grill – The Jellybeans Edit

A Spanish-inspired Feast from Chef Tatung at Azadore

Indulging in a delightful lunch with my officemates at Azadore, Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou’s newest restaurant in the Tomas Morato area, was a culinary adventure that transported us harried office workers to a world of international flavors with a touch of homegrown flair. There, we were able to experience Chef Tatung’s passion for food and sense of nostalgia which resulted to a memorable dining experience.

Romancing the Grill: Chef Tatung’s Concept

Drawing inspiration from his cherished memories of backyard barbecue parties and family gatherings, Chef Tatung crafted Azadore as an international grill with a heartwarming touch of home. The name itself, a playful fusion of “asador,” meaning “fire pit or grill” in South American countries, and “adore,” symbolizing love and cherish, perfectly captures the essence of this culinary haven.

A Journey Back in Time: The Converted Ancestral Home

As we stepped into Azadore, housed in a converted ancestral home on Scout Fernandez Street in Quezon City, we were instantly captivated by its timeless charm. The mid-century post American-era family home, transformed into a beautiful dining destination, enveloped us in a nostalgic embrace inspired by Chef Tatung’s childhood memories of grilling in his Cebu garden and his grandmother’s dining table.

Converting an almost 80-year-old home into a 300-seater restaurant was no small feat, but with the expertise of interior designer Ivy Almario, the team infused their unique style into the space while preserving its classic allure. The original footprint of the house was respected, paying homage to its architectural bones. Original materials and flooring were retained, gracefully blending the past with a modern twist. Azadore embodies the idea that we can embrace the present and future while staying connected to our roots and cherished traditions.

A Haven for Gatherings: Azadore’s Unique Spaces

Azadore offers a haven for both large and intimate gatherings. With an indoor seating capacity of 113 and the Breezeway Terrace, an al fresco area accommodating 180 people, the restaurant provides an ideal setting for various occasions. Whether it’s a family reunion, a milestone celebration like a birthday or anniversary, or even corporate events such as product launches or seminars, Azadore can caters to various large group functions. Former bedrooms have been transformed into private dining rooms, offering a more intimate ambiance for special gatherings.

A Spanish-Inspired Respite: Our Flavorful Escape

Amidst the hustle and bustle of our busy workday, we found respite in Azadore’s Spanish-inspired dishes. Chef Tatung’s vision of serving Spanish fare the way we Filipinos know and love them truly came alive in our lunch experience. Here are the highlights of our delectable feast:

Dinner rolls and butter

This much appreciated complimentary dish helped to tide us over while waiting for our orders to be served.

Paella Negra (Php1,350)

A captivating dish featuring rice flavored with squid ink, adorned with succulent octopus, shrimp, and clams. The flavors mingled harmoniously, creating a medley that pleased both the eyes and the taste buds. It is served with a side of creamy aioli but I preferred the rice dish without it.

Salpicao (Php690)

Tender cubes of beef tenderloin sautéed to perfection in garlic, butter, and wine. This may be a little “sauce-ier” than my usual preference for salpicao but it went well with our paella.

Gambas con Chorizo (Php950)

A mouthwatering combination of prawns, garlic, homemade smoked chorizo, parsley butter, and a hint of lemon juice. The flavors danced on our tongues, showcasing the skillful fusion of Spanish and Filipino influences.

These dishes were served in portions that suited our group of four quite well, resulting in well-satisfied foodies who can happily go back to being corporate drones.

In addition to savoring the sumptuous dishes, we couldn’t resist capturing the moment with some delightful photo opportunities. Azadore’s charming ambiance and visually appealing presentations provided the perfect backdrop for our Instagram-worthy snapshots.

A Culinary Adventure Awaits at Azadore

Azadore, Chef Tatung’s newest restaurant, has undoubtedly become a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts seeking a delightful blend of international and local flavors. The passion and expertise poured into every aspect of this culinary gem, from its nostalgic concept to its converted ancestral home, make it a truly exceptional dining experience. Whether you’re planning a gathering with loved ones or simply seeking a delectable respite from the everyday, Azadore promises a journey that will satisfy both your palate and your heart.

Embark on your own gastronomic adventure and discover the warmth and flavors of Azadore, where the love for food and cherished memories come together in perfect harmony.

Azadore is located at 111 Scout Fernandez Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, contact +63 917 101 0070.

Stay updated on its menu and offers by following Azadore on Facebook and Instagram.

Delicious MEAT-up at Meat Depot, UP Town Center

Are you a certified carnivore like me?

Then, I’m sure you’re always on the lookout for juicy, flavorful and succulent morsels that you can sink your teeth into.

And where to find meats galore that you’re craving for?

Meat Depot, of course!

Meat Depot is both a butcher shop that carries a wide variety of meats, poultry and seafood, and a steakhouse. It is a place for meat enthusiasts to indulge their love for meat and meat products.

Whether locally raised or internationally sourced, its meat products are professionally handled from farm to plate as Meat Depot takes utmost care to comply with industry-certified procedures and employ industrial-grade facilities for meat handling, storage and cutting.

Socially conscious buyers can rest easy knowing that Meat Depot also champions conscientious butchery and helps to raise awareness for ethical slaughtering processes and food safety.

Over the years, the fam (and our extended family) have developed a liking for Meat Depot due to the quality of its meat products and the masterful grilling of its steaks.

After taking a break from dining in at our favorite steak place for over two years due to the pandemic, the fam was able to try out another one of Meat Depot’s branches, this time at UP Town Center in Quezon City.

Its chillers house various steak options to suit the tastes of all kinds of steak lovers, from the most basic to the most discerning:

Black Mountain: Ribeye, Striploin, Tenderloin, T-bone, Porterhouse, Tomahawk
Star: Ribeye
Clear River: Ribeye, Striploin
Lamb: Lamb Chop and Lamb Steak
Local: Ribeye, Striploin, Tenderloin, T-bone, Porterhouse

After selecting our steaks, the steakhouse’s expert griller set about grilling them to come out all juicy and flavorful and marked by those gorgeous grill marks, of course!

Newbie steak fans can take some pointers from Meat Depot’s cooking guide on various stages of doneness:

Blue: grilled for 30 seconds on each side.
Rare: grilled for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, resulting to a steak that’s seared on the outside while the inside is mostly red. This meat is soft and tender.
Medium Rare: grilled for 1 minute to 1 minute and 15 seconds on each side, resulting to a steak that’s seared on the outside while the inside is half-red. This is the recommended doneness of most chefs as it has the perfect texture.
Medium: grilled for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes on each side, resulting to a steak with a rosy pink interior and slightly firmer texture. This is the preferred doneness of most steak lovers, my fam included.
Medium Well: grilled for 3 to 5 minutes on each side resulting to a steak with a mostly brown center and firm texture. This level of doneness is well-suited to people who may be squeamish and prefer not to see color in their meat.
Well Done: grilled for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, resulting to a steak a brown center with a very firm texture. Surprisingly, a lot of people prefer their steaks this way.

To make our steak meal complete, we opted to pair our steaks with mushroom sauce and side dishes that include steamed rice, mashed potatoes and marbled potatoes in balsamic dressing.

Wouldn’t you love to also MEAT up with your family and friends for a flavorful and filling steak meal at Meat Depot?

Then hie yourselves over to any of these Meat Depot branches located at:

2/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, North Avenue, Quezon City
815 Banawe Street, Brgy. St. Peter, Quezon City
283 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City
G/F Paseo de Magallanes, Magallanes, Makati City
2/F O Square 2, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City
Corner Market, 2/F The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
3/F Robinsons Galleria, EDSA, Quezon City
G/F U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City

You can also shop for your steaks and other meat products online through Meat Depot’s website and enjoy free shipping for orders exceeding Php2,500.

Stay updated on Meat Depot’s products and offers by following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Meat Depot:

Meat Depot, Greenhills — Steakin’ it easy at Meat Depot

Steak break at Meat Depot

If you’re a true-blue carnivore like me, a big hunk of steak would be one of your ultimate gustatory pleasures.

Just imagine: a sizeable well portioned slice of beef, rightly seasoned and then seared over on a hot grill over charcoal or a cast-iron pan to the perfect juicy and tender doneness (and no, it won’t be well-done).

What’s not to love?

From the contrast of its seared surface to the reddish tender flesh underneath, its wonderful aroma wafting to your nostrils, to its strong flavor and rich, juicy mouthfeel, a perfectly cooked steak is a multi-sensory experience.

For me, the go-to place for this kind of epicurean delight is Meat Depot in Greenhills.

With the pandemic still a consideration, Meat Plus implemented health and safety measures for strict compliance inside its stores to keep its customers and staff safe. These include:

Wearing of face masks inside the premises and conduct of respiratory etiquette (covering of nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing)
Temperature check and footbath upon entry
Frequent washing and sanitizing of hands
Maintaining 6-foot distance from other people

All store personnel are also required to face masks and disposable gloves, while the stores and their equipment are cleaned and sanitized on an hourly basis.

Being both a butcher shop that carries a wide variety of meats, poultry, seafood, and of course, steaks, as well as a steakhouse, Meat Depot allows you to select your preferred meats from among the choicest cuts to bring home or turn over to the store’s expert grillers who can cook them up for you to enjoy in a jiffy. You can also select which sauces and sides will go with your cooked meats.

Such was the case when Hubby and I dropped by after a running a few errands to give in to our steak cravings.

Rib Eye (Php870 + Php150 cooking charge)

We know that we can count on Meat Depot to bring out all the possibilities in flavor, juiciness and tenderness of our chosen steaks.

Lamb Chop (490.42 + Php150 cooking charge)

Similarly, Meat Depot did not disappoint with our Grilled Lamb Chops, which are tender and full-flavored with every bite.

Well, the true-blue carnivore in me surely got her wish!

With some family celebrations coming up, we took advantage of the opportunity to stock up on some Rib-Eye (Php2,670/kg) that we can grill at home.

Hubby masterfully pan-grilled these steaks for our family celebration. This way, we were able to indulge our carnivorous cravings at home!

So if you’re craving for a delicious piece of steak or specialty meat that you can enjoy when you dine out or you can cook at home, check out Meat Depot.

Meat Depot branches are located at:

2/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, North Avenue, Quezon City
815 Banawe Street, Brgy. St. Peter, Quezon City
283 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City
G/F Paseo de Magallanes, Magallanes, Makati City
2/F O Square 2, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City
Corner Market, 2/F The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
3/F Robinsons Galleria, EDSA, Quezon City
G/F U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City

Click here to reserve a table or here to shop online among Meat Depot’s extensive selections of meats.

Family-style dining at 121 Restaurant, Allegro Center

Makati is a pretty bustlin’ place during weekdays but come the weekend, many of its happenin’ venues turn into relatively quiet spots where you and the fam can go for a meal.

Take 121 Restaurant at Allegro Center for example. After hours during weekdays, it may be a watering hole for Makati’s young urban professionals.

During one Saturday, however, it was the setting for a nice family-style lunch where my fellow foodies and I enjoyed 121’s take on down-home Pinoy dishes, such as:

121 Pork Sisig (Php289 solo | Php1,029 barkada). The staple of any Filipino dine-out experience, 121’s version is meaty and crunchy.

Empanada (Php39 per piece | Php159 for 5-piece sampler). Available in vegan steak picado, ham and cheese, chicken pastel, pulled pork and beef picadillo flavors.

Lumpiang Shanghai (Php219 solo | Php839 barkada). Remember those lumpias that are practically all wrapper? Well, these are overflowing with minced pork, surrounded by a thin layer of golden brown crispy lumpia wrapper.

Pork Sinigang (Php279). The Pinoy’s go-to soup dish!

Grilled Liempo (Php249) and Grilled Porkchop (Php249). We Pinoys sure are fans of inihaw! These are juicy, smoky pork belly and pork chop pieces that go so well with good ole’ steamed rice and 121’s very own secret sauce!

Champorado Cheesecake (Php119). The Pinoy’s favorite breakfast cereal is now in cheesecake form! Need I say more?

These specialties are best enjoyed surrounded by your nears-and-dears during a boisterously happy lunch, just like we did!

Many thanks to Daryl and Issa of 121 Restaurant for having us!

By the way, with Zomato Gold, you get a dish free when you dine at 121 Restaurant with a friend. Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 (Buy 1 Get 1) deals on food or 2+2 (Buy 2 Get 2) deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use the code JELLYB to get 45% off the membership fee.

This 121 Restaurant branch is located at Second Floor, Allegro Center, Pasong Tamo Extension, Magallanes, Makati City, open Mondays to Saturdays from 9am to 1am. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 88560529.

Other branches are located at:

121 L. P. Adamson building, Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig
Third Floor, BGC Stopover Pavillion, Rizal Drive corner 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon City

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting held in 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.

Unli Japanese fusion dishes at Yakikai Buffet Restaurant

Bid adieu to your diets, Quezon City peeps, because here’s another reason to eat all you can!

Hidden away in one of the streets in Quezon City’s Scout area is a newly opened restaurant offering unli servings of Japanese fusion dishes: Yakikai. Its name is a combination of the Japanese words “yaki” (which means “grilled”) and “kai” (which translates to “meeting or gathering”).

Set in a renovated two-story house along Dr. Lazcano Street, Yakikai offers diners comfortable seating options indoors or al fresco.

Here, families and friends can meet up and enjoy each other’s company while indulging themselves in refillable yakiniku and a buffet of Japanese and Korean dishes.

And thanks to Yakikai’s Opening Promo, you and your gang can gorge yourselves on its set meals at discounted rates this December!

Premium Set (Php339 from Php499). Includes chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken yakiniku, samgyupsal, galbi sauce pork, peppered pork shoulder loin, sliced beef, beef tare yakiniku, spicy beef and fresh shrimp.

Emperor Set (Php599 from Php699). Includes chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken yakiniku, samgyupsal, spicy samgyupsal, galbi sauce pork, peppered pork shoulder loin, sliced beef, beef tare yakiniku, spicy beef, fresh shrimp, beef steak (chuck eye roll), jjamppong nobe, salmon sashimi and ebi tempura.

Both already sets include unli refills of cheese as well.

Plus, birthday celebrants can eat for free within their birthday month as long as they’re accompanied by seven full-paying adults and can present a valid ID.

With its comfortable surroundings, wide array of dishes and its accommodating wait staff, Yakikai seems poised to be the new destination of choice for buffet hunters.

So go ahead and schedule the next barkada meet up or family celebration at Yakikai! And be sure to wear something loose (wink! wink!).

Thanks to Bunny of AlwaysTheFunnyGirl for extending the invitation!

Yakikai Buffet Restaurant is located at 122 Dr. Lazcano Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open daily from 4pm to 2am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 927 1383980 or +63 929 8235452.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare to facilitate honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.