January 2018 – Page 2 – Jellybeans in the City

Grimm Season 6 now streaming on Netflix

At last! After nearly a year of waiting, the final season of Grimm is now streaming on Netflix here in the Philippines!

I have faithfully followed this show since it started in 2011, never missing an episode despite work or family obligations. As can be gleaned from the fangirlish tone of various episode recaps I found myself posting, it’s safe to say that I have a (hopefully!) mild obsession for this show. I guess that Grimm can be considered one of my guilty pleasures.

When its final episode aired on March 31 last year, I was almost heart-broken. I knew I would be missing Nick Burkhardt’s (mis)adventures as well as those of his Wesen and human friends. I was overjoyed to discover that Seasons 1 to 5 are available on Netflix and lost no time binge-watching the series every chance I got.

For those who are not familiar with the series, Grimm is a TV show that originally aired on NBC in the US (Universal Channel on SKYcable in the Philippines). It basically consists of modern retellings of the Brothers Grimm fairytales as well as folklore and mythical stories from varied cultures.

The show follows the adventures of Portland police detective Nicholas Burkhardt (played by David Giuntoli) just as he finds out that he is among the line of Grimms, a special breed of humans with the ability to detect Wesen, or supernatural beings. Grimms are tasked to maintain the balance between humanity and Wesen, and oftentimes, Grimms have taken brutal measures against the creatures, making them highly feared in the Wesen community. Nick’s role as a Grimm is further complicated by his being a cop; while he is usually able to meld his duties to both roles, there are times when he has to choose which dictates to follow.

He is aided by a strong cast of supporting characters such as Monroe (his last name was never revealed, played by Silas Weir Mitchell), his Wieder Blutbad (reformed werewolf) BFF, his cop buddies Hank Griffin (played by Russell Hornsby) and Drew Wu (played by kababayan Reggie Lee) and his love interests/nemeses Juliette Silverton (played by Bitsie Tulloch) and Adalind Schade (played by Claire Coffee).

Its setting in Portland, Oregon is also very on-point. Its verdant forests, mild climate and slogan “Keep Portland Weird” provided a lush background for the supernatural situations the characters found themselves dealing with.

I love how this show is able to adapt fairytales and myths into modern situations, influenced not just by Germanic folklore (from which most of the Brothers Grimms’ stories are collected from) but also by other cultures such as Latin American (“La Llorona” and “El Cucuy“), Native American (“Wendigo“), Egyptian (“Anubis“), and, of course, the one closest to my heart, Filipino (“Aswang“).

The show had a few faults, such as the wonky special effects involved in showing how the Wesen morph from their human forms to their mythological forms and vice versa, as well as convoluted side plots involving a European Royal Family and a set of keys passed down from the Knights Templar. I also consider Juliette’s journey to the dark side and killing of a pivotal character the show’s “jumping the shark” moment, as it weakened part of the show’s heart.

Still, what kept me tuned in were the depictions of Nick’s rich and nuanced relationships with his Wesen and human allies. His “bromance” with Monroe, in particular, grew from a reluctant partnership to a deep and abiding friendship that enabled Nick and Monroe to oftentimes defy the dictates of their natures to help each other.

Grimm has been a part of my TV habit for seven years and it left quite a big void: I haven’t found a new series that comes close to its appeal to me.

Until then, I will satisfy myself with watching and re-watching this series on Netflix.

Quick Chinese Food at Le Ching, Tomas Morato

I decided to accompany a coworker who had a sudden craving for noodles and dimsum. Since this brand of Le Ching Tea House is some short distance from our office, we took our lunch here.

My friend ordered a hearty Wanton Noodle Soup (Php165) and Siomai (Php105) while I got myself a Spare Ribs rice topping (Php168) and an order of Taro Puff (Php119).

I found the viand portion of the rice topping a bit short; it more made up of bones rather than meat. The taro puffs were served piping hot and tasted as good as I expected.

Similar to its Greenhills branch, this Le Ching branch boasts no frills or fancy decor; just tables and chairs and a lone server. Its interiors are sparse to the point of being a bit dingy.

However, to those who grew up on the taste of its Chinese food offerings, Le Ching is adequate for their cravings.

This branch is located Timog corner Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City.

Yummy Japanese Beef Bowls at Yoshinoya, SM City North EDSA

Yoshinoya serves gyudon, more commonly known as Japanese beef bowls. It consists of a bowl of steaming hot rice topped with thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with dashi, soy sauce and mirin. The regular bowl (Php149) is great for a quick snack. while the large bowl (Php185) is more filling.

In a recent lunch out with my officemates, we ordered the beef bowls we’ve been craving for, as well as a Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl (Php145), Ebi Tempura (Php235 for 5 pieces) and California Maki (Php69).

Yoshinoya is great for times when you have a hankering for Japanese food that fast and relatively inexpensive.

This Yoshinoya branch is located at 2F Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Glorietta
SM Megamall
SM Mall of Asia
SM Manila
Ayala Fairview Terraces
SM Southmall

Late Night Drinks at Alchemy

Hubby and I attended a Saturday afternoon event here which extended to late night drinks with his friends and officemates. The place has an open-air veranda upstairs conducive to drinks and chats.

Alchemy is the ancient practice of mixing elixirs and potions to either come up with gold or the key to eternal life. Here, the elixirs are mixed for the patrons to have a good time. It has an extensive liquor list which include local and imported beers, wines from France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina, as well as other potions such as vodkas, rums, whiskies, liquers, etc. Also mixed in are lively music from the DJ upstairs or the live band downstairs.

Since I’m not much of a drinker, Hubby got me 2 double shots of Bailey’s Irish Cream (Php180/shot) and sampled their thick cut French Fries (Php110) and Hummus (Php200).

We stayed here until almost midnight (clearly my limit given we’ve been there since afternoon and I already consider myself a tita) but I had a fun time Hubby and some new friends.

Alchemy is located at Polaris corner Durban Streets, Barangay Poblacion, Makati .

Carnevores satisfied at Number 1 Barbecues, SM East Ortigas

Number 1 Barbecues is a recently-opened restaurant in SM City East Ortigas. Because of its Unli-Rice promo, it was always full of people for its first few months that my family was only able to eat there last December in time for my son’s birthday lunch.

Interestingly, Number 1 Barbecues offers a range of dishes from different cuisines including Filipino, American, Japanese and Mediterranean, so there would be something for everyone. Its’ relatively cheaper pricing and free unli-rice offer makes it a great venue for group and family meals.

We ordered the following:

Lechon Belly (Php109)

12-Hour US Smoked Beef (Php129 + Php50 for extra smoked beef) – served with mashed potato and coleslaw

12-Hour Smoked Pork Belly (Php119 +Php40 for extra pork belly) – served with mashed potato and coleslaw

5 pcs Shrimp Tempura (Php149)

Kani BBQ Bacon (Php99)

Chocolate Cake ala Mode (Php39)

Chocolate Mouse (Php39)

Creme Brulee (Php39 each)

The meats are tender and well-seasoned but the servings are quite small so it’s a good thing we ordered extra servings of the smoked beef and pork belly, satiating our group of carnevores. The desserts are adequate bookends to the meal.

Number 1 Barbecues is located at Ground Floor, SM City East Ortigas, along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City.

Got my beef at 8 Cuts Burger Blends, Greenhills Promenade

8 Cuts Burger Blends is characterized by 8 cuts of beef “freshly ground, custom-blended and seared to order.” There are 2 types of blended beef patties to choose from: the House (Mean & Meaty – which consists of short rib, rib eye and brisket) and the Grass Fed (Lean & Clean – which consists of sirloin, round tip, flank, short plate and chuck). The resto also boasts of having “no extenders, no fillings,” just all beefy goodness.

During one of our shopping trips in Greenhills, Hubby and I took advantage of a Daily Steal offer which consist of a quarter-pounder cheeseburger, choice of skinny fries or onion rings and iced tea for only Php299. Daily Steals are meal combos usually available during weekdays from 11am to 5pm, but we were able to avail of the offer even though we visited the restaurant on a Saturday. I got one with the skinny fries while Hubby got the one with onion rings.

The burgers (House blend patties in sesame seed buns, with tomato, onions, lettuce, 8 Cuts’ made-with-love Sauce No. 3 and its house cheddar) were juicy, flavorful and filling. Together with the fries, onion rings and iced tea, a quick and delicious meal to fuel our shopping trip.

This 8 Cuts Burger Blends branch is located at the Ground Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.

All-time Pinoy Favorites at Cabalen, Ayala Malls Feliz

What is the appeal of Filipino restaurants? We normally get to taste their offerings via our own lutong-bahay or during fiestas, anyway.

This is a thought I recently pondered as Hubby and I decided to venture out to the newly-finished Ayala Malls Feliz in Marikina for a pre-New Year wandering and we chanced upon a now-open branch of Cabalen. The resto’s regular buffet of classic Filipino dishes is quite a good deal at only Php298 (service charge not included).

Among the flavors we sampled are:

Prichon Wraps. Lechon bits wrapped with carrot, cucumber and green onion strips in tortilla with 3 choices of sauce (hoisin, garlic and lechon sauce).
Crispy Kangkong
Fresh Lumpia (vegetable rolls with a peanut and garlic sauce)
Pancit Puti. White noodles sauteed with meat and veggies and simmered in flavorful chicken stock.
Kare Kare. A stew made of oxtail, beef offal or tripe with a thick sabory peanut sauce.
Bico (sweet rice cake or kakanin with coconut milk) and Ginataang Mais (corn kernels in glutinous rice with coconut milk) for dessert.

We were able to get our fill of these dishes except for the Kare Kare which ran out of meat and was not refilled in time.

Now back to the question on the appeal of eating Filipino dishes when dining out: for me, it brings back childhood memories of what my mom used to make (particularly ginataang mais for merienda in the afternoon) or a way to enjoy childhood favorites without the hassle (the making of some Filipino delicacies are a bit labor-intensive).

Cabalen, in particular, has the added appeal of being a buffet restaurant. If you want to treat your balikbayan relatives to the flavors they have been missing, dining at Cabalen will allow them to load up on great flavors and great family memories.

This Cabalen branch is located at Level 2, Ayala Malls Feliz, Amang Rodriguez cor. J.P. Rizal, Brgy. Dela Paz, Pasig City.

Unlimited Korean BBQ at Samgyeopmasarap, Greenhills

During our Christmas Day foray into Greenhills (because we knew the holiday crush of people would be gone by then and also because we didn’t want to eat Noche Buena leftovers for lunch), the family discovered the newly opened Samgyeopmasarap. It offers unlimited Korean barbecue pork (Php399/pax) and beef (Php499/pax), both with marinated and unmarinated variants.

Being Korean food lovers, we welcomed the opportunity to dine here.

The place is clean and quite big with the signature table-top Korean grills with exhaust tubes leading to the ceiling. Oddly enough, it is furnished with Tiffany chairs which are at odds with the Korean aesthetic (but what do we care! Unlimited Korean barbecue!!!).

Our group of four ordered 2 sets of unlimited beef BBQ (bacon slice and beef ribs) and 2 sets of unlimited pork (bacon slice and pork belly). These come with unlimited side dishes as well.

My daughter and I also split an order of Bibimbap (Php250) which, sadly, though served in a clay pot, was not dolsot style since the clay pot was not heated. We would have loved the resulting toasted rice in a dolsot bibimbap.

The resto is still on soft opening so there are a few kinks that the staff would have to solve at some point such as being prompt with orders for refills or requests for utensils.

Other than that, I’m pretty satisfied with our experience here (although Hubby isn’t).

This Samgyeopmasarap branch is located at the Connecticut Carpark Arcade in Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan.

Ramen birthday treat at Ramen Nagi, SM North

A fried of mine posted a link to this Spot.ph article on Ramen Nagi’s birthday promo. Once during your birth month within this year, you can get a free bowl of Ramen Nagi’s signature Butao King Ramen as long as you’re with someone who will pay full price for his or her own bowl of Butao King Ramen, basically a buy-one-get-one deal.

Being a supportive friend (ehem! ehem!) and a newbie ramen aficionado, I agreed to pay full price for my bowl (at Php390++) so he can get his for free as it is his birthday month (he took care of the transpo to and from SM North for our ramen adventure). It will be my birthday treat for him.

I didn’t mind the relatively pricier ramen compared to offerings of other ramen places I’ve visited as the combination of flavors and textures made the expense worth it.

Butao King is characterized by Ramen Nagi’s luxurious milky tonkotsu pork-broth. A few slurps of the soup was enough to convince me I was getting my money’s worth. Unlike my previous experience at Ramen Nagi wherein I customized my ramen, I went a long with the Chef’s recommendation with few tweaks like opting for a rich broth and level 1 spiciness which is tolerable for us but still has a bite. The pork slices were not as melt-in-your-mouth tender as I would like it but still quite good.

I wouldn’t mind going back here during my birth month for my own free bowl of Butao King, hehehe!

This Ramen Nagi branch is located at the Ground Floor SM North EDSA’s Main Building in Quezon City.

If you want to avail of the birthday promo, be sure to bring a valid and original government-issued ID with your photo and birthdate.

Barkada Meet Up at Pancake House, Ayala Malls the 30th

I had another holiday lunch meet-up with close friends that I haven’t seen for so long at Pancake House. We agreed on this branch at Ayala Malls the 30th as one of my friends like practically all of Pancake House’s offerings while I, on the other hand, have yet to fully explore the dining options within the mall.

We ordered our hearty meals:

Pork Tocino (Php219). Served with garlic rice, fried egg and mango salsa.

Hot Roast Beef (Php310). Roast beef slices smothered in Pancake House’s buttery gravy, served on a thick slice of bread accompanied by mashed potatoes and corn and carrots.

Special Salisbury Steak (Php265). A thick patty of Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and bacon bits, served with rice and vegetables.

Since our bill has reached beyond Php800, we were able to get 3 FREE mini pancakes upon presentation of my BDO Rewards Card.

I ordered a Belgian Hot Chocolate (Php130) to enjoy with my pancake.

The restaurant is quite spacious and can seat a large number of people. The wait staff are also helpful and accommodating: aside from facilitating our orders, the staff gamely took our pictures.

This Pancake House branch is located at Lower Ground Level, Ayala Malls The 30th, 30 Meralco Avenue, Pasig.