When I told my cousin who’s from the US that I wanted to bring her to SM Aura to try Ramen Nagi her first request was to see the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod before we ate or else we might forget to go.
I’ve seen pictures of this chapel on the 7th floor of SM Aura but being there couldn’t compare. The architecture was really spectacular. The concentric rings had a 3D effect that made the place feel deeper than it was. This is a must visit for anyone regardless of religion.
I wouldn’t go eat ramen on my own since it’s not my favorite food. I will eat ramen if my friends want to but it’s not my first choice unless it’s Black King ramen. I first tried this black ramen in Butao Ramen in Hong Kong where I declared it my favorite ramen.
In case some of you are confused about the names Butao or Nagi just take a look at the placemat in Ramen Nagi where the Butao Ramen branches of Hong Kong and Japan are listed. You can also see Butao branches in Japan in Nagi’s website. Whatever the restaurant is called they are the original chain that offers 4 variants of King (original, red, black and green) ramen.
We went there at 3:00 pm on a weekday for late lunch and I was shocked to find the restaurant full with hungry people.
They give you a sheet of paper and a red pen and you customize your bowl of noodles to your liking. This is how I had my Black King ramen made.
Black soup may not look appetizing but trust me the flavor from the pork broth, blackened garlic and squid ink was amazing! I also like it black since I can’t see the oil in the soup which I normally remove even though I know all the flavor is in the fat plus it helps keep the soup hot which is very important to me.
I was so happy it tasted just like the one I had in Hong Kong. Asides from the large slice of tender and lean pork there is also a big ball of black chopped pork that spread out and added texture to the soup and noodles. The noodles were hard and super al dente which I loved unlike in Hong Kong which was a little soft even though I ordered it extra hard.
I recommend you order the noodles extra hard or hard because the heat of the soup will continue to cook it. That’s why in Japan they say you have to finish a bowl of ramen in 5 minutes so the heat of the soup and texture of the noodles will be at its peak.
My last spoonful of noodles still yielded lots of chopped pork. I never finish the soup because it’s a bit salty without the noodles unlike the Green King’s soup which I drank to the last drop. It’s less salty and I love the melted cheese at the bottom of the bowl. Not everyone likes the Green King but I do. There’s something about mixing pork broth with basil and cheese that appealed to me.
Free condiments of spicy bean sprouts and pickled garlic are also available. I like the bean sprouts but find it a bit too spicy.
I’m so happy I don’t have to wait to go to Hong Kong to have my ramen fix. I want to try their Limited King ramen next time.
Ramen Nagi
5th Level Sky Park
SM Aura Premier
McKinley Parkway corner 26th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Metro Manila, Philippines
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Will bring my son Papillion to experience Black King Ramen this time…
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Your son has a very nice name Albert!
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Wow, that looks great. I’ve only tried one ramen joint in Aura (Ikkoryu) – can’t recall what I ordered at the time but it also had black garlic sauce in it, and it tasted absolutely delicious.
I really look forward to the day when my favourite ramen chain (Ichiran) sets up shop somewhere in our corner of the world. (Not that it will ever happen but hey, I can dream . . .) I’ve wolfed down their ramen three times during my past trips to Japan – most recently at a branch in Tokyo less than 3 weeks ago – and I still haven’t grown tired of their incredible tonkotsu broth. They only have one kind of ramen on the menu (that’s how focused they are), but they’ve got a selection of extras to fine-tune your personal bowl (soft-boiled egg works best). They also have a customization sheet and the options are very similar to the one you used here.
Interestingly, if memory serves, Ichiran’s prices are a shade cheaper than Ramen Nagi’s. With Japan’s reputation for high prices I’d have assumed the opposite to be true. (Then again, ramen is just plain old local food on its home turf so perhaps the ingredients are cheaper there.)
Cheerio.
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Diego,
I will remember and list that name, Ichiran, down in case one day I can get to Tokyo!!!
Leslie
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Ichiran already has an outpost in HK. Butao and Ichiran have similar taste profiles. Check it out and let us know what you personally think.
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