Ikkousha Ramen Cebu

With ramen houses sprouting here and there in Cebu, only the ones that serve authentic tongkotsu broth are the best. And as a certified ramen freak, I am forever on the lookout of the best authentic ramen that each place has to offer. 

Tonkotsu Standard. The egg is just there because my hubby shared his ajitama (soft boiled egg) with me.

Ikkousha Ramen is one of the ramen gems in Cebu with its first branch in JY Square, Lahug. It is an acclaimed international ramen restaurant with branches worldwide. Originally from Fukuoka, Japan, it is the place where tongkotsu broth making as well as the masters of this craft are originated or so I am told. Ikkousha also means "one happy place" which reflect their motto, "to bring happiness to the people".

Ikkousha’s secret to its broth are the different pork bones used , the broth is simmered over a low heat for over 12 hours to create that signature creamy texture. This method of slow-cooking draws rich, skin-smoothing collagen into the delicious broth. Yes ladies, eating ramen regularly makes your skin young looking. :)

Ramen orders start from Php 290 for the Tongkotsu Shio, a light version of the tongkotsu based ramen and Php 320 to Php 470 for the other ramen variants. Check out the menu below. 

Ordering is personalized and made easy with their order sheets. Not everyone likes green onions or black fungus in their ramen so you can personally cross them out on the list. It'll save you from forever picking it from your soup next time. 

Instructions on how to use the Order Sheet.

I usually order the most basic ramen and gradually build up to the next best order on my future visits. That way I can choose my favorite staples in each ramen place. 

This. Is. Soooooo. Good.
Rich. Tasty. Thick. Sticky.

Gyoza. My essential ramen partner.

Condiments are my favorite thing in a ramen house. For me, it's like a trip to the candy store except that its just condiments. I get the thrill if mixing spices and see what it taste like. Weird me.

Theres the gyoza sauce, katare sauce, black pepper, sesame seeds, pickled ginger and some fresh mined garlic... yeah, I almost finished the whole jar. hehehe.

They also have a loyalty card that earns you an ajitama, gyoza/karaage and free ramen when you reach a certain amount of stamps on the card. 

The Ikkousha Ramen Cebu Loyalty Card

Their recent promo is the Gyoza Ticket where you can get Gyoza for Php 1.00 only.  

Gyoza festival!!!!!!

Ikkousha Ramen Cebu is located at the ground floor of JY Square Mall in Lahug.

They have access doors inside and outside of the mall near the back parking.
You can call them at (032) 514 5927.
Check their Facebook Page >> IkkoushaCebu

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Recipe: Chasyu for Ramen Topping

Chasyu

This October and the months ahead means frequent cold and rainy weather. A perfect time to stock up on Chasyu topping for piping hot, ramen noodles. I found this recipe online and tried to make one at home. I adjusted the salt on a lower volume  and added soybean paste to the seasoning to make it more flavorful. You need to watch over this since it is slow cooked and you need to reduce the liquid until it becomes syrupy. You can also use pressure cooker to hasten the cooking time in half.

Sliced Chasyu

Preparation time: 30 mins.
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 3-4 as ramen topping

Ingredients:

• 350 grams pork ham slab with a bit of fat (rind trimmed and removed)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oil
• 2 inch ginger, sliced
• 1 green onions
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp soybean paste (or miso paste)
• white pepper 

Clockwise from left: water, sake, ginger, soy sauce, salt, soybean paste and white pepper.
Center: Pork ham slab.

Procedure:

1. Wash and pat the meat dry with a paper towel. If the meat is big, you can cut in manageable size. I like my meat in square proportions so it's easy to handle when searing.

2. Season with salt on all sides.

3. Sear the meat until all sides are lightly browned.

4. Add all of the remaining ingredients.

5. Cover and slow simmer for about an hour until meat is tender when pierced with a fork but not flakey.

5. If water is almost dry and meat is not tender enough, add a bit more water and continue to slow simmer.

6. When liquid is reduced, it should be thickened almost like syrup. 

7. Remove from pan and let it cool before slicing. You can also wrap it in cling wrap if you plan to store in freezer. Keeps for a week.

You can keep the reduction as a sauce or you can add it to the ramen.

Pressure Cooker Version:

1. Follow steps 1-4, then cover and seal the lid. 
2. Heat until pressure builds up and reduce the heat to a slow simmer. 
3. Pressure cook for about 30 minutes. Then turn off heat, depressurise, and open the lid.
4. If the sauce is still watery, turn the heat on high and reduce it with an open lid until it resembles like syrup. Do not leave the pot when reducing the sauce or else it might get burnt.
5. Remove from sauce and let it cool down and rest before slicing.
6. You can keep the reduction as a sauce or you can add it to the ramen.

Tonkotsu Broth Recipe here.

Chasyu as ramen topping.

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