First Bite: Tenya Lokal Menu

It has been more than a year since the coronavirus pandemic hit the Philippines. With new variants coming in, it doesn't seem like the battle is ending anytime soon. Sadly, for many, this is not the only war they face each day. Thousands of Filipinos have lost their jobs and livelihood because of the pandemic. Countless faces struggled each day to make ends meet. But it was through dark times when the true essence of Bayanihan shines. And one stellar example is how restaurants uplift the local producers. Tenya did just that and more.

Hello, Tenya!

Tenya launched its farm-to-table initiative, where they complemented the Japan-sourced ingredients with those from our local farmers and fisherfolk. 

Ramen Girl in Manila: Ramen Nagi

Whenever there are long lines, my expectation for great food gets higher and higher. And a handful of restaurants disappointed me to the point of me sulking as I felt that I just wasted time and energy to line up and endure a grumpy tummy. But there are also those worth-the-wait restaurants (though of course, it would have been so much better if there’s no line) like Ramen Nagi.

Hello, Ramen Nagi a.k.a. popular-ramen-place-people-go-gaga-over!

We arrived a bit past 11:30 a.m. and the place was already full of hungry people. We had our names listed but we had to wait for an hour to get a table. No. We just cannot wait for an hour with really grumpy tummies. (Plus it was really hot and uncomfortable that day.) What we did though was go to the nearest restaurant, have a few bites and hurry our way back to Ramen Nagi for lunch #2 (click here for lunch #1). Yes, that is the life.

We were number 5 from the list when we came back and we had to wait for another 15 minutes to get a table. Luckily, we got one inside the store and not along the hallway which was very narrow and crowded with other people waiting for their tables.

T and I decided to share a bowl while M and A had their solo share. T and I decided to go for the Black King (PHP410) while M went for the Green King (PHP410) and A got the Ramen Nagi special, Truffle King (PHP700).

For a full ramen house, service was very quick. Our orders arrived in less than 10 minutes and I was still busy appreciating the interiors then. (They have ramen bowls as wall accents!)

Restaurant Discovery: Ogetsu Hime

I’m so thankful that some of my friends decided to stay in Manila this Holy Week so I was able to drag a few friends for a food trip over the weekend. Our plan was to visit four stops in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) but I guess we were no longer used to eating a lot as we just managed for stop by three restaurants.

It was one hot Saturday when M, T and I went to SM Aura. Our plan is to stop by Ramen Nagi first but the line was crazy at 11:30 a.m.! So we decided to just have our names listed for reservation and looked for another restaurant to have a quick meal to appease our grumpy tummies.

We thought of going to Magnum Bar first but the place was packed as well and it was just too hot to wait outside. So we opted to go to the restaurant beside it, Ogetsu Hime.

Ogetsu Hime was about half full so it w asn’t that hard for us to get a table. And since this was our first stop, we opted for only a few dishes: Oyako Shake Roll (PHP240), Rainbow Batera (PHP240), Gyoza (PHP165), Goma Ebi Tempura Roll (PHP205), Enoki Bacon Kushi Yaki (PHP190) and Momo Teri Maki (PHP205).

Given that we only have an hour to eat and rush back to Ramen Nagi, we were in a hurry and Ogetsu Hime did not fail us with its quick service.

First served was my Oyako Shake Roll and it was divine. Thinking that the right and polite way to eat Japanese food is eating it whole, I stuffed the whole maki inside my mouth. And yes, I choked a bit while doing so. Why do makis have to be humongous anyway?

The salmon was fresh and there was a slight tangy taste from the cream cheese. There was also an interesting play of different textures brought by the smooth salmon and the slightly crispy salmon skin. I wasn’t able to taste the avocado and the wasabi mustard that much though.

Restaurant Love: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

I just can’t get enough of Japanese food. Given a chance, I’ll live in Japan and eat all the salmon sashimi I could get my hands on. But of course, that would be too much. So let’s throw in some ramen. There you go. That is the life. Okay, I kid. But I really am too attached to Japanese cuisine. I was so thrilled when I got an email from them before giving me a heads up on their new dishes. I was out of the country then but I promised Riza of Ikkoryu Fukuoka that I will drop by as soon as I’m back. Well, fine, it wasn’t as soon as I anticipated as there were just too many new restaurants to visit. But Black Day was the perfect day for some ramen love. 

For some reason, J and I meet on the 14^th of the month. It started with Valentine’s Day where we traded gifts. (Hey, single people can celebrate Valentine’s Day too you know.) It was followed by Pi/Pie/White Day where we had some beer can chicken and finally, Black Day. And yes, I forced J to wear black.

We actually had no idea where to eat when we met but since we were both famished, we had to think fast. We eliminated the cuisines we do not fancy that night and ended up with around four restaurants to choose from. J initially crossed out ramen but remembered his Monday ramen nights and finally gave in to have dinner at Ikkoryu Fukuoka. 

 

The place wasn’t as packed compared to when it first opened (where wait time was around 30 minutes to an hour). The servers were very attentive and gave us menus as soon as we sat down.

Promo Alert: SumoSam Unli Tempura and Sushi

I think it's pretty obvious that I have this strong passion for Japanese food. One thing that could make me go out on a super lazy day is... salmon sashimi. But I wasn't fond of it at first. The first time I tried eating salmon sashimi was when I was in my last year of college. (Late foodie bloomer?) But give me unlimited Japanese food, even if it's not salmon sashimi, I will be there in a second (or an hour if it's traffic).

 Presenting... SumoSam's  Unli Tempura and Sushi for only PHP499!

Yes, you read it right, unlimited... until further notice!

But wait, it gets even better as the ramen, salad and dessert are all part of the unlimited offering. Plus, just add PHP300 and you get unlimited wagyu beef as well!

 

So, what's the catch? It's only available at SumoSam's Somerset Olympia branch (across Ayala Triangle). Not really a big deal right?

A Pre-Valentine's dinner with Mr. Kurosawa

My colleagues T1 and T2 (just so we could differentiate their names and believe me, they actually have the same sounding name as they were just a few letters off) planned a pre-Valentine’s dinner at Eastwood and I gamely joined them (and let me stop myself before I start to over share).

I hardly frequent Eastwood as I find it a bit far from my place and I’m pretty happy to stroll around Rockwell or Shangri-la as these malls have some of my favorite restaurants and retail stores. But for some reason, I end up wandering around for two consecutive Fridays (excluding this pre-Valentine’s).

 

Anyway, I was getting off topic. Let’s go back to the pre-Valentine’s dinner. T1, T2, and I agreed to have dinner at Mr. Kurosawa. I, as a foodie who hardly visits Eastwood, got excited as I have never dined there and it caught my eye the last time I went there with a fellow foodie. Finally, I will get to taste Mr. Kurosawa’s cooking. Sort of.

 

Moshi moshi, Kurosawa-san!

Restaurant Discovery: Ganso-Shabuway

I am an official sucker for new places. As long as I see an “opening soon” sign, I make sure that I’ll try it before it turns 6 months old. Yes, even if I am not fond of the food it will serve. That’s how addicted I am to new places. Don’t get me wrong though as I love old places too as long as I have never been there (with the exemption of Intramuros for that’s just too classic not to visit again).

 

Irashaimase!

 

That was the first thing you’ll hear once you step inside Ganso-Shabuway. 

The place was packed when we arrived. But the turnover was pretty fast. We just waited for ONE MINUTE before we got a table. Fast, isn’t it?

I have a confession to make… I do not like shabu-shabu. In fact, I hate it. (It shocks me that I do not like this Japanese dish considering I am a Japanese wannabe who is in love with everything Japanese […food related that is].) But since I’ve never been to this place, my I-just-have-to-try-it-even-though-I-might-just-waste-some-hard-earned-money mentality prevailed.

Ai shite iru Wani-sama: A Shiro Shiro Crocodile Meat Love Story

Crocodile meat. I was sold with those two words alone. T's friend J truly has a way with words… and coupons. She managed to score some really great coupons from Cash Cash Pinoy. Instead of paying PHP1,240, we get to dine for only PHP250 each (the coupon was worth PHP499 and it was good for two).

It was one gloomy Saturday but it did not stop us from going to Manila to eat… crocodile meat!

With a big signage plastered (or was it painted?) outside Boulevard Mansion, we were able to find Shiro Shiro right away. 

I Yab U Yabu: The House of Katsu

New restaurant. Long lines. So much buzz. I JUST HAVE TO DINE THERE. Yes, that’s pretty much my train of thought whenever I go out.

There’s this new Japanese restaurant at SM Megamall Atrium and the traffic seemed to be endless. My boss, Frannywanny, was the one who introduced Yabu: The House of Katsu to me and I instantly fell in love with it even without trying the food yet. Tonkatsu? Katsudon? KATSU?! LOVE.

As an ultimate Japanese food lover, I’m always open to try new Japanese restaurants (or eat all you can places—for salmon sashimi!). My first attempt to dine there was a total failure as we went during lunch break and the line was crazy. I didn’t know that I had to reserve to make sure we could get a table. The second attempt was a failure as well as I tried to invite my mom to have lunch there and she told me that I kept on bugging her to make salad for me yet I pig out all the time plus our lunch out trips were starting to bother her especially when she receives her credit card bills.

But my long wait (fine, it wasn’t really long but one week of waiting for katsudon was quite hard for me) was over. I managed to invite a few friends to check the place out with me. (Actually, I was even willing to reserving a table for one as I cannot wait much further.)

Woohoo! Finally, Saturday! 

A friend and I met at around 12:30 pm (at the brink of me passing out due to hunger). I was so glad that we managed to get seats right away (and we should since I asked for us to be waitlisted for 12:30 pm). We managed to get a table right beside… Gabby Eigenmann’s! (Just sharing.)

Kyoto in L.A.

We have finally landed and are hungry for… well just about anything edible actually. Good thing that our family friend brought us to an eat-all-you can place here at Glendale.

Kyoto. It was definitely screaming Asian. The place was packed and we had to wait for 20 minutes for us to be seated. Well, that was a good sign for it meant that the place is popular and the food’s good. 

Right across a peaceful lane.

Ramen Girl Moment: Wabi-Sabi

I’ve been dying to go to The Collective ever since I found out about this costume heaven store called Skitzo. I still remember how much I begged and begged my mom to accompany me to go to The Collective to try on some wigs and costumes (a big fan of Halloween here) but it was always postponed, cancelled, and eventually, forgotten.

Food Trip! October 1, 2011. First stop MOA, second stop, The Collective. Yes, The Collective, the place I have been dying to visit since last year. Finally, I can try on some wigs (that story will be on another blog though). 

I’ve read about this cute noodle place called Wabi-Sabi from so many blogs and the quaint interiors and good reviews made it very interesting to me that I just have to suggest it to my food loving friends.

They agreed! Okay, the organizer did! Yey!

October 1 was a gloomy day thanks to a typhoon that made things worse for some provinces. But it did not change our minds to check Wabi-Sabi.

 

Restaurant Discovery: Asagao

I used to frequent Pearl Plaza for lunch or early dinner during my college days and I missed it so much (and more so when my colleagues and I had lunch there a few months ago).

So many things changed. I noticed that there are new restaurants around thus I asked my mom to have our early dinner there instead of the usual mall-based restaurants.

I really missed Pearl Plaza. It used to be my third home (UA&P as my second).

We checked around and we were stuck between Adobo Republic and Asagao. Since my mom was not in the mood for adobo (well, I was not sure if they serve other dishes), we went to Asagao.

The place had very simple interior… not intimidating making it very welcoming to students.

SELF SERVICE

After 30 seconds of the servers’ non-movement, we realized that we had to approach the counter to order. Well, there was a small sign near the counter as well. I guess we got spoiled with the other restaurants.

We ordered Beef Teppan (PHP215), California Maki (PHP125), and Salmon Sashimi (PHP210).

First dish that arrived was the California Maki.

Well, it was the typical California Maki. The thing I liked about it though was that it used Japanese rice and not the usual that was cooked with too much water.

Next served was the Salmon Sashimi.

At first, I thought that the salmon was not fresh because the color was a bit different from those I’ve tried before. But I was proven wrong after taking a bite. It was sliced a bit thick but it was still the soft salmon that almost melts in your mouth sashimi love. For PHP210, it was a steal!

As for the Beef Teppan, it was average.

The beef was tender but it seemed to be a bit too oily and salty (I guess it should be eaten with rice). Also, the vegetables were a bit too hard. I wasn’t so sure if the vegetables were meant to be served a bit raw. It added some crunch though.

The place offers pretty good Japanese food at student-friendly prices. Not bad at all.

Asagao by Kamirori is located at Pearl Plaza, Pearl Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City.