Food Talk: Sakae Sushi

Hey guys! It's been quite a while. I missed my blog. And I missed blog hopping. I've been really too busy during the past few months. And I'll even be busier, if that's even possible, in a few weeks. Read: office sleepovers are awesome. :P

Anyway, while waiting for my new K-drama to finish downloading, I figured I'll squeeze in writing an entry or two.

My dongsaeng is a big fan of foodstops with conveyor belts. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot in the country and definitely none near our place. When we saw the colored plates on a belt in Sakae Sushi in MOA, we knew that we couldn't just not go back and try their dishes out. Especially their Eat-All-You-Can Sushi promo.

The promo is 399 Php for adults (199 for kids I think) and that comes with your choice of either hot or cold refillable green tea and a serving of miso soup.

The Verdict:

     Taste-wise, most of the sushi dishes were run-of-the-mill-- some hit the good taste spot, while others, quite forgetful. I did love the onion rings (sort of) though. It was tasty but on our next visit, it wasn't available anymore. I hope they kept it in the menu though.

The good thing about the place is that you can ask the servers about the products that will come out running on the conveyor belt, like those shrimps. Just so you can look forward to the whole grab the plate thing. The only thing you probably need to be worried about is that their sushi dishes are mostly rice heavy so you'd easily feel full. Just try to work through it. :) And don't order a bowl of ramen when you've decided with the buffet. Let's just say I learned my lesson as I wanted to crawl out of the resto. 

       They also have the price card there on the table (for those who want their sushi dishes ala carte) which I suggest you make good use of when you avail the sushi-all-you-can. You can basically see and compute if you have eaten your money's worth. The green tea was superb. It helps cleanse your palate so you can get ready for the next plate you'll be grabbing. The soup was nice, too.

      If you're not into the whole sushi buffet, they also have a decent menu. Prices are a little steep but given the taste of the ramen, I'd say you're in for a treat.

Dining at Sakae Sushi was definitely a fun experience. Nothing beats trying to grab your choice of sushi before it reaches the other tables. Just remember to leave a lot of room when you decide to try out their sushi galore. Don't say I didn't warn you. :D

Sakae Sushi is at the 2nd floor, Main Mall of SM Mall of Asia.

Cheerio!

Special Food Talk: Charlieee!

Hey guys! A little after we opened The 2nd Shoppe, I got into baking. I don't know if I have really nailed it yet but.... I'm actually selling the stuff I make. ^^ Like these cuppies.

I haven't quite officially opened Charlieee! yet but most of my customers are my sister's classmates ^^ I sell each regular cupcake at 45 Php and the "special ones" at 60 Php (like the Strawberry one and the triple chocolate one). I'm still experimenting on new flavors so...this list can actually grow. ^^

If you're interested in trying out my cupcakes, you can send me an email at charlieandthemirror@gmail.com or shoot me a message at 09228361086.

Have a good Sunday. Cheerio!

Food Talk: Masan Korean Grocery

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've posted a food talk entry. Not that I haven't been checking out new foodie places (that'd be impossible) but I haven't had the time to sort the pictures out.

Anyway, we've been frequenting a Korean grocery near Farmer's Plaza in Cubao. It's right near the market place. I've been to quite a few Korean groceries but I'd have to say, Masan is probably the best. The prices of their products are lower compared to most Korean groceries, and the ajusshi who I think owns the place seemed really nice. My sister was actually able to have a short talk with him and the kind Korean lady, but that's another story.

Here are some of the stuff we bought recently. About two weeks ago, I think. ^^ We bought some kimbap (100+ Php), tteok (rice cake) (110.00 Php) and odeng/fish cake (120.00 Php) for the tteokbokki, gimari (like japchae wrapped in kim, coated with egg) (100.00 Php), samgyeopsal (180.00 Php), Chilsung cider and Aloe juice (around 30 bucks each bottle), kimchi, and pickled red ginseng (50.00 Php each). I hope I got the prices right. ^^

Here's what our lunch looked like a few weeks ago. ^^ I almost forgot the ssamjang (50.00 Php), the bean paste that goes well with the samgyeopsal.

 So, if you're up for cooking up a few Korean dishes, I suggest you pay Masan a visit and check out their items. If you're lucky, you might get to score the fish-shaped pastries filled with red bean paste. ^^ Each fishy pastry retails for 12.00 Php.

Have a nice Sunday! Cheerio!

Food Talk: Yoogane

Hi guys! It's the first day of November and soon enough it will be Christmas time. ^^ Sorry, I get really excited around this time of the year. Anyway, I know I haven't been posting a lot lately, so I actually have a lot of stuff stuck in the draft department. I hope to make use of the long weekend wisely. ^^ So...

Going to Il Terrazzo for a donut run has proved beneficial for food hunting. ^^ At least for me, who's always looking for a new place to eat. Take this cool-looking Korean place for example. ^^ We went here on my sister's birthday since she was ecstatic to see that it looks so Korean.

 

Complementary Banchan ^^

Marinated Chicken Galbi (285.00) with Mozarella Cheese (80.00)

I've seen warnings about this one being a little too spicy and an additional order of cheese was recommended. It made all the difference. ^^ This one has bite-sized chicken pieces, rice cakes, sweet potato slices, and a lot of gochujang (spicy paste). It was prepared right on our table. Soo coolll.^^

Mul Mandu (160.00)

I love love love this dumpling. It's like gyoza but it's steamed and not pan fried. It's very tasty. Recommended for dumpling-lovers. ^^

  My sisters morning rice drink (55.00). We were looking for sikhye (rice malt rice drink) but mistakenly ordered this instead. My sister enjoyed it though.

Chap Chae/Jap Chae (230.00)

We never fail to order this glass noodle dish. I'm glad it wasn't too oily but it could use a little more meaaaattt. But that could be just me. 

Galbi Gui (390.00)

These short ribs are awesome wrapped in leaves or they do fine with rice too. The beef was chewy and tender. It's tasty on its own too. 

Bulgogi Fried Rice (230.00)

The only rice dish we had. ^^ I love bulgogi. But I wish there were more beef strips on this rice. This was prepared on a different table since it arrived with the galbi.

  

Samgyeopsal (270.00)

My one and only favorite. Kidding. I always look forward to tasting samgyeopsal especially if it gets really crunchy. And the one they served us was really crunchy. ^^ It was almost like bacon ^^. Although my family loved the Galbi Gui more, this was my favorite. 

The Verdict:

The food in Yoogane were all awesome. At least those we've tried. I'd love to go back and try all the other dishes to see if I can find a new favorite. Price-wise, I'd say they're at an average compared to other Korean restos. Not that expensive because I have seen other Korean dishes such as the ones I've tried priced at more than 500 bucks. The staff were also very helpful and nice because we've had more than just a few servings of banchan.^^ It also helped that the place wasn't too crowded when we dined so we got to enjoy our time. Plus, the smoke-sucker (sorry, I don't know what else to call it) really helped with the smell because we could have left smelling like bulgogi. ^^

 You can find Yoogane at the G/F of Il Terrazzo right beside Gavino's Japanese Donuts. Cheerio!

Food Talk: Cobo: Awesome Possibiliteas

Hi! With all the milk tea stops popping out like daisies, I actually wish that my body would accept this concoction so I could join the craze. I love the taste of milk tea despite its lack of health benefits according to a doctor we interviewed once-in-college *long long story*. But, I don't know why, I get dizzy when I drink milk tea. Maybe wrong choice of flavor? Anyway, that doesn't stop me from trying. I just have to make sure to immediately go home afterwards or better yet, get it to-go and just drink it at home. ^^

A few days ago, we found ourselves in Ever Commonwealth and I saw Cobo. It was so colorful and inviting so I knew I had to try something.

Mango Peach (65.00) with Bursting Bubbles (15.00) and Wintermelon Milk Tea (75.00)

The Verdict:

I wasn't feeling particularly well that day so I didn't want to risk ordering a milk tea so I went fruit-tea instead. I had the mango peach with bursting bubbles for add-ons and my sister had a plain wintermelon tea. Both were at average sugar level. They were actually pretty big, given that this is their smallest size.

I'd have to admit that the taste of the mango peach kinda threw me off at first because I could taste flowers, specifically sampaguita. But when I chewed on, well it actually can't be chewed on since the bubbles were like plastic bubble wrap filled with sweet mango juice, it made the tea taste a whole lot better. In the end, I actually liked my drink. 

My sister liked the wintermelon milk tea but she found it a little bland and wished she had the sugar level at intense. But because it was really ice cold, she enjoyed it a lot.

For the price and taste, I'd say Cobo's teas are worth coming back for. Plus, their mascot is so cute. Doesn't their mascot look like Chicken Little? 

You can find Cobo: Awesome Possibilities at the G/F of Ever Commonwealth. Check out their other branches in their Facebook page. ^^ I think they just opened a branch in SM North Edsa last week. ^^ *happy dance*

Cheerio!

Food Talk: Sariwon Korean Barbecue

Hello guys! I just suddenly felt the need to rifle through my sister's old photos. While she has developed a certain penchant for taking pictures way before, I didn't feel the need to "blog" about them, until now. ^^

We ate at Sariwon during my sister's birthday last year. Being Korean fanatics, and my sister being an even bigger Korean fan, eating something Korean was a default choice. My dad spoke highly of this Korean barbecue restaurant so we were excited to try it out. It was actually my first time to wait for about an hour before being given a table and order! When we were there, a lot of people were in line that I felt that we were actually lucky to just wait for an hour.

I apologize beforehand because I could no longer remember the prices of the following items that you are about to see. But if it helps, here's a copy of their menu, right off Munch Punch. Surprisingly, I do remember what the stuff we ordered looked like, I just can't put a name on everything. ^^

When you're seated at Sariwon, they will serve this compact towelettes, pour warm water on 'em. you can watch them "grow" and use them to wipe your hands, in case you'll be ordering some sort of samgyeopsal or those pork slices you'll be wrapping in greens or their galbi, which I think we had. ^^

One of the reasons why I absolutely love Korean barbecue eateries is that they don't skimp on their banchan or the side dishes. My favorites would be the mashed sweet potato, the baby potatoes, the anchovy side dish, and....KIMCHI!

I had to cover my face because I was too busy chewing when my dad took this picture. Can you see the Japchae? This glass noodles dish is a family favorite. Although Sariwon's serving was quite small, we still loved it.

Bulgogi! This stew was so filling.

Grilling Time! I think we had the regular Galbi. I remember the server from Sariwon cutting this marbl-y baby into pieces. Jjang!

My favorite part of the meal! I wouldn't really call it a dessert since it's a drink but this sikhye was pure awesome-ness. It's a sweet rice drink with nuts and fruits. There is also a canned version of this that you can buy at Tous Les Jours. My sister loves that but thinks that the one from Sariwon is better.

We also ordered haemul pajeon, which is like a pancake/omelette with green onions and squid and a whole other stuff. I wasn't a big fan of this dish but I see it a lot on K-dramas and find it cool-looking. ^^

Their dishes are priced quite steeply but I'd say that in terms of taste and service, Sariwon is a must-try Korean barbecue place. 

You can find Sariwon Korean Barbecue at Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. ^^

Cheerio!