A ramen and cupcake run to the south

(Updated 10:09 a.m., April 12) - Living in the northern part of Metro Manila, I always have second thoughts about going to the south, what with the traffic, the toll fee, and the time it takes to get there. But thanks to the penchant of Pinoys for heading to the provinces during Holy Week, I found myself driving with my son to Alabang and Parañaque on Black Saturday along the traffic-free C-5 SLEX on a mission—a ramen and cupcake mission. New age Tokyo-style ramen First stop: a ramen place people who love ramen are supposed to know—so much so that the restaurant doesn't even have a signboard. It took us a few turnarounds at Molito Lifestyle Complex in Alabang (and an exasperated desperate move to ask the guard for directions) before we figured out where to find Ramen Yushoken. It was sandwiched between an Italian restaurant and a Japanese restaurant with a huge sign—probably to entice Japanese food lovers who can't find Ramen Yushoken to try their place instead? Although it just started operations on December 4, 2012, Ramen Yushoken has become famous among Instagramming ramen lovers who tweet and post photos of their ramen bowls on Twitter and Facebook. That made it easy for their friends to tell friends, who in turn told other friends. The result: long queues every day. But thanks again to the fact that it was Black Saturday, we found ourselves second in line just inside the glass doors of Ramen Yushoken at lunchtime. You know you're not in a usual restaurant when it's the restaurant that gives the rules, not the customer who's supposed to be always right. “First come first served. We cannot accept reservations. No take-out and no delivery. The closing times are dependent on availability of soup. Once we run out, we close. We don't prohibit sharing, but the ramen gods aren't happy when people split a bowl... We do not have western utensils, just chopsticks.” Good thing they accept credit cards, otherwise that would have been another 'we don't' on the list. Ramen Yushoken, in its menu, also said, “All our soups our good. What you should order depends on your personal preferences.” Now it's difficult to put out a claim like that if you won't be able to deliver. Apparently, they are able to do so. We started with an order of gyoza (P150 for five pieces, left) which was really good. It was gone in five minutes. When my Shoyo Tonkotsu Ramen (P350, below) arrived, I was at first disappointed that the bowl was not very big, unlike Jipan's. But it was love at first sip! Or rather, first slurp! The soy sauce-based ramen was flavorful, thanks to the tonkotsu (pork bone broth) the restaurant says it boils for 12 hours. You know there's no shortcut, no sauce packet used as the flavor is deep, the result of slow cooking. It had bamboo shoots, sesame seeds, black fungus, and chasu (pork flank). The pork was tender and the noodles were al dente. The ramen reminded me of Hakata Ramen at Akanoren near Tokyo Station in Japan. My son, who loves spicy food, chose the Tantanmen Ramen (P380; below, right) made with sesame paste, chili oil, and ground pork. I couldn't taste it (no sharing, remember?) but the little smile on his face revealed this was a delicious bowl of ramen.  There were two other ramen flavors available: shio which is salt-based, and miso, which is made of soybean paste. The restaurant said it uses seven kinds of miso, making this dish “most rich and flavorful.” Those who would like something cold may want to try the Hiyashi Chuka, a salad-like ramen, meaning no soup. Ramen Yushoken describes its ramen dishes as “new age Tokyo-style.” It would have been good to have macha green tea with this meal, but Ramen Yushoken has no tea on its menu. Yup, not even house tea! If you want, get sake to complete the experience, but since we had to prepare for the next stop, we just settled for soda. A very pink cupcake store Driving along Aguirre Street in BF Homes, Parañaque, one can see that there are many interesting restaurants in the area. But a cute place stands out: Larcy's Cupcakerycafe, which opened only last December 8. Pink must be the owners' favorite since the color scheme was predominant in the cafe, from the dining area to the display shelves, baking station, and even the restroom. But far from turning off customers, it somehow helps put people in a happy mood, judging from the look on the faces of those who enter the shop. Their specialty, I was told, is the pink velvet cupcake, a lovely thing to look at, and a treat to eat. It was moist, not dry, and not cloyingly sweet, thanks to a cream cheese frosting. Partnered with their brewed coffee, it was a perfect ending to the ramen lunch. My friend Anna who met us for coffee had the bananutella cupcake, which she let me taste. I'm not really a fan of Nutella but I admit it went well with the banana cake. Other interesting cupcakes are the Valrhona Choconutella (sounds sinful and tempting), Chocolate Chip A La Mode, Belgian Chocolate Mousse, and a chocolate and bacon combination that sadly was not available that day. Can't drink coffee? Then go for the rich milkshakes, which my son -- who had the Oreo Freeze -- did and enjoyed. Larcy's is one of those places you'd like to bring your gal pals to, just to have a slow lazy afternoon catching up while having a sweet cupcake or two. Make two your maximum because it's hard to stop when you don't limit yourself. Get the next one on your next trip instead, whether you come from the north like I do, or you just live in the area. – YA, GMA News Ramen Yushoken is at Unit 20, Cluster 3 Molito Lifestyle Complex, Alabang-Zapote Road, Muntinlupa City. Larcy's Cupcakerycafe is at 178 Aguirre St. BF Homes, Parañaque City.