Last week, my college friends and I planned to meet in the weekend for a quick catch-up. We’re all running busy lives now and it has been like a year since we gathered together. Finding a restaurant to dine in still posed as a challenge, but using the Zomato app helped me to choose one that we have not tried before and that’s pretty accessible for us all. Thus the choice: Kenji Tei Ramen House in Greenbelt 5, Makati City.
Kenji Tei Ramen House is a Japanese restaurant which aspires to broaden the Filipinos’ palate through a space where true Japanese flavors are brought in. I haven’t heard a lot about this establishment; there’s not much reviews posted online about its food quality, customer service and the like. So I came with an open mind, filled with enthusiasm and without expectations, just ready to be served with a bowl of Japanese ramen. π
Review of Kenji Tei Ramen House (Greenbelt 5, Makati City)
Ambiance: β β β β β
With its high class and modern ambiance, Kenji Tei Ramen House did a good sporting chance at taking a top spot for lunch-outs. It’s got the simple wood styling and straight lines of typical Japanese bistros, minus the loud music and “the attitude (those staff who usually shout the Japanese greetings).” I find it nice to be able to sit in a well-lit space without yelling and trying too hard to hear my dining companions. I especially liked the design of the ceiling matching with the counter. Overall, I’d say the place is refined, clean and well…date-worthy.
Service: β β β β β
When I arrived, the waitstaff immediately handed me the menu and she was calm enough to spend a bit of time talking about ramen suggestions, noting that those with meat are out of my options. Serving time was quite quick. Another remarkable thing was that the waiters refilled our glasses with the house barley teaΒ (mogi cha).
Food: β β β ββ
Kenji Tei Ramen House’s menu is straightforward, with only two pages listing Japanese food staples from appetizers to desserts. There was no whacked-out modern version of Japanese dishes so I guess their focus is on executing good versions of the classics. Or I could be wrong.
I ordered the Gomoku Shio Ramen (PHp 264, Regular), one of their best-selling signature dishes, composed of ramen noodles with vegetables, mixed seafood (small prawns and squid), egg and pork. I requested that the cutlets of pork be placed on a separate plate, for me to give away and share to my friends.
Slippery with a tender bounce, the quality of noodles used in Gomoku Shio Ramen was good. I thought the soup broth was supposed to taste crazy salty because of the “shio” word in its name, but it was not salty at all. Rather, in distinct milky color, the soup was characterless and bland. Aw. Other not very admirable comments on top of my head while slurping the bowlful were that the soup lacked in aromatics and the squids were too chewy. In short, I was left there wondering how this became a best-seller ramen. As highly praised as it may be, there is no way this ramen is going to my list of laudable food.
Moving on, I also had a few spoonfuls of their Wakame Ramen (PHp 248, Regular) β soy-based ramen which had a glimmering sheen of fat on top, with seaweed sheets that brought much of the soup’s flavor. The Wakame Ramen was clean-tasting and somewhat richer than the former. Although it hit the spot in a pinch, it’s not the ramen that’s worth traveling for.
Another soy-based ramen we tried was the Curry Ramen (PHp 258, Regular) topped with a mildly spicy curry sauce. It was good that the curry flavor was not super intense, and the spiciness of the soup can be clearly felt. However, I still feel it was neither mind-blowing nor life-changing.Β The spice was noticeable though, especially if you decide to go above “mild” and put chili powder to dominate the spicy choice on the zero to three alarm spice scale.
We’re done so far with the ramen taste-testing. Next to the “grilling session” was the Crispy Chicken Teriyaki (PHp 228, 8 pieces) β grilled chicken glazed in Teriyaki sauce, which passed our test. The chicken teriyaki was a revelation. You’ll be prompted to grab a bowl of rice (gohan) to balance out and complement the overwhelming, deeply satisfying sweet taste. In addition, the side salad with mayo dressing was refreshing.
Β Price for Value: β β β ββ
If you’re looking for the best ramen in the city, I don’t recommend going to Kenji Tei Ramen House. Sure, the noodles were not limp and I could sense that they were boiled to perfection. But the taste of the broth with the ingredients and the garnish were not enough to win awards for this house to be the next exciting ramen place to visit.
For the food alone, I wanted to give Kenji Tei two stars for “Price for Value.” Then again, aiming to be more considerate here, I give one extra credit for the friendly service and the cozy ambiance that enhanced the dining experience.
Other Branch:
Ground Floor, Alabang Town Centre, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa City
For inquiries, contact (02) 5118980
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Ang sarap ng ramen. Uhmm, may ino-offer ba silang pang vegetarian Roch?
Wala yata eh lahat halos may kasama talagang pork. If you’re vegetarian, this is not the ideal place to eat.
Noted. Thanks roch
Welcome! π
Great review. I will definitely check this out when I visit Manila π
Thanks, Galilee. π
I think I am going to try this place out with hubby. Medyo matagal na kami naghahanap ng magandang place to eat Ramen e.
Ohh I want to try Wrong Ramen next. I think it’s a better ramen house than this.
The curry ramen looks good. I’m going to try this soon. Great review, by the way.
Thanks, Frankie. Yeah among the three ramen we’ve tried, the curry one may just be the best.
Every time I go inside a food circuit or resto, I am always looking after an effective service. I really hate when I am compelled to wait. I also dig into an amiable or friendly approach of taking my order. Sometimes, I forget the value o the food I eat and even the ambiance because of the service.
Customer service speaks a lot about the establishment so I really make sure that I remember how restaurant staff renders service when they don’t know that I’m a blogger.
i once told you that my boys are ramen monsters, however upon seeing your rating and review, sorry but we have to skip this resto π
Ahh haha. Their desserts look good on the menu. π
I always pass through this place in Greenbelt and its about time I try it.
Many people still flock to this place, which may be a sign that the place is the real deal and I just happened to not like the tastes of the food we ordered.
Maybe I should try the place and hopefully, I’ll like it.
missing such food here, I guess I just have to pass up your review and try these. Any food aside from what I’m having here is okay. Good service will always be a factor for me in searching for new restos
Sure. If you like Japanese food, then this one is right up your alley. It’s worth a try for newcomers.
I love anything with wakame, so that dish is a hit for me! heck, I love Japanese gohan and all so this house is a must! Yummm!
I also like eating wakame and gohan. π
My children are not much into ramen so I’ll probably reserve visiting this place some other time. Hope they take notice of your comments so they can improve.
Their ramen does not taste like instant-noodle pack of ramen but the taste is just not at par with other leading ramen houses right now. Yup, I hope so, too.
i love how honest you are, sis. Your reviews are indeed reliable.. i agree that the place is divine at buti na lang mabait yung staff noh? π
Haha thanks, Janine. π Yes. Outstanding service makes customers want to come back for the overall nice experience again and again.
maybe they have a better food to offer than ramen… hehehe. sometimes, different sites have different taste to offer. Yahweh bless.
Yup I’m quite sure they do. π They would not be having many customers if all their food don’t taste okay.
What a beautiful restaurant and delish foods as well π You make me drool and now I am hungry π The restaurant is clean and neat too π
Great ambiance is always a plus. Presentation of food is another thing. Kenji Tei wins on both accounts.
That is indeed a nice place. I like their interior. π
As for the ramen, I haven’t had one before. I guess I should give it a try π
Compare theirs against other good ramen restaurants now surging in popularity in the metro and maybe you can judge which one tops the list. π
Tempted to travel from North to South just because I wanna try all ramen restos in the Metro >.<
Hehe ramen craze now ongoing. π
i have one question, does this ramen house serve anything halal? i mean, without pork, lard, etc.
thanks. π
Yes, they have seafood and veggies as well but I have not tried them yet.
Been here I think twice and I love it! Ra-men is <3 presentation is important to me too *winks
Great review!
Thanks for sharing
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