coffee jelly – Jellybeans in the City

Filling Japanese lunch at Yoshinoya, SM Megamall

Back when my office was located in the Ortigas area, a lunchtime sojourn to SM Megamall was a frequent occurrence.

For one thing, it’s just a short cab (or FX) ride away; my officemates and I can easily grab a quick meal, enjoy the change of scenery, and be back at our desk usually before our bosses came back from their own lunch outs.

Another reason is the sheer number of affordable and delicious dining options available, which, sadly, far outnumbers those housed in our office building’s cafeteria.

One of our favorite SM Megamall haunts is Yoshinoya, the second-largest chain of gyudon restaurants in the world. It makes Japanese rice bowls and more easily accessible to Pinoys through its affordable menu items that don’t scrimp on fresh ingredients.

Sadly, our office moved locations and a lunchtime trip to Yoshinoya is no longer as convenient.

Plus, with the quarantine restrictions still in place, I really haven’t been going out much.

That is, until my daughter #ExhibitA and I went shopping for supplies at SM Megamall.

Giving in to #ExhibitA’s request for us to eat somewhere which offers gyoza, I decided to treat her to lunch at Yoshinoya. There, we refueled after a round of shopping with these dishes:

Gyoza (Php79). Pork and vegetable-filled dumplings steamed then pan-grilled for a satisfying mix of chewy and crunchy textures and served with a dipping sauce.

California Maki (Php79). A sushi roll containing cucumber, kani and mango bits.

Pork Tonkatsu Bento (Php189). Deep fried breaded pork served in a bento box with macaroni salad, tiramisu and served with Tonkatsu sauce.

Regular Gyudon Beef (Php159 ala carte | Php189 solo meal with with red iced tea and coffee jelly). Tender beef slices are simmered in a special herb and spice broth together with sliced onions and then served on top of a bowl of steaming rice.

Green Tea Ice Cream (Php50).

Well, with these flavorful Japanese dishes that don’t burn a whole through my wallet, I am quite satisfied with my return to Yoshinoya!

This Yoshinoya branch is located at Upper Ground Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, open daily from 10am to 9pm. For delivery, call +63 2 2882888.

Other branches are located at:

Food Court, Level 1, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, Quezon City
Second Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
Second Floor, Annex Building, SM City Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City
Valero Carpark 2, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Second Floor, Glorietta 1, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City
Fourth Floor, SM City Manila, Ermita, Manila
Ground Floor, North Wing, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City

To know more about Yoshinoya, visit its website or follow it on Facebook or Instagram.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

Have your drink your way at Make Your Own Cafe, Maginhawa

With the proliferation of milk tea places all around the metro, how does a new player stand out from the pack?

By hingeing its bets on its sinkers – those little add-ons that you put into your milk tea.

Make Your Own Cafe’s unique selling proposition is its unlimited sinkers (at Php20 each) which include homemade boba pearls (in original, honey and espresso flavors), egg pudding, nata de coco and jellies (in grass, coffee, brown sugar varieties), Oreo crumbs and more.

Add these decision points on top of the drink options on the menu – which include milk teas, fruit teas, fizzy pops, blended ice, cheese + tea, coffee and hot drinks – and you’ll soon find yourself overwhelmed with all the choices before you.

During a recent foodie meetup at the cafe’s newly opened branch in Quezon City’s famous Maginhawa Street, my foodie friends from #SaanSaPH and I were faced with the same quandary: which drink to choose from such an extensive plethora of choices.

My advice for your first time at Make Your Own Cafe? Be adventurous and go for a flavor you’ve never tried before. That way, your MYO experience is as unique and memorable as the cafe itself.

My chosen drink was the Spring Jasmine Cheese (Php120 regular | Php130 large). The light, floral and fruity tea was given an added richness by a thick, creamy and decadent layer of cheese foam. Its taste reminds me of the freshness of spring, while the cheese foam provides a slightly salty contrast to the tea.

My friends and I enjoyed our chosen drinks while sharing the snacks provided by the cafe which included:

Wings (Php176 for 6 pieces; in garlic parmesan, buffalo, sweet and spicy, barbecue and sriracha honey flavors)

Cheese Quesadilla (Php105)

Cheese Nachos (Php105)

Backyard Barbecue Burger (Php180)

Bacon Cheeseburger (Php210)

Pastas (Php180 each, which include Aligue, Truffle and Longganisa Aglio Olio)

Dessert Cakes: Sans Rival and Blueberry Cheesecake

At Make Your Own Cafe, you get to choose from a wide selection of drinks and truly make it your own, plus you can enjoy it with such tasty dishes.

(Photo Credit: Bebe Co)

Thanks to Kian of Kianventures for extending the invite and the awesome people behind Make Your Own Cafe for the warm welcome and the yummy food!

This Make Your Own Cafe branch is located at Ground Floor, Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, open daily from 6am to 12 midnight. For food and franchise inquiries, call +63 2 9689696 or +63 917 6779696.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers of #SaanSaPH, I was invited to attend a foodie meetup held here wherein in food drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Hearty and tasty comfort food at Chef Robert, Greenhills

So, what is comfort food?

It is a repast that triggers nostalgia or sentiment in someone: your mom’s signature chicken soup, crispy fried chicken that your family treats you too when you get good grades, or freshly baked pan de sal whose smell waft into your nostrils as you walk by the panaderia.

This is food ingrained with our personal memories, and aside from sating our hunger, it also soothes out soul.

This is the kind of food that Chef Robert serves. Hearty and tasty, his dishes remind us of the food that mom used to serve at home for Sunday brunch, or the ones your titas used to make for family gatherings while also introducing new ways to enjoy classic Filipino viands.

Together with my fellow foodies, I visited the newly opened Chef Robert branch in Greenhills, where the restaurant transfered after closing its branch in Banawe, Quezon City. Carlo, the restaurant’s marketing manager, and Chef Robert himself was there to welcome us and give us a taste of the restaurant’s signature offerings which included:

Mushroom Fritters (Php195). A light starter for the meal which has the crispy feel of chicharon (pork rind) but less of the guilt. It is well complemented by the restaurant’s house vinegar blend.

Salad Rolls in Kani Mango (Php145 solo | Php245 regular). A fresh way to enjoy salad rolls, this has Japanese element to it with an interesting interplay of salty flavor from the kani and sweetness from the mango.

Bicol Express Pasta (Php225). According to TV host and foodie Tonipet, this dish is “matapang, masarap saka malasa.” This is a pasta dish that you will definitely come back for.

Alamang Fried Rice (Php175). Good for up to four people, it goes well with many of Chef Robert’s viands.

Tofu Sisig on Eggplant Torta (Php265). The smokey flavor of the eggplant lends well to the savory tofu.

Bangus Sisig (Php205 regular | Php325 big). A bit sweeter than the usual sisig, it also makes for a healthy alternative to the classic pork sisig dish.

Crispy Kare-Kare (Php345). Crispy deep-fried pork belly slices accompanied by steamed veggies in a rich peanut-y Kare Kare sauce and accompanied by bagoong (fermented shrimp paste).

Crispy Embutido with Egg (Php205). The holiday staple embutido is given a makeover by coating slices in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and deep frying them to a crispy golden brown. These are accompanied by garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up egg, making it a hearty breakfast meal.

Coffee Jelly (Php140). Cubes of coffee jelly in a sweet cream and topped with a scoop of ice cream, a perfect cap to the meal.

With these flavorful and hearty dishes, it is easy to see that Chef Robert brings his ten years of culinary experience to bear to serve mouth-watering fare to San Juan city denizens.

Thanks to Dom of Around the City by iDomne and Jen of Sand Under My Feet for extending the invitation.

Have an appetite for pasta? Check out Chef Robert’s Unli Pasta offer! For only Php299 get unlimited refills of your choice of pasta among Bicol Express Pasta, Linguini Alfredo and Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti. Your order already comes with refillable red iced tea and a single serving of coffee jelly. See if you can beat the current record of eight refills!

Chef Robert is located at Os2 Providence Building, 55 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan City, open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11.30am to 9pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 11am to 9pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 2556309, +63 917 8654780 or +63 933 8664503.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants:

Lunchtime Sojourn at Lazat Fil-Asian Resto-Bar, Tomas Morato

As I’ve said, time and again, taking a lunch break is crucial for my continued sanity. 🙂

Every once in a while, when our schedules permit it, my coworkers and I come together on culinary adventure to explore the gastronomic possibilities offered by the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area.

One such place is Lazat Fil-Asian Resto-Bar. Recently rebranded from its former name Cerchio, the restaurant offers a fusion of Filipino and Asian flavors to be enjoyed in a modern, well-appointed and relaxing place. “Lazat” means “delicious” in Malay, which, I think, sums up the synergy of all these elements.

Some in our group have dined here before and were raving about the Crispy Tadyang (beef ribs), so, of course, the rest just have to all go there to taste it for ourselves.

Even before tasting its food, I was impressed with Lazat’s interiors. A spacious floor space, high ceilings and large windows that let in lots of natural light make the space seem expansive and airy. The combination of sleek, black-and-white furniture with green elements such as large potted plants and hanging greens added a feeling of freshness to the place.

Upstairs are function rooms that can serve as venues for private parties, corporate events or grand family reunions.

Given the size of our group, we ordered a feast from among Lazat’s offerings:

Pakbet (Php265)

Chunks of grilled bangus (milkfish) belly are added to this classic Ilocano vegetable stew.

Spicy Kangkong (Php185)

Water spinach is sauteed in garlic and chilis.

Thai Spring Rolls (Php165)

These Thai vegetable rolls are served with sweet chili and Thai fish sauces.

Crispy Tadyang (Php495)

Crispy on the outside, fork tender on the inside, this beef rib dish is served with Pinakurat (spiced coconut vinegar).

Beef Kare-Kare (Php525)

This signature Filipino dish made of oxtripe and tail stewed in rich peanut sauce and served with Lazat’s house-made bagoong (shrimp paste).

To cap off our meal, we had a cup of Coffee Jelly (Php165), a Chocolate Dome Cake (Pho280) and a Mini Sans Rival (Php200), along with Cafe Americano (Php90) and Cafe Latte (Php100).

Lazat’s food and decor make it a great place for a relaxing, re-energizing weekday lunch or a festive Sunday family brunch.

Lazat Fil-Asian Resto-Bar is located at 76 Scout Limbaga Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 3515279 or email lazatqc@gmail.com.

Did you know that Lazat provides free valet parking? No need to stress yourself trying to find parking space just to enjoy great food.

And if you really have no time to go out to eat, Lazat delivers via Honestbee! Sign up for Honestbee using 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.