Nomama Artisanal Ramen

We planned to have dinner at Nomama Artisanal Ramen the other week.  However, due to heavy rain in the Metro, we had to cancel.  Considering the Deal Grocer coupon would expire on September 29, we had to reschedule it ASAP or else, we would have thrown away Php 1,000 worth of Nomama food!

Today, rain or shine, we went ahead and stormed our way to Nomama Artisanal Ramen.  Several friends were actually surprised that I haven’t tried the food at the restaurant.  I must admit I have this habit of trying out every new restaurant that opens in the Metro.  Well, it’s better late than never!  It was such a good timing as Nomama was celebrating their 1st year anniversary!  They currently have a promo.  Can you believe that you only have to pay Php 1.00 for your second ramen?  This is available Mondays to Saturdays throughout the month of September 2012.

Since we got ourselves Deal Grocer coupons, we couldn’t avail of the Php 1.00 ramen promo.  It was totally okay though as we wanted to try out Nomama’s non-ramen items.

I wondered what Nomama and Artisanal meant (Ramen is pretty self-explanatory) so I researched via the net and found this:

• Nomama means ‘not your mama’s ramen’ – I guess what the owner, Chef Him Uy de Baron, wanted to tell us is that Nomama Artisanal Ramen is different.  It’s new and it’s not familiar to us.
• Artisanal means crafted in a traditional manner – Nomama Ramen prides itself for only using fresh organic products located in the Philippines.  The chef doesn’t produce ingredients in bulk.  They carefully prepare each ramen bowl as it should be (with care and with attention to detail).

The attention to detail can also be seen at the interior of the restaurant.  Kids will definitely love looking on top as there are various toys hanging on the ceiling of Nomama Artisanal Ramen.

And yes, even the menu is super fun!  You can turn the three different magnetic balls around while searching for food to order at the restaurant.

Siobs Debbie and I were supposed to eat lunch by ourselves but luckily, we saw sister Jocelyn and her family across our table!  We joined them and we ended up eating a lot, lot more because they shared their food with us.

• Tofu Fries (Php 110)

I asked siobs Debbie if we can order tofu fries because I was really curious what it would look like and taste like.  I initially thought that it would be super thin strips of tofu that will look exactly like traditional french fries.  Apparently, I was wrong.  It was as simple as rectangular shaped tofu fried to a crisp!  The tofu fries was served with sweet chili sauce that complemented the tofu very well!  This is a must-order!

• Pork Gyoza (Php 125)

“Ang sarap!” – those were the words that I heard from sister Jocelyn’s kids when they took a bite of Nomama’s classic pork and cabbage dumpling.  Kids do not lie, right?

• Yasai Korokke Salad with Yuzu & Chili Aioli (Php 225)

There’s a surprise in every bite of these Japanese croquetes stuffed with white cheese.  I do not want to expand further as not to ruin the whole experience in eating this refreshing starter.  It’s a great salad and I must say, that I loved not just the taste but also the presentation.  Lovely!

• Seafood Kilawin ala Japonaise (Php 320)

Fresh tanigue, prawns, cherry tomato, ginger and finger chili, coconut citrus dressing.

I don’t eat raw food so I wasn’t able to try this Japanese-style ‘kilawin’.

• Teppanyaki Vegetables (Php 230)

A vegetable dish order was our proof that we wanted to eat healthy 😛  Nomama’s Teppanyaki vegetables consisted of zucchini, asparagus, bok choy, cabbage, and carrots.

• Nomama Seafood (Php 360)

I enjoyed the tempura from Nomama especially the soft shell crab that was included in the order.  I liked the lightness of the batter because it brought out the flavors of the main ingredients of the dish.  Other items included were snapper, prawns, and eggplant.

• Nomama Ramen (Php 337)

Nomama’s signature dish is called Nomama Ramen.  It was made of pork stock (cooked for 8 hours), chashu slices, two soft-boiled eggs, cabbage and seaweed.  The ramen tasted just okay.  However, I didn’t like the noodles because it was a bit tough.  I must say that the soft-boiled egg was the star of this dish!

• Chicken Wings Ramen

While Nomama’s specialty is their Nomama Ramen, we all enjoyed the chicken ramen more.  I guess the flavours were much in line with our tastebuds.  This reminded me of the Chinese herbal soup commonly known as ‘sibut’.

• Kitayama Rib Eye (Php 2,300)

Yes, you read it right.  This Japanese steak & fries was worth Php 2,300!!!  It’s very expensive and no, I didn’t order it.  I was able to eat a big portion of it though as sis Jocelyn put it on my plate.  Who am I to refuse?

After having eaten it, I must say that the steak (200 grams) was perfectly cooked.  The meat was very tender and I loved the miso butter flavour in it.  I still think the rib eye was priced high and I wish they could offer it at a lower price.

Finally, I can say that I tried out Nomama Artisanal Ramen!  I sometimes feel obligated to try out as much restaurants as possible because people tend to ask me for restaurant advice.

I liked Nomama and I think I will be back (especially for their tofu fries)!  I wish to meet Chef Him Uy de Baron in the future.  It’s always nice to hear stories from owners on how they made their businesses successful.  Happy 1st anniversary Nomama!

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Nomama Artisanal Ramen
G/F FSS Bldg. II, #18 Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor, Quezon City, Philippines
+63-2-9214913 / +639165504373