Yes one can rightfully say that when it comes to keeping up with the hottest global food trends or events, Manila is up there with the likes of Singapore . Case in point, TSUTA the first ever Michelin-starred Ramen Shop opened in December in BGC. It was a huge event awaited by ramen lovers and foodies alike who queued patiently to get the first dibs and bragging rights in tasting the first ever michelin-starred ramen. Fast forward several days ago, I was privileged to have been invited to attend the launch of Tsuta’s New Soba which Chef Yuki Onishi (Chef-Founder) crafted to pay homage to his host country. He called it SANG LA TAN TAN SOBA
New Ramen Alert !
SANG LA TAN TAN SOBA
Imagine kare-kare, sinigang and sisig in a ramen bowl. It had the nutty taste (kare kare), a hint of the sourness from the vinegar (sinigang) and the crispy minced pork with a bit of a kick (sisig) .Chef Yuki is a genius! The balance of flavors was amazing. Dont take my word for it. Check it out and find out first hand how you like it. Would love to know what you think.
TSUTA VIRGIN NO MORE
In the meantime let me just share my first hand experience of that first noisy slurp of their classic Char Siu Ajitama Shoyu Soba or literally translated Pork-Egg-Soy-Noodles….
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The Soup
Definitely not the usual tonkotsu broth ( boiled pork bone soup), I am used to.
It was my first time in Tsuta and I was ready to keep an open mind given some less than positive feedbacks I heard from some friends about reviews claiming the broth was bland.
Shoyu Soba is the classic bestseller and therefore a must order for those new to Tsuta.
The moment of truth. After a few seconds of appreciating the presentation of the broth and inhaling its aroma, I had my first slurp .
Tasted the richness of the combinations of different proteins almost immediately . The last note was that of the leek and truffle pureed with truffle oil. Umami goodness was defnitely achieved with the scrumptous brew of asari clams, , chicken and 3 types of soy.
I would not mind having this bowl on a regular basis.
The “Tare” or Flavor
If the more popular tonkotsu is made out of boiled pork bone simmered for several hours, Tsuta’s flavor was concocted by Chef Yuki himself from a combination of bespoke dashi, , chicken, clams and three types of artisanal soy made from soy beans matured for two years
The Noodles
Three words .
a) Hand b) made c)noodles
Nothing beats noodles made from scratch. The noodles were perfectly hard giving one the ideal loudest slurp possible if only to show appreciation to the Chef’s opus. I loved that they were flavorful as well from the shoyu
The Toppings
One can order 4 slices of char siu and and ajitama (marinated flavoured egg) to go with one’s Shoyu Soba. Char Siu Ajitama Shoyu Soba is P620.
Char siu were melt-in-your-mouth. Ajitama was sexily silky.
Trust me when I tell you , you get what you pay for. I normally can not finish a bowl of Ramen all by my lonesome. But Tsuta proved me wrong huhuhu
Fun Facts from google and from Tsuta website
Chef Yuki Onishi’s Char Siu Ajitama Shoyu Soba and SANG LA TAN TAN SOBA made such an impression on me I cant help but google all facts I can gather about the esteemed Chef and Tsuta if only to satisfy my inner fan-girling-foodie
- Chef Yuki Onishi is 38-39 years old
- Chef Yuki opened his first Tsuta in Sugamo north of Tokyo in January 2012
- Tsuta opens at 11 am but people line up as early as 6 am.
- Tsuta only serve 150 bowls a day
- What does TSUTA mean ? Per their website, “the name is originated from his thought, “Ramen is the noodles of which Japan can boast to the world. “
- All Tsuta’s ingredients are sourced from Japan and are natural. They do not use MSG.
- Tsuta’s Soba noodles are hand made
- Tsuta’s soy sauce in the Shoyu (soy-based) are made from soy beans matured for 2 years.
- Tsuta is the First Ramen Shop in the World to be awarded the Michelin star in 2015
- Tsuta was Awarded another Michelin Star in 2016
“Ramen is the noodles of which Japan can boast to the world”
Indeed Chef Yuki proved that to the world. It didnt hurt that Tsuta was awarded a Michelin star in 2015 and 2016 . His belief in using natural ingredients, his quest for excellence and perfection, his continuing desire to innovate and to improve all served to make Tsuta the first ever Michelin Starred Ramen Shop in the world. In the meantime. Chef Yuki puts a creative spin on Japanese staples with his YUKI ORIGINALS here in Manila. First week saw the traditional gyoza ‘yukified’ with the inclusion of tengaiten salt, silken tofu, shiso leaves.
Karaage follows this week. I cant wait to find out what Chef Yuki’s version would be for this well loved popular Japanese dish.
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| L-R @ilovetoeatph, @piggingoutonsundays, @kainclub , Chef Yuki Onishi |
Tsuta was brought to the Philippines from Japan by the Foodee Global Concepts of the Tim Ho Wan, Todd English Food Hall , Pound, fame.
Thank you for having us Tsuta and for the invite @teamkaladkarin and @johnbunag
Tsuta is located at C3 Bonifacio High Street Central 7th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It is open daily from 1130 am to 10 pm. Please call 02 6254678 for reservations.