Weeks ago, together with some of my favorite Manila food bloggers, we visited Nomama Artisanal Ramen's branch at Capitol Commons in Pasig City to try new dishes on Nomama's Menu. I have always been a fan of chef Him Uy de Baron, so, regardless the fact that there are a lot of ramen places sprouting in Manila, Nomama is still on top of my list.
While the closing of their branch at Quezon City saddened a lot of ramen enthusiast from the North which shares the same affinity for Nomama Artisanal Ramen, the opening of their new branch at Capitol Commons brought joy nonetheless.
I may have mentioned before that I am not one of those who posses an extensive knowledge when it comes to ramen. But I know my palate, and having given a chance to be exposed in some of the ramen places here in Manila, I know what can makes me happy. Ramen with hearty broth that comforts, ingredients that are fresh, and noodles that are made with respect to the dish - this is my kind of ramen. Nomama never fall short in giving me that.
But Nomama is not just all about ramen. Sure they can pull off a great bowl that could melt one's heart, but chef Him's creativity is not limited into this specialty. I have written here before the palatable creativity we devoured during my visit at their Quezon City branch. And from that post you can see how Nomama could execute a well thought out dishes breathtaking enough to feast your appetite on, including your sense of sight.
Other items on Nomama's menu deserve to be equally celebrated. Our visit was prompted with a mission to try new additions on their menu while we revel at the well lit and impressive modern industrial interior of this new branch. It was a rainy afternoon and there could be no apt way to spend it than to enjoy a hearty bowl of ramen and other impressive dishes. And that's what we did.
The lunch started with Edamame Hummus with Spiced Pita (Php170). While the hummus can be easily mistaken as a mashed avocado at a glance, its flavor was a dead giveaway that it was not. Drizzled with what I believed was an Olive oil, sesame seed, and dash of paprika, the flavorful concoction did well in elevating the experience of devouring the homemade crisp pita.
There were three kinds of sliders served - Tori Karaage, Soft Shell Crab, and Fresh Crab which I believed were off the menu during the time of our visit. I was able to get my hands on the fresh crab sliders and I was without a regret. The freshness of the crab meat seasoned with herbs and spices were just perfect that I remember wishing it could be served as a regular size burger.
While the appetizers were more than enough to introduced us to the feast that will follow, I was still blown away by the complexity of flavors and the intricacies in plating of the three new dishes that were served immediately after.
The Kitayama Wagyu Beef Cheek with Miso for one was impeccably executed I was so close to bursting into an applause right after I took the proverbial first bite. The beef was undoubtedly of high quality, after all it was Kitayama. The bed of sweet kabocha (winter squash) purée was a delightful accompaniment in lieu of the rice I would normally want to have when dealing with beef dish as good as this.
When taken at face value, the Almond Crusted Lapu-Lapu with Brown Butter Shiso Vinaigrette and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (Php470) may lack the charm of the beef that has an effect on carnivores like me. Yet, it ended up as one of my favorites that day. It was a fish, alright. But the flavor from its crisp golden batter made up of almond does not just served as its foil, but rather it also played a big factor in contributing to the overall flavor of the dish. It was buttery and savory with hint of tempered sourness which was too shy to present itself in full blown - which was a good thing.
Another fish dish was the Half Cooked Tuna Steak (Php390) that was so big I even mistaken it as a slab of steak upon seeing it from afar. Also sitting on a bed of mashed kabocha but accompanied with some greens and other ingredients that rendered a sort of validity for it to be called kabocha salad, this big cut of tuna features a two tone of bright pink and a tempered one. A proof that it was indeed half cook, and a good one at that.
Of course, a visit at Nomama Artisanal Ramen would not be complete without having bowls of ramen - mind the plural - because of its innate goodness, one bowl will never be enough.
Choices of ramen dish were pretty much the same. The only thing that changed, according to chef Him was the quality of noodles which is now more firm compared before.
The Nomama Ramen (Php375/ Php245) was still good as I remember it to be. Thick cut chasu, tamago, firm noodles on house pork stock made all the more flavorful with special miso and sesame blend.
My favorite Thai Green Curry Ramen (Php355/Php240) was also served. It is essentially made of homemade green curry paste in coconut broth topped with seared chicken fillet, bok choy, and peas.
The bowl of Tantanmen (Php390/Php260) on the other hand made me thankful that I am achieving some sort of maturity of the palate since I can handle more spicy food nowadays. Had I possessed the same aversion to spicy food I had to dealt with before, I probably would not enjoy this spicy, albeit hearty bowl of Nomama's Tantanmen.
The dessert, as expected were also a work of art. The Flourless Chocolate Cake with Miso Salted Caramel (Php175) had the kind of chocolate flavor that could slap you in your face. Highly recommended for chocolate lovers especially those who appreciates moist cake more than anything.
Also beautifully plated was the Warm Smitten Cookie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Php255). Although this dessert did not blew me away the same way the flourless chocolate cake did, I thought it was not bad at all. Its presentation was a treat in itself.
The new dishes we tried at Nomama, Capitol Commons were all impressive in my opinion. But given the fact that chef Him has a talent of epic proportion, I have high hopes that he will continue to introduce more items equally worthy of praise. A new restaurant perhaps? I am crossing my fingers on that. Meanwhile, if you haven't tried Nomama yet, I suggest that you head on to Capitol Commons try their ramen and all the other dishes on Nomama's menu.
Nomama Artisanal Ramen
Capitol Commons
Meralco Ave, Cor. Shaw Blvd
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Contact No.: 5422558
Facebook: /nomamaramen
