Ukokkei: The Best Ramen in Town?

Nissin Cup Noodles Seafood Flavor. That's the closest we got to ramen before. Admit it, that's how most of us knew about Japanese ramen. It is only now that we get a plethora of choices when it comes to authentic Japanese ramen. And while Japanese restos have been offering such, real, thick-souped ramen has yet to become popular...until now.  

Ramen Cool, Ramen Bar, Shinjuku...these are just some of the ramen places known to Filipinos. But whenever you Google "best ramen in the Philippines", one restaurant always comes on top: Ukokkei. I (Glutton Girl) have been hearing about this restaurant for quite some time now, but I've never had the chance to really dine there because of its proximity from my place of comfort (aka Fort) and because it seemed so hole-in-the-wall. And when I think of hole-in-the-wall restos, I suddenly worry about parking. (And she was right. - Glutton Guy)

An Exceptional Ramen Rave-iew!

Japanese food, you ask? Well, that's really not much of a problem, especially here in the Metro. With the emergence of Japanese food places such as Tokyo Tokyo, Teriyaki Boy, and Tempura, people would definitely not have a hard time looking for delicious and close to authentic Japanese dishes. One noticeable thing about Japanese cuisine is that they are offered in big servings. Restaurants would usually serve Japanese dishes in a big bowl (a good example would be Tokyo Tokyo's Sumo Remix bowl). But, big servings don't usually come without a price. A bowl of this yummy Japanese goodness would usually cost you around 200 to 300 pesos. The good thing, however, is that it's worth the price you paid for, not like some restaurants that focus more on presentation and ambiance. Now, we bet you wanna know if there's a Japanese restaurant somewhere around Metro Manila that would absolutely satisfy your Japanese cravings without sacrificing a lot of what's inside your wallet. Well, our answer is....YES.

Just along Araneta Avenue is a Japanese food place named Atsu Atsu Ramen. The place might seem a bit out of place because it's beside truck dealers. It actually is the only food place in that area. But, it is amazing how they, despite the geographical situation they are in, managed to stick that Japanese aura in their food place. The entrance definitely looks like an old Japanese house with Japanese lanterns adorning the door. We have actually done a little bit of research (since we really were curious what the name means). We found out that Atsu Atsu in Japanese means "very hot". Obviously, it is usually used for hot Japanese soups like udon and ramen. According to tradition, atsu atsu dishes stimulate the appetites of the Japanese people during winter. Well, with Atsu Atsu Ramen's delicious dishes, you really won't need a change in season to stimulate your appetite.