Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Wrong Ramen at BGC's Burgos Circle

Sin Well at Wrong Ramen

by Cityzen | M.C. Jose
The first time Wrong Ramen was brought up in our discussions, I’ve always wondered why it was called the way it is. I could easily answer my questions by checking out online resources, but I wanted to get a firsthand experience of the “wrongness” of Wrong Ramen, so I decided to put off all research until the feature itself. When it comes to features like this, I often feel that it’s best going into it knowing as little as I possibly can.

Go Wrong: Visit Wrong Ramen at BGC's Burgos Circle

It all began with a genuine love for ramen.
“We just got hooked on the stuff and felt like opening our own place,” owner Dwight Co shares. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have a Japanese chef on our team. However, we did have the know-how and the resources to go about it on our own. Since everyone was trying to do the authentic Japanese ramen—and rather than trying to fake Japanese—we asked ourselves, why not do the opposite? Why not create such a ridiculous, self-deprecating ramen brand that people might either really hate or really love?”

Wrong Ramen has the most calories per bowl in the whole country. These brave, tradition-defying owners throw in things such as bacon, eggs and spam, among others, into bowls of broth and Hakata noodles. The crazy thing about it is that it works like a charm. You don’t get the healthiest or the most photogenic ramen, but you certainly get one of the most delicious ramen dishes to grace the ever-growing market in the Philippines.

It’s just so weird.
Everything from their appetizers to their main dishes made me want to hit the gym right after. Their Enoki Fries (P150) are mushrooms like you’ve never had them before—fried to a crisp, oily, and absolutely unhealthy. This is something that you probably can’t snack on for long (we gave up on it after a few pieces), but with bottles of beer at hand, you may just create the perfect love match. The Bacon Katsu (P260), though, I loved very much. Again, this is not a typical way to serve katsu, but it’s very hard to say no to breaded bacon strips. Alongside these, we also had Chicken Kushikatsu (P150) with Curry Mayo and Tofu Kushikatsu (P150) with Chili Soy Ginger. All of these were fried, so it was very hard not to think about the calories.

Enoki Fries

Bacon Katsu

Chicken Kushikatsu

Tofu Kushikatsu

What I was most curious about was their ramen. The names and the ingredients alone suggest a disregard for diets and a whole lot of affection for humour. The Wrong Ramen Rich Tonkotsu (P385) is their most popular ramen bowl. “It’s kind of weird to call it a soup because the amount of meat dissolved in the soup is frightening,” Dwight says thoughtfully. And he’s right about that, because one look into the bowl, and I was wondering what the heck I was getting into. It’s not much to look at, but it’s a lot to take in. The big surprise was the Wrong Ramen Tantanmien (P395). I brought along a friend whose favourite ramen dish is Tantanmien, and we were both surprised when we agreed that this was the best Tantanmien we’ve had since we began hitting different ramen restaurants. It’s just the right amount of spicy, which can somehow be a hit or miss when it comes to this kind of ramen.

Wrong Ramen Rich Tonkotsu

Wrong Ramen Tantanmien

To end the meal, we had Chashu Rice Rolls (P140), a non-fried, non-greasy small plate that comes across as an excellent breather after all the high calorie food that we had just ingested.

Chashu Rice Rolls

I’m glad that I didn’t do my research before visiting Wrong Ramen. I had such a great time amusing myself with the fun signs on the wall (the bathroom is marked as “Poop Room”) and the names of the ramen dishes on the menu. While I may be counting my calories the next time I visit, I certainly will not deprive myself of the fun that any Wrong Ramen experience can provide.