Mr. Kurosawa

December 19, 2012. Wednesday.

We don't really find the food in Mr. Kurosawa all that special, and to a certain extent we are actually weirded out by  some of the menu items (but then again, this is a fusion Euro- Japanese restaurant). But we are fond of the place just because we had our first date there. HAHA. So we have decided that we would only eat at Mr. Kurosawa once a year, just to commemorate our first date.

We've always liked the interiors of Mr. Kurosawa. From the faux brick walls, to the red curtain draped over the glass walls, and even the weird painting/ lights on the ceilings. It just makes the place that livelier and more fun to eat in.

 

We really weren't that hungry, so we just ordered the following:

Salmon Sashimi

Salmon Sashimi. 228php.

Kim is really not a fan of raw fish, so I ended up eating most of this plate. I'm no sashimi connoisseur, but I really like eating them. The sashimi was good together with the lemon and dipped in soy sauce. I just can't say it's really better than most sashimi's I've tried before.

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken Teriyaki. 298php.

We ordered safe since we really didn't want to be disappointed during that one time in the year that we would eat here. I don't think any self respecting Japanese restaurant can ruin a dish as common as chicken teriyaki. Safe order, but it was good nonetheless. The chicken was tender, and the teriyaki sauce was just sweet enough.

Ebi Tempura

Ebi Tempura. 368php.

Another safe order for us. The breading was fried perfectly. It was crispy and soft enough at the same time to hold the prawn inside, but not too crispy as it would be too hard to bite. The prawn was just the right size. You get a bit of the prawn and the breading with each bite. Perfect partner to steamed rice.

If you are looking for Japanese food, Mr. Kurosawa has you covered. It might not be that special Japanese meal you are looking for, but it is well prepared and well cooked food served on your table. We have never tried to order any of their fusion items, so I guess that's one thing we should take note off when we come back next year. Maybe the fusion items are what makes this place tick, until we try them out then we will never know.

Mr. Kurosawa

Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall,

Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City

(02) 901 - 0825

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Kurosawa-Euro-Japanese/177631448941095

Holiday Greetings from Us!

Outback Steakhouse

December 9, 2012. Sunday.

By now, you probably know that we really don't mind spending a lot just as long as it is on good food. So be forewarned, this entry/ dining experience constitutes the most we have ever spent on food together. But it was really all worth it, especially if you're a carnivore.

 

We originally planned to eat at House of Minis along C5 since I really wanted to get some steak. We were coming from Ortigas and there was some sort of rerouting being done right at the intersection of C5 and Ortigas Ave. I was forced to turn left towards the direction of Libis. But I was not be deterred in my quest to have steak that night. Luckily there's a steakhouse right smack in the middle of Libis. You may have heard of it; it goes by the name of Outback Steakhouse.

I know Outback and House of Minis differ greatly in price and the style of cooking. Outback is your upscale (very upscale, actually) steakhouse with aged and dry rubbed steaks, and House of Minis by comparison would seem more like your average mall steak on a hot plate. Still, steak is steak. And I really wanted my steak that night.

I haven't been to Outback in a while, but I must say not much has changed. It still has that old steakhouse vibe going for it, with the use of wood all throughout the resto's decor and furnishings, a bar in the middle, booths of varying seating capacity all around, an incandescent lamp above every booth and of course the faux retro Australian spread out all over the place. The place looks old, but I mean it in a good way. It still feels homey and welcoming.

We ended up ordering the following:

First we were served the traditional Outback Dark Honey Wheat Bread.

This has got to be the best complementary bread ever. It's served warm on a cutting board with a cupful of churned butter. The bread has a sweet cocoa taste to it that really goes well with the slight saltiness of the butter. A perfect meal starter.

Then we got Kookaburra Wings.

Kookaburra Wings (half). 279php.

We both love wings, so we got this for our appetizer. We had it only mildly spicy since we didn't want to wreck our taste buds for our main course. This is Outback's version of the Buffalo Wings. The wings were fried to a nice a crispy texture then tossed into their sauce. Really went well with the blue cheese dip it came with.

Kim ordered a half slab of Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs, half slab. 659php.

The half slab was served with fries on the side. The meat easily slid off the bones, all while still being juicy. The barbecue sauce it was coated in was had a tangy taste to it, and it also had a nice little peppery kick to it.

And I ordered a 10 oz. Angus Ribeye.

10 oz. Angus Ribeye. 1455php.

Steak, finally. I like my meat cooked well done since I really don't want any pink left in them. I gauge how a good steak is by the amount of steak sauce/ gravy I would need to eat them. And with this one, I didn't even bother asking for any! I loved the marbling on my cut of ribeye, it just had the right amount of fat to it. Those we think fat is a bad thing, that's not entirely true for steaks since the fat really adds to the flavor of the meat. Despite being cooked on an open flame, my steak managed to remain juicy and tender. It was so good that I really couldn't remember how my sides of rice pilaf and baked potato went.

We both got Cokes.

We liked how they were served with chilled mugs.

We really enjoyed eating here that we are already planning on when to come back. The food might really be on the expensive side, but then again we think it is all worth it.

Outback Steakhouse
35 E. Rodriguez JR Ave.,
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 634 - 3801

Other Outback entries:
Back in Outback! Claiming Our Valentine's Freebies
Outback Steakhouse: Valentine's Date

The Flying Pig

November 30, 2012. Friday.

We love pork, so it's really a wonder why we haven't given The Flying Pig a try before. Maybe because it's always only sparsely occupied. And for us a restaurant not teeming with diners isn't a good thing. Anyway, on this night we decided to give it a go since we wanted dinner to be served quick.

The interiors reminded me of a New York City apartment with the faux red bricks and windows, and playful lighting. Different paintings depicting a pig in various costumes, which I assume is sort of the mascot, adorn the walls.

As is the usual with us, we over ordered again. There's just something about platters that we can't let go of. This time we ordered what is usually good for 4-5 persons.

We got the King Sampler.

King Sampler. 1,250php.

The King Sampler consists of a full slab of baby back ribs, half smoked barbecue chicken, and four sausages. It also comes with your own choice of 2 sides. We both got rice. Everything was tender and juicy. But everything also tasted the same, like it was marinated/ rubbed with the same ingredients. I really couldn't differentiate the taste of the ribs to the chicken to the sausage. Of course the texture of the meat varied but the overall taste was the same. Plus, the ribs was different than most ribs I have ever tried. It was tender, but the cut of it was weird, it was like it mostly consisted of litid or tendon. In conclusion, this meal would've been good if shared by more people because it's easy to get tired of the taste if there are only a few of you to finish the platter.

Overall, this was a just a mediocre dining experience for us. The quantity of food was enough to tide our disappointment with the taste. But the taste still left a bad taste in our mouth (figuratively, haha), as the dish really didn't offer enough variety to our tastebuds.

The Flying Pig
G/F Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, QC

(02) 900- 0886

Komrad - Mao's Hunan & Sichuan KItchen

November 20, 2012. Tuesday.

Chinese food has been a part of the Filipino diet for God knows how long. Chinese establishments are dime a dozen around the Metro. But we are only really familiar with the Cantonese side of Chinese cooking. That's where Komrad is different as it offers Filipinos a look into both the Hunan and Sichuan part of Chinese cooking.

Other than the difference in cooking styles from most Chinese restaurants, Komrad is also unique in its decor and them. There's nothing traditional about the place, and it is mostly a play on China's communism with a mural of Mao Zedong as a smiling chef its centerpiece. Majority of the place's color is red which is also the color of communism. Also, in line with the theme, red stars are can be seen all over the place.

We have been here before, so we know what to order and what not to order :)

We first ordered Komrad Steamed Siomai.

Steamed Siomai (4pcs). 120php.

Despite it being one of the priciest Siomai's I have ever ordered, I really don't feel ripped off. It's a little larger than your average siomai and definitely more packed. It's also more flavorful. I doubt everyone would feel comfortable shelling out this much for dimsum though.

We also had Kung Pao Chicken.

Kung Pao Chicken. 198php.

We have ordered this once before and really loved how it was sweet, spicy and crunchy at the same time. But for this time it tasted really different. It wasn't bad, but it didn't taste like the way we had ordered it before. It was sour more than it was sweet or spicy. Plus, it had more glaze/ sauce than it had before.

And Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs, all for sharing.

Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs. 265php.

This one's very basic but still a perfect partner for steamed rice. Pork seasoned in salt and pepper then deep fried to golden perfection. Some might complain about the cut of pork used in this since it is mostly boney. But I am perfectly fine with it as I have learned over time that usually the tastiest meat come from those on the bone.

If you are craving for Chinese but also want to try something different, Komrad is a good place to go. The place offers a relaxed atmosphere, excellent service and very good value for money. This definitely has been a go- to place of ours in Eastwood.

Komrad
2/f Eastwood Mall,
E. Rodriguez JR Ave., Libis, QC
(02) 921- 3440

Serye

November 17, 2012. Saturday.

It seems like we've been eating out a lot more than usual lately. There's a whole load of entries that Kim has been bugging me to get into and finish. So instead of doing one entry a week, we will be doing about two just until we have cleared the backlog.

We first have Serye, formerly and more better known as Aristoctrat. Serye is actually a play on the surname Reyes, which is the family that is behind this restaurant. The name may have changed, but the food hasn't. They still serve some of the best chicken barbecue in town and of course, it is still best served with that java rice.

 

We've eaten here a couple of times before but we haven't started our blog yet during that time. So for this instance, we wanted to order something that we haven't gotten yet from before. As what the case usually is with us, ordering was a really tedious task since we wanted to order a lot again. The following are what we ended up having.

I ordered the Barbecue Duo 2.

Barbecue Duo 2. 385php.

The Barbecue Duo 2 consists of 2 pieces of chicken barbecue, a strip of barbecue spareribs served with atsara, java sauce and java rice. This plate is like having what's best about Serye -- their chicken barbecue and java rice. Of course there's more to Serye than just those two, but I digress. The chicken barbecue is just like what is has alway been. It's tender, juicy, sweet and smoky. The same thing with the spareribs. Couple those with the java sauce and java rice, it's just a perfect storm inside your mouth.

We then got Pork Sisig with Egg to share.

Pork Sisig with Egg. 270php.

Kim likes her sisig to be crispy, not chewy. This one was of the latter kind and it was also a bit savory. Nonetheless, the sisig was really good. It was served on a hot plate, and was a very good partner with the steamed rice Kim had.

And Pork Sinigang, also to share.

 Pork Sinigang. 265php.

The Pork Sinigang came in late. Very late. I was almost done with my plate, and so was Kim when it arrived on our table. To top it off, it really didn't taste good. The pork was very hard, and the vegetables tasted like it was just dumped on the broth the very second before it was brought to our table. Don't get me wrong I like my vegetables a little crunchy, but not like it tasted like it was just washed off.

Aside from that minor issue with the sinigang, Serye still proved to be an old reliable resto when it comes to Filipino food. While the prices might not be really all that affordable, the food and service should be enough to keep one satisfied.

Serye
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Eastwood,
E. Rodriguez JR Ave., Bagumbayan,
Quezon City
http://www.seryecafefilipino.com/

Brasas: Latin American Street Food

November 16, 2012. Friday.

I've always loved how diverse the food offerings in Podium were. There's Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Filipino, American restaurants all over this small upscale mall. And just recently I've discovered a new addition to Podium, Brasas which serves Latin American Street Food as their name mentions. I got to try out eating here a couple of weeks ago as Kim had me tag along with her co-workers.

At first glance, I thought the place would be serving the usual Tex- Mex fare. I was pleasantly surprised at how different the menu looked like compared to a Tex- Mex joint. For one, the menu had a whole lot of rice meals compared to sandwich wraps. We had to go over the menu at least twice before deciding on what to order, because everything looked good!

Note: Even though we ate with her co-workers, Kim didn't take note and pictures of all orders, so it would be just our orders that would be highlighted in this entry. 

We ordered a regular sized Beef Wrap with extra Monterey Jack cheese.

Beef Wrap (220php) with extra Monterey Jack (30php).

We had the wrap halved since we wanted for us to share both orders we had. I was little disappointed with the size of the beef wrap when it arrived on our table. Considering they had a smaller size for the wraps (pequeno), I expected something a little bigger. Good thing it tasted really good! The meat had this nice grilled tenderness to it that really went well with the tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. The extra cheese provided a nice extra salty flavor to the wrap. The taste was enough to temper my disappointment a bit.

We also got Pork Rice Platter.

Pork Rice Platter. 190php.

Like with the wrap, the serving of the rice platter really looked small. Or at least, small- ish compared most local restaurants. It looked, smelled and tasted good, though. The pork really tasted good, and had a grilled- melt-in-your-mouth goodness that was perfect with the chimichurri. The chimichurri was also really good (much more better than the ones we have tried before) that Kim had to ask for an extra cup of it. Except for the serving size, we really couldn't think of any negatives for this dish.

For drinks, we ordered the Guarapo and Latin Iced Tea.

Guarapo and Latin Iced Tea. 90php and 60php respectively.

The curious kid in me just had to order Guarapo, because it sounded different and new. At first sip, I wanted to spit it out immediately. Guarapo is sugarcane juice with lime. It was sweet but tasted really funky for me. Kim liked the Latin Iced Tea, which had a nice lime flavor to it.

Brasas is definitely a place we would want to come back to and try their other menu items. I'm actually already eyeing the Puerco Asado (slow roasted pork belly). The place is a bit small and cramped, so I'm not sure how packed it gets during the lunch and dinner rush since it is near a lot of offices (including mine actually, haha). Despite it being small, it had this upscale- hole in the wall joint vibe to it that was really homey. It's contradicting I know, but I don't know how to better describe the place. Except for the small servings, Brasas definitely gets top scores from us.

 

Brasas Lating American Street Food
5th Floor, The Podium
ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
https://www.facebook.com/brasasphilippines

Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub

November 10, 2012. Saturday.

We wanted to hangout at Citizen Pub but it was still early when we arrived at City Golf. I thought they opened a little earlier in the afternoons during weekends, but I guess I was wrong. It was about 4PM and they don't open until 5. Since we were already parked and we were hungry, we settled for Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub.

I frequent Mister Kabab and Ababu for my shawarma and kebab fix, but I've never tried Uncle Moe's before. A quick browse through their menu would show that they are priced almost at the same range as Mister Kabab and Ababu. Uncle Moe's also serves beer and for a good reason, they're located in the middle of Ortigas and Pasig which is accessible to a lot of office workers and residents looking for a place to hangout.

We got the ball rolling with a plate of Ox Brain.

Ox Brain. 75php.

I was surprised at how small the serving of Ox Brain was but then again, it was only 75php. And that might also be a good thing, since ox brain is very fatty and high in cholesterol.

Kim got Keema with Buttered Rice.

Keema with Buttered Rice. 110php.

Keema is minced meat. But this one looked more like the ground beef you get from the market or grocery. It tasted good, though. It was seasoned well and the onions provided a nice aroma and sharp taste to the meat. And as is it is with any other fried meat, it really went well with the steamed rice topped with butter.

And I ordered the Kebab Platter with Buttered Rice.

Kebab Platter with Buttered Rice. 170php.

The platter had 2 pieces each of beef and chicken kebab and buttered rice. Both were really tender and still juicy. I just thought that the beef was a bit bland, that's why I had to put copious amounts of the garlic sauce on it.

Compared to its neighbors in the City Golf coumpound, Bugsy's and Citizen, Uncle Moe's is a no frills, stripped down establishment. The menu is cheap and the place is simple, but the food is good enough. The servings were a little smallish compared to Mister Kabab and Ababu, but at their prices, it's nothing to complain about. I don't know how the place looks like during the night time when the people start to trickle in, but then that would be a good excuse to come back here and take a look.

Uncle Moe's Shawarma Hub
City Golf Compound, Julia Vargas Ave.,
Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City
(02) 469-4787

Crisostomo

November 9, 2012. Friday.

There was an accident along C-5 on this day, so we were stuck in traffic for more than an hour. Mind you, that was just from Quirino Medical Center to Eastwood. As that was the case, we were really hungry for dinner. We were already debating on where to eat and what to eat while in the car. Crisostomo popped up a few times during our conversation, but we were apprehensive that the dishes would be too much for us to share. In the end, the glutton in us won out and we settled at Crisostomo for late dinner.

Crisostomo serves cuisine that can be best described by their tagline, "Turn of the century Filipino dining." Behind the playful names based off on Pinoy history and culture are dishes that are well prepared and well thought off. The bulk of the menu is based on traditional Filipino dishes, coupled with some that are fresh takes on classics as well.

We were really hungry but it still took us some time to order food. Almost all the items on the menu looked really good. We wanted to have a bit of everything! The following are what we ended up having.

Sisig Linares. 250php.

This is just pork sisig. Kim really didn't like it since it was off the crunchy variety. I thought it was okay, and the picture might not show it but it was really plenty for two to share and quite filling too.



Sinigang ni Kapitan. 450php.

Kim likes shrimp so we had to order a dish that had shrimp in it. And since we also wanted something to warm our stomachs, we ordered their version of sinigang na hipon. The sinigang had 7 (or was it 6?) pieces of shrimp in it, and it was just enough for both of us to divide. The soup was hot and sour, and it tasted really good for our hungry tummies. I also loved the fact that the veggies in it were not soggy like it had stewed in the soup for a long time. The ones in the dish still had a good snap to it.
 


Calamba. 350php.

The moment I saw this on the menu, I knew we had to order this. Calamba is tortang alimango with crab fat sauce. I like to have egg almost all of the time when I eat. And to have that coupled with crab meat and fat? Food bliss. The crab meat was really soft and complemented the texture of the scrambled egg, and the crab fat on top of it provided a nice rich, salty flavor to it. I really loved this one, but Kim only took about two spoonfuls of it since she said she just tastes the egg.

Halo- Halo ni Crisostomo. 95php.

We were both already full by the time the waiter offered us desserts, but I saw the Halo- Halo and I quickly ordered one for myself. No matter how much I prod her, Kim just wouldn't even dare try to one spoonful (she really does not eat Halo- Halo in general). The Halo- Halo was really packed with all the different sahog, but I quickly found out that ordering one was just a case of takaw tingin. I was just too full to finish it.

Crisostomo isn't fine dining, but it does count as an upscale establishment. Expect the prices of most of the dishes to be on the higher end of the spectrum. But despite the pricepoint, you won't feel shortchanged with this establishment. The service is great-- fast and efficient, and so is the place and its ambiance. We'll be coming back here again to try the other Filipino dishes they have.




Crisostomo
2/F Eastwood Mall, E. Rodriguez Jr Ave
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
(02) 710-1693
http://www.crisostomo.ph/

Uncle Cheffy

November 2, 2012. Friday.

If you love slow cooked, tender, slide off the bones goodness.. then you're in for a treat with this post. Be forewarned though, the amount of food in this post is much more than what a normal couple orders. But then again, we don't order conventionally. Ever.

Kim has been bugging me to eat in Uncle Cheffy for a while now. It has never really caught my fancy because my initial image of it is panizza, and I don't like panizza. But last Friday, I finally gave in and we took in late dinner at the Eastwood Mall branch.

I quickly browsed through the menu if there were food items other than panizza that we could order. I spotted the Grill and Specialties section, and saw that they had steak, ribs and chicken. Almost everything was slow cooked inside a brick oven which guaranteed tender and juicy meats with all the flavor locked in. My sense of relief quickly turned into dilemma, as we couldn't decide which one to order. Then I saw the All Meat Barbecue Platter. It didn't matter that it was for 4- 5 people, we just had to order that.

All Meat Barbecue Platter. 1,600 php.

That's it. That was our only order for the night. ONLY here is just a huge understatement. This platter contains chicken leg, lamb breast, pork and beef ribs. It also comes with baby potatoes, rice and house salad. And for the meats, you can dip it in your choice of either bbq sauce, chimichurri sauce or tomato salsa.

Everything was really good! Well, except for the beef ribs which really tasted weird despite it being tender. Even quoting it with the bbq sauce didn't help. Other than that, everything was really comparable to Cue's A Lil Feast platter. One caveat about ordering a spread this big with only 2 persons to go through it, is that the meat grows cold on you and the juices and oil start to crust on it. But since we were really hungry, we managed to go through a little more than half (finished the lamb, and most of the chicken and pork ribs) of the board before it really got cold.

We really enjoyed the lamb and chicken. I loved how the chimichurri sauce went well with the lamb breast which was really fatty, so it really had a lot of flavor in it. The sourness of the chimichurri provided a nice contrast to the richness of the lamb. The chicken tasted like good old deep fried chicken but without all the excess oil that came with it since this one was brick oven cooked.  The pork ribs was okay, but it was nothing different from all the baby back ribs we have tasted all over the city.

We're definitely coming back here to have lamb and chicken. We probably won't order that big platter again, just the half that we liked. And I just might finally give in to ordering panizza.

Uncle Cheffy
2nd Floor (al fresco area), Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue,
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
(02) 470 2750 and (02) 3837215
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uncle-Cheffy/195383127315