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On The Tummy Spot: The Maisen Katsumabushi Tastexperience!
A few years back the Philippine Japanese restaurant market changed for the better with the addition of tonkatsu chains from Japan coming over and opening their branches here. I’d say they were very welcome additions for the foodie demographic.Some of the big chains are Yabu, Saboten, Maisen, Tonkatsu by Terazawa, and little mom and pop shops with authentic Japanese chefs or Japanese-trained chefs have also opened up their little tonkatsu places all over the PH. Needless to say tonkatsu is one of the many things I get immense pleasure from especially if the quality of the pork is great, the cabbage fresh, and the pickles lovely.I think Maisen was the latest to open here with THE Ben Chan behind it and their first store opened in the posh Greenbelt location.One hot summer day when I was running errands and debating where to eat lunch solo, I decided to make myself comfortable at Maisen. I like the coziness of their interiors and the fact that when I was shown to my table, I was immediately offered either hot or cold house tea and a cold towel to refresh myself. I appreciate these little comforts. For me, it speaks about the thoughtfulness of the restaurant.
I was debating whether to get the Kurobuta tenderloin katsu set or just the plain tenderloin katsu set (which is what I normally get in tonkatsu restaurants) when I saw something interesting in the last few pages – one of Maisen’s specials which was a Katsumabushi set. It included tenderloin bite-sized katsus over rice served together with dashi stock, onsen tamago, and a delightful variety of side condiments (sesame seeds, wasabi, and green onions) that I decided to just order it. I usually am quite visual with the food I order so this one caught my eye.
There are also instructions on how you can enjoy the Katsumabushi set so you needn’t worry should you decide to try this out on your next tonkatsu craving. I tried to eat it in all the ways they instructed in the menu so I could figure out how I wanted to eat it. You can just eat it however way you want but the best one for me would be to put the rice and katsu piece in the bowl provided, sprinkle sesame seeds, dab a little of the wasabi, put some green onions, then pour the dashi stock on it. This was how I preferred it. One more thing I loved in this set was the Onsen Tamago!! This foodie just has a penchant for eggs. 😉
I liked what I had here and I loved that the lunch crowd wasn’t in yet so I got to enjoy my katsu in peace. Raring to go back to check out the quality of their other katsu sets to compare with my Yabu, Saboten, and Tonkatsu by Terazawa experience.XoXo-EV- -
Restaurant Feature: Checking out Ippudo Manila at SM Megamall
Rainy days lately make me see bowls and bowls of ramen in my mind. For this write-up, we are going to be traversing our taste buds through the famous Ippudo. Their first branch here was opened a year ago I think if I am not mistaken at the SM Megamall. Ippudo is best known for their tonkotsu-based ramen. Tonkotsu is the broth made from pork bones. It has a creamy texture and is white in color. Ippudo is mainly known for this kind of ramen.
One slow Sunday afternoon, me and the girlfriends decided to check what the fuss was all about and we queued up to wait our turn to eat in Ippudo. Since they just newly opened at that time, they were also testing out some of their products and gave them out to their guests for free. (wink)
The servers gave us free Crispy Corn so we could all nibble on it while waiting for our ramens to be served. The corn was nicely fried and topped with paprika and seaweed. We loved it. It wasn’t oily but very lightly fried and a nice opening to a creamy ramen lunch.
We ordered one of their classics as well – Oroshi Ponzu Gyoza. It was their original pan-fried dumplings and they topped it with some grated radish and spring onions and served with their ponzu sauce. This was savory and yummy.
Now for the highlight of the lunch – our steaming bowls of ramen. As it was my first time there, I decided to go for their most traditional/original one. In this case it was the Shiromaru Motoaji ramen. This was the classic Hakata-style ramen. Ultra thin noodles served in their traditional tonkotsu broth with pork loin, kikurage, and some spring onions. A little bit of bean sprouts also graced this bowl of ramen. I liked it and would like to try it again. I think Ippudo and Ramen Nagi are quite comparable although I think Nagi is more adventurous in their offerings. Definitely deserves another sit-in soon!
They also gave us this product they were testing out. Chicken karaage in between their signature steamed buns with their Ippudo sauce. The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender in the inside and to counter the fried component, it was served on a bed of shredded cabbage inside the steamed buns. This was quite filling and nice and I wouldn’t recommend eating this together with the ramen since you will be quite full after. I am not sure if they continued to serve this product.
So definitely another visit in the works and probably in their newly opened branch at BGC.XoXoEV -
Spiral’s Champagne Sunday Brunch at the Sofitel Manila
For all foodies out there, the Spiral buffet at the Sofitel is at the top on the must-eat list. The buffet boasts of a lovely cheese and cold cuts section which will make your mouth and your cheesy heart water but aside from that they also have a total of 21 dining ateliers guaranteed to satisfy the demands of your foodie cravings above and beyond so here I found myself with a colleague from work one lazy Sunday and trying out their Sunday champagne brunch.From the time the wait staff seated me at a cozy table/couch, they were already asking if I wanted some champagne and also gave me their signature Spiral bread which was crusty on the outside and soft and cuddly on the inside. It was served warm together with a slab of butter and it was really bread I wanted to munch on a lot. That means something because I am not really a bread person but I have to give them kudos for their bread. Really good!
I then proceeded to do my first round. I got some shrimp cocktail and a lovely selection of cheeses, a little bit of prosciutto and Iberico hams plus some candied fruits and fig. When I arrived back at our table, a glass of bubbly was already waiting for me. Good job Spiral!
For my 2nd plate, I got some sushi (salmon and tuna) with pickled ginger, oysters from France, and smoked salmon topped with caviar. All very delicious and the quality of the sushi was good. The oysters – perfect.
The 3rd plate concentrated on lobsters and coconut crabs, and I tried a piece of California maki to boot. Normally in buffets, I try to avoid rice, and any other carb since it makes you feel full fast but 1 piece is not so bad. 😉
One cannot do the Sofitel buffet without the obligatory and famous foie gras. I requested it on a small bed of risotto which I loved.
I tried some of the roasted meats, pork loin, ribs and etc but I wasn’t so enamored of them (need to do the buffet again *wink*).
My 4th plate was my Asian tribute. I had some jellyfish, roasted suckling pig (Lechon), and Singaporean Chili crabs. I also inserted another lobster here which I had cooked at the French station. I had them cook it with butter. Yum!
I also had some spinach gnocchi but I didn’t finish it as I was already buffet-haggard at this point. Sometimes I cannot believe I have this much of an appetite but hey I skipped the carbs part so I guess that was the key.
Again, I had another cheese plate with fruits and nuts to go with it. I just have a soft spot in my cynical heart for cheeses! Hahahaha!
Always always room for dessert. The Spiral had overwhelming towers of melted strawberry chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate fountains. I got an eclair, creme brulee and a strawberry panna cotta.
I have to say this Spiral Sofitel buffet is everything I had imagined it to be and more but I still missed some dining ateliers here of which I promise to make up soon. This is one of those things you do once in a blue moon and you won’t feel cheated at all even if the pricing is really high. Quality of the food and everything is really great. See you again soon Spiral!XoXoEV -
Ramen Fuss: My Ramen Nagi Tastexperience
Ramen places have been sprouting all over the metro like mushrooms. Nowadays we have a variety of really good ramen places to choose from as compared to a few years ago when the only ramens we could get where from the Japanese fastfood chains.Ramen Nagi is one such example of a nice ramen chain which has come to our PH shores. Although it is somewhat a fastfood chain but the restaurant has it’s roots in Japan and is dedicated to serving a really good bowl of ramen.
Since they are mainly a ramen place, there are only 4 variations of ramen that customers can customize once you get there: Butao King (tonkotsu broth), Black King (garlic and squid ink combo), Red King (spicy), and the Green King (cheese and basil). For some reason, my favorite among the 4 is the Black King one. I love how it taste with all that squid ink and al dente ramen noodles. They also serve some side dishes that go well with a bowl of ramen.
As of this writing I have made many visits to Ramen Nagi since it turns out my friends also love it. Basically this is a rundown of what I have eaten there and what I recommend. By the way, they don’t allow take aways in all their branches and this is because they don’t want the quality of their ramen lowered down. I always think I cannot finish one big bowl but I really do. Blame it on that rich and flavorful ramen broth! 🙂
For our side dishes, me and my friends almost order the same thing. We had their Nagi Star Salad. This is a refreshing salad with lots of crunch. It is composed of sliced cabbages and lettuce mixed together with some crispy fried noodles and topped with some sesame oil and a secret Ramen Nagi dressing. This is a really rich tasting salad but it is really good.
Next up, always on the table is their gyoza. They serve them perfectly cooked and piping hot all the time and we all just love it. I haven’t been disappointed with their gyozas ever. Really crispy bottom and soft and tasty insides.
I have also tried their Chicken Karaage and it is just delish. Crispy and very flavorful and the meat is so juicy inside. Kids would love this.
Now when you take your seat at Ramen Nagi you are immediately given a sort of paper checklist of how you want to customize your ramen. This is also a feature that I like very much because you can tailor fit your ramen to suit your tastebud demands for the day. Also, you can order extras like Tamago, green onions, noodles, and etc. They also have condiments in each table like pepper, sesame seeds, pickled garlic, and spicy bean sprouts.The first ramen bowl I tried in Ramen Nagi was their Black King and I immediately fell in love. It is spicy and rich but not “umay” as some would call it. It is also yummy with Tamago. The garlicky and squid ink taste really does it for me. This ramen is very flavorful and rich and one that you should try! I make sure to sprinkle some sesame seeds on top as well. This is one that I really love. A favorite of mine.
I also did try the Butao King and while it is also tasty and delicious as well with the soft chasu slices, somehow I find it not as rich as the Black King which I like. The broth is very milky though and really good as well. You cannot go wrong with this one.
Ramen Nagi really has a simplistic approach to a bowl of ramen by just having 4 variants and sometimes they have another flavor they rotate but it is limited to certain months. Here you won’t be confused to what kind of ramen to order and also I think just by having4 variants that they would really do their best to serve it at optimum quality at all times. Do check out Ramen Nagi for a ramen fix. I promise it won’t disappoint.XoXoEV -
Restaurant Feature: My first foray into Izakaya Kikufuji @ Little Tokyo Makati
For months really I’d been raring to go to Little Tokyo to explore and check out one of the main restaurants there – Izakaya Kikufuji but I just didn’t have the right timing always that is until I met up with an old friend from way back for some lunch. He was also fond of Japanese food and so I decided that we should check out Izakaya Kikufuji.It was kind of crowded during the Saturday lunch hour so we just sat at the bar facing the sushi chefs and I was so excited to see them in action. This post is many months late so I’m not sure if I can still relay all the essential details but one thing is for sure, the restaurant had pretty decent fresh fish and I loved the food that I was served. I loved it so much that the very next week, I brought other foodie friends to enjoy another lunch there.It’s value for money Japanese fare. I highly recommend it! 5 stars for Izakaya Kikufuji!
Assorted Fresh Sashimi – Tuna, Salmon and Uni 
Friend DR suggested this delicious sushi. He says he’s eaten better so I’ll have to take his word for it. Not so bad though! 
One of my new favorites – Crispy tuna salad! This was really delicious for me. 
Since it is an Izakaya place, we got ourselves a few and sampled them. There was one with enoki mushrooms, cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon, leeks and some other good stuff I was not able to take note off because I was busy eating! LOL! After the meal there was even complimentary iced coffee which I liked! Nice one!
Overall it was a very pleasant first time at this restaurant and I suspect I will be coming here often and introducing it to friends as well who appreciate good food!XoXoEV -
Restaurant Feature: Bowls of Ramen at Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Ramen craze has been going around the metro ever since last year if I’m not mistaken, and foodies have been relentless in their search for the perfect bowl of ramen as well as ramen shops sprouting here and there. One such shop would be Mitsuyado nestled in the bustling Jupiter Street in Makati. It’s been getting rave reviews from ramen lovers and foodies so naturally I had to check it out.I went one Saturday night if I can still remember it right because of the delay this post has taken but it was with SinfulBombs and MommaBombs (both foodie enthusiasts). We ordered Japanese gyoza as appetizers and 3 steaming bowls of Japanese ramen – Chasyu, Tan Tan Men and Cheese Tsukemen.We all loved the gyoza they served us. Cooked just right and tasted really flavorful. We ordered a second serving of these lovable dumplings because they were good.
When our ramen bowls came, we were all excited and we tried out each of these ramens. MommaBombs had the tan tan men and we all loved it. It was spicy, tasted like curry and the noodles were al dente.
My Chasyu ramen was not really to my liking after all the hype Mitsuyado has created. My ramen was served to me lukewarm, almost cold and I did not like the taste much. I do not have fond memories of it but maybe a second visit is in order to re-evaluate this ramen.The Cheese tsukemen that SinfulBombs ordered was also not to our liking. The ramen noodles also arrived cold and the cheese looked like it had been sitting stagnant for a bit. It did not tickle our taste buds as much as the tan tan men had.
For that night we came to the conclusion that among the 3 ramen bowls we had, the tan tan men reigned supreme in taste. But who knows maybe a second visit will be a better experience. Not so impressed with Mitsuyado just yet.XoXoEV -
On The Tummy Spot: 2 Tasty Yabu Adventures
You are probably wondering why my title says 2 Tasty Yabu Adventures. It is quite accurate though!After arriving from a short weekender in Bacolod last March I met Mum and Zoe in Church at PICC then after church, we proceeded to MOA where I told Mum that I will take them to a nice katsu place. I’ve wanted to get mum and little Z there for a while now and see how they like the food at Yabu so I hurriedly went off to find the new Yabu branch in MOA.
I did find it and since we were there as early as 10am, we had no problems finding a table and escaped the weekend lunch crowd which would have you waiting for 30-45 minutes to get seated at Yabu. They are that popular these days. When we got seated at our table, we were given the menus and Mum chose the Hire Katsu Set while I got the Salmon Katsu and little Z surprisingly wanted her own and she chose the Kid’s Chicken Katsu Meal.
assorted condiments We were then given 2 big bowls of roasted black and white sesame seeds as is their ritual and I taught Mum how to grind the seeds together to release the aromatic and tasty oils for the katsu sauce. I gave mine to Z who was enjoying the whole experience.
When her kid’s chicken katsu set meal came, I was intrigued and I knew that Z would love it. There were 2 breaded chicken katsu’s that came with it and a potato croquette served together with some edamame, Japanese rice, shredded cabbage and a bowl of fruit. She loved her crispy and juicy chicken and also the croquettes. She also tried the cabbage with the Goma dressing and loved it right away.
Kid’s Chicken Katsu Meal When Mum took in her first forkful of her Hire Katsu she was amazed and commented that she rarely had pork that was very tender, juicy and cooked just right. She immediately became a fan of the shredded cabbage with the Goma dressing just as I once was when I first tried it out. She loved her Hire Katsu Meal and ate with gusto.
Hire Katsu Meal I ordered the Salmon Katsu and was presented with 4 lovely slices of panko-breaded salmon cooked just right with a glistening pink center. Juicy and not dry, the salmon was perfect as a welcome-home meal. One thing I appreciated at their SM MOA branch is that their branch manager came up to us and asked us how our meal was and if we were delighted with their food. I am impressed with the service so far. I tried the SM Megamall and now their MOA branch and always their service never fails.
yummy Salmon Katsu Meal 
My complete Salmon Katsu Meal Now on to the 2nd part of this entry – a few days after we ate at SM MOA, I received an email from Yabu’s marketing staff – Erika Lim. She said that they had read my first entry on Megamall and wanted me to come and try out the new dishes that they were offering. Lucky me! We then agreed to meet at MOA and I also brought Mum and Zoe since she told me to bring along others if I wanted.(All photos from here on after are taken from the Yabu Facebook site as I forgot my trusty camera during this time.)Erika was very patient and informative and I love this kind of strategy that Yabu is adapting – taking a one-on-one approach to bloggers. She introduced me to their new dishes and some old ones I haven’t tried yet but also that they were introducing this new Wasabi dressing for the shredded cabbage they serve together with their katsu meals. I got intrigued and tried it first and it did not disappoint. It just had the right hint of kick from the wasabi but never overpowering. I loved it and just like with the Goma dressing I fell in foodie love. It was creamy but not super thick in the consistency. Similar to the consistency of the Goma dressing, I so love this new Wasabi dressing. It hits it right on the spot with the shredded cabbage!
She ordered the Soft-shell crab katsu meal, the Menchi katsu meal and Menchi curry meal. My particular favorite would be the soft-shell crab which was tasty soft crab in the inside but crispy panko goodness on the outside. A winner at the table and it went so well with the ponzu-layu sauce that accompanied it. In particular, the crab legs were so crunchy and so tasty that I finished them all first.
The Mum had Menchi and she said that she liked it. It was even softer and easier to chew on than their already soft Hire or Rosu or Kurobuta pork. It is premium grade beef and pork minced together and some kind of cheese in the middle and this was an added plus. The Menchi is great for the cheese lovers. It would also be great with the kids. Something fried and cheesy always does the trick for the little ones, wouldn’t you say so?
The Menchi in medium hot Yabu curry was also great. Their curry is sweet and thick than the other curries I have had before. It just had the right amount of kick and I was told that they cooked their curries like 48 hours all together if I am not mistaken to ensure that all the spices and everything nice have simmered nicely together and incorporated all their complex flavors into one full bodied and flavorful curry to go with their delish katsus. You can choose to go really spicy, medium or light on their curries. Totally up to you!
I have to give it to you Yabu, always a pleasure to dine with you and thanks again to Erika for being our gracious host. Now I am on a mission to check out their Katsudons and see how they fare in my book of tasty treats. On a side note, Yabu’s miso soup and rice are now unlimited like with their cabbage and you can also opt for some organic rice too!
I can’t wait for my next Yabu meal.
exploring food forever! among other things…
