Tsuta Ramen - Michelin Star Ramen in Manila Philippines

Tsuta Ramen (Manila) 

There’s been a phenomenon rocking the globe… Called truffle ramen! 

But you don’t need to go all the way to Tsuta Ramen Japan to try it out this Michelin starred dish. You can eat it right here in Manila Philippines at Bonifacio High Street (Serendra). 

So I’ve eaten here around 5 times and I’ve tried a number of their dishes for quality and consistency.

  

Here are my favorite dishes: 

 1. The Ajitama Shouyu Soba (P490)

The Ajitama Shoyu Soba is what Tsuta Ramen is known for. The broth is packed with layers and layers of rich umami flavors thanks to the addition of truffles and other ingredients.  The soup is definitely the star of the show and all the elements just compliment it’s elegance. What’s great about the broth is that it’s light and doesn’t make you feel heavy afterwards. The ramen has a tiny dollop of truffles on the top is packed with flavor and adds even more depth to the dish.  

The very first time I tried the soup wasn’t my favorite moment. I could not wrap my head around the flavors. There was so much going on and the taste of the truffle was quite alien at first. But as I kept eating I started to taste the earthy and rich taste of the broth. It’s a flavor that grows on you as you keep eating the soup. 

Their noodles are made fresh on site and they have a wonderful springy texture and nice bite. It also absorbs the soup quite nicely but stays firm as you keep eating.

Their ramen has this really thin slice of pork. It’s melt in your mouth delicious and tender. While their bamboo shoot is nice and gives texture and flavor to the dish.

I highly recommend that you get the Ajitama Shouyu Soba versus just the Shouyu Soba. That egg with that perfectly gooey golden in the center adds an extra layer of richness to the ramen. Delicious! 

2. Tori Niku Meshi (P245)

The Tori Niku Meshi is my favorite dish in the restaurant due to the level of quality that this dish has. The meat is perfectly tender and juicy. Gelatinous almost. The consistency of the meat gives you just the right amount of bite and has a wonderful smokey flavor. 

Some restaurants scrimp on the rice but Tsuta Ramen didn’t. The rice that they use for the dish is short grain Japanese rice which has a wonderful light and fluffy texture. It’s the kind of sticky and delicious rice which I love. 

Top it all off, it has a delicious poached egg with a perfectly golden center. It goes perfectly well with the meat and the rice. 

It’s a quality of over quantity kind of dish so the portion is small but price wise it’s not bad considering the quality.

3. Aburi Niku (P150)

The Aburi Niku is a pork dish with onion sauce. The meat is smokey and goes well with the sweet onion sauce. If the meat in the Tori Niku Meshi isn’t enough for you, I recommend that you get this. 

4. Boiled Gyoza (P245)

Their boiled gyoza has a very refreshing and clean taste. Each flavor can be savored in this dish. It has a very clean taste and you can taste the individual ingredients like the tofu, oba leaves, and chives. The vegetable fillings cut through the fattiness of the pork so if you like a well balanced dumpling you should get this. 

5. Pan-fried Gyoza (P245) 

Their pan-fried gyoza is one of the most memorable gyoza I’ve eaten. Their wrapper is perfectly crisp and well fried. It has a wonderful chewy texture and bite. The way that they cooked the gyoza and its mixture helps bring out the rich flavor of the pork. It comes with a spicy sauce which balances this dish really well. You can also eat it with soy sauce but I recommend that you try it with the spice first. 

6. Tori Chicken Karaage (P245)

For me, Tsuta Ramen’s chicken karaage is one of the best chicken karaage I’ve eaten. The chicken is perfectly crisp on the outside while tender, juicy, and flavorful on the inside. It comes with a unique and delicious sauce which helps cut through the fattiness of the chicken. But if you eat it on its own, it is well marinated so you can taste the savory flavor of the chicken and its marinade.  

So those are my 6 picks when it comes to what to order in Tsuta Ramen.

1. The Ajitama Shouyu Soba (P490)

2. Tori Niku Meshi (P245)

3. Aburi Niku (P150)

4. Boiled Gyoza (P245)

5. Pan-fried Gyoza (P245) 

6. Tori Chicken Karaage (P245)

I’ve also had some interesting flavor experiences in Tsuta… 

Here are some of Tsuta Ramen’s other interesting dishes:

Ajitama Miso Soba (P500)

The miso soba has a unique and interesting flavor profile considering they use porcini mushrooms for their base. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of this ramen and neither were my family. But if you’re a fan of miso ramen, it’s definitely worth trying out. 

Tonkotsu Soba (P390)

The tonkotsu soba is Tsuta ramen’s answer to your classic tonkotsu broth. It’s good but there are more noteworthy options in Tsuta Ramen.

  

Ajitama Kamo Abura (P490)

If you like duck meat, this is something you should try. Flavor wise it’s very rich but it’s super fatty. It’s definitely a unique ramen but my family wasn’t a fan because of the layers of fat made them feel guilty eating it. 

Rado Meshi (P200)

I wanted to try the radio mesh since I saw other customers eating it. I also thought that the raw egg yolk partnered with the truffle paste would partner well. BOY WAS I WRONG. The raw egg overpowered the taste of the truffle. The truffle lost its power to the strength of the egg. Texture wise, it was… Interesting but flavor wise.. If you want truffles stick to their ramen. It had a cheese flavor but I would rather eat ACTUAL cheese than this. 

  

So these are my ratings for the restaurant: 

Quality & Consistency: 5/5

They’ve been consistent with the quality of the food since day one. They’ve maintain the high standard for food in their ramen, rice bowls, and their side dishes when I was there at their restaurant. 

Value for Money: 4/5

The Philippine branch has more affordable options compared to other countries such as Tsuta Ramen Singapore and Tsuta Ramen Japan. It’s cheaper than a plane ticket and you can try it right here in Manila. Value wise, it’s a more quality over quantity kind of place. It’s enough to fill you up but won’t leave you bloated.

Cleanliness: 3.5 /5

The restaurant itself is well kept a based on what I’ve seen. The staff wear gloves when handling the food and appeared to practice proper food handling. 

However, there were cleanliness incidents that prompted me to drop their score. There were two times when we dined there that the water glasses smelled bad or the water tasted “off”. Another time there was lipstick stains on glass prior to using it. We brought these incidents up with the wait staff. I understand these things can happen to any restaurant but considering the kind of restaurant Tsuta Ramen is… They need to be  more meticulous with these kinds of things. They’re a Michelin Star restaurant so cleanliness should be top priority along with all aspects of the restaurant. Other than those incidents, everything else was okay.

Service: 5/5

They have very good service and they know their menu well. They are quick to respond to complaints and requests. 

Ambiance: 5/5

The ambiance of the restaurant is relaxing. The area allows you to both enjoy a long hearty meal with friends and family or see how the chefs prepare your food. 

OVER ALL RATING: 4.5 / 5

Tsuta Ramen is a unique place worth visiting. It’s cheaper than a plane ticket and the four hour line wait if you go to Japan. 

Try it if you have the chance. 

Hope you liked my review! Cheers!

Note: These are my personal opinions and experiences. 

All images and photos (c) zthewolfdog