The Unlawyer

I love miso soup; I order it almost every time I dine at a Japanese restaurant. I never knew that one can buy the instant version of this soup here in Metro Manila, as Mrs. Unlawyer and I discovered one day when we were out shopping at the supermarket.

Well, I should have known better. If the Japanese can create instant versions of famous regional ramen dishes, they can certainly manufacture instant miso shiru.

The English-language label on the left reads “Miyasaka Freeze Dry Instant Miso Soup” while the one on the right reads “Nagatanien Nama Miso Asagi (Miso Soup)”.

I also didn’t know that the Filipino dish sinigang sa miso is based in part on, yes, miso soup:

“Christian Japanese refugees who came to the Philippines during the Edo period brought along miso soup, which has become a staple of Philippine cuisine, but the Filipino recipe differs mainly by the inclusion of tamarind, which gives it a more sour taste than the original Japanese version.”

For those of you who may remember, the Takayama restaurant that used to operate in Metro Manila was named after one of these Christian Japanese refugees, a samurai named Takayama Ukon. He is commemorated today by a statue of his likeness installed at the Plaza Dilao at Paco, Manila.

To prepare instant miso soup, simply open the two bags that come with each serving – one containing the miso paste, the other containing such solids as seaweed and tofu, for example – and transfer them to a cup. Pour hot water to taste and stir. Remarkably enough, the resulting product tastes almost like the kind served at many Japanese restaurants here in Metro Manila. Overall, however, the reviews of instant miso soup are decidedly mixed.

We bought our instant miso soup at the Landmark supermarket at the Trinoma Mall and at the Robinsons supermarket at the Robinsons Galleria, both in Quezon City, but I suppose you can also buy it too at the many Japanese groceries that dot the city, such as Sakura, Konbini, or the New Hatchin Japanese Grocery. Each bag, which costs on the average about PHP 177, contains about 10 to 11 servings.

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Mrs. Unlawyer and I made it to the New Hatchin Japanese Grocery just a little before lunch today. Yes, we did find packets of instant miso soup, as well as tubs of miso paste, as well as other Japanese grocery goods.

We also discovered a little corner of the grocery devoted to a brand of cakes and pastries called Bebe Rouge, and debated whether or not these desserts were also imported by New Hatchin from Japan. At any rate, we tried some strawberry shortcake slices (two for PHP 220) and they were certainly very, very light and moist, just like the kind we tried in Osaka so many years ago.

Aside from its Makati City location, the New Hatchin Japanese Grocery has two other branches: one at 2119 A. Mabini Street, Malate, Manila (Phone: (02) 400-9478); and the other at the Cartimar Plaza, Leveriza Street, Pasay City (Phone: (02) 833-8905 and (02) 834-1384). Cash only.