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| That's me. Can you see me? |
So last March 15 was my third restaurant review experience with a group in a small Japanese resto along Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City. I forgot to take my lunch because I was consumed with work, so by the time I arrived at Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss for the 6:00pm dinner, I was so hungry I could eat a horse.
So, was I satisfied with my dining experience?
THE FOOD
I'm no fan of Japanese food. Or ramen, to be specific. But I don't hate it
either. But great things can change your view or taste-- they have the power
to convert you from a hater (or someone indifferent) to a lover. Did Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss convert me into a Japanese cuisine fan? A noodle
fan? Nope. Not really.
The Noodle Boss offers a special kind of noodle-- koshi (al
dente), an eat-it-real-fast fresh, firm, and sweet noodle. Let it go cold
and you'll be sorry. Yes, the noodles--all three kinds: ramen, soba, and udon--are, as exactly promised, fresh. Superb quality. But
tasting the noodle dishes, such as the miso ramen (PHP220), niku udon (PHP160), and yakisoba (PHP140), was nothing special. Not bad-tasting, no. Just fresh,
mediocre, and salty-- and they all tasted the same to me. No yum factor. I've tasted better elsewhere.
Now, I am a huge tempura fan. Their tempura, though, was a great bulk of starch with little shrimp, and very mediocre. I was disappointed.
Now, I am a huge tempura fan. Their tempura, though, was a great bulk of starch with little shrimp, and very mediocre. I was disappointed.
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Clockwise from left: niku udon, yakiudon, yakisoba, and miso ramen. They all tasted the same to me. |
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| The tempura was forgettable. |
I enjoyed the katsu curry (PHP270), maybe because I love Indian food and this
one hit my taste. But what I loved the most was their rich, creamy, and heavy ice cream desert (PHP55): the
novelty green tea flavor, which indeed tastes like tea and grass (fun
and delicious); and the heavenly coffee flavor, which absolutely made up for the
so-so dinner.
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| Katsu Curry Delight. |
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| Coffee or green tea? No-- I'm talking about ice cream. |
THE SERVICE
There were 11 of us who dined together to review the food. And so I was
perplexed when they laid out one serving of 16 dishes almost all at the same
time. A tray of soup bowls, chopsticks, and Chinese soup spoons was already set at the table, so the rule is you just grab your own, and maybe cram your share of all the
different dishes into your tiny soup bowl?
So in order for us to hygienically share from each dish, we even had to
request serving spoons for each dish, as well as a plate for everyone so we can
get a piece of everything-- which of course immediately turned cold and soggy
because it was impossible for all 11 of us to finish the 16
dishes fast enough.
Yes, the service was fast. SPEEDY. Great for the hungry. But it could have been
served with thoughtfulness.
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| Omigosh! There's too many! And they're all getting cold fast! |
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| Slurp-fest. |
THE AMBIANCE
The place is clean. Functional. Small. Just the right temperature: no cold blasts of airconditioning and not stuffy either. A noodle booth with a glass window is tucked in one corner, and when the green button on the wall lights up, that means a fresh noodle has just been produced. You are free to watch how koshi, their superb quality noodle that is fresh, sweet, and firm, is cooked.
No, don't expect to be transported to Japan because the place is plain and simple and practical. Very much nondescript. Small square formica tables and hard chairs, overhead lamp fixtures, and paper place mats with a black and white whole body photo of the restaurant owner (the "Noodle Boss") in a thoughtful but confident pose, giving you a pointed stare that he's delivering you fresh noodles and warning you not to be foolish enough to let them go cold and ugly.
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| Ramen fans. |
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| Speed eating. |
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| Noodle-ready. |
I only loved the ice cream and the katsu curry. Very disappointed with the service, and the place was just functional and clean.
Now, I'm no noodle or Japanese food expert; I'm your regular consumer who simply did not enjoy the noodle dishes, especially my uber favorite tempura.
But when it comes to the quality of their noodle itself, the koshi--superbly fresh, tender, and firm--then, yes, you can call Moshi Koshi the Noodle Boss.
Visit www.moshi-koshi.com
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I would like to thank OpenRice.com, Asia-Pacific's Premier Dining Guide, for the invitation.
Photos courtesy of Jessica Rae Mayo. Photo collage made by photovisi.com.
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