GO-EN RAMEN: Adding a little spank to Japanese Food.

Japanese comfort food is hard to find nowadays. It's either the food is lousy or too expensive. Luckily, I found a nice restaurant with the perfect Japanese ambiance and amazing food at an affordable price.

GO-EN RAMEN is a quiet Japanese Restaurant that you could not see from the street. You need to really know the place if you are planning to go here. Located in the same compound as LIVESTOCK (click here for my livestock experience), you could be assured of privacy and also of quiet time.

Once you enter the place, you are greeted by these adorable and cute Japanese Toys. 

These are what you call KENDAMA. The basic objective is to catch the ball on a specific part of the wooden toy.   

I also liked that they sell these things alongside manga and other Japanese novelty items.

One thing that you must take note of is that the KENDAMA is the way for you to be able to get a cheaper meal. How? You just have to do the trick they ask for consecutively and you can get as high as 50% off your meal. 

The OWNER JOHN looks and talks like an American but has been a resident of JAPAN for the longest time. He brought his love for the Japanese culture to the Philippines and as such, GO-EN was born. 

Definitely the right way to start a Japanese meal, GYOZA (250Php) was served. One bite and I was impressed. As GO-EN ramen seemed like a hole in a wall place, I didn't know that they could deliver food of this quality. 

The CHICKEN KARA-AGE (250Php) is something that would force you to order rice.  The chicken meat is moist and the outer shell is perfect. Not overly crunchy but just right with every bite.

One thing that I enjoyed with my Japanese trip was having to experience Japanese Pancakes. Good thing that GO-EN also serve these goodies. The OKONOMIYAKI (350Php) though is not your ordinary pancake. IT is borderline omelette and pancake. 

 Their version has crispy bacon on top that gives the texture some crunch. Also, having the right amount of sweetness definitely got me enjoying this dish. 

It was a pleasant surprise as I was able to enjoy some of their RAMEN DISHES. 

First up was the TANTANMEN RAMEN (380Php). This dish right here has been a corner stone of every ramen house I have visited. One thing to note though, it is usually spicy. GO-EN's version is lowered down a notch. According to the owners, certain customers love the taste but has had trouble with the heat level, as such tweaked it a bit to make it less spicy. Some Japanese Condiments are available to add just in case you want it fiery hot.

A definite crowd favorite, the CHEESE RAMEN (350Php) is a stunner at first look. Being topped with a lot of cheese, the chef wanted for the diners to taste it one level at a time. Not really to mix everything in the fray, it would be best to have a bite that has the complete set up. I liked that the cheese went well with the broth. Adding some corn gives it more texture too.

 A safe bet for everyone though is the KOGASHI SHOYU (380Php). Shoyu or soy based, you get a taste of the chicken broth used alongside the soy. It may have a little smoky flavor but the addition of the different toppings and meat makes it a hearty meal.

For dessert, we got the MOCHI ICE CREAM (80Php). The Sakura Flavored dessert is a thing of beauty. As big as my hand, it has a neutral vanilla ice cream in the middle while the outer skin has the right amount of chewyness and softness. I enjoyed having it with every bite. Just a little secret though, the owners hand carry the ingredient to make the perfect mochi from Japan. So, it's that special. 

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Aside from their starters and ramen flavors, GO-EN also serves a few more Japanese dishes that you could enjoy. Rather than usual one trick pony, their kitchen is a joy to watch. The fact that you could also get a huge discount with every meal makes you wonder when you will return. Cheers GO-EN. Can't wait to go back and play more KENDAMA

GO-EN RAMEN is located in the same compound as LIVESTOCK.

GO-EN RAMEN
34 Sgt Esguerra , Quezon City
Metro Manila
http://www.goenramen.com
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Disclaimer: was invited to try out the restaurant. Wrote this based on my opinion.