A Meaty Heaven: Tender Bites

Food plays an important role whenever we travel. We often reminisce about the meals we enjoyed on those vacations and escapades. Though I'm more open to going out and exploring, I still have my reservations about dining in, especially when traveling with Sam. This is why we'd usually bring food to cook on road trips instead of going to restaurants. And I'm so glad to have come across Tender Bites.

Hello, Tender Bites.

Tender Bites is an online premium meats shop that sells your favorite beef, pork, and lamb cuts. It also has breakfast classics longganisa and tapa as well as ready-to-cook meats like BBQ chops and Korean Beef BBQ.

I was gifted three types of meats -- Rib Eye (PHP1,089/kg), Porterhouse (PHP959/kg), and Korean Beef BBQ (PHP829/kg).

First Bite: VBQ Vietnamese Barbeque & Hotpot

Korean barbecue is one of the hottest food trends these past few years. We’ve seen so many shops open here and there. I had no idea though that Vietnam also has something similar to this till I visited VBQ.

Hello, VBQ Vietnamese Barbeque & Hotpot.

VBQ is one of the newest spots to check out in Poblacion.

Restaurant Love: Sibyullee

The boom of Korean BBQ joints in the Metro made deciding on where to grab your unli meat fix a daunting task. I've seen several restaurants offering tempting prices but I couldn't help but think of the quality of meat they serve to at least break even. But one establishment proved that you can have a quality meat feast without breaking the piggy bank.

Hello, Sibyullee. 

Sibyullee has been known for its scrumptious cheese platters when it opened a few years back. It was a hip place that offers great tasting casual Korean dishes and it easily gained following and patrons. And many were thrilled when it rebranded as an unli Korean BBQ joint.

When in Iloilo: Tytche Grill & Seafood Restaurant

Tagging along R's local trips are tiring and fun at the same time. I get to see the Philippines in a different light, seeing places that are not exactly what you'd consider touristy. And at the same time, I get to experience the local life and savor the different cities' rich flavors. One of my favorite places for seafood is Iloilo and a top contender for the best seafood restaurant is Tytche Grill & Seafood Restaurant in Dumangas. 

Hello, Tytche Grill & Seafood Restaurant. 

This restaurant is a bit far from the city center and definitely a place I wouldn't consider going if I was traveling Iloilo on my own. Situated near the Iloilo port, it would be hard to visit this place without a car as there are not much public transportation that pass and stop by this area. 

Latest Korean Restaurant in BGC: Namoo House

I’m hooked to Korean food these past months. It all started with my addiction to kimchi rice. The mildly spiced bowl of carbs with some crunchy greens is just too irresistible. And so when I heard that Namoo House, a franchise of Maple Tree House in Seoul, Korea, is opening in Manila, I twirled with joy and giddily waited till it opened. And after a few reschedules, I finally found myself in front of the newest Korean restaurant in Manila.

Hello, Namoo House!

Located at the quieter side of Fort Bonifacio, you could easily miss this restaurant by car with its dim facade lights. But you’d easily spot this place if you’re strolling around the area as its friendly hostess will warmly greet you with a big smile on her face. And the glimmering green bottles will surely catch your attention.

I couldn’t help stare at the walls filled with Korea’s famous green soju bottles. 

It created a striking contrast against the golden exhaust tubes and levelled up the Korean grill restaurant's ambiance. 

During our visit, we were able to try Marinated Boneless Short Ribs (PHP750), Woo Samgyup (PHP495) and Stone Bowl Bibimbap (PHP395).

First served were the sides and true to Korean style of dining, they served a lot of side dishes. There were the staple kimchi, spiced dilis and some greens. 

No egg rolls were served but they gave us a small plate of sliced pickled mushrooms and it was better! 

Restaurant Discovery: Matgalne

Korea has stolen the hearts of many Filipinos—from dramas to music to food. I’d say, I have this long-term serious relationship with samgyeopsal. Throw in the word “unlimited” and I am yours!

Eat-all-you-can samgyeopsal for only PHP299 for lunch (11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and PHP399 for dinner (5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.), then throw in more than 20 side dishes, not a bad deal right? I was lucky to receive an email from A about this place called Matgalne that serves Korean dishes at friendly prices. Since curiosity got the best of me, I decided to pay Matgalne a visit during elections.  

It was rather hard to find the place if you’re not familiar with going around Makati but one landmark to remember is St. Giles Hotel and you’re almost there. I was lucky that I could read Korean as we totally didn’t notice the hotel’s signage. But for easier reference, here’s a photo of the façade. :)

When we arrived, I was surprised that the place was quite packed. Yes, the restaurant was slightly small, similar to how most hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Seoul are but this one could easily seat around 30 people and almost every seat is occupied by a hungry customer. Again, I was lucky as I instantly got a seat as I was in touch with A.

My only shot of the spread as I got too excited to eat right away!

Soon, I started to fill my plate with side dishes. First one I took was the Chapchae (or jabchae), one of my favorite dishes! I love that the sweet potato noodles (Korean 101: Sweet potato noodles is called dangmyeon in Korean) are not as oily and the vegetables included were fresh and quite crunchy. I just love it.

I also got some Jumeok Bap (Korean 101: Bap means rice). It was really yummy! I love the sticky texture and the saltiness of the seaweed.

See that little ball covered in nori? Yes, that’s Jumeok Bap!

There were also a lot of “jeon” available such as ham jeon, mushroom (Korean 101: Mushroom is called beoseot in Korean) jeon, and zucchini jeon. The key ingredients namely ham, mushroom and zucchini were [separately] batted in eggs and flour. If you adore fried oreos, pancakes or anything batted in eggs and flour, you’d like these.

I have mentioned several times that I do not like spicy dishes but some manage to be my “exemptions” and one of which is Matgalne’s Dak Kang Jung (Korean 101: Dak means chicken), sweet and spicy chicken. It was flavorful and it wasn’t very spicy at all. It was just right, and an instant love!