Menya Kokoro is the newest noodle place in town, brought in by the same people as Brotzeit German Bier Bar. Menya Kokoro was started in Tokyo by Chef Takuma Ishikawa in 2013 specializing in mazesoba (mixed noodles) using thick multigrain (soba) noodles. There are soon to be 20 stores all over Japan as well as stores in Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Mazesoba is a dry noodle that is predominantly eaten during the summer months. It has a bowl of noodles that is topped with spicy minced pork, chives, seaweed flakes, green onions, ground mackerel (saba), minced garlic plus optional chashu, soft boiled egg, or bamboo shoots.
Start off with their Takoyaki (P140), a popular snack item from Osaka. They make it a little different, instead of cooking it in a molded pan, they deep fry it. Deep frying gives the outside a bit of crunch but the inside is still firm. You get all the usual ingredients and toppings of a traditional takoyaki including big pieces of octopus.
Tokyo Mazesoba (P350, P370/spicy). This is the signatrure noodle bowl at Menya Kokoro and what I decided to try. Aside from the noodles, they serve you a small bowl of clear mushroom and dashi soup.
To fully enjoy mazesoba, you must mix everything so the noodles are coated with all the toppings before eating. You can add a bit of their kombu (kelp) vinegar for a different umami kick.
Once you are almost to the end of your bowl, you’ll still have a lot of the sauce and toppings left so be sure to ask for complimentary Oimeshi (rice). Mix in the rice for another way to enjoy the mazesoba.
The give you a choice of poached egg or the traditional raw egg yolk to crown to bowl of mazesoba. I highly suggest the raw egg as it gives the bowl an extra creamy sheen.
Vegan Mazesoba (P380). One of the best vegan dishes I’ve ever had, you won’t even know it was vegan without asking or someone telling you about it. The noodles are topped with various greens, tomatoes, pickles, grilled corn, minced soy meat and a faux egg made from tofu and turmeric. Squeeze the lemon and mix everything up, one taste and you won’t even look for meat, that’s how good it tasted.
click for full sized pictures
Other mazesoba variants available at Menya Kokoro are Cheese (P430), Curry (P430), Zenbu Mazesoba (P470), Currydon (P320), and Mazedon (P320). Not a fan of spice, you can request non spicy versions for all bowls.
Menya Kokoro
3/F Uptown Mall BGC36th Street cor. 9th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
Facebook Page: Menya Kokoro
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