Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen: Afforable Authentic Japanese Ramen at Hobbies of Asia

The rainy weather makes me crave for a hot bowl of ramen!  When looking for a an affordable yet authentic ramen on the south side of the Metro, Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen comes to mind.

Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen is located at Hobbies of Asia along with Brothers Burger and Choice Buffet, our favorite Korean Eat All You Can Restaurant and Koh Samui Thai Cuisine. There's also pet shops there where you can leave you pets for grooming while you eat.  My maltese Lychee gets her grooming done at Pet Passion Dog Shop.

OT (sorry for plugging): The family intended to buy Ensogo vouchers for Choice Buffet at dinner time but mistakenly bought Lunch Buffet instead.  After failed attempts to have it changed,  I'm selling my 6 ensogo vouchers for a discounted price of 350 php each.  See details here.  Email me if interested.  Contact information is on the right side of the page.  

I'm in luck because during our visit there's a 50% off on all regular ramen and 20% of on bento.  So believe it or not there already affordable ramen got even cheaper!

Everytime I visit, I always get tempted to try the Bikkuri Ramen Challenge. But now that there's a promo, the price of 1,000 php seemed heavy.

According to the photos, only a few have tried.  I'm didn't imagine that the winners would be thin though.  I wonder if they trained at home for it. =)

Upon entry the staff will shout their Japanese greetings.  It was clean and well-lit.  It had a ramen bar and a few tables on the sides.  It was simple, casual and with no non-sense flair which implies that people just go there for the food.  For functions and parties, you can reserve the entire second floor.  After years of visiting this restaurant, I noticed that their summer promo board is actually permanent.  =p

Each table had complete condiments and utensils. The sesame seeds didn't seem freshly roasted like I wanted...

Their Ajitsuke Tamago poster looks tempting and priced only at 35 php makes it hard to overlook.

Food

Ramen

♥ Shio Tonkatsu (180 php)

The Shio Tonkatsu is a salt-based broth.  I consider this type of ramen as the perfect test of how tasty the tonkatsu broth is.  Mmm... it is quite tasty!  I was slurping away with glee.  It also comes with chashu (pork),  negi (onion leeks), kikurage (wood ear mushroom) and nori (seaweed) The noodles also had a nice chewy texture.  It doesn't even get soggy despite the length of time it took me to finish two bowlfuls.

♥ Shoyu Tonkatsu with Ajitsuke Tamago (200 php + 35 php)

Just had to try the Ajitsuke Tamago so decided it as an add on to my Shoyu Tonkatsu.  The shoyu also had the same default toppings: chashu, negi, kikurage and nori.  The shoyu broth is rich and tasty but the tonkatsu is flavor is still evident.

Miso Tonkatsuwith Ajitsuke Tamago (220 php + 35 php)

The Miso Tonkatsu is which had the same default toppings is as good as the rest.  Added some Ajitsuke Tamago on it too.  I'm not much of a miso fan myself so I preferred the others. 

♥ Pirikira Tonkotsu (220 php)

On my recent visit, I had the Pirikira Tonkotsu which is a spicy version.  Since I love spicy dishes, I really enjoyed this.  This is now my new favorite at Menya Genki.  The spiciness is not overwhelming but it gives this tickling sizzling sensation that makes me slurp for more.

♥ Pirikira Tonkotsu (220 php)

The staff told me that they make their own noodles.  Although the chefs are already Filipinos, they were definitely trained to do things right.   However, eating their ramen triggers a reaction which I usually have when I have had too much MSG. 


Toppings

Leaf Mustard Takana (50 php)

Due to curiosity I also tried the Leaf Mustard Takana for toppings.  It was a zesty and sour which made it a good contrast against the rich and slightly oily ramen broth.  The taste is strong so you could only use this is small amounts.


Ala Carte

Kimchi Rice

I initially thought the Kimchi Rice would be some sort of fried rice.  But, it sadly came like this.  On my next visit though, this was taken out of the menu.  Good move!

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
When craving for ramen and on a tight budget, Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen is definitely the choice to go for.  A bowlful of their ramen is enough to satisfy and with an addition of their runny Ajitsuke Tamago, it gets even better.