Wrong Ramen: A Unique Ramen Resto Concept in BGC

Just last weekend, we had the chance to go to Fort area to visit a friend. Since the weather was cold and rains were heavy, we decided to have ramen for dinner. 

Since we rarely go to this side of the metro, we decided to look for the nearest ramen place in BGC. We found Wrong Ramen by Burgos Circle and there was street parking available so we decided to push through.

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Ippudo HK: A Must Go Ramen Restaurant Chain

Having tried a lot of ramen places here in Manila, a lot of people have been telling me to try Ippudo (一風堂) when we get to Hong Kong. According to Wikipedia, this Japanese restaurant chain started in Fukuoka, Japan in 1985. The name, which literally means "One Wind Hall" was because there were dark clouds over the Kyushu ramen industry and the founder CEO Kawahara wanted to "blow wind to revolutionize this era." It was not until 2008 that it expanded to the other side of the globe and opened its first overseas branch in New York. It started to become more and more popular and eventually opened stores in Asia - Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong.

Ippudo in Chinese Characters - and it literally means "One Wind Hall"

Since it was our first time to try this restaurant out, we were all very excited but didn't realize that it was past 9pm when we arrived Silvercord. What surprised me more was that there was still a long line of diners waiting for their turn to be seated. I saw this small black machine by the reception table and so I took a closer look - an automated queuing machine! We slowly looked at how it works (good thing language can be changed to English) and finally got our number. We were number 328 and at that time, they were serving 280+.

Hungry and tired that we were, we opted to stay as we have been looking forward to trying Ippudo's ramen. We waited for more or less 40 minutes and finally, our number was called.

Their Automated Queuing System

All the wait staff greeted us as soon as we entered (too bad we didn't understand them). What I loved about their interior is that it was very warm and cozy. What I also noticed is that even though the restaurant is packed with people, they made sure that diners are seated comfortably - arrangement of tables and chairs are not crowded.

As soon as we were seated, we were given the menu and in just 3 minutes, all of us was ready to order. I got the Shiromaru Motoaji and I added an order of their soft-boiled egg as ramen would never be complete without ajitama. It didn't take them long to serve our orders and what I liked about it was even if there were 6 of us who ordered different varieties, they more or less served the ramen simultaneously. 

Their ramen was really good as there is consistency in the preparation of the noodles and the broth had a distinct yummy flavor. The slices of pork was actually good as there was not much fat compared to the  "char siu" slices of other ramen restaurant chain.  

Shiromaru Ramen with Flavored Soft Boiled Egg

Husband on the other hand ordered Ippudo Karaka as this was recommended by their wait staff, he loved it very much as the spice added more flavor to the ramen. We also found out later on that this spicy ramen is one of their best-sellers.

Ippudo Karaka

They have been very consistent in the preparation of their soft-boiled egg. Not all ramen restaurant chains can actually perfect this (some actually overcooks it resulting to hard-boiled egg) and I consider Ippudo to have one of the best ajitamas in town.

Ippudo complete menu:

Although it was already late when we finished, we were very much satisfied with visiting Ippudo. I do hope they get to open one soon in Manila but if not, we highly recommend you to visit this ramen restaurant chain!

Ippudo Hong Kong is located at 

Shop No. 20, 2nd Floor, Silvercord,
30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Operating Hours: 11:30 am to 11:00 pm (Monday-Sunday)

LaNnA
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Must Try Restaurants in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is considered to be one of the best places to head to when you are looking for something unique to eat or simply enjoy good Chinese food. Last May, we were able to spend a few days there to try a few restaurants and let me share with you some of these simple must-eat places whenever you visit Hong Kong.

1. In love with ramen? Try Ippudo (一風堂) as we consider it to be the best ramen place we've been to. Not only is the soup flavorful, but the noodle itself was cooked perfectly. Since some of their orders doesn't include ajitama, I suggest you order it as an add-on because their flavored soft-boiled egg are a must-eat. Don't worry about the calories because you will be burning them when you take a stroll afterwards. Make sure though that you have the patience to wait because the line is long. For us, we went there around 9pm and the line was still long. What's good about Ippudo is that they have this automated queuing system (Silvercord Center, TST Branch) that enables wait staff to quickly monitor the volume of people about to dine.Check this detailed review of Ippudo: Ippudo HK: A Must-Try Ramen Restaurant Chain

2. Delicious Kitchen has been a must-go place for those who loves porkchop rice. This local restaurant is perfect for those people that are always on the go (as they prepare the food quite fast) but still wanted good Chinese food. They also have other tasty dishes so be sure to check them out!

3. Want to try different kinds of XiaoLongBao? DinTaiFung would be the restaurant who offers one the widest variety. Not only does this Michelin Star restaurant offer such but they also have varieties of dimsum and Chinese menu that you could choose from. Check our separate Din Tai Fung Blog here: Family Lunch At Din Tai Fung

4. The best asado bun? Head to TimHoWan (添好運) and you'll not be disappointed. This is, in fact, the cheapest Michelin star restaurant and dimsum prices starts at HKD 10. This establishment has been famous since it has opened because one of the partners (who is also the head chef) used to work as the dimsum chef for Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. You should bring with you extra patience too as there is a long line in almost all their branches in Hong Kong.

Re-Heated Asado Buns of Tim Ho Wan

There are a lot more places to try out in Hong Kong and we'll surely update and post another blog as soon as we discover them. For you, what's your must-go restaurants in Hong Kong? Comment away below!

LaNnA
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Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

My love for ramen started when my friend had me try out Marutama ramen in Singapore. I can happily say that my ramen cravings are somewhat fulfulled even without going abroad as ramenya shops have sprouted all over the metro!

As we had idle time one Sunday afternoon prior to attending a wedding reception at Makati Shangri-la Hotel, we decided to drop by Santouka. We've heard people rave about the ramen here but we hated the line so we thought that by going there early before dinner, we won't have to line up that long.

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Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen in Manila (Shangrila Mall)

Many restaurants in Japan specialize in just one type of food. For example, "Sushi-ya" are restaurants which specialize in sushi. "Gyudon-ya" specialize in gyudon (beef donburi) and the list goes on as there are restaurants who specialize in soba, udon, kare (Curry), tempura and believe it or not, there is something called "Unagi-ya". For those who love Japanese food, you guessed it correctly! A restaurant that specializes in unagi (fresh water eel).

From last year up to present, there are a lot of new ramen shops that sprouted in Manila. They are considered "Ramen-ya". Every ramen-ya develops their own soup and that is considered the most crucial ingredient for a ramen-ya's success. In Japan, the average price for a bowl of ramen is around 500 pesos.

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