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Showing posts with label marikina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marikina. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
CRAVE PARK'S TAMARI Serving something unique in Marikina

"What's there?" Two words that would always be on my mind. When it comes to going to places, this phrase will always be the number one question. No one wants to travel just for something readily available left and right. It's usually always something new or different. Better yet, something delicious. At CRAVE PARK'S TAMARI, I understood what they were trying to do.
Recently opened to the public, CRAVE PARK is located along Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue in Marikina City. One might say that the destination is an adventure in itself. Sometimes, that makes everything worth it.
Aside from different stalls on the first floor, TAMARI currently holds the distinction of being the only one open on the second floor as of the moment. They serve different South East Asian dishes that might seem foreign to the Filipino Palate. According to Chef Camz, they try to educate the diners on the different dishes that they offer. From there, people go back because the cuisine isn't your normal run of the mill. With a background in the hotel culinary field, the chef-owner knows no limit and bounds with her dishes. It's familiar yet different.
One could start off with the CHA GIO. Basically, it's Fried Vietnamese Yellow Spring Roll. Made with Taro, Sweet Potato, Pork, Herbs and spices, it is served with a sweet Nuok Cham Sauce. The roll is wrapped with a special egg wrapper that is uberly crispy and works well with the sauce. The experience is at par with other restaurants. No surprises there as some of the ingredients are imported and brought in from abroad.
One dish that I truly miss from my travels abroad would be the CHAR KWAY TEOW. Oily hofan noodles in a special sauce is mixed and gives you a taste of hawker food. Reminisce of Singaporean-Malaysian Cuisine, the ingredients are almost similar to those that I have tasted. Not bad for a quick and affordable snack.
Aside from Asian Noodles like laksa and spicy peanut soup, TAMARI also offers rice dishes. One popular dish that they serve is the BEEF RENDANG. Served with homemade sambal, egg, peanuts and crispy anchovies, the rendang is slow cooked beef goodness. The coconut flavor is present with the sauce and is perfect with the white rice. It's a complete meal.
If you see Chef Camz, say hello to her. Talk to her and ask her what she recommends. Tell her what you look for in a dish. I'm sure she will be able to make something up for you.


TAMARI MODERN ASIAN BISTRO
@tamari.ph
CRAVE PARK
2nd Floor
Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue, Marikina City, Metro Manila 
Facebook of CravePark



Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience. Was invited to try out the dishes.
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Friday, April 1, 2016
VIKINGS MARIKINA: A Buffet Promo For Graduates


Right after holy week, my family and I visited VIKINGS: SM MARIKINA. We have been to this VIKINGS branch a lot of times before so I am quite relaxed and at eased when I go here. I also like that the buffet spread is all on one long side. So, I won't be confused.

I always liked VIKINGS as it offers buffet that is at par with some hotels and even perfect as it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Furthermore, they are always offering promotions for birthday celebrant and even ofw and now GRADUATES. Everything from appetizers to mains and dessert and even drinks are part of the buffet so it is worth every penny.

That time around, I focused on the sushis and rolls. Being a Japanese food lover, I can't go on a buffet without them.

Knowing the dining crowd, VIKINGS sought to it to make different kinds of rolls.
One of them that is sort of a fusion is the SISIG Roll. A little zesty but is delicious and has that bite.
Aside from the rolls, VIKINGS SM MARIKINA also has a long table for appetizers and different bread.
Cheese choices were abundant
and different hors d'oeuvres were there.
Other stations that are also note worthy are the shabu-shabu which is cooked right on your table top.
and carving station like steak, turkey, prime ribs and crackling belly.
and the list goes on and on. From Chinese, American, Filipino and Italian and even a grill station. Everything that you would want in a buffet is already there.
I enjoyed this coconut mouse chocolate cake. It wasn't too sweet but just right.
Oysters were also a hit. Baked with cheese and a little burnt on the side. This is a crowd favorite.
It was a pleasant lunch and I am please to know that they have a new promotion for new graduates. 
 One way of celebrating a graduation is to have an amazing lunch or dinner. VIKINGS saw it fit to offer promotions for the class of 2016. From now until the end of May Graduates could have a free meal just as long as they are accompanied by 3 full paying adult. 

PROMO:

Class of 2016! After all those late night cram sessions, reward yourself to a FREE BUFFET! You can avail this promo anytime repeatedly! It's our way of saying "Congratulations, the journey was tough, but you did it!" Below are the mechanics:
1) The graduating student of class 2016 gets to eat for FREE at Vikings.
2) Each 2016 graduate should be accompanied by THREE (3) full paying adults. So, it is a 3 to 1 basis.
3) The graduate should present ANY of the following: diploma, graduation photo, or graduation program with the graduate’s name/ceremony invitation (all supported by school ID).
4) Only the Graduates of Class 2016 can enjoy this promo (Graduates of Kindergarten, Elementary, High School, and College: Bachelor, Master or Doctor’s Degree).
5) This promo is available both lunch and dinner, on weekdays and weekends including holidays.
6) This promo CANNOT be used in conjunction with other in-house promotion or discounts.
7) Special Gift Certificates to avail this promo will not be honored.
8) This promo will run from March 15, 2016 to May 31, 2016.
9) This promo is available in all Vikings Luxury Buffet Restaurant branches.
‪#‎thejourney‬

We also have on going contest about #the journey

What's your journey like to graduation? ‪#‎TheJourney‬
Submit to us your Journey to Graduation and get a chance to win Vikings Gift Vouchers! Below are the mechanics:
1. Contestants may send to Vikings their inspirational video about their "Journey" as graduating student. Tell us your struggles, inspirations and the persons you want to be thankful for. Be creative!
2. This contest is open to all students graduating this year 2016.
3. Interested participants to email us at info.vikings@gmail.com to get the Entry Form.
4. Complete the entry form and submit it together with your video. Videos can be delivered in several ways:
a. By uploading (best way) to Vimeo or YouTube . You will need to email us the link.
b. By uploading the video file to an online sharing service like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or the like. You will need to email us the link to the file and make sure that the file is publicly available.
5. The maximum length for your video 4 minutes. There is no minimum length.
6. At the end of the video, contestant must put a logo of Vikings and the tagline: “The Journey of Class 2016.”
7. The winner for “The Journey of class 2016” Video Contest will be announced on our website, social media sites on 25 May 2016. The winners will also be notified by email and telephone. The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM, PST on Friday, 20 May 2016.
8. Creativity, originality and quality of the video, are the main criteria.
9. Only one (1) entry per person is allowed
10. Judges will choose the top 5 videos from the entries; the 5 competing entries will be posted on Vikings’ official Facebook page for voting.
11. Three winners will be chosen:
A) 1st prize: P10,000 cash with Vikings T-shirt
B) 2nd prize: P7,000 worth of Gift Certificates from Vikings with Vikings T-shirt
C) 3rd Prize: P5,000 worth of Gift Certificates from Vikings with Vikings T-shirt
12. Criteria for judging shall be:
A) Relevance to the Theme – 20%
B) Creativity – 25%
C) Originality – 25%
D) Quality –20%
E) Facebook Likes – 10%


Terms and Conditions:
By entering, contestant understands and agrees that the winning video will become exclusive property of Vikings Luxury Buffet. Contestant must acknowledged that the submitted video is (a) original, (b) does not include any material that would require the consent of third party and (c) does not violate any copyright, publicity right, privacy right. Submission including offensive and obscene images will be disqualified from competition. All entries will be subject for screening, to those that comply with the given rules and guidelines (posted in our website and social media sites) will be entered to the competition.Top 5 videos will be posted in our Facebook pages for voting. The design with the largest number of “likes” as of 6:00PM, May 24 Tuesday will get the 10% for the Facebook likes.

VIKINGS: SM MARIKINA
SM MARIKINA.
MARIKINA, METRO MANILA.

Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience. Was invited to visit Vikings.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015
BEEFFALO by HOTROCKS: A Gem in Marikina

I have been craving for some good old comfort food for quite some time now. Lucky me that I was invited to try out BEEFFALO by HOTROCKS in Marikina. 

The last time I've been to Marikina was back in College when I needed to do some group works. And that was ages ago. I didn't know that Marikina has evolved and had interesting restaurants such as this one. BEEFFALO by HOTROCKS.
Honestly, I've never thought Marikina could be a destination for food. Little did I know that a lot has changed. For a couple of years now, BEEFFALO by HOTROCKS has been in the food scene. Silently improving their cuisine. 
As I entered the compound, it looked like someone's backyard. A park even.
 Aside from the open area, they also have some tables and chairs under the shade.
There were also some vintage motorcycles scattered in the area. Welcome to BEEFFALO
As I entered the Air Conditioned area, it seems like an old school farm house but very well lit.
One look at the menu and I couldn't help it but order a lot. 

You could start of with some Seafood and Corn Chowder (95Php). Just simple hot grub to prepare you for the meal ahead.
One thing that BEEFFALO is known for is that they have awesome wings and bbq.
For someone going on a diet, you could just get one of their simple meals like the PORK BARBECUE (145Php). The Java rice served is actually good for 2 persons or just one hungry me. It was flavorful and wasn't like those other places that just added some food coloring on it. The meat itself was tender and the side of bbq sauce gave me control on how much I would add on it rather than slathering the entire plate with the sauce. Of course, the glorious fat was at the end of every stick.
For adventurous guys, the BARBECUE PLATTER (195Php) is the way to go. It has sticks of PORK ISAW (intestines), TENGA (pork ears), and BULAKLAK (Pork Mesentery).
I haven't had these sticks in a long time. The Pork Isaw was glorious in every bite. Deadly but perfect. The Tenga was a little too fat for me. The Bulaklak though was something just in the middle. The side of vinegar made it the perfect snack. Remember, ask the staff to have these charred to give off that burnt taste. Yummy!

Another favorite at the BEEFFALO is their BEEFFALO WINGS (195Php)
Served with blue cheese dip, you could ask for the HOT version or the Sweet one. If you're like me who couldn't decide, I went for a mix of both.
Believe it or not, the red colored chicken is actually the sweet version while the tame looking one is the hot and spicy one. This really gave a number on me as I was really sweating when I ate these. Another tip I'll give you is to sit near the a/c. Just so that you're covered and won't sweat like me. LOL!

Another thing they are famous for are their steaks. Not really because they are wagyu or some premium cut but because they are so darn affordable. I tried their most ordered piece. The BREAKFAST STEAK(190Php). 125grams of meat and served with egg and mashed potato. 
The steak itself is cooked with salt and pepper. One bite in and I realized that it tasted similar to MEAT PLUS in Subic. It wasn't as tough as I would have imagine nor was it tender as I would like it to be. For the price, it was a steal. The Mashed Potato though was the bomb! It was made from scratch with bits of potatoes. I finished mine through and through.

If you have more room for dessert, you could go for the COFFEE JELLY Creme Brulee (65Php). It reminded me of the Starbucks drink. The custard on top was moist and creamy. I liked it very much as it wasn't as sweet as I would imagine.

For the price, BEEFFALO by HOTROCKS in Marikina is definitely a must try. Granted that they might not have the most expensive cuts of steak, they offer what the market in the area longs for. Something laid back and delicious. Cheers.


BEEFFALO by HOTROCKS
Lot 6 Block 3 Gil Fernando Avenue,  
Santo NiƱo, Marikina City
Facebook

From Aurora Ave... Go towards Marcos highway.
Up the flyover on the left hand side (going to Marikina).
Just keep going straight
then turn left on Gil Frenando Avenue.
Beeffalo is on your left side.

There is another Branch in Antipolo too.


Disclaimer: Was invited to this restaurant. Wrote this based on my experience.
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