The Noodle Caboodle: Our Yamashita Ramen Encounter

wouldv'e pointed my phone cam to the wooden sign at the top of the place, if it weren't for the rain

LEONARD WOOD ROAD, BAGUIO CITY: After running an errand on a rainy Tuesday morning, my son and I decided to treat ourselves to some grub. In an area where there are lots of restaurants along the road, we power walked ourselves from the LTO compound, all the way to Corfu Village, in the hopes that the latest (early 2014) Japanese Restaurant in the city was already open: Yamashita Japanese Restaurant.

Finding the place wasn't hard. It's a hole-in-the-wall type of place, right beside the 50's Diner. We've heard from both family and friends that the ramen in the place is simply the bomb. Afternoons and evenings are never a good time to visit (whenever we pass by), as it seems that the place is always packed, so we've never sampled their wares.

Arriving at 930 in the AM, we were, staff excluded, the only people there.

The place is pretty cramped, but neat. It's got a bar/counter where one can sit, order and eat/drink, then be on their merry way. Nothing fancy - lanterns and a handful of potted plants plus menu pictures dot the area. It's not a date place or a place to socialize for long periods of time, but to get your gastronomic needs in order. A Yankees - Tigers game was showing on the TV at the far end of the bar, with a local radio station, playing tunes in the background.

The menu is simple, straightforward and priced reasonably. Portions come in small or large, with a good variation of food types. (SEE MENU as you scroll BELOW).

NOODLES:

other ramen varieties (not on the menu)

RICE:

sushi service starts at around 11 am

Given the simplicity of the menu, my son Trey ordered a small bowl of Spicy Ramen with egg (100 PHP + 10PHP) , while I chose to try their Cold Ramen (1 size, 110 PHP).

didn't get to try these

The two women team put together our ramen quickly and efficiently. Our server was knowledgeable of the products and was quite pleasant too. Service was A-plus.

...or these either

We didn't order other food items, as tonkatsu, curry, gyozas and sukiyaki were go-to dishes at home already. Besides, people have been raving over the ramen. So we stuck to just that.

The verdict:
The presentation was what I expected from a Japanese owned joint, it was aesthetically pleasing and not sloppily put together.

Spicy Ramen

The flavors were quite decent, clean, familiar, but not otherworldly. Given the price, I wasn't expecting much as far as portions and toppings would go. The small bowl was good-sized though. You may want to ask for more toppings should you order the spicy ramen. A square of nori, some vegetables and  few pieces of pork in some light broth was all there was for my almost 18 year old, 5'11" son to snack on. Get a bigger size if you're thinking of making it a meal. Although, I have to add, spicy, it wasn't. We asked for some togarashi (chili pepper powder) or la-yu (chili oil) to heat it up. But sadly, there were none.

Cold Ramen

My cold ramen (a first for me) was sweet, lightly flavored and quite enjoyable. Topped with kani, slices of pork, cucumbers, scrambled egg strips, tomatoes and nori, it was quite filling.

here's to our next food review together Kuya :)

Overall, the place has it's good points. But ramen wise, it's not comparable to the standard ramen fare you could buy from regular Japanese joints like RaiRai Ken or Teriyaki Boy. A ramen connoisseur might be in for some disappoint. For the price though, you may make an exception. Mind you, it's NOT bad. It's just maa-maa (so-so in Japanese).

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!