Racks at Paseo de Magallanes

Paseo de Magallanes has already become our favorite hangout after office. We're there almost every night for dinner and one that we frequent lately is Racks, as we got bored with Cafe Breton and Dayrit's.

Here's what we ordered:

Bolognese

Doc M doesn't want to eat heavy at night, so he decided to have pasta instead. We liked the version of Racks, as it has the perfect ratio of sourness and sweetness. Kids will surely love this as well.

Bolognese (P250.00)

Sweet N' Smoky Boneless Pork

This is what I ordered and I loved it. The meat is super tender, which makes the dining experience superb. We all know that pork is not the healthiest meat on earth, but a lot of people love it. The salad on the side kinda gives it the healthier twist.

As for the macaroni and cheese, I would still go for Kenny Rogers, while the corn and carrots is okay.

Although we'd usually go for corn on the cob, but it wasn't available that day.

Sweet N' Smoky Boneless Pork (P405.00)

Hazelnut Shake

I read in one of the blogs that the Hazelnut Shake of Rack's is one of the best. I so agree! It was an instant hit for Doc M and I. It's actually like having a melted hazelnut ice cream so it may work if you're craving for dessert.

Hazelnut Shake

So far, our dining experience at Racks is great every time. The staff are courteous except that sometimes they are not attentive.

The only consistent thing that's been happening to Dom M and I every time we it at Racks is that we become extremely sleepy afterwards. We're suspecting that there's too much umami in their food.

Torch Restaurant at Greenbelt

Torch Menu

It was a typical weekend with Baby G and my sister A. We were supposed to go to Mesa when we passed by this new, interesting restaurant called Torch so we decided to give it a try.

Looking at the menu, it's a fusion restaurant, which has become a popular theme for restaurants these days. The interior is nice and spacious. It was not full during the time we dined because it was about 3pm already, past lunch time and too early for dinner.

Here is what we ordered:

Sushi: Cream Cheese Salmon Roll
P339.95

This sushi looks so appetizing with how it was presented. The taste itself, though was just okay. Typical salmon sushi, to be dipped in sushi sauce with option to add wasabi. It's my sister A's order. Being a sushi fan, she also wasn't too impressed with Torch's version. Looks better than how it tastes.

Homemade Fries
P85.95

The fries was good, especially with the dip. We actually asked for a second serving of the dip. 

Chicken Yakitori (with Japanese Rice)
P384.95

The Chicken Yakitori was for Baby G. However, she didn't like it from the moment she took her first bite. She said that she didn't like it and asked if she can have mine instead. I ended up finishing this dish, just because I had to. Nothing special about this dish, though as it's bordering to being bland.

Fire Roasted Hawaiian Chicken
P335.95

Torch is good with presentation, but they still have a lot to improve in terms of quality. As mentioned, Baby G asked me if she can have the Hawaiian Chicken. She ate most, but didn't actually finish. This time, my 5-year old niece said that the food wasn't nice. 

As for me, it tasted typical versus the grand name and how it was presented. 

The only thing about Torch is that it is in Greenbelt, a place that is synonymous to a place to find good food. They have this chef area where you can see the chefs doing the orders, and yet, they didn't seem to be happy and excited about their job. They also do not talk to each other, which appeared to be rather sad. Perhaps it's also the reason why the dining experience in Torch was also sad.

In summary, it was another restaurant experience, but Torch isn't a place where we would go back to. 

Toho Antigua Restaurant at SM BF Paranaque

It was a day of extended vacation leave for Doc M and I after our Legazpi trip. We fetch Baby G from her school located in Multinational Village. We were at SM Sucat earlier that day where I had a semi-pampering thing at Nail-a-Holics.

So after we fetched Baby G, we have decided to go to SM BF instead as I have never been to that mall since it opened. After few minutes of contemplating where to eat, Baby G chose the Toho Restaurant because they have couches for seating. 

Maybe because of our timing, there were few customers dining when we arrived at around 3PM but people started coming in when we were done. The staff are nice and they are very attentive so that is a plus factor.

Here are what we ordered:

Lumpiang Shanghai (P190.00)

I have this impression that Chinese Restaurants serve delicious Lumpiang Shanghai, and Toho's version confirms that. Combined with their lumpia sauce, it was delectable. Baby G enjoyed this as well over the chicken. 

White / Hainanese Chicken - Half (P190.00)

Their Hainanese Chicken was just okay. It's served with ginger paste, but I had to combine it with the lumpia sauce. I would still go for the one of 101 Hawkers in Makati.

Eggplant with Minced Pork (P195.00)

Doc M is a fan of eggplant dishes, and he was able to enjoy this one. The combination of the vegetable and the pork bits was good and not salty.

Leche Flan (P170.00)

Toho's leche flan perhaps is one of the best that I have tasted. It's totally creamy, and even with just one bite, you'd taste that they did not scrimp on the ingredients - pure egg yolks used. Although Baby G got a little bit disappointed because the caramel/syrup has a minor bitter taste. It was actually funny that she asked: "Why does their leche flan taste like coffee?". But Doc M and I enjoyed it.

The price is actually affordable and can be frequented every time one has cravings for good Chinese food. A gathering with friends or family can also be held here, without spending too much as their servings can cater to bigger groups. We actually had to take our most of our food because the three of us weren't able to finish them all. 

So yes, we'd still consider eating at Toho again the next time we pass by SM BF.

Dining Date: September 29, 2015 (Tuesday)

Persia Grill at Legaspi Village, Makati

I have always been wanting to try Persia Grill, but their branches are situated outside the malls, which makes it difficult for me to do so. So one Friday after office, Doc M parked at Glorietta and we walked from my office (Amorsolo area) to Greenbelt. I've tried their shawarma a couple of times already but that was when I asked someone to buy. 

It was the perfect timing to try. We were at their Legaspi Village branch, accross Greenbelt 5. We were hesitant at first because nobody was inside but we have agreed that it would again take sometime before we'd pass by that area again.

The interior is interesting with all the persian-mediterranean-inspired decors. They also have a second floor, which is not being used anymore according to the waitress.

Doc M ordered the Persian Burger. He liked it, but wasn't too impressed about it. It was like a burger and shawarma mixed together. It looks small, but was enough to satisfy a craving. He still prefers to have the usual burger in a bun.

Persian Burger (130.00)

I had their lamb steak, as recommended by the waitress to be one of their bestsellers. It was actually my first time to consume a lamb with that portion. I'd usually just get a lamb kebab or lamb gyro. 

I enjoyed my meal. Lamb has a distinct taste that I cannot describe, but it's certainly different from pork and beef. The meat was tender, but found a big portion to be fatty. The Basmati rice is something that I am not used to as well.

Lamb Steak - P490.00

For my drinks, I had warm fresh calamansi juice, which was perfect to end my meal. Doc M had watermelon shake, which was refreshing as well.

The staff are courteous as well and we didn't encounter anything negative during our stay. The wait time is quite long, but gave Doc and I time to cap what happened at our works that day.

Overall experience was okay, but nothing extravagant. It was enough to satisfy my curiosity. I'm still seeing myself dining here, but might take quite sometime.

Shinjuku Ramen House, Little Tokyo, Pasong Tamo Makati

It was our second time to dine at Shinjuku, located at Little Tokyo in Makati. I have always wanted to go this this place whenever I crave for Ramen, but parking is a challenge as it's always full. However, on the particular evening of June I saw that there was only one car parked in front of the store so when I told Doc M, we had to make a U-turn.

Here are what we ordered:

Yakisoba

It's toppings overload! We ordered the regular size, but it can actually be shared. This is what Doc M had so I can't say anything much about it. He said that it was good and filling, but nothing extravagant. I got all the octopus pieces, though.

Beef Tsukemen

This is what I ordered. The serving is huge and can feed about 3 people. The beef was tended and noodles are succulent. It's ramen with a twist. The idea is to dip the noodles to the bowl of soup, which will give you the liberty to control the taste.

I can use the chopsticks, but am not an expert on it. I had difficulty using chopsticks on the noodles because they were thick and compact. I only had 2 beef and wasn't able to consume even just the 1/4 size of the noodles as it was indeed heavy. 

3 people can actually share with this dish.

Crunchy California Maki

This is Doc M and I's newest favorite! We certainly felt that it's made of fresh ingredients and the taste was more than enough to satisfy our palate. 

This is actually a meal in itself. Next time we dine, we can just order sushi and we'd be satisfied.

Despite being full, it didn't stop us from finishing this set.

Coffee Jelly

Most of their desserts are shaved ice of different flavors. Coffee jelly is the only one that's different.

In other restaurants, you can just eat the coffee jelly itself. But for Shinjuku's version, it has a strong coffee taste, with no sugar whatsoever so it has this bitter taste. That explains why it's accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which goes very well with each other. The rice crispies and candy sprinkles add crisps to the experience. 

Coffee Jelly (with Vanilla Ice Cream)

In summary, Doc M and I were satisfied with our dining experience at Shinjuku. We did not experience service problem as well. The waitresses weren't the most accommodating, but they know their job.

So yes, we will be coming back soon.

Crisostomo at RWM

April 18, 2015 (Saturday)

Since we started going to Resorts World Manila, I have been wanting to dine at Crisostomo. I am a fan of Filipino food but it was always full and we would have to wait so we always end up somewhere else.

I first saw it's big tarpaulin along South Super Highway everytime we travel South, promoting their branch in Nuvali and since then it kept me wanting to try them out.

So it happened one time for a super late dinner, perhaps reason why there weren't much diners anymore as it was about 10:00PM. We immediately had a table.

Quite overwhelmed with the options in their menu, we ended up wanting to try out:

1) EMILIO - beef morcon cooked in classic homemade tomato

    * This is a classic dish that is not often being offered in other Filipino restaurant. Nothing extravagant, but it was just okay. Nothing that excites my palate.

    * This was also a BIG FAIL for us. While Doc M was eating, he noticed a streak of hair on the morcon itself. We showed it to the waiter, who immediately took it away from our table. Few minutes later, the girl who I assumed was their supervisor approached us to apologize and advise that they're having it investigated and that the morcon itself came from their commissary and they just prepare it in the store. As a form of recovery, they offered us (I can't remember if it was a cake or something) but we opted to just get the bill. We totally lost our appetite. 

    * In the end, good thing they did not charge us for this.

Emilio - P395.00

2) Noli Me Talong - Tortang Talong topped with kesong Puti
    * Doc M is a fan of tortang talong. But to make the story short, he was not impressed with this dish either. It was bland, and we didn't get to taste the difference of having it topped with kesong puti.

Noli Me Talong - P215.00

3) Iday - Suman with Batangas Tsokolate
    * I have mentioned from my previous blog that I love "kakanins" so it didn't came a surprise when I ordered this. The combination of suman being dipped in chocolate sounded superb. This, too, was a disappointment. I think I was only able to consume one and didn't bother to bring home the rest.

Iday - P150.00

Yes, I may be bias because of the bad experience with the Morcon, but even though it was my first time to dine at Crisostomo, it would also be my last. 

The waiting time was rather long, at about 20 minutes or so. This I guess is one of the reasons why diners stay longer and tends to get full most of the time.

To sum up our experience: Once is enough.

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen at SM Aura

Baby G and I have decided to go to SM Aura for the Chinese New Year 2015. 

As expected, most restaurants where we wanted to dine were full: We were #9 at Todd English and #36 at Nu by Vikings. We ended up going to Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen, which is located at the 2nd floor of SM Aura. There were a lot of diners, but we were still able to secure seats immediately.

I haven't been to Japan yet, but the place has the feel of an old Japanese ramen house because of how their interior was done.

Condiments Rack

What made it more interesting is their condiments rack on each table that has a sesame seeds grinder. So you can put freshly-ground sesame seeds on your ramen.

Karaage (P180.00)

As a chicken lover, Baby G had karaage (Japanese fried chicken). It was crispy, well-cooked and tasty. As you can see in the photo, it comes with a side dish that is composed of shredded cabbage topped with soy sauce/teriyaki sauce, lemon, tomato and Japanese mayo.

We ordered Gohan (P80.00) as well and Baby G was satisfied. She was able to finish her food, which is an indication that it was good.

All their toppings are pork-based, unlike other ramen houses where you'll have choices of just vegetables, beef, chicken, or altogether. As for me I don't have meat restrictions so not really an issue.

When I was ordering, I was asked for my noodle preference: soft, normal or hard. This is another new experience for me as the other ramen houses do not offer this. I chose normal and it was perfect for me. In my mind, the soft might be soggy, while hard might seem like undercooked noodles.

Ajitama Tonkotsu (P380.00)

The soup itself was delicious and tasty, which is what I really like about my ramen. I think it can stand alone, even without the toppings. The toppings, though created the entire package of having a very nice ramen.

I will give them two thumbs up for a very nice ramen experience. There are a lot of restaurants right now who are offering ramens, but not all can deliver good quality.

The staff were okay. They are attentive, but not too eager which is okay. They don't do upselling.

In case it may help if I tell you that they have 10% SC when the bill comes to you.

All in all, I am recommending this place and yes, I will still be going back.

Snack Attack: Schneeballen Cookies

The packaging

   
According to their Facebook account, "SCHNEEBALLEN is a German cookie that is shaped round similar to a ball, and is coated with chocolate and other flavorings that gives it its distinctly delectable taste".

 It was a usual mall weekend with Baby G. I saw this preppy kiosk at the ground floor near the ice skating rink. As I am always curious, I went near it and in few minutes I was already buying one.

It was really a hard ball so it was interesting that when I asked the girl on how to eat it, she said that if I'd eat it right there, a mallet would be used to sort of crush it in bite sizes. But I opted to bring it home. I ended up smashing it up the wall. I think it came out just the same.

Eating it was similar to eating an "otap" because of the crunch, but this is better because of the authentic chocolate taste that surrounds some parts of the cookie. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos of the actual product and how it looked after it was smashed.

My parents, who are not fans of sweets have actually liked it

One of their interesting displays.
The mallet is actually being used.

Several flavors to choose from!

One thing that makes it interesting is the process of smashing it before you eat it. There is also the idea of doing something new. However, at P110 per piece, it is something that I won't be buying every time I go to the mall.

Brazo de Ube @ La Paz Bakeshop

Doc M and I went to La Paz on the last day of our Ilo Ilo trip (December 2, 2014). After visiting La Paz Church, we headed to La Paz Market where the original store of Deco's Batchoy is located. I will write about our Deco experience later.

I've read in one of the blogs about the ube brazo, which I have completely forgotten during our trip. However, after our craving for the original batchoy and we were about to jump in the cab, I noticed the bakeshop beside Deco's. Being the curious bee that I am, I told Doc M that I'd look around. La Paz Bakeshop do not have doors as it is an open shop. Upon stepping in, I immediately saw the display the rolls of ube brazo and brazo de mercedes. 

I have mentioned from the previous blog how I love ube halaya. Without thinking twice, I knew I had to buy and bring one home to Manila. In as much as I wanted to get a whole roll, it would be difficult to bring it on the plane given that we already have several bags to carry. I also didn't want to check-in our luggages. Not only that it will cost us about P500.00, but it would also be a hassle to wait for luggages upon arrival to the airport. Lately Doc M and I have been travelling light.

Anyway, I brought home half roll for only P250.00. As you can see from the photo, it's fluffy and big so just by looking at it, you'd agree that the amount that I paid was worth it.

Upon arriving home, I didn't wait long until I took a slice. Only then that I realized that the filling was made of pure ubeng halaya, which was rich and authentic (pure ube) when it comes to taste. It was indeed heaven!

A slice would be enough to meet a sweet craving. It was delicious, but too sweet. Taking in more will already be taking you to the "umay" factor.

After tasting it, I can say that it was truly worth it. This is definitely a must-buy pasalubong from Ilo-Ilo.

A closer look on how sinful it is!

*** There is already a bakeshop in Manila called Baker's Table, creating Ube Brazo. I got 1 last December 2014 given by my boss, but I can't retrieve the photo from my camera. As soon as I got the pic, I will post it here as an update and will try to write about it as well.

Their version though is much smaller, and the halayang ube didn't taste as authentic as how La Paz bakeshop's version does. It is also a bit pricey at P400++ for half roll.