Hanamaruken Ramen 花丸轩: Osaka's Famous 10-inch Pork Rib Ramen and More!

As I've mentioned before, I've been really eager to try Hanamaruken Ramen ever since I heard that it's opening here in Manila.  That's great news because we don't need to travel all the way to Osaka Japan and line up for it.  The chefs are personally trained by founder Takaku Arakawa in Japan.

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That's "Hanamaruken Ramen." So sorry for the watermark.  I already deleted the original copy. =(

Hanamaruken Ramen is located at second floor of Trinoma Gardens.  It actually replaced Ramen X.  It has a particularly noticeable large wooden logo and a heavy steel door.   It's a good thing that we dined at around 2 pm on a weekday so we got the place all for ourselves.  I accidentally banged the door loudly and I swear it could be heard in the entire restaurant. =/

I love the interiors of the place!  It had table for twos...

face-to-face type of ramen bar...

and, tables with benches for groups.  The design of the wall back there is the actual facade of Hanamaruken Ramen in Osaka Japan.

Aside from the wooden tone which gives a traditional Japanese ramen shop vibe, it fused well with the modern dangling lamps and other dangling kitchen utensils display.

Food
Check out this video that shows Takaku Arakawa soul and passion to assure the quality of his ramen.


Ramen

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♥ Signature Happiness Ramen (480)

Dining with me that day is one of my best guy bud so I particularly ordered the best in the house which is the Signature Happiness Ramen for him.  He really deserves it for always being punctual although he knows that I'm always unintentionally late and not complaining.  (He's probably just intimidated by me haha cause he makes subtle hirit sometime later hehe)  This particular time,I was delayed for forty-five minutes! 

But kidding aside, he is a really good friend of mine which I've thankful and happy for like that soulful bowl of ramen.  We rarely hang out because he's the seemingly busy and cool type of guy.  Yet ironically, he is one of my consistent mainstays for moral support and source of witty advises especially at my worst.  One of the many things I'm grateful for is that he is one of the most loyal readers of my blogs.  He also sells me to his friends lol.  Yet whenever I'd thank him for something, he'd just whiff it off and turn on his snob mode probably thinking its an empty and useless compliment.  (If you're reading ayan see it's not! =p) 

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♥ Signature Happiness Ramen (480)

The Signature Happiness Ramen with 10-inch slowly braised for 10 hours soft bone pork rib is definitely what we came for because it's a unique specialty that could only be availed there.  I honestly ordered it for him knowing he'll share it with me haha.  We loved its softness that makes it fall off the bone.  It was very flavorful too.  The broth is light and mild which others would consider as "Chinese style" ramen.  It is not too oily nor salty too which I think my family would love.  It was soothing in every sip and you could easily finish a bowlful without feeling heavy or guilty.  But for those who prefer stronger flavors like my dear friend, this might not be for you.  The noodles is thin, smooth and soft.  The soup gets cold pretty fast so it's best to finish this as soon as you can.  We're curious about what's written on the seaweed but we're clueless up until now.  Do you know? 

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♥ Curry Tan Tan Mien (320 php)

Being a huge fan of Tan Tan Mien, I order it whenever it is available.  So far I've tried different versions from Rai Rai Ken, Ukkokei Ramen Ron, Kitchitora of Tokyo, Ramen Yushoken and Mitsuyado Sei-Men.  Each of them are are distinct from one another but they were all hot and spicy.  Unlike them, the Curry Tan Tan Mienof Hanamaruken Ramen was not spicy at all.  It was also very light and not powerful in terms of taste.  In effect, it will leave you wanting to slurp more and more of it.  I enjoyed it very much!  My friend who hasnever tried Tan Tan Mien before, loved it too.  In fact, he enjoyed this broth over that of theSignature Happiness Ramen.

On both our ramen, I can't help but miss having Ajitama (egg) on my ramen .  There is no add on option for it on the menu too.  In Japan, they offer a free Ajitama and unlimited kimchi.  I hope they implement that here soon too. 

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Chili Powder and Chili Oil

We were also served Chili Powder and Chili Oil which is great if you prefer yourCurry Tan Tan Mien to be spicy because their version isn't.

Rice Bowls

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Salaryman Chahan (225 php)

We wanted to try their Karaage or Gyoza for sides but they were not avaiable yet as they were still in the soft opening phase so we ordered the Salary Chahan instead.  The Salaryman Chahan is fried rice topped with sliced pork shoulder and lots of green onions.  The pork shoulder slices were very tasty in a soy-marinated kind of way.  They were very tender too.  As for the chahan, its pretty good but not exactly something I'd particularly visit for.  


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Hanamaruken Ramen just proves that we can never have too many ramen variants.  This is a must stop for ramen enthusiasts because where else can you enjoy a filling Signature Happiness Ramen.  Other selections which are more affordable are quit competitive too.  In fact, my foodie friend held the Pot Belly Ramenas the best for them.  It's too bad that I didn't get to try it.

Other Ramen House/Shop Reviews
Akira Restaurant
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Kitchitora 1 | Kitchiro 2
Kokoro Ramenya
Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen
Miso-Ten
Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Moshi Koshi 1 | Moshi Koshi 2
Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House
Ramen X (Closed)
Ramen Yushoken
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen