#currydon

[erlangshen]

Ordered U:Don i CapHill for takeout: kitsune udon, gyudon, currydon, some tempura & spam musubi. #food #foodporn #foodgasm #instafood #japanesefood #udon #tempura #gyudon #currydon #musubi #うどん #天ぷら #牛丼 #カレー丼 #takeout #seattle #capitolhill #quarantineactivities (at U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMP27wyhSOq/?igshid=1nusn220q509f

[giftwhat]

DORAEMON Characters Curry Rice ドラえもん

[foto-amore]

Awesome japanese curry! #japanese #food #photography #foodphotography #yuigadoxon #curryplace #curry #famouscurrydon #famous #currydon #don #curryrice #rice #furanocurry #furano #hokkaido #japan

[djsupadanekingcrown]

The Family is all about music it's in the Dna..🎖🎯 #djsupadanetheinspiration #currydon #rohandagreatmc #jaywin #collie The Lincoln Theatre Raliegh North Carolina..

[thehungrykat1]

Mazesoba and Japanese Comfort Food at Menya Kokoro

I have always been a big fan of ramen and anything Japanese. Nothing warms my heart more than a big bowl of hot and delicious ramen from my favorite Japanese restaurants. But last year, I heard a lot of good things about this new modern-style soupless ramen restaurant that opened in Bonifacio Global City. It took a global pandemic and more than a year before I was finally to try it for myself, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Menya Kokoro is a new restaurant that specializes in Tokyo Mazesoba. This is a new style of ramen which literally translates as “mixing noodle.” Japanese Chef Takuma Ishikawa created Kokoro Mazesoba in Tokyo Japan in 2013 and it was brought to the Philippines last year by restaurateur Malvin Ang who also owns and runs Brotzeit Philippines. You can find Menya Kokoro at the third floor al fresco area of Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City.

The restaurant follows all the recommended health procedures set by the government, including temperature checks before you can go inside the restaurant with masks and face shields as requirements. They also offer take-out and deliveries through foodpanda and Grabfood with their D-I-Y Tokyo Mazesoba Kits.

I do believe dining in is still the way to get the best masezoba experience. Menya Kokoro gives diners a secure environment as they use UV light disinfectant, germicidal and sterilizer for the safety of their guests and staff. They also use Aeris Active which provides hospital-grade disinfection on hard surfaces, kills COVID-19, and provides antibacterial protection for up to 7 days or 200 touches.

But if you want to be even safer, grab a chair outside and sit down at their al fresco dining area. This is where my friends and I gathered last week for a lively but socially-distanced lunch at Menya Kokoro.

It was the last Friday afternoon before Christmas and everyone felt the weekend vibes. Aside from mazesoba, Menya Kokoro is a place that offers great Japanese comfort food so we started with a few orders of Japanese beer and cocktails. The Kirin Ichiban (P150) goes well with their yakitori selections and other appetizers.

What really impressed us was their lineup of Japanese Cocktails in cans like the Peach Suntory (P220) and the Strong Beer (P220) which really packs quite a punch at 9% alcohol content! These are available in other flavors like grape, plum, apple, pineapple, grape fruit, and more.

Pair your drinks with these yakitori sticks that really make a great opening combination. You can try four kinds of yakitori including Chicken, Pork, and Prawn Yakitori (P60/stick).

My favorite was the Wagyu Beef Yakitori (P150/stick) with its very flavorful wagyu cubes doused with a sweet teriyaki sauce. This is the perfect beer match!

They also have Gyoza (P190) for those like to pair these with their ramen. Another option for an appetizer or side dish would be the Karaage (P200). These very crunchy bite-sized fried chicken are also good to eat along with the beers and cocktails.

We were all enjoying the drinks and appetizers with the cool outdoor breeze so much that we almost forgot about the main event, the mazesoba!

Chef Takuma Ishikawa created a modern twist on the traditional ramen. The Mazesoba is a dry noodle dish topped with all sorts of tasty ingredients that you mix together to create a myriad of flavors. It uses soba for its noodles which is softer but thicker than ramen. The mazesoba became extremely popular in Tokyo and Japan with Chef Ishikawa winning the 2014 Best Mazesoba Award. This is Menya Kokoro’s signature item, the Tokyo Mazesoba (P350). It has a base of chicken paitan broth, oil flavored with sakura ebi, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and saba fish powder. These are topped with spring onions, chives, chopped nori, special minced-pork sauce, fish powder, minced garlic, and a soft-boiled egg at the center.

So how do you eat your Mazesoba? There’s a bit of a ritual as you first have to mix all the ingredients properly. Break the onsen tamago at the center and blend everything together with the soba noodles.

It smells so good! You can add their special Kombu Vinegar or seaweed vinegar plus some chili oil if you prefer. Once you have it all mixed up, it’s time to slurp away at your mazesoba!

If you want something more special, go order the Zenbu Mazesoba (P470) which is an upgraded version of the Tokyo Mazesoba. In addition to all those ingredients mentioned above, the Zenbu Mazesoba comes with lovely chashu or braised pork belly, bamboo shoots, and ajitama ramen egg. You can have it in spicy or non-spicy version.

This is what I actually ordered and I really love it! Just look at that gorgeous onsen tamago and those tender pieces of chashu. All the ingredients blended perfectly to create this rich and flavorful bowl of noodles. It reminded me of our own Filipino pancit canton but multiplied by so much more. That was my first time to try mazesoba and I am now hooked!

Each order of mazesoba also comes with a side bowl of mushroom shoyu soup. But that’s not all, because it also comes with a small bowl of steamed rice. So what is that rice for? When you finish your mazesoba, there will usually be a lot of leftover ingredients on the bowl. You can mix your rice together with these tiny bits to extend your mazesoba experience even further. That means double the fun and double the satisfaction!

One of the new items on the menu at Menya Kokoro is the Unagi Mazesoba (P580). My husband loves unagi so this is what he ordered. It comes with a generous portion of fatty Japanese eel which gives the entire bowl a different flavor component. This also gets our vote of approval.

For those who still prefer the traditional soupy ramen, don’t worry because Menya Kokoro also offers a few of these. The Tantan Ramen (P430) is a slightly spicy ramen using ground pork and peanut as its base. They also have chasu ramen, miso ramen, and other variants.

There are a few rice bowls to choose from as well. The Sukiyakidon (P320) comes with strips of marinated pork and other vegetables on a bowl of hot rice. Beef Currydon and Mazedon are also available.

But if you’re stuck at home or work and dreaming about a warm bowl of ramen or mazesoba, don’t worry because Menya Kokoro also has a very efficient online delivery website where you can choose your favorite dishes and have them delivered straight to your location.

Just head over to www.menyakokoroph.com and view their collection of Japanese comfort dishes. Everything on their menu can be ordered for delivery including gift cards that you can send to your friends and family. You can book a third party delivery rider to pick-up your order or you can ask them to book it for you.

I was craving for some ramen the other night, so I went to their website and ordered a box of their D-I-Y Black Garlic Ramen Kit for delivery to my home. This kit is good for two servings and is very easy to assemble and cook.

Everything you need is in the box including soba noodles, pork chashu, nori, and the broth itself. The items are frozen so you can even keep them in the freezer for up to a few weeks if you like having them ready and available any time.

It took just around ten minutes to prepare my warm and hearty bowl of Black Garlic Ramen from Menya Kokoro. My husband ordered the Beef Mazesoba which comes with meaty beef strips together with the flavorful mazesoba ingredients.

It was a fun and relaxing Friday afternoon filled with cold beers and cocktails paired with warm bowls of mazesoba and ramen. Menya Kokoro is a great venue to have a safe and socially distant gathering with friends and family. Visit them at Uptown Mall and try the mazesoba experience yourself, or just have these delicacies delivered straight to you. Happy slurping!

Menya Kokoro

3/F Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

(0919) 001-9392 / 77586493

http://www.menyakokoroph.com/

www.facebook.com/menyakokoroph

[d-tor]

Katsu Currydon with Shrimp Tempura

[kay-ann08081990]

katsu currydon ❤️ (at Roku Sushi + Ramen)

[thervnpictureshow]

Cold soba and currydon set nadai fujisoba has really reasonable prizes and its really good :)

[momochanners]

FINALLY. #ChickenKatsu #CurryDon #food #instagram

[mrdragon9]

Yummy chicken curry over rice! #currydon #tampopo #ramen #foodporn #japanese #curry #ricebowl (at Tampopo Ramen)

[pangtuchubbybunny]

I couldn't understand what we talked about in class today 😱😱😱😱 #totallybumbed #currydon #withkaraage #japanesefood #meijiseimen #costamesa #midnightfoodpost #pangtueats #latergram (at Meiji Seimen)

[foto-amore]

"Please do not ask for hot water". Hmmm... #sign #signage #nohotwater #hotwater #hot #water #yuigadoxon #curryplace #curry #famouscurrydon #famous #currydon #don #curryrice #rice #furanocurry #furano #hokkaido #japan

[dweebasaurslex]

#curry #currydon #datenight #awesomeness #foodporn #foodie #foodiesofinstagram #japanesecurry #inlove #newfavoriteplace #aisushi #sixthstreet #downtownsandiego

[jaywinblog]

#fbf #flashbackfriday my dad #currydon #realOG on the block #93rd & #rutland #90z #brooklyn #nyc #ny #718

[egomarc]

To start off the food feast, a brunch meal at #tanukiraw ! So sad I didn't manage to capture a photo of their Chirashi Don, which was not too bad! Sadly I can't eat Beef, although the Truffle Yakiniku Don looks fantastic! #japanesefood #sashimi #lycheefizz #oysters #currydon #birthdayoff (at Tanuki Raw)

[jliaiv]

#dinner with #bestie #japanesefood #galaxymall #currydon #ramen #yummy just forget about sad thing #justbehappy #enjoying #timezzz #lovemylife