Dynamic Duo: Ramen Nagi and Tendon Akimitsu

Ramen Nagi hit Manila like crazy back in 2014. You have to wait in line just to have some of this famous ramen shop's butao. And unlike other restaurants that started with a bang and slowly faded away, Ramen Nagi never lost its charm. With its limited edition ramen flavors and expansions, it holds a special place in the market's hearts (and tummies). Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Ramen Nagi as its ramen flavors are too bold for my liking. But when I was asked to try Veggie Ramen, I have to give it a try as I've never had any. Also, it was hard for me to comprehend how Ramen Nagi married healthy greens and sinful ramen. 

Hello, Ramen Nagi (and Tendon Akimitsu). 

R and I decided to swing by Ayala Malls the 30th, one of Ramen Nagi's newest branches, to try its limited edition ramen. We were warmly greeted by the staff who ushered us to the table near the window for good lighting. 

Since we were already at Ramen Nagi's sister restaurant, we also tried Ebi Tempura (PHP470), Salmon Sashimi (PHP280), Nami Don (PHP395) along with our bowl of Veggie King (PHP430). 

Service was prompt and we got our plate of salmon sashimi in less than 10 minutes and everything else soon followed. 

The salmon sashimi was fresh and it was cut to the thickness I prefer.

We also enjoyed the ebi tempura. It had the right amount of batter and was deep fried to perfection. It was crunchy yet not oily. It also comes with several vegetable tempura which gave the dish a slight sweet taste.

The Nami Don, which is pretty much like ebi tempura but with scallops and whitebait on top of ebi and vegetable tempura. It also comes with Japanese rice. I feel that this one is more value for money as it has other kinds of tempura and is more filling than an order of ebi tempura. Then again, if you prefer to munch on the classic tempura, it's best to stick with that as this rice bowl only has two ebi tempura. 

I was excited to sample the Veggie King thinking that it would have a lot of veggies. But it was just topped with shredded cabbage and carrots along with ramen noodles and chashu. 

Then again, I think the veggies balanced the overwhelming flavor of the broth as I managed to eat a lot of it compared to the time when I had Black King. [Note: It took forever for me to write this article so I don't think Veggie King is still available. Nonetheless, I just want to share my experience.]

Overall, it was a great dining experience. I liked that I can now enjoy Ramen Nagi with other Japanese staples such as tempura and sashimi. The food may be a bit on the expensive side but you could tell that everything used quality ingredients making it value for money. I'd definitely be back for more. 

Ramen Nagi and Tendon Akimitsu are located at Ground Floor, Ayala Malls the 30th, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.

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