A different kind of Japanese at Nomama

The restaurant name itself already speaks of Nomama's unique and highly different concept that's sure to catch anyone's attention. Barely a week old, Chef Him's new creation boasts of industrially-inspired interiors with wooden counters and table tops, as well as hanging bulbs. Plus, from securing your parking space up to the time you ask for your bill, their friendly service crew are always on their toes.

This is the view that greets you as you walk in

I like the shape of these stools. Hope they're comfortable!

To help me and my best friend Kat decide on what to order, Chef Him took time out to explain their menu. I found it quite interesting that Nomama does not have your usual sashimis and makis on their menu. Rather, they have what Chef calls "raw compositions" with choices of tuna, kilawin, or seared wagyu beef. They also offer salads, steaks, tempura, and sides to go with the entrees. And of course, the Nomama Ramen is a must-try. More on that in a bit.

We started our meal with the tuna and avocado dish, made up of  sushi grade tuna loin, small cubes of avocado, edameme beans, and topped with arugula leaves. This one instantly caught my eye because I wanted to see how the combination of raw tuna and avocado would turn out. The tuna was soft and fresh, and the texture of the avocado complemented it well. The taste of the avocado was very, very subtle and did not overpower at all. The arugula leaves added more kick, plus I loved the added texture from the edameme beans. And I give this an A for presentation.

Tuna and Avocado (P 330)

One of the items that I think people would come here for is the Nomama Ramen. Chef Him shared that this is a uniquely organic ramen that combines their house pork stock, a blend of  miso and sesame, seaweed, vegetables and slices of pork, and hard boiled egg. We had expected for the serving to be big, and so Kat and I decided to split one order. Even the half order was filling enough. Aside from the firm noodles, what I appreciated most about this ramen was that it wasn't oily at all. In fact, it even felt healthy :)

Half of the Nomama Ramen (P 290 for one full order)

Another item that tickled my fancy was the Twice Cooked Pork Belly Teriyaki. The pork belly was served in a plate covered with cling wrap, which was removed right in front of us. Once the wrap was lifted, waves of smoke escaped from the plate. That made me more excited to take a bite.

 The sweet teriyaki sauce blended well with the small apple cubes. All three pieces of pork belly were tender and cooked well. Chef Him humbly said they still want to make the meat even more tender. As is, I think it's something you'd savor right down to the crispy pork skin.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly Teriyaki (P 410)

Kat and I were so full after our feast, but when we were offered dessert, we simply couldn't resist. The featured dessert of the day was the Whoopie Cookie (at least I think this was what the waiter called it) - two pieces of white chocolate chip cookie with wasabi sauce, topped with shavings of white chocolate. The taste reminded me of the wasabi-flavored Kitkat. The top of the cookie was soft while the crust was crunchy. The second piece, which was upside-down with the crust on top, was a bit hard to slice though. All in all, it's the kind of dessert that grows on you. Perhaps adding a scoop of ice cream would make it grow on you sooner? I don't know, just a thought :)

Overall, I think Nomama has a really huge potential to be the next talk of the town. I think that because they offer very unique items, having beautiful photos on the menu to visually describe their dishes would greatly help. I hope that as time passes, the waiters would remain as friendly and alert as how they were when we visited. I am very excited to hear about the big success of Nomama, and I'd definitely go back to try the rest of the deliciously different items on their menu.


THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 4 out of 5 - A different and fresh twist on Japanese cuisine


Nomama is located at the Ground Floor of FSS Building II, 18 Sct. Tuazon cor. Sct. Castor Streets, Quezon City. It's right in front of Max's Restaurant. Telephone numbers: 542-2558 and 0916-5504373.