Japanese-Inspired Coffees and Dishes in UCC Coffee Cafe Terrace

January 23, 2014, 5:45 am

≫ Next: Uno Seafood Wharf Palace in Escolta, Chinatown

≪ Previous: Exotic Food Challenge with Joyce Ching - Chinese Dishes Edition

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UCC Coffee Cafe Terrace in Lucky Chinatown Mall

I was invited by a Zomato representative, Sarah Buendia, to talk about the said food review site such as suggestions, questions and opportunities over a merienda. Since she gave me the freedom to choose any coffee shops convenient for me, I chose UCC Cafe in Lucky Chinatown Mall. Anyway, here in this blog post, I will share with you two things: (1) something about Zomato and (2) something about the food & drinks we ordered.

Zomato, the growing Food Review Site
Launching in the Philippines 2 years ago, Zomato started as a small blog-website in India that summarizes things to know about restaurants such as menu and prices. Now, it has grown into a bigger website with reach extending to 11 countries. This site evolved into a full-blown food review site containing basic yet relevant information foodies need to know about a resto such as the location, budget, contact number and authentic reviews.

Hmmm, let's cut that for a while, and move first with the drinks of UCC.

UCC Coffee Cooler || P155

UCC Coffee Cooler by UCC, Lucky Chinatown Branch

This is what Ms. Sarah had, so I don't have any clue how it tasted. Judging how this one looks in the photo, it sure seem nice to give a sip to!

Almond Roca White Choco Cheesecake Cooler || P175

The amazing Almond Roca White Choco Cheesecake Cooler

This amazing drink was all that I needed to sweeten and brighten up more my day! Nothing beats a dynamic fusion of cake, ice cream and drink to make a single awesome drink!


Note on the straws: Although I appreciated the paper straw used by UCC, I didn't find it very practical, since my straw got all soggy and couldn't function the way it was built. In short, it lost its purpose of enabling me to sip the drink.

A closer look of the Almond Roca White Choco Cheesecake Cooler

Wait, I just can't get over this amazing drink! I want you to try this out sometimes because I just loved how the thickness of the drink enhanced the experience!

Going back to the Zomato thing:

A Not-So-Popular Kid in Zomato
I'm currently participating in the site by occasionally providing personal reviews of the places I'd been to. The reviews I include there are different from what you'll find here, because my blog posts are far more extensive.

You may view my profile here: Renz Cheng | A Not-So-Popular Kid

Salmon Spinach Gratin || P399

The special Salmon Spinach Gratin of UCC Coffee Cafe Terrace

I understand that each branch of UCC has a different set of chefs. I'm saying this because the UCC in Robinsons Ermita usually produces a thicker and cheesier sauce for the gratin, while this one in Lucky Chinatown came up with an almost watery one. And if you'll ask me, I prefer the former because the thicker consistency enables the sauce to fully embrace the pasta delivering a richer taste of spinach and creamy cheese. Despite this, I still found this Salmon Gratin of UCC Coffee (Lucky Chinatown Branch) fantastic in terms of taste.

Generally, I find UCC Coffee's food and beverages expensive, but I think it's somehow worth the premium because of the Japanese-twist in every dish and or cup. As for the Zomato, you may want to visit the review site here: Zomato.com

UCC Coffee Cafe Terrace
Location:
Ground Floor, Lucky Chinatown, Binondo, Manila
Contact No.: (02) 708-3983 from Zomato

Service Charge: 10%

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Uno Seafood Wharf Palace in Escolta, Chinatown

January 24, 2014, 9:09 pm

≫ Next: The Best Pizza of Manila in My Kitchen by Chef Chris Locher

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My grandpa just turned 87, and he decided to celebrate it in UNO Seafood Wharf Palace (which happens to also be a Chinese Restaurant) in Escolta of Manila's Chinatown. Thinking it will be cool to blog about it, I decided to bring my camera along with me and take some shots of the food. This, however, necessitated that I become the photographer of the night, which I didn't actually find worrisome. Anyway, let me know let you explore some Chinese food!

UNO Seafood Warf Palace offers fresh seafood!

In Uno Seafood Wharf Palace, you will find tanks of fresh and live fishes, and sometimes it is very amusing just to watch them swim.

The Place
Uno Seafood Wharf Palace, being a Chinese Restaurant, features the traditional royal color schemes (i.e. gold and red) for the table setting. Also, there are plenty of rooms/areas available for private celebrations such as birthdays and etc.

Interior of UNO Seafood Wharf Palace in Escolta, Binondo

The Food
As expected, you will find there free peanuts and service tea as you wait for the orders to come. It's pretty much of a common practice in every Chinese restaurant.


One thing you should also note is that some Chinese restaurants offer a set/lauriat menu (which was what we did in our case). What you are about to read in this blog post are the dishes found in Set Menu 4 costing P6,980; however, for you convenience, I will also include the individual prices of the component dishes (if available).

Additional note: The cheapest set menu costs P4,980 while the most expensive one is at P18,800. All the sets are already good for 8-12 people.

Now, why don't we begin with the appetizer?

Assorted Cold Cuts || P380

UNO Seafood Wharf's Cold Cuts

Components of the cold cuts:

• Asado - unsatisfactory
• Chicken
• Century Egg
• "Kikiam" - good!
• Jellyfish (at the center) - sweet and tasty

First in the line was nothing but the traditional cold cuts platter which I found amazing, but not entirely so because of the asado's lack of tenderness and vibrant flavor. For this reason, Shangri La Chinese Restaurant still remains as the title holder of the "Best Cold Cuts" as of today.

Steamed Suahe || P380(this is just an estimate based on the other shrimp/suahe dishes, since I can't specifically find this one) 

Exceedingly fresh steamed suahe of UNO Seafood Restaurant

These shrimps were of fantastic texture and quality that scream "I'm fresh, and I'm great tasting! Eat me!"

Braised Noodles with Assorted Meat || P280 

Braised noodles with Assorted Meat - believed to bring in longer life!

The pancit was uber rich with various flavors, and there was nothing I disliked about the noodles! It had the usual savory taste, but had exciting underlying flavors that unraveled as I began chewing more of it. Two-thumbs up for this!

Steamed Stuffed Scallop with Golden Mushroom || (I can't find the item in the a la carte menu)

Uno's Steamed Stuffed Scallop with Golden Mushroom

These scallops were fine but weren't as great as I expected, probably because I was already conditioned to have higher expectations after the first 3 dishes.

Three Variety Dried Scallop Soup || (I can't find the item in the a la carte menu) 

Three Variety Dried Scallop Soup of UNO Seafood Restaurant

The soup was an utter disappointment! It was bland and worst of all not photogenic! Thumbs down for this.

Roasted Duck (1/2) || (I can't find the item in the a la carte menu)

Roasted Duck - good and almost fantastic!

This was almost as typical as the ones I usually have. Hence, if you happen not to try any of these, well, you need to try it! The texture is not as tender as a chicken meat, but the taste will be something new to you.

Braised Abalone Shell with 3 Kinds of Mushroom & Veggies || (I can't find the item in the a la carte menu)

Braised Abalone Shell with 3 Kinds of Mushroom & Veggies

I don't actually know what to say about this dish, since I can't think of a good benchmark for it. The taste was interesting, although the texture of the "meat" was tough (but I guess that was the way it should be).

Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Soy Sauce || Seasonal Price

Uno Seafood Restaurant's Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Soy Sauce

This Lapu-lapu was soft at first bite but chewy as you go along. I don't know if this is how the normal texture should be, but I would really appreciate it if it was smooth and soft all the way!

Steamed Crab in Garlic Sauce || Seasonal Price

This steamed crab was noticeably fresh, but considerably bland. I was feeling a sense of regret for the dish because it had a strong potential due to its extreme freshness in terms of quality and texture.

Fresh Mango Sago || P50 per cup

Mango Sago Dessert - a family favorite that I started not to like anymore.

Serving the Mango Sago for everyone!

Back when I was little, this was the most delicious thing ever for me (given that as children we always look for something sweet). However, now that I'm older and taller (of course), Mango Sago seems to have lost its magic.

However, setting this personal view on Mango Sago, I would admit that it was good because in just a few minutes, everybody downed his/her cup already. Hence, if it will be your first time to try this, there's a high probability that you will enjoy it!

Peanuts Roll (Masachi) || P18 per piece 

The masachi was great, and tasted better than a buchi in many ways! Wait, that's a biased opiniom because I practically hate buchi! Nevertheless, I think its the outer coat of the buchi that I don't like, because the masachi has taste patterns with the inside of the butchi but I ended up liking it.

Also, in my opinion, the masachi was more enjoyable because of the crushed nuts wrapping the sticky rice ball giving more dimension to the flavor of the a mongo-like ingredient inside.

Extra: Shrimp Hakaw || P85 (this is just an estimate based on the other dimsum, since I can't specifically find this one) 

Shrimp Hakaw of Uno Seafood Wharf Palace

This was actually not ordered by me, which means I wasn't able to try it. I just decided to take a photo for your reference.

Uno Seafood Wharf Palace - Ratings 
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars.
Place ★★★★ 
Taste ★★★☆
Service ★★★★
Price ★★★
Budget: at least P500 per head for a hefty meal with desserts

Overall, I would say that I like my dining experience here in Uno. However, I won't deny that I got disappointed with the latter dishes not because they were awful, but because they failed to sustain the "great to excellent quality and taste" provided by the first few dishes. Negating any failed expectations in assessing Uno Seafood Restaurant, I would say that they did a great job!

UNO Seafood Wharf Palace
Location:
270 Escolta St., Binondo, Manila

Contact Nos.: 232-1054 or 232-1059 or 232-1060

The Best Pizza of Manila in My Kitchen by Chef Chris Locher

January 27, 2014, 11:56 pm

≫ Next: How to Cook Korean Grilled Pork Belly or Samgyeopsal at Home

≪ Previous: Uno Seafood Wharf Palace in Escolta, Chinatown

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My Kitchen is located inside The Oasis Paco Park Hotel

A Place to Remember
There is a fantastic and memorable place in Manila that is very much worthy of exploration, it's no other than the historical Paco Park. However, in case that's not the kind of exploration you want, and you are rooting for something gustative, well you don't need to go too far! My Kitchen (housed in The Oasis Hotel) is just a walk away!

My Kitchen by Chef Chris
This restaurant in The Oasis Hotel is an Italian-inspired place serving the famous roll-up pizza by Chef Chris or commonly known as the Best Pizza in Town!

Subtly quaint interior of My Kitchen Italian restaurant

As you enter the restaurant, you will catch an air of quaintness and coziness exuded by the classy interior.

Note: Reservation is highly encouraged to ensure accommodation. You don't want to waste effort visiting this place for nothing - that will be a clear loss of opportunity!

The table setting of  My Kitchen in Paco, Manila

Judging from the ambiance, the place itself and of course the price, My Kitchen can be considered as a fining dining restaurant, so expect great service and food! I had a high expectation, but I wasn't disappointed.

The Wonderful Food in My Kitchen
For our dinner, we just had three (3) amazing pizzas, one (1) risotto and one (1) soup! Before we begin, let's just check this photo out showing the people behind the amazing pastries and pizzas!

People behind the amazing pizzas in My Kitchen by Chef Chris

Pumpkin and Carrot Cream Soup || P200

Topped with cream, croutons and fresh herbs

Rich and creamy Pumpkin-Carrot Cream Soup

The pumpkin soup was thick creamy and consistent that created a beautiful sensation in the mouth. Also, it didn't have the greasy feel that enabled me to focus on the aromatic and tasty blend of pumpkin and carrot!

The Original Pizza

Chef Chris's very own creation of fine crisp dough layered with a blend of five different cheese and herbs, perfected with your favorite toppings

The Original Roll-Up Pizza of My Kitchen by Chef Chris

Awesome Crust
The thin crust of the pizzas was not too crunchy that permitted me to enjoy the playful touch of the pizza sauce and the toppings. In my opinion, the edge of the pizzas in My Kitchen was the crust particularly its quality, taste and texture!

I am telling you, it was exceedingly magnificent, and since, I once tried baking a dough for a crust, I know how hard it is to come up with this smooth and soft crust that will nestle all the abundant flavors!

Original Verena || P790 

Tomato and white truffle oil enhanced cheese sauce topped with scallop, prawns and sun dried tomatoes

The Original Verena roll-up Pizza by Chef Chris Locher!

A closer look of the Original Verena pizza

This Original Verena was amazing just the way I wanted it to b,e making my first bite of it so magical and monumental! Truthfully speaking, I was able to taste a piece of Italy in this one! It was indeed the cheapest travel cost to be in Italy!

Tip: Add some chili oil in the pizza because the spice coming from it was ultimately complementary!

Related Post:Tosca Italian Restaurant in Dusit Thani Hotel

Original Antonio || P790

Smoked salmon slices, fresh mushrooms, tomato and basil

The Original Antonio pizza of My Kitchen - smoked salmon!

Original Antonio - Smoked salmon slices, fresh mushrooms, tomato and basil

The smoked salmon had a rather soft saltiness feature coming from the salmon and a herby taste from the basil. The resulting infusion was great but did not exceed the first one! However, adding the arugula and alfalfa sprouts while drizzling it with the chili oil didn't fail to enhance the existing flavors bringing out all the goodness of the fresh ingredients on this one!

Original Aura || P790 

Tahini enhanced cheese sauce with bits of roasted lamb, kalamata, mushrooms and artichokes

Exquisite and unique - Original Aura pizza by Chef Chris!

Roasted lamb pizza of My Kitchen - Original Aura

This Original Aura was something new to me, but not necessarily fantastic at first. Honestly, I'm not used to the kind of taste it offered - a sharp sea-salty taste that almost tasted like a wine after (perhaps this was because I really found it foreign).

However, something epic happened! The aragula and alfalfa sprouts flaunted their magic once more that mitigated the sharpness of the taste. The result? Heaven!

Risotto Eurus || P720 

Rissoto with Sirloin steak, artichoke hearts and Swiss brown mushroom deglazed in marsala pomodre sauce, topped with gorgonzola cheese

My Kitchen's Risotto Eurus - quality and taste near perfection!

Up close - the amazing Risotto Eurus of My Kitchen

The Risotto Eurus had a near salty yet savory flavor wherein all the ingredients such as the beef and mushroom were tender translating every bite into a pleasurable moment.  Due to this splendid adventure, the risotto of My Kitchen is potentially the best I tasted so far, but since I haven't tried a lot of Risotto dishes yet, I am not making it official.

My Kitchen by Chef Chris - Ratings
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars.
Place ★★★★☆ 
Taste ★★★★★
Service ★★★☆ 
Price ★☆ 
Budget: at least P1100 for two (2) persons with 1 Original Pizza and soft drinks

I would say that I was pretty much impressed by the dishes we had here in My Kitchen! Being a pizza lover, I am proud to announce that I just found my Best Pizza in Manila to date! Actually, I find this potentially frustrating because each time I will have a slice of pizza, I may not be able to help myself but compare it with this almost perfect creation!

Recommended? Well, definitely yes, but you need to prepare your wallet for it.


My Kitchen by Chef Chris 
Location:
The Oasis Paco Park Hotel, 1032-34 Belen Street, Paco, Manila

Reservation No.: (02) 521-2371 to 75, loc. 110
Operating Hours: Mondays to Sundays (11AM to 10:30PM)

Service Charge: 10% of the Price

How to Cook Korean Grilled Pork Belly or Samgyeopsal at Home

January 30, 2014, 9:31 pm

≫ Next: Cakes and Macarons in BIZU Patisserie and Cafe

≪ Previous: The Best Pizza of Manila in My Kitchen by Chef Chris Locher

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How to Cook Samgyeopsal at Home with A-Not-So-Popular Kid

Greetings my awesome foodie friends! Let's try to make something different here. Yes? Now, how about we try some home cooking? Sounds amazing? Well, let's start the task by having a kitchen experiment on Home-made Korean Samgyeopsal!

Samgyeopsal is a famous Korean dish which is particularly grilled pork belly. Upon grilling, the pork belly is wrapped by vegetable leaves such as lettuce. Then, you'll dip it in either Sesame Oil or soybean paste, but no one is preventing you to dip it in both. So, there!

Don't want to cook it yourself? Check out some of the Korean restaurants near you that offer this dish:

• Woo Galbi Korean Restaurant (Ala Carte) || EDSA Shangri-La Mall, Mandalyong City
• Matgalne (Unlimited Buffet) || Jupiter Street, Makati City
• Samgyupsalamat (Ala Carte or Buffet) || Taft Avenue (near De La Salle University)
• MARU || Robinsons Manila, Malate, Manila

Preparing all the necessary ingredients!
First off, let's get all the stuff for the Samgyeopsal ready!

• Pork Belly or Sukiyaki (as an alternative)
• Salt and Pepper (if you want your Samgyeopsal to be the regular one with no barbecue marinate)
• Korean Barbecue Sauce (as a marinate, if you want your Samgyeopsal to be sweet and tasty)
• Grilling Pan or Electronic Grilling Equipment
• Sauces

In our case, we opted for the marinated version of the Samgyeopsal and used Ottogi's Korean BBQ Sauce. I really like this sauce because of its sweetness and fruity pineapple taste.

Korean Barbecue Sauce - also good for marinating!

Where can you buy this Ottogi Korean BBQ Sauce?
We bought this one in a Korean Store near us in Ongpin Street, Binondo, so I'm guessing you'll find this in most of Korean market/store near you!

Alright, now that we have the sauce, you have to do is marinate the pork belly preferably overnight so that the sauce will really seep into the meat fibers.

Marinated pork belly for the Home-Cooked Samgyeopsal

Now that we have the pork belly ready, let's turn on the heat of the grill!

Electronic Indoor Grill for the Samgyeopsal

From here, it is already basic - just like your ordinary grilling. Just leave them on top of the griller for about 3-5 minutes each side (depending on the level of heat/temperature) or until the sauce on the pork belly crystallizes.

Grilling the "Samgyeopsal" Pork Belly with an Electronic Indoor Grill

While grilling, prepare the plate where you will place the cooked samgyeopsal. Since this is pork belly, expect it to be somehow greasy. Hence, you may want to lay the strips on top of a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.

After that, you are almost done!

Almost done - Samgyeopsal at Home!

The last thing you can do is to put the sauce on a separate container. You may opt for the same barbecue sauce you used for the marinate, but you may also go for a sesame oil or soybean paste.

The finished dish - Samgyeopsal with the Barbeque

Everything is ready! It's time to dig in to this awesome Korean Grilled Pork Belly.

How about you? Do you have your own personal recipe or tips in cooking Samgyeopsal? Share them below. Thanks for reading everyone!

Cakes and Macarons in BIZU Patisserie and Cafe

February 11, 2014, 1:09 am

≫ Next: Feasty Buffet Experience in Basix Restaurant of Dusit Thani

≪ Previous: How to Cook Korean Grilled Pork Belly or Samgyeopsal at Home

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Bizu Patisserie and Cafe in Greenbelt 2, Makati City

Dessert is something where my heart lies because of the immeasurable joy I experience indulging myself with it, but sadly this blessing comes along with a curse. Similarly, any displeasure from the eating a certain dessert goes straight to my system as well. Now, we got to try Bizu. The question is was it able to bring delight or not? Let's find out together, my friends! 

The Place in a Glance
Before we begin, let me note that the place is really comfortably inviting and fancy at the same time. It exudes a relaxing ambiance from the light purple and pink color scheme and patterns. In a way, it would seem like you are inside a doll house when you try to observe and internalize the surroundings.

The fascinating pink-violet color-scheme in the interior and designs of BIZU

The Macarons

Dark Chocolate Macaron || P55 and Caramel Fleur de Sel || P55

Dark Chocolate and Caramel Fleur de Sel Macarons of BIZU

The Dark Chocolate Macaron was not as exquisite as I thought. It had its aromatic and sensual dark cocoa taste but lacked the appropriate softness that will make it memorable. The sweetness didn't help as much, since it took away the moment for delving into the choco goodness!

On the other hand, the Caramel Macaron was something I found interesting, but the rough texture again was a diversion from the goodness of the sweet caramel chocolate offering. 

Warning: This dessert may be overly sweet for some, unless you have a prominent sweet tooth.

Cappuccino || P95

Bizu's Cappucino Blend!

The Cakes of Bizu

Since we just wanted to explore as much as we can, we just decided to have 3 solo cakes. After all, we were already full from dining in Gumbo New Orleans Restaurant. 

Note: To know more about the other cake offerings, you may want to check out the menu at the end of this blog post.

Blueberry Chiboust || P185 (Solo) / P615 (Medium) / P1,215 (Large)

The creamiest cheesecake delight topped with blueberry filling on Bizu's special shortbread crust

Blueberry Chiboust of Bizu in Greenbelt 2

This cheesecake was leaning closer to being a lackluster due to its weak flavor, but this was the case earlier, when I just had a small bite of it. Magically, upon having a bigger portion, I was able to appreciate the mild sweetness and softness of the cream cheese mix. However, I think more than the taste, it was the bewilderment I had with this dessert that made a statement.

Nirvana || P235 (Solo) / P945 (Medium) / P1,805 (Large)

A blend of caramel chocolate mousse and pistachio cream on a bed of crisp choclate crunch and choclate cake covered with Bizu's homemade choclate brilliant sauce.

The Nirvana Cake of Bizu  - will it really take you there?

The Nirvana was moist, creamy on the top and a little firm on the bottom (which I found suitable). Also, the chocolate softly brushes on the taste buds which gave a subtle  figurative ticklish sensation. Lastly, this chocolate cake dessert was not too sweet, and had a little pistachio cream in the center as a surprise! I think among the three, this is the winner, and my older brother was on my side with this.

Tiramisu || P225 (Solo) / P635 (Medium) / P1,330 (Large)

A layer of an exquisite coffee liqueur blend in between bands of chocolate cake and Mascarpone cheese, sprayed with pure coca liqueur.

The Tiramisu Cake of Bizu - soft and, uhmm, soft!

The tiramisu had a rich coffee taste that I adored, but it missed again when it comes to texture. I don't know if you will think of it as an issue but the tiramisu was too foamy (in terms of texture) for me, and this is not the type of tiramisu that I love. Again, as for the taste, I really enjoyed it!

Just to preserve a memory, permit me to share with you our photo there in Bizu! (We were celebrating our dad's birthday this day).

A Not-So-Popular Kid with the Family in BIZU, Greenbelt 2

BIZU Patisserie and Cafe - Ratings 
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars.
Place ★★★★☆
Taste ★★★
Service ★★★★
Price ★★★
Budget: at least P260 per 2 persons to have the cheapest solo cake (i.e. Opera Sponge Cake) and a macaron.

To sum things up, I would say that my entire cake and macaron experience had nothing much so noteworthy. I am not saying I got disappointed because I honestly didn't, but this does not mean I liked it either. In short, my feeling towards the dessert selection was just neutral, which I deem to be better than being heartbroken.

There you go! I hope you enjoyed checking Bizu out through this blog!

Looking for other places where you can have cakes? Why not check out Classic Confections in Greenbelt 5. 

BIZU Patisserie and Cafe
Location:
Level 1, Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City

Contact No.: (02) 7574749 - from Zomato.com
Service Charge: 10% before VAT

Cakes and Macarons Menu and Prices:

Feasty Buffet Experience in Basix Restaurant of Dusit Thani

February 15, 2014, 4:18 am

≫ Next: Del Monte Kitchenomics - New Season this 2014 with Carla Abellana and Chef Jackie Ang Po

≪ Previous: Cakes and Macarons in BIZU Patisserie and Cafe

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Dusit Thani's Basix Restaurant - the cozy and warm interior!

Celebrating my graduation, we decided to reserve for a dinner buffet in Dusit Thani. We chose this place because of its relative cheapness as opposed to other buffet hotel restaurants we know such as Sofitel and the like. Anyway, I decided to make this blog post as exhaustive as possible, so I took the urge to take a photo of almost everything!

I hope you will enjoy, and let me know what you think of the place! Here it goes!

The Fresh Salad Bar

The Salad Bar of Basix Restaurant

Here are the vegetables available for your DYI Salad!

• Sprouts, Beetroot, Cherry Tomato, Green beans, carrot julienne, broccoli florets, cucumber, sliced mushrooms and corn kernel
• Others: shaved parmesan, bacon bits, pumpkin seeds, croutons, anchovies and tapenade

As for the dressing, you have the following choices:

• Italian dressing, French dressing, Caesar dressing, tomato dressing, Japaense dressing, egg vinaigrette, vegetable vinaigrette, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar

Good Service - Someone else may make the salad for you and for effective tossing!

The Cheese Station
Since I was so eager with my salad, I forgot about the cheese set which is a big favorite of mine. Here are the available cheese from the selection:

• Devondale Cheddar
• Gorgonzala
• Gruyere
• Parmesan
• 2 more that I can't read from the photo

The Cheese Station of Basix - 7 Kinds of Cheese Available!

The Bread Station
Considerably, the bread station of Basix is abundant. Although I am not a bread-person, I already felt nice just knowing that I have a lot of choices.

The abundant bread station - choose your bread away!

Cold Cuts Selection
The cold cuts area brings you something to tickle your taste buds for appetizers. Unfortunately, I am not yet fond of munching on these (in any buffet places), but don't worry I am slowly integrating it to my food-routine!

Cold Cuts Selection - salami and more!

I suggest that you try 'em all if you can because definitely your taste buds will appreciate the diversity of flavors!

Marinated Salmon, Smoked Salmon, Yellow Bell Pepper Mouse and more in Basix!

Anyway, for this section, I urge you to try the Yellow bell pepper mouse, marinated salmon, smoked salmon and the others as well!

The Yellow Bell pepper Mouse

The Japanese Corner
If you are into sushi and sashimi (like I am), you will find this corner heavenly! It offers the following:

• At least 3 types of sushi
• Tuna Sashimi, Salmon Sashimi and Maya-Maya (if I can remember it correctly, which I doubt as of the moment). 

Sushi and Sashimi in Dusit Thani's Basix!

The Japanese Corner - Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura!

Everything else was fine for the sushi and the sashimi. I assume that they were all of great and fresh quality. However, let me have a confession. I don't really know how to differentiate the sushi and especially the sashimi across restaurants. So, in case you know how, please do tell and share. I really want to find out.

The Fresh Tempura of Basix Restaurant

The tempura was really a smashing hit for me  The prawns used were remarkably of great quality evidenced by the soft texture and fresh taste. Along with it was a semi-sweet sauce which I found just right for my taste.

Japanese Tempura in Basix Buffet

The Pasta Station

Comparing my experience months back when I visited Basix, I would say that the pasta had a major improvement. I requested for a Carbonara but they provided me more than just that! It was indeed a good treat that made me feel special - aside from the fact that I indeed feel that way because it was a graduation celebration.

The Roast Beef and Other Grillables

The tender and tasty Roast Beef of Basix Restaurant

It is good note that the roast beef was of pure madness! I just love the way it was cooked! I got myself a medium well portion which I totally adored! To top this, the sauce that went with it was a a perfect match - so much for the upcoming valentine's day!

Roasted Chicken - Yummy flavor together with the great sauce!

Also, I didn't have any problem with the roasted chicken, and again the sauce just heightened the excitement in tasting the dish.

Lamb chops, lamb patties, beef tenderloin, pork medallion and pork liempo!

Chicken breast, salmon belly, mahi-mahi and stuffed squid!

As you may see above, there are a handful of choices when it comes to Basix's grillables! So, what are you waiting for, it's grilling time!

The seafood basket - prawns, clams, crab and oyster!

Seafood galore - fresh clams for grilling or baking!

The Baked Oyster of Basix - Delightfully Fresh!

One of the finest Baked Oyster I had was definitely in here! I just love the freshness and the texture! They sure do how know how to maintain the incredible softness and fluidity of the oyster!

Craving for some decent baked oysters? Check out Marina Seafood Restaurant

The oh-so-spectacular lamb chops of Basix together with the Roast Beef and Chicken!

Above all these, I really fell in love with the lamb chops together with the mint jelly (which was definitely a soul mate). The chops didn't have a strong overpowering taste common to other lamb chops, plus the cooking was top-notch as evidenced by the tenderness of the meat! Ahhhh, I can still remember the sensual touch of this on my taste buds!

The Chinese Dimsum and Carving Station

The Chinese Carving Station of Basix Restaurant

The Carving Station of Basix Restaurant often offers the following:

• Singapore braised duck
• Pork and chicken with tofu and eggs

On the other hand, the Dimsum station usually has the following:

• Pork Siomai
• Shark's Fin
• Shrimp Hakaw

The Chinese Dimsum Dishes - Siomai, Hakaw, Shark's Fin

I enjoyed the shark's fin, siomai and hakaw! They were pretty lovely, although I think texture can be further improved to result to a more comfortable chewing. I know this may be a tough job which I think a lot of restaurants are still mastering or sometimes still starting to work on. For Basix, I think they are more than halfway already, and I regard this as a compliment.

Crepe Station Plus Other Desserts

The Crepe Station together with the Crepe-Maker!

Chocolate Fondue at the center of the Desserts Station

The Make-It-Your-Own Halo-Halo in Dusit Thani's Basix Restaurant

Basix has a relatively wider array of dessets compare it with other hotels such as Midas Hotel. However, my sister noted that when you make other hotels of similar rank the benchmarks. The desserts collection of Dusit's Basix would appear few to normal, depending on the specific benchmark used. In general, I personally found the number more than decent already. Here are the desserts available during our dinner buffet!

Click on the photo to enlarge:


Let me grab this moment to immortalize a memory - my graduation day celebration! Finally, I am out of college!

A Not-So-Popular Kid celebrating graduation with the family in Basix of Dusit Thani

Basix Restaurant of Dusit Thani - Ratings 
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars.
Place ★★★★☆
Taste ★★★★
Variety ★★★☆
Service ★★★★☆
Price ★★★★
Budget: P1,800 for Dinner Buffet, 50% off if you have with you a Wine and Dine Card

To sum things up, I really give my thanks and praise to Basix for making this day extra special! If I can remember it correctly, I had nothing that disappointed me. Consequently, I now hail Dusit Thani's Basix Restaurant as my most favorite buffet to date!

Related Post: Midas Hotel's Buffet Restaurant

Basix Restaurant of Dusit Thani
Location:
Dusit Thani Manila, Lobby Level, 1223, Ayala Centre, Glorietta Complex, Makati City

Contact No.: (02) 238-8888 - from Zomato.com

Del Monte Kitchenomics - New Season this 2014 with Carla Abellana and Chef Jackie Ang Po

February 18, 2014, 4:53 am

≫ Next: Simple Canned Tuna "Samgyeopsal" Recipe for Home Cooking

≪ Previous: Feasty Buffet Experience in Basix Restaurant of Dusit Thani

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The Launching of New Season of Del Monte Kitchenomics for February 2014 To be aired every Wednesdays and Saturdays just before Eat Bulaga

Del Monte has always been a kitchen partner for most moms and cooks out there when it comes to cooking. (Even my mom always have them in our pantry). However, Del Monte felt that they could still push its being a culinary partner to a higher level, and thus came up with a brief cooking show we all are knowledgeable about - Del Monte Kitchenomics! Here's the good news - they will be airing a new season for fresh new recipes this 2014, and I was lucky to be invited for this Bloggers' Conference!

Del Monte Kitchenomics starring Ms. Carla Abellana and Chef Jackie Ang Po

A New Season of Del Monte Kitchenomics this February 2014 in GMA

Del Monte, in partnership with GMA Network, proudly launches another season of Del Monte Kitchenomics to be hosted by the newest kitchen duo, Jackie Ang Po (a multi-awared pastry chef) and Carla Abellana (versatile Kapuso actress who stared in the popular show of My Husband's Lover).

Lasting about 5 minutes per episode, the Del Monte Kitchenomics will be aired every Wednesday and Saturday before the noon-time show, Eat Bulaga and every Sunday before Sunday All Stars in GMA 7 (beginning tomorrow, February 19, 2014).

Sample Dishes from the Established Recipe Authority - Del Monte Kitchenomics
In this Bloggers/Press Conference, we were served some of the dishes picked from the recipes of Del Monte Kitchenomics (which by the way can be accessed via its Facebook Page and Website).

One of them was this Kitchenomics Kaldereta:

Kitchenomics Kaldereta - made with Del Monte Original Style Tomato Sauce

Well, even if this dish was just simple, the Kitchenomics Kalderata showcased some subtleness in its flavors. However, honesty forces me to say this is not one of the best ones I tasted, but I certainly found this tasty and great enough to satisfy my cravings for this dish!

Check out the recipe of this kaldereta/caldereta here: Classic Caldereta

The lunch served in this Bloggers' Conference featuring the amazing Kaldereta from the Del Monte Kitchenomics Recipe!

Fiesta Float Dessert

Fiesta Float -  dessert made with Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail

I just love this amazing dessert! This Fiesta Float featured a mild level of sweetness causing the graham, cream and the fruits to blend well in terms of the taste. Above all, this has no "suya and umay factor" because, again, of the controlled level of sweetness.

Learn how to prepare this yourself by coursing through the recipe of Fiesta Float from the Del Monte Kitchenomics Website.

Kitchen and Food Talk with Carla Abellana and Chef Jackie Ang Po
Anyway, bloggers were given the opportunity to ask some questions to the kitchen duo, and so I asked Carla what her comfort food during stressful taping days. She said any Filipino dish is sufficient enough to bring comfort. With this, I assumed that Carla is a big fan of our very own cuisine!

Catch Carla and Chef Jackie every Wednesdays and Saturdays (lunch time) just before Eat Bulaga for cool and budget-friendly recipes!

I also asked Chef Jackie Ang Po what she can say to those just learning how to cook (since as you may not know, I am starting to learn the basics of cooking), and her answer was just simple, "Try and try and try...". Now, I am motivated more to try venturing into the world of cooking! Oh, also, she said that it is more advisable to refer first to recipes when you are just beginning to cook. As she puts it, "You need to learn first the basic letters before you can come up with words and more so for phrases and so on".

A Not-So-Popular Kid and Fellow Food Bloggers
I really enjoyed in this Bloggers' Conference because I came to know more fellow food bloggers! We shall see each other again soon in other events! You guys are awesome!

A Not-So-Popular Kid with his fellow foodie friends and food bloggers!

Oh, I want to thank Czarina Santos for tagging along with me! You may not remember well, but I featured Cz Santos as my Foodie Friend of the Month for November.

With the co-organizers and other food bloggers - It was nice to see you everyone!

Since I am a fan of Carla Abellana (and so was Cz), we decided to grab the opportunity to have a photo taken with her! Carla was really amazing plus all-friendly and warm! Oh by the way, she is a Lasallian too (ID 104) who took up AB (or was it BS) in Psychology.

Renz Cheng (Me) and Cz Santos with Carla Abellana, a fellow Lasallian, in Del Monte Kitchenomics Bloggers' Conference

Aspiring to be a good cook someday, I decided to have some chit-chat with Chef Jackie, and she shared some tips to me! Upon having that chat, I experienced a surge of energy that made me want to really learn how to cook!

With the amazing and multi-awarded Chef -- Chef Jackie Ang Po!=

Okay, that will be all for this blog post! Again, catch Del Monte Kitchenomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays (before Eat Bulaga) or on Sundays (before Sunday All-Star).

Check out more recipes from the Facebook Page of Del Monte Kitchenomics! Be in the know, and start exploring more dishes without depending on restaurants! It's time to craft something magnificent on our own fellow foodies!

It will be cool to know if you are learning how to cook like me. Share some of your stories below and your motivation to cook!

Simple Canned Tuna "Samgyeopsal" Recipe for Home Cooking

February 19, 2014, 7:43 am

≫ Next: Food Trip Guide | Chinese Dimsum in Golden Fortune Restaurant

≪ Previous: Del Monte Kitchenomics - New Season this 2014 with Carla Abellana and Chef Jackie Ang Po

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Satisfy your Samgyeopsal with a different twist - do it the tuna way!

Samgyeopsal has recently become a big hit among Filipinos (who developed some fondness on Korean cuisine). This was probably due to cultural exchanges that occurred during the past years. Or was it just one way? Anyway, I don't know if you usually experience this yourself, but there are countless times when I seem to deeply crave for this dish. One day, I couldn't take the cravings anymore that I decided to cook one my own, and thus I came up with this blog post, "Cooking Samgyeopsal Grilled Pork Belly at Home". (Feel free to check this other post out for the Original Pork Belly Samgyeopsal).

Days after I cooked my own Pork Samgyeopsal, the cravings came back, and this time with reinforcement. Unfortunately, we don't have any pork belly left in the fridge. Feeling the need to satisfy the craving, I just improvised using a canned tuna (since that was the best I found when I was scavenging some ingredients). Anyway, it turned out not bad (or so I thought), and I felt that it would be nice to share it here! 

Note: I know Samgyeopsal is really for either pork or beef, but again this is just improvisation.

Ingredients and Things You Need

Making Tuna "Samgyeopsal" the Easy Way with 4 main ingredients

Alright, the ingredients are really simple but may not be readily available for you, so a trip to a Korean Store or Market may be necessary. On the other hand, when you have these with you already, the next procedures will just be a walk in the park:

• 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil or any other oil if unavailable
• 1 Canned Tuna (184g) - preferably not the one in oil
• 5 tablespoon of a Korean Barbecue Sauce
• 1 and 1/2 table spoon of soybean paste
• Lettuce or other leafy vegetables

Cooking and Prep Time: 7 minutes
This will make a serving that is good for 2-4 people.

The Cooking Procedures
The first thing to do is to heat the sesame oil on a pan, and afterwards pour in the canned tuna for mild cooking. After a minute or two, pour in the 5 tablespoon of Korean Barbecue Sauce you bought in a Korean store (if you want this particular brand, it's Ottogi). Mix until the sauce gets distributed evenly.

Step 1: Cook the Canned Tuna in a hot pan using Sesame Oil (or any other oil) Step 2: Add the Korean Barbecue Sauce

Alright, actually you are almost done. That's how easy it is to prepare this dish, once you have all the necessary ingredients. To perform the last procedure, you need to add in the 1.5 tablespoon of soybean paste. This will be the ingredient that will unlock a lot of flavor from the dish.

Tip: You may add more of the soybean paste for a spicier and tastier, but you may also reduce it if you don't want to be surprised by the flavor.

Step 3: Add the exciting flavor - from the Korean soybean paste

Mix it again to spread out the sauce. Remove the heat from the pan, and let it settle for a minute. Afterwards, you are done!

The Finished Product - Tuna Samgyeopsal cooked at home!

How to Enjoy the Tuna Samgyeopsal or any Samgyeopsal for that Matter?
Get a piece of lettuce, and put rice on top (preferably the sticky one).

How to eat Samgyeopsal with a lettuce?

Get a spoonful of the tuna, and lay it on the rice.

Tuna Samgyeopsal Improvisation for an instant lunch or dinner!

Roll up and dig in!

The rolled up Tuna Samgyeopsal with Lettuce and Rice - Eating it the Korean Way!

Just in case you want to add more flavor to your rolled up delight, you may choose to dip it in the soybean paste. This particular brand (which I can't identify because everything is in Korean writing) features a sweet and tasty blend with a not-so-overwhelming kick of spice.

The perfect pair (sauce) for a samgyeopsal - the Korean Soybean Paste

Hopefully you found this simple recipe I came up with useful and delicious, in case you'll try it yourself. Also, please do share what you think of this improvised recipe. Or you may also share how you love Korean Samgyeopsal!

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Food Trip Guide | Chinese Dimsum in Golden Fortune Restaurant

February 24, 2014, 11:31 pm

≫ Next: Sincerity Restaurant and Cafe in Binondo, Chinatown of Manila

≪ Previous: Simple Canned Tuna "Samgyeopsal" Recipe for Home Cooking

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Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant in Kalaw Street

Golden Fortune or "Lok Hok" as you may have heard from your Chinoy or Chinese friends is a Seafood Restaurant more known for its Shabu-Shabu and Dimsum dishes!

If you are more into a classier type of place, you may opt to visit the branch in Kalaw Street (a 4-minute walk away from the LRT Station). Here's a snapshot of the place.

The Interior of Golden Fortune in Kalaw near U.N. Avenue LRT Station

There are a lot of waiters around, so you may expect a hands-on service with high level of attentiveness (unless of course if there's an event being held in Golden Fortune in the 2nd floor). 

On the other hand, if you want to experience adventure, choose the one in Binondo. Well, honestly I haven't seen the place yet except for the facade, but the one in Kalaw looks much cozy and comfy. However, the good thing about the latter is that you are closer to other good places to eat!

Since this post is more of a food trip guide, let me now share with you the dishes we had. This will be followed by the Food Trip Budget Plan I prepared to assist you in planning your own food trip.

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Medium) || P300

Yang Chow Fried Rice of Golden Fortune

This Yang Chow fried rice was unfortunately not the best I had suggesting that  it can't be enjoyed by itself (unlike other ones I've tried before). However, despite this, I found the fried rice considerably "fine" when I had it with the dimsum. Since the taste of the rice was not that strong, it just balanced the flavors of the dimsum.

Sauteed Fish Fillet with Vegetables (Small) || P330

Sauteed Fish Fillet with Vegetables.

I don't know if I was just focused on having the siomai and other dimsum that I found this dish not that amazing, but don't get me wrong. What I meant by "not that amazing" is "I didn't find something special about the dish". Admittedly, the quality and taste were both fine, but lacks the Mmmmmmmm-factor.

Roasted Pork Asado (Small) || P250

The "bland-and-sweet" pork asado of Golden Fortune

Portions of the asado had a superb flavorful taste emphasized by a subtle sweetness that brushes on the taste buds. Sadly, the flavor was not evenly distributed because there were bland portions as well.

Fried Thailand Style Shrimp Cake || P75 (Regular Price) || P48 (Promo Price)

Fried Thailand Style Shrimp Cake - an emerging favorite!

This shrimp cake was a total hit for me! The outer shell was fried just right, and the filling was incredible. Although the taste is somehow close to the siomai, this shrimp cake was, in a way, still different. Actually, what made this more enjoyable was the mayo dip that complimented well the "cake"

Wanton Soup Noodle || P105 (Regular Price) || P78 (Promo Price)

For noodle-lovers, here's a Wanton Soup Noodle of Golden Fortune

I wasn't able to try this one, but I included it here so that you'll know that they also serves soup noodles there.

Beancurd Roll || P70 (Regular Price) || P48 (Promo Price)

The special Beancurd Roll that's full of flavors!

Swimming in a light sour sauce, this Beancurd Roll was nearly amazing with its tasty meat-with-beancurd filling. I found the rolls not entirely exquisite but I still think it is really worthy to be tried because you will find the taste "new".

Steamed Shrimp Siomai || P70 (Regular Price) || P48 (Promo Price)

Steamed Shrimp Siomai - delectable and amazing!

The Shrimp Siomai for me tasted heavenly. It offered a beautifully-balanced flavor enough for me (and you) to eat it without any sauce. I don't know if it was just me but I just love the Siomai of Golden Fortune! In fact, it currently holds the Best Siomai (to date) in my book.

Note: We were supposed to order some Shrimp Hakaw as well. However, it was out of stock already.

Free Ube Gulaman Dessert - simple yet good!

Just when we thought we were done eating, the waiters provided us free desserts - Ube Gulama in Sweet Milky Sauce which I found simple yet good. Anyway, this generosity of Golden Fortune was really a nice gesture or practice that made us all happy. In short, because of the free desserts, we left the place with smiles on our faces. Basically, that ended our dining experience here in Golden Fortune! It's now time for my food trip suggestions!


Budgeted Food Trip Guide - Dimsum Edition:
Since I am here to accompany you indirectly in your food trip, let me share with you some of my suggestions (i.e. what to order) together with their corresponding costs.

In order to fully understand the guide I made, you must take note of the following:

• The prices listed below are on a per person basis provided that you meet (no more, no less) the suggested number of people. 
• Prices used are net of service charge (in Kalaw Branch); however, I am not entirely sure whether the branch in Binondo also has a service charge. If not, expect a lower amount to pay each person.
• Prices used are also within the Promo hours, so I highly suggest that you plan your food trip well and dine here in Golden Fortune during the said promo hours. 

Promo Hours of Golden Fortune:

1. Soler [Binondo] Branch (2:00 pm to 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm to 1:00am)
2. Kalaw Branch (9:00 pm to 12:00 mn only)

Chinese Dimsum (Golden Fortune) - Budget Plan or Suggested Orders for those who want to go into a food trip!

Create your Own Food Trip Plan:

There you go! I hope you found this blog post and especially the Food Trip Budget Plan useful and interesting! Share this to your friends, and invite them to have a food trip here! Oh, I suggest that you choose branch in Binondo, so you can also try other famous food places there (such as Tasty Dumplings, Dong Being, Salido Asado and more) for a feasty food trip!

Golden Fortune Restaurant
Location: 678 T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila
Service Charge: 10% of the Price

Binondo Branch:
Ground Floor, Peace Hotel,
1283 Soler Street,
Binondo, Manila

Sincerity Restaurant and Cafe in Binondo, Chinatown of Manila

February 28, 2014, 6:20 am

≫ Next: Dong Bei Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao in Binondo, Manila

≪ Previous: Food Trip Guide | Chinese Dimsum in Golden Fortune Restaurant

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Back in 2012 (during my early blogging days), I shared an exciting Chinese fried chicken that I discovered through my sister's "pasalubong". It was no other than the chicken from Sincerity Restaurant. Now that it's 2014, we decided out of whim, to conduct a food trip in Binondo, and Sincerity happened to be the first stop!

Binondo Food Trip - Sincerity Restaurant as the first food stop!

Locating Sincerity Restaurant in Yuchengco Street
Binondo isn't exactly organized as you may expect, and so it may be difficult to spot this restaurant, such as in our case. However, through the help of Google Map and asking around, we finally located the place! It was not an easy feat but definitely an exciting one.

In case you want to take away the excitement from exploring the place on your own, I'll tell you how to find it via Quintin Parades Street. If not, you may want to skip this part.

How to Commute to Sincerity via a Jeepney 

Jeepney is most likely the mode of transportation you will use to get there, unless you'll ride a cab or your own car. However, parking and touring around will be difficult when you choose the latter, so I don't recommend bringing a car. Anyway, take a jeepney from Taft that has Divisoria on its sign.

You will know you are near Binondo when you cross the Jones Bridge and the Friendship Arch. The street you will be in is Quintin Parades, and you will ride down the jeepney infront of Carvajal Street (in between BDO and Sterling Bank of Asia, a few establishments away from Jollibee). Enter that busy street until you reach an intersection and turn right. Then, walk for about 1 to 2 minutes and you'll reach your destination. (Check out the first photo to familiarize yourself with the place).

We finally reached our first destination for our Binondo Food Trip - Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant With my food trip buddies Kim Taruc and Mae Larin

Sincerity Restaurant and Cafe
Alright, now that you know how to locate the place, let's explore what you will find in there. As you may se, the restaurant isn't as fancy as you may thought, but it sure does look Chinese enough!

Ground Floor of the Sincerity Branch in Yuchengco Street, Binondo

Don't fret when you see the place full of customers, there is a high chance that you'll get seated, since they have a second floor. You need to note however, that service is relatively poor when you are upstairs because only one staff is ready to assist you. (More about the service below in this post)

2nd Floor Interior of Sincerity Restaurant and Cafe

The Food
Before we engaged into this food trip, we made an agreement not to spend more than P250 for the entire food trip. Hence, we came up with this P250-Binondo Food Trip Challenge!

In line with this, we needed to carefully select what to order. Some of us grouped ourselves into 6-8 people, but some were left out (since they came in late). Thus, they were forced to try the Affordable Bento Meals!

Bento 2 - Sincerity Fried Chicken, Pancit Canton with Fried Rice || P80

Affordable Bento 2 of Sincerity Restaurant - Chicken + Pancit + Fried Rice

Consisting of 6 people, my sub-group decided to go for one whole Sincerity Chicken and one Oyster Cake (Small).

Sincerity Fried Chicken (Whole) || P300

The Famous Tasty Chicken of Sincerity Restaurant in Binondo

Everybody loved the Sincerity Chicken! It was completely full of enjoyable flavor, and with that, you no longer need any sauce for it. It had a mild hint of sweetness, and the other spices brought out a natural delicious taste!

With or without gravy, the chicken tastes fantastic!

If you want to add more excitement to the taste, you may dip the chicken into the gravy sauce. This will highlight more the tasty flavor of the chicken, but then again gravy isn't necessary for the chicken to be potent in taste.

Fried Oyster Cake || P140 (Small) || P200 (Big)

Oyster Cake of Sincerity Restaurant

This Fried Oyster Cake, on the other hand, garnered mixed reactions from the sub-group. Personally, I loved the uniqueness of the taste. However, some found it either too slimy or too bizarre (even both for others). Regardless of your possible reaction, I really think you should try this one because I'm sure you will enjoy either the food or the adventure! Oh, in case you don't know, Oyster Cake is a dish made from beaten egg, oysters, rice flour, veggies and other spices! 

Note about the Unsatisfactory Service:
I failed to appreciate much our visit because the service wasn't entirely likable. First, the staff wasn't that friendly and welcoming. Second, they couldn't seem to handle well the needs of the customers during full capacity (which I found inexcusable). However, since it's the food that we were after and not exactly the service, we just shrugged it off. Now, it's up to you whether you will put this into consideration or not.

Wrapping Up
Sincerity Restaurant is a sure must-try for a Binondo Food Trip because of its unique chicken (and other dishes). The place and service may not be too appealing in this branch (hence, you may opt for the branch in Lucky Chinatown Mall), but the food definitely is noteworthy!

Budget Needed: If you are going alone, you can go for a bento, the price ranges from P80 to P160
If you are on a food trip, and in a group of 6 or 7, you may need to spend P73 (for a fair share of Sincerity Chicken and Oyster Cake), if you want rice to pair with it just add P18 for a total of P91.

[I'm currently crafting other posts for this Binondo Food Trip, keep checking this blog out for more updates about our adventure]

Sincerity Restaurant and Cafe
Location: 497 Yuchengco St., Binondo Manila
Contact No.: 241-9991, 241-9990

Other Branches:
213-A Ibanez St. cor Abad Santos
Little Baguio, San Juan

549 Banawe Street, Quezon City

G/F Lucky Chinatown Mall

Dong Bei Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao in Binondo, Manila

March 1, 2014, 4:20 pm

≫ Next: The Original Sa Lido Restaurant - Home of the Famous Tasty Asado

≪ Previous: Sincerity Restaurant and Cafe in Binondo, Chinatown of Manila

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Dong Bei's Affordable Xiao Long Bao in Binondo, Manila

Following up on our Binondo Food Trip - P250 Challenge, the next food stop after Sincerity Restaurant (where we had some Oyster Cake and Fried Chicken) is Dong Bei Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao!

When I blogged about Tasty Dumplings back in 2013, I received some recommendations regarding a good dumpling place in Binondo, as well. This happened to be Dong Bei, and although it has been long due, I finally was able to try the dumplings there! Hence, let me grab this opportunity to thank those who recommend me to try it!

Locating Dong Bei Dumpling
Dong Bei is located in Yuchengco Street. You may walk by Ongpin Street (the street on the right when you are facing the Historic Binondo Church), and turn left at the intersection. The signage isn't prominent, so you need to be keen to spot it. In order to help you out, here's a snapshot of the place, shot a few meters away from the store.

Dong Bei Dumplings in Yuchengco Street of Binondo, Manila

Fascination with the Process
Just to share something personal with you, I have been growing a fascination with cooking and anything related to the process of coming up with a dish lately. Being nosy as I may be from time to time, I decided to check out how they make the dumplings.

The Raw Dumplings of Dong Bei - hmmmm, looks amazing!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to witness the entire process of making it, since they already have a meat mixture (the raw meat filling) on hand. Anyway, what they practically do is to wrap them up and shape them cutely (as you see in the photo). Oh, by the way, you may order raw dumplings for take out at P200 for 31 pieces!


Since we were on a food trip, we needed to try it on the spot! Nobody thought of ordering something for take-out, though.

Dong Bei Dumplings || P100 for 14 pieces (Chives and Pork) || P100 for 10 pieces (Shrimps)

The famous dumplings of Dong Bei Dumpling Store

Observably, the dumpling wrapper used was considerably light and thin unlike that of a Japanese Gyoza which can be one of the differences against the Chinese dumplings. The size of these dumplings is almost as large as the circle formed when you make an O sign using your hand.

Dong Bei Dumplings at only P100 for 14 pieces!

As for the taste, well it wasn't as spectacular as I first expected, but it wasn't bad at all. Perhaps, I am not just a dumpling-person. What I noted about the taste was the strong flavor coming from the herbs and veggies (i.e. chives and celery). Most of my food trip buddies enjoyed the dumplings, and I think I somewhat did too!

Now, here's something that made us all excited - The Xiao Long Bao! I don't know if this a bad thing or not, but my first taste of a Xiao Long Bao was exquisite causing my benchmark to be high (unfortunately, I forgot the name of the place where I had it).

Steamed Xiao Long Bao || P90 for 6 pieces

Steamed Xiao Long Bao of Dong Bei Dumplings in Binondo, Manila

Being delicate as it is supposed to be, the Xiao Long Bao of Dong Bei must be handled with care. Some of us got so excited that they perforated the wrapper causing all the goodness to spill away, literally. Again, be gentle when you munch on these.

A Closer Look of Dong Bei's Affordable Xiao Long Bao

As mentioned, I have a high benchmark when it comes to a Xiao Long Bao, and this resulted to a shallow appreciation of the Dong Bei's Xiao Long Bao. I am not quite sure, but it felt like it came in too far from what I had before. However, when I try to isolate this experience, I think they were decent and good enough  as evidenced by my friends' reaction and review. The taste is close to the dumpling, but this has a more potent veggie and meaty flavor, plus the "soup inside" is a nice comforting food experience.

For food trip purposes, I still believe that you should have this in your must-trys, as well as the dumplings, especially when you haven't had them before. It will be a great adventure!

Here's a photo of my food trip buddies! I encourage you to engage in a food trip as well with your friends! 

My Binondo Food Trip Buddies - the biggest I had so far

As you may notice, the place is in no way grand; however, this just adds to the adventure. Also, this store can accommodate approximately 14 people.

Wrapping Up

I wouldn't say that I had a magnificent experience with the dumplings and Xiao Long Bao. In fact, I still yet to find the best ones around the Metro. However, Dong Bei definitely qualifies as a food trip material! 

Budget Needed:

• P32 each for a group of six (6) people to enjoy 2 pieces of dumplings and 1 Xiao Long Bao. However, if you want to really be full, the budget will raise to 
• At least P110 each for two (2) persons to enjoy a fried rice and 7 pieces of dumplings.

Dong Bei Dumplings
Location: 642 Yuchengo Street, Binondo, Manila
Store Hours: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily (according to one of the staff there)

Dong Bei Dumpling Menu and Prices

The Original Sa Lido Restaurant - Home of the Famous Tasty Asado

March 3, 2014, 3:18 pm

≫ Next: SHANGHAI Fried Siopao in Ongpin Street of Binondo, Manila

≪ Previous: Dong Bei Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao in Binondo, Manila

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The Original Sa Lido Restaurant in Ongpin Street of Binondo, Manila

After the second stop after Dong Bei Dumplings, we started a quest to find The Original Sa Lido Restaurant! Since everyone else is clueless where it is exactly, we needed to ask around quite a few times. Checking our Google Map, we learned that Sa Lido Restaurant lies in the busy street of Ongpin. However, it was a really long stretch, so we had a difficult time locating it.

To avoid you of the same hassle, let me give you some pointers on how to find the place.

Locating The Original Sa Lido Restaurant
Let us first choose Binondo Church as the starting point, wherein you need to take the street on the right (facing the church) called Ongpin Street. You will need to walk a lot from there past a short bridge and another Welcome Arch (halfway point).

I tell you - it's really a long walk, but you need to be patient. Also, Google Map isn't all that accurate. It says that the restaurant can be found somewhat near President's Restaurant, but it's still way far from that place. Unfortunately, I can't describe much how to go there, so I suggest that you also ask around. [I will update this portion once I get more information.]

The Place

The quaint and semi old-fashioned interior of Sa Lido Restaurant

I was able to appreciate the slight creepiness of the place brought by the quaint and old-fashion interior (i.e. 80s to 90s). It was like I was time traveling back to the past. Of course there are already some tweaks and renovations, but I can still feel the ambiance of creepy coziness. (Again, creepy in the sense that the "time-travel-thingy" is uncanny for me).

The Famous Sa Lido Asado
It was really thoughtful of Sa Lido Asado to offer free service despite us coming in a large group ordering just 2 Medium Servings of Asado.

Free Service tea with Photo bomber food trip buddies!

Here are two photos of me with my food trip buddies for the day! Thank you guys for making this food trip the biggest and most-adventurous I had! 

Sa Lido's Special Asado || P235 (Small) || P470 (Medium) || P940 (Large)

The famous lean asado of The Original Sa Lido Restaurant in Binondo

According to the waitress, the medium serving is equivalent to a half kilo of the asado. We thought that this will be just fine for us, and so we ordered two (2) Medium servings - one for each sub-group consisting of 7 people wherein each of us got to have 6-7 slices of the asado.

Generous Serving of Sa Lido Asado at only P470 for Medium - Good for 7 people for food trip!

Sa Lido offered a leaner and generous serving of the asado, which I found considerably tasty on its own. However, in my opinion, what made the asado extra special (thus making Sa Lido's statement "Our Asado makes a difference" somewhat true and valid) was the fruity sweet sauce that tasted like pineapple!

Wrapping Up!
Everyone in my sub-group loved how the asado tasted, and they agreed with me that the sauce was really the real deal! However, I am still reluctant to hail this as the best asado, but definitely Sa Lido has the Best Sauce so far for the asado!

Also, I have to give a thumbs up for this place! You should definitely include this in your food trip list!

Budget Needed:

• Food Trip - P68 each (for 7 persons) for asado only - order 1 Medium Serving of Asado
• Non-Food Trip - At leastP200 each (for 2 persons) for asado, 1 dimsum and rice

The Original Sa Lido Restaurant
Location: 839 Ongpin St Binondo, Manila Metro Manila
Contact No.: 521-3333

Portion of Menu including Prices:

SHANGHAI Fried Siopao in Ongpin Street of Binondo, Manila

March 5, 2014, 4:30 pm

≫ Next: Egg Tart Desserts in Binondo by Lord Stow's Bakery

≪ Previous: The Original Sa Lido Restaurant - Home of the Famous Tasty Asado

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In the busy street of Ongpin lies a humble place that sells Fried Siopao

Still on our Binondo Food Trip P250-Challenge, we decided to search for a desserts place after our 3rd Food Stop in The Original Sa Lido Restaurant. However, some of us were craving for a fried siopao. Coincidentally, while going back from Sa Lido restaurant, we came across this humble place that sells them. I'm not sure, but the only signage they have is "Shanghai Fried Siopao", so I assume this is the name of hte place.

Anyway, they are selling fried siopao at an affordable price of P17.

Shanghai Fried Siopao for only P17 Ongpin Street of Manila's Chinatown

I can tell that they were freshly cooked because of the warmness of the siopao. One of my food trip buddies even had his siopao fall off from his hand because of the extreme temperature. Awwww.

Shanghai Fried Siopao in Ongpin Street

Here's a photo of what you can find inside the siopao.

Affordable Fried Siopao in Binondo, Manila

Judging from this photo, the filling looks very delicious and probably has a hint of herb taste. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood to have a fried siopao, so I just asked my friends what they can say about it. They all noted that they liked how it tasted, and thought it was "sulit".

Shanghai Fried Siopai
Location: Ongin Street, Binondo Manila (just a few establishments before Sa Lido Restaurant)

Egg Tart Desserts in Binondo by Lord Stow's Bakery

March 7, 2014, 5:41 pm

≫ Next: The Binondo Food Trip P250 Challenge

≪ Previous: SHANGHAI Fried Siopao in Ongpin Street of Binondo, Manila

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Lord Stow's Bakery in Ongpin Street beside Mr. Ube

After a long tour around Binondo seeking for food-tastic places, we decided to make a final stop to Lord Stow's Bakery - home of the famous Macau egg tarts!

Note: I was able to blog about this already a year ago, since my mom had it for take out. You may want to check out the blog post here: Famous Egg Tarts.

Lord Stow's Bakery brags about its "best-tasting" egg tarts which came all the way from Macau. Of course, it's silly to think that they are importing this every time. Anyway, we had this for a final stop because we needed to end our Binondo Food Trip P250-Challenge with a dessert, and it was considerably epic!

The not-so-spacious interior of Lord Stow's Branch in Ongpin St. of Binondo

Almost a Bad Idea that still Turned Out Great
Alright, it was almost a bad idea that we chose this place because there was no way our food trip group, consisting of 14 people, fitting inside the small store which I guess can only accommodate 6-7 people. However, we still decided to give it a go through a compromise - some of us will stay outside the store (baked under the afternoon heat) while some will go in to buy boxes of the egg tarts.

As one of the blogger-perks, I got picked to enter the "bakery".

Sweet and tasty treat in a box - Lord Stow's Bakery!

The photo above shows the box containing the sweet and delicious treats from Lord Stow's but before we finally open it, I just want to share that the bakery also offers other delicacies such as cakes, coffee, soup, spreads and more!

Luckily, I was able to take a few snapshots of the spread offerings!

Various bread spreads such as Chunky Chicken Spread and Mexican Crabstick are also available in Lord Stow's Bakery

More spreads - Garlic Herb Spread of Lord Stow's

Alright, now let's open the box! Hmmm, can you smell that? How I wish you could because it smelled really fantastic! 

Lord Stow's Egg Tarts || P42 (per piece) || P165 (box of 4) || P245 (box of 6) || P460 (box of 12)

Famous Egg Tarts in a Box - recipe from Macau!

The Divine Egg Tarts
As mentioned in my previous blog post, Lord Stow's Egg Tarts are the best ones I've tasted so far! The tart is tenderly creamy that creates a melt in your mouth sensation, and pastry nestling the filling is appropriately crisp. You will definitely savor each moment munching it in!

A closer look of the warm egg tarts of Lord Stow's - perfect as a food trip ender!

Tip from a Friend (Kim Miranda): One of my food trip buddies that tagged along with me suggested putting the egg tarts inside the refrigerator. This will give a different texture and flavor at the same time to the tarts. He said that he preferred them this way.

I would say that this is really worth trying! Go check it out by including it in your food trip list!

Lord Stow's Bakery
Location: 707 Ongpin Street Corner, Imperial Sky Garden, Binondo, Manila

The Binondo Food Trip P250 Challenge

March 9, 2014, 5:21 pm

≫ Next: Unlimited Sushi Buffet for P399 in Genji-M Restaurant, Makati City

≪ Previous: Egg Tart Desserts in Binondo by Lord Stow's Bakery

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Binondo, commonly referred to as Manila's Chinatown, is a popular place not only for the sights to see but also for the food to try! In a future blog post, I will share a broader Binondo Tour and Food Trip guide, but for now, I think you will appreciate this P250-Binondo Food Trip Challenge!

For you to have a knowledge of how this challenge works, let me summarize it first through this 'infographic' I made.

A Not-So-Popular Kid's P250 Binondo Food Trip Challenge

Now let get started with the specifics of this Food Trip challenge!

Food Trip Agenda - The Overview
For proper planning and scheduling, let me present to you the overview of this food trip adventure!

• Suggested Number of People: Six (6) or any number divisible by six. I've tailored the orders to be sufficient for 6 people. Although this is the suggested number, you may choose to deviate from it, a plus or minus one perhaps? 
• Budget Needed: Two-hundred Fifty Pesos (P250), if you will strictly follow the guide, you will need less than that. It is your duty to change the estimate if in case you will deviate from the food trip agenda I've prepared.
• Time Needed: Approximately three (3) hours which already includes exploration, bonding and eating time!
• Places to Visit: Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant, Dong Bei Dumpling, Sa Lido Restaurant and Lord Stow's Bakery

Conducting the Food Trip

Alright! Here's a map in order to help you visualize how to conduct the food trip or "restaurant hopping"! 

The P250 Binondo Food Trip Challenge Map Map by Google Maps and Marks by A Not-So-Popular Kid

Starting Point:
If you are planning to meet up with your friends, it will be easier to meet up in Binondo Church; however, you may also opt to choose Sincerity Restaurant as your meet-up place. If you are not yet familiar with the place, I suggest that you drop by the church first (and do some thanksgiving and prayer as you wait). Otherwise, proceed to the first stop immediately.

Note: If you want to learn more about the place, just click on the name of the place (i.e. the heading) and you will be redirected to my individual blog post on it.

1. Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant

Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant in Yuchengco Street of Binondo

Directions: Enter the busy street of Carvajal where you will see a lot of fruit vendors. Walk until you read the end of the street, and take a right turn.

Food Highlights: Sincerity Chicken and Oyster Cake

2. Dong Bei Dumpling

Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao in Dong Bei

Directions: Follow the blue line on the map I presented earlier. Basically, all you need to do is to reach the end of Yuchengco St. (corner of Tytana St.). Dong Bei Dumpling Store is located there.

Food Highlights: Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao

3. Sa Lido Restaurant

Sa Lido Restaurant in Binondo, Manila Home of the famous Asado!

Directions: Follow the green line on the map, but be extra keen because I do not know exactly where the place is. All I know is that Google Maps can't be relied upon on this (since it is way far from President's Tea House, which Google Maps is saying it's close to). You may need to ask around to locate the place, sorry.

Food Highlight: Asado

4. Lord Stow's Bakery

Lord Stow's special Egg tarts all the way from Macau, (I mean the recipe is)!

Directions: Follow the orange map on the line. Well, actually you will already pass by this as you trek to Sa Lido Restaurant.

Food Highlight: Egg Tart

Extra: Shanghai Fried Siopao

Affordable Fried Siopao in Ongpin St. of Binondo

Directions: This store selling fried siopao is near Sa Lido Restaurant. You will come across this when you go back from Sa Lido or on your way to it.

Food Highlight: Fried Siopao

Note: You may drop this fried siopao from the list, in case you want to have a cup of rice in Sincerity Restaurant for P18, which means you will still abide by the P250 challenge.


Aright, there you have it! What do you think of this P250 Binondo Food Trip? What are you waiting for? Gather up your friends and have a food trip in Binondo! 

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Unlimited Sushi Buffet for P399 in Genji-M Restaurant, Makati City

March 11, 2014, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: Ilocano Dishes in Tinuno Grill and Cafe - Earnshaw St. Sampaloc, Manila

≪ Previous: The Binondo Food Trip P250 Challenge

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Disclosure: Before I begin with this blog post, let me state the fact that this is a sponsored post which means we got the dishes for free.

Genji-M - an Emerging Asian Fusion Eat-All-You-Can Place

A Brief Background about the Restaurant
Genji-M, wherein the letter M stands for either Manila or Makati, is a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant that opened in October 2013. Initially, the restaurant targeted Koreans, Japanese and Chinese foodies; however, Genji-M envisioned to expand further, and so it is now widening its horizon by tapping Filipino foodies.

The pleasant and inviting interior of Genji-M in Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City

A Big Revamp to cater to the Filipino foodies

Genji-M just introduced fresh new menus including the Eat-All-You-Can packages (which you will learn more about later) to meet Filipino customers' taste and expectations.

Dining the Japanese or Korean way in Genji-M restaurant

Business with a humble Ambition

Mr. Sam Lee, the owner of Genji-M and also a Corporate Social Responsibility consultant in China, has a humble dream of making the business venture expand, so that he can open up a next branch wherein handicapped people (i.e. Wheel-Chaired Handicap) will be the one making the sushi, rolls and sashimis! This means dining here makes that dream a step closer to becoming reality.  

Bright and Japanese-inspired interior of Genji-M

The busy chefs preparing the sushi, rolls and sashimis

The photo below shows Mr. Park, the sushi master in Genji-M, getting ready to make our sushi and rolls! He has been in the restaurant business for more than fifteen (15) years already and has introduced variety of new menus such as fusion makis, rolls, and sushi!

Mr. Park, Sushi Master of Genji-M in Makati

Now that you already gained sufficient information about Genji-M, let's start exploring the food!

Eat-All-You-Can/Buffet Prices:

• Unlimited Sushi and Rolls || P399 - indulge yourself with the 20 different varieties of sushis and more than 10 varieties of rolls!
  Some of the highlights for the sushi and rolls include: Fatty salmon, octopus, squid, samgyupsal, bulgogi, baked tofu and a whole lot more! 
• Unlimited Sashimi, Sushi and Rolls || P699 - this includes the one listed above plus some fresh sashimi such as tuna, salmon, tuna belly, octopus, cuttlefish and lapu-lapu!
• Unlimited Premium Sashimi || P1499 - includes the Unlimited Sashimi, Sushi and Rolls plus Tuna Seafood Shabu-shabu

To prepare your tummy with the feast you will indulge in, Genji-M offers free sides such as this salad in sesame dressing!

Fresh salad sides with sesame dressing

The salad is just light on the taste buds, so it is really a good appetizer! The dressing has an almost similar taste with that of the dressing in a famous katsu place, which I found really appealing.

Now, here's something amazing - the Korean Kimchi!

The free kimchi that comes along with the buffet - tasted pretty much Korean!

Normally, I avoid eating kimchi because of the strange overpowering taste. However, this one is an ultimate exception with its sweet and spicy flavor that really energized my taste buds!

The amazing persons behind the maki and rolls of Genji-M

As mentioned, there are a lot of varieties to choose from, and I will share some of the ones we had during our feasty dining experience. I will make the photos do the talking.

Actually, I am just using that as an excuse, since I honestly find it too difficult to differentiate the taste of sushi, sashimi and rolls across restaurants, but the good thing is my reliable taste buds know when it is great or not.

California Big Maki and Egg Maki

California Maki and Egg Maki - delightfully good!

Kimchi Maki

More maki plus the Genji-M innovation - Kimchi Maki

Amazing Tuna Rolls

Quite a supply of Tuna Rolls in Genji-M Restaurant

Sashimi Platter of Genji-M

The incredible sashimi platter - tuna, salmon, squid, octopus and lapu-lapu

I found the sashimi platter fascinating not only because of the photogenic plating but also because of the variety of sashimi on it namely the tuna, tuna belly, salmon, squid, octopus meat and lapu-lapu!

Samgyupsal Sushi, Egg Rolls, Baked Tofu Sushi, Salmon Rolls, Tuna Rolls and more!

Assorted sushi and rolls platter of  Genji-M

Ooh, I found two of these sushi and rolls amazing, and these are the Samgyupsal Sushi and Baked Tofu Sushi! I really recommend these two because they are considerably unique. What I love about the Samgyupsal Sushi is that it has my two favorites - samgyupsal pork and sushi! 

As for the Baked Tofu, it was really good! It had a sweet savory taste that I really found quite enjoyable.

Korean Soju and Chum Churum

Korean Soju and Chum Churum in Genji-M

Wow! It was my first time to try a Korean Soju here in this restaurant, and it was really "something". I just had a sip because I have low alcohol tolerance, but I really enjoyed having it! My sister told me that this drink is a 'traitor', since it may seem at first that it's not hitting you, until it hits you. Get it?

Also, I didn't know that soju came from fermented sweet potatoes! Now, that's amazing!

Fatty Salmon Sushi

Fatty Salmon Sushi - get it with the Unlimited Sushi and Rolls

Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between a fatty salmon and a regular salmon, but anyway since this one is prepared differently, there is a distinction when it comes to the taste. As seen in the photo, the salmon is lightly torched and garnished with a dab of Japanese mayo on top - this produced a smokey flavor that is really tricky on the buds, in a good way.

Salmon Sushi

Eat-All-You-Want Salmon Sushi - yum!

Crab Stick Sushi

Crab Stick Sushi - simple yet unlimited pleasures

Hmmmm, just your regular crab stick sushi! Nothing really caught my attention with this one.

Bulgogi Sushi 

The sweet Bulgogi Sushi with a tang from the wasabi paste

I went really crazy with the Bulgogi Sushi of Genji-M, since it was my first time to try something like this. It had this sweet taste with a dash of spiciness from the wasabi that blends well together. I'm sure this will appeal to the Filipino taste!

Want something familiar yet somehow new? Well, check out the Spam Sushi in the restaurant!


The adorable Spam Sushi in Genji-M Restaurant

The interesting Spam Sushi - only here in Genji-M

The torching of the Spam gives the meat a smokey flavor that creates a variation from that familiar taste of Spam. I couldn't believe how well it paired up with the nori, wasabi and rice! 

Genji-M in a Nutshell

Trying to be objective despite getting all of these free, I think Genji-M is really a highly recommended place because of the great variety and innovations here! Admittedly, some of the sushi and rolls were just above satisfactory, but a lot were really interesting and new, which makes this really a good place to explore exciting Japanese-Korean sashimi, sushi and rolls!

Genji-M Restaurant
Location: Kalayaan & Makati Ave. Next to St. Giles Hotel (in front of Metrobank)

Contact No.: (02) 804-2883

Service Charge: 10%

Social Media Accounts:
www.facebook.com/GenjiM
www.genjimanila.com

Ilocano Dishes in Tinuno Grill and Cafe - Earnshaw St. Sampaloc, Manila

March 21, 2014, 5:47 am

≫ Next: Nachos and Hotdogs in Franks Craft Beers of Resorts World Manila

≪ Previous: Unlimited Sushi Buffet for P399 in Genji-M Restaurant, Makati City

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Tinuno Grill and Cafe in Earnshaw St. near CPAR and UST in Sampaloc, Manila

It has been months already since I first stepped into the once unchartered place (in my personal map) known as Sampaloc, Manila, more specifically the area near the UST campus. However, I honestly haven't explored it much, contrary to what I first thought I would. Fortunately, despite visiting only a handful of food places, I stumbled upon Tinuno, an Ilocano-inspired eatery offering dishes of Ilocos.

Located near Toto's in Earnshaw St., Tinuno offers food that is uncommon and definitely not heavy on the budget. Admittedly, the place may not look so inviting (scary even to some people) but the food may just be too special, it makes the entire trip worth it!

Interior of Tinuno showing my foodie friends waiting for the orders

The Sizzling Bagnet Sisig || P59

The Ilocano-style Bagnet Sisig in Tinuno - spicy and full of flavors

Among all those that I've tried in Tinuno, this Bagnet Sisig is so far the best. I just love how the flavor is amplified by the exciting spiciness! Also, in my opinion, the sisig is unique because of the unusual ingredients used such as the shreds of carrots. In short, I find it innovative and brilliant!

The Tinuno Chicken || P59

Tinuno Chicken from a 4-year old recipe - the Ilocano version of a chicken barbeque

On the first try I had this, I didn't particularly enjoy the Tinuno Chicken because it tasted shallow and bland. Good thing there is such thing as second chances because the Tinuno Chicken proved to be different on my second try. Based on my observation, what made the blunt difference is the amount of sauce that the chicken had (since it was almost negligible in my first try). It was almost similar to the taste of Java Sauce of Aristocrat. With this, I began to appreciate chicken.

Nevertheless, my experience may prove that there may be large inconsistencies with this Tinuno Chicken.

The Sizzling Chicken Sisig || P59

The Chicken Sisig - a little inferior than the Bagnet Sisig

The chicken sisig dulls out in comparison with its bagnet counterpart. Although both has common flavors, the bagnet sisig has the most potency.


The Insarabasab || P65

Ilocano's version of Grilled Liempo - the Insarabasab (a tongue twister indeed)

No! Athough the name sounds deceivingly interesting, this Insarabasab was a major fiasco! Even if I gave it a second try, it was still a major downer brought by the overly burnt taste from excessive grilling.

Tinuno Beef in Chili and Sweet Sauce || P65

Tinuno Beef in chili and sweet sauce - a must try for a dose of food adventure!

If you want a small piece of adventure, you better try this hot dish! It features a savory taste with a striking level of spiciness (as far as my taste buds are concerned). Well, aside from this, it also has a creamy texture which you may find apt for the kick.

So, that's practically all about Tinuno! Now, if you happen to be near the area, I totally suggest that you give this a try. So far, this is our most favorite food place around UST campus.

Do you have something in mind that can top this? Share it away to us!

Tinuno Grill and Cafe
Location: Earnshaw St. in Sampaloc, Manila near Cayco St.

Budget Needed: At least P59 for a meal (without drinks unless you come in a group, which in that case, you'll receive a pitcher of iced tea for free)

Nachos and Hotdogs in Franks Craft Beers of Resorts World Manila

March 25, 2014, 6:35 am

≫ Next: Ganjou by Omakase in Torre Lorenzo 2, Taft Avenue

≪ Previous: Ilocano Dishes in Tinuno Grill and Cafe - Earnshaw St. Sampaloc, Manila

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Disclosure: Before I proceed with the post, let me first state the fact that this is in a way a sponsored post because we got the dishes for free.

The Franks Craft Beers Counter that reminds me of some American movies

Franks Craft Beers or simply Franks is a new addition to the ever growing restaurants in Resorts World Manila. It feeds on the idea of fusing the ubiquitous hotdog with the all-time Filipino favorites, which you'll find interesting (more of this later)! Luckily, I was given the opportunity to try what Franks can offer! 

Something interesting about Franks:

Aside from the name getting slightly synonymous with hotdogs, which are the primary offerings of the restaurant, Franks was conceptualized the owner to represent various famous people named (or closely named) Frank. This is why you'll find fascinating memorabilia hanged around the walls of Franks Craft Beers.

The memorabilia displayed around Franks are all about famous people named Franks

Things you should take into account:

• Franks is located inside the Casino, so dining here requires you to be of legal age (i.e. 21 and above)
• People with asthma aren't advisable to check out the place, since Resorts World Manila (RWM) isn't a smoke-free place. 
• You may ride the shuttle to get here (just be a member of RWM)

Interior of Franks Craft Beers with sufficient seating capacity

A little something about the place:
What I can note about the place is that it has this cozy and classic American ambiance, some sort similar to what we can watch in movies. Well, I don't know if that's just me, but anyway, it felt like that. I can imagine myself sipping milkshake in this place (just like Archie and the gang in the Chocklit Shoppe). Wait a minute, this made me wonder, why aren't they offering milkshake?

Enough of the chitchat! Let's eat!  As a brief teaser, here are what you will find in Franks Craft Beers!

The four hotdog/franks variants available in Franks Craft Beers

What's common among all the hotdogs?

They all have this soft and delicate texture that kisses the lips as you bite. It was probably because the people behind Franks are the ones making the hotdogs (from the recipe to the one served to you). They keep it fresh daily, so they'll tell you to expect great quality!

Oooh, the condiments and other ingredients used to craft the hotdogs

Franks Classic Nachos || P158 

Nachos, Chili con Carne, Cheese Sauce, Jalapeno and Sour Cream

The cheesy classic nachos of Franks get it while it's hot!

Love at first bite -- this must be it! This Franks Classic Nachos just had everything that I want for nachos. It was definitely oozing with cheese, so every cheese lover will really appreciate it. Plus, it has this wild traitorous kick that will really "creep on you" (quoting the Sous Chef in Franks). If you're looking for adventure, well, this is an epic one!

French Fries || P78

Ordinary fries that pairs up well with the franks!

I still believe that all french fries are created equal. Care enough to challenge that? Haha!

Potato Wedges || P98

Potato Wedges in Franks Craft Beers

Well, both of the wedges and fries were great and ordinary at the same time. I mean, how do you actually differentiate fries and wedges of restos? Pray tell, I'm begging you.

Franks Wings || P188 (6 pieces) || P338 (12 pieces) || P458 (18 pieces)

The not-so-spicy-but-great Franks Wings

I just love the Franks Wings because they just had the right amount of kick (which I assume isn't enough for some, especially the chili-seekers). In another aspect, the wings had this salty and zesty flavor, which combined pretty well.

PS: The nachos were spicier.

And noooow, for the main event - the hotdogs!

Chicken Inasal Hotdog || P148

Chicken Inasal Hotdog with its smokey flavor!

First one up - the Chicken Inasal Hotdog! I got fascinated by the fact that it is possible to put the flavor of chicken inasal in a hotdog. Although it didn't taste exactly like a chicken grilled in Inasal way, it got this sweet smokey flavor that was playful in the mouth. The overall taste was just light, which I found appealing.

Braised Beef Hotdog || P148

The somehow-ordinary-but-beef hotdog of Franks Crafts Beer

The Braised Beef Hotdog tasted, uhmmm, beef. There wasn't much extraordinary about this, well aside from the texture as I mentioned earlier.

Classic Franks (Customizable) || P128

The classic franks that made Franks Craft Beer famous

The only hotdog subject to customization requests is this Classic Franks. So, go unleash your creativity onto this one. I'm sure you'll love the hotdog itself. 

Chicken Pork Adobo Hotdog || P148

A dash of Filipino-Spanish culture in this Pork Adobo Hotdog

Hola! This was really something attention grabbing! Who would believe that you can actually make a hotdog taste like an adobo? You will be left with awe because it will remind you of the typical Filipino Adobo!

Trivia: It's difficult to come up with an adobo hotdog because of the vinegar content. It simply breaks the thin container wrapping the hotdogs. Hence, this really deserves attention.

Banana Fritters served with Whipped Cream

A semi-crunchy layer with mushy banana inside plus whipped cream on the side

Finally, the dessert - Banana Fritters. Hey, don't mistaken this for a turon. It's completely different. Anyway, I failed to fully appreciate this dessert probably because I was too full, but it was really unique. I mean, it was my first time to have something like this. The outer coating or the bater was semi-crunchy (as a result of frying) while the inside was something mushy. Well, what I liked about this was the chocolate syrup - it was thick, semi-sweet and heavenly!

Franks - In a Nutshell
Well, I must be honest here; I really got fascinated by the fusing of Filipino favorites with hotdogs. Plus, the nachos really deserved a lot of adoration. It was pure bliss. I'm still undecided about the dessert, though, but overall I would say that it will be nice to at least try this place out.

Franks Craft Beers
Location: Casino (near the membership area), Resorts World Manila, Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay City

Store Hours: 10:00 am to 4:00 am (daily)

Hotline: (02) 908-8833 (Tourist/Visitor Hotline)

Ganjou by Omakase in Torre Lorenzo 2, Taft Avenue

March 30, 2014, 4:25 am

≫ Next: Eat-All-You-Can Vikings Buffet in SM Megamall

≪ Previous: Nachos and Hotdogs in Franks Craft Beers of Resorts World Manila

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Just last Thursday (March, 27, 2014), I happened to pass by my dear alma matter, and I was surprised to see a lot of changes around. Considering that I was only out for only a few months, I found it fascinating. As I unleashed the foodie within me, I decided to explore the "expanded"food scene around DLSU, until I came across Ganjou by Omakase via an alluring banner (stating that this restaurant was by Omakase).

To easily sum things up, Ganjou by Omakase is a casual Japanese place serving rice bowls, some sushi & rolls and a little of something else. You may check out the menu and prices below.

The Place

The banner I was referring to a while ago just hyped things up pushing my expectations high. Unfortunately, upon entering the place, I felt that I needed to adjust my expectations (which I did). This was because the place wasn't something spectacular as I initially visualized, and with the clashing colors of the interior (rather than the supposedly minimalist and simplistic designs common to a Japanese place), the place didn't feel "right". 

Nevertheless, I still maintained a high expectation which I soon regretted (due to the the slightly apalling quality of food served). 

Gyudon || P135

Gyudon Rice Meal of Ganjou by Omakase near De La Salle Univeristy

The Gyudon had some potential in terms of the flavor, but the quality of rice failed to keep up in completing the taste. It was just sad, but don't get me wrong. It didn't taste awful; it just didn't go near my expectations.

Omurice || P75

The lackluster - Omurice of Ganjou by Omakase

This Omu Rice was almost decent, if not because of, again, the quality of the rice used. What I initially had in mind was an omurice with a smooth and somehow creamy texture, but what I needed to deal with was something slightly rough and plain. Again, it just felt disappointing because it also had a potential.

Rice Meals and A La Carte Dishes

Sushi, Sandwiches and Drinks

With this, I was left heartbroken by the unmet expectations here in Ganjou by Omakase. I hope it was just me, but if not, then it's really with the rice and the dishes themselves. Anyway, go try but don't commit the same mistake I did of having high expectations. You may just leave the place not-so-happy.

Ganjou by Omakase
Location: G/F Torre Lorenzo 2, Taft Avenue
Store Hours: 10:00 am to 9:00pm

Eat-All-You-Can Vikings Buffet in SM Megamall

April 1, 2014, 8:05 am

≫ Next: GMA's Food for the Heart Event with Chynna Ortaleza, Ryza Cenon, Benjamin Alvez and Bettinna Carlos

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The spacious and sleek interior of Vikings in SM Megamall

Vikings Restaurant claims itself to be the largest buffet place here in the Philippines, and fortunately I was given the opportunity to try it out.

Well, I know Vikings already rings a bell (loud and clear) to most of us, because it became quite famous after opening up in SM Mall of Asia. Consequently, the rise of the Vikings (and other competitors) led to the emergence of the "buffet era" wherein people got crazy about anything unlimited.

Related Post: Genji-M Unlimited Sushi and Sashimi

Vibrant colors popping out with this view of the dining tables and chairs in Vikings

Admittedly, I haven't tried dining in Vikings despite it being hyped up years ago, but that was until last week when I finally got to (albeit in a newly opened branch in SM Megamall). Hence, here I am sharing my spectacular experience here in this restaurant, but before I begin let us go through first the buffet rates.

Vikings Buffet Rates/Prices - SM Megamall Branch
Weekday Lunch

• Kids between 3ft to 4ft || P188
• Kids between 4ft to 4.5ft || P388
• Adults || P688

Weekday Dinner

• Kids between 3ft to 4ft || P288
• Kids between 4ft to 4.5ft || P588
• Adults || P888

Weekend & Holiday Lunch and Dinner

• Kids between 3ft to 4ft || P388
• Kids between 4ft to 4.5ft || P688
• Adults || P1,088

Kids below 3 feet are FREE of charge!

Creative designs are to be found around the restaurant

Something about the Interior
What I adore about this particular branch of Vikings in SM Megamall is the bright outlook of the interior together with the subtle artistic designs found around the place. The mix of colors of the interior and the dining tables & chairs just brings out a relaxing ambiance that heightens the pleasure of unlimited dining!

The Appetizers
We shall now begin with the appetizers to start out the feast! But wait, you'll need to note that I'll let the photos speak more than I do, so be ready for a lot of pictures!

The bread selection in Vikings SM Megamall

I think this one is fundamental to all complete buffet restaurants, but I usually skip this portion because eating bread makes me immediately feel bloated. Anyway, they (staff of Vikings) freshly bake the breads here.

Ooh, check out this cheesy part (literally).

The cheese collection in Vikings - with at least 9 varieties

As you can notice, they are at least 9 varieties of cheese here in Vikings that may go well with your choice of bread.

There are also alternative veggie appetizers available on the buffet table such as this one.

Wonderfully prepared veggie appetizer

If you want to go with the typical salad, by all means, indulge yourself, especially that you have 9 dressings to choose from: Japanese Roasted Sesame, Honey Mustard, Sesame Vinaigrette, Creamy Balsamic, Vikings Island, Orange Vinaigrette, Classic Ceasar, Ranch and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.

9 salad dressings to choose from for your salad

Now, if you are not into leafy vegetables, why don't you help yourself out with other savory appetizers ranging from mousse to firecracker roll to gamja jeon (Korean Pancake) to Kwarigochi Bokkeum (deep fried anchovies with corn syrup and sesame).

The collection of appetizers in Vikings Buffet

The art in simple dishes like this simply tells us how passionate the chefs are

The Japanese Cuisine Selections
Let's now head on to the Japanese cuisine section of Vikings (which is indeed one of my most loved sections).

Colorful and tasty sushi of Vikings

There is a wide variety of sushi and rolls in Vikings, and the photo shows only a few of it. The quality was not at the ultimate prime level, but the sushis were all fantastic and great!

Here are more from the sushi collection:

Tamago Sushi and Kani Sushi - some of your Japanese favorites in Vikings

If you happen to love raw fish (e.g. tuna, sushi and the like) to go with rice, then you will love these sushis!

Tuna sushi, Saba Sushi and Salmon Sushi

Now, if you are not in the mood to have rice with the raw fish, then go for the sashimis!

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi in the Japanese Cuisine Selection

What I can note of the sashimis is the fresh quality present in them. I just love the texture and "cold temperature" of these raw stuff.

Veggie, kani and mango wrapped in nori seaweed!

It's usually rare to find a Chawanmushi in any buffet restaurants, and I felt so euphoric to find it here in Vikings.

Chawanmushi - yummy egg custard dish in a cup!

This incredibly melt in your mouth egg custard dish was definitely great leaving you in a dreamy state. Now, if you think the surprise is over, you are wrong! Name another buffet place that offers ramen.

Well, okay, you may have something in mind, but in my case, it was a first time here in Vikings.

Chashu Ramen, Beef Sukiyaki and Chashu Ramen with Black Noodles

Okay, here's how it looks like when cooked:

The Chasu Ramen in Vikings - a really good offer!

I chose the one with black noodles, and it was uber awesome! I mean, it wasn't way-over-the-top great compared with the authentic noodles houses, but this one was really savory and contains a lot of reinforcing flavors! It was leaning more towards being salty, but I found it just perfect for the entire flavor.

Shrimp Tempura with really tender shrimp inside

I enjoyed the tempura, although it could have been crunchier. What I particularly found noteworthy was the tempura sauce. It just brought out the exciting flavors from the tempura.

Fish and Chicken Katsu to those who are craving for something fried

The Chinese Cuisine 
Before I go on, let me remind you that those that I feature in this blog post are not the only ones available in Vikings. In my own estimate, I was able to cover less than 45% of the entire offering in this fantastic buffet place.

The shrimp hakaw under the Chinese cuisine area

I enjoyed the Shrimp Hakaw because of the flavorful shrimp that is wrapped delicately by the wrapper.

Steamed Pork Siomai for your Chinese Dimsum Cravings

Chicken Feet in Sweet and Smokey Sauce

If you want to try something different, then go for this Chicken Feet dish! I skipped this one because I am not exactly fond of chicken feet.

The simple yet sweet Pork Asado of Vikings

Of course, your Chinese Cuisine will not also be complete without having the pork asado. This one is just right in terms of its sweetness and tenderness.

The Hoisin-flavored Roast Duck that you shouldn't miss

If there's something you shouldn't miss out in the Chinese section of the buffet, it is this dish! You will love how the hoisin sauce brings out the goodness in the taste of the duck's meat.

In case you want to have something on the healthier side, here's something for you!

Make Your Own Shabu-Shabu in Vikings Buffet (SM Megamall Branch)

The Italian Cuisine Selections
One of the fascinating things I learned about this Vikings in SM Megamall is the fact that it makes its own in-house fresh pasta.

Interestingly, Vikings in SM Megamall makes its own pasta

Here are the finished products:

Freshly made pasta in Vikings Buffet

For your pasta cravings, Vikings offer a more flexible option for you by making you customize one. You have control over the base pasta (e.g. penne, black noodles, macaroni and etc.), the sauce and the ingredients that will go with them.

But if you are lazy to customize, there's this one unique pasta that will really rock your taste buds! It's no other than the Cheese Truffle Penne Pasta!

Cheese Truffle Penne - bursting with flavors that is so potent!

The flavor of the trufle was really present, and since my taste buds are not trained for something this wonderfully potent, I needed to adjust. You will definitely find this surprising, so it's definitely a must try!

Although there are ready-made pizzas available (such as the two photos below), you can also make your own pasta. This is Vikings way of making this more personal!

Supreme style pizza ready for you to consume!

Carbonara Pizza - white sauce and bacon

Make your own pizza - another great feature of the Vikings Buffet

Roasted Meat
Although I wasn't able to try everything (since there were a lot to choose from), I got amazed by their flavor and tenderness, based on sampling (i.e. those that I was able to try). The only exception was the lamb which I found slightly tendon-y, if such word exist, but perhaps I just got the not-so-good part.

Vikings Boneless Lechon

You really have to bid goodbye to your diet or never-to-eat-anything-fatty-for-health-reasons promise with all the available roast varieties, especially this boneless lechon!

Bourbon Glazed Ham of Vikings

Deep Fried Cajun Turkey - for those who really love fried!

Anchovy and Rosemary Baked Leg of Lamb

I fell in love with the Angus Chuck Eye Roll although I found it slightly saltier than what I can tolerate. It was just peppery and tender, that I couldn't get enough of it!

Angus Chuck Eye Roll

Grilling Station and Seafood

Fresh fish for grilling - choose from the semi-wide selection!

If you are on a no-meat diet, then Vikings is still a good place for you! You have a lot to choose from! Check out some more of these grillable fish!

Grillable tuna and more in the seafood area of Vikings

Did I mention that there's a wide selection of seafood in Vikings (SM Megamall)? Well, can you believe that they also offer crabs for grilling? Now, that's something!

Crabs for grilling - it's definitely a seafood galore!

Now, here are some grilled meat - kebabs and sausages!

Grilled Kebab and Sausages

Baked scallops with potato in an awesome looking shell

Baked oyster is one of my favorites in terms of seafood, so I was really waiting for this to be replenished. Yup, it gets consumed so fast that each time I try to drop by, there's none of it. Good thing my sister got one for me.

Fantastic baked oyster in Vikings Buffet

Beverages Collection
Another thing that I learned that I found extremely delightful and fascinating is the availability of a lot (and I mean a LOT!) of drinks, comparing it with other buffets. Of course you may find there the traditional iced tea, but you'll also enjoy the tea-infused drinks.

Wide collection of beverages in Vikings Restaurant

There are also basic teas, beer and milo-shake! I was just wowed by the fact that the collection both caters to the young and the old.

The Desserts Haven
Alright, we are down to the last part (finally!), and its my most favorite part! Unfortunately, I already got full just before I decided to go for the desserts. This meant that I only had to try a couple of the wide desserts available.

Wonderfully presented Chocolate mousse in a small cup

Semifreddo - Creamy chocolate with crushed pistachio inside an adorable container

Chocolate cake drizzled with caramel syrup

You'll definitely feel like a child lost in a candy store here in Vikings with all the available desserts you can choose from!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts

Now, this one is a little heart breaker, I mean I am a self-confessed chocolate lover, and I know the feeling of "death by chocolate", but I somehow didn't find it here in this "Death by Chocolate". Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it, but not the way I imagined it to be.

Death by Chocolate Cake in Vikings Buffet

Choco Rum Balls for those who want to have something out of the usual

Vikings done it again, and surprised me once more! Only here in Vikings did I find a Frozen Yogurt machine serving froyo! I think this is one of the reasons why I needed to dethrone my previously most-favorite buffet place, and give the crown to Vikings.

Frozen Yogurt and Flavored Snow Ice - Only in Vikings!

My froyo that I personally dispensed out of the machine

Filipino Desserts
If you are just patriotic even in desserts, then you have still a number of options to choose from. Vikings serve in-house made puto bumbong!

Filipino Favorite - Puto Bumbong with Gata

The staff of Vikings making the puto bumbong

My personal favorite Filipino dessert is the Bibingka, and luckily it is available here in Vikings.

Freshly served Bibingka - another Filipino favorite

Maja Blanca - sweet sticky rice dessert with cheese on top

If you haven't explored much of Filipino desserts, now is the time to do so! Try out both the maja blanca and the sapin-sapin.

Filipino Sticky Rice Dessert called Sapin-Sapin

Basically, that's all about my Vikings experience! Anyway, I decided to summarize the important highlights below.

If you are the type of person who gets bored reading a long post, let me just share with you what I think the highlights are in this Vikings Branch in SM Megamall.

• Wide desserts selection - aside from our traditional Filipino favorites, there are quite a number of choices to indulge in!
• Wide drinks selection - yup, the price is already inclusive of drinks here in buffet, and you will love how freely you can choose from the wide selection (includes tea, beer, coffee, juice, milo freezers, tea infused drinks and much more)
• Fresh Pasta - you are assured of the freshness of pasta in Vikings because they are the ones who make them
• Availability of Customizable Dishes - monggolian, pasta, pizza, and a whole lot more
• Large Seating Capacity - Vikings here in SM Megamall can accommodate approximately 500 people!
• Great Interior - the place is just full of energy and optimism which I really found unique!
• Happy ambiance with cheerful and lively birthday greeters
• Basically has a lot of choices from a handful cuisines such as Filipino, American, Japanese, Korean and more! 

My personal favorites: the sushi and salmon, grilled seafood, pasta station, desserts station and the roasted meat.

Vikings Buffet Restaurant - Ratings 
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars.
Place ★★★★
Taste ★★★★☆
Variety ★★★★☆
Service ★★★★☆
Value for Money ★★★★☆

To wrap this seemingly unending blog post, let me note that I now have my new "Most Favorite Buffet Place" dethroning Dusit Thani's Basix. The primary reasons for this shift are the high value of money, large variety and superb food quality (with a very few exceptions) found here in Vikings. With this, I'm urging you to try this out because you do not know what you are missing.

Vikings - A Feast from the Sea
Location: 4th Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, Bldg. D, SM Megamall, Julio Vargas cor. EDSA Mandaluyong

Contact No.: (02) 656-3888 / 656-48888 / 656-5888

Service Charge: 5% before VAT