Jeepney (Maginhawa St)

Few days before my classes started, I tagged along with my cousin to pick my niece from her dorm which was located a minute away from Maginhawa! That trip made me jealous that UST has no Maginhawa street to eat our way at. 

My cousin have always wanted to dine at Jeepney but since line queues were too long they opt to eat else where. I guess i'm their lucky charm since we're able to get a seat in just a few minutes. Hehehe

They had 'Sungka' for us to play with while waiting for our food. My mother with her game face on!

Pinakbet (P130). The serving was big. But what I liked the most was that the veggies were crunchy to eat.

Pork Sisig (P190). Good but not the best sisig for me since I like mine crispy and spicy. 

Boodle fight "Ayala" (P780) good for 2-4pax includes 4 cups of plain/bagoong/garlic rice, inihaw na Liempo, crispy shrimps, inihaw na Bangus, ensaladang talong with BLT, and ice tea.

The boodle fight set is actually sufficient for a group of four hungry people. Filipino food always tastes the same for me so its the quality of the ingredients and technique that will matter the most. The liempo was soft and juicy, the crispy shrimps can be eaten whole, and the Bangus had no 'lasang lupa' feels. 

Hole in the Wall: Bad bird, Posporo, and Scout's Honor

Ever since Century City Mall opened its doors, everyone went crazy for Hole in the Wall. Its an upscale food court that serves different cuisines from Filipino, Chinese, Latin, to Middle Eastern. Hole in the Wall is not only about the good food but also the ambiance is very homey with its wooden ornaments. Instragram-able indeed! 

On to the food, my first stop was Bad Bird's Corn and coleslaw plate (P330 + service charge). This is probably the most famous establishment and it is rated as one of the top restaurants in the Metro now. They take pride with their umami-licious fried chicken which was very tender. The salad was normal but the corn was unique because they added Kewpie, Cheese, and Bonito flakes that made it taste like Japanese food. Their chicken also comes in safe, spicy and chemical. I got the spicy, and it was not as hot I expected. I wonder how the chemical would taste like though. 

Posporo Rice Plate (P260 + service charge). Posporo is a fusion of Filipino and Latin American food. I guess this is a first, right? I tried it, and it did not disappoint. I choose their bestseller meat Sarsi Adobo Carnitas. I picked it because it was marinated with orange juice, cinnamon, and Sarsi Rootbeer which really intrigued me. The platter includes Kesong Puti ensalada, baked bens, and onion Atsara. Definitely a must try!

Another popular establishment is Scout's Honor, where you can make your own cookie. I got their premium cookie Nutella (P90+service charge). I personally think that their cookies are overrated since I was not impressed at all. Maybe i'll try to craft my own next time, and I will let you know if I change my mind about this place.

As you can see the prices are quite steep but its worth it because of three reasons: 1. the food serving is big (really filling) 2. even though they add 12 or 6% service charge- their service was really prompt. my water was refilled instantly. 3. Lastly, and most importantly, the food was gastronomic!

Katsu Sora (Promenade, Greenhills)

Many Katsu houses emerged with the famous Yabu Katsu House as the bearer. They are good, but I found a much better place! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Katsu Sora! Katsu Sora currently has five branches (SM BF, Trinoma, Tagaytay, Promenade, and Eastwood), for this post, I dined in Promenade, Greenhills.  

Every set meal consists of unlimited salad bar, miso soup, Japanese rice, and tea. I personally think that Katsu Sora's salad bar is worth going back for. You get more than just cabbage with sesame dressing but a bar with a variety of fruits, greens, and condiments. Need I say more that their potato salad is the best! I would not mind eating the potato salad alone. hehe

More salad dressings!!! While dining here, I saw a man eating pineapples with the creamy wasabi dressing. I wonder how that tasted like??

One more thing I like about the bar is the rice toppings. I love adding this to my meal as it adds more flavor with every bite. Just do not add too much as it could be too salty.

Sakura Katsu Curry (P365) I was not able to try this but my tita said that it was good but could have been better if they added apples instead of potatoes. 

Sakura Katsudon (P375) This is one of their best sellers. If you do not want the usual katsu, you can go with this. The sauce will save you from getting umay (HAHAHA! So conyo) and the egg was cooked properly. It is served in a bowl with fire underneath so your meal won't cool too soon.

Cheese and Ohba Mille Feuille (P365) See that oooozing cheese coming out of my katsu? Yummy. What I like most about their katsu is the breading that they use, its crunchy but still soft to chew.

Katsu Sora offers four kinds of pork (Sakura (lowest quality), Shimofuri, Kurobuta, Iberico (highest quality)). With all honesty, I can barely find the difference between these meats since you eat it along with your katsu sauce. If i'm not mistaken, the higher the quality of pork, the leaner the meat is. I, however, personally like my pork with fat as it gives more flavor to the meat. If curious, they offer a sampler set for P500 from 11am-5pm. 

So what are you waiting for? Visit their nearest branch!

Check their menu here.

Check their Facebook page here.

Nihon Bashitei (Arnaiz, Makati City)

This is probably my go to Japanese restaurant. I love this place because the food is of great quality but still very affordable. I order the same food over and over again. You know when you like something so much already, you get too scared to try something else with the fear that you might not like it as much? Here are my usuals.

Gyoza (P150) When you order gyoza in most restaurants they come by 4's or by 5's. Not in Nihon because they serve it by 8's which is a perfect appetizer for the whole group. The sauce that comes with it is not your usual kikoman 'cuz it has a little kick.

Spicy Tuna (P220) You can either choose Tuna or Salmon, I believe Tuna is better though. They make use of big cubes of Tuna and the dressing is very spicy. However, since there's bit much of dressing the usual crunch of the tempura flakes is no longer there.

 

Sukiyaki-don  (P280) Ample amounts of beef you can order another rice with it. We order this with fresh egg (its not part of the order), I know you might think its weird. But try it before you judge me. hehehe

 

Chirashi-don (P350) I love how much Uni it has, simply my favorite.

 

Nigiri Sushi (P 350) Technically, this is the sushi form of my Chirashi, order this when you want less rice and less hassle since its ready for eating. HAHAHA

 

Like every Japanese restaurant, they offer lunch sets which includes miso soup, an appetizer, and a choice of dessert: Iced coffee and Nata de Coco. Its going to be hard for me to fall asleep, but its worth it. hehe

 

Can you spot the smiley face? :)

Hope everyone is having a blessed Sunday.

Visit their Facebook page.

Click here for menu

 

South Eats: Bucky's Counter, Outre, and Carpe Diem

I recently had a mini food trip in BF homes and visited three places that people are raving about. The curious me of course wanted to try it myself. A bit too late though, but late is better than never, right? I only tried their bestsellers since I wanted to save space in my tummy.

First up is Bucky's Counter, they claim that they are not a brownie. But they are brownies, i am pretty sure of that. In fact, I even googled what brownies are, and according to Oxford dictionary its 'a small square of rich chocolate cake' and thats exactly what it is.

I ordered Buckies n' Cream (P90) which is their version of Oreos. Its basically their original with cream, but I really don't find the need to order the one with the cream since the brownie is already sweet and the cream was just too much already. I think I got too much sugar rush I already got dizzy. But do not get me wrong, the brownie is very rich, dense, and moist. Try ordering with coffee or a warm cup of milk.  

Located in the same building is Outre, I'm sure you've seen this in Instagram, too. They use liquid nitrogen in preparing the gelato on the spot which gives the smoking effect that adds to the thrill while waiting for your order.

They only have a few flavors, their best seller is Milo Dinosaur (P150), the gelato is really dense and creamy. I did not find it too sweet unlike what I have heard. I like the idea of putting the chocolate syrup in a syringe (the medtech in me is happy) but its too few for the quantity. I ended up putting syrup on top only, the rest had none.  

Lastly, I dined in Carpe Diem which was less than a kilometer away from where Bucky's Counter and Outre are located at. After too much sweetness, I needed something savory. (We dined afterlunch that's why dessert was first in our itinerary)

When I asked the waitress about their best sellers, she answered that its anything with their spicy chicken on it. So, I ordered Spicy Chicken and Shrimps (P220). Once again, I am not a fan of chicken but their spicy chicken was excellente. They crusted the chicken fillet with chili flakes. The shrimps were buttered and was perfect to balance the spiciness of the chicken.

I am no fan of Teriyaki but since it was a best seller I ordered Bacon Teriyaki Rice (P150), one bite and it captivated me. Yummm. The nori was a good twist to the dish and the egg was cooked perfectly too.

By the time I finished my food, I can barely breath anymore. hehehe Too much food made me so sleepy, too.

South Eats: Soga Miga (Molito, Alabang)

Another series I'm starting in my blog is "South Eats," my friends (who are mostly from the north) usually say I live in a province and thinks that the south is no longer part of Metro Manila. We always have this competition of what's better, north or south. Of course, I would say SOUTH. South all the way. I love the very chill vibes the south has to offer. Anyway, I hope my posts will encourage the northerners to visit the south once in awhile.

I have dined in Soga Miga handful of times already. I think its one of the underrated restaurants i've eaten in. Zomato rates it 3.5, and I do not know why. I love anything spicy hence, korean cuisine is love. hehehe 

What I love most about Korean cuisine is the appetizers all you want that they serve. A big plus for Filipinos who love anything unlimited. What I like with Soga Miga is that they serve really fresh kimchi and the side salad which fights the spiciness of the food to come. 

I will always order the same thing when dining in a korean restaurant. That is, my Bibimbap (P350) served in a hot stone bowl. Basically its a dish where in you just add whatever you see in your refrigerator. But of course, I love Soga Miga's take on it. They add mushrooms to their bibimbap and it complements with everything. The togue that they use are also very crunchy. The bean paste they use is a mixture of salty and spicy. I just hope that they add more beef.

I have never tried Kimchi Stew (P300) before since I always opted to order Bulgogi which is sweet and good for the kids. This time however I tried the Kimchi stew which was unexpectedly good and to my liking. Its like our Sinigang but spicy. 

And that's it. Finish your meal with some dessert places in ATC (Bannapple- Forever favorite, Vanilla Cupcake) or the nearby BF homes which I'll be blogging about tomorrow. 

*Soga Miga is found in Molito Complex in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Eggs for Breakfast Cafe (Mambugan, Antipolo City)

After so much wrong turns and road blocks, finally we arrived at Eggs For Breakfast. We were really hungry when we got there since it was past 2 o'clock already and based from the previous blogs that i've read, service was slow so I got scared for my grumbling stomach. The cafe was still full when we arrived but good thing we were seated right away. Our orders arrived faster than I expected, Thank God!

    Pan American Breakfast (P470) a full set of two kinds of sausages, bacon, eggs, potatoes, beans and mushroom. This set could have been much better if they sweved it with garlic rice or sinangag. Well thats the Filipino in me talking. I found the serving few for the price. Four pieces of mushroom, seriously? I'd probably not order this next time.

   Tapa (P235) I love the marinade of the Tapa. Very flavorful. The meat was also tender. I'd definitely order this again.

   Cafe Americano (P70) I'm no coffee drinker but the boyfriend said it tasted ordinary, nothing special.

   Calamansi juice (P30) love. Love. Love. The juice was perfect. Not too sweet nor too sour. The calamansi juice was very refreshing.

    I can not say that I am fond of their food because I was not that impressed. I felt that the cafe was too overrated. But maybe, i'll try dining once more ordering another item on the menu.