Two of the top food trends in the Philippines in 2024 were ramen noodles and small, almost single-serve cakes. This is why ramen specialty restaurants continue to open in the metro, with almost all well-known brands now duly represented, and even top bakeshops are now making baby versions of their regular-sized specialty cakes.
One of the ramen brands to have opened a store in the Philippines was Buchiton Tonkotsu Ramen. Known for its rich and flavorful broth, the brand partnered with Del Mundo Group of Companies (DMG) mid-2024 to introduce Filipinos to the authentic taste of Hiroshima ramen.
Buchiton has been making delicious ramen noodles in Japan for over 20 years now and therefore has no doubt that Filipino noodle lovers would love it. It uses high quality ingredients, starting with its signature broth, which it imports directly from Hiroshima to ensure that it only offers the most authentic ramen dining experience to its Filipino clientele. This particular broth that it imports is meticulously prepared using traditional methods. The broth is slowly cooked for hours to extract maximum flavor from pork bones, resulting in a deep umami taste that is unique to it. Complementing the broth is fresh, handmade noodles and the freshest toppings available, so each bowl of ramen that comes out from the kitchen of Buchiton ensures an authentic Hiroshima ramen experience, as it stands out for its depth of flavor.
“It’s the broth that matters,” says Matthew Ablis, COO of DMG.
Buchiton offers three main ramen variants: Shiraton, Akaton and Kuroton. Hiroshima side dishes, such as gyoza and karaage, are also available on the menu.
“We are excited to bring the rich flavors of authentic Japanese ramen to Filipino food enthusiasts. Filipinos have developed a strong affinity for ramen, and Buchiton is eager to satisfy this growing demand,” says DMG CEO Nelson Del Mundo.
The company, he adds, believes in the top-notch quality and authenticity of Buchiton products while remaining cost-friendly to the Filipino market. With its first Philippine store now serving ramen lovers at SM San Lazaro, Buchiton will expand rapidly in the next two years and targets 23 stores by 2026.
Coinciding with the opening of its newest branch at SM North EDSA and with its SM Megamall branch all set to reopen, Honeybon introduces its Petite Cakes line. Beautifully crafted five-inch versions of Honeybon’s best-selling cakes, these petite cakes start at P680 and are already available to make ordinary moments more special. They can take the place of the usual slice of cake from a regular-sized cake, and two or three can be shared with family and friends so you get to taste more cake variants instead of just a choice of one.
The Petite Cakes lineup includes Tres Leches Cheesecake, a creamy masterpiece with a rich three-cheese twist; Red Velvet Cake, featuring moist, cocoa-infused layers and tangy cream cheese frosting; and Ultimate Chocolate Cake, generously layered with indulgent chocolate ganache. For tropical flavor lovers, Mango Royale bursts with the sweetness of ripe mangoes, while Tiramisu brings a sophisticated blend of espresso-soaked layers and creamy mascarpone to your table.
Also available at Honeybon are delicious pastries such as silvanas, chewy cookies, lemon squares, fudgy brownies and chocolate crinkles.