Jul 13

Jul 13 Bonifacio Global City: Wrong Ramen

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - I have long been hearing great things about this restaurant that offers ramen knock-offs. Wrong Ramen is the name of the resto and their motto? Why compete with authentic Japanese restaurants that serve ramens that are equally authentic when they know they will never ever surpass them or at least be at par with them. So instead, this restaurant chose to cook ramens in the only way they knew. It might not be the right way, hence the name, but the Filipino palate loves it to pieces.

The décor of the restaurant leans towards simple and contemporary. It is teeming with wooden furniture and dashes of black to either fill the gaps or cover the edges. I am a sucker for this kind of combination as it always made me feel cozy and comfortable in an instant. The colour from the paintings and art on the walls helped also in giving a kind of "pop" and playful vibe to the overall aura of the restaurant.

Whenever we are waiting for our orders to arrive do I always find myself taking pictures in all corners or tinkering away. I found these drawers under the tables which prompted me to ask the waiter assigned to us if these tables are recycled or if these have any use. Apparently, you can stash away important papers or documents that you brought for the meantime here while you eat without the fear of splashing soup on it should you choose to slurp your ramen to contentment. How ingenious!

Since we were expecting some big ramen bowls, my mom and I decided to order one and split it between us instead. Good thing we went with our instincts because the bowl were really humongous! Since we wanted something light, I ordered the Sea Men Ramen (Php 345) which contains a handful of mixed seafood delights such as clams, squid and shrimp. Even the resulting broth was simply savory!

My brother on the other hand ordered the Tonkotsu Rich (Php 395). There are two variants of this dish actually: the rich one and the light one. I failed to ask about the difference but I am quite positive that it has something to do with the size of the serving! I was unabashedly salivating when I was taking this picture! Shame on me and shame on that lovely slice of pork floating above for making me do so! I was not able to contain myself and asked my brother if I could have a spoonful of the broth which he said yes to, oh goody, thank God for brothers like him!

Well, the broth has that distinct, repelling taste (maybe due to the XO sauce) that you will catch the first time the soup slides on your tongue but changes to a meaty taste once it reaches your throat and you swallow it. An ugly kind of beautiful if you may ask. Since the taste is different and you want to make sense out of it, it is a given that you will go again for another dive. Before you know it, your bowl would already be empty!

One thing that you will notice while reading the menu is that the ramens here have weird names. When we ordered this particular dish we do not know if we were pronouncing it right so we just had to ask!

"Kuya, is this Foo or Eff-yu?", we asked.

"Eff-yu, ma'am", the waiter replied which took me by surprise because it felt like he was cursing me.

Kidding aside! The FU Ramen (Php 425) is superb for those wanting a meat-loaded Ramen. Spam, bacon, cheese and fried egg in a garlic pepper broth? Well that is one helluva breakfast in ramen form!

Red Cow Tamagoyaki (Php 255). Corned beef and shiitake mushroom egg roll.

And for the dessert, we just had to get some Poop of the Gods (Php 135), if gods really do poop! Do not be deceived by its littleness because the Belgian chocolate is so rich, a little bite goes a long way! The sea salt and olive oil also gave an extra attitude to the otherwise typical chocolate.

So, what's the verdict?

Food: They simply have great food that everyone would enjoy! The rainy season is already here so I think this would be a great option for those days that you will be craving for some hot broth or funnily sounding ramen. One bowl could be shared by two persons with normal appetites!

Ambiance: Cozy that I am tempted to take off my shoes and eat with one leg on my chair. Like I said I am biased with the combination of wood and black as I loved the nice feeling it emanates.

Service: Just amazingly fast and the waiters are all smiles. I think great service is becoming a norm now here in Manila and it is rarely that I find now restaurants that do not make it a top priority.

Tabs: Php 400 to 450 per pax.

WRONG RAMEN