Kai
I had a lot on my plate this day from picking up packages to late afternoon painting session with sisters, but it won’t stop me from trying a new restaurant. I had to pick up a parcel in Makati so that was my chance to …
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 we decided to visit Wooden Horse Steakhouse at Molito Complex. I literally pass by this restaurant and I swear I never noticed it was there. Maybe the front of the restaurant was too plain. The name was in bold brown (or was that red?) letters and it just didn’t occur to me to stare at it every time. Maybe because it’s on the way out of the parking lot? Haha
When we entered, I got the feeling that it’s not a family friendly place, and when I say family, I mean being with your 92 year old grandma in a bar like environment with lights and loud speakers kind of place. But the server ushered us to the center of the restaurant in a long table and my grandma looks game so we rolled with it. There was a singer on the stage singing old songs, servers dressed in cowboy clothes, and there’s a Japanese chef behind the counter. If you ask me, it was like a circus to me, nothing came together. But they were very nice to my grandma, that’s hard to ignore.
We ordered everything family style so we can share everything. For appetizers, we had Chicken Quesadillas and Fried Calamari. Both were very good and properly cooked. The soft taco was crisp and filling was just right. The calamari were tender and not overcooked. Making it in the list is Ribeye Steak which was cooked to medium temperature, everyone loved it. We also had Grilled Norwegian Salmon which had nice grill marks on the fish without it being dry in the inside. The Baby Back Ribs were a hit as well, disappearing from the plate as fast as the server put it down on the table. The Teriyaki Chicken Steak was served on a sizzling plate and mom loved it. After the meal, we asked to see the dessert menu but they said they only had ice cream bars so we passed on that. I then asked for the bill but I didn’t receive it right away. You see, when we were seated earlier, they asked if there was anyone celebrating their birthdays in our party and we said yes, as a matter of fact, and that we had 2. So in place of the bill, we got cakes and ice cream for everyone! Now that’s a nice touch.
Verdict: 3.25/5
I think everyone had a good time. There were a lot of highlights, good music, the chefs even came out behind their bar to send us off and say goodnight. Celebrants get to have wrist bands with the restaurant’s name on it, I still have that today. The food could be improved but they have a solid menu so I think it’s just a matter of keeping it up. Very hospitable crew, as well. It’s a good place to cap the night off.
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 …
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. Looking at the menu, they have dishes from different cuisines, I’m still deciding if that’s a good thing.
For my appetizer, I got the Eggplant Fries with Anchovy Aioli Dip. The dip was fantastic, not too rich and had the right amount of tanginess. The eggplant fries of course was a little soggy after being deep fried, and the batter helped so little. It was a fair shot, if you ask me.
And for my main, I ordered the Drunken Angus. US Angus beef brisket braised in beer and barbecue sauce. To be honest, the tart beer taste was lost and all I tasted was the sweet barbecue flavor. The beef was soft and tender but the sauce killed the dish for me. I had this with salad thinking I need my veggies, I should have gone for the mashed potato.. but oh well.
I don’t recall why but I also ordered Mint Condition. A blend of spinach, celery, and apple. Maybe I thought it was green? Haha! It was green but I didn’t expect the flavor to be so.. blech.
Verdict: 1.5/5
I’d say it’s ok for the price, it wasn’t too expensive. The food can be done better, I like the presentation but the flavor can be improved. The server, when I asked for the salad to go with my beef, and I couldn’t forget this, asked me if I was sure I just wanted the salad. I said yes, I am sure of my order, why? He was taken aback but murmured it might not be enough for me. I don’t know what he meant by that LOL but it made me feel unpleasant. So yeah, I’m judging this restaurant based on everything.
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 …
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 Char Express. It’s a Chinese quick bites establishment most known for their Charshu Pork (which I got) and their Peking Duck.
I had to ask what it was and the server explained that it’s similar to Philippines’ asado dish, but made Chinese-style meaning they marinated it for hours and then roasted it. Yum! As expected with Chinese dishes, the charshu pork was served on top of rice with steamed bokchoy as a side. The rice topping was very flavorful and hearty. And for less than Php250 a pop, it’s a great deal.
After the meal, I had to get some dessert from Bake Cheesetart hailing from Japan! Of course I can’t let this day pass without having some Japanese haha! I bought a whole box from the store and that store is just packed with yummy cheese tart smell. I paired that with Green Tea Latte from Stockwell, a cafe in Corner Market. I like the tart green tea flavor, definitely not lost there.
Verdict: 3.75/5
I like how this meal was complete, from main, dessert, and coffee! The prices were all reasonable and very filling! Check out the Corner Market for more food finds!
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? …
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 in Podium so I decided to get their specialty, said so in their name: Chibo Okonomiyaki.
Entering the restaurant, I saw very comfortable looking chairs which are a little hard to ignore, so I chose one for myself even a table sat 4. (ooh wait that just rhymed) Maybe next time I will try the bar seating. Chibo Okonomiyaki offers theirs with prawn, scallop, beef, and pork. All these proteins are mixed in their savory batter which you could opt to dress with Japanese mayo, house sauce, ground seaweed, and bonito flakes. Insider tip: The dish will come a little plain, yes just the pancake on its pan, so just agree to everything they want to put on top of it for maximum effect. They won’t just splash everything down, you’ll actually be treated to a little dressing up which unfortunately I wasn’t able to record. But just look at it.
And since we’re on a roll, we should go all the way and get a Japanese dessert, too! Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory is sitting between two other Japanese dessert stalls and is offering products made from Hokkaido’s finest milk and the world’s best cheeses. This popular dessert store has recently made its way to Manila. I bought the Salt and Camembert cookies because it’s their bestselling product and I was also lucky enough that their soft serve ice cream is already available! Running under the franchise name Cow Cow Ice, I decided to get the plain ice cream to test its well-known creaminess. And it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t get the extra toppings but for sure next time, I will!
Verdict: 4/5
Overall, the crew is courteous, the place was clean, and the dish is priced right. I didn’t try any other dishes, but the one I tried is good enough especially when you’re hungry. But I was a little overwhelmed by the umami taste towards the end that I had to ask them to pack the rest to go. It just wasn’t a dish you should eat alone. And even though I was a little full, I managed to squeeze in my dessert.