MANILA, Philippines – This hybrid may come as a soup-rise to many, but the mami-ramen combination actually works!

The meet-cute of the Filipino classic and Japanese staple is the Mamen, homegrown resto Kuya J’s latest menu offering. It’s a hearty, flavorful soup that combines the typical egg noodles of our mami and the consistency and complexity of a good ramen broth.

As someone who isn’t a hardcore fan of ramen, I surprisingly enjoyed this hearty, flavorful soup – it has that nostalgic warmth and distinct “beefiness” of mami and its signature thick egg noodles, combined with the smooth yet slurp-y consistency of good ‘ol ramen broth. It’s a comforting companion to the rainy weather, especially since the flavors don’t taste unfamiliar at all – it’s like an elevated version of mami, and a localized version of ramen.

The Mamen’s two variants are Pork and Spicy Chicken (don’t worry, it’s not that spicy). The Pork Mamen is rich and robust – it’s got a pork bone broth that’s cooked for more than 10 hours to really squeeze out all those meaty juices, with mami egg noodles and steamed bok choy added into the mix. A huge cut of slow-cooked, marinated, grilled pork belly is placed on top (similar to chashu) for a smoky addition.

The Spicy Chicken Mamen also uses the same rich pork bone broth, but is milder in terms of “meatiness,” since stir-fried ground chicken is used as the main meat (still tasty, nonetheless)! A house-made chili oil is drizzled on top for some heat, which you can customize from level 1 (mild) to level 3 (hot). As someone not so keen on spicy food, level 1 was just right for me.

A bowl of Kuya J’s Bida Mamen costs P239 for dine-in orders and is available to order in all Kuya J branches in Metro Manila also for take-out or delivery via website. – Rappler.com