Japanese Burgers at Tokyo Tokyo

I've known Tokyo Tokyo only as a Japanese fast food restaurant serving delicious rice meals in a box called Tokyo Tokyo bento. They've recently come up with something rice-less for Japanese food lovers to enjoy -- Tokyo Tokyo Burgers! These delicious snack treats come in three variants: Shogun Burger, Shiitake Mushroom Burger and Godzilla Burger. I was lucky to have sampled some of them last Thursday night during an intimate bloggers event hosted by Tokyo Tokyo in their Shangri-La Plaza branch.

In the Japanese lingo, shogun means commander-in-chief. Just like a real shogun, Tokyo Tokyo's Shogun burger (P95 ala carte, add P50 for onion rings or potato balls and red iced tea) commands attention and satiates big appetite with its crunchy onion rings, cheddar cheese and premium beef patty with savory Tonkatsu sauce.




my very own Shogun burger

I liked that Shogun burger's beef patty was 1/2 inch thick. It was juicy and flavorful up to the last bite. The unusual addition of onion rings made it more filling. But you might wanna ask for lesser tonkatsu sauce as it tends to overpower the other yummy flavors in the burger.

Tokyo Tokyo's Shiitake Mushroom Burger (P95 ala carte, add P50 for onion rings or potato balls and red iced tea) is a delicious burger made with shiitake mushrooms, crispy lettuce and premium beef patty with teriyaki sauce on warm, oatie bun.




Shiitake Mushroom Burger up-close

This was my favorite between the two. The shiitake mushrooms and the teriyake sauce made the premium beef patty more moist and flavorful. The crispy lettuce definitely added crunch and a healthy touch to the burger. Each bite was big in texture and flavor. It was pure burger goodness only from Tokyo Tokyo. I loved it!

We weren't served with the Godzilla Burger (P140 ala carte, add P50 for onion rings or potato balls and red iced tea) but basically, it's composed of two premium beef burger patties, two slices of cheddar cheese, crispy lettuce and zesty Japanese mayo. Wow, this sounds like a complete meal, isn't it?



The bloggers event at the second floor of Tokyo Tokyo Shangri-Plaza was attended by at least two dozen bloggers. It started with a maki-making activity, a brief introduction of the three new burgers, the food tasting session and the appearance of and photo-op with Tokyo Tokyo's brand ambassador Daniel Matsunaga.


with Tokyo Tokyo brand ambassador Daniel Matsunaga

P.S. Thank you to Tokyo Tokyo Shangri-La Plaza and Maan Bernardino of Ogilvy Philippines for the invite. I sure had a delicious evening tasting Tokyo Tokyo's new offerings! :)

Note: This is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% mine.

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Rai Rai Ken: Best Ramen in Manila

My first time to eat authentic Japanese ramen happened last Friday at Rai Rai Ken - Finlandia Branch. Actually, I was with a group of food bloggers during Rai Rai Ken's first blogger food tasting. Aside from letting us savor the goodness of their ramen line, they also served items from their sushi bar as well as their new desserts especially made for Valentine's Day.

Rai Rai Ken Ramen and Sushi Bar was started by Mr. Benjamin Garcia who worked as a cook at a popular ramen restaurant in Makati called Ramen Tei. That was circa 1985. With the limited number of restaurants offering authentic Japanese ramen in the Philippines in the past decades, an opportunity presented itself to the then already budding Pinoy ramen master (who went on  as far as training Japanese chefs in making  authentic Japanese ramen). Soon after, Rai Rai Ken (that means 'welcome restaurant' in English) was born and the rest is history.





That night, I had difficulty choosing which ramen variety to try. I opted to get the healthier choice of Seafoods Hotpot (P165) which happened to be one of their best sellers. The tasty ginger-infused soup that was clear and thick at the same time, the fresh noodles and the variety of seafood ingredients made this ramen very filling and satisfying.



I also got to sample another ramen called Tantanmen (190). I had just a spoonful of it but it left a lasting impression in my taste buds. It had a half hard-boiled egg, roasted pork slices and mixed vegetables in a miso soup base. It was a bit on the spicy side and I loved it. I'm definitely ordering it on my next visit to Rai Rai Ken!



OTHER RAMEN PLACES WE'VE TRIED:
Ramen Kuroda, BF Homes
Ramen Yushoken, Molito-Alabang
Kokoro Ramenya, Roxas Blvd.
Yasuo Japanese Restaurant, Robinsons Place Manila
Erra's Ramen, Malate
Izakaya Den Japanese Restaurant, Malate
Ume-ya Japanese Restaurant, Bacoor
Yoshinoya, SM Manila

Other ramen varieties served to my fellow food bloggers that night include the following:


Chasyu (195)


Kantonmen


Garlic Chili

Rai Rai Ken's famous gyoza was a winner. I highly recommend this appetizer when you dine at the restaurant. The dough was toasted on both sides yet the edges remained soft and firm. The filling, which was composed of minced pork, leek, garlic, ginger and other secret spices, was very tasty and flavorful. I think I consumed a total of four pieces and I enjoyed each bite immensely.



The Special Sushi Platter, the Jurassic Maki Roll and the Super California Maki with Salmon Salad Topping were the love! One bite and you'll get hooked. The makis were as fresh as you could get. I particularly liked the one with salmon topping and an orange-y sauce that had a hint of Japanese mayo in it.


Jurassic Maki Roll


Super California Maki with Salmon Salad Topping

The desserts were pana cotta that came in three flavors. I am biased to the white one with mango sauce. Its melt-in-the-mouth goodness blew me away. The rich, fruity sauce also complemented the mildly-sweetened pana cotta.


choco pana cotta


creamy pana cotta


coffee pana cotta


group photo

PROMOS
Rai Rai Ken currently offers 50% off on ramens

From Feb. 11 to 28, 2011 at the following branches:

1. SM Rosales
2. SM Clark
3. SM Pampanga
4. CB Mall Urdaneta
5. Robinson's Iloilo
6. Robinson's Gensan
7. Robinson's Dumaguete
8. Robinson's Cebu
9. KCC Gensan
10. Gaisano Mall Agus
11. Gaisano Mall Tabunok
12. AliMall Cubao
13. Finlandia Makati

From Feb. 18 to March 20, 2011 at the following branches:

1. Harrison Plaza Village Square
2. Harbour Square CCP Complex
3. Bluewave Macapagal
4. Robinsons Galleria
5. SM City Taytay
6. Bluewave Marikina
7. SM City Sta. Rosa

To know more about the restaurant that serves authentic and quality Japanese food, check out the Rai Rai Ken website or visit them on Facebook.

Thank you to Mr. Joey Garcia, Business Dev't. Officer of Rai Rai Ken Ramen and Sushi Bar for your generosity and to my ever gracious PR friend Annesy del Mundo for this fun and very filling Japanese treat! :)


with Mr. Joey Garcia

Rai Rai Ken - Finlandia
2877 Finlandia St.
Brgy. San Isidro, Makati

(+632)887-2185



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