I'm sure you have heard of "wagyu". It's a Japanese word for "beef meat" and obviously a food originating from Japan. Wagyu is a collective term for the four types of beef cattle breeds.
This type of meat is expensive and gets even more expensive depending on the quality. I really thought tasting wagyu would be a distant dream but I unexpectedly had the chance to eat one last week!
Last week, which also happened to be the International Women's Day, 
The ramen restaurant is Ramen Shokudo, located at The Porch beside Monarch Hotel in the town of Calasiao, province of Pangasinan. The store opened last year and is actually their second branch. The first branch is in Quezon City.
Before we go to the food review, let's take a look around the restaurant first!
We were supposed to eat here for lunch and go to a cafe after but we would miss the sunset at the beach so we decided to return for dinner instead.
The restaurant was surprisingly small as half of the area was for the kitchen. We were lucky there weren't much people when we arrived.
The restaurant was undeniably nice and felt fancy despite its size. I love the round design on the entrance. It gives off a zen vibe.
I also adored the banners and lanterns. Actually, they're also playing Japanese songs on the bakground. Japanese restaurants here should really start accepting song recommendations. Haha.
Meanwhile, this area also captured my attention as soon as we sat. There's a cool artwork on the wall and I can't help but take a photo of it. This corner also seemed like a special area. Maybe a table for VIPs?
Beside it is the bar area. I haven't tried Japanese beer yet. Hopefully, we can return here soon and try it too!
We sat near the beer corner and was attended by a staff immediately. And even on the first minute of sitting, I can say that we are going to have a good experience. The chair feels comfortable and wide. And the table was also spacious enough even for a mukbang. Lol.
I also liked the textured wall beside us. It reminds me again of a zen garden where the soil or stones are raked to form lines or swirls.
They only have few options on their menu, mostly ramen and no sushi. Of course, that's why the store's name is Ramen Shokudo. Duh, straykat!
We ordered ramen, gyoza, wagyu, and iced tea. This is the only photo I have with our complete orders. Good thing we didn't order more because these were already enough to make us full.
I ordered their Shio Ramen. It's a combination of chicken and pork broth with a slice of chashu pork, egg, mushroom, bean sprout, and other toppings. The serving of noodles was also generous that it felt forever to finish eating all of it.
For its taste, I'd say it's delicious and yes, I'd love to return and try their other ramen. But there's a better ramen that I've tasted before. Still, this would do if I crave for some authentic ramen because there's not a lot of authentic Japanese restaurants on this area.
For Leann's ramen, she ordered a Tantanmen. Let's wait for her review!
Of course, a great pair for ramen is Gyoza. It's good with lots of meat filling. What I love about their gyoza is the chewy and slightly crunchy texture of the burnt area on top. It's addicting to eat. I just wish the serving has six pieces so we could divide it equally.
Their iced tea was also a surprise. Because the glass is huge and it felt like I drank a liter of iced tea. Lol. It tasted good and had a hint of mint flavor aside from the citrus kick of the lemon.
Lastly, the highlight of our Ramen Shokudo experience, was the wagyu cubes on stick! Wagyu is expensive, costing thousands and more. That's why I didn't hesitate to order for each of us when I saw that they have wagyu on their menu for an affordable price of Php 160.
A stick only has four little wagyu cubes but tasting it was one for the books! A bucketlist checked, indeed!
The wagyu was juicy, tender, and delicious. Well, it should be! And I guess this is best paired with their beer! With it's price, I think this one is already on the affordable side. I wonder how a high quality wagyu tastes like because this one we had is already good.
I want to return here for another wagyu and beer. I hope you are reading this, Leann. Haha!
We spent an hour eating our dinner. I was so full and I'll say that our Ramen Shokudo experience was nice and worth it. The prices of their foods is just right, still affordable for a commoner like me. The staffs are also attentive, respectful, and kind.
I took this photo while leaving the restaurant. I guess it's a Japanese thing to have their kitchen exposed to public. You can actually see how they prepare the foods from the outside.
Ramen Shokudo and other food establishments of The Porch is open until late night. It's a place for late dinner because most restaurants and establishments in town closes at 8 P.M. People staying at the hotel beside it can also enjoy good food when they suddenly crave for Japanese food.
Well, that's all. We got out of the restaurant past 9 P.M. and Leann still have a long travel to get home. I'm really happy and satisfied to finally try their foods and I wish I can go back here soon!
