Ramen Daisho: Traditional Ramen Served in a Modern Vibe Store

Before the whole metro became addicted to ramen, Ramen Daisho has already opened up shop more than 5 years ago (their first branch is located in Shaw), where they boast of good quality Miso Ramen, their signature ramen flavor. Their Shaw branch has a traditional look, and since it has been there for half a decade, the place looks a bit run down already. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was invited for a bloggers’ event at their new branch at Assembly Grounds in Makati, a new place where young professionals can hangout after work or on weekends, as it is strategically located in the bustling area of Makati.

Ramen Daisho originated from Fukuoka, Japan, and boasts of their authentic ramen as they have closely partnered with a ramen master, so they could keep the quality of their food. They are best known for their Miso Ramen, but during the event, I got to taste their other dishes which were all great, too! Here are the dishes we got to sample that day:

✅ EDAMAME (Php 130)
Edamame is a well-known appetizer in Japanese restaurants. It’s simply immature soybeans in a pod that’s served with salt to taste. Ramen Daisho’s version is served in a cute woven basket, and you can shake it with the salt before enjoying it!

✅ YAKIBUTA CHAHAN (Php 260)
Despite being a ramen shop, their Chahan remains one of their bestselling items, and it only took me one bite to understand why. This is far from the usual fried rice, as it has lots of meat toppings, and they use good quality Japanese rice. Also, it has Japanese mayo in it. Fattening, yes, but oh so yummy!

✅ GYOZA (Php 155)
Cabbage and ground pork enveloped in wrappers that has the right thickness. Dip it in the sauce for a more enjoyable experience!

✅ BEEF CURRY (Php 300)
This might not be one of their signature items, but everyone enjoyed the rich and flavorful sauce it came with. The beef strips were tender, and the rice were as fluffy as clouds. 😍

✅ CALIFORNIA MAKI (Php 255)
This one’s a classic in every Japanese meal! It has tamago, cucumber, and mango, and I love how sticky the rice they used is. Truly authentic!

✅ EBI MANGO MAKI (Php 340)
For me, I prefer this over the classic California Maki, for several reasons: it has a distinct texture and crunch to it which made it more enjoyable to eat, the shrimp caviar was more delicious for me vs the usual fish roe, and the shrimps were super fresh and plump! It was so good, I forgot to take a photo of it. 😬

✅ TEMPURA TOWER (Php 515)
If you’re always bitin with the tempura served in most Japanese restaurants, then you should order this one for yourself! 10 crispy tempura pieces that will surely make you eat one after the other. Truly a wonderful and magnificent dish! Yummy! You also get to prepare your own sauce so you can decide how much raddish and ginger you want to put in.

Now, for their ramen:

✅ MISO RAMEN (Php 380)
Ramen Daisho takes pride in their Miso Ramen, which consists of three types of miso (fermented soybeans). This one’s for the people who love ramen with strong taste. The chashu they use here is slightly spiced, and is juicy to its core. They also use curly noodles for this flavor.

✅ SHIO RAMEN (Php 345)
This is their rendition of the salt based ramen from Okinawa, and has the most basic taste among the ramen variants. It’s still flavorful, but might be a bit too weak for those who are used to rich ramen broths.

✅ SHOYU RAMEN (Php 375)
This ramen originated from Tokyo, and has a saltier taste than the others. It is soy sauce-based with curly noodles, and has a perfect tamago and chashu slice!

✅ TONKOTSU RAMEN (Php 380)
Their Tonkotsu Ramen is milky and creamy but milder than most tonkotsu ramen in other ramen joints. Nevertheless, it was still very enjoyable, as it comes with firm thin noodles and the taste is comforting, especially on a rainy day! This type of ramen originated from Hakata Fukuoka.

✅ COLD ZARU RAMEN
My favorite! 😍 Cold ramen with onsen tamago served with dipping sauce — this is a truly refreshing way to enjoy ramen. Perfect for warm days or hot summers! The noodles are also firmer than usual, since they did not have to undergo being cooked in the hot broth. A must-try!

✅ GARLIC ABURA-MEN
This one is their dry noodles, but with a bit of sauce, similar to stir-fried noodles. The garlic taste wasn’t as pronounced as I hope it to be, but I liked the firm noodles in it. If it had more aroma, it’d be perfect!

Their soupy ramen all use the broth coming from pork leg and black chicken, so it’s way richer than the usual ramen broth. And, tastier, too!

What’s unique about this branch is that they veered away from the traditional feel and focused on being hip and modern, to cater to the younger crowd. This is well manifested through the colorful murals around the store, definitely IG-worthy! 😍 They also have an open kitchen, so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal.

If you’re looking for a quick ramen fix, make sure to consider Ramen Daisho and you’d surely be satisfied with their tasty and authentic ramen options. Enjoy! 🍜

Ramen Daisho is located at G/F Assembly Grounds at The Rise, Malugay cor. Tindalo St., San Antonio, Makati City. These dishes were served during a bloggers’ event, and all the reviews reflected are honest feedback from Eat Drink Splurge.

To know more about Ramen Daisho and their food offerings, click on the link below to read what other foodies have to say: