Food Delivery: Salmon HQ's Sushi Bake

Sushi Bake is one of the hottest food trends that emerged during Manila's lockdown. Several shops started selling this sushi spin-off. From the classic California Maki-inspired sushi bake to fancier pans made with scallop and uni, there are a lot of options to choose from depending on your budget. And if you are more particular with quality over price, Salmon HQ is one brand you should consider.

Hello, Salmon HQ.

Salmon HQ is one of the many new businesses that opened during the Enhanced Community Quarantine. It originally focused on offering different kinds of fresh sashimi. But with the craze for Sushi Bake getting stronger and no sign of slowing down, Salmon HQ decided to join the hype. And it launched its Crunchy California Sushi Bake (PHP500, 6.75" x 5.75" pan | PHP1,000, 8" x 8" | PHP1,200, 8" x 10" pan) and Aburi Scallop, Salmon and Ebi Sushi Bake (PHP700, 6.75" x 5.75" pan | PHP1,400, 8" x 8" | PHP1,600, 8" x 10" pan) last June.

First Bite: New Hatchin Grocerant

Japan is a happy place for me. I always look forward to supermarket runs where I get to grab all my favorite Japanese goodies and more. And when R's parents asked if we'd like to go to Hatchin, a Japanese grocerant, I quickly said yes!

Hello, New Hatchin Grocerant. 

New Hatchin Japanese Grocerant is a grocery store and restaurant in one. It has been around for quite a while in Makati and it finally opened a store along Katipunan last April. 

A Festive Meal at Shangri-La at the Fort's High Street Cafe

Shangri-La at the Fort is one of my favorite places in BGC. I'd often stay at its lounge cafe to have some work done while sipping my favorite tea. The hotel's other restaurants--Samba, Raging Bull and Canton Road--all serve excellent food as well! And a couple of months back, I was invited to try High Street Cafe.

Hello, High Street Cafe.

High Street Cafe is Shangri-La at the Fort's buffet restaurant and it has been known for its fresh seafood spread! If you're lucky, you might be able to see a huge whole tuna on display.

Restaurant Love: Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant

Rainy days call for warm and comforting dishes. I'd often find myself stuck and married to my bed on days the sun is shy but the idea of indulging in good food is always very tempting. And so, I headed to Makati with R and his family for lunch on one gloomy Sunday. 

Hello, Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant.

This underrated Japanese restaurant in Salcedo Village is one of the restaurants R brought me when we were still dating. I was so glad that he brought me here and made me discover salmon aburi. 

Restaurant Favorite: Tendon Akimitsu

If I were to choose only one type of food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be (hands down) salmon sashimi. I love it so much that I have developed an insatiable appetite for it. And a few weeks back, I had this insane craving for it. I described it as insane as I would go crazy if I don't get to indulge in some that night. Thankfully, there's Tendon Akimitsu. 

Hello, Tendon Akimitsu. 

Tendon Akimitsu may be known for its good selection of tempura but this Japanese store has pretty good sashimi and maki too! 

Restaurant Love: Nihonkai Tsukiji

R suddenly message me, “What are you craving for?” around 5 p.m. last Thursday. (No, I am not pregnant in case you’re wondering.) I wasn’t really craving for anything in particular but it has been a while since I last had uni sashimi. So I replied saying I want a gooey piece of heaven. He then told me that his dad wants to eat out and we’ll eat wherever I choose. Woohoo! Thank you, Uncle H!

Hello, Nihonkai Tsukiji!

It has been quite a while since I last went to this Japanese restaurant! It may not be as popular as other restaurants like Tsumura, Seryna or Senju but this place serves great food!

We were all famished and quickly ordered a bunch of Salmon Aburi (PHP95/piece x 16), Uni Sashimi (PHP320), Salmon Sashimi (PHP375), Sukiyaki (PHP450), Spicy Tuna (PHP360) and Ebi-Ten Roll (PHP375). Auntie and Uncle also ordered Agedashi Tofu (PHP170), Salmon Belly (PHP320), Chicken Teriyaki (PHP275), Salmon Head (PHP275), Nihonkai Special Bento (PHP1,050) and ramen bowl which I failed to take note of. 

Service was quick as always and our salmon aburi was served first. 

It was so fresh and the type that melts in your mouth. I loved that it was torched and the warmth of the salmon was so harmonious with the slightly cold Japanese rice. 

The uni sashimi was the best! Its freshness was evident with its lovely sweet taste and smooth texture. It was love at first bite. I wanted to order another bowl but I was afraid I might get an upset tummy. 

First Bite: Papa Loa

I get so giddy whenever I see new restaurants opening soon and I go crazy when these restaurants invite me to sample their dishes. However, there are times when I had to painfully decline these generous offers because of the grumpy weather, my unpredictable tummy or other plans that were set earlier. Having to turn down Papa Loa’s private dinner invite was so hard especially after reading its mouthwatering list of dishes. I kept on dreaming about salmon aburi and the talked about eggplant skewer. And seeing all the posts of the other attendees made me regret not going. But it was just not meant to be as I already had dinner plan that same night. But food gods love me as Papa Loa got in touch with me again and invited me to its grand opening last night! I was feeling feverish that night but I didn't want to miss another opportunity to try their salmon aburi and eggplant!

Hello, Papa Loa!

It’s hard to miss this new tiki bar with its bright orange signage. Located at the old Distillery (or half of the old Distillery to be exact), this new drinking place also has two floors for dining.

The bright and warm interiors further emphasize the tiki bar feel. 

I was mesmerized by the adorable wall paintings on the second floor. 

We were immediately given menu and we were told that it is best to order the dishes one at a time just like in most izakaya restaurants. We were also warned that the serving sizes are small but are guaranteed to be delectable in each bite. 

However, we were famished and ended up ordering four dishes in one go— Aburi (PHP260), Tempura (PHP185), Eggplant (PHP75) and Beef (PHP115). For drinks, we ordered Little Grass Skirt (PHP250) and Kooky Coconut Margarita (PHP290).

First Bite: Ippon Yari

A month seems incomplete without a trip to Tagaytay. It is our little sweet haven from the chaotic Manila life. After all, lazing around R’s rest house always sounds like the perfect weekend getaway plan. A few weeks back, R suggested that we check some outlets on our way back and have lunch around the area. I quickly checked looloo for suggestions and Ippon Yari caught my attention with its high rating. Plus, it is said to be the “place to be” for Japanese expatriates who work around the area.

Hello, Ippon Yari.

The place is easy to spot as it is located on the second floor of the Piazza building right across the outlet compound near Adidas. There were only a few diners when we got there as it was already a bit past 1 pm then.  

We were quickly assisted to our table and handed menu. The place has an extensive menu ranging from sushi and sashimi, rice bowls, and tempura to sukiyaki, ramen and teppanyaki dishes. R and I opted to get Salmon Sashimi (PHP220), Unadon (PHP520), Ebi Tempura and Salmon Sushi. (Sorry, I failed to take note of the prices of the last two dishes.)

We asked the server if the chef could have our salmon sushi torched so that we could enjoy salmon aburi. But when the server’s face turned blank and confused, I already knew that we won’t have salmon aburi. And true enough, upon checking with the chef, they can’t serve it. *sad*

Love at First Bite: Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant

Mr. Tsumura has a huge fan. This fan can’t stop raving about Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant that after antigravity yoga, he invited me to have late lunch there. (And a couple of months later, we went again, this time with his dad.)

Hello, [Mr.] Tsumura!

The place wasn’t packed when we went. I guess there are more people during dinner. R knew which ones to order and chose Aburi Sake (PHP80/piece) and Toro Teriyaki (PHP550). Since it was pretty warm that day, I opted to get Cha Soba (PHP330).

Hong Kong Food Stop: Sushi One

It’s been a while since I last visited Hong Kong. I remember that I had a hard time there as I was not an adventurous foodie then. I was stuck with Yoshinoya and McDonald’s. But things change. I am now game to eat anything as long as it will most likely not make me sick and Hong Kong evolved into a foodie paradise.

R and I were not exactly famished yet when we arrived in Hong Kong but since we wanted to maximize our trip, we walked around Nathan Road (Tsim Sha Tsui) and entered small alleys near it. That was when we saw this Japanese restaurant with a sushi conveyor belt. And as a sucker for these sushi conveyor belt or sushi-go-round, we went in.

Konnichiwa, Sushi One!

I was thrilled to dine at Sushi One. And I waited for some sushi to be placed on the belt for me to take some photos and videos. Sadly, the place wasn’t packed so there were not as many sushi on the belt. (The foodie in me holding a camera cried a puddle.)

To order, we had to accomplish several checklists depending on what we fancy. We went with Seared Salmon (HK$17), Seared Fatty Salmon with Sauce (HK$19), Shrimp Tempura (HK$29), Grilled New Zealand Mussels with Mayo and Cheese (HK$36), and Dancing Spider Roll (HK$36).

First served were the two kinds of salmon sushi.

The seared salmon was your usual salmon sushi. What was notable here was the fresh salmon cut. It was the type that melts in your mouth. Delightful!

I preferred the seared salmon with sauce though as it had more flavor to it. It was slightly sweet. This was sooo good that there were fireworks in my mouth to celebrate such taste.

The shrimp tempura was nothing special but it helped fill the tummy. I would have preferred to order more salmon instead of this one though.

R loved the grilled mussels. It went really well with mayo and cheese. The mussels, just like salmon, were undeniably fresh. And for the price, it wasn’t bad at all. 

The silky smooth texture of the mussels with its faint sweet taste with the slight tanginess of the cheese and richness of the mayo was a killer combo.

First Bite: Washoku de Azabu

I would never get tired of Japanese food. I’m too in love with sashimi, sushi and teppnyaki. Just a few weeks back, R and I had two Japanese meals in a row and we didn’t mind at all. One of the places we visited that weekend was Washoku de Azabu where the adorable M celebrated her 5^th birthday.

Hello, Washoku de Azabu.

Auntie C mentioned that this place serves good food so I had high expectations. I’ve actually never heard of this restaurant before though I’ve been to BTTC. Anyway…

R and I arrived a bit later than 11am so some of M’s guests were already there. We sat beside J’s siblings and adorable kids and ordered Uni Sashimi (PHP240), Salmon Roll (PHP380), Soft Shell Roll (PHP545) and Aburi Salmon Roll (PHP450).

First to arrive was the Uni Sashimi and it was quite good. It had a slight sweet taste which was delightful.

The soft shell roll was okay too. But it was forgettable. I still prefer the one from Omakase or the tako-maki of Ooma.

The Salmon Roll was filling. One roll is a mouthful. I loved the roe on top of it that added extra texture.

Fancy First Bite: Senju

I noticed that I hardly blogged last month and it wasn’t exactly because I was busy with work (though I did get busier). I started to eat out less. Yes, I have been eating out less and less these days. *cries* I usually find myself stuck in a home-office-home (with lots of chores in between) routine. But R wants to change it by inviting me to…

Senju.

Okay, I wasn’t able to take much photos as I wanted to act less touristy given I was at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. I wanted to act… classy. (*insert canned laughter here*)

R and his parents took charge of ordering the food and they chose a lot. They ordered Aburi Shake, Shake Sashimi (PHP575), Uni (PHP325), Ebi Tempura (PHP505), Saba Shioyaki (PHP515), Unagi Maki Tamago (PHP325), Agedashi Tofu (PHP395), Crazy Maki (PHP715), and Kuro Buta Sirloin (PHP850).

Dinner started with a mouthwatering appetizer… Gindara Teriyaki. The soft and sweet dish sure made me crave for more.

First served was the aburi shake and it was lovely though I think Tsumura has better aburi shake.

The shake sashimi was delightful as well. The slices were just right and it had a soft and smooth texture.

The unagi maki tamago had a slightly sweet taste which complemented the salty freshwater eel.