When Traditional Ramen Meets Progressive Japanese

What happens when a veteran Japanese ramen master collaborates with a Filipino star chef making waves for his novel take on Japanese cooking? Ramen Ron’s Tamura Hiroyuki and Mōdan’s Jorge Mendez recently teamed up to create a special set meal (priced at P850) on offer from August 18 to September 18, 2023 only. The catch? The chefs are making a mere 20 sets a day. 

I recently got to enjoy a preview of this collaborative meal at Ramen Ron, a Rockwell-based ramen-ya highly popular with lovers of ramen who appreciate the attention to detail and level of care that Chef Tamura and his team put into the preparation of every bowl. Add to that Chef Jorge’s talent as a bold conjurer of flavors, and the resulting set menu has the makings of one of the most ingenious collabs of the year.

The resulting Ramen Ron x Mōdan set meal seems simple enough, anchored on two Japanese staples: tsukemen or noodles dipped in an intensely-flavored broth, and karaage or deep-fried chicken pieces. But there’s much more that meets the eye and the palate, with both chefs upping the flavor quotient in myriad ways, without tampering with the originals.

Both the Tori Gyokai Tsukemen and the Karai Karaage Bun are served together in one tray. Which leads me to wonder: should I start with the noodles and broth, or dig into the chicken first? Rest assured there’s really no right answer. I decided to attack the tsukemen first, won over by the sight of fresh noodles, topped with a ramen egg, pork chashu slices, menma bamboo shoots and nori, and by the aroma of the bonito-flavored pork “silky fowl” broth.

Before I took my first slurp, the server had me put on a paper bib to prevent me from ruining my pristine white blouse with soup splatter. I then read the set meal’s accompanying menu card with instructions on how best to enjoy the tsukemen. Step 1 instructs diners to dip a bite’s worth of noodles “two-thirds of the way in the broth and gently swirl around to coat evenly.” Instead, I stubbornly dipped my noodles all the way into the broth, and swirled them a bit too vigorously. Despite not following directions, I can happily report that I enjoyed that first stir and slurp immensely. The pork-bonito broth provides a satisfyingly umami-rich coating to the extra springy noodles. The lone steamed gyoza swimming in the broth lends a comforting touch. I was soon stirring and slurping to my heart’s content. 

After a few chopstick servings of noodles, I shifted my attention to the Karai Karaage Bun. This spicy marinated fried chicken is served in a soft white bun, topped with Tsukemono or pickled cucumber, daikon radish and onions that provide a crunchy and tangy counterpoint to the chicken. The karaage bun’s overall flavor and texture are a welcome contrast to the tsukemen’s richness, and I enjoyed hopping from noodles to chicken to noodles and back again. 

Midway through the meal, a server came to our table and asked if we wanted our broth reboiled, brandishing a yaki-ishi or hot stone which he then dipped into the bowl. The lukewarm broth started bubbling away almost immediately. As I was scraping down the last of my noodles, the server came again and poured hot water into my broth bowl, diluting the soup enough for me to drink the last remnants straight from the bowl. These small gestures show how much care the chefs put into every detail of the meal, and they help to reinvigorate the entire taste experience.

Lovers of ramen tend to be creatures of habit, ordering the same tonkotsu or miso or shoyu ramen at their favorite ramen-ya. But it’s good to change it up every now and then. This Ramen Ron x Mōdan set meal does just that. It’s fun, enjoyable and never boring, thanks to the nifty touches added to the classic tsukemen and karaage. 

One last word of advice: if you’re one of the 20 lucky ones to snag a set, make sure to come hungry. 

Ramen Ron, G/F Edades Tower, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City, (0917) 628-7245, IG @ramenron.ph