Chopstop

November 16, 2013. Saturday.

There's this one peculiar spot in Eastwood Citywalk. In the past year alone, I think 3 establishments have occupied that same spot. It seems that no matter how packed the surrounding bars and restaurants around it are, it still doesn't manage to do brisk business. Just recently, it underwent renovations again and is now occupied by Chopstop.

Like most dining establishments in Citywalk, Chopstop is a restaurant/ bar, meaning they serve full meals there but they also serve alcoholic beverages. It has this street crossing or train track crossing/ station, with lots of faux road signage inside the restaurant. They even have a mini lamp post over by the counter! We went there for late lunch, so the place was really well lit. I don't know if it's the same case at night, but I think with the bright decor and amount of light inside the place it's safe to assume that it's the same at dinner time.

Chopstop has a simple menu consisting mainly of deep fried stuff. And as their name suggests, their specialize in porkchops -- different kinds of it. We ordered the following:

I had the Pork Tonkatsu.

We forgot to take down prices for all orders, but I remember that everything was affordable. For example, I'm sure my order of tonkatsu was less thatn 150php. It wasn't the biggest pork tonkatsu I've seen, but it was more than enough to satisfy. The pork was cut just right -- not too thin and not too thick. It was deep fried nicely, with a little crunch to the breading. It came with a side of veggies that had sauce on top of it which weirdly tasted like the fresh lumpia sauce from Goldilock's.

Kim had the Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Kim thought that the meatballs were burnt upon her plate being served, but it tasted great when she took a bite out of it despite the outside appearance. The spaghetti was a little sour, but it was just right and was perfectly complemented by the buttered toast it came with.

We also ordered Bacon and Eggs French Toast to share.

We ordered this thinking that the bacon and eggs would be on the side of the french toast, just like a normal breakfast plate would be. Were we surprised that it was like a sandwich upon serving, with the bacon and eggs inside the toast. Despite that, it was really good! With the toast having that perfect crunch to it. For those with a sweet tooth, it also comes with extra syrup.

I don't know if Chopstop will fall victim to the seemingly endless change of restaurants occupying its spot. But with an affordable menu and great food, I think they have a very good chance of sticking around. We might try to drop by here again at night and grab a drink and some finger foods, and see how service is during peak hours.

Chopstop
Eastwood Citywalk
Eastwood City, Quezon City
(0917) 5121212
https://www.facebook.com/WeLoveChops

Yabu: The House of Katsu

October 12, 2012. Friday.

After reading so many great reviews about Yabu, we just had to try it for ourselves. We both haven't been to Megamall in awhile, so it took a good minute for me to get by bearings on right to navigate the 2nd largest mall in the country.

Yabu is supposed to be the first and only authentic Katsu restaurant in the country, or so they claim. I am not sure if that account is true, but that's what it says inside their informative menu. For those who are not familiar what katsu is, to quote from their menu, "The word katsu is an abbreviation of the word "katsuretsu," which means cutlet. It generally refers to a sliced piece of meat that is breaded and deep fried." So if you are overly health conscious, this place is not for you 'cause almost everything is beautifully deep fried in here. Anyway, if you want to learn more about Yabu and katsu, their menu is very helpful.

When we finally found the place, we were ushered into our tables which had comfortable leather seats. Yabu has 2 dining areas, separated by a divider adorned with manga depicting the cooking of katsu. There's probably no difference between the 2 areas, it's probably just divided to avoid monotony. The restaurant is well lit with a golden color scheme. Made me feel like royalty.

Since it was our first time to eat at Yabu, so we thought we would need to ask the waiters to help us out in ordering. But upon being handed the menu, we found out that it was not needed. Everything you wanted to know was in the menu! So we proceeded to order. But before that, we have to show you how to make your very own katsu sauce!

First, you grind the sesame seeds. The waiter advised us to grind about 50% of it to preserve the taste of the sesame seeds.

Second, you add 2-3 scoops of the tonkatsu sauce. The more you add, the more sour it gets.

Third, mix them together. And enjoy dipping your katsu in it!

I ordered the Rosu Tonkatsu Set.

Rosu - Pork Loin Set 120g. 355php.

At first I wanted to order the Premium Kurobata Pork Set, but I wasn't really sure if I wanted to spend 575php on something I'm not certain of the taste. So to play it safe and still satisfy my love for pork, I got the cheaper Rosu - Pork Loin. It is a juicy 3/4 inch thick pork cutlet with a very generous trimming of fat. Each katsu set is served with unlimited Japanese rice, unlimited cabbage, miso soup, Japanese pickles, and a bowl of fruit. The pork was really juicy and tender with the fat separating immediately from the meat once you go through it. And the breading of panko flakes was very thin unlike the ones you get from fast food chains. It is deep fried in Canola oil which has 0 trans fat thereby eliminating the overwhelming greasy feeling which is common in deep fried food. I'm sure that the pork was well prepared, but I found it a bit bland for my taste. Good thing the katsu sauce made up for it. I'm thinking maybe the pork from the Black Berkshire pig of the more expensive Kurobata Set would taste better, I have to come back and try that one.

Kim got the Chicken Katsu Set.

Chicken Katsu Set 120g. 325php.

When our orders came in, we really couldn't tell the difference between the two. The chicken looked like pork and vice versa. Well at least the chicken tasted like chicken, and the pork tasted like pork. Similar to the pork loin, although the tenderness is commendable, the chicken katsu is tasteless alone. But over-all, the combination of the whole set, with the DIY katsu sauce, makes a one-of-a-kind katsu experience. Every element goes well together, but a variety of condiments is readily available on each table for more preferences. The condiments include Japanese spices, sesame dressing and vinaigrette sauce for the cabbage and salads, and Himalayan salt if you need to add flavor to your food.

Condiments. Tonkatsu sauce, Japanese spices, Sesame dressing, vinaigrette suace, and Himalayan salt inside the pig- looking container.

To wash it all down, we ordered Ripe Mango Shake and a can of Coke which was for 100php and 70php respectively.

We'll probably be coming back here again as I wasn't totally blown away by it. But since it has received a lot of good reviews, then maybe I really have to experience it again and order something different. Other than my complaint of my order tasting a bit underseasoned, everything was great in this place. Service was really fast, and everyone was very courteous from ushering us to our seats, to offering us extra orders. The ambiance and overall look of the place was nice, with the quote riddled walls of the restroom standing out the most. With all that being said, expect us back in Yabu again soon.

Yabu: The House of Katsu
2/F Mega Atirum, SM Megamall,
1552 Manila, Philippines
https://www.facebook.com/yabuhouseofkatsu
http://www.yabuhouseofkatsu.com/index2.php#/home/