Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

The ramen craze hit the Philippines a couple of years ago and it's still going strong. I can't say I'm a ramen connoisseur as I've tried only a handful of places so far. Of the ones I've tried, my favorite by a mile is Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen. This place specializes in tonkotsu, or pork bone broth, ramen (note: this is not to be confused with tonkatsu which is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet). I love the food here so much that I've actually visited this place several times already, allowing me to try a handful of their menu items.

My favorite is the Ajitama Tonkotsu (P380). It's essentially their normal Ikkoryu Original Tonkotsu (tonkotsu ramen garnished with chashu, green onion, bamboo shoots, wood ear and dried seaweed) but with an Ajitama soft-boiled egg. I don't know how this egg is cooked but it is packed with flavor and goes perfectly well with the delicious ramen.

Ajitama Tonkotsu

The Chashu Tonkotsu (P380) is also pretty much their basic original Tonkotsu ramen but with an extra chashu slice.

Chashu Tonkotsu

The YUZU-TAMA Tonkotsu (P380) is one of their spicier options and the heat in this dish is provided by the yuzukoshō, a paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt. It's not extremely spicy so if you aren't a big fan of spicy food and want to try something different, this is a good option.

YUZU-TAMA Tonkotsu

I also got to try their Black Garlic Tonkotsu (P380) which has a special roast garlic oil mixed in with it. It's got great flavor while you are eating it but the slight downside for me was that I could still taste the garlic oil a couple of hours later.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu

The food here is quite expensive (all ramen options are in the P300-400 range) but it is worth it. You can check out their menu here. As of this writing, they currently have six locations, with a seventh one expected to open soon. Writing this blog post just made me want to have some of their tonkotsu ramen again LOL so maybe I should plan another visit some time soon.