First Bite: Tagaytay Highlands Sports Center Veranda

I have lost count on how many times I visited Tagaytay last year. R and I head there whenever we need a quick getaway from the busy Manila life. Though it is sometimes traffic in Tagaytay, at least we get to enjoy the slightly cooler and fresher breeze. And last Christmas, my family opted to head there too and we decided to stay in Tagaytay Highlands for a much needed family bonding.

Hello, Tagaytay Highlands Sports Center Veranda!

Whenever R and I visit Highlands, we would head to The Highlander Steakhouse for some of its delectable prime ribs. But this time around, my family opted to try the restaurant in the Sports Center Veranda for some casual comfort dishes.

The menu is extensive and a mix of different cuisines. I went with Breaded Pork (PHP280) while my sister ordered Mac and Cheese (PHP280) and cheese quesadillas for my mom. I also ordered a glass of buko shake and a bowl of mango caramel ice cream for dessert.

Service was quite fast as food was served in less than 10 minutes. I guess it also helps as we were the only diners that time.

I didn’t get to taste my mom’s quesadillas but it was a bestseller with the kids. I guess it was really cheesy for kids to love it.

First Bite: Maisen

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. But the very next day, you just made me fat. Yep, it was the season to get fatty two weeks ago and I have done nothing but munch, chew and munch some more. And when I was invited to tag along to visit this "most famous" katsu place (in Japan), I just couldn't say no. 

Hello, Maisen!

The place looks a lot classier than the other restaurants in SM Megamall. Not sure if it was the yellow lights but the ambiance sure was nicer.

There were a lot of katsu to choose from. R went with Maisen's bestseller Kurobuta Tenderloin Katsu Set (PHP630) while I ordered the Salmon Katsu Set (PHP550). Both comes with cabbage, rice, miso soup, pickle set and fruits. 

It took about 20 minutes or so to prepare our orders so I was quite famished when my dish arrived.

First one served was R's Kurobuta Tenderloin Katsu and it was perfectly golden brown. 

The set includes a katsu sauce specially paired with kurobuta. It was slightly thicker and lumpier than the sauce from other katsu places. 

First Bite: L&L Hawaiian BBQ

Shangri-la Plaza Mall is one of my favorite restaurants but lately, nothing seems to be new there. And I realized that its cinema seats are really old! I noticed it when I decided to linger and finish the credits. Eventually, my love for the mall started to dwindle. (And I live far from it now.) But since my mom and sister find the place convenient, we still spend family time there and a few weekends ago, I discovered a new Hawaiian barbeque place called L&L Hawaiian BBQ.

Aloha, L&L Hawaiian BBQ!

This restaurant took the place of the well-loved Trattoria Gourmet.  The first thing I noticed was the surf board menu which gave me an idea of what they serve… barbequed and breaded meat.

It was easy to choose what to order since there are not a lot of dishes to choose from. We decided to order Seafood Combo Platter (PHP285), Garlic Fish (PHP220) and Chicken Katsu (PHP195).

Service was pretty quick too. It took them less than 10 minutes to prepare our meal. Well, with its plating, you can tell.

My seafood combo—shrimp tempura, breaded fish and chicken teriyaki—was good but nothing special. The breaded fish is best to be enjoyed with tartar sauce. The shrimp tempura was okay though I felt that it was too small.

The chicken katsu was plated in a chaotic way since the plate was not big enough for the katsu. My sister enjoyed it with tartar sauce while my mom and I liked it with the katsu sauce (which had a slight tangy taste). She totally ignored the macaroni salad.

Restaurant Love: 12/10

I’ve been hearing a lot of positive feedback about 12/10, a hip Japanese restaurant owned by the young couple who operates The Girl + The Bull. Knowing that The Girl + The Bull is such a hit with the foodie community, I wanted to try 12/10 too. (I gave up on the idea of going to the couple’s first venture because it’s far from my place.) One night, R told me that one of his friends is celebrating his birthday at 12/10 and we were invited. My tummy went crazy (in a good way).

Hello, 12/10!

The adorable and artsy restaurant is pretty small and parking is quite limited (unless you do not mind a bit of walk).

12/10 has a short list of dishes available. (This restaurant only has 11 dishes in its menu.) R and I went with Blowtorched Salmon (PHP280), Katsu Sando (PHP260) and Onigiri (PHP410).

First served was the Blowtorched Salmon and serving was quite small. Basically, one piece costs PHP140. But it was worth the price. It may be one mouthful but it was oozing with flavor! The uni, caviar, nori and ponzu sauce all went together. The shiso leaf and panko (bread crumbs) added texture to the dish and made it even more delightful.

Restaurant Discovery: Osaka Ohsho

There are only a few times when I am willing to wait for a table when I'm hungry... when I traveled far just to get there, it's a new place, or there's a long line and it made me VERY curious. And last Saturday, it was because of the last two reasons.

We noticed a long line in front of a restaurant I haven't seen before. It looks... Japanese. And true enough, it's a restaurant that claims to serve the number one gyoza. It's Osaka Ohsho. I asked how many people are in line and there were a party of 12 before us. Yes, it's a long line but in my mind, long line means good food. And since we were not so hungry then, I had my name listed and waited.

It took an hour for us to get a table and we would have missed it if we didn't return. We were up next and we did not get any message from the front host.

As soon as we sat down, I already have dishes in mind. I remember the host mention the Black Vinegar Chicken set (PHP360) to be one of their bestsellers so I chose that while C went for a katsu set. I also got a half order of the Osaka Ohsho Salad (PHP195) and Fresh Mango Yakult (PHP125).

Restaurant Discovery: Kimukatsu

People change as time pass by. Priorities shift and some friends come and go. That's how life is. Dwelling in how great things were will just hinder you from appreciating the present. I admit, I used to be guilty with reminiscing about the past, how happy and carefree college was. Okay, perhaps it wasn't as carefree as I recall as I do remember sleepless nights because of those financial models we just could not balance. But I am thankful for one thing... the people who stayed. 

It has been a while since I last saw J and M. The last time I met J was way back in 2010 while it was 2012 for M. I guess we all got busy but interestingly, kept in touch thanks to Facebook. Hey, this could be a movie, eh? Uh, not really.

Anyway, we all decided to meet up at Shangri-La (since I'm the youngest and I get the first pick!) and went to Kimukatsu, a new Japanese restaurant at the East Wing.

For some reason, I had an impression that it is just like its neighbor, Ikkoryu Fukuoka. But when we got there and saw the menu, it is just like Yabu. KimuKATSU... duh! Since we're there and comfy, we decided to go for it. 

I ordered the Black Pepper Katsu (PHP390) while J went for the Tatsuta-Age (PHP180) and another katsu viand I forgot to note. M on the other hand went for the Kimukatsu Plain Sandwich (PHP210) and Agedashi Tofu (PHP180). I also ordered Japanese Panna Cotta for dessert (PHP110).

First served were the complimentary miso soup and cabbage followed by the Tatsuta-Age and Kimukatsu Plain Sandwich. I had to take quick snapshots of the dishes as I was not with people who are used to being around a food blogger who believes in "picture before satisfying the tummy". 

Restaurant Discovery: Saboten

Japanese food seems to be extremely popular these days with ramen and katsu places popping left and right. Every time I pass by The Fort or walk around Shangri-La, I see a lot of new Japanese places I just have to try. And yes, Saboten is in the list.

It has been a while since I last saw M so I set a date with her to catch up. We were supposed to have lunch with T but T suddenly backed out as he had to meet his friend. *sad*

We met up a bit past 2 p.m. and I was surrounded by food as early as 11 a.m. so I was tortured for over 3 hours! >.<

 

Anyway, when we arrived at Saboten, the place was still full and we were on the wait list. But since we’re second, we decided to wait. It wasn’t long till we got a table.

I got mesmerized by the Grated Radish Katsu so I ordered the Loin Set (PHP395). But since ordering just one viand isn’t my thing, I convinced M that we order Saboten Special Set (PHP525) too. The Special set includes one deep-fried shrimp, 65g loin cutlet, 30g tenderloin cutlet, and one crab cream croquette. For dessert, we ordered one Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cake (PHP195).

 

Service was quick given that the place was packed.

 

First served was a huge bowl of cabbage and some pickled cucumber and radish.

M and I enjoyed it so much that when the first dish arrived, we were a bit full. But the dressing was just too addicting!!!

 

Now for the moment of truth, the Grated Radish Katsu…