Today’s journey brought us to a small road parallel to a main thoroughfare in Daet, where a hidden gem of a food place was busy perfecting its recipes.
The locals of Daet, Camarines Norte will easily find this nook at J Lukban Street Extension, which until a few years back, was primarily used as home to students of various educational institutions in this province’s capital.
A strategic place to setup a food business, the location of this Ramen House is in close proximity to (1) the province’s state university, (2) a premiere secondary education school, (3) a walking distance from the city’s center of commerce, and (4) a cozy, feel-good environment.
So what makes Nambawan special, aside from its catchy and bold name?
Three words: Tasty Japanese Food.
It so happened that one of the two-man team (Marlon) that runs this ramen-ya (ラーメン屋) or ramen-ten (ラーメン店) – aka house of ramen – is a self-confessed ramen addict while he was living in Japan. He shared his actual experiences with his partner (EJ), who in turn is a chef who specialized in Japanese cuisine.
Funnily, we got there just in time for lunch and we were craving for hangover soup. So we ordered Naruto’s favorite ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen, a Pork Tonkatsu meal for some rice and Gyoza.
Hands down, Naruto has chosen well when selecting his favorite ramen.
The Tonkotsu ramen, on the other hand, could arguably use some chili oil, salt and pepper, but otherwise is also very tasty.
The Gyoza, combined with a well-blended sweet-and-salty sauce, makes it a good ramen partner.
The Pork Tonkatsu on the rice meal was also well done. Its soft and tender meat was a pleasant surprise from the crispy covering.
Their hardboiled egg added to each ramen bowl is something else! Could it be the result of stress-free environment for their hens?
It was a great experience!
Food quality, quantity, and value for money, Nambawan is the place to be. We’ll definitely visit Nambawan ramen house again to try their other dishes, a few items at a time.
