It was Holy Wednesday and everybody in the metro, including my parents, was let out of work early.  In preparation for the long weekend at home, it was decided that we seriously needed to stock up on food because most of the supermarkets would be closed as well.  Since we were all in the BGC area, it seemed like a no brainer to do the shopping at SM Aura.

Before heading off to the grocery store though, we stopped by Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen on the second floor first, because my father was feeling peckish (he skipped lunch to catch a movie).  My mother actually frequents this place, as this is one of her colleague’s go-to places for lunch.  I’ve been to other ramen joints, but it was a first for me to try Ikkoryu.

The interiors were interesting, to say the least, with the wooden slats lining the walls.  I guess the overall aim was to remind the customers of bamboo trees, and the wall linings did do just that.  The bamboo cage in the middle of the floor was a bit over the top though; it was obvious that the designers tried to make do with what little floor space SM Aura gave them, but the effect was just awkward.

We started off with a plate of Gyoza.  It was good, especially the dip, although I would usually prefer my dumplings fried.  The parents ordered this before I arrived (I walked from the office to SM Aura) so I’m not sure if we could’ve ordered it fried rather than steamed.

My pops had the Takana Tonkotsu, which my mother tells me involved some kind of seafood.  He finished it so I guess it was good.

My moms had her usual order, the Chashu Tonkotsu.  She’s brought home leftovers of this dish a couple of times before so I was able to taste the broth at home.

I wasn’t in the mood for anything too salty so when I saw the word ‘spicy’ on the menu, I zeroed in on that.  I enjoyed Ikkoryu’s Spicy Tobanjan Tonkotsu although I found it still a little bit too salty for my tastes.  I like that it wasn’t a total tongue-scorcher like other ramens I’ve tasted though; the heat gently builds without you noticing it.  It took me at least five gulp-fulls of the broth before I was reaching for my glass of water, at least.

For desert I had their Kurogoma Ice Cream (Black Sesame), a steal for only 100php.  My mother didn’t like the flavor – she said that it was ‘weird’ – but I dug it.  It wasn’t too sweet and tasted like a mochi ball.

Service was quick and snappy; the girls who waited on our table were all smiles.  It also didn’t take more than ten minutes for all of our orders to arrive, which was especially nice since we were already a little bit hungry when we sat down.

I can’t say that this was the best ramen I’ve had – Wrong Ramen still holds that title for me – but with quick service and value for your money serving-size wise, I’d definitely go back to Ikkoryuu Fukuoka Ramen in the future.