Menya Kokoro Ramen Izakaya Uptown Mall — Restaurant in Taguig

UPDATE: This is my fifth time visiting this place and the quality of the food remains exceptional as ever. Highly recommended!

This is my first time dining at Menya Kokoro and my first time dining at a Japanese restaurant. With that said, please bear in mind that my review stands on a first-timer's perspective and may differ from those who have already experienced dining at Menya Kokoro or any other similar Japanese restaurant.

I learned about this place on Google Maps and started looking at what they had to offer from there. Equipped with the item selections I wanted to try, I arrived at the restaurant's opening hour as their first customer. I am not certain whether the experience I had differs from hour to hour, but be that as it may, here's what I have to say...

Initially, I was pleasantly amused to find a neat arrangement of their condiments which included Chili Oil, Togarashi, and Kombu Vinegar stacked on a wooden drawer that encases soup spoons and chopsticks. Along with these items came a small stash of laminated infographics that feature some of their products as well as a guide on how to properly eat their main item — the Mazesoba.

I ordered three items. The Takoyaki came first, then the Ramen, then the Mazesoba. Although I wasn't able to finish the ramen, I was thoroughly satisfied with my experience.

Everything was flavorful and their vinegar made the Mazesoba taste so much better. I like the way the Takoyaki was cooked — crispy on the outside and chewy and delectable on the inside. Simply divine.

I would definitely recommend this place and come visit again when I have the...

Quarantine period can make dining outside pretty challenging because of the limitations but it did not stop me and my wife to try Menya Kokoro at the Uptown Mall in BGC. Here's a few things I took note of during our dining experience.

The Takoyaki was really good. I like the softness and the sauce. It's not too salty. Just right We ordered Sukiyaki and one thing I love about it is the flavor that wasnt too salty. The beef was tender and it was prepared properly For the main course we ordered Zenbu Mazesoba and Black Garlic Ramen. The Zenbu Mazesoba wasn't anything I have tried in a Japanese resto. Was expecting for it to be soup based but it wasn't. Followed instructions on how to eat a Mazesoba and it was one good experience. First, you mix everything then slurp up some of the mixed ingredients in the bowl, then add a special vinegar called Kombu Vinegar, then eat up the noodles. The Vinegar was the twist to this whole experience which added the unique flavor. The remaining sauce is suggested to be mixed with rice which I did and it was an awesome way to finish up a meal

The Black Garlic Ramen was also good. Richness of the flavor and aroma is all the Ramen goodness that anyone would like to have in a bowl. However, it is not as good as other Ramen houses that we've tried around Metro Manila. So basically Id say order the Mazesoba when you dine here instead of the Ramen

Overall dinning experience to me was a 4 star. If you Love Japanese food, this is a resto suggestion...

We tried this place after I saw an i.g. post about their Mazesoba, We ordered Spicy Mazesoba, Aburi Chasu Mazesoba, portion was a bit smaller than I expected considering the price but I like my Aburi Chasu Mazesoba, it taste better when I added the kombu vinegar, the pork was tender and flavorful but it was thin slices of pork, which I hope was not that thin, I requested for mild spicy only. You can request for your preferred level of spice. The Spicy Mazesoba is really spicy. The ground meat in the Mazesoba is a mixture of pork & beef ground meat, be sure to ask for details if you cannot eat specific kind of meat. The Chasu Ramen is good but cannot beat Mendokoro, the slice of meat was so thin, the portion is smaller and for us the broth of Mendokoro is way better.

We also ordered their Takoyaki and Gyoza, both were not really that good and had few fillings. The hot spring egg was good. The Matcha and Black Sesame ice cream is a must try. We have tried several Matcha Ice cream and their Matcha ice cream is not that sweet, which we prefer. It's our first time to try a Black Sesame Ice cream and it was good, really taste like black sesame with nutty taste though this is sweeter than the Matcha ice cream.

The staffs were attentive and polite. The place was clean, though the indoor dining area is not that big, but they also have outdoor dining area. They don't have restroom inside. Parking can be difficult during peak hours...