best jap resto in town: sugi

winning as the best japanese resto in the recent mbkrs compelled me to finally eat at this place.

we got some freebie appetizer which is eggplant with some sauce in it. the eggplant was perfectly cooked, i was impressed on how the eggplant was fried and yet maintained its color and form.

got the soft shell crab roll (PHP 280). crunchy and flavorful softshell crab with creamy mayo in a roll. hard to eat but definitely worth the try. i love softshell crab!

from the chef's recommendation menu, we got the gyu kobashira steak (PHP 460). it's beef with scallops with some veggies. nothing spectacular about it. just ate the veggies and scallops because i was gearing away from meat. i also found the sauce a bit strong considering i was sick and my palate is still unable to capture most of the flavors of what i've been eating lately.

another teppanyaki type dish is the kaki kari kari yaki (PHP 340). i was already set on getting this one so it was a non negotiable. crispy oysters cooked in a sauce with shiitake and spinach. i love the veggies and of course the crispy and yet flavorful oysters. since both dishes tasted almost the same i found this more interesting because of the contrast in texture and the more unique veggies that comes with it.

i was very pleased with this meal. the softshell crab roll really did it for me. i would love to eat here again and make sure to try out the other dishes. they have bento meals for lunch that costs around PHP 500 which i deem is reasonably priced especially with the inclusions.

sugi
greenbelt 2

finger lickin coffee

i just had to write about this, i was so irritated the other night when i had coffee at the first starbucks in the philippines. for those who do not know which one, it's the 6750 branch.

i ordered two drinks, a caramel macchiato and toffee nut. so i was holding the two cups and the temperature difference was really obvious. it was like holding a gloria jeans cup once again. my macchiato was relatively cold...actually it was cold. so i had them reheat it. c even said, you should have asked them to replace it. i said, it's ok. so it was taking them a long time to reheat it and i was having stomach pains that time so i couldn't really stand that long to wait.

i was already embarassed because it was my other friends who were watching out for it. but when all their orders were already out i had to stand up and wait for it. so finally, it's my macchiato..and what do i see? the barista accidentally dipping her finger in the cup. they ignored the incident then covered it and were bound to shout out my name when i said, do you really plan on serving that to me? then they just said, they will replace it. no apologies whatsoever, so my eyes were intently looking at the new cup, the pitcher where they put the milk and all that sh!t to make sure they don't put anything nasty in my new cup. how was the cup? it didn't taste like caramel at all and it was basically hot milk, which in this case was favorable due to my stomach pains. the point is, i wonder how many times that happened in starbucks. now i feel the need to really watchout for my coffee to make sure it's hygienically prepared. the move from greenbelt to 6750 was really a bad decision...scarred for life na ang sb 6750 saken. tsk tsk.

starting the year with solihiya

my ofw friends are increasing in number but they're primarily based here in asia so coming home is just a breeze. last night i got an impromptu dinner invite from someone who kept his return date a secret. i actually thought he already left manila but was surprised to get a call from him - an impromptu dinner, which i obliged to.

we tried out solihiya. it's basically chinese-filipino cuisine. i was expecting chinoy cuisines...chinese dishes that have been localized like pansit but to my surprise i found distinctly filipino dishes like bulalo and sinigang.

we got some freebie appetizers - pickled quail eggs, crispy anchovies (dilis) and jicama strips (singkamas).

the sponsor and i, being tofu lovers had to get some tofu dishes. we tried breaded tofu, lightly breaded soft tofu cubes which was perfectly cooked and served with a black vinegar sauce.

we also got tausi fish, which is fish fillet with tofu. a unique set of flavors for a typical fish with tausi dish, i could taste the ginger flavor but didn't find one strip or i might have just been oblivious. it was well seasoned.

the sizzling bulalo was perfect. tender meat with all the tendons and bone marrow served with a mild gravy. would have wanted the beef to be more flavorful but for those who are not too keen on salty food then it was perfectly seasoned.

the solihiya fried chicken is basically the chinese style fried chicken flavored with star anise. much like savory's chicken.

we also got sinigang na ulo ng salmon but since they served them in separate bowls, i didn't get to take a picture of it.

overall, it was a pleasant meal. no misses among the dishes and the bright colored interiors gave a clean, sleek and inviting ambiance. i'd think that the relatively steeper price is due to the location. the menu items can be had at other establishments at a much affordable price unless you are craving for two dishes or more at the same time. but if you decide to try this place i'd recommend the sizzling bulalo and for the tofu lovers the tausi fish and breaded tofu.

solihiya
level 3, greenbelt 5

a few more treats before the year ends

i may not like chocolate but i love sweets. it needs to balance out my palate post a savory meal. this time my friends and i decided to get some cakes from the famous karen young. you need a minimum purchase of PHP 1500 to get it delivered for free. wrapped in an aptly decorated box, the aroma wafts as you open it. now, that's a good sign. but i still won't be able to comment on them since they are not all mine and they are bound to be eaten on christmas day. i'm so happy to be stress free and yet have a glorious dessert. after my horrific cake/dessert buying experience last year i have vowed to get the best desserts without much hassle. this is just for sharing. hope you have great holiday meals everyone!




caramel mousse (PHP 900)



strawberry shortcake (PHP 900)



chocolate ganache (PHP 600)





karen's kitchen
www.karenskitchen.com.ph
898-2280
8982880
0917-key4you

thai fix at som's

whenever i'm with my friend g to eat out, we would always get rerouted to somewhere. i'd like to think that the reroute usually ends up at a much better place.

i was meaning to try out chariya's kitchen, i dunno if it was dark that we missed the place and we found ourselves ending up in rockwell. so where else to get cheap thai fix but som's. believe it or not i haven't eaten at this place. even my non-foodie friends have already eaten here and to think that i love thai cuisine.

got some thai iced tea. i like that they give them to you warm which means they've been recently made. with the turnaround of people at this place, i'm sure food is always prepared fresh.

got some fried spring rolls (PHP 80). this was a generous serving, golden brown with a very apt condiment. the roll itself was a bit bland for my taste but considering i had colds, i'd think it was just rightly seasoned. but the winner really is the condiment. it was sweet and a bit hot that complemented the rolls very well.

my thai meal will not be complete if there's no pad thai (PHP 120). huge serving of rice noodles. but that's just about it. it looked like anemic noodles with bean sprouts and a couple of tofu and chopped nuts. the noodles were also too sweet for my taste. i'd have to say that this was a let down. they could probably charge more for a better tasting and looking pad thai and people will not mind.

also got tofu in red curry (PHP 120). i love the curry sauce. it was well seasoned. the flavors were just bursting in my mouth especially the basil leaves which made a huge difference. as for the tofu, it was just too firm. even tokwa would have been more softer or tender than the ones they used in the dish. maybe if you get chicken or beef then it would be perfect.

overall, it was a pleasant meal. very budget friendly, just don't expect a nice ambiance. it's just good affordable thai food located in one of the most expensive areas in the metro.

som's
algier st. (parallel to lopez drive)
from powerplant going to kalayaan it's on the right.
literally over the bakod from rockwell.

fish and co.

all day i was thinking of getting some chinese fix. i first got some tea which i was craving for...yes i crave for tea. and then, i got hooked by the fish and co. ads.

hmmm....i simply got a craving for seafoods. i don't like the fish and chips because it's cream of dory and after reading the cream of dory email i no longer want to eat it. i want mussels or oysters....but it's bad on an empty stomach....

so finally i got prawn fritters (PHP 315 +VAT) lightly battered prawns that was just yummy. it's been a long time since i've eaten here so i was surprised that they already changed their chili to the green variant. i got extra chili but still failed to tickle my taste buds. you always have to mix all the condiments - garlic, chili and tartar sauce to have that perfect dip.

a compromise to my shellfish craving is mussels penne in garlic cream sauce (PHP 321 + VAT) still has carbs but it's not rice. very lighly seasoned, the sauce is thick but not creamy at all and there's something wrong with the garlic flavor, i just couldn't figure out what. not too strong which is perfect but it doesn't have that garlic essence.

i liked the prawn fritters but the pasta is a let down. straight forward almost everything fried seafoods which will satiate your cravings if ever you do get one.

fish and co.
trinoma
greenbelt 3
shangri-la mall

creamy yogi at californiaberry

craving for a tart, sweet and creamy dessert - what else but yogurt ice cream. i just couldn't get my hands on them until i had lunch at paseo center and i saw californiaberry.

i kept thinking about it that i wanted lunch to be over soon. got the californiaberry special which has kiwi, mangoes and strawberry (PHP 100 ++), i like the fresh fruits which is unlike the ones i've tried before and the ice cream was really creamy with the perfect blend of tartness and sweetness. loved it!





californiaberry
2nd flr. paseo center