Nomama Artisanal Ramen in Quezon City: Home of Palatable Creativity

For the longest time, I have been meaning to visit Nomama Artisanal Ramen of Chef Him Uy De Baron located in Quezon City. This celebrated homegrown ramen restaurant boasts of specializing in Japanese fare with Asian influence that uses best ingredients preferably sourced locally.

Scheduled visits in the past were always hindered by all sorts of odd events. So, when opportunity presented itself weeks ago, I vowed not to miss a dinner at Nomama for good or for ill. Good thing that I was able to make it since that night, aside from their best sellers we sampled new additions to Nomama's menu, specifically the Wagyu and Teppanyaki menu.

Nomama has partnered with people who shared the same passion of creating simple but good food. Kitayama Beef, Ministry of Mushrooms, and Kikkoman joined Nomama in its journey of to come up with dishes meant not just to please the palate, but to celebrate the creativity in flavors as well.

Prior to the visit, I was expecting that it will be a feast of ramen just like what we did at my other favorite ramen place. When Chef Him Uy de Baron presented us the special dinner menu that we were set to devour that night, I was delightfully surprised that Nomama does not just offers wide variety of ramen but it also boasts of different dishes as well.

The dinner started with a beautiful marriage of Kitayama Beef Tenderloin tips and Ribeye prepared using a Japanese technique called Tataki which entails searing the beef, chopping it to pieces before serving it raw. The beef was seasoned with uni butter and lime hence lending a creamy texture to the dish while enhancing its savory. Meant to be eaten by spreading it to crisp sweet potato chips and topping it with alfafa sprouts, this very first dish I had at Nomama exudes a welcoming nudge to the palate, a remarkable prelude.

Beef Tataki with Uni and Chips

A salad course that boasts of Kitayama Tri-Tip steak graced our table after the we devoured the first dish. Thai Spiced Tri-Tip with Jasmine Rice and Pineapple Salad, Herbs and Red Curry Dressing was a breathtaking as it name sounds. I loved that the a kick of spiciness which is what a Thai cuisine is known for wasn't overwhelming. Rather, it only heightens the flavor of each component, making it worked together well.

Thai Spiced Tri-Tip with Jasmine Rice and Pineapple Salad, Herbs, and Red Curry Dressing

While the meat feast was well worth trekking the drive to Quezon City, the only seafood dish during our dinner was equally worth celebrating for. Soy-Prawn Teppan with Uni Cream Sauce shyly introduces itself amidst the parade of meat, and emerged victorious by leaving a remarkable raves from our group.

Soy-Prawn Teppan with Uni Cream Sauce

Downright simple in presentation but every glorious bite produced a sound of satisfaction that can only be experienced when savoring a mighty fine dish. The distinct fresh taste of the prawn coupled with the rich flavor of uni cream was a perfect combination, a match made in sea heaven.

The Ribeye Teppanyaki with Tendon in my opinion played the lead role that dinner with its simple presentation and grand taste. This dish alone proved that Kitayama Beef is at par with foreign suppliers in terms of providing high quality of beef. With the added distinct flare of Nomama, a beautiful dish was created that even the gods will approved of.

Rib Eye Teppanyaki with Tendon

Three sauces accompanied this teppanyaki dish; Japanese mustard, roasted garlic miso paste, and Kikkoman caramel. Each sauce carried distinct taste that elevates the flavor of the beef in so many different levels. The notable combination of bold flavors, artistic presentation, and playful texture was what made it a stellar. It was a mind blowing perfect dish.

Nomama's patrons is not limited to carnivores, hence, vegetarian fares are also offered. That night, we were served with Milky Mushroom Steak. A vegan-friendly dish that imitates a steak dish in terms of execution. The three previously mentioned sauces were also served alongside the mushroom.

Milky Mushroom Steak

Spicy Tongue Dry Noodle in all its reddish glory was the only dish I didn't get to taste. I am not big on spicy flavor and just the smell of this dish suggests that it's best for me to retreat. Yet, judging by the way my dinner mates enjoyed every forkful of it, seems like an equally fine dish.

Spicy Tongue Dry Noodle

The Thai Green Curry Ramen on the other hand was something I enjoyed. It has a kick of spiciness, something that my palate can tolerate. Using coconut broth mixed with green curry paste as a base, this ramen dish was a beautiful interpretation of distinct Asian flavor.

Thai Green Curry Ramen

Among the three noodle dish that was served, it was the Wagyu Beef Cheek Ramen that my palate favored the most. The combination of braised wagyu beef cheeks, milky broth, poached egg, and nori was remarkably comforting and satisfying.

Wagyu Beef Cheek Ramen

Wagyu Beef Cheek Ramen is the kind of dish that has a soul on it. The beef cheek was so tender that it feels fragile on my sticks. This dish even goes beyond comforting, its downright soul satisfying and nourishing. 

For the dessert we had Fresh Fruit Teppanyaki with Yuzu ans Lemon Gelato. A palate cleanser beautifully presented on a plate. A tug-of-war between citrus and sweet flavor that playfully tickled and cleanse our palates. I could have hoped for my usual dessert choices but this plate was perfection in itself that I could not ask for more.

Fresh Fruit Teppanyaki with Yuzu and Lemon Gelato

Needless to say, Chef Him earned my utmost respect and deep admiration for coming up with impeccable dishes that suggests bold flavor and creativity. I have been to other restaurants that serve ramen and other Japanese fare but Nomama Artisanal Ramen has this unique flare that separate it from others.

While each dish I have tried was enough for me to plan a next visit to Nomama, what really made it close to my heart is their commitment to support local suppliers by partnering with them. Now I could say that Nomama is so much more than a usual ramen place, it's abode of well executed palatable creativity.

We were told that the Wagyu and Teppanyaki menu is only available from February to March 2013. Let's cross our fingers that they extend the promo, or better yet, make these items regular on their menu.

Nomama Artisanal Ramen
G/F FSS Bldg 2,
Scout Tuason cor Scout Castor Sts,
Quezon City
Contact No.: 921-4913
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nomamaramen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nomamaramen