Marudori Rockwell — Restaurant in Makati

Marudori at 8 Rockwell offers a grand and elegant setting that could feel a bit intimidating for some, but it’s worth exploring. Upon entering, I was greeted by a friendly staff member who seated us promptly. We ordered Tantanmen ramen, Shoyu Paitan, gyoza, shiro miso karaage, aji tamago, and a can of Coke for a total of 2031.51 PHP, with no tip option available.

The Tantanmen ramen stood out, delivering an umami-rich flavor that, dare I say, surpasses its sister company, Mendokoro Ramenba. The noodles were perfectly made, and the beef was tender and flavorful. The sauce complemented the crunch of the peanut bits, while the egg was simply divine, melting in your mouth. The Shoyu Paitan was equally impressive, with creamy broth, soft chicken, and bamboo shoots that tied everything together beautifully. The karaage was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, elevated with a squeeze of lime. While the gyoza was good, I personally prefer Mendokoro’s crispy version.

In most ramen houses, sharing a bowl is often discouraged or even prohibited, as the experience is meant to be personal and immersive. However, Marudori breaks from this tradition, offering a more flexible and welcoming approach. They encourage diners to fully enjoy their ramen however they please, even allowing the freedom to share. This openness adds a unique and inclusive touch to the dining experience, making it perfect for those who want to sample different flavors with friends without any restrictions.

Though the restaurant’s minimal design is comfortable, some areas showed minor wear, like shoe marks and slightly uncleaned walls. However, the quality of the food more than made up for these details. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly, and I’m excited to return and try more items exclusive to this branch.

One thing to note, Marudori is not certified halal, so it might not be suitable for everyone.

All in all, it’s a 5-star...

Fabulous. This shop is owned by the nippon corporation who have a second outlet in makati called mendokoro ramenbe and also two outlets in Cebu city. I visited them all so this is my fourth visit to a nippon owned shop and I have to say that I’m very impressed.

Today I had the tantanmen ramen, the ebi miso ramen and 5 gyoza for about 1600 php including service fee.

The tantamen is properly spicy and the broth is deep, rich and nutty. The pork mince is expertly browned giving a deep colour and it is also very fragrant from ginger and garlic. The noodles were perfect and the broth stuck nicely to them. I loved how the tantamen broth got richer and spicier as I got to the end. Really full marks on this broth. One of the finest broths I’ve ever tried actually.

The ramen doesn’t automatically come with a chashu egg. I wasn’t offered an egg when ordering but that’s ok because I found the egg in the other three shops to be kind of disappointing. The other 3 shops got 4 stars but I’m giving this shop the full 5 stars because I obviously can’t complain about the egg this time :)

The ebi miso ramen was also excellent. The truly amazing thing about the ebi miso ramen is that it’s topped with shrimp and the broth is rich and has a wonderfully soothing miso creaminess. But that’s not all… what makes the ebi miso broth truly exceptional is that it has a sort of lobster bisque taste underneath. I absolutely love lobster bisque and to combine that musky bisque flavour with a velvety, creamy, miso ramen broth is just hands down one of the best flavours I’ve ever tried.

The gyoza was great but strangely does not come with the traditional black sweet salty gyoza sauce which I have to say I did miss. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. The shop itself is very modern, clean and well laid out.

I don’t believe I will ever forget this special ramen experience. Thank you Marudori… I will be back some...

THIS RESTAURANT IS NOT MUSLIM-FRIENDLY! There were four of us, and we went here during Ramadan for iftar (to break our fast). We arrived at 5:30PM but we were only accommodated at 6:20PM. There’s a waiting line, yes, I understand; however, what baffles us the most is that there is a literal TABLE that is open. Also, we noticed that there are other people who lined up behind us but got their table first! We noticed that other muslim patrons had also arrived to eat here; there were 6 of them. 6:11PM comes and we’re still not yet seated, so we had to specially request for water, which, fortunately, they granted. When my mother looked around the restaurant, she noticed that there was a table open, but neither us nor the other fellow muslim customers were given that table. The waiter’s alibi was that it was for 8 people, but shouldn’t they have given that to the 6 muslims that were waiting, especially given that we are starving as we have to break our fast? When my mom rebutted that, they finally gave us that specific seat. What frustrates me the most is that people who came to the restaurant long after we came are already midway in finishing their food, but ours was still cooking despite waiting for almost an hour. Then, I realized the pattern. Ah yes, these people don’t wear hijabs, so perhaps they were given special treatment by serving them first.

This is very unfortunate as this is one of the best spots for muslims to eat ramen since it has no pork in the broth. Nonetheless, islamophobia from establishments like this...