Category: Eat

Jellybeans’ foodie finds

Latin Foodgasm at Tittos, Kapitolyo

Another recent addition to the establishments in the foodie-friendly Kapitolyo neighborhood is Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew. The family and I were treated here by the in-laws for SIL’s birthday.

Tittos’ imposing exteriors lead into bright and airy interiors, complete with festive and colorful artwork and decor that give the place a vibrant South American feel.

Latin American cuisine is an amalgamation of food from South American countries wherein common items include maize-based dishes (such as tortillas, tamales and tacos), various salsas and other condiments such as guacamole, chili and chimichurri.  This cuisine is also heavily influenced by other cultures, particularly Native American (from which Latin cuisine got its predilection for corn), African (from which the use of less desired cuts of meat are perfected into distinct dishes), and European (resulting from colonization of several Latin American countries during the Age of Exploration).

Our food orders certainly embodied Tittos’ myriad of influences.

Our starters:

Churrasco Beef Salpicao (Php345).  Grilled beef cubes sauteed in herb butter with mushrooms and onion crisps.

Salted Egg Shrimp Taco (Php145). The crispy shrimp morsels, curry leaves and salted egg sauce give this dish an Asian flavor.

Verduras Taco (Php125).  Another Asian-inspired dish with steamed cauliflower and tofu flavored with sweet and spicy soy glaze, pico de gallo and melted cheese.

Our main dishes:

Arroz Negra Paella (Php495 for Medio, good for 2-3 people). The squid-ink flavored rice served as the backdrop for the chorizos, oysters, prawns and squid rings.

Titto’s Chicharon (Php650). Our favorite crispy pata served with spiced vinegar and chimichurri.

Pollo Asado (Php695 for Todo or Whole Chicken). Roast chicken served with chimichurri, mango relish and side vegetables.

Our desserts:

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake (Php195). The delectable caramel-based cheesecake with a new twist – a chocolate sauce with oodles of caramelized cornflakes.

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes (Php195). The favorite and familiar brazo de mercedes modified intona cheesecake.

Ube Churros (Php225). Sizeable ube churros served with white chocolate frosting, caramel and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

All in all, it was a happy celebration made even more so by Tittos’ festive food offerings.

Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew is located at 16 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.  For reservations, call +63 2 5323414 or +63 917 8122243.

Authentic Sichuan Cuisine at Fantaste, Salcedo Village

Sichuan (also called Szechuan) cuisine, which originates from Chinese province of the same name, is known for its bold flavors, resulting from the variety of seasonings and cooking methods used.

Newly opened restaurant Fantaste brings a taste of Sichuan into the heart of Makati City.  Along with a selected group of bloggers and foodies (as well as my daughter, #ExhibitA), I was able to attend its Grand Opening and sample its many food offerings.

The restaurant’s mascot is reminiscent of Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda, chosen because, according to the wait staff, the panda symbolizes friendship, unity and world peace.

Fantaste’s claim to fame is its rice bowls.  These dishes are individually cooked in their own clay pot bowl, topped with hearty servings of viands, accompanied by steamed bok choi and half a salted egg, then doused with a secret sauce upon serving.  Its heated clay pot container maintains the rice bowls’ heat during the entire meal, even giving the bottom grains a slightly toasted crunch and flavor.

Given a choice of which among its twelve rice bowl choices to sample, I opted for the Chicken and Mushroom (Php260) while my daughter got intrigued with the mysteriously titled The Best of Fantaste (Php220).  To be honest, I think I had the better choice, my bowl having a better mixture of tastes and textures.

I overheard from my seatmates (and seconded by my daughter who is more well-traveled than I) that the dishes feature the taste of mainland China’s provinces, rather than the taste we normally associate with Hong Kong which is more familiar to the Filipino palette.  We all welcome the variety that these bring to our dining experience, although some would be an acquired taste: the Red Jujube and White Fungus Soup (Php120) for example, had a seemingly bland broth with explosions of sweet and tartness from the date fruit and the meat flavor of its chicken bits.

The restaurant also has a breakfast menu which we were all also able to sample: the Congee (Php120) and Beef and Lettuce Congee (Php140) which, to me, served as a subtle palette for toppings; the Steamed Vermicelli Roll (Php120) which had a nice spicy kick; the carbo-loaded Yangzhuo (or more commonly known as Yang Chow) Fried Rice (Php160); Pork Ribs coated with Glutinous Rice (Php140); the Dry Fried Noodles with Beef (Php180) which had a nice peanut-ty taste; and the Fried Noodles with Three Shreds (Php180).

Those looking to complete their taste of authentic Chinese food can even opt for drinks imported from the mainland such as Chinese versions of our favorite softdrinks, flavored yogurt drinks and flavored teas.

Given the novelty of its food offerings, I would suggest to the restaurant manager to consider having a menu with pictures and descriptions of the dishes.  That way, the really adventurous foodies would know which items are in line with their palates while the less gastronomically conservative patrons can choose those which more closely align with their taste.

I would also suggest a less upbeat background music: the resto’s offerings are somewhat traditional and some can even be considered medicinal (particularly its herbal teas) .  If the resto would like to capitalize on the health benefits of its cuisine, a more languid and traditional background music would be more appropriate.

Just my two cents… 🙂

Foodies who will journey all the way to Makati to visit this resto should also consider where they can park.  Parking spots are severely limited and the nearest pay parking area charges Php80 for just two hours.

Disclosure: Together with other bloggers, I was invited to attend this restaurant’s Grand Opening.  All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Filling family lunch at Peri-Peri, Eastwood

Peri-peri (also spelled as piri-piri or pili-pili), is a type of chili that is grown in Southeastern Africa, taking its name from the Swahili term for “pepper.” Also known as the African bird’s eye chili, its cultivation and culinary use was spread by the Portuguese to their Indian territories.

When combined with salt, garlic, lemon, oil and vinegar into a sauce, called the peri-peri sauce, it provides a distinctive flavor to the chicken dish that also bears its name.

At Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, the chickens are trimmed of excess fat and marinated for 24 hours to achieve a tender and juicy meat before grilling, giving diners an explosion of spice and smokiness with every bite. Despite its exotic food offerings, Peri-Peri is actually a home-grown brand, part of the I-Foods, Inc. group, and has been in operation for over decade.

During a weekend shopping trip at the Eastwood City Mall, the family stopped over at this restaurant for lunch. We ordered:

  • Mozarella Sticks (Php150), served with marinara sauce and Ceasar dip. These crunchy sticks whetted our appetite for more.
  • Quarter chicken with Java Rice (Php195) for the little boy who is not so into side dishes.
  • Quarter chicken with Java Rice and Coleslaw (Php230) and a side of Hummus (Php65) for his dad.
  • Quarter chicken with Tortilla and Coleslaw (Php230) for me.
  • Quarter chicken with Java Rice and Bacon Mac & Cheese (Php240) for my soon-to-be college girl.
  • A carafe of cucumber lemonade (Php160), a really refreshing thirst-quencher during that hot day.

The array of side dishes we ordered and the sauces we chose from speak to the versatility of the peri-peri chicken in terms of taste. It can go well with rice or tortilla, accentuated by hummus or coleslaw.

All in all, the variety in taste and texture made for a filling family lunch.

This Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken is located at 2nd Floor, Eastwood City Mall, Libis, Quezon City. For reservations, call +63 2 4706884.

Other branches in Metro Manila are located in:

  • Alabang: Evia Lifestyle Center along Daang Hari Road (Tel: +63 2 8381016) and Lower Ground Floor, Alabang Town Center (Tel: +63 905 1113747)
  • Taguig: Ground Floor, Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City (Tel: +63 2 7174408) and Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill (Tel: +63 917 4222097)
  • Pasig: Capitol Commons, Shaw Boulevard cor Meralco Avenue (Tel: +63 2 6560518) and in Ayala Malls Feliz, Dela Paz
  • Marikina: Ground Floor, SM City Marikina along Marcos Highway
  • Mandaluyong: Fourth Floor Building A and Third Floor Bridgeway, SM Megamall in Ortigas (Tel: +63 2 9412511)
  • San Juan: Second Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills (Tel: +63 2 6558355)
  • Makati: Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center (Tel: +63 915 4055614)
  • Quezon City: Third Floor, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao (Tel: +63 2 2934947), Ground Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman (Tel: +63 2 2838917), Ground Floor, Trinoma Mall, Baging Pag-asa (Tel: +63 2 7184391) and Ground Floor, Brittany Square, Belfast Road corner Mindanao Avenue, Novaliches
  • Manila: Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Learn more about South African cuisine by checking out these books on Amazon.com!

Want to try some recipes today? There’s no need to leave home to shop for ingredients.  With Honestbee, just order your groceries online and you’ll get them delivered right at your doorstep at your preferred time. Use this referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500.  You can download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.

If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.

Now available: Goju Natural Fruit Infusion Drinks

Fruit infusion drinks are a growing trend, particularly among the health-conscious, and are often cited as a weight-loss or detox secret. Proponents of this trend report feeling healthier and more invigorated after including this type of beverage in their diet.

Infusing water with fruit also has the added benefit of adding flavor and zing to the otherwise plain ole’ H20 which is great for foodies like me who would gravitate more towards improvement in taste. Besides, any trend that will get one to drink more water should be good, hmmm?

Fruit-flavored or -infused water can be DIY-ed by immersing pieces of fruit into cold water for a period of time using specially designed water bottles and pitchers. However, some people do not have the time to scour the markets for fresh produce, obtain the necessary equipment and prepare their fruit infusion drinks.

Fortunately, Vida Nutriscience, the beauty, slimming and wellness company behind Snow Caps, My Slim, Crystal White and Snow Skin brands, is entering the ready-to-drink market with its new brand, Goju Natural Fruit Infusion.

Taking its name from the combination of “Go” and “Juice”, the new product line consists of five fruit juice concoctions packaged in brightly colored 330ml cans, each with its own unique taste, identity and health benefits.

  • Lemonade: A blend of natural lemons and packed with vitamin C, it helps in boosting energy, cleansing the kidneys and the urinary tract, losing weight and boosting the body’s defense system.
  • Mango and Orange: A blend of orange, mango, passion fruit, lemon and vitamin C, it helps in boosting immunity, improving digestion, losing weight and beautifying one’s skin.
  • Raspberry Lemonade.  A mixture of raspberry and lemonade, it helps in improving blood circulation, fighting inflammation, boosting energy and maintaining kidney health.
  • White Peach Passion Fruit. A concoction of natural white peach, passion fruit, pineapple, lemon and vitamin C, it helps in improving digestion, circulation and bone health and rehydrating one’s skin.
  • Orange. The old fashioned freshly squeezed orange juice now in a can, it helps in boosting the immune system and maintaining blood pressure levels.

I was given ten cans of Goju to sample so I shared the wealth and got my family and friends to try it out with various meals throughout the day.

I don’t like heavy breakfasts so I paired my Goju Mango Orange with some hopiang baboy for a light and energizing start to my workday.

A friend paired her Goju Lemonade with her packed veggie lunch, adding a burst of sweetness to her already healthy meal.  Meanwhile, while lunching out with officemates, I partnered our Goju Orange and Goju Raspberry Lemonade with our smoked pork ribs.

I treated myself to a snack of siopao asado while sipping on my Goju Orange.

Another friend brought home her Goju Lemonade and paired it with her homemade pizza dinner prepared by her kids.

My daughter, on the other hand, snacked on a GoJu Raspberry Lemonade to energize her while she’s doing her homework.

Our consensus on this new drink product as a whole are:

  • It gives a fresh (and currently relevant) twist on the traditional ready-to-drink beverage.
  • It has a fresh and natural flavor, similar to how a freshly made juice drink will taste.
  • It can be paired with various kinds of food, at different times of the day, making it a highly flexible and adaptable beverage.
  • It has a cool aesthetic as well, very Instagrammable and fun to look at.

To maximize your enjoyment of your own Goju Natural Fruit Infusion, remember the following:

  • Shake the can well before opening.
  • Keep it refrigerated as it is best served when chilled.
  • Avoid exposing the can to high temperature.
  • The drink contains natural ingredients so some sediments may appear.

Goju Natural Fruit Infusion is available at Landmark and Anson’s in Metro Manila and at CSI Supermarket in North Luzon.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Vida Nutriscience who also provided product samples for me to review.  Product details are provided by the company as well.

This post contains affiliate links.

DIY Taco Bar at Encima Roofdeck Restaurant, Makati

The appeal of Tex-Mex cuisine for me is the interplay of the fresh and tangy flavors of citrus, tomatoes and onions with the earthy and hearty fullness of its meat dishes.

Tex-Mex cuisine is front and center at City Garden Hotel’s Encima Roofdeck Restaurant with its first anniversary offering. I was invited, along with fellow bloggers, to experience Encima’s Taco Bar, which will be launched to the public on July 2.

Encima Roofdeck Restaurant has come a long way from its beginnings as a mere alternative to the hotel’s bistro downstairs, carving out its identity, adopting the name Encima (meaning “above”). The roofdeck resto does live up to its name, giving its diners a spectacular view of the Makati skyline and the city lights.

According to City Garden Hotel’s PR and Marketing Manager, Jo Ruales, the roofdeck restaurant’s Tex-Mex Menu was developed by the hotel’s powerhouse chefs: Chefs Mario Basig, J-Ann Fernandez and Dennis Peralta. Rinna Reyes, the hotel’s F&B Manager proudly shared the resto’s Tex-Mex offerings were hailed by the cities of Makati and Manila as one of the best in the country.

The twist to Encima’s Taco Bar is in giving the guests free rein to create their taco however they want. For only Php499, diners can mix and match from the ingredients found in the bar: crisp and soft tacos; a richly-flavored Mexican Rice; beef, pork and chicken filling; grated cheese and cheese sauce, chopped onions and tomatoes, and a host of other ingredients you can add to your heart’s content.

This unlimited do-it-yourself taco bar comes with bottomless margarita and sangria, two of the restaurant’s most popular drinks.

For non-drinkers like me, the resto also offers non-alcoholic drinks like the fresh mango shake they served me.

The Taco Bar will be open every night from July 2 to August 5.

The restaurant also has a happy hour from 4pm to 8pm wherein shooters are served for only Php50 and cocktails at Php99. Beers are also paired with Tex-Mex sampler plates.

Encima Roofdeck Restaurant is located at City Garden Hotel, 7870 Durban Street corner Makati Avenue, Poblacion, Makati. For reservations, call +63 2 899 1111.

Disclosure: Together with other bloggers, I was invited to attend a Thanksgiving Dinner held in this restaurant.  All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Five Things I Love About Honestbee

Being a homebody (and an introvert to boot), I’m sometimes loathe to leave the house to do some grocery shopping, whether after a tiring workday or during the weekends when I feel like I have earned my respite.

When an officemate clued me in on Honestbee, I was thrilled at the idea. Imagine doing your grocery shopping using your computer or any mobile device, and having your goods delivered right to your doorstep!

Honestbee is an online concierge and delivery service. It keeps a pool of trained concierge shoppers (called shopper bees) who make the trip to stores near your area, pick out the freshest produce or the items specified in your order, then forwards it to one of the delivery bees so that your orders reach you in the time you specified. It’s basically like having a personal shopper for groceries!

Having logged nine grocery orders from its partner store Robinsons Supermarket for the past three months, I feel that I have enough experience with the service to list down exactly why I love it:

  • The app is so easy to use. I mainly use the Honestbee mobile app as I try not to open my laptop at home (it’s my way of keeping my work life and home life separate). I simply downloaded the app on my phone and proceeded to use it. I’ve seen some reviews provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the service but, honestly, I don’t think those are necessary. Practically anyone who knows how to use a smartphone can navigate her way around the Honestbee app.
  • No more handwritten grocery lists. Planning the trip to the grocery store used to be such a complex production number for me. I had to plan the weekly food menu, check various storage spaces for items we are running low on, ask my family members what they need, list down all the items on a piece of paper that I hopefully won’t forget when I leave for the grocery store, yada yada yada… With Honestbee, I can just place my orders via the app as I’m checking the ref, or conferring with yaya, etc.
  • I don’t have to leave the house. Did I mention I’m a homebody? I’m the kind of person who can be perfectly content hanging around the house. The time I used to carve out for grocery shopping is time I now use to play with my kids, catch up on my reading or my favorite TV shows, try out new recipes or crafts, and, of course, write this blog! Presented with with option to pay via cash or credit card, I chose credit card, eliminating the mad dash to the ATM to pay for my purchases. Plus, with the rising gas prices and the stress of having to find parking in malls and supermarkets, I’m happy as a clam to stay right at home.
  • I get additional savings from promos and rewards. Since I shop for an average-sized household, I’m usually able to unlock the FREE DELIVERY reward which eliminates the flat Php45 delivery fee from the final bill. From time to time, Honestbee would also email me promo codes that shave off as high as Php500 for a minimum order of Php2,500. I just have to indicate the promo codes during checkout for the discounts to apply.
  • Its shopper and delivery bees are friendly and helpful. My usual shopper bee, Odessa, would text me with suggested alternatives if some of the items I ordered are out of stock. One of my delivery bees, Jeffrey, ventured out in the scorching heat of the midday sun just to delivery my groceries by 12noon. I’m happy that such hardworking and accommodating people are able to earn some extra cash during their spare time through their engagement with Honestbee.

Honestbee has extended its services beyond groceries to include food delivery. Some of the places I’ve already eaten at, including Tittos and Don Bao in Kapitolyo and Pi Breakfast & Pies in The Grove, now deliver through Honestbee. So just picture yourself ordering from your favorite resto using your phone everytime you get a craving.

Have I given you enough reasons to try Honestbee? Here’s another one!

annie-spratt-96529-unsplash

Sign up for Honestbee using my referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500. I also get a similar discount, so it’s actually win-win, hmmm?

Let me know what you think!

Download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.  Don’t forget to sign up for the service first using my referral link!

Xiao Long Bao is the star in Bai Nian Tang Bao, BGC

Xiao Long Bao is comprised of a savory meat filling (usually a mixture of ground pork and shrimp flavored with chopped green onions, salt, pepper, sugar, rice wine and sesame oil) accompanied by a fragrant soup (chicken broth infused with pork fat with herbs and aromatics) inside a delicately pliable bao wrapping.  This Chinese delicacy is usually prepared in a small bamboo steaming basket called xiaolong, hence the name xiao long bao.

Boldly claiming to be the origin of xiao long bao, Bai Nian Tang Bao, located inside Bonifacio Global City, promises to sate the cravings of fans of this dish.

Trivia: Did you know there’s a right way to eat the xiao long bao? Here’s a clue: it definitely does not involve immediately popping it into one’s mouth nor biting into it as we do other dumplings.  Nope, enjoying this special dish requires some special steps:

  1. Once served, allow the baos to rest in their basket for a few minutes.  This will allow the baos and their filling to cool and settle a bit.  You might want to take this time to prepare the sauce by combining the vinegar, soy sauce and minced ginger to your taste in a small saucer.
  2. Using your chopsticks, gently pick up a bao (make sure not to pierce through the wrapping), dip in the sauce then place it squarely on your spoon.
  3. Poke a small hole at the top of the bao with your chopsticks, just enough so that some of the steam inside can get out and you can slurp the soup from inside.
  4. Once the soup has been duly slurped, you can then pop the what remains into your mouth.
  5. Repeat as desired. 🙂

During a stopover in Bonifacio Global City, the fam decided to have a quick lunch at Bai Nian Tang Bao.  We ordered Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (Php279) and Pepper Salt Chicken Strips (Php199) to go with our Beef Fried Rice (Php219) and Sausage Fried Rice (219). The pork ribs went well with the fried rice but the chicken strips were a little dry and much akin in flavor to the kind of chicken strips we would make at home. Of course, the star of the meal is the Xiao Long Bao (Php158) which was served in the traditional steaming basket. As we followed the correct way to eat this dish, we were able to fully enjoy its taste and texture.

Maybe next time we find ourselves in this resto, we’ll just get ourselves several orders of that xiao long bao, hmmm?

The restaurant has a nice minimalist feel to it with some Asian-inspired accents. The servers were also friendly and prompt with our requests.

Bai Nian Tang Bao is located at the Ground Floor, Uptown Parade, 9th Avenue corner 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.  It is open 11am to 10pm Mondays to Thursdays, 11am to 3am Fridays and 11am to 12midnight Saturdays to Sundays.

Ramen Lunch at Don Bao, Kapitolyo

On our way to a bout of museum visits for our #Saturdate, my daughter and I decided to (again!) give in to our ramen craving and have an early lunch at Don Bao.

The resto is located in the foodie-friendly Kapitolyo area, along a line of eateries near D Ace Hotel. There is limited parking space here so you may want to park your vehicle in the nearby Pioneer Center if there are no more spaces available in front of the restaurant.

The resto’s name is a portmanteau of its main offerings: the donburi, or Japanese rice bowls (such Katsu Curry Don or Special Tendon), and the baos, or Chinese steamed folded buns that can be accompanied by practically any sort of fillings.

It is a quaint restaurant with cheery and colorful interiors, punctuated by cute and playful depictions of the resto’s ninja mascot on the walls and the store’s merchandise.

Thanks to an Eatigo offer, my daughter and I were able to enjoy 50% off on our orders:

  • Gyoza (Php160). The filling was flavorful but the wrapping was not as firm we were expecting.
  • Cheesy Bao (Php125) – I was intrigued by this combination of gyuniku, cheese, onion rings ans spring onions slid into a sliced bao. While I found the contrast of textures between the saucy, crunchy filling and the soft and puffy bao, the slightly sweet taste of the cheese was too overpowering.
  • Tonkotsu Ramen (Php299). I got the regular-flavored variant of this classic ramen flavor (as opposed to the spicier version). The broth and pork belly slice were full-flavored and the noodles were firm.
  • Pork Miso Ramen (Php299). My daughter was pretty satisfied with this ramen order but she requested that the corn kernels be removed (her personal preference).

We found the meal satisfying and a good departure from our everyday meals. Plus, with the Eatigo discount, the meal was made more affordable for us.

This Don Bao branch is located at Victoria Place 1 along Brixton Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. Another branch is situated at First Capital Condominium, along Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. For queries or to book a Don Bao stall for events, call +63 998 8638671 or email donbao.ph@gmail.com.

Register to Eatigo using this link and get up to 50% off your food bill in various restaurants in the metro as well as Php150 worth of rewards.

Want to have Don Bao delivered to your home or office? Download the HonestBee app through this link and get Php500 off purchases of Php2,500 or more.

Don Bao Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Ramen for a Rainy Day at Ramen Kuroda, SM Marikina

The recent bouts of heavy rain and colder weather gave rise to a craving for a bowl of hot, steaming and hearty ramen.  There really is something about slurping on some thick hot broth that drives the rainy day blues away.

During a recent back-to-school shopping trip at SM City Marikina, the fam joined me in giving in to my ramen craving when we decided to have lunch at the newly opened branch of Ramen Kuroda.

The place seems to be a hit as there was a line of people waiting to get in.  To help facilitate faster service, the hostess already facilitated the orders of the waiting patrons so that waiting will be minimal once the diners are seated in the dining area.

This restaurant’s mantra is to “make Real Ramen part of your everyday.”  This is central to its promise to its customers to provide:

  • carefully selected ingredients such as home-made noodles, soup and seasoned garlic oil that provide their distinctive flavor
  • speedy service to satisfy busy people
  • ramen that is affordable enough that you can enjoy it everyday
  • culinary supervision by an expert ramen chef
  • Japanese-quality ramen made accessible to more Filipinos

For the family’s lunch, we ordered:

  •  Ramen Chahan sets that already include ramen, rice and fruits such as:
    • Katsudon (Php380) with Aka Ramen. As Hubby likes spicy food, he ordered the ramen with a spicy bent.
    • Gyoza (Php320) with Shiro Ramen. I ended up splitting the gyoza with my daughter and giving my rice to my son as the ramen was hearty and filling enough, albeit a little bit too garlicky.
    • Karaage (Php360) with Shiro Ramen.  My daughter found the chicken pieces a bit small but she was able to get her fill of the ramen.
  • Tonkatsu (Php240) plus Rice (Php40) for my son.

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on We found the meal as a whole filling and affordably priced, and the service staff friendly and accommodating, though a bit overwhelmed at the influx of diners.

Still, we found the resto’s mantra to have its fair share of overpromising. The resto would do well to settle on one or two propositions (such as affordability and fresh ingredients) and build from those, rather than have such lofty goals and be found lacking in some of them.

This branch is located at Ground Floor, SM City Marikina, Marcos Highway, Calumpang, Marikina City. For reservations and other queries, call + 63 2 7772839.

Other branches of Ramen Kuroda are located at:

  • SM FAIRVIEW: Annex 2 Lower Ground Floor Quirino Highway Cor.Regalado Avenue Quezon City
  • TV5: LaunchPad Reliance Corner Sherdian St. Mandaluyong City (Tel: + 63 2 6370220)
  • SM MANILA: 2/F SM Manila Conception Street Corner Arroceros and San Marcelino Streets, Manila (Tel: + 63 2 2438665)
  • CYBER & FASHION MALL EASTWOOD: 3/F Cyber and Fashion Mall Eastwood City Bagumbayan, Quezon City (Tel: + 63 2 5343414)
  • MEZZA RESIDENCES STA MESA: G/F The Strip at Mezza, Aurora Blvd. Araneta Avenue Quezon City (Tel: + 63 2 2417449)
  • VENICE GRAND CANAL MALL: 2/F Venice Grand Canal Mall, McKinley Hill, Upper McKinley Road Taguig City (Tel: + 63 2 5521170)
  • LUCKY CHINA TOWN MALL: 3/F Lucky China Town Mall, Reina Regente corner Dela Reina Streets, Binondo, Manila (Tel: + 63 2 2418157)
  • ASEANA II: Ground Floor Aseana II BRADCO Avenue Aseana City Paranaque City (Tel: + 63 2 8326246)
  • RCBC PLAZA MAKATI: 3/F RCBC PLAZA 6819 Ayala Avenue Makati (Tel: + 63 2 8326216)
  • BF HOMES: #96 Aguirre Avenue, Phase 2 BF Homes Paranaque City (Tel: + 63 2 5536824)

Unli Samgyeopsal at Korean Palace, Baguio

Similar to the phenomenon in Manila, Korean restaurants have sprouted across Baguio City, spurred no doubt by the growing appreciation for the gastronomic pleasures brought by Korean cuisine.

On our second night in the City of Pines, the fam braved the cold and drizzles and made the drive to this Korean restaurant which is quite near the apartelle where we were staying.

The resto has grown considerably since our last visit three years ago. The eating area and the parking space have been expanded. Still the place was already quite packed with the dinner crowd by the time we made our way there at 6pm.

At Php399/head, our group was able to eat out fill of samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), woosamgyup (thin beef brisket slices), pajeon (vegetable pancakes) and all sorts of side dishes. (We did have to do our own grilling, though.)

The staff were polite and accommodating but due to the sheer volume of diners, refill requests did take some time.

By the way, if you ever had that desire to have that photo opp while dressed up in traditional Korean, this place can accommodate you. You can borrow the costumes on display for picture taking purposes.

Korean Palace is located at No 38 South Drive, Baguio City. For inquiries, call + 63 74 4467557.

For tips on surviving an eat-all-you-can setup, view my blog post here.

Why not try your hand at cooking Korean food at home?  Check out these recipe books on Amazon.com!

Want to try some recipes today? There’s no need to leave home to shop for ingredients.  With Honestbee, just order your groceries online and you’ll get them delivered right at your doorstep at your preferred time. Use this referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500.  You can download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.

If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.