The Ramen Cool Restaurant in SM Manila - Unexpectedly Decent!

The logo of the Ramen Cool Restaurant

The day I was all set for my Vigan Tour was coincidentally the day I discovered a decent place to dine in SM Manila!

Just after attending Feast Manila, my mom, dad and I decided to go for some chow time, and as we me know SM Manila is not a prominent place for food discoveries. However, luckily, my parents spotted something new and decided to go for it - Ramen Cool.

The simple interior of Ramen Cool with Japanese touches

A Little Something about Ramen Cool
Ramen Cool has been operating for more than 2 months already in SM Manila, since it first opened its doors in March 30, 2014. Based on my observation, the restaurant can accommodate more than 40 people, which makes it convenient for you to just drop by and eat.

What I admire in this restaurant was the overflowing simplicity in its interior. It wasn't as cozy as you may want it to be, but it's definitely good enough to just relax and enjoy decent dishes!

The table setting of Ramen Cool in SM Manila - neat and decent!

One of the eye-catching things you'll find here in this restaurant is this:

The eye-catching Japanese Art all in vibrant pink!

Okay, before dropping by this restaurant, we already ate somewhere; as a result, we only ordered a few to munch on. Let's first start with the salad:

Kani Salad || P155

The plain Kani Salad of Ramen Cool in SM Manila

This salad was pretty much basic in terms of the taste, and I did appreciate the generous serving of the kani and the fish egg. However, I didn't find anything special with it, but I didn't find anything bad as well.

Salmon Sashimi || P170

The affordable yet fresh salmon sashimi of Ramen Cool

I was craving for some sashimi, and so I got pretty excited to find out that they offer it here. The best part is it's affordable compared to other Japanese restaurants! Wait, that's not the best part, because the freshness and quality of the salmon was the true best part.

Katsudon || P190

The big bowl of Katsudon by Ramen Cool! 

If you are really starving, you may want to go for this bowl or any other rice bowl dishes of Ramen Cool. The overall taste and quality are not top-notch, since the Katsudon we had was pretty much just slightly above decent. Well, I think is because I'm a fan of Katsudon with more sauce (wherein the pork is drenched), and this version of Ramen Cool lies on the "drier" side.

Honey Chashu || P265

The excitingly sweet Honey Chashu!

The chashu was highly delectable with its savory sweetness. Most of the flavor came from the juiciness of the fat as well as the coating of excitingly sweet honey. This dish went with a rice that is buttery balancing and even complementing the taste of the honey chashu.

Pork Shoyuramen || P185 - Good Buy!

The affordable yet great ramen of Ramen Cool in SM Manila

This soy-sauce-based ramen was something affordable and good. The taste of the soup was uncomplicated with toned soy flavor mixed with flavors coming from the herbs, sesame oil (or something similar), veggies and meat. Also, the pork was really tender, and not too mention had a generous portion (i.e. 4 slices of pork meat). The noodles, on the other hand, were soft but still didn't deprive me of some chewing. For only P170, I will say it's really a good buy!

Related Post: Ajisen Ramen - a ramen with a diverse and rich flavor! (P235 & up)

Ramen Cool - Ratings 
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. Ratings pertain to this dining experience alone.
Place ★★★☆
Taste ★★★☆
Service ★★★ (still learning and adapting)
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget needed: at least P200 per person for 1 solo dish such as a rice bowl or ramen

With the 3 dishes we tried, I would say that the restaurant has some potential in providing good food (although, it was the ramen that really pulled the other 2 up)! I will still explore other items on the menu when I get the chance to, but right now I'm labeling it as "satisfactory".

The Ramen Cool Japanese Restaurant
Location: 4th Floor, SM Manila cor Arroceros & San Marcelino Streets, Manila City
Service Charge: None