Hooray! It's nice to go back to another favorite after quite some time. If I remember correctly, it was Ramen Nagi that started the boom of ramen specialty houses in the Philippines, and even after trying the house specials of the so many other ramen houses that have popped up, I think it's safe to say that only a few places are at par with Ramen Nagi.
The first time I visited was sometime early last year, and I went for the Red King ramen. Some other time, I also went for their Green King ramen. Being the squid addict I am, today I decided to get their Black King ramen, paired of course with their tasty egg.
Since today is one of the days of the Papal Visit, there were barely any people in Robinsons Magnolia, more so Ramen Nagi. My BFF Denivee and I were able to get seated without any waiting. In general, the mall was also not in crowded state.
I glance at the menu knowing that I want the Black King ramen. This is because for one, I love squid, and another is that I've already tried everything else except this one. Well I haven't had a bowl of the Original King yet, as in one whole bowl, but I've already had a taste of it.
This is the form that I did today. I've never really went for the Chef Recommendation because I like my ramen to be specifically tailored to what I want, and also because I've never bothered to ask what the default settings are for each quality of the ramen are for the chef recommendation setting hahaha.
But well, even if it's a holiday and most people are at home (I was also at home after this meal, glued to the TV for the Papal Visit), Ramen Nagi was one of the establishments doing well to still have this kind of crowd. The lesser known restaurants just didn't have any diners even when it was a Saturday.
Oh how I've missed their barley tea. We used to have barley tea at home, as in the Japanese ones, but well I haven't made a trip to Makati to buy some in a loooong time. I have barley tea right now I got from China, but it's meant to be taken hot, and is soooooooo mild relative to the punch the Japanese one has.
Good food is best enjoyed in the company of good friends, and today I hung out with my BFF Denivee. I was actually planning to stay at home to stay glued to all the papal news, but aside from the fact that we hadn't met in so long, I knew that I was the one who had to give way as she was already in thesis phase and I was not. The world stays in a standstill for a thesis hahahaha.
And hooray my Black King is here. I love how it looks so disgusting and so unappetizing, yet tastes so good. It was definitely a challenge to get a decent photo of this because whatever angle you use, you will be met with a blackened bowl that looks like tar. Unless you already have an idea of the greatness of Ramen Nagi or have personally tried this bowl yourself, it just looks like gunk.
I guess you could call this yin and yang. I think this is Denivee's first time here which is why she decided to start basic.
The broth is very interesting. It's tasty, but despite having a tonkotsu base, it tastes nothing like it. It's got a strong umami flavor without the oily feeking that the basic tonkotsu broth comes with. I was expecting it to be a bit sour, but I guess I was thinking too much of sour squid preserve too much hahaha.
As with any other meal at Ramen Nagi, the noodles are the best. They're cooked to perfection, and taste fresh. The ensemble of rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles, vegetables and a comforting slab of pork belly really hits the spot.
And of course, who doesn't love their eggs. I mean who doesn't? For those who aren't into the ramen culture I know that this is overkill at Php50 for a single egg, but after I saw a video on Facebook demonstrating how these are made, I understood why they are sold at these kinds of prices.
The eggs are first pierced on both sides with a thumb tack, and then boiled in water laced with vinegar for exactly 6 minutes. After they have boiled they are placed in ice cold water, and after a while the shells will be taken off of the eggs. The eggs will then be soaked in a pre-boiled mix of soy sauce, sugar, ginger and other spices for several hours, and only after which will they look and taste as good as what is in this photo.
I have no idea if this is just an incredibly large bowl of ramen or that I was talking a lot (and therefore eating slowly) that I felt really, really full after eating.
And well, I have somehow liked to take photos of the aftermath. I know a lot of people think that it's taboo because some people think that the table is messy, or that you shouldn't broadcast your gluttony to the world, but I dunno, I like taking photos of emptied bowls and whatnot, to show to the chef that I was indeed pleased with what I had eaten and finished everything I was served with.
As with any young person in the selfie generation, I took a photo with Denivee after.
So that's it for this visit. Looking forward to future visits!
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