Shi Lin
Shi Lin had its branch in Podium for a while now and I’ve always been looking at it as I pass by wondering if it was the right time to come back. Its red logo and white letters give a sense of foreboding. Xiao Long […]
Author: gracemats
Wooden Horse Steakhouse
There are two April birthday celebrants in my family, me and my sister. One month after, we finally went out and celebrate. Priorities, I know! Our grandma came along so it had to be somewhere close so it won’t be too hard for her. So […]
GEN Korean BBQ
SM Mall of Asia is too far from my residence so I usually take a pass on visiting this place but gladysann is in town. She stayed around the vicinity so it was a good enough reason to go to MOA. Also, I had to do some errands in Ortigas during this day, so yeah perfect timing.
We met at GEN Korean BBQ and I swear I told her not to eat anything because ladies and gentlemen this is a buffet so we should come prepared, right? But she ate something! LOL anyway we ordered everything at first but my favourite were the bacon slices. They’re very easy to cook and quick to consume and you wouldn’t feel so full while eating. They also had premium steak which of course I cooked to the best of my ability – less than a minute per side – so as not to overcook it.
Verdict: 4/5
There’s a selection of cuts, 20 on the lunch menu for 998 per person, which isn’t a bad deal at all. You just have to be good in picking the cuts to maximize the experience. Good food and stories to share, 2 hours in this buffet will pass by quickly.
Skewered
I always enjoyed meat on sticks since I was a child. In a party, I remember always gunning for that makeshift stand from a cabbage cut in half poked with sticks adorned with you guessed it, hotdogs and marshmallows. It’s just so pretty and colourful […]
Brique
Whenever I go to Cebu I always get to try new restaurants, some of them home grown and are not found in Manila. Brique is one of them, according to their Facebook page, they offer modern cuisine with a rustic touch in a relaxing atmosphere. […]
Hogs and Cattle + PaperMoon Cafe
Close to 20 years ago, I remember sharing my mornings and afternoons with my sisters watching The Lion King. The animated film that propelled Disney to make numerous animated films that young people and adults come to love. So when the International play came to Manila, dreimart who happened to be another die-hard fan of the film, watched the play at Solaire Resort. It was a whirlwind of a day because he came and left Manila just for that play.
Before we watched the play though, we had to fill our tummies with steak treats and what better place than Hogs and Cattle. This restaurant is located at ground floor of SM Mall of Asia Entertainment Complex, near the bay area. They offered Wagyu All You Can for 899 a pop! Yes, you read that right. Wagyu. All. You. Can. Plus, the side dishes came in unlimited servings too, but I doubt that anyone will be eyeing that. They also have the option to get their surf and turf, that’s their wagyu and prawns set, which is unlimited too, btw. I chose the Wagyu and Prawns, with a side of Mashed Potato and Corn and Carrots. Oh and they had Mushroom Soup too! I remember pouring it on the steak haha! Looking back, I had the first plate full of course.. the next 2 plates, no more sides, haha! Noticeably, they served the next steak cuts in smaller portions, and I really appreciate that. The steak was soft and tender and perfectly seasoned. Mine was a medium well or was that a medium? The cook on my steak was better and more tender than dreimart’s I can’t remember why though haha maybe the steak had gone to my brains.
While the warm, fresh new steak pounds were nestling in our stomach, we walked around the complex looking for a cafe I first saw in Shangri La. PaperMoon Cafe is a Japanese dessert cafe known for their mille crêpes so I ordered their Tiramisu Mille Crêpe and a pair of Cheese Tarts like we needed more carb pounds for our stomach to carry. LOL the “thousands of crêpes” dessert was a flop for me. It didn’t scream tiramisu for me, and I am not sure but there really was a chiffon slice in between. The taste was bland and lacked the coffee and cocoa flavor. The cheese tart was so-so, had better, and we just had to taste it because it’s a Japanese cheese tart! I was almost expecting it to have that cheese punch but it hardly took off for me.
Verdict: 3.5/5 for Hogs and Cattle and 1.5/5 for PaperMoon Cafe
Just come to H&C prepared. You need all the stomach space you can spare and all the courage to finish all those steak plates flying off from their kitchen. For the all you can eat price, it’s a steal. And unfortunately, I chose badly with Paper Moon. I wanted a different taste from state in my mouth and this didn’t help at all. Oh and I hope you didn’t expect this to be a Lion King review!
Meat Depot
And here we are at Meat Depot, literally, another meat depot. I had the joy of dining in one of these restaurants before in Shang, where you choose from their freezer and ask them to cook it for you in the temperature you like. They […]
Char Express + Bake + Stockwell
A newly opened food hall at the Podium Mall, Corner Market, is starting to gain traction with its various food selection from every imaginable cuisine. After roaming the food hall, I was literally overwhelmed. I didn’t know what to eat haha but I decided on […]
Ramen Nagi
Today I have an appointment in Makati Shangri-La from 9am to 12nn. I had to prepare for this meeting long and hard and once it was over, I immediately walked to the nearby Greenbelt 3 to grab my bowl of ramen from Ramen Nagi. Why? Because I deserved it! I’ve heard of this place before and saw some photos from friends. But I don’t want to get in on the hype of trying the other specialty ramen without trying the original first. Besides, this is their base right? If this is not good, then why would I expect the rest to be?
So I ordered the Original King (Butao) with the assortment of toppings of chashu pork, spring onion, bamboo shoots, raised spice level to half (because I have recently discovered people who eat chili for breakfast haha), nori, and of course, tamago. The broth was simple and you could say yummy but lacked richness.. The noodles were extra hard so that’s great. The chashu pork portion was on the small side. The aji tamago was perfectly executed. The other toppings were fresh and green just the way I like it.
Also, you don’t have ramen without Gyoza and theirs was served sitting on a bed of bean sprouts to stop too much heat coming from the iron plate. It’s my first time seeing that sort of presentation of the gyoza haha I prefer it simple, no fuss. Give me a perfectly steamed gyoza with crisp underside! Besides, there were burnt bean sprouts that passed on its taste to the gyoza. Were they going for that taste? It’s weird.
Verdict: 2/5
I finished the whole meal albeit the burnt taste (I apologize for always going back to that but I can’t help it). It was very filling but I like simple Japanese food. I felt like the held back too much on the ramen and overdid it on the gyoza. Pity.
Ogetsu Hime
Continuing the Japanese cuisine saga, we’ve managed to hunt down yet another restaurant for sushi and sashimi lovers alike. Ogetsu Hime which translates to “Goddess of Food” has landed at our dear SM Megamall Fashion Hall. It’s one of those restaurants you pass by and […]
Chibo Okonomiyaki + Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory
Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake made of several ingredients. The name comes from the Japanese term “okonomi” which means “what you like” and “yaki” which means “to grill.” And that came from Google, because Google knows everything. There’s a newly opened restaurant that offers this […]
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.