Two years after it first conquered the Philippine dining scene, Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles continues to evolve as it caters to the discerning palates of the Filipino ramen enthusiasts, while maintaining the culinary spirit that earned it the distinction of being the ‘very first ramen restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin Star.’
Tsuta is introducing not just one but three new tonkatsu soba bowls, which make its menu even more interesting to local foodies and ramen lovers. The launch of these three new tonkatsu soba bowls is aligned with the vision of Master Chef Yuki Onishi, a Japanese chef that is noted for his fervent desire to redefine Japanese ramen by sticking to his culinary philosophy of using no less than premium, natural ingredients without any artificial flavor enhancers (or MSG).
The new soba bowls are still based on Chef Yuki’s signature Dashi or soup broth, oils, and sauces paired with the strategic control of the elements that constitute the distinct taste and quality of the noodles. His ramen creations are well known for melding the firm texture and subtle flavors with a delicate, multi-layered umami flavor burst.
Tonkatsu Soba
The creamy white collagen-rich broth consists of premium black pork bone and trotter boiled at a high temperature then diligently simmered for hours to extract the richest flavors possible. Hokkaido sea kelp and shiitake mushrooms are added to the broth towards the end to enrich the taste with natural umami flavors. Just before serving, a special Shoyu seasoning sauce is added to amplify the fragrant, savory, and full-bodied broth. (Priced at P350)
Kurobishio Tonkatsu Soba
‘Ma You’ (burnt garlic oil)—a classic tonkatsu flavor in Japan—is painstakingly made from scratch using a combination of aromatics including black pepper for its woody flavor and fragrant burnt garlic. The noodles are topped with homemade black pepper minced pork, black fungus mushrooms, and fried garlic chips for crunch. A drizzle of the piquant black Ma You gives the rich tonkatsu broth a unique garlicky and intensely earthy flavor. (Priced at P450)
Spicy Tonkatsu Soba
Inspired by the bold, spicy flavors of Sichuan cuisine, Tsuta has developed its own unique chili oil using Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and dried chili flakes to accompany its signature pork broth. Served with homemade Mala minced pork, crushed peanuts, and goji berries, the subtly spicy-and-numbing flavors will meet its match pitted against the rich, full-bodied broth. (Priced at P450)
About Chef Yuki and Tsuta
Chef Yuki opened the first-ever Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles in Sugamo, Tokyo in January 2012. The first international branch was opened in November 2015 in Singapore. It was in December 2017 when the restaurant opened its Philippine branch, located at the Upper Ground Floor C3 in Bonifacio High Street, 7th Avenue, BGC in Taguig City. Tsuta recently opened its locations in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In recognition of his dedication to his culinary craft that drew long lines of customers to his restaurant daily, Chef Yuki’s Tsuta was granted One Michelin Star in 2015 ahead of any other ramen restaurant anywhere else in the world. This distinction still fills Chef Yuki with pride as he earned his star because of his signature Shoyu Soba, which featured his signature full-bodied and delicate Dashi and a special blend of his custom brewed shoyu finished off with a piquant black truffle sauce for a multi-layered flavor experience.
Tsuta uses nothing less than premium and all-natural ingredients, most of which are imported from Japan.
Coming from a family of ramen Chefs, Chef Yuki grew up around food. During his foreign travels, he discovered a shocking contrast between Japanese and foreign food culture—where foreign dishes were often paired with sauces while in Japan, there was a strong culture of using Dashi (soup stock) and a strong focus on umami. Inspired by this realization, he sought to develop ramen dishes that stayed true to his culinary philosophy of using premium, all-natural ingredients while experimenting with different sauce pairings with the vision of having his unique ramen creations embraced around the world.
Despite its high-end ambiance and Michelin Star, Tsuta remains its competitive pricing strategy, making it a top favorite among Filipino ramen enthusiasts. “In the Philippines, Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles maintains its casual dining strategy in terms of pricing—not too high nor too low, just proper because we use all-natural ingredients,” said Bob Vallar, the AVP-Group Marketing Head of Foodee Global Concepts, one of the country’s biggest multi-brand food groups that locally operate Tsuta among other international and home-grown restaurants. “We keep our prices competitive so we don’t price outside the threshold market.”