Ramen Nagi

It was quite an interesting day yesterday. It was my first foodie meet up for 2019. What better way to start the year than having it in a Japanese restaurant

Just returned from a week-long travel at the Land of the Rising Sun, and here I am already craving for anything Japanese.

Good thing, Ramen Nagi chose to send an invitation my way just when I was about to indulge in a Japanese lunch.

Apparently it was not a launch. It was just an opportunity to try their #unbelievableniboshiramen. Available only for one day yesterday, Ramen Nagi only served 150 bowls to lucky patrons who were aware of this new ramen.

It had been a practice at Ramen Nagi at least in 2018, to come up with new variants of Ramen every month.

This year though would be more exciting per Joyce, Jeimi and Zeni of Ramen Nagi marketing. Apart from one day event showcasing a new variant of ramen, January will see RN celebrating their 5th year anniversary in the country for the whole month. They will also be opening their 20th store in the country soon

Unbelievable Niboshi Ramen

In the meantime, my bowl niboshi ramen demands attention. The aroma wafting from this new ramen is quite strong and potent. How is it different from the classic Butao, I wonder.

1. Uniquely blended super deep sauce. At least 20 type of niboshi/ dried fish sardines carefully selected from all of Japan are in the broth.

The overall color of the niboshi bowl is mostly brownish thus you immediately know the broth would be rich in flavor.

2. There are 2 kinds of noodles...handmade of course. There is the flat one reminiscent of fettuccine and lasagna sheets called ittan-men and the curly one. Both were thicker than the butao noodles we are used to, more al dente and therefore more substantial.

I knew almost immediately that I can not finish one bowl all by myself. The noodles were just too heavy for me.

I caught a plump little piece of sardine with my chopsticks. It reminded me of anchovies albeit fatter.

3.A single thick cha siu is in the bowl. It had a bite to it so unlike the melt-in-your-mouth type we are used to with our butao. All the while, the smell of the broth clung to my clothes like a living thing. You also feel the urge to brush your teeth afterwards because of the strong smell of sardines.

At any rate , after the initial confusion and trepidation of my palate, this variant started growing on me. I loved how different it was from the classic butao. It was miles away from the familiar and the ubiquitous. Maybe that's why I started liking it.

Unfortunately, it was only available for a day (yesterday). If you did not catch it, that is too bad because they will not be serving it anymore. The good news is RN will be coming up with different variations and mix of ramen for 2019. It is going to be an exciting year of new things to try.

So if I were you, Ill keep my ears to the ground and check RN's website from time to time for announcements of new and upcoming bowls to taste.