Mendokoro Ramenba BGC — Restaurant in Taguig

I had dinner on Sunday evening or just a few hours ago. I had lunch earlier at a Japanese restaurant in Eastwood. That lunch was very filling and satisfying. It was shrimp (panko, not tempura) with curry. I make my own curry in Canada so, this was close enough to what I make albeit more spicy.

The Shoyu Ramen had fat or thick noodles. It's not like that in Japan. As it happens, I was in Japan last March so, I had time to eat ramen there. That was my third visit so, it can't be said I didn't have a point of reference. Until I visited Japan, I thought that the ramen in Canada was good enough. The ramen in Japan is nothing like the ramen in Canada or in Mendokoro Ramenba. At most, it is their version of a type of ramen in Japan.

My husband wasn't impressed with the chashu pork. He already tasted my homemade chashu pork that's seared under a torch. The meat you get in Japan is not the same as the chashu that Mendokoro makes. In all likelihood, it's not true chashu because it is a two-day affair. That's like saying you can confit a duck in a few hours the French way. I did it the French way the first time round. It was a two day affair. The Americans found a cheat using a Dutch oven so, that's how I made it this year before coming over to the Philippines.

Actually, I only came to BGC in search of matcha ice cream not coming from the overpriced and overhyped The Matcha Tokyo. If you have never made your own matcha beverage (ceremonial or culinary) and desserts, The Matcha Tokyo and others is your best bet. Good matcha is generally in the $30 range per 100 grams. Probably more with the gas price increase.

Back to the ramen. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Kudos to them for keeping things organized. The broth was salty but, flavorful. I prefer the broth not too salty when I make ramen. I use either Himalayan salt, Celtic salt or Israel salt. Just not iodized salt. That really turns me off. It just coats my tongue and I can't get rid of the taste.

The ramen eggs and nori were extras to be purchased. Honestly, all ramen I've bought before outside of the Philippines has these two included as toppings. Makes me feel that the store was cheap in ingredients by making people pay for it.

Again, if I did not make my own vegetarian, vegan or meat-based ramen using Japanese made organic miso and other ingredients, it would not matter. My eggs are organic and nori is from Japan or Korea. Japanese Nori tend to cost more than Korean.

That's why I rarely ate out in Canada coz the food was overpriced, service was nothing remarkable and servers expected a 15% tip. No, thank you. I made sure to eat ramen in Japan whenever I was there. It's cheaper, has no tipping and no bad service or attitude. I actually liked eating my own ramen as I could eat to my heart's content without limitation on the toppings. My favourite topping is menma, fermented Japanese bamboo shoots.

The staff were great people. They even refill your glass of water. Unfortunately, the water was tap coz it tasted heavily chlorinated. Again if you don't filter your water, you wouldn't smell or taste the difference.

The ramen restaurant was just outside Mitsukoshi so, getting there from the store was so easy.

I can tell that the taste is very pleasing to someone not used to the ramen in Japan. That's why there are long queues. I had heard so much about it from YouTube vloggers before coming to the Philippines. My verdict is still the same. Go to Japan if you can, to eat their food. It's much more worth it in my experience. Canada to Japan is longer in distance than the Philippines so, I imagine many would be able to go there on any low cost airline. Even if you can't today, plan it for the future. It took me more than two decades to finally visit Paris and see the Eiffel Tower in my lifetime. Anything is possible. Only your thoughts are limiting you in where you want...

Mendokoro is a great place to get a delicious hearty bowl of ramen. We tried it during the pandemic, but we weren't able to get the whole ramen dining experience since what we got was their ramen kit which we prepared at home. The food tasted great but it tasted even better at the restaurant! Mendokoro is very different from the usual mainstream ramen resto now. They have a very thick soup base and a smokey almost charred chashu, which gives that distinct flavor! Their meat cuts are also big! 2 people can actually share the super chashumen if they would like to (we had 2 bowls each). Their Karaage was thick and juicy and we really enjoyed the japanese mayo with lemon (you can ask for more lemon and mayo btw). Their Gyoza is also enormous!! Size wise and flavor wise, Mendokoro sure lives up to the hype. As much as I enjoyed the experience there a few tiny qualms I had. The place was packed as early as 10am. We got off work around 10:30 am and by that time lines were picking up. They had us sit at the corner area which was near the entrance to the kitchen, which I wasn't too happy about (the crew kept going in and out since they were pretty busy) The place was big but the number of people inside made it feel cramped. And because of that, the service was alil slow. now talking about the price, Mendokoro is leaning towards the pricey side of the dinning spectrum. It surely ain't as affordable as other mainstream ramen shops, but I really think it's the unique flavor they serve is what you are paying for. Other than that I think the overall dinning experience was good, not super amazing but surely good. Enough to make me come back soon! If you don't mind spending alil extra on some good thick creamy ramen and enjoy a juicy smokey flavored chashu, then head on down to Mendokoro! I know...

After much hype, my visit to Mendokoro left me underwhelmed and questioning its reputation among Metro Manila's ramen scene.

The ramen, supposedly the star of the show, failed to impress. The noodles lacked the fresh, springy texture one expects from a high-end ramen shop, instead tasting suspiciously like frozen-and-thawed alternatives. This stark difference from the handmade noodles often found in authentic Japanese ramen shops was immediately noticeable.

The broth, a crucial element of any good ramen, missed the mark entirely. Instead of the rich, complex flavors typically achieved through hours of simmering bones, Mendokoro's broth seemed to rely on cream for body. This unconventional addition created an overly heavy, cloying taste that quickly became unpalatable. I found myself unable to finish the broth, which is particularly disappointing given the premium price point compared to other leading ramen establishments in the area.

Service was another letdown. The cashier appeared visibly tired and disengaged, hardly setting the tone for a welcoming dining experience. This lack of enthusiasm from the staff further dampened the overall impression of the restaurant.

While the interior design of the shop is admittedly superb, it's not enough to salvage the dining experience. The combination of mediocre food and uninspired service makes Mendokoro feel more like a case of style over substance – a "budol" or swindle, as we might say locally.

In a city with numerous excellent ramen options, Mendokoro fails to deliver the authentic, memorable taste of Japan that many diners seek. Despite its reputation, this establishment appears to be trading more on hype than quality. Serious ramen enthusiasts would be better served exploring other options in Metro Manila's...