shocking asia

Dinner at Nomama last December was a very pleasant surprise shock.

At first, I wasn't sure that I wanted to eat there. In August of last year, it seemed like all the food bloggers in Manila had been to its soft opening. Everyone and his high school classmate's third cousin's sister-in-law were talking about it. 

Him Uy de Baron in his open kitchen. It's nice to have so many friends.

It took a while to sift through all the internet yada-yada about Nomama (overkill much?), but I managed to glean some useful information about what to order.

Mushroom Gyoza with shiitake, oyster, button and shimeji. Php125+

Squash Blossom with prawn mousse, pork and lime salt. Php250+

Spicy Tongue Dry Noodle with Korean spicy sauce, black tofu, tomato and garlic oil. Php345+

Kitayama Flank Steak with miso butter, tofu fries and haricot verts. Php740+

I'm not going to describe these dishes anymore, since they have been dissected and discussed ad nauseam. Everything was delicious. I'd say that we did our research properly.

I think we chose this tea because it had everything but the kitchen sink in it. It was a lovely fragrant tea, but it was the novelty of the crazy teapot that made it memorable.

Xaouen Tea with rooibos, orange, apricot, rose petals and licorice. Php120

For dessert, we really had no choice but to go for the Kit Kat Bar-- it was just too famous. Lo and behold, it was worth the calories.

Kit Kat Bar with peanut butter, chocolate and raspberry. Php175+

So, here's the thing. I was shocked by how satisfying, on all levels, this meal was. The food was tasty, looked beautiful and was priced reasonably. The menu presented so many intriguing options that you can't help but think that you really should go back and try the other stuff (even though other people had already blogged not so nicely about them). The servers were quick, knowledgeable and friendly. The dining room was incredibly spacious, and the open kitchen was quiet and clean.

In this day and age, what a shock to have all the best qualities of a restaurant in a single establishment! Chef, I salute you.

Nomama by Chef Him Uy de Baron is located at FSS Building 2, Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor Streets, Quezon City, Philippines. Email nomama.ramen@gmail.com or call +63.917.522-8272 or +63.2.5422558.

Menu, click to enlarge.