I am one of those people who constantly monitors whether restaurants are opening or closing. Over the last couple of years, I noticed that the restaurants occupying the space next to Nihonbashitei on Pasay Road were always changing. It seemed as if they could never really maintain a following, plus the food would never really measure up to the destination that is Nihon.
Enter Ohsama Ramen. I found myself stumbling in here on the way to Nihon, actually, being curious about what kind of viands might be found inside. It was 2am, and I was bemused by the fact that such an establishment would be open so late. The ramen sets and bar type seating were what attracted me on the onset.
Upon entering, we found that this was one of those establishments that knew its crowd: the night owls of the city. Perhaps a pit-stop for fueling up post drinking session, or perhaps after indulging in some less than savory activities? Who knows, no one's judging at this joint. The owner seems too busy--studiously preparing your gyoza and ramen sets--to even bother asking where you might have come from at such a late hour.
If you look at their menu, it is very similar to Nihon's, from the sets (yes, they have Katsu Curry here too) to the font to the pricing. Except! Ohsama is slightly cheaper than its neighbor.
Some of the things we tried were:
- Ikura Sushi : This may come at PhP 150 a pop, but I'd say it was worth it. The little bits of salmon roe popped pleasantly on my tongue, with no hints of that icky "lansa" flavor you get with less than fresh seafood.
- Beef Curry Rice: This is very typical of the Japanese restaurants along Pasay Road (think Isshin and Nihon). Servings are always huge, with more than enough Japanese curry sauce, and topped with fuchsia pink colored pickled radish. I thought this was pretty good in terms of value for money.
- Gyoza + Chahan: This combo comes at PhP100 if you order ramen. They give you three large pieces of gyoza with your bowl of chahan fried rice. The gyoza I must say was very good. They steam then sear your dumplings in a heavy pan before serving, to give it a nice crispy underside to counter the softness of the gyoza dumpling. This pairs very nicely with the chahan.
- Butter Corn Ramen: A staple in most Japanese restos around the area as well. At PhP 285, this comes at a relative bargain. The serving size is just right for two. The broth was nice and buttery, and they give you lots of vegetables in your ramen, something I quite like. Needless to say we finished everything. There were no (food) survivors.
Expect that the place will be quiet. You won't be bothered here. The space is big enough for you to eat without really overhearing your neighbor's conversation about the latest movie they watched, and what not. Definitely coming back here. read more