where to eat in eastwood – Jellybeans in the City

4 reasons to head to the newly re-opened 121 Restaurant, Eastwood City

As our days become ever busier with responsibilities at work claiming more and more of our time and energy, it feels good to escape at the end of our work day and just let loose with our friends from time to time, doesn’t it?

And where better to do those than at the innovator of Manila nightlife? Here are 4 reasons my foodies friends I discovered on why your after-hours destination should be the newly re-opened 121 Restaurant in Eastwood City.

1. Its location at the center of the action.

Located along Eastwood Citywalk in Eastwood City Libis, 121 Restaurant is easily accessible to people from all over the metro. Plus, if you reside in one of the Eastwood City condos or work in one of the surrounding offices you also get to enjoy quick access to this prime destination.

2. Its recently refreshed interiors

If you’re a long-time regular of 121 Restaurant, you will definitely note a significant transformation in its decor. Brighter colors and updated furnishings welcome you and provide a lovely setting for your meal. Plus, colorful murals pay tribute to the locale – there’s one depicting the BPO workers that populate Eastwood City and one of renowned indigenous tattoo artist Wang Od.

These aesthetic changes elevate 121 Restaurant from a simple night-time eatery into an all-day culinary haven.

3. Its menu of all-time Pinoy food faves and bar fare

Central to practically every Pinoy celebration and get-together is the food. After all, good eats can definitely fuel good times, yes? 121 Restaurant boasts of a menu of classic Pinoy dishes and bar chows – available in solo or good-for-sharing sizes – that you’ll all find yourselves craving for again and again.

While alcoholic drinks and cocktails are available, if the gang is not up to imbibing spirits, an Iced Tea Tower can quench the thirst of everyone in the group.

4. Its Canta Rooms for your #BiritPaMore moments

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Pinoys love to sing, whether in celebration or to release some tension or pent-up energy. Fortunately, this 121 Restaurant has three Canta Rooms – private KTV rooms that can seat up to fifteen guests each – giving you and your companions the space and freedom to sing your hearts out.

Canta Rooms are available for a minimum of Php1500/hour, fully consumable (depending on the room size), but it’s best to get a package of room, chows and drinks so you can immediately proceed to your singing sesh and make the most of the celebration. Just choose from the packages below and select one item per step:

Package 1 (Php2,000 – 1 hour consumable up to 8 pax)

Step 1: Choose 1 among Pinoy Spaghetti, Pancit Canton or Mac ‘N Cheese
Step 2: Choose 1 among Fish Crackers, French Fries or Sizzling Cheesy Corn
Step 3: Choose 1 among Cocktails, Iced Tea or Sodas

Package 2 (Php4,000 – 3 hours consumable up to 8 pax)

Step 1: Choose 1 among Lumpiang Shanghai, Pork Siomai or Tofu Sisig
Step 2: Choose 1 among Beer (Lite, Pale, Red Horse or Flavored), Juice or Sodas
Step 3: Choose 1 among Nachos, Tokwa’t Baboy or French Fries
Step 4: Choose 1 among Johnnie Walkers 750 or Jack Daniels 750

Package 3 (Php5,500 – 3 hours consumable up to 10 pax)

Step 1: Choose 1 among Lumpiang Shanghai, Pork Siomai or Tofu Sisig
Step 2: Choose 1 among Beer (Lite, Pale, Red Horse or Flavored), Cocktails, Iced Tea or Sodas
Step 3: Choose 1 among Nachos or Tokwa’t Baboy
Step 4: Choose 1 among Cuervo Tequila 700, Red Wine or Whyte and Mackay
Step 5: Choose 1 among Chocolate Brownies, Polvoron or Sliced Apples

With its combination of great food and great fun, you can be assured of a great time at 121 Restaurant, no matter if it’s payday or petsa de peligro.

Many thanks to Daryl of 121 Restaurant for having us!

This 121 Restaurant branch is located along Eastwood Citywalk (beside Salamangka), 188 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Eastwood City, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 87093860.

Other branches are located at:

121 L. P. Adamson building, Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 85555411)
Second Floor, Allegro Center, Pasong Tamo Extension, Magallanes, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 88560529)
Third Floor, BGC Stopover Pavillion, Rizal Drive corner 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (Tel: +63 2 88928301)

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to attend a food tasting event held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and in exchange for honest reviews.

Check out my previous posts about 121 Restaurant:

Family-style dining at 121 Restaurant, Allegro Center

Drinks, bar chows and songs at 121 Restaurant, BGC Stopover

A Teishoku Feast at Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant

Despite having diverse personal interests, my husband’s and my tastes do converge when it comes to food, and one of our favorite cuisines, of course, is Japanese food.

Having espied an erstwhile untried Japanese restaurant as we were running some errands in Eastwood Mall, we decided on having our lunch there. That establishment is Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant, a Japanese chain that specializes in teishoku, or Japanese set meals.

What is Teishoku?

Teishoku (定食) is a Japanese set meal that typically consists of rice, miso soup, a main dish, and a side dish or two. The main dish can be anything from grilled fish to tempura to curry, and the side dishes can vary depending on the restaurant. Some common side dishes include pickled vegetables, tofu, and salad.

Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant

Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant is a Japanese restaurant chain that was founded in 1886 in Tokyo, Japan. The chain has since expanded to over 350 locations in Japan, as well as to other countries such as the United States, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The concept of Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant is to provide affordable and delicious Japanese food in a casual and comfortable setting. The menu features a variety of teishoku dishes, as well as other Japanese favorites such as sushi, sashimi, and ramen. Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant also offers a variety of bento boxes, which are perfect for a quick and easy meal on the go.

Our Experience at Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant

Having arrived prior to the rush of the lunch crowd, we were able to secure our table right away. The restaurant is has a decidedly modern Asian decor, combining Japanese elements such as a cherry blossom-themed central mural and pine-wood furniture with geometric space dividers.

Yayoi also employs an innovative ordering system. Each table is equipped with a tablet that displays the menu. Customers can use the tablet to place their orders, request for their bill, as well as to make requests for assistance from the restaurant staff. This system allows customers to order their food quickly and easily, and it also frees up the waitstaff to focus on other tasks, such as refilling drinks and clearing tables.

Our orders included:

Ebi Tempura Set (Php650). Five pieces of lightly battered shrimp and tempura sauce, accompanied by Japanese rice, miso soup and seasonal sides.

Beef Teppanyaki Set (Php695). Pan-grilled rib eye beef and toasted garlic on top of assorted stir-fried vegetables served on a hot plate and accompanied by Japanese rice, miso soup and seasonal sides.

Edamame (Php195). Lightly boiled salted green soybeans.

Fresh Salmon Roll (Php450). Slices of fresh salmon topped with Japanese mayo and roe wrapped around sushi rice rolled with crabstick, tamago and cucumber.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant. The food was delicious, the service was friendly, efficient and attentive, and the atmosphere was casual and comfortable.

So if you’re game for delicious and filling Teishoku experience, be sure to check out Yayoi!

This Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant is located at Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall, Eastwood Avenue, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 85264698.

Other Metro Manila branches are located at:

3rd Level, Mega B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City (Tel: +63 2 87326137)
Mall Level 2 Main Mall South, SM Mall of Asia, SM Central Business Park Bay City, Pasay (Tel: +63 2 88216082)
Unit L221 2nd Floor, One Bonifacio High Street, 28th Street Corner 5th Ave, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (Tel: +63 2 82422792)
H.V Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 82514401)
The Block, Second Level, SM North EDSA, North Avenue corner EDSA, Quezon City (Tel: +63 2 84410073)
Level 1 Phase 2 UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave, Brgy UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City (Tel: +63 2 82869018)

For more information about Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant’s menu and offers, visit its website or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Enjoying my FREE Butao King bowl, thanks to Ramen Nagi’s Birthday Promo

For the past several years, part of any birthday celebration in the family involves scouring through websites looking for restaurant birthday promos to take advantage of. After all, benefiting from cost savings on top of a delicious meal enjoyed with my loved ones just adds to the fun.

It just so happens that one of my favorite restaurant birthday treats is Ramen Nagi’s. This promo entitles birthday celebrants to a FREE bowl of Butao King when dining in at any Ramen Nagi branch. This treat may be availed of multiple times during their birth month but is capped at one transaction per branch.

Ramen Nagi is a well-known ramen restaurant chain that originated in Fukuoka, Japan. Founded by Ikuta Satoshi, Ramen Nagi opened its first branch in Fukuoka in 2006. The restaurant quickly gained popularity for its unique and customizable ramen bowls, which allowed customers to choose their preferred noodle texture, broth richness, and other toppings, as well as enhancing their flavors with condiments and seasonings. With its commitment to using only the freshest ingredients and providing excellent customer service, Ramen Nagi soon became a favorite among locals and tourists alike.

In 2011, Ramen Nagi expanded its presence to other cities in Japan and eventually to other countries. Its first overseas branch opened in Hong Kong, followed by Singapore, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In the Philippines, Ramen Nagi was introduced in 2013 through a partnership with the Moment Group, a local food and beverage company. The first Philippine branch was located in the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Since then, Ramen Nagi has opened several more branches across the Philippines, including in major cities such as Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

One of its Metro Manila branches is situated in Eastwood Citywalk 1 in Libis, Quezon City, which is where my family and I hied ourselves off to for lunch on the last Sunday of April.

Here, the family enjoyed our heart-warming and tummy-filling ramen bowls:

Butao King (Php430). My birthday treat is Ramen Nagi’s signature ramen that put the restaurant on the map. Its award-winning broth is made from pork bones that have been simmered for hours in the traditional method, resulting in a rich and creamy texture that’s packed with umami flavor. The noodles are firm and springy, and the dish is topped with classic chashu pork, kikurage mushrooms, and garlic oil.

Red King (Php495). Since Hubby loves a little heat, his bowl is Ramen Nagi’s Red King. This ramen’s broth is made from a blend of pork and chicken bones, flavored with garlic, chili oil and cayenne pepper for a spicy kick, and topped with a scrumptious ball of miso-infused minced pork.

Oyster King (P550). From time to time, Ramen Nagi includes a pleasant culinary surprise in its menu, available for for a limited time only, hence the title Limited King. This April, this limited edition ramen bowl is Oyster King, a unique and flavorful ramen with an oyster-infused tonkotsu broth and topped with succulent pork belly slices and a slice of delicate seafood tamagoyaki. I’m glad we were able to sample this umami explosion in a bowl on the last day of its run.

By the way, did you know there’s a proper way to eat a Nagi Ramen to best experience the three changing layers of flavor in your ramen bowl? Here’s how:

Lift up the bowl and slurp the broth, taking in the fragrance from the pork bone and toppings.
Grab a few strands of noodles from the bottom of the bowl, bring them to you lips and slurp again to bring out the umami flavors. You will notice a subtle sweetness with each bite of your noodles and an intensifying flavor from the broth.
As you reach the bottom of the bowl, Ramen Nagi’s special fire sauce further enhances the soup’s flavor.

The delicious flavor journey doesn’t stop with your ramen bowls, though. You can also enjoy them with Ramen Nagi’s side dishes such as its Gyoza (Php160/3pcs | Php250/5pcs). This is my daughter’s favorite side dish made of dumplings filled with ground pork and vegetables, wrapped in a thin and crispy dough. They’re pan-fried until golden brown and served on a sizzling plate with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil.

Sodas (Php85/each). We countered the summer heat and complemented the hot ramen bowls with cans of our favorite softdrinks.

If you’re celebrating your natal day anytime soon, gather your fam and friends and enjoy your slurp-tasting ramen bowl at Ramen Nagi. Simply present a valid government-issued ID that shows your birthdate (such as SSS ID, TIN ID, Voter’s ID, Passport, Driver’s License or PRC License) and be accompanied by two full-paying adults who will order one full-sized ramen such as Butao King, Red King, Green King, Black King or Limited Kings for the month. (Ramen sets are not included).

This Ramen Nagi branch is located along Eastwood Ave, Eastwood Citywalk 1, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 82518880.

To stay updated on Ramen Nagi’s promos and offers, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Ramen Nagi: