First Bite: Hakata Ton-ichi

Ramen never fails to brighten up the gloomiest day. Just thinking about slurping tonkotsu broth and munching on thin noodles topped with chasiu is enough to motivate me to get out of bed and head to the nearest ramen joint. And last weekend was the perfect day to check out the newest ramen shop in town--Hakata Ton-ichi. 

Hello, Hakata Ton-ichi. 

Bright and fresh out of a manga book, this is what I felt when I stepped inside Hakata Ton-ichi. Neon signs, wooden furniture and colorful graphics ornate this ramen shop's massive space at SM North Edsa's newest wing.

Air Asia: Redefining Airline Food

Air Asia has been known and named as the World's Best Low-Cost Airline for eleven years in a row. And it doesn't stop at just providing pocket friendly airfares! With most of its in-flight menu priced below PHP200, it makes dining in the air more attractive. But Air Asia has another reason to convince you why you should click that add a meal button before paying for your next flight. 

Hello, Air Asia!

Air Asia welcomes the end of Summer with a new Santan menu. Aside from the usual favorites like Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak and Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice, this well-loved airline came up with new dishes to spice things up. 

Revisited: Genki Sushi

A concept born in 1968, Genki Sushi has grown from a Japanese sushi bar into an international brand. It opened its first store in Manila 3 years ago and it has been expanding ever since. Its success can be attributed to its extensive menu of pocket-friendly sushi and maki and interesting way of having it served. And Genki Sushi beefed up its offerings even more by adding bentos and rice toppings. 

Hello, Genki Sushi. 

It has been a long while since my last visit at this quirky sushi bar. I still recall how much fun I had ordering my favorites and the giddiness I felt whenever my "race car" or "train" arrives with my orders. This time around, I didn't focus much on the novelty of how the food's delivered and focused more on the dishes. And for this visit, I got to try some of Genki Sushi's newest dishes. 

First Bite: New Kamameshi House

Japanese restaurants never fail to charm me like light to fly. I’d go to one for lunch or dinner if I have the chance to do so. And when I spotted New Kamameshi House during one of our Pokemon Go runs, R already knew where we were going to have dinner. 

Hello, New Kamameshi House.

I heard that this Japanese restaurant is one of the pioneers in Quezon Memorial Circle. With it having several years of being in business, my expectation from this place went up a bit. 

There were not a lot of people when we dropped by around 7:30 pm on a Sunday night. In fact, there were only 2 other tables occupied then. 

First Bite: Wasabi Warriors

Wasabi Warriors caught my interest when it first opened on the ground floor of the posh The Gramercy Residences. This Japanese sushi place exuded a cool vibe as I’ve seen the local “it” people raving about Wasabi Warriors’ rolls. And when it opened a branch in Serendra, I went to look at its menu and was surprised that its rolls are quite affordable. For a sushi place that started in a classy building, I had the impression that it would be pricey. I’m not complaining though as more affordable prices mean more food! 

Hello, Wasabi Warriors!

This small well-lit Japanese joint was the first stop of our sponsored Good Food Tour and I literally ran towards this place right after work. Luckily, they were still serving miso soup when I got there. 

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. 

Love at First Bite: Asakusa Home of Tempura

I have been dying to visit this tempura place at The Grove for months but it gets cancelled every single time. I blame the lazy weekend bug! There was one time though when we finally braved the Saturday traffic and we were greeted by… a closed sign. I heard my heart break and my tummy whine the moment I saw the glass door signage. But the Year of the Monkey seems to be my year as when R and I visited The Grove during Chinese New Year for dinner, the place I have been eying for months was open. OPEN! *insert creepy mega giant smile here*

Hello, Asakusa! 

The foodie in me found it so surreal that I finally managed to get inside the “home of tempura”. It was a long wait and I hope that it won’t disappoint.

Famished, we ordered Salmon Salad (PHP208), Emperor Tempura Set (PHP578) and Gyudon (PHP288). For beverage, we settled with the complimentary house tea.    

Service was quick as it was not even past the 5 minute mark when the salmon salad was served.

I loved it! The fresh salmon cuts drizzled with what seemed to be teriyaki sauce went really well with the crisp veggies and tempura flakes. The contrast between the soft and crunchy textures was delightful as well. Though flavor was a tad strong as appetizer, it was still a great starter!

Gyudon was served next and we were perplexed with its appearance. It did not look like the gyudon we know. The meat looked a bit too dark. Tastewise, the flavor was overpowering. It was too sweet for gyudon. 

Love at First Bite: Nihonkai Tsukiji

I love it when I randomly discover a good restaurant. It makes me feel that I deserve a Dora the Explorer badge or something. Anyway, I felt that two weeks ago when I discovered Nihonkai Tsukiji.

Hello, Nihonkai Tsukiji.

The place isn’t something that you would instantly notice as the signage of this Japanese restaurant is quite discreet.

Upon entering, I noticed the notable attentiveness of the crew. They instantly handed the menu and one Japanese guy (I’m assuming is the owner) pulled a chair for me to put my bag on.

We ordered Salmon Aburi (PHP85/piece), Salmon Sashimi (PHP340), Makunochi Bento (PHP400) and Tempura Moriawase (PHP380).

First served was the salmon aburi and it was great! The cut was generous and the salmon was fresh. R really liked it and wanted to cancel the salmon sashimi for more of the aburi but the chef already prepared the salmon sashimi.  

The salmon sashimi was served next and it was pretty good too. Again, they used fresh salmon.

Love at First Bite: Seryna

Most of my friends tell me that one of the best sashimi places is Seryna. Some of my friends even invited me to visit the place but every time we plan it out, it gets cancelled. But J wanted to really eat there one time and I figured that it’s about time to make it happen.

Hello, Seryna!

Tucked inside Little Tokyo hides a Japanese gem or so what foodies say. I actually had a bit of difficulty finding the place. But once you know Makati Cinema Square, you’ll find it.

I was surprised that the place was packed when we visited. I thought that since the place is not exactly convenient to visit and with so many other restaurants to choose from, people will not visit this establishment. Well, I was wrong.

It took me a while to decide on what to order because Seryna has a wide range of dishes from appetizer to sukiyaki, from ramen to bento meals. After 15 minutes or so, I went with Salmon Sashimi (PHP240), Tako Wasabi (PHP160), and Gyu Don (PHP320). J went with one of the bento meals for PHP380 and I was surprised that it was such a steal. (Think Yabu/Saboten meal.)

First served was my salmon sashimi (with J’s uni in the background).

Power Meal: Chatime Bento

I promised myself that I’m going to be a better and stronger person this year and I have been working hard to be fit. (But I still pig out on some days as I could not resist good food.) I go to yoga every day and soon, I will try a new sport or exercise. *Pats self on the back* But what I really look forward to after every workout is the “grace period” where you could eat whatever you want as experts say that the body still burns calories after workout. (Well, even if it’s not true, I will still eat as I don’t eat before working out.)

Tired and hungry, I decided to stop by Chatime to buy Chocolate Mousse and perhaps a sandwich but something else caught my attention… Chatime Bento (PHP169)!

I wanted to have it to go but the server said that it’s only available for dine in so I decided to have dinner there instead. Luckily, there was a table available upstairs. (And I was the only solo diner that (Friday) night! Huhuhu.)

Ten minutes later, my bento was served.

The bento consists of Chatime Chicken Chops, annatto rice, cuttlefish ball, shredded cabbage and soup.

The soup was a bit salty but the warmth was very soothing. I also enjoyed the shredded cabbage which was very much like Yabu’s and Saboten’s. The chicken chops were fried to perfection. Crispy yet still juicy and it went so well with the annatto rice. The cuttlefish ball, on the other hand, reminded me of squid balls.

Overall, it was a very filling dinner. And for PHP169, it was value for money.

I will definitely buy again soon.

Chatime savory dishes are available in selected stores only. Chatime Bento is available at Chatime Pioneer, Pioneer Supermarket, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City.