The Kichitora of Tokyo Experience

I have long dreamt of eating a delicious bowl of hot ramen somewhere in Japan. Though that dream is still not possible, I thought why not try to eat at the slowly growing population of ramen houses here in the heart of Makati City and BGC (Bonifacio Global City) area. Therefore I decided that this 2014, I will strive to eat at several of the top ramen houses and review their best selling dishes. That is how this food blog began.

To kick things off, me and my “ramen-eating” partner (or REP for short) started off with Kichitora of Tokyo, located at 2nd floor, Glorietta 5, Makati City. Kichitora on a brief history, is the brainchild of Koutaro Kanda and Hiroshi Morishima who first opened their first ramen house at Shibuya, Tokyo (and eventually here in the Philippines) and claims “Tokyo’s Famous Paitan Ramen”.

Location and Ambiance

We tried at their Glorietta branch as it was close to me and REP’s office. Though we did not have a chance to sit at the best table at that time, I was able to glimpse inside the restaurant. Inside, you can see the kitchen area where you can observe the chefs as they prepare your orders and the view of Glorietta 4 and SM Makati. It is recommended that you reserve in the best seats especially when dining during the night. The restaurant has an overall modern look and feel with hints of Japanese and Chinese influence in its walls such as bamboos, sets of kimono fabrics (I think) and a large white tiger painting.

Staff and Accommodation

As you enter the restaurant, you will be happily greeted by its staff in Nihongo (though I did not recall what greeting it was). They were attentive and always ready to take your orders and requests. Although the one who took our order was familiar with the whole menu, he was not able to describe the taste differences which would be helpful for first timers like us who were not familiar with “ramen-related” terminologies.

The Food Itself

REP and I tried the Paitan Zenbu No Se Pork Ramen (Php 420.00 and Php 300.00 for large and small bowl respectively) which I believe is their “best seller” in their line of ramen dishes and “home blend” Iced Tea (Php 80.00). The first thing that I observed as I gaze upon the dish was its broth. Its colour can be compared to a Cappuccino coffee with a mild “thick” consistency. Even though the broth was odd for me (or I’m just ignorant on these things), the taste was superb and very flavoursome. Complementing the broth’s taste is the addition of the garlic oil and different toppings such as Nori (dried seaweeds), Ajitsuke Tamago (marinated half-boiled egg), Scallions and Chashu pork belly to name a few.

On the other hand, the noodles was I can say your typical “Hong Kong style noodles” (the term used in North Park restaurant). While ordinary, the broth did help add some flavour to it as the eating experience begins. It appears like the broth’s taste is “seeping” in the noodles. On the downside due to the broth’s consistency, the noodles tend to always slip in the chopsticks. We did manage to request for a spoon and fork (the spoon for me and the fork for REP), but we both agree that a disposable chopstick or a “thicker end” chopstick will solve this minor issue.

As REP and I slowly finish our ramen (and some chit chat in between), we found out that the Chashu pork is pretty tough to eat. We had to opt to grind some teeth (for REP) and use a spoon (for me) to cut it into smaller portions. Once in parts, there is minimal effort needed to munch it. This was peculiar to me as to my other previous ramen-eating experiences (Japanese restaurants that do offer ramen but it is not their specialty), their Chashu ramen is easier to chew—sometimes it pretty much melts in your mouth (like a Cotton Candy). We also noticed that as the broth becomes cold, a mild bitterness can be tasted, which is very irrelevant considering that it is still savoury (and did not stop us from finishing the whole bowl).

I usually do not drink while eating so the Iced Tea do go last to be assessed. As the restaurant staff had told us, it does taste “home blend” rather than its typical powdered drink counterpart served at fast foods and other restaurants. You can still taste the meek sourness of the lime that is in the drink. It was very refreshing to sip it till the last drop as our ramen tasting is coming to an end. I was not able to scan the menu thoroughly but I do hope they would offer it as a bottomless option.

Summary

Was it worth it? For me and REP it was definitely worth it! Though there were minor issues such as the slippery noodles and the tough Chashu pork, the delectable broth was the winning formula to make it as one of my favourite ramen dishes so far. We would definitely recommend it to every ramen lover and first time ramen eaters like REP. To sum it up in REP’s opinion in the whole experience, “It’s delicious!”.

Looking forward to try out their other dishes but sadly it needs to wait as we are off to a new ramen house. Ikimashou!