Food Thrift: Ramen Daruma

have yet to add dark ramen broth

I learned of Ramen Daruma while watching the evening newscast. I was then reminded of it by my sister-in-law who saw a feature on it by Korina Sanchez, a newscaster on another TV channel. After checking online for store hours and location, a cold clear Saturday night saw me and my sister hunting the ramen cart at 11th Ave Grace Park, Caloocan. From the Monumento LRT station, we head on foot towards Our Lady of Grace Parish. That's through Rizal Avenue then left at the street where there stands a Mang Inasal branch. It's one of the food carts along a row of other carts at the side of a Mercury Drugstore. A woman carrying a plastic bag with four styrofoam bowls clued us that we were near the place.

It was only 7 PM and yet there were no more gyoza or churros in sight at the cart. I have read of complaints online that they tend to run out of stocks but that's good isn't it? Because that means either the food is good or it is prepared fresh daily not reheated or both.

Luckily, there was still ramen. People were having them at the cart but we opted to have ours to go since sister had to be somewhere at 8pm. What I like about Ramen Daruma is that their signs say what goes into their ramen. We were given styrofoam bowls filled with noodles, fried pork, garlic bits and spring onions; and a soup base, which the owner referred to as sauce, in a plastic bag. We were instructed to add hot water to the sauce.

Here's a tip. Transfer contents into your favorite large bowl at home. Add the sauce. Adjust the amount of hot water you pour in to suit your taste. My sister thought the broth was fine but adding water to just almost the brim of the styrofoam bowl, I found the broth a bit salty.

Ramen Daruma's come on would have to be the cheap prices (P25 for a bowl of ramen, P8 for a piece of gyoza, P5 for a piece of flavored churros) and the fact that the food is prepared by a Japanese who also mans the cart. Hopefully next time we'll be able to score some gyoza, churros and the shio (salt-based) ramen they have announced on the facebook page.