It doesn’t take much of going around the metro to find that ramen has made the seamless transition from trend to norm in the past few years. But if you thought you’ve already had your fill, and crowned a particular spot your favorite – you might want to step back for a bit before you’ve tried the world’s first ramen restaurant in the world to be awarded with a Michelin Star.
Tsuta, which is also the only ramen shop to receive a star for 2015 and 2016, first opened in Tokyo in 2012. It has since grown, both in notoriety and reach, with branches in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and recently, the Philippines.

Chef Onishi Yuki, the man behind Tsuta, crafts his own recipes to come up with unique renditions of the ubiquitous Japanese fare, while also staying faithful to the authentic ramen elements. His awared-winning Shoyu Soba (soy-based sauce flavored ramen) boasts of the highest quality noodles, freshly made with a deliciously rich broth from a blend of asari clams and chicken – making it distinctly lighter, and refreshing. It is then flavored with sauce made from soybeans that are matured for two years at the shoyu brewery, especially for Tsuta.
The resulting broth is clear, allowing other ingredients like the char siu, bamboo shoots, leeks, and truffle pureed in truffle oil to take center stage in a well-orchestrated explosion of flavors.
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Other can’t-miss dishes include Shio Soba (Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt-based sauce), and Miso Soba (Hatcho Miso-flavored ramen).

Tsuta boasts of a deliciously flavored soup base created from fresh ingredients and a blend of three different broths – one from the stock of asari clams, another from imported Japanese fish katakuchi, mackarel and anchovy, and another from the stock of whole chickens.
The noodles, meanwhile, are freshly made onsite from specially selected whole wheat and whole grain flours combined until the perfect texture is achieved, which makes it marry well with the ramen soup base.
Aside from ramen, Tsuta serves side dishes like Ro-su Char Siu (roasted pork Char Siu with butter sauce garnished with leek and watercress), Aburi Niku (charred pork cubes with onion sauce garnished with leek and watercress), Yuzu Wonton Soup (tender minced duck meat wrapped in handmade whole meal wheat wonton skin).

Diners are also treated to rice dishes like Niku Meshi (diced roasted pork on rice served with onion sauce), Ro-su Meshi (sliced roasted pork shoulder on rice topped with a fragrant butter sauce), and Soup Chazuke, to which you can add your remaining soup, garnished with bonito flakes and Japanese seaweed.
Tsuta Manila is located at UG/F C3 Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It is open daily from 11:30 a.m. until supplies last.
 
By VIA BAROMA