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! 

First Bite: Cucina Peruvia

I have been curious about Cocina Peruvia ever since I read a few reviews about the place. The fact that they have Buy One, Get One Happy Hour daily and 20% discount on Mondays made me even more eager to visit this place and I did with some of my favorite foodies. 

Hello, Cocina Peruvia. 

We went here on a Saturday afternoon to avail of the Happy Hour promo. Its tempting buy one, get one deal was simply irresistible so we were surprised that the place was empty when we got there. The place was also a bit dim despite its light and bright colored walls.

We decided to order Salmon Skin Chicharon (PHP180) and Galera de Chocolate (PHP350), both under the Happy Hour promo. 

Service was quick and our food was served in less than 15 minutes. 

First Bite: Yo! Panda

It frustrates me whenever there are new restaurants quite far from me. It frustrates me even more when I see its mouthwatering dishes. But thanks to some errands, I managed to swing by SM Megamall and finally got to try Yo! Panda.

Hello, Yo! Panda. 

I saw a handful of posts about this place last weekend and it gave me an impression that it only offers egg waffle sundaes. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that what I thought to be a dessert store offers other modern Hong Kong dishes such as baos, noodles and rice bowls. Without much thought, I decided to have lunch here instead of going to another restaurant that I have been eying for months.  

Yo! Panda’s area is small and quite cramped especially for those sitting by the walk way. It was also quite hot inside. I guess it was because it was a bit crowded and the location of the restaurant, being near the exit, makes it harder for the A/C to do its magic. There were some flies too that remind me of Uptown Mall where the fly to human ratio is 1:1. The place is charming though.

I quickly ordered the recommended Cantonese Style Beef Brisket (PHP280) and a glass of Premium Hong Kong Milk Tea (PHP130) while my sister went with Scallion Chicken Chop (PHP230). My mom arrived a couple of minutes after and ordered Burger Steak & Rice (PHP280) and a glass of Yo! Panda’s Signature Iced Tea(PHP100). My mom and sister also ordered Mango Cheesecake Vanilla Soft Serve Waffle (PHP180) for dessert.

My rice bowl arrived first and after a few snapshots here and there, I took a mouthful.

The beef brisket was undeniably soft. It was almost the melts-in-your-mouth type of meat. And simply typing those words make me salivate. 

Freezer Burn's Newest Local Ice Cream Flavors: Ube, Banana and Coconut

They say that ube is the new matcha given the hype it gets abroad. I have to admit, it really is one of the biggest craze to date as a lot of dishes, specifically desserts and drinks suddenly turned purple. It’s just funny how it suddenly became one of the must eat treats when it has been around for decades. Well, I’m not complaining as I am a big fan of ube. And when P messaged us asking if we want to try Freezer Burn’s latest Pinoy creations, we quickly said yes with the assumption that one of the flavors to be released is ube. And we were right! 

Hello again, Freezer Burn!

We were warmly greeted by Chefs Miko and Kristine who were carrying some supplies for the hottest ice cream store in Manila. We all went inside the store that looks like a fridge and had a chat with the brilliant minds behind the innovative concept. 

After a while, we were asked to order whatever we want from the menu. It sure was tempting to order everything but we had to stop ourselves from doing so as we all know how heavy one order could be. 

Some of us ordered Junkie (PHP295), BBPPBB (PHP295) and Ketchup Mayo Fries (PHP295). I decided to just take a spoonful from each order as I wanted to focus on the special flavors—The Good Shepherd, What’s Up Coconut, and Goin’ Bananas (PHP295 each). Chef Miko insisted though that I at least try the drink so I went Thick Mints Milkshake (PHP250) and The Good Shepherd Milkshake (PHP150). Others also tried the Butter Root Beer Float (PHP250), Orange Cream Soda (PHP250) and Richest Hot Chocolate (PHP200).

First served was Junkie and I have to admit, I’m not really excited to try this one as its description alone makes me feel like it’s bad for me. The ice cream base was a combination of cookies and other junk food hence its name. 

I was surprised though that it wasn’t that sweet at all. In fact, it was pretty good. But the Nutella donut with caramel sauce stole the show from the ice cream as it was simply divine! It was soft and made heavenly by the caramel sauce on top. I wanted more of it but I had to resist as it was not my order. 

The BBPPBB or what I call a tongue twister was served next. Chef Miko is proud of this one as he created the browned butter pecan ice cream out of frustration that there are only a few good butter pecan ice cream available in the market. Served with peanut butter waffle liege and banana, this reminded me of breakfast… a sinful one at that. Sadly, it didn’t leave much of an impression. I guess I’m just not a fan of butter pecan. I enjoyed the waffle though which used the same mix as the donut from Junkie. 

Soon, the stars of the night were served.

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).

First Sip: Luna Specialty Coffee

To cap our impromptu BGC food crawl, C and I decided to head to Luna on the ground floor of NAC Building for a nice cup of coffee. It was raining then so it was the perfect last stop. 

Hello, Luna Specialty Coffee!

The place was quite packed around 5:30 pm so we opted to sit by the bar. It wasn’t really a bad idea as it had the best lighting and we could watch the baristas in action. 

Since I was full, I was a bit fickle-minded. After a few questions, I settled with the limited edition Ethiopia Wild Cherry (PHP200) thinking it would be interesting to blog about a limited offer. But I came to my senses and went with the bestseller The Luna Brew (PHP130) instead to be paired with my Inutak Ube (PHP65). C went with Flavored Latte with Honey (PHP150) and Leche Flan Yema (PHP65).

Our drinks and kakanin shots were served within 10 minutes and after a few snapshots here and there, we started to indulge.

My cup of coffee was quite strong that I had to put a few teaspoons of muscovado in. I was worried that it would make me acidic as I just had gastroenteritis a few days ago. 

But despite its strong taste profile, this cup of coffee didn’t make my sensitive tummy grumpy. 

It also complemented my kakanin shot. 

First Bite: Mango Tree

I always get so giddy whenever I see an email from Peanut. It always mean great news and by great news, I mean yummy treats! This time, the email was all about a rendezvoos in Mango Tree. We were advised to wear something a bit more formal. But given the humidity of Manila, I simply could not sport a blazer. 

Hello, Mango Tree!

It does have a fancy feel to it with its dim lighting and dark colored interiors. No wonder we were told to dress nicely. We would get so out of place if we dine here wearing shorts and flip flops. But they do not enforce any dress code so you're okay to wear whatever you want. (Actually, I have been here before for a shoot with the late OK! Magazine staff for our annual editorial shoot but we only had a few drinks then which I vaguely remembered to be strong.)

The group was already pigging out together as early as 3 p.m. in Makati for another event but we left a huge tummy space for the feast that was prepared for us. It was perfect too as I was craving for some Thai dishes. 

While waiting for the feast, I ordered Hennessy Mango Lemonade (PHP350) and it was served in less than 5 minutes. 

The taste of Hennessy was evident but it was complemented by the sweet taste of mango juice. Abe pointed though that the mango taste reminded him of canned juice. But I liked it! 

The appetizer Miang Kham (PHP380) was served next and it looked like a feast for vegetarians. True enough, this dish is loved by veggie lovers. It also means everything in one bite and I will tell you why in a bit. One order comes with dried coconuts, lemon, chili, ginger, peanuts, onions, sesame leaves and chutney sauce which is a combination of shrimp paste, ginger and palm sugar. 

The wait staff showed us how to stuff every ingredient inside the sesame leaf and I failed when I tried as I put too much in my leafy cone. Taste-wise, it was a lovely harmony of flavors. It was refreshing because of the sesame leaves (though a tad rough in terms of texture) and lemon bits. I sparingly put ginger and skipped the chili as I am not fond of spicy food. I stuffed a lot of peanuts though for added crunch. 

Tom Kha Gai (PHP480) was served next and I was worried that it'll be spicy. I was so happy that it was mild. 

First Bite: DaTang Jardin

I was planning to head to Baguio last long weekend but an invite to a restaurant opening made me skip vacation in a heartbeat. This time around, it was for a Taiwanese restaurant’s grand launch in Burgos Circle. 

Hello, DaTang Jardin.

Named after the Tang Dynasty which is also known as the Golden Age of ancient China and era of prosperity for literature and food, this new and only Chinese restaurant in Burgos Circle boasts of its extensive menu that features all eight Chinese cuisines— Shandong, Cantonese, Szechuan, Jiangsu, Hunan, Zhejiang, Fujian and Anhui. 

As a treat, its multi-awarded executive chef, William Liu, prepared DaTang Three Cup Chicken, one of the restaurant’s recommended dishes, for the guests and curious bystanders to try. 

I tried a piece and it had a slight barbecue sauce taste to it. Nothing extraordinary. 

After 10 or 15 minutes, we were asked to go inside for the actual food sampling.

I was pretty impressed with the restaurant’s interiors as it doesn’t look Chinese-y at all. The place was not as flashy or decorated as other Chinese restaurants I know. 

It also had a nice and light ambiance to it. 

First served to us were some cold appetizers—Simmered Beef Shank in Homemade Sauce (PHP350), Homemade Kimchi (PHP130), Tofu Salad (PHP130) and Tomato in Plum and Red Wine Sauce (PHP130). 

Change The Way You See Friendship

I have a confession. I wasn't much of a foodie before. In fact, I tried my best not to eat. Yes, I was scared of getting fat and I eventually became anorexic. 

Peer pressure played a big role on how I became one. I was perfectly happy with my rather round figure in middle school but it all changed when I had to move to an all girls school. It felt like a different world where you needed to conform to survive. It was a jungle where I had to get rid of what would make me a desirable target to predators. In short, it was just like Mean Girls, only, I experienced it 4 years before the hit movie was released. 

In between skipping meals and trying to be just like majority, I hated myself. I began to describe myself as F.U.D. or fat, ugly and dumb. And my low self esteem just made me an easier target to bullies. And yes, that made me hate myself even more.

It was when I was hospitalized for being too acidic did I realize that the things I have been doing were wrong. I was wearing a white hospital gown when I, after several months, saw the person I turned to. An unhappy (and unhealthy) person. The reason why I struggle to have friends in my then new school was because I couldn’t even bring myself to be my own friend. I was mean and unforgiving to my shortcomings. I refused to acknowledge my own quirks and what makes me different. Instead, I struggled to be just like everyone else. And it took a health scare for me to embrace and make peace with myself.

The road to recovery and self rediscovery was memorable. I began to eat again and it felt great not to deprive one’s self of things I want to enjoy. I opened myself to the things I am passionate about and gave myself time to learn what I love to do. I became myself’s biggest supporter. I push myself to be a better person each day and give myself a pat whenever I have accomplished something great. 

First Bite: Cubanos Fil-Cuban Cantina

I have been using Zomato for a bit over a month and I was surprised that I was already invited to attend one of the anticipated Zomato foodie eat ups. The host for this eat up was a Fil-Cuban restaurant in City Golf. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to attend as it’s a bit far from me but I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to meet some new foodie friends. And so, after an event in Uptown Mall, I rushed to Pasig.

Hello, Cubanos Fil-Cuban Cantina!

The restaurant is located along the same strip as Frankie’s and other drinking places. I’m just not exactly sure if this space used to be the spot of Locale, a former City Golf favorite. 

I was greeted by Louie of Zomato and after a brief hello, I sat down and indulged on a piece of Peri-Peri Inasal (PHP195). An order comes with a Peruvian inspired charcoal grilled chicken with shredded barbecue elote and two dips, barbecue and aji. 

The chicken had a nice subtle tangy taste which I liked. The meat though it was a bit dry. The buttered corn didn’t help much and the strong taste of inasal made the elote bland by comparison. 

Next served was Fil-Cuban Ribs (PHP220, half rack | PHP315, full rack) which is Cubanos’ bestselling dish.