Jaeu

The first time I passed by this restaurant in the expansion wing of Festival Mall, I thought that’s a weird name for a restaurant: Jaeu. How on Earth are you going to pronounce that? Jae? Joe? Zha? So naturally, when I went there to dine (3rd visit, 2nd time they were closed), I was seated by the window (again) and I immediately asked the server how they say the restaurant’s name. And I was enlightened. “Ja-Yoo.” And it meant, Japanese European, yes, it’s a restaurant for those 2 cuisines. When I saw their menu, it wasn’t a full blown fusion restaurant though. They had dishes from the two cuisines, equal parts on the menu.

After having a long look at the menu, since I just had steak yesterday, why not have ramen today? I got their house specialty, Iekei, which is Yokohama style ramen. A ramen with tonkotsu base with a medley of spinach, negi, onion, garlic, roasted chasu, and nori. I added aji tamago for good measure, too. I forgot to remind the server to give me extra hard noodles, but I’m glad that they serve it like that – yes, it’s their default. The broth was fantastic and tasty, warm and very rich. It wasn’t salty, but I thought it would be better if there was a little spice to it. Maybe I should try the spicy version next time.

And another thing that caught my attention was their house Ginger Ale. I made sure to ask this time if they serve it from a can or they make their own. And it’s the latter, so yeah, I ordered a glass because I like anything that reminds me of Canada. However, it was too spicy, bordering on the Philippines’ salabat. I instantly felt like a singer already. I wanted to get Profiteroles but sadly, the co-owner (which is a doctor at the nearby Asian Hospital) informed me that it wasn’t available yet. That should have been my French dish, but oh well. They offered me Crema Catalana which is a Spanish version of Crème Brûlée. The caramel on top was crackling and the custard is very smooth.

Verdict: 3/5
I liked the ramen, straight to the point and no beating around the bush type pf ramen. Simple but packed with flavour, but I’m sure there are better ramen bars out there. The dessert is ok, but I always take a point away from restaurants not having what I want. The ale could be improved flavour wise. Mighty effort for a new restaurant which is still on their soft opening. I like the concept, very Japanese with the murals and European with the sleek, white chairs and tables. The servers are friendly and the owners inspect the plates and talk to the diners. A new restaurant off to a good start.