Monday, January 21, 2019

First Bite: Taisho

Ramen never fail to make my eyes sparkle. Just thinking about twirling noodles and slurping its rich yet delicate broth brings so much happy vibes. And last Tuesday, R and I visited an off the radar ramen joint in SM North Edsa.

Hello, Taisho.
This ramen and teppanyaki restaurant has been around for a few years now at SM Light Mall. It recently moved to SM North adding more Japanese selection to the bustling mall. 
Located at the corner right before the second floor entrance of SM The Block, Taisho would be hard to miss.
For this visit, we opted to try its bestseller Hakata Tonkotsu (PHP295) along with Chamen Ramen (PHP405), Pork Gyoza (PHP135, 4 pieces | PHP195, 8 pieces), Gyudon (PHP305) and Chicken Teriyaki (PHP240). For drinks, we went with Wheat grass (PHP85) and Mango Shake (PHP125).
Our drinks were served first. Both refreshing, I'd stick with Mango Shake as I found wheat grass to be a bit too powdery and it made my throat itch. I love it though that we were given a ramekin of syrup without even asking for one.
I was looking forward to our bowl of gyudon as I'm curious with how it compares with my favorite gyudon. But it turns out that it was a bit hard to compare. The way the meat was cooked was different. 
Taisho's version has this sweet flavor that would charm any sweet tooth's taste buds. Quite designed to please the Pinoy palate, this dish is not bad at all. It would have been better though if the meat's a bit more tender. 
Chicken Teriyaki was good too. Lightly brushed with teriyaki sauce, it has a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors. It would have been perfect if the skin was slightly charred for extra texture.
Gyoza was equally delightful. 
Meaty and packed with flavor, this is a must order side dish if you are going for ramen.
And now for the highlight of our visit--ramen.
I was overwhelmed with how our bowl of Chamen Ramen was filled to the rim. Served with a mountain of ingredients, it's a bang for the buck dish. This one uses thicker noodles despite having a relatively light flavored broth. I guess it is to contrast the crunchiness of the fresh greens and the bold flavor of the stir fried pork bits.
Hakata Tonkotsu was hands down the best one among the dishes we've tried at Taisho. Rich pork bone broth complemented by thin noodles, thick chasiu and soft egg, each spoonful was bliss. And for less than PHP300, I'm sold! 
Make sure to add some garlic for extra flavor!

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience. Our food was quickly served and dishes are reasonably priced. It would have been better though if there's more staff around to assist guests. 

Thank you Taisho for the invite!

Taisho is located at 2nd Floor, The Block, SM North Edsa, Quezon City.

Taisho Ramen and Teppanyaki House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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