Mendokoro Ramenba On Demand
It’s no secret that that the F&B industry took and is still taking a huge hit due to continuous onslaught of Covid-19. As most restaurants scrambled to be onboarded on delivery platforms such as GrabFood and Foodpanda (which meant having to share a percentage of their profits to these platforms); Mendokoro Ramenba focused on developing its in-house end-to-end delivery system. Sure, it started out with its quirks. I recall that due to the overwhelming response to its initial roll-out, wait time actually reached a full month (of course back in late-March/early April, we didn’t think we’d still be on lockdown six months after)! However, they definitely kept tweaking and improving on it that everything became so seamless!
Ordering is a breeze as the only thing you have to do is accomplish a simple Google Form. I love that over time, they started adding more items to their Take-Out menu. On our second round of ordering, the not-so-secret off-menu favorite of mine, the Ebi Tonkotsu Ramen (P590) made it to the list; while their previously limited offering of Tsukemen was made available by the time we did our third round of ordering!
SUPER CHASHU (P560)
Based on my most recent order with them, they commit to a wait time of around 3 to 5 days; but in reality, they’ve been fulfilling my orders within an incredibly short two-day turn around time! Expect a call from their customer service team the day after placing your order; wherein they confirm your order details and ideal delivery date. Note that most of their items can be stored only for 3 to 4 days (via refrigerator for the ramen noodles; via freezer for the gyoza) so timing is key! If you’re not eating your noodles yet, best to postpone it to maximize the shelf life.
GYOZA (P12pcs – P500)
Unboxing it may not be as satisfying as Ramen Nagi’s Take Home Kits, but its minimalist approach actually encourages you to simply eat from the bowl that it comes served with (less cleaning required)! Cooking prep and time is also a breeze to do. If you know how to prepare your own instant noodles, you’re all set to go! This is why it’s completely mind-blowing for me how everything we ordered tasted exactly like the ones we enjoyed dining-in.
Its Gyoza comes served with fragrant sesame oil (usually in a quantity way more than what you need for the 12 pcs) that once you pop the potstickers into your pan, your kitchen will immediately start smelling like you’re inside Mendokor! How's that for ambiance?! I leave the Gyoza prep to my mom to ensure that we can replicate the perfect balance of juicy meat and slight crisp edges of the Gyoza.
KARAI TOKUSEI (P520)
During lockdown, I helped myself to a bowl each of their Super Chashu, Ebi Tonkotsu Ramen and the Karai Tokusei. That first slurp of their signature Shoyu broth from the Super Chashu instantly felt like a warm hug; while the Ebi Tonkotsu Ramen made me reminisce about all the hour-long queues I had to endure before just to get a coveted seat inside Mendokoro and was comforted with the fact that I can now enjoy the same quality of food from them on-demand, and within the safety of my own home!
My review would really focus on the Karai Tokusei as I’ve never had this dine-in. I love tsukemen, but I also like slurping my soup. Most of the time though, as Tsukemen is meant for ‘dipping’ and not ‘slurping’, the sauce can get overwhelmingly salty to be consumed on its own. The Karai Tokusei which comes with a fishy broth (made of mackerel, kelp and skipjack tuna) is tempered by its tonkotsu broth; making it more ‘slurpable’ than most tsukemens! It also comes with an incredibly hefty serving size of noodles (roughly at a 1:1.5 ratio when compared to their ramen bowls) that despite my immeasurable love and appetite for noodles, I was struggling to finish it at the end. Paired with their to-die-for giant slices of chashu, you know you’re set for a filling and fulfilling meal! Like other to-go-ramen kits, the ramen eggs aren’t included. You’d have to prep your own if you want the full experience!
I just pray that even when the pandemic is over, this take-out option would still be available as I’m all on board for it! I wouldn’t want to travel all the way to Makati, deal with parking woes and weekend queues if I can simply order a bowl on-demand! This is definitely one of the nice things that came out from this pandemic!
Mendokoro Ramenba
Dates of Delivery: May to August, 2020 via http://tiny.cc/lk46lz
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