Goodie Foodie: Hanamaruken Ramen

Last Christmas break, I gained a new pal named Ysabelly. I met her after eating all that Noche Buena, Christmas day and New Year's eve food preperations. She was also present when I dined in at new restaurants during vacation. She isn't exactly a good friend so this year I have to visit my other friend called the gym to help me get rid of her. (LOL) I think each of us can relate, I mean food IS our guilty pleasure during the break, right? Hahaha! I ate at three new restaurants over the holidays so this is the first out of the Goodie Foodie holiday chronicles. 


Let's get crackin'! Ramen is the pride of Japanese cuisine right? My family and I like trying different cuisines so one afternoon we opted for Japanese. Hanamaruken Ramen's branch in TriNoma is only on its soft opening. The ambience is very much Japanese, even the kind of music you'd hear play in scenes where the Japanese temples are shown? Yep, they're being played there and you'll definitely feel those Japanese vibes.




   

Pot Belly Rice Bowl. This is kakuni (Japanese braised pork dish) with onions on rice. This is what my mom had. According to her, the meat is very tender and flavorful. She said that the serving is good for more than one person. 


Signature Happiness Ramen. This is tonkutsu ("pork bone") with shoyu (soy sauce) and Hanamaruken's slow-cooked pork rib. What a perfect concoction. No wonder this is their best-seller. This is happiness in my dad's tummy!


Pot Belly Ramen. This is similar to the Signature Happiness Ramen but what made it different was that it was served with roasted pork belly. It was kinda the "counterpart" of what my mom ordered but it had noodles and soup. My brother Ty loved the meat and remarked that it was easy to cut and chew.


Salaryman Chahan. This dish is fried rice with sliced pork. My youngest brother Yan and I are rice lovers. I love eating different kinds of rice and now this one's my favorite. The rice is so good that I can eat it without the pork. 



The verdict? Happiness for Ysabelly! :-) I can't wait to try more of their dishes here. One of my resolutions for 2014 is to try more restaurants and cuisines and this is just the beginning. It was fun trying to pronounce the Japanese dishes and terms properly. I can't wait for my next visit here.



Hanamaruken Ramen
Open from 11am to 10pm
2/F Trinoma Mall, North Avenue cor. Edsa, 1606 Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: +632.720.9283 / +632.628.1603
Website: Hanamaruken.Ph