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Category: Food Reviews

  • Review of Le Petit Soufflé (Century City Mall, Poblacion, Makati City)

    Review of Le Petit Soufflé (Century City Mall, Poblacion, Makati City)

    In celebration of Father’s Day this year, we had lunch at one of the most talked-about restaurants in Century City Mall when it comes to interior design and creative food. Eating at Le Petit Soufflé is a high-drama opportunity since there’s always a long queue and we don’t get to always see an indoor garden-themed restaurant featuring cozy seats, greenery, and bright lights that are a treat for the eyes. Dining here is worth it for the right occasion and with the right people interested in soufflé and a French-Japanese menu that’s a little different…different good. 😛

    Review of Le Petit Soufflé (Century City Mall, Poblacion, Makati City)

    Ambiance:

    The trendy Le Petit Soufflé has an awesome ambiance complete with beautiful light bulbs, faux trees with rolling pins hanging as decorations, attractive walls, interesting panels, and yellow chairs—all the makings of a superb restaurant interior. It’s definitely a vivid space where every corner is Instagram-worthy. The greens bring a sense of nature inside the restaurant, making customers feel almost a world away from the bustle of the city. Pretty charming! 🙂

    Le Petit Soufflé has a good mix of spacious and intimate with a real casual feel. Instead of dividing the room with walls, it signifies zones through transitions in the table-and-chair setup so it looks organized and warm without being too packed or crowded.

    Service:

    The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, so take their advice if you’re unsure of what to order. Despite the busyness of the restaurant at lunch hour, service remained efficient and attentive. I thought this is one of the factors that contribute to the success of the restaurant and make every experience positive for diners.

    Food:

    The waitress suggested getting the Japanese Beef Curry Soufflé (PhP 525), and we’re happy she did. It took 15-20 minutes for it to be served but we we’re willing to wait.  The dish consisted of savory cheese soufflé filled with fine strips of US beef short plate and Japanese short grain rice with Japanese curry sauce. It’s nothing like the Japanese curry rice of other more straightforward curry restaurants such as Coco Ichibanya, Curry Bee, or Eri Curry. The taste of curry was subtle and so pleasingly fragrant. Cheese gave it a boost in flavor.

    Another main entree we tried was the Squid Ink Rice (PhP 395) which was made with a combination of fresh seafood, shimeji, mushroom, and scrambled egg on delicious squid ink rice. The soft scrambled egg was so fluffy but firm enough. What I love most about this black rice is its refined iodized flavor. What I hate most, on the flip side, is that there’s no way to enjoy it without black-stained lips. Don’t forget to wipe your mouth with tissue. 😉

    For my dad, the shoyu-based Vegetarian Soba Pasta (PhP 325) had an earthy taste that’s unique, one you won’t get tired of eating. Cooked with shimeji, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, it’s like the Japanese version of spaghetti.

    Chef Miko Aspiras’ signature dessert, the Valrhona Grand Crus (PhP 375), was nothing short of spectacular. Formed with layers of decadent Valrhona chocolate (Araguani 72% flourless cake, Caramelia 36% flourless cake, Dulcey 32% ganache, and Equatoriale 55% ganache), the heavenly blocks of chocolate were served with a vanille creme anglaise sauce.

    Honestly, I didn’t have a slightest clue on what Valrhona chocolates are. I just learned now that Valrhona produces the world’s finest gourmet chocolates. OMG. No wonder why it tasted so good! The chocolate has a bitter base with strong liquorice, raisin and chestnut notes and the use of brown sugar. The texture is like silk for your tongue, as different in texture compared to Hershey’s as fine silk is to a burlap bag for your fingers. Please, try it! 🙂

    Quite a show-stealer as well, the Strawberry Lychee Parfait (PhP 195) had a nice presentation with colorful display of ingredients composed of the highlights: strawberry, lychee, and matcha. This treat is so refreshing and addicting. 🙂 The parfait was made with vanilla and matcha custard base, softee swirl with almond dacquiose, fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, lychee and matcha jelly, matcha mochi and matcha powder. There’s a lot going on; the key is to get a little bit of everything involved in each bite.

    Price for Value:

    There are days when you just want to have a peaceful time and enjoy unusual and interesting choices of food. Let Le Petit Soufflé be your antidote. Prices may cause pain to the wallet but they offer high value. The menu is simple with a few pages, but the execution of the food is so good that seemingly simple ingredients will wow you in ways you didn’t think they could. We had a great time!

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/Lepetitsouffle/?fref=ts” name=”Le Petit Soufflé” description=”3F Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave., Poblacion, Makati City” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 8863056, (02) 7185681″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2016-06-28″ ]

  • Barista Competition 2016 at Espressamente Illy (Rockwell, Powerplant Mall, Makati City)

    Barista Competition 2016 at Espressamente Illy (Rockwell, Powerplant Mall, Makati City)

    Usually served in a tiny cup, espresso tastes strong and powerful. The way to prepare this type of coffee is one of the finickiest. Last June 11, 2016, we were invited to the Barista Competition 2016 hosted by Espressamente Illy at Rockwell, Powerplant Mall in Makati City to see how five well-trained coffee baristas from the five branches of Illy in the Philippines make coffee. There’s so many intricate steps to getting it perfectly from preparation to serving. Each one could make or break the shot.

    The parameters a barista might mess with while trying to perfect a cup include coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, brew time, and water temperature, among other things. Adding to the challenge was, of course, the time limit. Every one of the contending baristas had to complete three coffee drinks while telling about the execution in 13 minutes. In this case, “pressure’ is what makes an espresso an espresso, literally and figuratively. No matter what, they have to be consistent; consistency in brewing coffee is the silver bullet in the arsenal of tools needed to improve quality.

    Judges gave scores objectively according to the coffee’s sensory feature and the “science” of making it, while we all stood behind as witnesses as to how precision, hands-on care, and love would sum up in drinks that could be savored like never before.

    After over an hour of action, the judges decided and proclaimed the winner. Ronel America (from the NAIA T1 cafe) received the Illy trophy as reward and also some bragging rights. Congratulations! 🙂

    Barista Competition 2016 at Espressamente Illy (Rockwell, Powerplant Mall, Makati City)

    Illy Coffee

    Well-balanced in its constant combination of sour and bitter, the illy taste has an immediately perceived sweet shade. Illy is well known all over the world  for its unique blend, made of nine precious varieties of Arabica coffee, always the same, cup after cup. Its rich and fascinating body is felt by the palate with a tactile feeling of pure pleasure. As in a symphony, the announced theme is declined and enriched by the soloists with tones of flowers, fruits, caramel, toasted bread, chocolate, almonds, and honey. All these tones get together smoothly in a sweet final feeling.

    The illy blend is available in three different roasting levels. The medium roasting level has a peculiar soft taste, and is sold  in a package marked in red. For coffee consumers who like a deeper and stronger taste, the same blend of Arabica is available in a stronger roasting level, in a package marked in black.

    The illy blend is available in a decaffeinated version as well, in a package recognizable by its green color.  In order to enhance each profile of its blend, and to let everyone appreciate the shades of its taste, in 2010 illy  has created  the Monoarabica  line,  that  includes  the  varieties  of  Arabica  coffee  that    make  the traditional illy blend.

    At present, Monoarabica offers three coffees with a strong personality, and each of them tells something about its country of origin: Brazil, Guatemala and Ethiopia.  Last but not least, an exceptional coffee comes from El Salvador: idillyum is a rare and precious Arabica Laurina (Bourbon variety), extraordinary and exclusive because it has a  very natural low level of  caffeine and it is available in small quantities, due to  the peculiar weather and growing conditions that it requires.

    Espressamente Illy

    Representing the embodiment of the “Italian coffee,” Espressamente Illy is a franchising network of outlets based on the pursuit of quality in every aspect: in the offer, in the environment, in the service. It started in 2003 and today, it is present in 230 coffee bars in 34 countries, and in the most important cities of the world, such as Rome, Paris, London, Toronto, San Francisco, Miami, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Beijing.

    With Espressamente Illy, the bar becomes a “boutique café”: a place to enjoy, whose coffee, food, environment, and culture blend in order to tell worldwide the Illy brand and the Italian style of life. Here, consumers may order a quick excellent espresso prepared by illy baristas, and can take their time, enjoying a lunch break, meeting people and socializing with them, relaxing and even working connected to the Web world by Wi-Fi.

    Aside from coffee, we enjoyed the food served by Espressamente Illy:

    Spinaci Crostini (PhP 175) – rich and creamy spinach dip derved with crostini

    Tomato and Basil Bruschetta (PhP 225) – grilled baguette topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese

    Supremo Pizza (PhP 400) – pizza topped with Italian sausage, pancetta, black olives, onions and capsicum

    Wild Mushroom Pizza (PhP 375) – button mushroom, shiitake mushroom, porcini mushroom and fresh spinach

    Fettuccini Tartufo (PhP 300) – Italian style comfort food

    Tiramisu with Espresso (PhP 290) – layers of lady fingers alternated with layers of cheese and dusted with cocoa powder served with illy espresso

  • Super Brunch at Heat Restaurant, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel (Mandaluyong City)

    Super Brunch at Heat Restaurant, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel (Mandaluyong City)

    Sundays at Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s HEAT Restaurant just got a whole lot more exciting for the whole family with a bigger and better brunch extravaganza entitled Super Brunch, bringing together the best buffet selections. The first thing you will notice is the signage by the entrance which displays the highlights of their sumptuous offerings. Fresh lobsters? Baked oysters? Wagyu beef? Mimosa bar? Liquid nitrogen ice cream? All aboard.

    with the Kain Tulog Gang (KTG) 🙂With stellar service and elegant ambiance, Heat Restaurant is packed with delicious items in play. The quality of food here ranges anywhere from good to fantastic. Everything presented on the buffet counters is meant to be appreciated. In the Japanese section, sushi and makis look so good you’ll want to eat them all. Proceed with confidence in any case. Lobster maki? Yes, please.

    The wagyu section on the opposite side showcases an amazing juxtaposition of taste and texture and more. Made up of compelling selections, it makes a once fussy food nice and easy. The Wagyu Marinated Hanging Tenderloin in Puff, Wagyu Prime Rib marinated in oyster sauce gratinated under the foie gras crust, Slow-braised Wagyu Short Blade, Sous Vide Cooked Wagyu Beef Brisket were all excellent, meltingly soft and tender.

    Getting unlimited lobsters is pretty fantastic and a needed breakup in your meat feast. At Heat’s Super Brunch, indulging in a three tower display of overflowing crustacean goodness featuring Boston, Slipper, Rock and other seasonal varieties such as Lobster tails, Pacific, Japanese, Tiger, and Bamboo will make your visit worth it. As a seafood lover, this luxurious section has to be my favorite without hesitation. 🙂

    The lobsters tasted light, sweet, savory, and everything else that helps solve the struggles of the world. You can have them cooked exactly the way you want it. May it be buttered garlic with a hint of lemon, baked with overflowing cheese, hot off the grill, Chinese style stir fried or simply steamed, you’ll be coming back for more. A parades of salads, cheeses, and meaty appetizers add further interest to the table.

    Aside from the lobster and wagyu selections, a wide variety of Heat’s specialties are available. These include Singaporean laksa, shawarma, assorted ala minute pasta creations, roast pork, coffee chicken, prime rib, fresh greens, charcuterie and artisan cheese.

    Heat Super Brunch Map

    Japanese Chef Yusuke Hiro and Executive Sous Chef Ghayedi Borazjan came by at our function room for a simple meet and greet session and explained some of the dishes. A magician who performed magic tricks right in front of us and a balloon man also visited us for some entertainment. They’re quite friendly and I love their energy. 🙂

    Make sure to also save room for dessert! Sweet confectionaries, such as churros with chocolate sauce, crepe, macarons, raspberry molted brownie cheesecake, halo-halo and warm chocolate pie, will add delight. Refresh your palate with beverages options from free-flowing champagne, wine and mimosa to freshly squeezed fruit juices on top of your buffet.

    Heat’s Super Brunch (available on Sundays from 12NN to 3PM) is a combination of Mad for Lobsters (on a Saturday night) and Mad for Wagyu (on a Friday night). The scene is definitely a strong point—the atmosphere buzzes and the food deserves a thumbs up. What’s more, kids can get to enjoy fun under the sun with a complimentary access to the lagoon shaped pool with aqua play or the indoor kiddie corner at the restaurant, while you sip and savor your way through the best varieties that HEAT has to offer.

    Brunch on Sundays definitely doesn’t get better than this! Introductory price for the Super Brunch starts at Php 2,815 net per person. Heat is perfect for celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, life milestones, and the list goes on.

    For inquiries or reservations, please contact the Restaurant Reservations and Information Center by calling (63 2) 633 8888 ext. 2740 / 2741 or email heat.esl@shangri-la.com. Visit www.shangri-la.com/manila/edsashangrila or stay connected, like Facebook.com/edsashangrila, follow @edsashangrila on Twitter and @edsashangrila on Instagram.

    Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages more than 80 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 34,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services.

    Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

  • Review of CnT Lechon (SM Seaside City Cebu, Cebu City)

    Review of CnT Lechon (SM Seaside City Cebu, Cebu City)

    When in Cebu, it’s common for people to ask a few of their food savvy friends where to get the best lechon (roasted pig). In most cases, there’s a whole slew of different answers. I have tried Rico’s Lechon in my visit to Cebu last year and it was…okay, but not astronomically good as we expected. This month, along with two friends from the office, I flew to Cebu for a project and took the chance to try another lechon restaurant that’s popular among the locals for crispy lechon: CnT Lechon in SM Seaside City. 🙂

    Review of CnT Lechon (SM Seaside City Cebu, Cebu City)

    Ambiance:

    With rustic warmth and cozy feeling, this restaurant located at the Sky Park of SM Seaside Cebu had a laid-back and casual atmosphere. CnT’s dining space looked ambient and enough for large groups of diners to sit in. Adorned with simple furniture and textured walls, the room was made attractive by the eye-catching globes of light hanging from the ceiling.

    Food:

    CnT is a Cebu-based franchise that offers freshly, roasted crispiest and crunchiest lechon. We ordered a half kilogram of Lechon (PhP 295) and it indeed displayed a delightful crispness to it, along with a rather profound, earthy savor that paired wonderfully with rice. With the perfect mélange of fat and crunch, you would not ask for anything more (although adding condiments like vinegar and soy sauce will stimulate your appetite better).

    Sinigang na Bangus Belly (PhP 165) was also spot-on delicious. The broth was not too sour which I prefer, and the vegetables were crisp and clean. Their rendition of this heart-warming traditional Filipino dish isn’t unique in any way; this is exactly why it’s a must-try. It tastes like home. 🙂

    Last up was the Garlic Shrimp (PhP 145) which consisted of dutifully well-textured shrimps sauteed with a good interplay between garlic and butter. Love it!

    CnT Lechon Menu

    Price for Value:

    The quest to uncover the tastiest lechon around Cebu often feels endless. CnT Lechon certainly has something for everyone. Tagged with very affordable and reasonable prices, lechon, seafood, vegetables, and Filipino desserts all look awesome on the menu. I hope this modern Filipino restaurant opens up in one of the busy malls in Metro manila. It will be a huge hit for sure. Pop na pop! 🙂

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://web.facebook.com/pages/CnT-Lechon-Cebu-City/606017212823895″ name=”CnT Lechon” description=”Sky Park, 3rd Floor, SM Seaside City Cebu, South Coastal Rd, Cebu City, Cebu” rev_name=”(032) 5138047″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2016-06-17″ ]

  • Review of Café Ysabel (Addition Hills, San Juan City)

    Review of Café Ysabel (Addition Hills, San Juan City)

    Louie chose to celebrate his birthday at Café Ysabel last weekend. We were so happy to have finally tried food cooked and prepared by San Juan’s “best-kept secret” restaurant. 🙂 Lauded as a neighborhood bistro where guests can walk in to have their morning cup of coffee, a quiet lunch, or dinner with family and friends, Café Ysabel has really gone a long way satisfying customers for over thirty years now.

    Café Ysabel has become a San Juan foodie mecca for visiting tourists who are taken by their expatriate friends in Manila. Its menu is quite coherent, featuring classic comfort food favorites of Filipino cuisine plus some European dishes also thrown into the mix, which is not surprising given Chef Gene’s background. The result is interesting and delicious but not trying too hard.

    Review of Café Ysabel (Addition Hills, San Juan City)

    Ambiance:

    Housed in a refurbished 1927 ancestral home, Café Ysabel looked impressive with a rustic vibe, artsy-decorated ceiling, collections of china, glassware and silverware, and period furniture. The dim-lit ambiance was intimate and the space felt special without being pretentious. Colors everywhere were awe-inspiring. With the interior design, you can probably look back and imagine Manila’s bygone era of sophistication and culture. If you’re looking to have a special dinner to impress people or take someone out on a date, this is the place. Hey, we even witnessed a marriage proposal here that night! Sweet. 🙂

    Service:

    Food were served in a timely manner and with a heightened level of care. Service was downright friendly and on point, attentive but not overbearing. This is one of the restaurants where you can feel welcome and comfortable, just like visiting a relative’s home.

    Food:

    Fried Mozzarella in Anchovy Dressing (PhP 198) for appetizer was fine but not upstanding. The anchovy on top brought a certain deep oceanic savoriness out of the almost tasteless cheese. Tender, stretchy and not stiff, the mozzarella was enveloped with coating that’s slightly thicker than the standard breading we have tried in other restaurants. It was nice though that the coating did not overpower the cheese or border on “batter-like.”

    Ordering Café Ysabel’s Paella Sulipena (PhP 578) was absolutely best. Made with classic saffron rice, this paella contained a vibrant mix of seafood and mixed meats coming also into play. Seasoning tasted great and the dish was assembled with tender grains of rice which soaked up the saffron flavor very well. Arriving in a healthy portion, it’s a delicious and filling meal for two (or maybe three).

    As if carbs from paella wasn’t enough, we had Polly’s Pasta (PhP 348) which turned out as silky spaghetti noodles coated in briny, garlicky flavor studded with grilled white cheese, Calumpit sausage, kalamata olives and basil. The combination of the ingredients just hit all the right notes. We added a touch of lemon zest which imparted sort of a discordant sourness but nevertheless worked so well in making the simple taste even more sublime.

    Price for Value:

    A must-try in San Juan area, Café Ysabel is truly a gem. With dishes that are built to please and food that personify elegance, expect to pay a premium price but one that can make your visit worth it for any celebratory occasion. Warm service and the romantic atmosphere also add up to a great fine-dining experience. Reservations are highly recommended.

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/cafeysabelphilippines/” name=”Café Ysabel” description=”455 P. Guevarra Street, Addition Hills, San Juan City” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 2469069 ext:114″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2016-06-11″ ]

  • Review of Recession Coffee by Digital Walker (Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City)

    Review of Recession Coffee by Digital Walker (Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City)

    Located at the third floor of Eastwood Mall, Recession Coffee shares the same space as Digital Walker. It’s a chic cafe where you can savor coffee and sweet treats by Chef Miko Aspiras. The fun part is that customers can pay whatever amount for coffee. The business concept of Recession Coffee sounds so interesting. It’s like giving a bunch of donations to a cool establishment in exchange for a great time! Take note, it’s not the three-in-one kind of instant coffee but coffee ground from beans. So, how much would you pay for your coffee? 🙂 One day we found ourselves itching for a dose of caffeine and decided to check this place out.

    Review of Recession Coffee by Digital Walker (Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City)

    Ambiance:

    While I have encountered a number of coffee shops that reside in a bookstore or in a library, it was my first time to come across one that’s inside a retail store offering an extensive selection of accessories for computer laptops, mobile phones and PDAs. The ambiance looks invigorating with bright lighting and warm tones. There’s communal seating and also private tables and chairs where guests can enjoy a good chat between sips of coffee. It’s nice that there are also electric outlets for customers to charge gadgets and mobile devices.

    Service:

    Service is okay. Staff acts reasonably fast and sharp. The cashier asks for the price you’re willing to pay for the cup of joe and that’s it. If you feel that coffee is more like a treat than an everyday necessity, go splurge all you want. Else, if you’re living on a prayer or haven’t gotten a job yet, as Recession Coffee puts it, giving a measly price is acceptable as well. No judgement here. 😛 Customers’ names are called as the order is made ready for pick-up at the counter.

    Food:

    The Black Sesame Brownie Matcha Frosting (PhP 85) took our attention because we’re such fans of matcha. 🙂 It’s a great choice and we didn’t regret even a bit for getting it. It’s brownie with a perfectly crunch crust at the top and bold matcha flavor within. Yum!

    Recession Coffee offers both hot and iced coffee in Black (Espresso, Americano, Long Black), White (Cafe Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White), and Brewed. The menu isn’t as extensive as other coffee joints, but it’s enough to bring joy to your day. My friends ordered cafe latte as recommended by the staff. I got the cappuccino, a lovely concoction that was presented as a marriage of coffee, milk, and froth where no one element overwhelmed the others.

    Price for Value:

    Per dictionary.com, recession means a period of an economic contraction. Naming the pay-what-you-want cafe as Recession Coffee makes so much sense for those who are personally in recession mode, savings-wise. Those who are generous are welcome to spend more. Quality of coffee was not compromised even when we paid a small price. (Don’t ask me how much! :P) We will surely be back for more of their pastries and drinks.

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recession-Coffee-Eastwood-City/453024024876343″ name=”Recession Coffee by Digital Walker” description=”Third Floor, Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 5843745″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2016-06-10″ ]

  • Review of Ooma Japanese Rice Bar (SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City)

    Review of Ooma Japanese Rice Bar (SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City)

    Lately, I’ve been craving a lot for Japanese food. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to the familiar, but trying out a new restaurant is always fun, too. Ooma at SM Megamall Fashion Hall offers bold, new, flavorful and creative interpretation of modern Japanese fare. Louie and I had dinner here for the first time last month. We positively enjoyed how the dishes were presented and more essentially, how they tasted. If you’re already a fan of Japanese food, expect to be smitten anew! 😉 Ooma is a homegrown concept by The Moment Group with menu conceived in collaboration with Chef-Partner Bruce Ricketts.

    Review of Ooma Japanese Rice Bar (SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City)

    Ambiance:

    Ooma Japanese Rice Bar has a unique appeal. The interior design was inspired by the largest wholesale fish market and one of the top attractions in Tokyo, Japan: the Tsukiji fish market. This explains why there are boots, weighing scale, and crate seats at the side to mock the look and character of Tsukiji. The decors are truly a modern marvel and I like that they tell a story.

    Service:

    We were delighted with the food and will consider to happily return for it, but we can’t say the same for the customer service here. We ordered gyoza way earlier than four tables beside us who ordered it, but we were the last one to get served. Waiting time was crazy, and service was kind of absent. The staff would have already forgotten about us if only Louie did not remind him. Take note that we were seated right at the center of restaurant in front of the entrance.

    The funny part was that one other waiter even thought that we were already done eating and asked if he could take away the plates. He has not seen any food landing on our table for the longest time. Sigh. To make up for the disappointing treatment, we were given a complimentary dessert.

    Food:

    Filled with gratinated mozzarella and cheddar cheese, scallion, togarashi, O-Gyoza (PhP 235) had a flavor combination you can call refreshing. Each bite was extraordinarily good—and it’s hard to decide if it’s the tug of dough, the burst of steam, the unagi sauce, or that hearty meat inside that stood out most. A good way to demolish the gyoza is to take it as a whole and savor a mouthful. Love it! 🙂


    The Buta Kakuni Katsudon (PhP 289) definitely delivered juicy flavors without being too much. It was composed of breaded slow roasted pork belly, onion, egg, carrot, pickled onion, nori, and house tare. Marinated in sweet sauce, the pork belly was tender and tasty, and it was paired beautifully with the salad on the side.


    Ooma Aburi Maki is a signature dish that includes a full range of the best ingredients. “Aburi” means “to burn something.” It’s a traditional Japanese method of blowtorch, a direct flame to burn which brings out amazing tastes and an enticing aroma that can fill the entire place. Instead of the usual soy sauce container for maki, Ooma gave us a brush so we can “brush paint” the maki with soy sauce as we like.

    We opted for the best-seller: Scallop and Tuna Aburi Maki (PhP 289) with torched scallop, tuna, cucumber, sesame seeds, nori crumbs, scallion, teriyaki sauce, spicy mayo, and kimchi aioli. The combination of tastes and texture was God-sent with an umami-tinged essence. It was superb and it deserved a big round of applause. The different tones of the flavors explodes in your mouth.

    The Green Tea Ice Cream (PhP 105), which was served to us as a complimentary dessert, demonstrated sweetness but not cloyingly so. It’s the perfect treat for summer quaffing. I absolutely adored the creaminess with sweet vanilla undertones and the slight nuttiness of the candied cashew nuts. I thought the green tea flavor was rich enough to satisfy the more hardcore of green tea urges.

    Price for Value:

    There’s no question about it. The quality of food was astounding. Items are a mix of the modern and classic that bring diners a breath of fresh air at each meal. It’s different in a good way—seemingly simple on the surface but more complex on taste, more creative, more challenging, more my style.

    Maybe we got rather off-putting service by chance, but I’d consider being a repeat customer at Ooma Japanese Rice Bar and come back for more. I value food presentation and I can see clearly that there’s real effort put into the preparation. With that, prices are reasonable. Check this out! 🙂

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/oomaph/” name=”Ooma Japanese Rice Bar” description=”3/F Mega Fashion Hall, SM Mega Mall, Mandaluyong” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 6564591 or +639175392083″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2016-06-07″ ]

  • Review of Linguini Fini (SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City)

    Review of Linguini Fini (SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City)

    Last Sunday, we went to SM Megamall mainly because of the three-day sale. Weekends are the perfect time for retail therapy, and there’s no better time than SALE SEASON! For lunch, we just felt like having pasta and pizza, and one of the most popular restaurants in the mall that has a menu heavy in that department is Linguini Fini. It’s an Italian-American restaurant based in Hong Kong but with a New York attitude. I remember the time when it first opened in the Philippines, diners just went frenzy appreciating fine pasta made from scratch. It’s pretty high up there on the list of places to hang out for a family meal as well. Are the tastes exciting though? Let’s find out! 🙂

    Review of Linguini Fini (SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City)

    Ambiance:

    Interior design at Linguini Fini Manila (SM Megamall Fashion Hall) was based on custom-made furniture objects which define a certain local vibe matched with eccentricity. The walls, for instance, looked like a piece of modern art made up of a collage of cultural icons of the Philippines. Illustrations of Manny Pacquiao, carabao, Jeepney, and Jose Rizal were distinctively evident. Highly noticeable also were the quirky “can” stool sets that could serve as good conversation starters. Colors everywhere were stimulating to raise appetite.

    Service:

    The servers looked like they were acting in a fast-forward mode. It was entertaining for us to see their efficient actions as they serve busy tables at the peak of lunch hour. No one was clumsy even those inside the kitchen floor. The open kitchen revealed a frenzied knot of white-coated chefs with red caps working at break-neck speed to keep pace with orders. Service was great overall.

    Food:

    We asked for a vegetarian entree and the Wild Mushroom Pizza (PhP 460) was best recommended. It was really a scrumptious one! The thin-crust pizza featured liberal toppings and sprinklings of shitake, ricotta, and porcini. The flavors meld together so nicely. Portion (eight slices) was ample enough to serve three to four people. Order with supreme confidence.

    For pasta choices, we once again sought advice from the crew. We got the Pappardelle “Nose to Tail Bolo” (Lite, PhP 245) and the Baked Ziti (Lite, PhP 250) which did not score as high as the pizza in our book.

    Pappardelle was described as a single-layered lasagna with pork testa, veal and oxtail ragu as fillings in between. I thought it sounded interesting and good for us to be reveling in the pasta glory. Alas, it wasn’t something for my taste. The rich and heavy tomato sauce sat in pretty much okay; the flavor was sharp, tangy, and salty. The texture of the broad, flat pasta was great as it was firm to crumbly. The meat components, on the other hand, were not as satisfactory. Maybe this was because I’m not passionate about the mix of oxtail, veal, and pork. I have to stay far away next time.

    The Baked Ziti was a safe bet, but nothing off the wall. Their ziti was a sculpture of perfectly aligned tubular smooth noodles. As a familiar dish, it’s a great comfort food. Bolognese plus mozzarella plus focaccia bread crumbs equals joy. The contrast of tangy sauce with creamy elements brought more vitality.

    Price for Value:

    To be clear, we did not have a bad experience at Linguini Fini Manila. It may never be the best pizza and pasta place for my liking, but it can be good. We can’t ignore the other positive factors mentioned above. Solid food preparations and freshly-made pasta make it a must-try spot. Each order does not come exactly cheap but has fari value. Set the right expectations going in, which is half the battle for any meal, and you’ll walk away quite satisfied.

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/LinguiniFiniMNL/” name=”Linguini FIni” description=”Level 3, SM Mega Fashion Hall, Edsa cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 531-3302 or email info-manila@linguinifini.com” author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2016-06-05″ ]