VIDEO: Quarantine Diaries – Mendokoro Ramenba at home
On March 16, 2020, Metro Manila and the entire Luzon area in the Philippines was placed under a “enhanced community quarantine” (ECQ)
Ramen certainly tops my list of comfort food. When in Metro Manila, Mendokoro Ramenba in BGC, Taguig City or Makati City is the one I go to for ramen. Sadly, the quarantine due to COVID-19 has driven thousands of businesses–dine-in only restaurants included–to temporary closure. In an effort to stay afloat during this tough time, Mendokoro got creative. They came up with the Take Home Ramen Kit.
The Take Home Ramen Kit 2.0
The Take Home Ramen Kit is a pre-packaged, cook-it-yourself ramen kit that is delivered to your doorstep. I was keen at first. I knew I could never make ramen the way they did it. Let’s see.
What You Get
Each kit comes with these:
- Paper bowl
- Noodles
- Shoyu stock
- 1 chashu (pork) and toppings
- Black garlic oil
- A piece of paper with instructions
How To Cook
Watch my video of how Cali ‘cooked’ our ramen. The whole procedure took less than 10 mins.
Verdict
Overall, Cali and I were satisfied with the Take Home Ramen Kit. The soup tasted exactly how I remembered it served in-house. The only misstep from this whole thing was that the noodles somehow came out softer than usual. LOL I knew something would go wrong! We probably overcooked it by a few seconds. We use an induction cooker, not a gas stove. The heat is be pretty hard to command on those things.
I’m probably not going to order again for now to give chance to others who are in dire need of a pick-me-up.
Aside from expected delivery delays, I haven’t heard one bad thing about the ramen quality.
How To Order
- Fill out the order form at http://tiny.cc/lk46lz, There is an embedded menu in the form so you’ll know what’s available.
- Once you submit, you’ll receive an auto-reply. This doesn’t confirm your order yet.
- Wait for a call.
I placed an order for 2 Shoyu ramen and 6-pcs of karaage. Payment was upon delivery. Mendokoro didn’t get back to me until 2 days after I filled out the form. When they called, they said that my order was on the way. I honestly didn’t expect to be accommodated immediately or at all given that the waiting time they placed in the disclaimer was 5-7 days.
Sorta off-topic: quarantine thoughts on ordering food and having cravings, etc
I think hard and long before ordering in food. The biggest upside to ordering is it helps the business. The disadvantage is one is contributing to the delivery personnel’s possible exposure to the virus. So, Cali and I just seldom order.
I also acknowledge that having access to comfort food is a luxury these days, more than ever. Having cravings may sound like a want than a need. Don’t feel bad that you want stuff! It is okay to have impulses in these stressful times. Take care of your well-being. In the long run, you might find it harder to become part of the solution if you’re not okay.
-K
