Raku Hokkaido Ramen House

Vegetarian Gyoza

A few days ago I had the chance to sit down and chat with Raku Hokkaido Ramen House owner, Mr. Andrew Masigan, as his wife Sandee graciously entertained the other guests. Raku in Salcedo Village is emerging as a popular hangout of Japanese businessmen, some even preferring the company of San Miguel Beer over Kirin and Saporro Draft One.

Expect yuppies among the bustling weekday lunch/dinner crowd, and some Salcedo Village denizens over late dinners and lazy weekend meals.

The interiors are spartan but not bleak, in happy tones of apple green and the monochromatic hues of bamboo in the furniture blocks. Photographs of Japanese women donned in kimonos and getas adorn the walls, almost like pieces of art placed in series in a gallery.

Raku uses the Yaki-gyoza style when cooking their dumplings, browning one side over some hot oil in a pan before adding water to steam the upper side until cooked. This I prefer over the boiled and deep-fried gyozas.

While pork gyozas are probably the most common in Filipino-Japanese restaurants, gyoza filling may include a variety of meats, seafood and vegetables. The distinct shape is achieved by folding a small, round and thin piece of dough in half to seal the filling in, usually with a fancy crimped design -almost like origami. A dipping sauce of soy sauce and vinegar is a typical accompaniment.

Raku offers pork, chicken and vegetarian gyoza, and soon to be launched is salmon gyoza, and an assortment of sauces: curry, hot mustard, and kavayaki.

Gyuniku Ramen

Chasu Buttercorn Ramen

If dishes could talk, the ramen will claim supremacy over the rest of the menu items. After all, Raku is not named Raku Hokkaido Ramen House for nothing.

Hokkaido, the northernmost and largest island in Japan, with its harsh winters and the Sapporo Winter Olympics is home of the best miso ramen. More robust and hearty than its cousin broths, shio (salt), tonkotsu (pork bone), and shoyu (soy), miso broth has a signature flavor and aroma imparted by the miso  fermentation process done the Hokkaido way. Adding a lot of dairy products into the broth sets the Raku ramen apart from the rest.

Raku also offers ramen in shio and shoyu to give options to its customers.

The exciting part is the ongoing Udon Matsuri, a festival of 6 dishes to be featured in the menu until the 31st of October. My personal favorite is the Ebi Remon Udon: the texture of the rice-flour noodles, the clean taste of the sauce, the contrast of tartness from the lemon with the deep flavor of bonito oil, and of course, fresh shrimps!

Hiyashi Kani Ramen Salad

 cold kani and corn salad

Hiyashi Chasu Ramen Salad

cold chasu and kani salad in soy vinaigrette ramen

Shefu Ck Udon

Japanese sausage in nori oil

Hamaguri Udon

baby clams in creamy hondashi sauce

Shitake Miso Udon

shiitake mushrooms in miso sauce

Ebi Remon Udon

fresh shrimp in lemon bonito oil

 

Hiyashi Chasu Ramen Salad

Hiyashi Kani Ramen Salad

Shiitake Miso Udon

The overall concept of Raku is based on the owner's college-years experience as an apprentice in a ramen bar in Hokkaido. Most of the dishes are a successful attempt to recreate the cafeteria food he enjoyed in the university -simple, unpretencious, delicious and affordable meals that are authentically Japanese.

Using the right ingredients (often imported from Japan), the right techniques and tools for the job, Raku manages to produce dishes that veer away from the typical sweet-ish taste most Filipinos are accustomed to and remain true to basic flavors of Japanese cuisine: salty and sour.

Click HERE for my previous blog on Raku Hokkaido Ramen House.

RAKU HOKKAIDO RAMEN HOUSE
Locations:
4/F Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, Pasay City
G/F Le Grand Condominium, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), Clark, Pampanga (soon to open)

Subscribe to Chun Valencia - Pinoy Food Writer by Email

Tweet