Of Better Days: Kenji Tei Ramen House
A long long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... There was once a small Japanese noodle house hidden among the countless establishments along Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes. Quiet and unassuming, it had its loyal followers who almost swore to death in secrecy, never to divulge this wonderful paradise. Well, for that matter, I had that kind of mentality anyway. And so, these photos of a by-gone era sat on my desktop folder for more than a year. Until finally the secret was no more, with Kenji Tei moving on to greener pastures and expanding its horizons.
Sadly, some die-hard fans, like me, felt abandoned and betrayed. You see, there was a time when Kenji Tei was that hole-in-the-wall, budget-friendly, neighborhood Japanese restaurant, an escape from the tasteless commercialism of other joints. Let me muse about its long gone age of glory.
Back then, Kenji Tei was really cramped: it could only comfortably sit around 15 people. But it was cozy, with tall glass panes and bright lights. Its facade was tempting and inviting. Its interior was simple, and the food was the star.
The menu was simple. Better yet, affordable.
On any usual visit at a Japanese restaurant, I always order my beloved favorite, the sacred dish, the beef Gyudon. We then ordered a slew of other tasty treats.
Gyudon, (then around P200-225; now P296)
The gyudon was simply one of the best I have ever tasted. And that says a lot. The bowl was nearly filled to the brim. Each slice of beef was tender and succulent, with just the right amount of fat to tease the palate and not hurt your arteries. The radish and sliced onion did more than garnish, it balanced the sweet, salty taste of the sauce with its touch of spice and zest. There were a few traces of shitake in the mix, but I would have preferred more. Glaringly lacking however was the raw egg, but I believe I could have ordered it to be added. But the presentation was absolutely gorgeous that the raw egg couldn't add any more superlatives to this dish. It was a sight to behold.
Flash forward to a more recent visit at Kenji Tei's newer location in Greenbelt 5. Amidst the beauty and grandeur of their newer branch, I expected my order of gyudon to deliver. Not just in the presentation, but of course in the taste. To my utter disappointment, here is what welcomed me back:
Who put ants on my bowl of rice?
The sacred gyudon: dismantled and dismembered
It doesn't take a food genius to choose which version of the gyudon looked more inviting. And it's not even my camera. It was outright sacrilege to dismantle the gyudon this way. I have never encountered such a travesty! In my purist opinion, the gyudon is supposed to be eaten all together in one bowl, the sauce draping the wonderful white rice; the beef dripping its flavor onto the wholeness of the dish. Not in this defiling way. My sacred gyudon reduced to the level of what appears to be a hot plate. All this with a hefty price increase, further adding insult to injury.
Back to the past. Kenji Tei dished out one of its best-sellers, and still is. The spicy cheese gyoza. A small package packing a lot of punch.
Cheese Gyoza, (then P100-120, now P198)
Each piece was generously packed with ground pork and lovely cheese. The spicy mayo dip was the perfect partner to this mouth-watering appetizer. A meal in itself, I used to see some people ordering just this to-go. A testament to this fabulous creation. What was once a steal at just above a hundred bucks, is now overpriced at almost twice that. I would still order this of course. That's how good it is.
Crispy Chicken Teriyaki (then around P180-200, now P228)
Another sublime dish, the Crispy Chicken Teriyaki was a sure winner. The teriyaki sauce embraced each piece of chicken fried to a juicy crisp. The sauce was perfect, not too sweet, with a hint of salt. There was once a time when BF Homes was the home of the crispy chicken teriyaki, with Little Rio's own creation ruling the west, and Kenji Tei's masterpiece lording over the east. But that was a golden age long gone. I haven't tried out the teriyaki again, but I fervently hope that it would still be its old self: pure bliss.
Ebi Tempura, 5 pcs. (then P220-250, now P368!)
Perhaps, one of the bigger (pun intended) reasons why I chose not to divulge this previous secret was Kenji Tei's stunning serving of the Ebi Tempura. Each large piece of tiger prawn was lightly but lovingly dressed in the crunchy tempura batter, enticing one to immediately partake of this dish. And when I say large, I mean REALLY large. This was one of the biggest servings of tempura I have ever encountered, if not the biggest. And it's not just the breading. The shrimp was huge and fresh and succulent. As I had my first bite, I vowed selfishly never to share this secret.
But Kenji Tei was destined to leave its comfortable nook for the greener pastures of the Ayala malls, the first in Greenbelt 5 and the other in ATC. And with its transfer was the inevitable escalation of prices. (Notice that I quoted the previous prices in range, I could only roughly remember the actual previous ones. But I'm pretty sure the prices increased by at least P50-P60 per dish). Of course, its newly baptized followers would never complain about the price increase. But to those who worshiped Kenji Tei in its infancy, it was sheer betrayal. What used to be an affordable Japanese indulgence was now a proud superstar. Don't get me wrong, I still love Kenji Tei, despite its violation of my sacred gyudon. But with its heftier price tags, its disappointing transformation of the gyudon, and now longer queues, I sadly might search for another. One that will stand for what Kenji Tei used to deliver among the BF homies.
Feel free to chastise me for my bitter critique of Kenji Tei. But this is the sad truth of establishments going for bigger markets. I love Kenji Tei, and will forever be loyal to it. Ramen enthusiasts heap praises on its new branches (I am not a ramen fan), and I believe it should be one of the best ramen houses. But, I still hope Kenji Tei will not forget its other masterpieces, the gyudon, for one, and the chicken teriyaki, the other. Here's hoping that someday, prices would be more reasonable (if not back to previous levels), and that Kenji Tei will return to its days of legendary lore. For those loyal fans.
Kenji Tei Ramen House
Now with two branches:
3rd Level, Greenbelt 5 AND Alabang Town Center (near the cinemas)
Written by Jones
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