Kokoro Ramenya

Kokoro Ramenya is a newly-opened Japanese ramen restaurant located in Manila.  I remember seeing the restaurant along Roxas Boulevard while I was driving my way to the airport one time.  I said to myself that I would try it out one day.

Last Sunday, it was raining hard and I was craving for hot noodle soup badly.  I decided that it was time for me to try out Kokoro Ramenya.  There are a lot of ramen places in Metro Manila already, but trying out new ones still excite me a lot!

We parked in front of the Avenue of the Arts building, and took the stairs going to the 2nd floor.

Kokoro Ramenya is huge!  It can definitely cater a lot of people.  It can also be a good venue for intimate birthday parties or school reunions.  Considering the modern ambiance of the place plus the great selection of food, I believe people would enjoy it at Kokoro Ramenya.

I sat facing the kitchen but on the other side, you’ll get a good view of Manila Bay.  The restaurant’s cozy interior combined with a view of nature definitely gives a relaxing effect for the dining public.

Kokoro Ramenya was put up by two Japanese friends who merely had the idea when they were chatting over their Japanese instant noodle lunch.  They did research, cooking experimentation and food tastings for one year.  They got themselves support from a few of their Filipino friends and then they put up the restaurant.

It’s nice that the ramen that we are having here in Manila is getting authentic considering that the chefs that cooked the food are real Japanese.  In Kokoro Ramenya’s case, it was Japanese head chef and ramen connoisseur, Chef Susumo Murata.

While I browsed through the restaurant’s menu, I noticed that Kokoro Ramenya prides itself for its selection of popular regional Japanese ramen.  The pictures alone made my tummy yearn for the food!

Apart from ramen, Kokoro Ramenya also has good selection of sushi, appetizers, ala carte dishes and desserts.  I tried to order as much as we could so I can share with you more dishes that you can get when you visit the restaurant.

• Kokoro Ramenya Beverages

First off, we ordered drinks.  I’ve chosen Matcha Milk Shake (Php 85) because tea is getting so popular these days.  I couldn’t help but get myself at least one glass of it in Kokoro Ramenya.

My friend ordered Kokoro Iced Tea (Php 50).  I was also able to taste it and I’m glad that the iced tea was freshly brewed and not powdered.

Two thumbs up for both drinks!

• Gyoza (Php 155)

I never fail to order gyoza whenever I’m in a Japanese restaurant.  I somehow felt that this was a bit expensive considering the number of pieces in one order.  However, as soon as I tasted the gyoza, oh my gosh, it tasted soooooo good!  You can even see through the picture above that the dumpling skin was toasted!  When I took a bite, it was even better!  The gyoza was juicy and it also helped that the dish was newly cooked when it was served.  A must-order!

• Beef Teppanyaki (Php 445)

The beef teppanyaki dish was such a mouthwatering dish!  I think it only took us approximately 8 minutes to finish this dish.  The meat was on a buttery side but I didn’t mind.  The bean sprouts covered with corn was a nice touch!  This is another successful dish for me!

• Crispy California Maki (Php 195)

Crispy california maki is not a new kind of dish but what I like about Kokoro Ramenya’s version is that they took a unique twist to it.  First, the california maki wasn’t really fried, but it was rolled with tempura skin.  Next, the sauce that came with it was perfect for the dish.  The sauce was a combination of mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce.  Lastly, there’s more than enough california maki in each order (8 pieces).

As soon as we finished this dish, I was already a bit full.  However, I knew that I need to have more stomach space for Kokoro Ramen’s specialty, the ramen…

• Kokoro Ramenya Ramen Noodles

Kokoro Ramenya pride and glory is its selection of Ramen noodles.  What I appreciate on their preparation is that the noodles are freshly-made everyday.  Apart from that, they even have their own Japanese noodle-making machine to ensure the noodles are of the highest quality.

We ordered two of their bestsellers – the Hakata Classic and the Gekikara Ramen.  Other recommendations by Chef Murata include the Karakuchi-negi, Seafood Sapporo Ramen, Gomamiso, and Kokoro Ramenya original.

I ordered Gekikara Ramen (Php 275) because I love spicy food!  This particular ramen is miso-based noodle soup with chashu and breansprout, made extra spicy.  The bowl was filled with tons of vegetables and chashu that I ended up taking home half of the ramen noodle.

Guess what?  I had it for lunch earlier and my officemates were asking me where I got the Gekikara ramen.  The dish still looked so good that they had to find out where I got the ramen.  I let a colleague taste it and she was raving about it the whole time.  It further confirmed my fondness for the dish.  It was yeah, delicious!

Rich and creamy tonkotso noodle soup boiled for 18 hours topped with kikurage, chashu and soft boiled egg.

The Hakata Classic is Kokoro Ramenya’s specialty and this is a MUST-ORDER!  It’s available as a single-order (Php 325) and Sumo bowl (Php 525), good for two.  My friend was so satisfied with the dish that he kept raving about it the whole time he was eating.  And when we got home, he even had to post a photo of the noodle with a description, “YUMMY!”.  Now, do I even have to describe how good this dish is?  I suggest you just order this dish when you get the chance to visit Kokoro Ramenya.

• Kokoro Ramenya Desserts

The Uji Kintori (Php 95) – green tea ice cream topped with sweet adzuki beans.  This tasted similar with the matcha green tea drink that I ordered.

Japanese coffee jelly & ice cream (Php 85).  The coffee jelly was made from real coffee!  Best to eat the dessert as soon as it’s served.

Since it’s rainy season, now is the best time to dine at Ramen places.  One of those that I can recommend is Kokoro Ramenya.  Make sure you order their gyoza and Hakata classic.  Time to warm yourselves up with yummy ramen!

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Kokoro Ramenya
2/F Avenue of the Arts Building, Sta Monica cor. Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila, Philippines
+63-2-2549716