Spices: The Cheese Steak Shop

We just had our food crawl in Little Tokyo when we saw a brightly lighted store called The Cheese Steak Shop. Out of curiosity we went inside and I decided to try out the original Philadelphia Style Sandwich.

Cheese Steak Shop

I found out that the store is originally from San Francisco and has branches all across the U.S. I've tried Philly style sandwiches from different restaurants before but there isn't one that was memorable. 

Cheese Steak Shop's Menu

The store boast of using Amoroso's Heart-Baked Soft Rolls which are all imported from the U.S.

Amoroso's Bread

I ordered the 7" Classic Philly Cheese Steak. Thin strips of lean beef were grilled then sliced into smaller pieces, two slices of cheese were placed on top and as soon the cheese melts, the Amoroso bread roll which was being grilled on the side was used to sandwich and scoop everything up from the grill. As a finishing touch, chopped grilled onions and sweet hot peppers were placed on top.

Making the Sandwich

7" Classic Philly Cheese Steak - Php280

I brought the sandwich home and heated it up in the toaster. The sandwich tasted pretty good. The steak was seasoned well, it just had the right amount of salt and pepper, the strips were also so tender and it didn't take much effort to chew on it. The bread roll was soft and it had a chewy texture. I would have wanted more cheese on the sandwich because I barely tasted it. What I really loved about the sandwich is the grilled onions and sweet hot peppers on top, it instilled the much needed layer of flavor. 

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

If there is something that can be a turn off, it would be the price. Its a bit too pricey for me but then again maybe it's just because I'm not used to shelling out that much for a sandwich. The quality of the ingredients were excellent and I really enjoyed every bite out of it.  

The Cheese Steak Shop
Address: 140 Amorosolo St., Legaspi Village,  Makati City (across Makati Cinema Square)
Tel No: 555 0235 / 555 1818
Webpage: www.cheesesteakshop.com.ph

Spices: Ramen Champion (Singapore)

Last year on our connecting flight to Bali, we decided to leave the airport and have a quick lunch at Ramen Champion. Ever since my brother Jim tried the place out, he wanted to bring us there and try the food out.

Ramen Champion

The concept of the restaurant is quite unique, there are six different food stalls that serves their own respective specialty Ramen. Diners would then vote for their favorite Ramen and after a a few months of collecting the votes, a Ramen Champion will be declared for that certain period.

The Contenders

At the entrance of the restaurant, we were given a card each that we wore around our wrist. Everytime we order something from a stall, we handed the card to the server to scan what we order and input it in the card. Upon exiting, the card was scanned again and the total bill of what we ate appeared at the cash register.

Our Order Card

We wanted to try all the specialty Ramen from the six stalls but felt that it would be impossible for us to finish everything. We ended up choosing Ramen from three different stalls.

Ikkousha has been consistently getting the ramen champion title for the previous months, their special ramen is called the Hakata Ajimata Ramen. This pork bone soup base stock tasted simple and clean, the noodles were koshi or al dente and the pork cha shui or bbq toppings was tangy and tender. Notice the perfectly cooked soft boiled egg with a runny center.

Ikkousha

Hakata Ajimata Ramen - Sg $13+ (around Php425)

Bario during that time was the current Ramen Champion, their winning noodle soup was the Ajitama Ramen. Just like Ikkousha's Ramen, Bario also uses the pork bone soup base stock, the soup was really thick. Flavors were complex in a good way, it was so flavorful and savory. They used thick cut noodles and the toppings consists of pork cha shui or bbq, green onions, cabbage and a soft boiled egg.

Bario

Half Order of Ajitama Ramen - Sg $7+ (around Php235)

Menya Iroha caught my attention because of how beautiful the Negitama Ramen was presented. The shoyu or soy  based ramen consists of thin cut noodles, cha shui pork, bamboo shoot, seaweed, leeks and a soft boiled egg. Though over all it was pretty good, I found the soup a tad bit salty.

Menya Iroha

Negitama Ramen - Sg $13.50+ (around Php450)

If I would have to pick my Ramen Champion among the three that I've tasted. It would haven been a close battle between Ikkousha and Bario. But Ikkousha's Hakata Ajimata Ramen would be my pick. The bowl of Ikkousha's Ramen tasted simpler compared to Bario's but it was just so hearty and comforting. It made us want the whole bowl to ourselves.

Ikkousha and Barion

My Ramen Champion: Ikkousha's Hakata Ajimata Ramen

All we had for lunch was three huge bowls of Ramen. In a normal setting, I wouldn't even consider ordering three bowls of it even if its of different types. Most of the time when eating Ramen at a Japanese restaurant, the soup base will be the same for all types of Ramen. In Ramen Champion, it was like eating at different Japanese restaurants in one place, each bowl of Ramen has its own unique taste and flavor.

Ramen Champion (Singapore)
Address: 201 Victoria Station #4-10 Bugis+
Operating Hours: Daily from 11:30am to 10:30pm
Tel No: 62381011
Webpage: www.ramenchampion.com.sg