I can’t believe it’s been months since my last post! I’ve been doing well, the days have just been going by faster than usual. These past months, I’ve tried a lot of good food and instead of creating separate posts for them, I’ll just compile them here. Let’s go!

Ippudo

This is a ramen chain that I’ve never had strong feelings about. My sole experience with it years ago left me with a mediocre experience that there was really nothing much to say about it. After dining here once more, my opinion hasn’t changed.

I ordered the Karaka special which is their spicy tonkotsu-based ramen with minced meat, while my partner got the Akamaru special, their original tonkotsu-broth with miso paste and garlic oil.

While no ramen is bad ramen (as someone who eats instant noodles regularly), I can’t believe how they manage to take these high quality ingredients and make such a mediocre flavor profile. While it is far from being unsavory, I can’t find anything noteworthy to say aside from the noodles, which were nicely textured and firm.

Ippudo is decent ramen, but for the price range, I can definitely think of better places to eat in. It’s a good thing that the company I eat with here is always special, because the food is always the last thing I’ll remember.

Maybe I’m just ordering the wrong things, let me know if there is something on the menu that you’d recommend, I’ll be glad to have Ippudo finally wow me with a bowl.

Ippudo
[ facebook | instagram ]
11:00am to 10:00pm
Ground Floor, Uptown Mall,
9th ave., cor. 36th St.,
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

Marugame Udon

Tbh, this place deserves its own blog post, but since I keep eating the same thing every time, this small section is the most practical place for it.

Sukiyaki Ninja. That’s it. That’s the order. It’s my favorite bowl and I’ve probably eaten this close to (if not more than) a hundred times in my lifetime. I can’t get enough of it and I can eat it every day until I die. The beef is soft and flavorful, the noodles thicc and chewy, the broth savory and saucy. I’m already craving for a bowl while typing this.

We dined here so I can let my partner have the Marugame experience and I’m happy to report that she liked it a lot. Being a rice-lover, she ordered the Teriyaki Chicken & Beef Yakiniku. She got full easily (as you always do with Marugame) and praised the flavor of the meat. All according to plan.

I will never stop singing praises for Marugame Udon and eating their Sukiyaki Ninja is one of the reasons why I am thankful to be alive. It is truly a dish in my Top 3. I’ve said it multiple times before, but when I die, please cook my corpse in the soup of Sukiyaki Ninja.

Marugame has a lot of branches, and I am happy to say that their consistency is also one thing I find remarkable. No matter where I order, I am always satisfied with my bowl of udon.

Marugame Udon
[ facebook | instagram ]
10:00am to 10:00pm
2F, The Podium,
ADB ave., Ortigas Center,
Mandaluyong City

Jin Joo Korean Grill

We’ve been craving for unlimited samgyupsal for a while and the opportunity finally came while walking around Glorietta and spotting an almost-empty branch of Jin Joo. It was around two hours before closing time, hence the lack of other diners, but the staff were still very energetic and we applaud their service in this branch.

We got their most premium package which had unlimited orders of Pork, Chicken, Beef, and some seafood. They had a cute questionnaire method for ordering and we can only choose a certain number of dishes per round. This is good because it helps keep leftovers at a minimum and also helps us choose some dishes that we haven’t tried before.

Everything was great but I have to mention their scallops which were served in a container of garlic sauce and butter. These were absolutely delicious plus you could use the butter-garlic sauce as a dip for your grilled meats as well. 

I also enjoyed their Cajun Spice Beef, Enoki Beef Rolls, Pickled Cucumbers, and the Cheese dip. They also serve pre-cooked Pork Katsudon and Chicken Karaage. Their steamed egg is a staple in Korean bbq and it doesn’t disappoint.

We had a  great experience here and it was well worth the price of the unlimited package. I can say that we will definitely be back once we’re getting these cravings again.

Jin Joo Korean Grill
[ facebook | instagram ]
11:00am to 9:00pm
Ground Floor, Glorietta 4,
Glorietta Complex, Ayala ave.,
Makati City

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This is just part 1 of my foodventures for the year. I’ve still got more places in my backlog and I’ll be sharing them with you in the future (Part 2 is now published!). Thanks for reading until here. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

Stay safe and keep those calories down!

-jgzn

P.S.

Thanks to my partner for providing most of the photos. 📷
Looking forward to more food times with you!