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Showing posts with label japanese food in ortigas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japanese food in ortigas. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2016
MINAMI SAKI: Japanese Resto in Ortigas. Plus a Giveaway.

 
 I didn't know that there was a Japanese Restaurant as reliable as MINAMI SAKI in the Ortigas Area. Rather than the usual go to's, MINAMI SAKI by ASTORIA is the perfect way to go on a less popular but delicious path. Admittedly the restaurant serves fresh and simple dishes. As such, MINAMI SAKI should be one of your go to Japanese Restaurant in the area be it for lunch or dinner.  
 Located on the ground floor of The Astoria in The Ortigas Business District, it seems like any other ordinary restaurant until you enter. The Ambiance is perfect. It shouts Japanese yet is very private and well mannered about it.
Appetizers are served to whet the appetite. Shredded salmon meat with pickled veggies are placed on your plate first as a complimentary starter. 
If you are tired with the usual miso soup, you could try out the DUBIN MUSHI. Basically a traditional seafood broth, this could pace your stomach just right for the meal ahead.
What is a Japanese Restaurant without fresh sashimi and sushi? Since, it may be hard to decide on which to pick, you could go for the MORIAWASE SASHIMI. Five different sashimi types placed in front of you. Perfectly cut and just plain fresh.
If you're looking for something different. The ABURI SUSHI might be for you.
ABURI means slightly burned. These were torched to give it a slight cooked and caramelized taste. My favorite among the 5 would be the eel. Sweet and luxurious. Other than that, there is tuna, salmon, hamachi, and lapu-lapu.
The chef knows how to please it's younger and picky customers by making the TEMPURA MAKI. This huge roll is just right for the kids and the kids at heart. Playing perfectly with the shrimp, it is rolled into a maki and is deep fried.
The Shrimp is proportional with the rice. It's not as if the rice was overwhelming. Rather, for a rice loving person such as myself, I enjoyed the balance. One bite meal I believe.
For something luxurious, the KAKI PAPAYA YAKI or Roasted Japanese Oysters on Papaya and miso sauce would be your bet. Oysters flown in from Japan are used to make each bite perfect. I didn't know that Papaya would work well with oysters and miso. After just one try, I got hooked.
For Steak lovers, they would enjoy the Teppan-Yaki. The US ANGUS SIRLOIN Steak is just flawless. The Meat is properly cooked to a medium or medium well doneness. You could say that it is healthy because it is accompanied by stir fry vegetables. Perfect with a mouthful of rice.

If that isn't enough you may want to try the USUYAKI STEAK with MUSHROOMS. Basically thin cut meat rolled with a variety of mushrooms inside. I could have just eaten this with rice and I would be all set.
For healthy eaters, the MAGURO PEPPER STEAK was made with them in mind. Maguro or tuna was seared and a sweet sauce placed on top. Simply delicious.
Another must try would be the SCALLOPS with TAMAGO SAUCE. The scallops were smooth and soft. Every bite would remind me of the sea. It worked well with the egg sauce.
Surprisingly, MINAMI SAKI by ASTORIA also has a well thought off dessert line up.
For something light, you could try their Cheese Cake.
The taste was pretty light, but I would have wanted it to be smoother.
For something sweeter and different, the WASABI CREME BRULEE might be your go to dessert. It wasn't that spicy nor was it that hot but the wasabi flavor was spot on and very distinct. It might be okay for some but it might not be for others.
If I was to have just one dessert, it would be the COFFEE JELLY. Aside from its smokey entrance, I was impressed with the taste of the jelly. Made with UCC Coffee, I was in love on my first bite.
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MINAMI SAKI by ASTORIA is a great Japanese Restaurant to visit in the ORTIGAS Area. Under the helm of Chef Kimito Katagiri, I wasn't surprised with the flavor and quality of the dishes. He has an impressive career heading up different hotel restaurants in the Philippines for roughly 20 years. I was floored as all the dishes were superb. The prices are definitely proportional with the quality of the dishes. 
NOW TIME FOR THE GIVEAWAY
Two winners of Php 1000 Gift Certificate From Minami Saki.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



The First 5 steps are mandatory. 
If you want more chances, please feel free to finish everything and come back daily to get more raffle entries.
Please Follow the instructions properly. Not being able to follow them would result in disqualification. I would need to verify once I pick you that you have done them all. Also, the raffle would end on Feb 8, 2016. Just in time for Vday.


GOOD LUCK!!!!


MINAMI SAKI
G/F 
ASTORIA ORTIGAS
15 J. Escriva Drive, 
Ortigas, Pasig City, Metro Manila
02 6871111 loc 8164/ 8165
 Facebook
Disclaimer: wrote this based on my experience. Was invited to try out Minami Saki. Thank you very much for having us. By Joining the contest, the participants agree with all the rules and the decisions. I reserve the right to change the rules with or without prior notice. Contest participants and winners must be able to use the Gift Certificate.  
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Wednesday, November 25, 2015
YABU's New Japanese Styled Burgers


After munching and munching the entire day, YABU was up next. Yes I was really full already but who can say no to YABU. 
Because innovation is the key. That and the creative minds behind Yabu wanted to give more choices to its loyal customers. As such, they introduced the KATSU BURGERS. 

Before going to the main dishes, MOZZARELLA KATSU STICKS (260Php) were placed infront of us. Coated with golden panko, tossed in a special blend of Furikake, served with spicy aioli dip.
Without a doubt, this has got to be one of those gooey and worthy dishes in their snack section. The Cheese literally melts in your mouth. Perfect!
Moving on to the main event, the KATSU BURGERS.
First up is the CRUNCHY EBI KATSU BURGER (420Php). Filled with chunks of black tiger prawns, topped with shredded cabbage, shiso leaves, Japanese pickles, spicy aioli and caramelized onion jam in a toasted brioched bun.
I enjoyed the shrimp factor of this katsu burger. Having real bite sized shrimp inside the patty made my mouth jump in joy. You see, I love shrimps. The bread partnered well with the shrimp. Love it.
On the other end of the spectrum is the MENCHI KATSU BURGER (390Php). Menchi katsu stuffed with double cheese combo of cheddar and havarti. It also has shredded cabbage, shiso leaves. Japanese pickles, spicy aioli and caramelized onion jam.
Look at this baby. This cheesy burger perfection. One bite in and you are greeted with a lot of cheesy goodness. Partnered with the fries, you can't go wrong with this. Be thankful, they just started to serve this just this NOVEMBER 23, 2015. Last Monday! So enjoy enjoy enjoy!
To end the meal, LAVA CAKE (185Php) was served. Warm and molten laval cake with miso butterscotch served with a scoop of ice cream and caramel cookies.
Look at that chocolate center. Gooey and oozing out of the cake. The use of the miso butterscotch was plain genius. Who would have known?
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YABU has done it again. Not only has YABU entered the market first with delicious katsus but it has also captured the stomachs of Katsu loving foodies in the metro. Cheers.

YABU
2/F Mega Atrium
Sm Megamall, Mandaluyong City
Metro Manila

Disclaimer: wrote this based on my experience. was invited to try out these dishes.
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Monday, March 9, 2015
COCO ICHIBANYA CURRY HOUSE: For the Curry Lovers in the Metro.


 Rice is one of the main food groups that every Filipino can't live without. Every single day be it for breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner, rice is something, we just can't have enough of. Thankfully, we now have a restaurant that has a menu that not only serves rice all day long but partnered with CURRY as well. Welcome to COCO ICHIBANYA, the largest curry resto chain in the world. With over 1,400 restos in the world, this baby is a giant!

Known as the go to place for CURRY in Japan, COCO ICHIBANYA is making its way into the stomachs of the Filipinos. Located in the basement level of the new ESTANCIA MALL in Capitol Commons, Pasig, COCO ICHIBANYA is the new Japanese Restaurant to invade the dining scene.
 One weekday lunch, I went here along with the friends from #thektg. We were surprised to see that the place filled up quickly and yet there was a quick turnover. Kudos to their quick service.

After being assisted to your booth, the first thing that you see is this.
 Pickled plum. You add this to your meal as it gives a different sweet flavor to the otherwise spice filled curry. I couldn't get enough of this as I eat my meal. 

It is important to note that your meal at COCO ICHIBANYA is fully customizable. From the heat level of the curry, to the amount of rice and even the toppings and side dishes you may wish to get.

For an additional 80, 100 or 130 Php, you get to have a set meal. Choose to get the soup, salad, ice cream or a drink. You could pick either 2, 3 or all 4 from this list to accompany your meal. 
 The soup that day was tomato. It was all right. Clear and not the creamy version.
 For the mini salad, you have a choice of dressing. I went with the sesame based.
 Needless to say, I looked for the bacon. There wasn't any.

 Looks familiar? That is because they bring the UCC expertise to their drinks.
 Yes, you guessed it, it was UCC that got COCO ICHIBANYA to the manila dining scene.

and now, let's get it on with the main event.


When ordering, you get to pick how much rice you would get. The standard is 300grams but you could lower it to 200 or even increase it to 600. I would suggest that you stick with 300 if you are hungry but if that is a bit too much, 200 is just fine. 

Next up would be the curry level of spiciness. From mild to standard to a level 5 crazy hot, you get to pick your preferred heat level. To give reference, standard already has a little kick into it. It is the perfect level for you to properly taste the curry. BUT, if you easily get flushed, the mild level is fine.

 Now let's talk about those meals.

Easily their best seller, this CHEESE HAMBURGER CURRY (360Php) is the bomb
 now since we are at the subject of incredible, adding Japanese Sausage (130php for 4 pieces) is an excellent choice. The sausages are firm yet cooked properly. They give off a neutral taste. 

If that isn't enough, you can even add CREAMED CROQUETTE (100Php),
 The croquette is creamy and fried just right.
Before I forget, the cheese in the hamburger is inside. This makes it cheesier with each bite. YUMMY!
 For the egg lover, you could choose to have an omelet. Like this PORK CUTLET OMELET CURRY (360php).
 For this dish though, you can't customize the size of the rice.

Now, I believe you are guessing what I had. Of course, I went a little over board but heck, you only live once right?

 I got the SHRIMP CUTLET CURRY (360Php) with an order of SAUSAGES (130Php) and made the curry with MUSHROOMS (80Php) and CHEESE (80Php).
 The Shrimp Cutlet wasn't watered down with extenders but rather, there were real huge shrimp slices in there. It was amazing. The sausages with awesome to say the least. They provided the meat. The curry was cooked to perfection. There was a hint of heat in it yet it wasn't overboard as I only got a standard level. Adding the mushroom and cheese gave the curry a different texture. From here, you add the pickled plum to make it work. Once it get a little bit of monotonous or bored, you add a few pieces of the plum and you are good to go. YUMMY!

  and of course don't forget to have ice cream to end the meal.
 Perfect to help your taste buds normalize after all the curry loving.
I was able to taste the CHICKEN Pari Pari and it was delicious. Not battered but just fried. I liked it in its own. Definitely, I will get it on my next return.
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During a weekday lunch visit, the place was almost full but the service was quick and fast. The turn around was great. The staff was knowledgeable about the menu and would suggest what to order. Budget around 500 Php per person. I would suggest you make yours into a set to make it into a real meal. Just don't do what I did and over order. Would definitely return with my curry loving brother.




COCO ICHIBANYA
Basement level of ESTACIA MALL
Capitol Commons,
Meralco Avenue Cor. Shaw
Pasig City, Metro Manila
http://www.ichibanya.co.jp/english/


* They plan to open another one in One Rockwell, BGC and Greenhills soon.


Disclaimer: was invited to try out COCO ICHIBANYA, thank you very much for having us. wrote this based on my experience and thoughts.
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Monday, March 2, 2015
MARUFUKU in ORTIGAS: Saved my Vday Plans. WHEW!

Excellent Japanese Food is a pain to search for when in ORTIGAS. Good thing, there is MARUFUKU. An institution in that part of town, MARUFUKU offers incredible Japanese food.


It was VDAY! Saturday. We were checked in at Marco Polo Ortigas (click here). The in house restaurants were all fully booked for dinner. Silly me, I thought they would give lee way to those checked in. Since she loves to walk, we figured to walk around the area to look for a place to dine.

After walking for 15 minutes around the Ortigas area, I took a gamble and brought her to MARUFUKU.
MARUFUKU is a Japanese Restaurant that I have been planning to go ever since. Unfortunately, the traffic and the off beaten path pushed me away. Since we were already in the area, I took a chance and went for it.
When we got there around 7, the place was filled with reservation notes on every table. Good thing the staff was able to accommodate us.
A few minutes more and it would have been a no-no. The place filled up real quick with people waiting already. 
We were led to the best seats in the restaurant. The bar. Here, we could see the kitchen and the things they do to the food. It was the perfect way to prepare the appetite.

Since it was my first time eating there, I had the staff suggest some dishes.

To start the meal, we had drinks.Since we walked around, I was a little flushed and needed a cold one fast.
 Lychee (120Php) and Matcha (180Php) shake. Unfortunately, they both fell short. The lychee was too sweet and the matcha was a little underwhelming. It somewhat tasted like milk with a hint of matcha. Next time, I would definitely go for Saki or maybe tea. 

Making most out of the experience, I watched with my eyes and dreamed with my tummy.
Started off with some grilled meat on a stick. Robatayaki or Robata or charcoal grilled skewers.
Knowing her, she ordered rice to eat with this simple yet filling dishes.
I noticed that this skewers weren't marinated much. Just dry rub of salt and pepper and some spices and it was placed on the grill. 

UZURA BACON YAKI (75Php/ea)

Boiled quail eggs with bacon. I liked to saltiness of the bacon. It is just like breakfast. Bacon and eggs.

BUTABARA SHIO or Pork Belly (85Php/ea)

Simple flavors. For the price, I won't complain.

Our favorite would be the GYUNIKU ENOKIMAKI (165Php).
Enoki Mushrooms wrapped with thinly sliced beef. The mushrooms gave it a different texture. She enjoyed this tremendously.

To try something new, I got the SALMON UNI OHBA ABURI (390Php)
Eat it with the Japanese mint leaves (ohba) or just the upper part.
Torched salmon and uni is an excellent pair. I liked it.

The MARUFUKU ROLL (645 Php) is a sight to behold.
Ebi Tempura, with Kani, and some veggies plus unagi or eel on top. It is a lot of flavors to digest and take in. This is a meal into itself.

The highlight of the night would be the KAKI MOTOYAKI (290Php).
Hiroshima Oyster is used. Huge and fresh.  Grilled and topped with miso and Japanese mayo then torched. This is the good stuff. This made the trip worth it. Admittedly, it is a bit too much to pay for but, I must say I will be going back for this.

and of course, one wouldn't go to a Japanese restaurant without having tempura.
For us, we got the EBI (470Php). Everyone's favorite.
5 pcs of huge shrimps. Properly cooked and deep fried. Yummy stuff!

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We were too full from everything as such no more dessert. Honestly, we weren't able to finish the meal. The food is amazing and delicious. The quality is top notch but the price is a bit on the high end. Sitting at the bar was a great experience. Although the grill was right there, we didn't mind the smell because it was a sight to see.
Yes the place is a bit small, so I would suggest making a reservation just to be safe.Will definitely be back.


MARUFUKU
Crescent Building 29 San Miguel Ave, 1605 Pasig
Open from Monday to Sunday.
 Lunch 11:00 am to 2:30 pm. Dinner 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm.
(632)5703989
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Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience. Paid for our meals.
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