Red Kimono @ Glorietta

It was a regular working day. Doc M and I decided to go to Glorietta to stroll and have dinner. Wanting to try something new, we ended up in Red Kimono located at Glorietta 5, the new wing. It was less than an hour before closing time, past 8PM. 

CHICKEN TERIYAKI BENTO

This should be ordered by somebody who is extremely hungry during lunchtime. It looks like a regular bento meal of other japanese restaurant, but for some reason, this truly felt heavy. I actually wasn't able to finish all, despite Doc M sharing it with me. The taste is exactly what I was looking for. 

Just a sidenote: I remember dining at Karate Kid (Waltermart branch) also at almost closing time and the food was extremely sloppy (I remember having an undercooked rice, with a super salty teriyaki sauce). The food quality reflected on how excited the cook was in going home. Really bad!

This is what Doc M ordered, which was a more appropriate dinner that day. Not too heavy, but was just enough to fill a nighttime hunger. Nothing extravagant in terms of the taste, but it wasn't bad either. I can't remember how it's actually called, but it's salmon rice topping.

CHOCOLATE BALLS - P100.00

Being a dessert person, I didn't pass the meal without the coconut balls which were delicious. It has the right sweetness, and the coconut added a little crunch. We weren't able to finish all actually, and we added another order for take out.

I am not sure as well on how this is called, but it's a cream-based dessert with what seems to be a crushed oreo at the bottom. Another must-try!

It was a tummy-filling experiene and yes, we will still visit Red Kimono!

Dining Date: August 12, 2015

Cafe Ilustrado at SM Makati

It was November again, about a year when I last dined at Cafe Ilustrado at SM Makati. I was again having an early Christmas shopping. While waiting for Doc M to pick me up, since it was extremely traffic that day due to the APEC activity, I have decided to try them again. 

From my previous blog, I didn't have a good impression about Cafe Ilustrado, and this next experience wasn't different.

RELLENONG BANGUS MEAL

I ordered Rellenong Bangus, which is one of my favorites. It's milkfish stuffed with ground pork/beef with bits of veggies. 

As you can see from the photo, it's extra toasted and immediately I felt that it wasn't fresh anymore. As if it's been in and out of the freezer for several days already. It was salty and the taste itself wasn't even close to how a relleno should taste. The sauce it came with wasn't able to redeem it.

SAMPAGUITA ICE CREAM

It was my first time to try a sampaguita-flavored ice cream. Just for the sake of being unique, the experience was okay. However, I will not be ordering it again in the near future. It's more on the icy type of ice cream instead of the creamy one.

For this particular branch of Cafe Ilustrado, it will take a year or more again for me to dine again. It breaks my heart every time, and my dining experiences don't feel worth of the price I paid. 

Although I am not closing my doors as I still plan to try their Intramuros branch, which I think is the original store. 

Dining Date: November 17, 2015

Tiki Island Grill at Splash Island, Laguna

It was the family's first outing for 2016 at Splash Island. Food and drinks (even water) are not allowed inside this water park, so it's either you bring your food and eat in your car parked outside and will take a little bit of walking, or buy from their food court. 

It's understandable that they need to work hand in hand with their concessionaires.  For us, we opted to just dine in because we did not bring food at all. Surprisingly, the food that they're offering is affordable. Another plus factor is that they're fresh. They have grilling stations in the site so you know that they're freshly prepared and the most important factor is that their food is delicious. 

We ordered the "bilao meal" at P800.00, which is supposed to be good for 5 persons. However, we were 8 (6 adults & 2 kids) who shared this meal and we just added 3 extra rice. It's composed of:

* 10 pork barbecues

* 2 large fried bangus (milkfish - not boneless)

* 2 large grilled eggplant

* 2 red eggs

* 1 green mango with bagoong (shrimp paste) 

* 5 rice

It was actually more than enough for us. We just bought C2 as our drinks, which is at P45/bottle. We all enjoyed our meal, with the semi-boodle set-up. It was best to eat with our hands (utensils aren't needed!) to give an authentic sense of Filipino meal.

I recommend this meal to those who plan to go to Splash Island. 

Dining date: January 2, 2016 (Saturday)

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.