First Bite: ¡OYE! Tapas & Grill

Is it just me or there is a crazy number of restaurants opening here and there? I used to be able to keep up with the new store openings within my area but I couldn't keep up anymore with the rate it's going. But I prioritize those I've been itching to try and one of the new restaurants I spotted a few weeks back is this tapas place in Uptown Bonifacio.

Hello, ¡OYE! Tapas & Grill!

Festa del Vino Stop #1: Sauceria

I am no wine connoisseur but I am always fascinated by the elegance this drink adds to any meal. I normally have a glass or two of red wine whenever I indulge in a succulent piece of steak. But McKinley Hill’s Festa del Vino (Wine Festival) exposed me to other pairings and I loved it!

Hello, McKinley Hill!

This bustling area of Taguig is another gem waiting to be explored by foodies. With its numerous establishments offering mouthwatering dishes, you’ll never run out of options. I have to admit though, I am stuck with Nihonkai Tsukiji whenever I visit this place. But thanks to Megaworld Lifestlyle Malls team, I got to explore the other lovely restaurants around the area. 

Our first Festa del Vino food crawl stop was Sauceria, a quaint restaurant that serves comfort dishes such as chicken wings, sandwiches and pizza. During my visit, I was able to try its Char Siu or Roast Pork Pizza (PHP405) along with a glass of Barefoot Merlot’s Dark Berries. We were also given some pork and chicken skewers in classic and chipotle sauces.

The wine served to us came from California and I actually liked that it had light tones of berries and that it wasn’t very strong. It was odd though that I let out some sweat beads while gulping down my share of wine. Then again, it could be because the place was packed with bloggers trying to capture a nice shot of the wine and food served.

I enjoyed the flavorful char siu pizza which went really well with the wine we sampled. It was a beautiful blend of sweet mangoes and salty roast pork. 

First Bite: Ogawa

I always see Ogawa’s signage whenever I pass by Fort Strip. Though it piqued my interest, I was never motivated enough to dine there. But I guess the food gods want me to give it a try a few weeks ago when I had a failed attempt to visit Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte (which was still closed to the public). Since we were already there, R suggested that we just dine wherever I haven’t been to yet and I figured it’s time to visit Ogawa. 

Hello, Ogawa!

The place is located on the second floor of the building with Modern Sichuan on the ground floor. The building is equipped with a lift for those who are carrying a lot or are not fond of stairs. 

We were greeted by nice Japanese style garden with stone bridge and a friendly hostess who asked us if we made reservations. After saying no, she asked if we would be okay with bar seats as all other tables have been reserved that night. The first thing that came to mind was, “Wow, this place is in demand on a rainy Sunday night.”

The place was half empty when we entered but all tables were indeed reserved. Guests poured in after 15 to 20 minutes and most were Japanese. It made my expectations shoot up.

We quickly took our seats and ordered two bento meals—Teppan Gozen (PHP760) and Ryo Goku Gozen (PHP590).

Love at First Bite: Ramen Iroha

I love ramen and I’m so happy that more and more ramen establishments are coming to the Philippines. I do mini mental cartwheels every time I see a new ramen shop and I happen to spot one on my way to the Tempur Breeze event.

I spy Ramen Iroha!

This new ramen place opened last December and I have been hearing nothing but good reviews about this place. I told my colleague A that I will have dinner there before heading back home. But since there were a lot of dishes left from the event, we decided to save our money and have a mini buffet instead of having a ramen night. I promised myself though that I will visit this place soon.

Unfortunately, I hardly frequent BGC these days as I was so into getting fit hence I get stuck in Kapitolyo or Rockwell. But the food gods really love me. The principal (from work) I was with last Tuesday night craved for ramen so we ended up having late dinner at… RAMEN IROHA! (Insert deep *oh yeaaah~* here.)

The place was hardly packed by hungry foodies. Only two other tables were occupied when we arrived hence service was quick. And since I was with a principal, I was a bit timid to go all out so I just ordered a small bowl of Toyama Black Soy-Sauce Ramen (PHP250 | PHP395 for regular bowl). This ramen is a winner of the Tokyo Ramen Show for 4 years including 2014 so I had pretty high expectations for this dish.