Katsu Shokudo
Visayas Avenue, Quezon City
It’s been cold recently in the Metro, not vortex cold, but cold enough for the common Indio to go looking for warm soup when it’s evening and he’s out and about.
It’s the reason why mami has always been a favorite, and now that we’ve become global as the walls of distances come down with the advent of the Information Age, Japan’s Ramen dish is slowly but surely gaining ground as a staple in Filipino’s gastronomic lists.
Katsu Shokudo is a quaint and unpretentious Ramen shop located at in the stretch of Visayas Ave. It looks and feels like how Ramen shops are in its native land, small. homey, and part of its neighborhood.
The fare is simple and straightforward: Katsu in two famous flavors and Ramen in three (Shoyu, Shio, and lol Spicy). They have Gyoza, and Takoyaki to complement the craving, and that’s it. I found the fare’s exactness to my liking, it doesn’t confuse the customer.
A bowl of Ramen will cost you PHP 160-ish, and Katsu
will cost the same. The ingredients are true to form, not some Japanese wannabe version of the mami. The flavors are strong and crisp, and I would say better than it’s price range. We’ve done some research on how to prepare the soup bases since we’re foodies, and lemme tell you, significant hours are spent with the broth.
We’ve tried out Ramen Houses that cost more but taste like the soup was from - well let’s not go there. I should learn to say “not very tasty” instead.
The crew was very warm and friendly, and for a set-up this small and intimate, makes the dining experience really great. Like visiting a friend’s restaurant. Head on over to Katsu Shokudo and find out for yourself!