Delivery Snippets: Ramen Nagi x Paradise Dynasty x Marugame Udon and Tempura
RAMEN NAGI
Ramen Nagi’s Red King has always been my ultimate comfort food, which is why it was easily the hardest craving that hit me during the start of the lockdown period. Fortunately, I was glued to the restaurant’s socials, so I was quickly notified when it first launched its delivery service. Mendokoro Ramenba launched its to-go service earlier, but it was completely overwhelmed with its initial orders (despite its limited delivery coverage at that time) that the wait time stretched for weeks!
Ramen Nagi seemed to be able to quickly learn from this that it was able to come up with a more efficient and controlled order-taking and delivery service that it took only less than two days for them to fulfill our order (Placement and Confirmation of Order: April 23, 2020; Delivery: April 24, 2020)!
RED KING (P900) and CHICKEN KARAAGE (P750)
Apart from being impressed by its efficient delivery service, I was in awe at how neatly the ramen boxes were packed, as each ingredient came in individually sealed pouches. It was a bit baffling how its easy-to-follow instructions enable you to effortlessly recreate its signature Tonkotsu bowls in the safety of your own home! As we got both the Butao and Red Kings, we opted to serve it in a deconstructed buffet manner to make it easier for my family to customize our own bowls! Unfortunately, Ramen Nagi doesn’t include its delicious tamago in its delivery service, but you can prep your own ramen eggs at home!
We also opted for their Chicken Karaage, which came in a massive 20-pcs serving size (so yes, naturally, we had enough for another meal)! Again, it was easy to recreate these crunchy perfectly marinated chicken wonders thanks to their fuss-free instructions and well-portioned ingredients! My only issue with Ramen Nagi’s to-go menu is that everything comes in big serving sizes. Apart from its Chicken Karaage, which is enough to host a party, its ramen variants come in serving sizes for two! Hopefully they consider solo servings soon!
Since the launch of its to-go service, Ramen Nagi has since added more ramen variants to its menu (such as its Tsukemen and its Chicken Paitan) and expanded its delivery coverage. Apart from its in-house ordering system, its to-go boxes are also available on the Foodpanda platform.
Date of Delivery: April 24, 2020 through http://ramennagi.com.ph/
PARADISE DYNASTY
My sole criterion in deciding on my first work lunch since I started reporting back to work last May was that it should be somewhere which isn’t really accessible to my house in QC. Browsing through Foodpanda, I saw Paradise Dynasty and my heart thumped. Paradise Dynasty isn't really meant for solo dining, but screw it, I wanted to nurse a craving!
SCRAMBLED EGG WHITE WITH FISH AND CONPOY (P328) and LA MIAN WITH SCALLIONS (P200)
My heart craved for so many dishes from the restaurant; but none ached as much as my longing for its Scrambled Egg White with Fish and Conpoy. The subtle power play between the umami flavors of the dried conpoy and the strong essence of black vinegar; and the contrast of the textures from the dried fish and the viscous egg white make me absolutely crazy about this dish. It’s perfect as a rice topping; however, plain rice is unfortunately unavailable on its delivery menu so I decided to pair this up with its La Mian with Scallions. Don’t be deceived by these noodles though! Plain as it may be when compared to the restaurant's heftier noodle dishes, these hand-pulled noodles pack in a bite of their own. An order also comes served with an immensely flavorful rich broth, reminiscent of the tonkotsu broth most ramen shops make use of!
Date of Delivery: May 21, 2020 via Foodpanda
MARUGAME UDON AND TEMPURA
If I needed a quick meal to be delivered, Marugame Udon and Tempura never disappoints. Apart from having a price point surprisingly close to a fast food meal (inclusive of delivery fee and Grab’s ‘Small Order Fee’), it offers a filling freshly cooked meal!
BEEF ONTAMA BUKKAKE UDON (P210) with EBI TEN (P60) and KANIKANA TEMPURA (P50)
I’m particularly loyal to his house specialty, the Beef Ontama Bukkake Udon. This staple of mine comes with a sweet dashi-based broth thickened by a soft-boiled egg and topped with marinated sukiyaki-cut beef strips. No need to worry about your udon getting soggy as the noodles are served in a separate container; so are its other toppings (which include crunchy tempura batter)! Normally, a regular serving of its Beef Ontama Bukkake Udon is enough for me (a large size is available for those with bigger appetites, or for those who wish to share the bowl with another person); but I was feeling a bit indulgent and ordered an additional piece of its Ebi Tempura and Kanikana Tempura. Admittedly, I knew that I was paying for overpriced and underwhelming tempura (as this type of cooking is best served fresh out of the fryer), but I definitely do not recommend anyone doing the same! Stick to the noodles, and you're good!
Date of Delivery: June 2, 2020 via Grabfood
