Restaurant Discovery: I am Kim

I miss Korea and its colorful meals. I wasn’t able to feast in Seoul when I stayed there for a few months because I was living within a student’s budget. With PHP10,000 as monthly allowance, I survived with Lotteria, egg crackers (at times free at Myeongdong) and study hard noodles (free too at my university during exam week). I only buy from McDonald’s and Burger King when I get As or when I have extra money for an unhealthy meal. I do know how to treat myself too as I also tried authentic bulgogi, bibimbap and so on. Anyway, last Sunday, my sister and I decided to try…

I am Kim.

When we visited, I am Kim was packed with hungry diners. (Fangirl note: We also spotted Patty Laurel and her husband that day.) We were lucky though as one group left after a few minutes.

I know that you could make your own bibimbap here but the server did not offer that option to us so I thought that it was just a promo. We then ended up with Classic Bap (PHP260, medium bowl | PHP370, large bowl), Chap Chae Salad (PHP175) and BBQ Squid (PHP99). I also ordered a glass of their honey with mint drink which was new.  

First to arrive were my chap chae salad and drink. The beef bulgogi was a bit dry but had the loveable sweet taste. I enjoyed munching it with the glass noodles and the crisp lettuce.

Friday Night Destination: Tipple & Slaw

Ever since we moved to a busier part of Manila, things felt busier at work too. But since temptation to eat out is stronger in our new area, dragging people for dinner became easier. Hence Friday Night Out with officemates!

Hello, Tipple & Slaw!

It has been a while since I last visited Tipple & Slaw. I recall it was way back August when I first (and last) visited.

The place remained the same and I got the same table too as last time. But this time, instead of just ordering one dish, we ordered six. I ordered Oyster Chowder (PHP180) first as I was famished. D got the Sriracha Mac N Cheese (PHP200) while C1 ordered Chicken Nuggets (PHP250). C2 and A ordered Peruvian Roast Chicken (PHP350) for sharing while M and I (ßthat’s me, not an initial I) got the Roast Beef (PHP550). We also ordered Meat-zza (PHP650) for sharing.

First served was my oyster chowder and it was super salty. It tasted like I was drinking creamy seawater! But I was really hungry to the point of being hangry so I kept slurping and I also ate the crispy (and oily) oysters on the side.

Next served was D’s mac n cheese and everyone reacted that it was spicy. Well, it really was but people who love that kind of kick will adore this dish. (P.S. It wasn’t super spicy.)

C1’s chicken nuggets order seemed to be a value for money. Not bad for PHP250.

Convenience Store Find: Chips Delight Chocolate Chip Brittle Brownie

I love to snack… a lot. I get so excited whenever I see new snacks in supermarket or friendly convenience stores. I have my fair share of cheap thrills and pricey happy tummy finds (which make me think THRICE before buying). And last month, I discovered a new snack. Well, technically, it isn’t new at all but the first brands that entered the market aren’t that wallet friendly. Anyway, presenting…

Chips Delight Chocolate Chip Brittle Brownie <3

I love Chips Delight’s chocolate chip cookies. I even find it better than Chips Ahoy. (But still, nothing can beat Famous Amos).  

Before you jump for joy, this brittle brownie of Chips Delight is not exactly as affordable as its cookie counterpart. I bought mine a bit over PHP80 at Family Mart. I tried looking for it in supermarkets but I couldn’t find it at all. *sad*

Nonetheless, I get to save PHP50 when I buy this instead of its imported counterparts. And the chocolatey taste and loveable crunchy texture are there. I still think it’s a good buy. :)

-Gluttonshopper 

First Bite: Teddy’s

Once upon a time, a genius discovered another way to enjoy beef. He turned it into beef balls and flattened it. Then he placed it in between two pieces of bread and added a few vegetables for crunch and that creation is one of the reasons why most of my posts have #dietsomeothertime and #fatkidoutside. *sigh*

Hello, Teddy’s Bigger Burgers!

I recall that the first time I saw this joint was almost a year ago. The line was crazy and it discouraged me to try it out. I was not willing to wait for over an hour under the summer heat. But thankfully, they opened a branch in Shangri-la a few months ago and I got my chance to try their famous burgers.

I went with Teddy’s bestseller, Kailua burger (PHP347, big) while my mom got the Hawaiian Style (PHP287) and my sister ordered the Bacon Me Crazy (PHP268, ¼ lb.). We also ordered shoestring fries (PHP88) as a side dish.

While waiting, my mom got a complimentary dessert in celebration of Mother’s Day.

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 Love: Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina

My colleagues and I have been planning to do a Kapitolyo food trip but the past months were quite demanding due to the launch of the biggest showroom yet of Focus Global, Inc. We all thought that we’d have more time after the launch but we were still busy with the whole move of the office from Mandaluyong to Fort. But nothing can stop hungry office workers from having happy tummies.

Hello, Silantro!

It took us a long time before we decided to go with Silantro. It’s the curse of having so many options. One wants this place while another says the other. It was hard to reach a consensus. Anyway, Silantro won.

I ordered the Completo (PHP110) again with three choices of meat. This time, I went with beef, lengua and oxtail. We also ordered nachos (PHP160) and J treated us Papi’s Fritas (PHP130). E and I also shared Silantro’s Paella Fajita Mix (PHP250).

First served was the Papi’s Fritas which reminded me of Animal Fries of In-N-Out.

Lucky Day: Free Ride c/o GrabTaxi

Going to places in Manila can be tough. Having a car helps but traffic will always be another issue. If you commute, it’s even harder. And since I’m a little paranoid, especially at night, safety has always been a concern of mine hence I do not mind paying a bit more as long as I’m sure that I’ll get home safe. This is why I am so in love with the apps GrabTaxi and Uber.

Okay, I have to admit; I used to hate GrabTaxi.  There were instances when I finally got a cab and then the driver does not show up. And when I try to get in touch with the driver, he would reason out that he got another passenger or what-have-you. WHAT THE?!

This is the reason why I started using Uber and I was pretty happy with it. The surcharge though was a turnoff. I once paid around PHP400 for a usual PHP120 ride. Anyway, I’m still happy with Uber.

But today, GrabTaxi made me really happy. I got to ride its Sexy Fox cab.

The best part was it was a FREE RIDE!

Restaurant Discovery: Yoree Korean Barbeque Dining

I still remember the days (or months) I stayed in Korea. I had a hard time eating as most of the really good dishes there are spicy. I was stuck with bulgogi, bibimbap and samgyeopsal. But after a while, I grew fond of the other mildly spicy dishes.

It is undeniable that the Korean community in Manila is growing. With the increase in the number of Korean restaurants and supermarkets, you’d somehow feel the Seoul vibe. And what I love about the restaurants here is that more often than not, you get close to authentic if not authentic food.

Hello, Yoree Korean Barbeque Dining!

I was a bit iffy to dine at Yoree as the B&B Italia principal I was with sure know his Korean food given that he is married to a lovely Korean lady. But R, another principal we were with, wanted to dine here as she loved the drinks.

What I like about Yoree is that it has set meals that are good for sharing. And since we were not exactly that hungry, we decided to go for Dwaeji Soot Bulgogi Set (PHP498 per person, minimum of two orders). The set includes usual Korean side dishes, Juk (rice porridge), Gyeranjjim (steamed egg on hot stone), Japchae, Kimchi Jjigae, Sikhye (Korean traditional rice punch), rice and Dwaeji Soot Bulgogi.

First served were the side dishes and juk.

The juk was delightful as it had a light taste and served as a great meal starter. The side dishes were your usual Korean side dishes.

The gyeranjjim was fluffy and had a lovely light taste which complements the other dishes.

Restaurant Discovery: Oudon

Every time someone tells me that a restaurant serves good food, I get curious. (And more often than not, I get too curious that I pester some friends to try it with me.) Luckily though, it wasn’t hard to convince my colleagues to try new restaurants and one Thursday afternoon, we decided to go to…

Oudon.

Oudon is a new Japanese restaurant at The Forum at Fort Bonifacio. The place, adorned with sakura, had a charming and welcoming vibe.

The dishes though are pricey as most are around almost PHP400 while the really good ones are at PHP700 to PHP800. And since I was feeling stingy that day, I opted to get Zaru Oudon with Tori Gomoku Gohan (PHP320) and Hiyayakko (PHP160).

After 10 minutes, our orders were served.

I was surprised with the size of my bowl of noodles. It was big enough for me to wash my tops! (I was a bit worried with it at first because the menu shows a small serving of noodles. But I found out that they give one free refill of noodles so I gave in.)