Konbini’s Tonkotsu Ramen and No-Picture-Taking Policy
Mrs. Unlawyer and I have been having lunch at the Konbini [Incidentally the Japanese word for a convenience store - Ed.] grocery store-cum-restaurant on Connecticut Street in Greenhills on and off for the past month or so. Yesterday, we did so again and I would have wanted to take this opportunity to write at length about how their tonkotsu ramen tastes very good – probably the best ramen I’ve ever tried to date in Metro Manila – or how well laid out their small grocery is, or how polite and efficient their staff is. I would have wanted to accompany this entry with pictures, as is my practice.
Our experience at this establishment last Sunday, however, was soured somewhat when a waitress quietly but firmly asked me to stop taking pictures of the place. Of course I did not like it but hey, I was on private property so they had every right to regulate what their patrons can or can’t do. So, I decided to honor their request, put down my shootin’ iron of the day, and focused on lunch instead.
Looking back, perhaps Konbini’s management didn’t like it that I was taking pictures of not just the restaurant but of the merchandise in their grocery store as well. Perhaps this is what offended them.
At any rate, I was a little surprised that Konbini’s management would implement such a no-picture-taking policy, seeing that their establishment has been the subject of many blog entries. Which leads me to this question: in this day and age of the foodblogger, are there still restaurants in Metro Manila that prohibits diners from taking pictures of their food or of the ambience of their dining hall?
Will Mrs. Unlawyer and I shop and dine at Konbini again? Certainly. I won’t, however, take any pictures of the place.
Oh yes, before I close this entry, here is one particular item from Konbni that Mrs. Unlawyer swears by: a can of “Aji no Osama weipaa Chinese soup base.”
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Speaking of ramen, I was able to find this humorous ramen master scene, featuring a very young Ken Watanabe, from the Japanese movie Tampopo. Watch it.
