gyoza – Page 2 – Jellybeans in the City

No-stress meal from Jampax Foods Delivery

Momshies, just because you spend more time at home nowadays doesn’t mean you’re less stressed, right?

With all that juggling between working from home, and all the stuff you need to work on at home, it’s enough to make you get frazzled sometimes.

Fortunately, the folks over at Jampax can take stress out of preparing your family’s next meal.

A group of friends who used to work in food industry before the pandemic hit our shores banded together and put their skill sets to bear to whip up tasty yet affordable rice meals for online selling.

Here’s a sampling of what you can expect from Jampax:

Gyoza (Php45/5 pieces). Mini-versions of the popular Japanese potstickers made with ground meat and minced vegetables flavored by garlic and aromatics wrapped in thin dough wrappers. This is my daughter’s favorite dumpling and she considers no Japanese meal complete without it.

Katsudon (Php110). Tender piece of pork loin, breaded and deep-fried served with egg cooked in a sweet and savory sauce over steamed rice and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. My little boy can’t get enough of it!

Chicken Inasal (Php85 | Php100 with rice). A boneless quarter leg of chicken flavored in the traditional Ilonggo marinade of calamansi, pepper, coconut vinegar and annato then roasted until tender and flavorfully smokey.

Other dishes from Jampax’s home-cooked menu include:

Chicken Teriyaki (Php85 | Php100 with rice)
Karaage (Php85 | Php100 with rice)
Tonkatsu (Php85 | Php100 with rice)
Pork Siomai (Php40/5 pieces)
Japanese Siomai (Php55/5 pieces)

Lumpiang Shanghai (Php45/5 pieces)

These dishes are jam-packed with flavor and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways:

A single order can be a busy office worker’s hassle-free lunch
Several orders can be family’s quick and easy dinner
Large orders can be a crew meal for outdoor projects and or party fare for big celebrations

Want to stock up on food you can cook later? Jampax also offers marinated chicken wings and chicken breast fillets at Php200 per half-kilo pack (in flavors garlic parmesan, hickory barbecue and buffalo flavors), as well as frozen pork siomai, Japanese siomai, gyoza and lumpiang shanghai for Php70 per twelve-piece pack.

So momshies, kiss the stress away for your fam’s mealtime. Just order your food at Jampax by calling +63 915 5850297 or sending a message on Facebook or Instagram between 8am and 6pm daily with a two-day lead time (same day orders may be accommodated depending on stock availability). Cashless payments via BPI and GCash are accepted and encouraged. Delivery is free in selected areas in Cavite.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Get your bowl of happiness at Hanamaruken

I wasn’t always a ramen lover.

Once upon a time, I wouldn’t be able to differentiate among ramen varieties, nor appreciate the artistry that goes into crafting and delicious bowl of ramen.

That changed when I first tasted Hanamaruken’s Happiness Ramen three years ago.

Thus started my #RamenPhase that’s showing no signs of fading away.

Before the enhanced community quarantine, I was lucky enough to take my fam out to dinner one Saturday night at the place where my love affair with ramen started: Hanamaruken at The Grove along C5.

Hanamaruken is a ramen chain that originated from Osaka, Japan which was established in 1982 by Takaku Arakawa who belonged to a family of butchers. By drawing from its founder’s background in butchery, Hanamaruken became known for ramen dishes that feature choice cuts of meat and uniquely flavored broth.

There, the fam enjoyed a meal that included:

Signature Happiness Ramen (Php445 half | Php580 whole). Arakawa’s ramen masterpiece features a combination of shoyu (soy) and tonkotsu (pork bone) broth topped with ginormous piece of tender slow-braised pork bone rib. This is still my benchmark when it comes to ramen.

Pot Belly Ramen (Php410). Another showcase for the tonkotsu and shoyu broth combo topped with roasted pork belly.

Spicy Tobanjan Ramen (Php320). Tonkotsu broth spiced by tobanjan paste. Hubby liked it so much that he ordered extra noodles (Php80) to savor more of the spicy broth.

Gyoza (Php240). My daughter #ExhibitA will not consider a visit to any Japanese resto complete without these Japanese potstickers.

Ebi Tempura (Php580). Large prawns battered and deep-fried to a beautiful golden brown and served with umami-rich tempura sauce.

I look forward to tasting this kind of happiness again and again.

Wanna have your own taste of ramen happiness but can’t leave home because of the ECQ? Here’s a bit of good news for you: Hanamaruken Forbestown is now open for pickup and delivery via Grab Assistant or Lalamove. To order, call +63 917 6356254 or +63 916 2142208.

This Hanamaruken branch is located at The Grove by Rockwell, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Barangay Ugong, Pasig City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 86953643.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Forbes Retail, Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Ground Floor, Santolan Town Plaza, Colonel Bonny Serrano Avenue, Little Baguio, San Juan
Hole in the Wall, Fourth Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati City
Second Floor, Garden Wing, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City
Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Unli Japanese Hot Pot at Soru Izakaya, Tomas Morato

Nabemono (from the Japanese words nabe or “cooking pot” and mono or “thing”) is a variety of Japanese hotpot dishes. This is usually cooked on the table starting a flavored stock with diners adding pre-cooked and uncooked ingredients to the pot.

I seldom get a chance to eat at hotpot places so I got all excited when I heard that the newly opened branch of Soru Izakaya in Tomas Morato offers a hotpot dish. Dubbed the Soru Nabe Special (Php599 per person), it provides diners unlimited refills of:

Broth: choice of two among Tonkotsu, Spicy Tonkotsu, Sukiyaki, Curry, Chicken, Miso and Spicy Miso
Meat: beef, chicken and pork
Seafood: shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and fish fillet
Balls: assorted balls and kani
Noodles: vermicelli, glass noodles and egg
Entrees: gyoza, yakisoba, tempura, beef bowl, pork bowl, smoked pork bowl, chicken wings, vegetable tempura, takoyaki
Vegetables: napa cabbage, carrots, squash, white onions, enoki, bokchoy, corn, taro, kangkong and black fungus
Sides: kimchi, potato marble, kakiage, cucumber, steamed rice and chahan

You know what got me more excited? The fact that from December 11 to 18, the Soru Nabe Special is at 50% off!

So off my office friends and I went to Soru Izakaya to enjoy this offer.

This resto boasts of the same colorful and visually appealing decor which takes its cues from bishoujo (pretty girl) manga, traditional Japanese art, the colorful Tokyo night life and the emergence of speakeasies.

There’s a separate section for hotpot diners wherein two rows of four tables (total of eight tables) are equipped with table-top stoves which can accommodate the hot pots.

Each pot is divided in the middle to allow diners to cook using two different broths simultaneously.

We found the Soru Nabe Special very filling and satisfying due the variety of its inclusions.

What can be improved, though, is the spacing of the tables in the hotpot area. They were placed too close together that we had to stand to allow other diners to pass thru to their seats.

Also, the staff took some time to fulfill our refill requests.

Still, this ain’t bad for lunchtime adventure.

And here’s some good news: the unli hotpot is back from January 9 to February 9 with options for Php299 and Php399 packages, minimum of two people per table.

So what are you waiting for? Drop by with your friends and eat your fill!

This Soru Izakaya branch is located at Scout Torillo corner Scout Hernandez, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 11am to 11pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 12 midnight.

Other branches are located at:

Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
140 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Sate your Japanese food cravings at Hanako, Regis Katipunan

Japanese food remains to be among the most popular cuisines in the metro. With its focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients, simple yet meticulous food preparation that brings out the ingredients’ natural flavors, as well as the artistry involved in presentation and styling of its dishes, Japanese cuisine, has won the hearts (and tummies) of many Pinoys.

Hanako, for example, is a Japanese restaurant chain that’s geared to be among the metro’s go-to destinations with its focus on authentic yet affordable Japanese food.

“Hanako” is actually a popular girl’s name in Japan which translates to “flower girl.” As the name implies, Hanako’s dishes exemplify the simplicity and beauty of Japanese cuisine.

Recently, my gal pals from #SaanSaPH and I trooped to Hanako’s branch in Regis Center Katipunan for a late lunch. We were treated to a wondrous array of dishes which included some of my old Japanese food faves as well as new discoveries:

Miso Soup (Php54). The staple soup of many Japanese restaurants wherein miso paste is incorporated into a dashi stock with some tofu cubes. Did you know that this soup can be filling despite being low in calories because of the high protein content?

Kani Salad (Php174). A light and refreshing salad made with matchstick-sliced cucumber and carrots, shredded lettuce, strings of kani (crab) meat, tossed in Japanese mayonnaise.

Gyoza (Php89 for 2 pieces | Php159 for 4 pieces). Ground pork mixed with aromatics and spices and wrapped into dumplings which are first steamed then lightly pan-fried on one side for an interesting contrast in texture.

Sushi Rolls. One of the most popular dishes in Japanese cuisines, sushi rolls are made of specially prepared sticky vinegared Japanese rice served with other ingredients. These include the California Gunkan (Php219) – made with kani, fried salmon skin, tamago (seasoned hardboiled egg), mango, cucumber and ebiko (shrimp roe), Spicy Tuna Crunch (Php229) – made with tuna, togarashi (seven-flavor chili pepper) and tempura flakes, Philadelphia Roll (Php209) – made with salmon, kani, cream cheese, tamago and cucumber, and Five Star Roll (Php149) – made with fried salmon skin, salmon, kani, mango, teriyaki sauce, sesame and cucumber.

Salmon Tartare (Php224). Chunks of salmon mixed with Japanese mayo, togarashi, tempura flakes and chopped scallion.

Katsu Curry (Php229). Deep-fried, panko-covered pork cutlets covered in a slightly sweet curry sauce and served with rice.

Ebi Tempura (Php169 for 3 pieces | Php279 for 5 pieces). Battered and deep-fried shrimp served with a special sauce.

Fish Katsu (Php189). Fillets of fish covered in panko and deep-fried to a crispy golden brown.

Beef Omurice (Php184). Classic Japanese omelette stuffed with savory beef fried rice and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and homemade sweet umami sauce.

Grilled Salmon Head (Php149). Lightly seasoned salmon head served with homemade sweet citrus-sou dipping sauce.

Yakitori (Php149). Chicken pieces in skewers seasoned with salt, pepper,l and teriyaki sauce, which are then grilled and served on top of a bowl of steamed rice.

Donburi. Traditional rice bowl meals consisting of meat simmered or doused in a sauce made of dashi, soy sauce and mirin (rice wine) and served on top of steamed rice. These include Gyudon (Php219) – made with beef and onions, and Katsudon (Php199) – breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets simmered with onions and egg. Diners can upgrade their donburi orders to meal sets by adding Php35 for a drink, Php75 for miso soup plus drink, Php105 for a 2-piece gyoza plus drink, or Php145 for miso soup, 2-piece gyoza plus drink.

Chahan (Php79). Japanese stir-fried rice with meat bits and chopped vegetables.

Meiji Madness (Php129). Moist and chewy lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Drop by Hanako for a taste of #HandsDownGoodFood and sate your cravings for Japanese dishes!

Many thanks to the management and staff of Hanako for the warm welcome and lovely food.

This Hanako branch is located at Second Floor, Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 907 4879346.

Other branches are located at:

131-C Armstrong Avenue, Moonwalk Village Phase 1, Paranaque City
30-C Dona Soledad Avenue, Bgy. Don Bosco, Paranaque City
SM Supercenter, Fontera Verde, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Bgy. Ugong, Pasig
2nd Floor, The Rock, Holy Spirit Drive corner Marcelino Street, Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. 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.

Get ready for unli ramen at Yummy Tokyo, Maginhawa!

The rainy season is upon us. With those rain clouds come a bit of cooler weather, giving us Metro Manila denizens a much-welcome break from the heat.

But with those rainshowers and cool breezes come the craving for something hot and hearty that will warm the stomach and soothe the soul.

What better way to enjoy the rainy season than to sit down and slurp on some tasty ramen?

How about taking on Yummy Tokyo’s Unli Ramen offer?

But first, let’s get to know Yummy Tokyo and its ramen offerings.

After meticulously developed his ramen recipes, self-taught ramen master Jin Chiba left his corporate research job, found a partner who helped him launch his own brand of ramen in the Philippines, and thus, Yummy Tokyo came to be.

My friends from #SaanSaPH recently visited its store along Maginhawa Street and sampled some of its dishes, which include:

Tantanmen (Php189). Did you know that this ramen dish originated from China where it was known as “Dandanmen?” It became popular in Japan’s northern prefectures where its miso, peanut and sesame base was perfected. I like the peanutty taste, its flavorful ground pork topping and its slightly spicy kick.

Miso Ramen (Php149). Initially having gained foothold in the Sapporo and Hokkaido prefectures, it is made by incorporating lots of miso (soybean paste) with meat stock, resulting to a hearty and slightly sweet soup. Topped with a slice of tender chashu, it is quite a filling meal.

Seafood Ramen (Php149). Originating from Nagasaki, this ramen dish with a scallop base and topped with shredded cabbage, kani sticks and narutomaki, it is lighter than the other ramen dishes.

Tonkotsu (Php129). One of my all-time favorites, the soup for this ramen dish originating from the Fukuoka and Kyushu prefectures is made by boiling pork bones, fat and collagen for hours, resulting in a creamy and flavor-filled broth.

Cold Ramen (Php149). The idea behind this ramen dish originating from the Tokyo and Honshu prefectures is to top cold ramen noodles with assorted vegetables and meat then toss them in a vinegary dressing which makes for a refreshing meal.

Now, about that Unli Ramen. For only Php399, you can stuff yourself with all the broth, noodles and toppings your heart and tummy can hold.

Rainy days don’t seem so sad now, do they?

Want to take your ramen experience home with you? Why not bring home some of Yummy Tokyo’s Ramen Kits (prices range from Php149 to Php169) to enjoy the store’s tasty and authentic ramen dishes at home.

Many thanks to the folks of Yummy Tokyo for having us!

This Yummy Tokyo branch is located at 103 Maginhawa Street, Teacher’s Village East, Quezon City (inside Moonleaf Tea Shop Compound), open daily from 4pm to 12 midnight.

Another branch is located at the Fourth Floor, East Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange, Ortigas Center (inside Moonleaf Tea Shop), open weekdays from 11am to 6pm.

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

Ramen dinner at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Bellevue

I’ve been going through my #RamenPhase for several years now and it shows no sign of abating.

And why should it?

Slurping on some tasty, steaming-hot ramen is one of the most comforting things to do, specially on a chilly spring evening in the first week of my family’s visit to the Pacific Northwest.

That night, we ventured out to the beautiful city of Bellevue for dinner after a round of malling. From the mall, we walked across the Bellevue Downtown Park to the local branch of Hokkaido Ramen Santouka to enjoy the crisp spring air and to work up our appetites.

This ramen restaurant is quite familiar to us as it has several outlets in the Metro Manila. It has become one of go-to ramen places because of its tasty ramen and katsu dishes that fave become family favorites.

The restaurant was founded in Asahikawa, Hokkaido in Japan by Hitoshi Hatanaka when he produced the tonkotsu (pork bone) soup, the flavorful base of the restaurant’s ramen dishes. The soup is made by hand in all of the chain’s outlets in Japan and abroad; the process involves simmering the pork bones for twenty hours, then adding in vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other savory ingredients as well as seasonings, resulting in a mild but tasty broth. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka’s bowls are also specially made, with a specific thickness that slows the cooling down of the broth, allowing diners to enjoy their ramen in steaming-hot soup for as long as possible.

Upon arriving, we entered our name in the tablet provided so that we can be part of the wait list, one of the innovations that we haven’t yet encountered back home.

The place was cozy and frenetic with activity, from new customers being ushered in and the orders and requests being called out.

For tonight’s meal, our group got for ourselves several orders of our favorites:

Shio Ramen. The restaurant’s signature dish featuring a milky white salt-based broth, firm hand-pulled noodles, slices of marinated chashu pork belly and more.

Neginanban Ramen. The resto’s spiciest ramen variant topped with chashu, fried onions, onions and jalapenos.

Karamiso Ramen. A miso-based ramen with bit of red chilis to spice it up.

Tonkatsu. Deep-fried pork cutlet covered in crispy panko breadcrumbs and served with a tangy katsu sauce.

With our ramen and katsu orders, we also availed of sides such as the aji-tama (soft-boiled egg marinated in a soy-based sauce) and gyoza (pan-fried dumplings filled with minced pork).

With our dinner at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, the fam was able to enjoy some of the flavors we love back home right here in Bellevue.

This Hokkaido Ramen Santouka branch is located at 103 Bellevue Way, NE, Suite 3, Bellevue, WA 98004, open daily from 11am to 9pm. For inquiries or reservations, call +1 425 4620141.

For more details, visit www.santouka-usa.com.

Check out the other restos I’ve tried in the Washington State area: