
#2015

‪‎CELEBRATION PACKAGE
-for every 4,000 minimum worth of food purchased,
1 FREE RAMEN for 1 graduated student
FREE PITCHER OF ICED TEA
(ADD 100 FOR BOTTOMLESS)
FREE GRADUATION CAKE

‪*FAMILY GRAD A – P2,850.00
Good for 6-10 persons
3 Ramen Omori (choice of ramen)
2 sets Gyoza
1 Chicken Kaarage
2 California Maki
Pitcher of iced tea
(ADD 100 FOR BOTTOMLESS)
FREE GRADUATION CAKE

*FAMILY GRAD B – P3,350.00
Good for 6-10 persons
3 Ramen Omori (choice of ramen)
2 Chicken Kaarage
2 Ebi Fry
3 California Maki
Pitcher of iced tea
(ADD 100 FOR BOTTOMLESS)
FREE GRADUATION CAKE

**Just present the student’s id for verification
**service charge not included



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