Eat – Page 137 – Jellybeans in the City

Satisfying Japanese fare at Ariake

Japanese cuisine is characterized by fresh ingredients prepared in accordance to the season as well as simple yet artistic plating. Both are present in Ariake such that it’s among our group’s go-to lunch places for a Japanese meal.

Among its dishes that I recommend are:

Crunchy Tuna Sashimi (Php255) – raw tuna mixed with tempura flakes and a special dressing
Ebi Tempura (Php180 for 3 pieces)
Beef Teppan (Php355) – cubed tenderloin steak with sauteed vegetables
Tokyo Style Ramen (Php250) – shoyu-based soup, pork slices, boiled egg, leeks and cabbage

Ariake is located at Unit C Barretto Building, 284 Tomas Morato Corner Scout Rallos, Sacred Heart, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Mille feuille katsu in Katsu Sora

The katsu, previously known as katsuretsu, is a type of yoshoku – Western-influenced cooking in Japanese cuisine – which, in this case is the Wiener Schnitzel. The term katsuretsu is actually the Japanese pronunciation of “cutlet.”

Restaurants that specialize in katsu have recently grown in popularity. One such restaurant is Katsu Sora. I have dined in its Greenhills and Eastwood branches and I have enjoyed my meals there.

My go-to order in Katsu Sora is the mille-feuille katsu which is made up of layers of thinly sliced pork, breaded and deep-fried to a crispy golden brown. (Mille-Feuille Set – Php325)

Another favorite is the salmon fry which consists of large cuts of Pacific salmon prepared the katsu way. (Salmon Fry Set – Php465)

Both come with all-you-can-eat salad from Katsu Sora’s salad bar (the only one to offer such among the katsu places I’ve tried), unlimited rice and bottomless miso soup which make for very full tummies!

Katsu Sora’s branches are located at the following:

2nd Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City
2nd Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan
4th Floor, Trinoma Mall, North Triangle, Quezon City
2nd Floor, SM City BF Paranaque, Sucat Road, Paranaque City
Ayala Malls Serin, Barangay Crossing Silang East, Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road, Tagaytay City

A Place for Wine Lovers: Chateau Ste. Michelle

During my trip to Seattle last summer, my brother took me to Woodinville for a wine-tasting in Chateau Ste. Michelle. It is the oldest winery in Washington State which boasts of stately grounds, lush gardens and an amphitheater where outdoor concerts can be held.

I’m not much of a wine drinker but I loved Chateau Ste. Michelle’s grounds and the winery interiors.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is located at 14111 NE 145th Street, Woodinville, WA 98072. For inquiries and bookings, call (425) 488-1133 or (425) 415-3633 or email info@ste-michelle.com. For more information, visit its website.

Steak Craving Satisfied at Mad Mark’s Creamery and Good Eats, Glorietta

I loved eating at the Kapitolyo branch. I recommended the Glorietta 5 branch to my balikbayan friend for our get-together as she wanted to meet up in Makati.

The place can get really full around lunch time (and the seating can get cramped) so I was lucky to get a table for two as soon as I got in.

We loved the juicy, well-seasoned Signature Steaks. I prefer mine medium-done and accompanied by garden grains (buttered fried rice with veggie bits) and bacon potato salad. My friend preferred hers well-done with steamed rice and mashed potatoes.

Of course, a meal at Mad Mark’s is not complete without ice cream. I veered away from my usual order of Half-Baked Madagascar and opted for the Motherlode (walnuts and pecans, yum!). My friend found her new favorite in the Chocolate on Chocolate.

Mad Mark’s has just become our new go-to place for our meet-ups.

Italian Food Trip at Friuli Trattoria

My coworkers and I decided to take advantage of the relatively lighter traffic and held one of our (in)famous happy lunches in Maginhawa Street. We opted for Friuli the consensus among the group was in favor of Italian food. We ordered Bacon and Egg Carbonara, Tuna Carbonara, Puttanesca, Mushroom Pizza and Cheesesteak Pizza. IMHO, the pizzas are ok but I’ve tasted homemade pasta better than those served here. Plus, I can’t believe they charge P10 for 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese!

Friuli Trattoria is located at 79A Maginhawa St., UP Village, Quezon City, near Holy Family School.

Chinese restos like Hap Chan are great for family dinners

I took my folks here for a nice family dinner. I always say that Chinese restos are great for family dinners because the viands are served family style which encourage sharing and bonding. We ordered our favorite Chinese food: